Satyamev Jayate: Organic farming, need of the hour

Did you know that there are 67 types of pesticides which are banned all over the world, but are still used by Indian farmers. Everyday through fruits and vegetables, we consume 400-500 % more pesticides than the permissible limit. Aamir Khan highlighted the bad effects of chemical farming during the eighth episode of his television show ‘Satyamev Jayate’. He spoke to doctors, agricultural scientists, farmers and others during the episode. 

To increase productivity, farmers have been using pesticides for agricultural purposes from years now. Because of this, the nutrition value of the crop goes down. Now, these pesticides have become a part of our food chain. According to a study by Dr Rashmi Sanghi, even breast milk contains 400-800% more pesticides than the permissible limits. 

During the show, many farmers confessed that they do not use these pesticides for the fruits and vegetables they separately grow for their own consumption. 

Jurnail Singh a farmer from Jajjal, Punjab claims that access use of pesticides started after the Green Revolution. He said that 45 people from his village have died of cancer in past few years. A train from Bhatinda to Bikaner is called ‘Cancer Train’ by the local people. The number of patients travelling to the cancer hospital in Bikaner is increasing fast.

Rajju Shroff is the managing director and chairman of India’s biggest pesticides company. Aamir was surprised to see his reaction on the show. He said, “People exaggerate about the bad effects of chemical farming to gain publicity. 

Non-pesticides users have worse health state. If done in limit, pesticides cause no health problems. The productivity will highly suffer if we stop using pesticides and the farmers will commit suicide.” He also said that DDT is completely harmless. 

Aamir tried to highlight the benefits of organic farming and alternate ways of killing insects during the show. From many years, agricultural scientist Dr GV Ramanjaneyulu has been working with the farmers in Andhra Pradesh to teach them cheap and safe ways of getting rid of the insects. He said, “Not pests, but pesticides are a bigger problem for the farmers. On an average, a village spends nearly Rs 50 lakh every year on pesticides.” 

Aamir Khan also spoke to Pawan Chamling, chief minister of Sikkim on the show. Chamling has banned all pesticides in the state and is promoting organic farming. He aims to make Sikkim an organic state by 2015. It is not possible for all the states to switch to organic farming overnight, but taking some steps to save people’s life is essential now. 

Through his show, Aamir urged audiences to opt for organic products. He also said that there should be a regulating body to monitor the usage of pesticides by the farmers. 

As reports claim, the TRPs of ‘Satyamev Jayate’ have started dropping. Is this an indication that Indian audiences only prefer entertainment on small screen? Share your comments on the eighth episode of ‘Satyamev Jayate’.

Satyamev Jayate: Is India banking on Aamir Khan for social reforms?

When Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan graced the small screen with ‘Satyamev Jayate’, one would have least expected the impact the show would have on the aam janta and the bureaucrats.

The show is a hit for all obvious reasons. However, what is grieving indeed is the fact that the nation needed Aamir Khan to awaken its sunken self. Was India running short of ideas to correct the infected system? Maybe yes.

It looks as if Rajasthan Chief Minister Mr Ashok Gehlot needed Aamir Khan’s assistance in realizing the urgency to set up a fast track court to settle impending cases of female foeticide in the state.

“I am moved by Aamir`s programme and his gesture. I will definitely take up the issue and speak to the chief justice of Rajasthan to find a way,” Gehlot said while addressing media at a press conference. But wasn’t Mr Gehlot aware of this crime that his state was committing for years? Couldn’t he have formulated a way to deal with the malice much earlier? Perhaps not.

But while Mr Ghelot was kind enough to respond to Aamir’s appeal, Minister of State for Health, Rajkumar Sharma had a contrasting feedback to give on Aamir and his show.

He said, “The government took up the issue much before Aamir Khan`s programme. It is not because of him that the government is working against female foeticide.”

One can clearly see the lack of coordination in the state government; where one was acknowledging concerning issues, the other was trying to cover it up.

Nonetheless, there were more resolutions that were being worked out. It may have been in the wake of ‘Satyamev Jayate’ or a mere coincidence , the Lok Sabha passed the Protection of Children against Sexual Offences Bill on 22nd May, precisely 10 days after the episode on child sex abuse was telecast.

Moving ahead, what’s interesting is that Rajya Sabha MP Shanta Kumar of the Bharatiya Janata Party, who heads the parliamentary standing committee on commerce, had invited Aamir to share the knowledge they gained while researching the episode on malpractices in the medical fraternity.

What was the committee doing prior to the telecast of the episode on medical malpractices? Why didn’t anyone discuss ways to uproot corruption from the healthcare system earlier?

The Indian Medical Association made Aamir a villain for allegedly defaming its fraternity and the medical profession. But the IMA had little to say when Medico Friend Circle (MFC) and the Forum for Medical Ethics Society (FMES) slammed the body for trying to silence “messenger” Aamir.

“We appreciate that you want to uphold the dignity of the medical profession. However, we feel that denying or minimizing the importance of issues raised on this show and demanding an apology from Aamir Khan is definitely not the most appropriate way of upholding the dignity of doctors,” said Dr Anant Phadke from MFC while talking to a daily.

