Urban Place

problems with METHAMPHETAMINE, GANGS, VIOLENCE, and urban troubles with volumes of traffic.

Also, it was 110 degrees there (just last week). Do you think PHOENIX is a great place to live ? Employment opportunities ?
Social interactions with different races and types of people ?

I liked visiting there, but the HEAT was REPRESSIVE. And the young "gangsta-tough" mentality is a BIG TURN-OFF FOR ME !!

The cost of living is quite reasonable and jobs are fairly easy to find. It is continuing to grow, so growth sector positions (trades, health care, education, transportation) are especially plentiful. The heat is oppressive, but the people plan their activities with a different mid-set (never outside in the mid-day, must have dash protectors, a slower physical pace altogether). There is a nice diversity of people, although most groups are pretty homogenous (not many mixed-race families), and a sort of a Wild West mentality of independence prevails. There are definitely some areas where the Thug Life is prevalent, and people who live locally generally avoid, rather than try to change or to impact, those geographies. It is very odd to see a plastic Santa Claus perched in a palm tree, but grilling out for New Year’s day offsets the double-takes. If you are of a mind to move, take another, more extended vacation, subscribe to local papers, and try to get a feel for the place. I’d go for it!

I’m considering a transfer to either Florida or Arizona. Culture and urban living is very important, as well as plenty of sunny days. My spouse and I are in our early 30’s with one 4 year old. I really like the idea of being close to the Caribbean since my wife is from Puerto Rico. However, based on my research, Tucson seems like an interesting place. I digress, here goes. The following things are very important to us in no particular order.
-Plenty of cultural activities. (Museums, Music, Ethnic Food, etc.)
-Good education and diverse options.
-A vibrant or redeveloping "downtown," as we like urban living, especially with new construction for living.(condos, apartments, or redeveloped buildings)
-Low crime
-Clean beaches or a short drive to
-Major airport
-Stable economy
-Equitable cost of living(I know this is relative, especially since we like living in "downtown" areas)
-Good health care
Clean air!
Again, I know much of this stuff is relative, but at least you have an idea.

My take would be to move to Florida only because Arizona can get very hot in the summer. but in Florida you would just need to work through the storms. And living close to the Caribbean is a good choice to so like you said your wife is from there but it wouldn’t be that expensive to get away from the scorching heat if you lived in Arizona.

Urban Sprawl is when a place becomes crowded or overpopulated.
What would be 10 solutions for this?

A more specific definition would be ‘ The rapid, poorly planned spread of development from an URBAN area outward into RURAL areas, resulting in the growth of rural areas.’

Here are some ideas:

Challenge a Local Project, Lobby Councillors to vote against the proposed development and seek improvements to turn it into a “Smart” development.

Community groups can play an active role in curbing sprawl. Building alliances with like minded organizations can strengthen your campaigns and ensure that there is a broad base of support for change.

Build local support. Engage your neighbors to build a list of potential supporters in getting to understand the consequences of urban sprawl. Get people in talking about traffic congestion, air pollution, poor transit, high taxes, lack of rental housing, and street front shops being replaced by giant retail outlets.

Contact your local government representative and tell him/her of your concerns. If he/she agrees with you ask for support in defeating any building plans which would contribute to urban sprawl.

Contact local media or television and radio stations to inform them of development projects. Local news organizations love to report on local issues as it draws in more viewers/listeners to their programming.

Start a petition drive at local grocery stores or any local stores that draw in large numbers of shoppers to inform them of the issues. Use these signed petitions to demonstrate support for a cause.

Conduct a survey to identify areas of concern with your neighbors or anyone who may be affected by the growth of sprawl.

Compile email and telephone lists of concerned residents who would be affected by the sprawl. Anyone who would have their taxes raised would certainly be concerned.

Make a list of business owners who would be affected by the growth and contact them for support. Businesses who would see a drop in revenue would be interested to know who is ‘moving into their neighborhood’ such as a large competitor who may put them out of business.

Protect land from development by seeking support from your local government to prohibit development on certain lands by creating urban growth boundaries.

Check out the links below. Hope these help.