So it clearly emerges that there is a huge discrepancy in the system, which might take years to get rectified.

However, one can see the changes being implemented with the Maharashtra Government announcing that generic medicines would be made available across all Government hospitals. In addition, the State Government has also planned to open medical stores across the state where generic medicines will be stocked in adequate amounts, and will be readily available for people.

Thanking the state government, Aamir tweeted, “Great news guys! Maharashtra govt. announces Generic medicines to be made available! Thank u CM sir Mr Chavan & Health Min Mr Suresh Shetty(sic).”

It feels good that the phenomenon called ‘Satyamev Jayate’ is directly or indirectly stirring souls but one question still remains unanswered - does India really need Aamir Khan to awaken social, moral, civic and national conscience?

Satyamev Jayate: Truth Is God in India's Phenomenal TV Show

Satyamev Jayate is an ancient Sanskrit saying that means "truth alone triumphs." It is India's national motto and appears on the national symbol. Since it is so closely associated with government iconography, its mention in a conversation is likely to be steeped in irony, rather than optimism or belief. It is not something that is widely contemplated or debated.

In the past few days though, "Satyamev Jayate" has become one of the most searched, tweeted, shared, liked and talked about terms in India. The reason for this is not a sudden outbreak of spiritual contemplation, but simply a television show that has captured public attention like few others. The first episode featured a woman whose face was nearly ripped off by her husband. The subject of the episode though was even darker. It was about families that kill their own children. Sometimes, soon after they are born, sometimes even before they are born. But in every case, it is only one kind of victim, the babies are all girls.

"Satyamev Jayate" is an unusual television show. Until the first episode appeared last Sunday on India's Doordarshan and Star Plus networks, there was little sense of what the show was even going to be about, except for the fact that it was going to be hosted by the Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan. Promos for the show featured an inspiring anthem and evocative images of Mr. Khan interacting with children, fishermen and people from different parts of India. Everything suggested a reprise of Discovery of India, the famous work of history penned by India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and made into a TV series in the 1980s by the acclaimed director Shyam Benegal.

But there was also an expectation, if a carefully orchestrated one, that the show would be something more than a celebrity's travelogue, given Aamir Khan's past record. Unlike heroes who sing and dance and bash up the villains (though he does that too in his films), Aamir Khan has come to be associated with roles and stories that carry a social or political message, not a small accomplishment at all given the long-standing gap that existed in India between Bollywood and "serious" cinema. "Lagaan," a movie that was a bit incomprehensible perhaps to awards-committees in baseball countries, told an inspiring story about a group of peasants challenging their colonial British rulers to a game of cricket in protest against an unfair tax. Taare Zameen Par saw him play an art teacher who nurtures a gifted school boy cruelly trampled upon by the militaristic expectations of middle class Indian family life. Most importantly, his Rang de Basanti came to be seen as uncannily prescient about a wave of middle-class anger and activism against public corruption that peaked around the quasi-Gandhian figure of Anna Hazare last year. The production house led by Mr. Khan and his wife has also become associated with powerful, critical and unusual films like "Peepli Live," a dark satire about 24/7 news culture and the serious issue of farmer suicides.

When "Satyamev Jayate" finally appeared, it became clear what kind of show it was, and what kind of a persona Mr. Khan was going to now become. They are calling him "India's Oprah," and of course, Bono. And he is Aamir Khan too, to begin with. There has perhaps never been this sort of media power lined up against infanticide and feticide in India until now. The question, though, is what will happen next? Will truth indeed conquer?

There is a temptation for those who study the media to think that the media can be a magical tool to create a better world. That temptation exists not because of a naïve idealism but because of its opposite; we know the media serve interests, commercial and political, sometimes even the much celebrated new social media. There is comment, even if subdued at the moment, about all the business and money riding around on this new TV show despite its ideals. There is skepticism, and not an unfounded one, about the effectiveness of text-message voting activism, whether a nation can vote out a persistent evil as easily as a contestant on a reality show. The solution that the first episode offered, despite its touching Oprah-like format, did not seem especially powerful. Mr. Khan concluded his show with an appeal to viewers to send text messages to the government to press for the setting up of a "fast-track" court to more quickly try and punish those who violate the law (it is illegal for hospitals to reveal the sex of an unborn child). Government officials, for their part, do not seem embarrassed by this, and have welcomed the support. It may well be the case that the level of exposure Aamir Khan has brought to the issue would make those who break the law a little less brazen about it. But the greater promise this show has, in my view, has less to do with the modest activism it offers, but in the way it is starting to tell a story about reality, a way that might provide the cultural will needed to face some life and death issues. That promise is right there in the title. It has something to do with truth, and God.