ON ABORTION

OBAMA
Opposes any constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v Wade. Disagreed with Supreme Court ruling to uphold the "Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act." Did not cast a vote on Prohibiting Funds for Groups that Perform Abortions amendment in 2007.

CLINTON
Will sign into law the Freedom of Choice Act, which would codify Roe v. Wade into federal law. Would overturn the "global gag rule," which prohibits Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) from talking about abortion in the event of an unplanned pregnancy. Voted against the Prohibit Partial Birth Abortion bill in 2003. Did not cast a vote on Prohibiting Funds for Groups that Perform Abortions amendment in 2007. Disagreed with Supreme Court ruling to uphold the "Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act."

-ON ECONOMIC STIMULUS

OBAMA
Would pump $75 billion into the economy via tax cuts and direct spending targeted to working families, seniors, homeowners and the unemployed. The plan also includes $45 billion in reserves that can be injected into the economy quickly in the future if the economy continues to deteriorate. Would provide an immediate $250 tax cut for workers and their families and an immediate, temporary $250 bonus to seniors in their Social Security checks. Would provide an additional $250 tax cut to workers and an additional $250 to seniors if the economy continues to worsen. Would extend and expand unemployment insurance

CLINTON
Would establish a $30 billion emergency housing fund to assist states and cities mitigate the effects of mounting foreclosures. Would also include a 90-day moratorium on subprime foreclosures and an automatic rate freeze on subprime mortgages of at least five years. Would provide $25 billion in emergency energy assistance for families facing skyrocketing heating bills. Would invest $10 billion in extending and broadening unemployment insurance for those who are struggling to find work. Would accelerate $5 billion in energy efficiency and alternative energy investments to jump-start green-collar job growth.

-EDUCATION

OBAMA
Would reform No Child Left Behind, ensuring access to high-quality early childhood education programs and child care opportunities, recruit well-qualified and reward expert, accomplished teachers. Make science and math education a national priority. Reduce the high school dropout rate and empower parents to raise healthy and successful children by taking a greater role in their child’s education at home and at school.

CLINTON
Would end No Child Left Behind. Promote early childhood education, including nurse home visitation programs for new parents, quality child care and Head Start and pre-kindergarten for all 4-year-olds. Improve K-12 system by meeting funding promises of IDEA. Recruit outstanding teachers and principals, especially in urban and rural areas. Cut minority dropout rate in half. Expand early-intervention mentoring programs. Identify at-risk youth early and provide $1 billion in intensive interventions. Create a new $3,500 college tax credit and increase the maximum Pell Grant.

-ON HEALTH CARE

OBAMA
Would create a national health insurance program for individuals who do not have employer-provided health care and who do not qualify for other existing federal programs. Allows individuals to choose between the new public insurance program or from among private insurance plans that meet certain coverage standards. Requires employers who do not provide health coverage for employees to pay into the national health insurance program. Does not mandate individual coverage for all Americans, but requires coverage for all children. Allows individuals below age 25 to be covered through their parents’ plans. Cost estimated between $50 billion and $65 billion, to be paid for by eliminating Bush tax cuts for those earning over $250,000.

CLINTON
Mandates individual health insurance coverage for all Americans. Offers federal subsidies for those who cannot afford it. Allows individuals to choose from among several private plans also offered to members of Congress, as well as a new public insurance plan modeled after Medicare. Requires insurance companies to offer coverage to anyone who applies, and bars insurance companies from charging higher premiums to those with pre-existing conditions. Requires large businesses to provide or help pay for employee coverage. Expands Medicaid and federal children’s health care programs. Offers tax credits to limit health care premiums to a certain percentage a family’s income. Cost estimated at $110 billion annually, to be paid for by eliminating the Bush tax cuts for those earning over $250,000, as well as by reducing waste and inefficiencies in the current system. Also limits the amount employers can exclude from taxes for health care benefits for those making over $250,000

-ON IMMIGRATION

OBAMA
Supported Bush-backed immigration reform legislation, which would have increased funding and improved border security technology, improved enforcement of existing laws, and provided a legal path to citizenship for some illegal immigrants. Voted to authorize construction of a 700-mile fence along the U.S.-Mexican border

CLINTON
Supported Bush-backed immigration reform legislation, which would have increased funding and improved border security technology, improved enforcement of existing laws, and provided a legal path to citizenship for some illegal immigrants. Voted to authorize construction of a 700-mile fence along the U.S.-Mexican border.