The "truth" that "Satyamev Jayate" invokes goes beyond the modern, Western sense of "truth" as a fact, or a statement about reality. Although there is now a well-worn media narrative in place in India about such an idea of truth (the idea of something concealed or unknown being revealed), there is more to the saying than meets the modern eye. After all, the truth that the first episode of the program revealed was not an unheard of one at all. India is fairly aware of its faults, even if a variety of reasons ranging from survival to selfishness make it act sometimes as if it doesn't. A TV series anchored by a Bollywood star featuring ugly, tragic, bitter realities of life in India today does not play in the same way as an expose. That is what makes Satyamev Jayate different. It does not purport to expose the truth, for there is nothing to expose in an open crime scene. What it does seek to do is bring back another notion of truth that abides in India, and it is one that is steeped in its religiosity, in how India sees the world in God and God in the world. It is a Gandhian ideal of truth, that "Truth is God," rather than the other way around. Truth, in this sense, is less an account of reality, than an experience that grasps it, does justice to one's relationship with it. Since it is a human experience, it is not expected to be sterile, dispassionate, objective in the modern sense. It might be the opposite. It might be poetic, emotional, excessive, melodramatic, even. It might make you cry. But in the end, it might make you see right and wrong, clearly. It is about ethics, not formulae.

The last time I heard the phrase "Satyameva Jayate" in a conversation was a few years ago. "It's not like India has abandoned 'Satyamev Jayate,'" a friend of mine who had gone back from America to live in India said. "We still live by it, but the problem is that we think that whatever exists today, no matter how bad it is, is Satyam (truth)." Put another way, we are a nation of the status quo. We imagine customs and virtues where there are none. That is perhaps the unfortunate side of having a liberal, diverse, protean religious culture. It can morph into accommodating virtually anything and even sanctifying it as tradition. It can rarely find the will to draw what we call a Lakshman rekha, a line in the sand, that tells us what is right and what is not. The law might be one, but it is seen ever so often as an inconvenience that must be overcome rather than an ethical imperative. We assume that whatever is going on must be OK -- everyone's doing it. Whatever is brazenly not OK and still goes on, this we assume must be because of corrupt politicians. Aamir Khan has rightly pointed out that not every crime takes place in the street (read his thoughtful interview in Tehelka here). It is in the bedroom, as he says, and in the prayer room, in the conscience ultimately that the idea of truth must be confronted, and won anew. If people convince themselves that crimes can be expiated for by merely bribing the system (or the deities) the culture must unconvince them of such a mercenary mentality. That is what Aamir Khan seems to have set out to do.

The Indian media audience is poised between two different sensibilities about truth. On the one hand, there is a sensationalist, breaking-news, expose, sort of spin about truth in the media culture. Despite all the obvious hype, this sort of news mania rarely makes for cynicism, since cynicism is the very product that the media sell. It is the "truth" that is reinforced through thousands of tiny instances day after day; that the problem with India is nothing more than politicians, that family life is all about hatred and treachery like in the soap operas, that happiness is all about consuming cosmetics and fast-food like the beautiful people in advertisements, and that "reality" is what happens when people pretend to live together and spend their time scheming against each other (while occasionally testing mettle and courage by eating worms or other such dares). All of these things are telling us that this world is a certain way, that this is the truth. Add to these the existence of really serious issues like those Aamir Khan is presenting on his show, and it would seem that there is no hope at all, But the truth that "Satyamev Jayate" offers is a different kind of truth that we desire. It is, first of all, the assurance we are right to feel that all this is wrong. It is the assurance that it is not weird or "Gandhi" to feel the pain of others as our own. It is the assurance most of all that comes from watching those who have survived tell their stories, for their courage is always an example to all those who are similarly suffering, and can use the hope. The real heroes of "Satyamev Jayate" are really its guests, as sentimental as that might sound. They are the truth that will triumph. We need to know from them that goodness can lead to a happy ending, or at the very least the promise of a new beginning. Bollywood has met reality, and it is not a bad thing at all.

After Shahrukh, Aamir Khan to rope in Rajinikanth!

Rajinikanth's involvement in Bollywood movie Dhoom 3 has surfaced again. Earlier, his name was doing rounds on the superstar playing the lead role in the much-hyped movie. But now he is being wanted by the makers of the film to do a cameo in the movie starring Aamir Khan and Katrina Kaif.

Rumours are rife that after Shahrukh Khan, who made Rajini to appear in a scene in Ra.One, Aamir Khan now wants to cast him in a special role designed especially for the superstar. Considering Rajini's popularity and his superhero qualities in films, the makers of the film have decided to rope in the actor, but it is not sure whether the superstar will give a nod for the Bollywood Perfectionist's request.

It may be recalled that Post-Endhiran The Robot success, their were speculations that the Dhoom makers were considering Rajinikanth for the lead role in the film. It claimed that the superstar's superhero role in the sci-fi film had impressed them and they had approached the actor. Later, the production house clarified that they have utmost respect to Rajini, but they did not consider him.

Aamir Khan, Katrina Kaif, Abhishek Bachchan and Uday Chorpa starrer Dhoom 3 is directed by Vijay Krishna Acharya and produced by Aditya Chopra. It will hit the screens in mid 2013.

Aamir Khan on the winning side at the parliamentary battle!

Superstar Aamir Khan, who today addressed the parliament over the malpractices in the medical sector, is possibly on the winning side. Khan, who recently exposed the medical malpractices in his popular TV show Satyamev Jayate, has reportedly made a detailed presentation in the Parliament.

Though Aamir Khan refused to reveal the detail of his presentation, he gave a hint on the positive outcome of the meet. Sources told NDTV that the actor argued for allowing higher FDI in pharmaceuticals, but made a strong case for price control and cheaper drugs.

Aamir was invited by a Rajya Sabha MP to speak over the issue along with his Satyamev Jayate team. But, Khan's bold attempt to expose such malpractices did irk the doctors, who demanded an apology from him after the show was telecast.

Aamir Khan's Satyamev Jayate win hearts yet again

 Aamir Khan seems to be heading right where he wants to - The actor has always maintained that through his show Satyamev Jayate, he wants to do his bit in addressing social issues and making a difference to the society. Though his fifth episode failed to garner as much interest as his previous episodes, Aamir Khan has bounced back in the sixth episode. The latest episode of Satyamev Jayate showed people with disabilities. Giving real life examples, Aamir highlighted the problems and challenges that physically handicapped people have to face in India.

As always, Aamir Khan has managed to move the heart of thousands of TV audience who now eagerly look forward to Aamir Khan's Satyamev Jayate every Sunday at 11 AM. Aamir Khan is receiving support from all quarters for his noble effort. Aamir Khan's Satyamev Jayate only affirms the immense strength of mind and character that disabled people show in the day-to-day activities.

A six-year-old, who can barely talk and a girl with a rare skin disease move on in life without complaints and speaks how happy they are with their life. An Infosys employee without any lower body talks how he ski-dived and succeeded in life. Project manager from IIT Mumbai without physical vision shows how much he achieved with his sheer grit and determination. A completely handicapped doctor gave a new ray of life and hope to millions of disabled persons from across the country.

Check out what Aamir Khan's fans had to say about this week's episode of Satyamev Jayate on Twitter.

Kabir Bedi
#SatyamevJayate is the MOST REVOLUTIONARY SHOW on Indian TV. EVER. It will inspire profound changes in our society.

Pritam
IMHO today's #SatyamevJayate is the best episode so far...@aamir_khan kudos! may be my son is disabled so I am thinking so...anyway thanks.

avinash ‏
Persons with Disabilities - we can fly! .

Mubashir
Never really watch Star Plus but #SatyamevJayate by Aamir Khan is mind blowing. Using his popularity to challenge social stereotypes, bravo!

Eatprayshop
Watching #SatyamevJayate, crying in the first ten minutes already.

Roopa M ‏@rmat
Watch Nisha Lobo and @alomalobo on #SatyamevJayate @Aamirkhan... changing the world one person at a time

Swati Swayamprava
#ForTheDisabled- great episode of #SatyamevJayate episode-6. Changed so many views.

Asjad Nazir
If you don't like Aamir Khan TV series #SatyamevJayate then you probably don't have a heart and haven't realised it yet!

E-tard ‏
#SatyamevJayate is the only thing that every person on twitter has an unshakable opinion about.

AM
Sad. India levies 5 per cent duty on imported equipment for disabled people. #SatyamevJayate.

Shruti Seth
Thank you @aamir_khan for educating me every Sunday morning.

Aamir Khan plans Rs 6.25 crore campaign for ‘Satyamev Jayate’

The actor, who is known for setting benchmarks with his films, is going all out to market his first ever TV show

If you are a Star Plus viewer, you must have noticed the high frequency with which the advertisements of Aamir Khan’s Satyamev Jayate are being shown. The reason for this is that the channel has blocked all the 2,000 slots for broadcaster’s promos over 27 hours (Monday 7 pm to Tuesday10 pm) for this new show. And the value of these slots is a whopping Rs 6.25 crore!


The TV channel is going all out to create the required buzz and curiosity factor around Aamir’s first ever TV show as host-anchor and we hear that the actor is seeing the whole campaign through, with his usual perfectionist antenna on full alert. The actor is known to market his films with intelligent campaigns and great style, and he is leaving no stone unturned to see to it that his television debut also creates the right impact. It was Aamir’s idea that the footage from the making of the show itself be used to make the promos. He felt that this would help the team maintain the secrecy he demanded and also keep it real, which is the format of the show too.

The marketing campaign has definitely made this one among the most awaited events to take off on TV. We’ll have to wait to see if the actual show lives up to the expectations that the teasers have raised. But as we already know, Aamir hardly ever puts a foot wrong!

Satyamev Jayate Ep 5 touches draconian tradition of honour killings

Ishq par zor nahi, hai ye woh aatish 

'Ghalib'kilagaayenalageaurbujhaayenabane

With these lines, Aamir Khan began another episode of his popular show Satyamev Jayate.

The fifth episode touched the draconian traditions that revolve around the caste system in India, questioning whether falling in love was actually a crime. The guests included a couple who are facing the danger of death for eloping and getting married, relatives of those murdered for merely loving a person, members of a khap panchyat and the chief of ‘Love Commandoes’.