-ON IRAQ

OBAMA
Opposed use of military force in Iraq. Voted for war spending bill that would have withdrawn most U.S. troops by March 2008. Supports phased redeployment of U.S. troops. Opposed Bush’s plan to send additional troops to Iraq. Had once called for troop withdrawal to begin by the end of 2006

CLINTON
Voted for use of military force in Iraq, but now says she would have voted differently "if we knew then what we know now." Supports de-authorizing the war. Voted for war spending bill that would have withdrawn most U.S. troops by March 2008. Opposed Bush plan to increase the number of American troops in Iraq. Supports a phased redeployment

-ON SOCIAL SECURITY

OBAMA
Strongly opposed to privatizing Social Security. Believes that the first place to look for ways to strengthen Social Security is the payroll tax system. Currently, the Social Security payroll tax applies to only the first $97,500 a worker earns; Obama supports increasing the maximum amount of earnings covered by Social Security. Would work with Congress to choose a payroll tax reform package that will keep Social Security solvent for at least the next half century.

CLINTON
Opposes all efforts to privatize Social Security. Has stated her plan for Social Security is fiscal responsibility first, and then deal with any long-term challenges. Would support the creation of a bipartisan commission.

i hope this helps you a lot. Good day!
1 minute ago – Edit – Delete

I’m so glad you posted this since so many supporters cannot articulate their candidate’s position. Since one of these two has a great chance at being the next president, we should really understand what changes they want to make and plans they have for our country (I’m also a firm believer in considering their ability to make these changes happen). I’m tired of listening to so much shallow, hero-worship, empty rhetoric about candidates…vote for whoever you want but PLEASE know what they stand for!!!

I’ve been trying to get my young daughter a great gift for her 14th birthday but i’ve run into trouble. The only place that has pants that fit her tiny frame is Urban Outfitters. Money has been extremely tight with the economy, and i honestly can’t afford their pants. I did hear that the employee discount is 40%, and i know its a lot to ask, but i was wondering if anyone had a urban outfitters employee discount code i could possibly use. I’d really like to remind my daughter that she’s worth more than those crappy pants from the kids section of JCPenny.

i don’t have a code, but have you considered going to an outlet store? i don’t know where you live but these stores
http://www.premiumoutlets.com/
have great quality stuff and usually a lot of sizes
or try a place like nordstrom rack

edit:
try this site!
it has coupon codes for UO
http://www.retailmenot.com/view/urbanoutfitters.com

This summer, I stayed with my 60 year old grandmother in her apartment in upper Michigan, since I am 16. This whole summer, the temperature has not risen above 80 degrees, yet she still constantly wants me to go to the beach with her.

To me, the idea of sitting along a cold beach with my seemingly deaf grandmother is not fun. I feel terrible refusing to go with her, but I see no point in doing it because the water is far too cold to be in. Each time I refuse to go, she ends up guilting me into doing it, which evokes a very crast and annoyed attitude out of me which I am not proud of having. This feeling of dread is picked up by her and she calls me a "fun-ruiner". Since I can’t get into the water, I sit on the shore and read for 5 hours.

Obviously I am too old to be staying with my grandmother, but her apartment is the only place I am capable of staying at in my summer long vacation. All I really want to do is talk to my friends online from home, a more urban environment. Don’t get me wrong, I like going to beach’s and stuff, but to a cold, freezing one?

Am I being rude by not going with her?

P.S I have no choice in whether or not I spend my summer here.
No, seriously, you could get hypothermia from this water, it’s impossible to swim in. My grandmother is a bit loony as well, in the sense she does things that make no sense, like spend $30 on a rug when she is on welfare.

If you have no choice, then you need to handle the situation differently—why not suggesting something different—the museum, show, mall, etc, but don’t be rude to grandma you only spend the summer with her and if something would happen to her, you will feel awful bad for not treating her differently. Make the best of the situation.