While each episode opens with Aamir questioning the audience on their opinion about the relevant issue, this Sunday’s episode started on a hatke note. A girl from the audience counter-questioned the superstar about his opinion on Ishq i.e. love. Aamir was quick to answer with a touch of humor.

Khap panchyats/honour killings is an issue that was never given its due space in the news. Although individual cases are brought to light, unlike female foeticide or sexual harassment, there have been no concrete steps taken against honour killings.

Fehmeeda and Lokendra who eloped from a village in Jhansi and got married revealed how they have been living in fear since over two years. A surprising fact that they highlighted was how the servants of law, the cops, play a role in supporting families who threaten to kill their own daughters/sons in the name of honour. Lokendra described how he was beaten up by the police despite having a protection order from court. The couple has been shifting houses for over two years to escape Fehmeeda’s family that refuses to accept their relationship.

The next guest, Kishwar Rahman spoke about how her son was ruthlessly murdered by his Hindu wife’s family, that was astonishingly ruled as a case of suicidal death by the cops.

The third case highlighted a gruesome end to a love story. The case of Manoj and Babli has been in news since past four years. This well-known case of khap panchayat has initiated a number of debates on the issue of same-caste marriage. Manoj and Babli, a jaat couple belonging to the same ‘gotra’ went against their families and got married. The couple fought in the court to prove that Manoj had not kidnapped Babli (as explained by Babali’s family). Despite being legally under police protection, the couple was brutally murdered. Manoj’s sister and mother Seema and Chandrapati Banwala, decided to raise their voice and are till date fighting a legal battle, in which, two accused have been astonishingly convicted and the others have been awarded life imprisonment. On Satyamev the mother-daughter duo described the horrifying murder of the innocent couple.

Aamir also interacted with members of a khap panchayat in Haryana who refused to accept the Indian law and claimed that traditions were the rule of land in their state. Surprisingly, even after a numerous cases have highlighted the vicious acts by khap panchayat, the members present on the show claimed that no panchayat has ever ruled murder as a punishment for a couple that goes against ‘societal norms’.

Aamir questioned the power of khap panchayats in framing their own laws when the government allows people over marriageable age the freedom to choose their life partners.

The most interesting guest of the morning was Sanjay Sachdev, head of Love Commandoes, an organisation that supports couples who are facing threat to their life for having married against the ‘socially-accepted norms’. One of the very few human rights organisation that works towards protection of such couples provides them legal support and shelter. Quoting the yesteryears song “khullam khullapyar kareinge hum dono.. Iss duniya se nahi dareinge hum dono”, he described his motto: “Premi-premika mein vishwas ho, prem-virodhiyon ka naash ho”.He also highlighted how Rajasthan government managed to eliminate the cases of honour killings, while Haryana government, caught in petty vote-bank politics, failed to implement a strict rule.

Aamir also highlighted the story of a family who overcame the societal pressure and accepted their daughter after she got married to a boy from another caste.

The episode, however, failed to present facts about these cases. Recently, Parineeti Chopra and Arjun Kapoor starrer Ishaqzaade highlighted this issue on the 70mm screen. One can certainly hope the media takes the hint and pay more attention to cases around the country that have been conveniently slipped under the rug.

While Aamir Khan is facing the ire of medical practitioners across the country due to his last episode, the actor once again managed to touch people’s hearts with emotional stories of those who have tortured or lost their lives for having loved against the societal norms. While the previous episode was not a tear-jerker like the previous ones, this week’s episode ensured to keep the TRPs rolling in.

Tweets: 'Satyamev Jayate' episode five

Even after four episodes, Aamir Khan's television show 'Satyamev Jayate' is high on the popularity chart. While most of the Bollywood celebrities are seen hosting game shows and reality shows on TV, Aamir is being appreciated for talking about important social issues on his show. 

Episode four of 'Satyamev Jayate' was based on medical malpractices. Highly upset with Aamir, Indian Medical Association (IMA) has demanded an immediate apology from the actor and warned him of legal action if he did not do so. 

Previous episodes of the show focused on the issues like female foeticide, child sexual abuse and dowry system. Episode five of 'Satyamev Jayate' was focused on honour killing in India. 

10:51 AM: Minutes away from episode five of Aamir's Satyamev Jayate...stay tuned for live tweets.

10:55 AM: What do you think will be the topic of Satyamev Jayate episode 5, any guesses?

11:02 AM: And Satyamev Jayate episode five begins...

11:04 AM: Mohabbat ki nai jati...mohabbat ho jati hai...Will Aamir talk about honour killing this time?

11:07 AM: Is love still a crime in our country?

11:13 AM: Do you know anyone who has a similar story like Lokendra & Fehmida?

11:15 AM: Rizwan Rahman's family not ready to accept that he committed suicide. Did he have to pay a big price of loving Priyanka?

11:16 AM: Where is Rizwan's wife Priyanka?

11:22 AM: Do police officials considers love marriages illegal?

11:24 AM: Pyar hi toh zindagi hai...Rizwan Rahman's mother still believes in love and doesn't want anyone to suffer like her.

11:33 AM: In India, gotra and religion are more important than a couple's life.

11:35 AM: Despite getting police protection Manoj and Babli lost their lives...

11:41 AM: Hats off to Manoj's mother and sister who are fighting for justice despite all odds.

11:46 AM: On other side of the break, Aamir will talk to Khap Panchayat members...stay tuned.

11:48 AM: Khap Panchayat is a religious caste-based council.

11:50 AM: Khap never orders to kill a couple, claims Sarv Khap Panchayat member.

11:52 AM: Khaps have no judicial powers or police force. Who has given them the authority to decided about a couple's future?

11:54 AM: Manoj aur Babli ne Kaam aur Vasna k vashibhoot ho k galat kam kia, say Khap members.

11:56 AM: Khap Panchayats do not follow Indian Constitution?

11:57 AM: The society is changing, old traditions should also change with time, Dr DR Chaudhary, Haryana.

12:00 PM: Haryana is worst in sex ratio and girls from all parts of the country are brought here for marriage, says Dr DR Chaudhary.

12:00 PM: Protection home for couples?

12:02 PM: Apne bachon ko pyar karne ki azadi do, is this problem only limited to small cities and villages?

12:06 PM: Based on the Manoj-Babli honour killing case, a Bollywood film Khap was released in 2011.

12:09 PM: Garv se kaho hum premi hain, says Sanjay Sachdev, Chairman, Love Commandos.

12:10 PM: Supreme Court also supports inter-caste marriages.

12:14 PM: Khap Panchayat members listening to Sanjay Sachdev carefully. Will it bring any change in their thinking?

12:15 PM: Love shall conquer the world...

12:21 PM: When two people decide to spend their lives together, do their families or the society have any right to separate them?

12:27 PM: Dr Alka Jain's parents finally accepted her marriage. Happiness of your children is always more important than the society...

12:27 PM: Do you think Alka and Uday's story is an example for many families?

12:31 PM: Is this right to force or threaten your children for marriage?

12:32 PM: Sona Mahapatra ends the show with 'Ghar Yaad Ata Hai Mujhe'.

12:33 PM: Another episode of Satyamev Jayate comes to an end.High on emotions, thumbs up to episode 5.

12:36 PM: What do you think about episode 5 of Satyamev Jayate?

SATYAMEV JAYATE episode 5: Aamir Khan discusses honour killing

Aamir strikes an emotional chord once again, with a discussion on the grave issue of honour killings

We settle down to watch the fifth episode of Aamir Khan’s Satyamev Jayate, ably equipped with tissue papers et al. That Aamir leaves his viewers emotionally choked every weekend, is a given (though not many are keen to start their precious Sunday on a sombre note).

Anyway, we appreciate Mr Perfectionist’s ability to tackle a variety of issues grappling our society, our collective minds and our nation at large. But Satyamev Jayate has now started getting monotonous, and even boring. The makers of the show have been wise enough to keep the topic of discussion a fiercely guarded secret. For knowing the subject ahead of time could make the show even more predictable.

The fifth episode of Satyamev Jayate dealt with honour killings, and it was tactfully handled. Several honour killings have come to light in the past few years, and cases where parents have killed their son or daughter for marrying outside their religion or community, or marrying into the same gotra have been highlighted by the media. There were a couple of things we liked about this episode. Firstly, Aamir didn’t sit in judgement but appealed to the judicial system to do justice to the aggrieved parties. Secondly, he brought a Khap Panchayat on the show so that viewers could understand their side of the story. Khap Panchayats have been coming under the scanner of late, for ordering strict punishment like murder and banishing the married couple from the village without having actual judicial powers. It was brave of Aamir to confront this Panchayat, and tell them that they were a self-appointed group of non-elected people that makes decisions based on tradition, without having any constitutional powers.

On the lop side, it’s tiring to see the same format and treatment week after week. We don’t doubt Aamir’s noble intentions and his ability to make us think about the challenges we face. But it would be great to see him add some new elements to every episode. Also, the panning of cameras to the teary-eyed studio audience has become repetitive now. Let us know what you think about this episode.

SATYAMEV JAYATE episode 3: Aamir Khan exposes horror of dowry death

Aamir Khan keeps the shock value down yet makes an impact

Satyamev Jayate dealt with the ill-effects of dowry in its third episode. You may say this topic has been covered innumerable times but Aamir Khan does it in a surprisingly different, more refreshing way. The horrifying images of women burnt over dowry that we expected are not shown. Unlike the first two episodes, he keeps the shock value and tear jerking elements to the minimum and chooses to deal with the topic through a positive approach. He shows that the dowry system is prevalent across the nation (except north eastern states), social strata and religion. The evil of dowry is all-pervasive, yet it is not impossible to fight it. That’s the message he gives through the third episode of Satyamev Jayate.

Aamir focuses on the ways to combat this evil and emphasises that the best way to do this is by empowering women. He doesn’t hold anyone guilty nor does he even mention the laws that have been formulated to end the crime. Dowry is a social evil and can be ended only when the men, women, their families and the members of each and every community come together and take a stand against it. Not once does he condemn the women and their families for giving dowry but he does urge other parents to not do it. It’s a fine line that he walks on and Aamir does it with sympathy and finesse. Kudos once again to the Khan.