I’m writing a paper on how people from different places and background define the American Dream differently. So if you could answer these questions I would very much appreciate it, and please answer honestly. Thanks.

What is your personal definition of the American Dream?
Age:
Where your from:
Upper class, Middle class, Working class (growing up and now):
Did you grow up in an urban or rural environment:
Where your parents married, separated, divorced, or single parent (which one) growing up:
Anything else that possibly effected you while growing up?

And if you have any suggestions for the paper that would be great, if not, thank you for filling this our it really helps.

28
Midwest, America. Ohio
Working Class, reserve military member.
Mostly urban. Early years (5-9) spent in country. grew up mostly in south florida.
Parents divorced when I was 13.
Everything effects your mentality or the way you perceive the outside world. oh, and thanks Scotland. Appreciate the love, lol. *rolls eyes* Not one country on this planet is perfect, except the cheerleaders who live in that country think it is. Everywhere, every nation, has its own problems. now, onto the question at hand. the American Dream is a perception that differs from person to person. What one might think of living in a multi-million dollar mansion in California or owning your own beachfront island in the pacific with just a yacht and your loved one(s) with you, another may think its too much up-keep. One may think living in the woods in a log cabin and having a decent, good paying job and coming home every evening to a wife and child is the perfect or american dream. That "dream" is no set goal for everyone. That dream is what makes you happy in your own life and lets you feel comfortable with the ones you care about most.