Source:-http://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/satyamev-jayate-episode-3-aamir-khan-exposes-horror-of-dowry-death/

Satyamev Jayate, Episode 3 on marriages and dowry harassment

Aamir Khan's much talked about show 'Satyamev Jayate' is into its third episode on Sunday, May 20. A short and crisp promo showed the host talking about the passion of Indians. He revealed on Sunday he will discuss Indian marriages and the evils of dowry harassment, speaking to victims. 

The chat show, whose earlier two episodes dealt with social issues like female infanticide and child abuse, has marked a milestone with 90 million viewer ship, highest ever for any Indian TV Show. 

The reality show is the TV debut for the Bollywood star. In the era of entertainment reality shows, 'Satyamev Jayate' is an example of how TV can be made a medium of change in the society. In its launch episode was viewed by 90 million people and was the highest rated show with 4.1 television rating (TVR), according to Television Audience Measurement (TAM) data. 

The first episode, which talked about female foeticide, reached out to 2.67 crore viewers, reported TAM. This, extrapolated to an all India (including urban and rural viewers) reach with Indian Readership Survey (IRS), means that over 90 million viewers tuned in to watch the episode.

Source:-http://ibnlive.in.com/news/live-tweets-satyamev-jayate-episode-3-on-marriages/259643-44-124.html

'Satyamev Jayate' Episode 3 To Feature The Evil Of Dowry System

Aamir Khan and his show Satyamev Jayate have managed to strike the right chords with the selection of topical issues like child abuse, female foeticide. The nation now eagerly awaits the next topic of discussion

According to our reliable sources, the next topic taken up is likely to be the burning issue of dowry which is still very much rampant in modern India. However modern our outlook may be, the word 'dowry' is still a bad nightmare for the bride's family.

The very reason for the people in India preferring a boy is the bother of getting a girl married, the whole lifetime of savings of the girl's father is washed away in arranging for her daughter's wedding. In spite of doing all this there are chances that the groom's family may still remain unsatisfied.

Every person knows that this dowry practice is incorrect and intolerable, but not much is done to curb this menace. Lets hope by taking up the issue we may find a positive change in the attitude of the people towards this evil.

Source:- http://www.india-forums.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=2980709

Satyamev Jayate TV Series - Episode 2: Child Sexual Abuse(Break The Silence)

The sexual abuse of children is a horrible reality, and many are unaware of its extent. Research has shown that as many as 53 per cent, or one in every two children, are victims of child sexual abuse. Contrary to belief, the home is not the safest place for a child, as many abusers are trusted by the family. In addition to educating children and encouraging them to be brave enough to say No to abuse, parents themselves need to be sensitive to their children’s signals. Moreover, a robust and specific law against child sexual abuse must be put in place to protect the child and vigorously punish the abuser. 

 Break The Silence

Episode 2: Child Sexual Abuse Click here

 

Source:- http://www.satyamevjayate.in/issue02/

Satyamev Jayate TV Series - Episode 1: Female Foeticide(Daughters Are Precious)

In this episode Aamir talks about the killing of unborn girls, or female foeticide, an alarming and frightening reality. It involves the collusion of families, doctors and a social structure that encourages the desire for a boy child - at any cost. The result has been the death of over 3 crore unborn girls since independence and a generation of young men, many amongst whom will find it very tough to get a life partner. 

Daughters Are Precious
Episode 1: Female Foeticide Click here

http://www.satyamevjayate.in/issue01/

Sridevi on 'Satyamev Jayate': Top 10 funny tweets

Bollywood actress Sridevi made a special appearance on the second episode of Aamir Khan's chat show 'Satyamev Jayate'. The show focused on child sexual abuse.
Mumbai based Harish Iyer, one of the victims who appeared on the show said that Sridevi's films gave him inspiration during the troubles times. Harish was stunned to see his favorite actress in front of him. She would have never imagined that her small appearance on the show will spark innumerable twitter jokes.
From her weight loss to her nose, Sridevi has become the latest twitter sensation. Here are some of the hilarious tweets. 

@GrumpyGoan: Finally figured out who played Voldemort in the Harry Potter films. Sridevi.

@ofnosurnamefame: Considering Sridevi is so concerned about children, she must donate her nose to make plastic toys for kids.

@14_yr_old_Etard: Sridevi chose to come to the show because no breakfast cereal or soap brand signed her up for endorsements.

@lindsaypereira: Soon, all government policy will be based on the opinions of our intelligent Bollywood stars. Many thanks, Aamir and Sridevi.

@FRIEDFOODBRAIN: Sridevi's old new nose looks pretty sharp. I bet when she goes to an opening ceremony all she do is bend down to cut the ribbon.

@PM0India: Sridevi is trending. Has she been nominated to Rajya Sabha? Sonia ji didn't even tell me this time.

@KKRvsDADA: if it wasn't about child abuse sridevi wud certainly have talked about her experience with boney

@utkarsha01: Sridevi was invited in Satyamev Jayate. I can understand what she must have gone through when her husband is Boney Kapoor.