Bhilistan Movement : Lull Before the Storm

Dr. Lalit Latta

INTRODUCTION
India has been home to tribals since time immemorial. Called native or indigenous people, tribes like Santhal, Munda, Bhil, Meena, Ho, Gond, are well-known even beyond India’s borders for their distinct historic and cultural identity. Among them the Bhils of Rajasthan occupy a place of pride as they have history full of valour and splendour. There were many kingdoms the Bhils had established across the Rajputana. For instance, Dungaria Bhil had his kingdom in Dungarpur, Basia (or Bishna) Bhil had Kota and Jetasi Bhil had his kingdom in Abu area. Another prominent figure revered by one and all is Rana Punja Bhil, who was one of the main army commanders of the famous Rajputana warrior king Maharana Pratap.
Yet they have been victims of socio-economic and religious exploitation and atrocities down the ages. Looked down upon by the larger society, they find themselves at the lowest ladder of the social hierarchy. This is reflected in their educational deprivation and economic exploitation in the form of bonded labour. The government is well-aware of this fact. According to a news item carried by Hindi daily Jansatta quoting Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, Smt. Meera Kumar, there are 16 crore people in India, who bear the brunt of untouchability and atrocities. However, Smt. Meera Kumar is not the only leader to air such concern. Union Home Minister Shri Shivraj Patil has been candid in his admission that even after five decades of Independence communities belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes face discrimination, which can be changed only through affirmative action. Union Law Minister Shri Hansraj Bhardwaj has also been quoted in the media as saying that the discrimination needs to be tackled at the grassroots level. The excesses will continue until the upper castes change their attitude. However, the victims of caste discrimination and atrocities only get up sympathies. That sums the state of affairs.
However, true to their tradition of valour, the tribals of Rajasthan have time and again fought against the discrimination and atrocities under their illustrious leaders like Shri Gobind Guru, Shri Mama Baleshwar, Sadguru Surmal Das, Sant Devadas Latta, Shri Motilal Tejawat, Shri Manikyalal Varma, Shri Bhogilal Pandya. However, the movement launched by Shri Gobind Guru for a separate state of Bhilistan stands out among all struggles the tribals of Rajasthan have waged to win their rights and dignity. The state as envisioned by Shri Gobind Guru would include the tribal areas of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Mahdya Pradesh. It was first organised expression of tribals angst against repression and denial of democratic rights.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Gobind Guru is known to be the first proponent of a separate state, Bhilistan, for tribal communities inhabiting in various parts of western and Central India. Born in Basiagaon to a Banjara family, he was influenced by Arya Samaj, particularly after he met its founder Swami Dayanand Saraswati. He carried forward the reformnist agenda of Arya Samaj by creating awareness among his fellow tribesmen against social evils like, superstitions, addiction and delinquent behaviour.
Apart from leading a reformnist movement which had socio-religious overtones, Shri Gobind Guru set-up a tribal organisation christened Samp Sabha in 1883 and launched a movement to fight exploitation of tribals and restore dignity to them. He demanded a separate state for a tribals, which he called Bhilistan. This was essential to bring exploitation of and atrocities on tribals to an end. This infuriated the local rulers, who in turn instigated their British masters against Gobind Guru. Retribution came thick and flying in 1908, when over one lakh tribals congregated on Mangarh hilltop. The British and local rulers attacked them when they were singing devotional songs. Over 1500 tribals were massacred and Gobind Guru was sentenced to a rigorous imprisonment. He was released only after serving 10 years in jail. This extreme repressive measure though suppressed the overt aspirations of a separate Bhilistan, the movement played an important role in creating social and political awareness among the tribals to a great extent.
The British left long back and after them the reign of oppressive local rules came to an end as India got independence and became a democratic republic. Yet the ground realities, as far as upliftment of tribals is concerned, remain abysmally hopeless. It is no denying the fact that there are many constitutional safeguards in the form of laws that have been put in place to stop exploitation and atrocities that the tribals and other marginalised sections of society suffer at the hands of non-tribals and upper castes. In order to bring them into the mainstream several programmes and schemes have been launched by both the Union and state governments for their educational, social and economic upliftment. According to an estimate about Rs 4237 crores has been spent so far by various governments in the Tribal Sub Plan areas of Rajasthan on this account.
It is not the government and its agencies only which are still trying ‘hard’ to make it happen. This overriding concern for the welfare of tribals over the years has also spawned many NGOs, scrupulous or unscrupulous, which are getting government and international funding that runs into millions of rupees. Still there is no big change in their lot. Rather the amount of funds the government spends every year to stave of famine in tribal areas only points to the fact that there is little progress in tribal welfare and socio-economic development, though it has been 57 years since we got independence. It’s perhaps the poverty of development that has left the tribals largely dependent on government doles as they are unable to meet even their basic needs. This has led to their further marginalisation as it has rendered them vulnerable to more socio-economic exploitation and atrocities the incidence of which are only increasing in quantum and intensity. In fact, there has never been a concerted effort on the part of the state machinery to curb such incidents and bring the perpetrators of atrocities to justice. Even the recommendations made intermittently by the Kalyan Samiti before state Assembly have never been followed up with any effective action. As if to rub salt on their wounds, the casteist media has only added to their sense of alienation by projecting them in poor light and distorting their history and cultural traditions. Nor has there been any conscious attempt to eradicate caste discrimination either in government departments or in the ranks of political parties.