@Greyllusionist: The thing that surprised me the most on yday's #SatyamevJayate is Sridevi's hair!! What does she do to it man?

@shadymumbai: After seeing Sridevi give her Movie Dvd's ...Now soon all Fimmakers will want to distribute their Cd's/ Dvd's to everyone on #satyamevjayate

Source:-  http://ibnlive.in.com/news/sridevi-on-satyamev-jayate-top-10-funny-tweets/257801-44-124.html

‘Satyamev Jayate’: Aamir Khan uses star power to highlight social issues

Satyamev Jayate’ might be just two weeks old, but the noble TV show has taken the whole nation by storm by awakening social consciousness among people.

On the one hand while Aamir has been showered with appreciation for his initiative, he has also been drawing criticism from many on the other.

For the larger section of the society he is the ‘Messiah’, while for his detractors he is someone who is only making most of his superstar-status.

As many people are discussing Aamir’s compensation for hosting the show, veteran filmmaker Shekhar Kapur has come out in full support of the actor.

Kapur took to Twitter and wrote, “Does it matter tht Aamir gets paid for SJ? Surely enuff tht he uses his star power 2 highlight important social issues. No 1 else does(sic).”

Source:-http://zeenews.india.com/entertainment/celebrity/satyamev-jayate-aamir-khan-uses-star-power-to-highlight-social-issues_111384.htm

Satyamev Jayate: Aamir Khan meets Rajasthan CM; gets promise of action on foeticide!

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot Wednesday assured actor Aamir Khan, whose TV show "Satyamev Jayate" on female foeticide has created a storm, that he will take up the issue of a fast track court with the state chief justice so that justice was expedited.

 
Addressing the media with Aamir by his side, Gehlot said the widely lauded show had brought reality to the forefront.

"I am moved by Aamir's programme and his gesture. I will definitely take up the issue and speak to the chief justice of Rajasthan to find a way," he said.

In his show, Aamir Khan highlighted the story of a sting operation done seven years back by two Jaipur journalists to expose increasing female foeticide cases in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

The sting by Meena Sharma and Shripal Shaktawat had covered 140 doctors involved in sex determination tests and abortions. None of the doctors has been penalized.

Aamir Khan had said in his show that he would appeal to the Rajasthan chief minister to get the cases against the erring doctors clubbed together and try them in a fast track court.

He also urged the viewers to support his signature campaign.

Gehlot said after the show, he met senior health and medical officials to know more about the extent of the problem. "We are doing a lot of work towards the issue.

"There is a certain judicial process (involved) to club together cases for trial in a fast track court."

Aamir said he had made "a specific request to the chief minister that all cases related to the show" be decided at the earliest.

The star said he was hopeful that his debut TV show, telecast on Doordarshan and Star Plus, would "touch people's hearts".

"I am not an activist. I am an entertainer who tries to touch upon the feelings of people. I will take up 13 more issues in the upcoming episodes," he said.

"Wherever such incidents occur, we will go," he told reporters.

"I was expecting to touch people's heart with the show, and I am glad to see the effect of the show. I am happy about it.

"I am not here to talk about issues seven days a week.. I am an entertainer, and that is what I am passionate about.

"I want to touch people's emotions and know their feelings, whether it is through a film like 'Dhoom 3' or through this show.

"As an entertainer, it is not necessary that I only make people laugh, it means that I should be able to evoke all emotions in them."

According to Census 2011, Rajasthan has 883 girls between the ages of 0-6 for every 1,000 boys. The child sex ratio in 2001 was 909.

Alarmed over the skewed sex ratio, the state government recently announced steps to curb pre-natal sex determination tests at ultra sound clinics.

source:-  http://www.apunkachoice.com/content/article/sid100009356-satyamev_jayate_aamir_khan_meets_rajasthan_cm_gets_promise_of_action_on_foeticide/

Aamir Khan targets women's psyche in Satyamev Jayate's first episode!

While the entire nation is raving about Aamir Khan's TV debut, Satyamev Jayate, one cannot help but wonder whether Aamir and the team had any special thought behind choosing the topic of female infanticide on the very first episode of the show.

                           

Aamir Khan has got the entire nation speaking in favour of his TV debut, Satyamev Jayate. Aamir seems to have struck the right chord as the show has been able to connect with the audience. While some feel that Aamir Khan was trying to be a 'fake' Indian Oprah, most people think that Aamir's attempt to serve humanity by inspiring millions is praiseworthy.

Only time will reveal the future of Aamir Khan's hyped show Satyamev Jayate. However, it is quite likely that Aamir Khan had won the heart of the female population by choosing to talk about female infanticide, a grave topic effecting the lives of millions of women from across the country.

Majority of population watching TV are women. Besides, women have the ability to pull in their male counterparts in their house to watch the show as well. That could probably be the reason to choose a woman oriented topic to air on the first episode.

Whatever be the planning behind the show, let's hope that Satyamev Jayate helps bring about positive change in our society.

Source :-  http://entertainment.oneindia.in/television/news/2012/satyamev-jayate-aamir-khan-women-095477.html