It is in the backdrop of these factors that the simmering dissent across the tribal communities should be seen as a prelude to the growing demand for Bhilistan, particularly in southern parts of Rajasthan. However it would be erroneous to presume that the resurgence of the demand for a separate state of Bhilistan is a recent phenomenon. In fact, there have been efforts, though sporadic, to keep the issue alive since Independence. For instant, the All India Tribal Development Council (Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikas Parishad) has been spearheading the campaign for Bhilistan under the leadership of its Chairman Shri Somjibhai Damor of Dahod, Gujarat. Shri Damor, who has been a seven time Lok Sabha MP, had in 1984 brought out a detailed blueprint with the map of the proposed state that included tribal areas of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. While Shri Damor has been rigorously trying to unite various tribal communities at a common social and cultural level, the blueprint brought out by him has become a rallying point for many tribals, who are running the movement in their respective areas. One such revered figure is former Minister of State, Tribal Area Development Department of Rajasthan, Shri Nand Lal Meena. He has helped the cause immensely raising the issue at various forums. Another leader who has pritched in for a separate state for tribals is Shri Bakshi Ram Latta, who fought the 2003 Assembly election on this issue, thus lending it a political voice and making it a focus of popular debate. His call for a tribal homeland filled the youth with vigour and a vision, which if harnessed properly will go a long way in making it a reality. Political parties though ham handed in their approach, have also not lagged behind in lending their support to the movement. For instance, the then state President of BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) on September 2, 1989 declared that BJP would demand creation of an autonomous council for the tribals of Rajasthan on the line of Gorakhaland and if the party was restored to power it would keep the promise by implementing it. However, such promises are seldom kept by the Indian political class and BJP is no exception.
While the tribal leaders are uniting their community for the cause, there are individuals like Sadguru Mohanji Sharma, who are contributing their might by bringing awareness particularly among the tribal youth. An ardent reformist Mohanji Sharma has been working for the economic and educational development of the tribals in South Rajasthan and thus taking them on a path of dignified existence.
CAUSES
The movement, which has a strong presence in Udaipur, Dungarpur, Banswara, Chittorgarh (Pratapgarh Tehsil) district of southern Rajasthan, has its roots in various socio-economic, cultural and political factors. Some of these factors have been discussed here in detail.
1. Lack of Development
As has been told earlier, one of the main causes that has led to the widespread alienation among the tribals and its resultant expression in their demand for a homeland of their own, is lack of development. Contrary to the government claims, tribal areas have largely not seen friction of any development programme, which could uplift their socio-economic status. Whatever programmes and schemes were launched by successive governments seldom succeeded in benefiting the majority of tribal population. It is no wonder then that the tribal areas severely lag behind in development. They lack even basic facilities like potable water, electricity, health care, schools while they have no access to modern means of transport and communications. Lack of irrigation facilities only compounds their problems. All these have severely restricted their choice of livelihood and they are forced to migrate to faraway urban centres of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, etc to get employment as unskilled labour. Various employment generating schemes have also not benefited them, partly because they neither possess resources nor skills to get gainful employment and partly because of their ignorance. The rampant corruption in departments implementing such programmes and schemes only discourages them even if they muster courage to access them. This is ture particularly for those schemes which have a subsidy component.
Their stroy of deprivation does not end here. A look at their representation in administrative services of the state is enough to shock anyone out of their wits. For instance, 600 posts of RAS and RTS filled with tribals candidates so far only 15 (2.5%) belong to the tribal of southern Rajasthan, whereas they have no representation at all in Indian Administrative Services. They also lag far behind in terms of higher education particularly technical and vocational. While they have to suffer along with the non-tribal students for lack of amenities like class-rooms, library and reading rooms, furniture and well-equipped labs in largely ill-staffed educational institutions, they are often discriminated against by their teachers and classmates on grounds of their caste. The hostels meant to help them study properly are least conducive for talented students as they are ill-equipped in every respect. This reflects poorly on their overall educational attainment further making them feel deep down cheated and marginalised.
2. Precedence of Self Interest Over Community Upliftment
Every man is expected to be responsible towards his society and his nation and strive consciously to contribute his might towards their upliftment. But with changing times when moral conscience is losing currency, self-interests have taken precedence over community interests—and tribal leaders and volunteers are no exception to this phenomenon as for them reasons of succumbing to serving self-interests are aplenty. Foremost among them is reservation which ensures them not only government jobs but also gives them access to legislative bodies like Parliament , state assembly and Panchyati Raj Institutions like districtboards, Block Panchayats and gram Panchayats. While it has led to empowerment of the individual, community empowerment has taken a beating as self interests and party politics have dispensed with the purpose affirmative action was intended to fulfil. The unity of Tribal Panchayats has given way to party-politics, in which members are expected to promote a certain ideology and work according to the diktats of party leadership. This poorly reflects in development works done by elected representative be it a Sarpanch, an MLA or a MP. More often the representatives conduct development works only in areas where their voters and supporters reside. This latent bias in the approach of the representatives robs any development work of its distributive character. The tribal representatives seldom enjoy the freedom to act independently for the benefit of their community as they have to toe their party line. Used by their parties as mascots to garner votes of their community, their plight is no less pathetic. In the name of discipline they are not even allowed to exercise their conscience. If any tribal representative acts differently and strives for the development of his fellow tribesmen he is branded as casteist by his party bosses and is cut to size. Nothing illustrates better the position of tribal politicians than this single incident. When the Delimitation Commission proposed to reserve Udaipur Lok Sabha constituency for tribals, it created a nasty storm in political circles. Resisting the proposal, a local leader Shri Chhagan Lal Jain said that reserving Udaipur constituency would hit its international prestige. As if in unison another prominent leader Shri Laxmi Narayan Pandya, was quoted by Rajasthan Patrika (February 10, 2003) as saying: “This is a regressive decision for this historic city. Tribals are a minuscule community here and this change won’t serve any prupose.” How can anointment of a Dalit or tribal to an elected office be regressive ? Only parochial and feudal minds would consider it as degrading. However none of the tribal politicians worth his name rose against this diatribe.
It is obvious that the party-politics and the vested interests that it serves is doing more harm to tribals than any good. It has, in fact, divided the tribal society along partylines and has thus hampered the harnessing of talents and energies of its members for a common good.

3. Poor Grip Over Administrative Machinery
Every society varies in socio-economic status of its member components and tribals are no different in this respect either. This has its own dynamics. The low socio-economic and educational status of tribals reflects in poor coordination between the government authorities and tribal politicians and elected representative. The latter have no grip over administrative machinery of the state to get it around to deliver goods for the welfare of their community. Lack of education and communication skills, ignorance about the constitutional rights and lack of awareness about the development and welfare programmes and procedural mechanism of departments implementing them and above all non-possession of influential position in the power structures of political parties render them ineffective in bringing the fruits of those programmes to their community. Equally responsible for this sorry state of affairs is the mindset of bureaucracy which has its own ways of not cooperating with tribal leaders. The authorities would put forward many excuses, for example, non-availability of funds, or expiration of scheme, non-issuance of government order, to discourage them or would simply refuse to meet them. A tribal leader may become an elected representative but he can seldom use his office for the common good of his fellow tribesmen by circumventing the administrative machinery or cracking the whip to get any work done.

4. Playing Second Fiddle to Non-Tribal Leadership
The tribals of south Rajasthan have often been led, politically or spiritually, by non-tribals since pre-Independence days. Whenever any political party, social or religious organisation needs popular support for their campaigns or programmes they simply mobilize the tribals giving them a false sense of belonging. This, however, makes them vulnerable to exploitation—emotional, economic or social—in more than one way. The tribals go hungry while attending such programmes and if situation terms violent they bear the brunt of police atrocities and are arrested. Used as scapegoats, it is a double whammy for poor tribals, as it takes a monumental effort and resources for them to get through the legal process unscathed. They might know it well that they are being used, yet the tribal leaders realize the fact that non-tribal leaders are indispensable for them as they command influence in power structure of their political parties to help the self-serving tribal leaders with getting them ticket and all the wherewithal for fighting elections and if elected getting them a berth in the cabinet.
5. Increasing Influence of Fundamentalist Orgnisations
It is a well-known fact that efforts are being made at both national and international levels for the upliftment of poor tribals. There are 1005 NGOs and religious organizations active in Udaipur, Dungarpur and Banswara, which are working for their cause. Yet there is no tangible positive impact on their overall situation. Rather if one goes deeper into the activities of these organisations, one would find that a few of them are committed to a fundamentalist ideology. They are mobilising the tribals and training them in their parochial, hate-filled ideology all in the garb of religious and social service. These organizations are using Tribal against Tribal to further their agenda. Now with increasing influence of such fanatical organizations the tribals are finding it difficult to send their children to missionary schools. Thus they are losing an opportunity to get cheap and good education for their kids. The tribals in this way are being tutored into an intolerant society and are being used as canon fodder during civil strife.
This can only be seen as a conspiracy against the tribals. Still there are organizations which have been doing everything to besmirch the tribals by spreading cannards about their social and cultural customs. Media is not behind in depicting the tribals in poor light. They are full of sensational news items which may claim that tribal women are being sold off, they are into prostitution to stave off hunger. Seldom one finds any informed article on the tribals, their customs and cultural traditions, their socio-economic exploitations, etc. What is presented before the larger society is all a negative picture of tribals as if they have committed a crime by being tribal and poor at the same time.
One can draw this unmistakable conclusion from the above analysis given the kind of exploitation and deprivation the tribals have been facing since ages, they have every right to demand a homeland of their own. They have a glorious past, a history full of valour, sacrifice and resistance. But they cannot afford to sit complacent merely resilience nostalgically on that glorious past. It is for them to regain it back by working unitedly and forcefully for Bhilistan.
The desire to attain that goal can be seen in the restless souls of our youth—educated and aware of their rights and ready to assert them. It is happening gradually but steadily in southern Rajasthan. May be the dream Gobind Guru died for will become a reality sooner than later. The writing is clear on the wall: it is a lull before the storm.

Bhil, aboriginals or natives of India are the first to own the land in India. Though could not go through your full narration however I included in watch list and would read at leisure.

However I agree that we so called urban Indian or so called Aryan have deprived Bhils of their legitimate rights and in greed of so called growth have encroached their habitat. Now they are forced to come out in our world and adapt to get integrated with so called main stream.

Max what we can do is now adopt then in our society and give them their due respect.

I am a pet lover. Sadly, I’m allergic to cats, so I cannot own one, but I do have two dogs. I am very watchful over my dogs and would never just let them run free. Yet, I know many people let their cats "out for the night". Yet, each day I hear of or read sad stories where a person’s cat didn’t come home. Our urban world makes letting a cat out at night challenging – there are fleas/ticks, tons of cars, cat fights and dog fights. In other words, it is not safe for any cat to be free outside! Yet people do this daily. Worse, many cats kill birds, which is now endangering local bird populations! It seems to me that the damage caused by cats combined with placing their lives at risk is too great to let any cat outside unsupervised. Yet this continues. Why? Can a real cat lover explain this to me and justify their behavior?
I would like to add that while I know cats "like" to be out at night, the reasons I mentioned above seem to indicate the risk is too great. For example, people like eating greasy, high-fat food, but the health risks are too great. So why would any rational being purposely put their cat at such great risk, not to mention the destruction of birds or other wild life species?

A. They think they are doing the cat a favour by giving it its freedom.

B. The either ignore research on how bad it is to let cats out or have not heard of it. http://hsus.org/search.jsp?query=outdoor+cats

C. They don’t actually care for their cat.

Fact of the matter is that the estimated age of death for an outdoor cat is 2 years. An indoor cat is 12-15 years. Indoor/outdoor cats are somewhere in between. Just because your grandmother’s cat lived for 20 million years outside doesn’t mean jack.

My old neighbors had 4 outdoor cats. In the 1.5 years I lived next to them, one was gutted by a rottie (died a slow & painful death); one was hit by a car and broke his jaw, several legs, and had severe internal injuries, but survived and was put down at the vet’s office because they could not afford to care for it; the other ‘disappeared’; I placed the last cat with a rescue group after they moved and left it behind. All the animals were under 5 years of age and several of them were considerably younger.

Sorry, but I’m smart enough and caring enough to not want my cat to be killed by a dog, a car, a human, an animal lab, or any other preventable source. I also don’t want my cat to be maimed and sit there for 3 days in severe pain before he finally dies. I’m just not that kind of person.

I just moved here in October of last year. The place has been ok, and although it has been a transition moving from the west side of a major urban city to the east side my boyfriend and I have managed. Problem is there has been an increase in shootings around here just recently. A man was shot and killed during a dispute not even a month ago thirty feet down from our apartment. Now this evening, two more individuals were shot and killed after a confrontation near the same area just down the road from our front door. I can understand that crime is everywhere and that even where we lived on the west side stuff like this would happen – not nearly as often however. I hate to think that I can’t go out for a late night walk or out for a drive without having the worry of being caught in the crossfire in the back of my head. Is there any clause where we would be eligible to break our lease earlier? The area was never known to be crime ridden before but I’m not waiting to see what happens now..

If you have a month to month lease, a 30 day notice is all that is required. If it is a fixed term lease, you’re stuck — unless you can negotiate a deal with the management.