Realty scenario in Mumbai City - May '08

The realty prices in Mumbai which since past two years nearly touched the skies, is now showing signs of waning. However, a full blown correction does not seem to be on the cards. The current real estate scenario April - May 2008, if one were to make an impartial assessment is that prices of flats will be sluggish and will remain so for the next six months.Some contradict this viewpoint like Rajesh Mehta, a leading property consultant in Mumbai, who predicts "April and May are the key months as far as property deals go. If transactions do not pick up, prices of apartments will fall at least 10 to 15 per cent" (source blog.Indiaproperties.com)

While it is true that there has been more then 50% fall in sale of residential flats, but due to the 'iron hold' of the powerful builder's cartel, chances are prices won't fall. In fact, after hearing about prospective buyers postponing buying of flats in anticipation of fall in prices of flats, leading city developers called a meeting, discussed the scenario for the next few months and then coming to a consensus, jointly decided not to lower home prices until Diwali (Source TOI - http://www.propertybytes.com/)

There is another strong reason why the Mumbai builders are thwarting any attempt at lowering prices of flats and are not willing to sell their flat for less then 10K per sq ft. As of now lacs of buildings are going in for redevelopment, which means existing old buildings are demolished and reconstructed with additional flats being build. The builders have corpus funds out of which they are offering the old owner's attractive amounts plus life time maintenance, two years rentals with modern amenities thrown in. Subsequently their cost price for sale of the remaining flats too has gone up, thereby leaving them in no position to reduce the prices.

In the long run, if the government did on it's part, try to rein in flat prices, by cutting down TDR rates, stamp duty, registration and other charges then there is a possibility of these rebates being passed on to the beleaguered city buyers. But the moot point is … Will the government take such a bold step. Well, we'll have to wait and watch.

Mass-media violence and its impact on children

Children inform themselves, from early ages about the surrounding world. The sources they rely on are different and various like: parents, teachers, friends and mass media. A plus in attention must be accorded to information gained from the TV, radio and internet. These mass media are a valuable informational base. At the same time we have to consider the fact that on numerous occasions the news therein may be aggressive, characterized by violence or touching upon delicate issues.

Materials that are related to natural catastrophes or kidnappings, homicides, attacks of theorists groups, school violence or amorous relationships of politicians can create confusion in a child’s mind, which can then develop into a deformed perception of society regarding it as a confused and hostile environment.

As a parent you may have to think on how to contra-attack the effect this sort of news and information, as well as the images that go with it. The easiest way to deal with this is through dialogue. And hopefully the little one will in time will create a protective “shield” that will avoid the apparition of an emotional mis balance.

Some practical piece of advise:

• Get your child used to read publications designated to his age category and to watch television programs of the same kind. They are less aggressive.
• Customize him to analyze carefully all that he hears and to not consider that all information are necessarily real just because their way of presentation is a spectacular one.
• Try to identify the child’s predilections when it comes to news and his habits as a media consumer.
• If you might consider the respective show is not appropriate for the child, then just turn off the TV. But remember this is just a momentary solution. In order to keep your kid out of the media violence, you must impose a tight rule about television programs and always keep an eye open on your child’s everyday activities.

If these few things are borne in mind and adhered to, you may rest assured that you will be bringing up a healthy child both in mind and body.

Values And Value Based Education

Urgent need of the hour

When one thinks of values …. few emotions conjures up instantly in mind viz., love, peace, respect, tolerance, humility, honesty, co-operation, brother-hood, responsibility and many more such old world ideas. Well, you may say why these are considered as old world ideas. That is because most of these ideas seem to be slowly vanishing from the present cut-throat competitive world. It requires yeomen effort to hang on to these ideas today. Following this path is difficult indeed, requiring an iron will and determination. Only those who have gone through this know the immense sacrifices they have had to make in its adherence, but at the end of the day only such a person is a truly satisfied and a happy person within.

Any institution which imparts all the above mentioned moral values and succeeds in planting the seed permanently in a young budding brain at a tender age and inspires that person enough to follow it through in life, may be considered to have had a true value-based education and not those colleges or schools having one or two classes on moral science which is by-hearted and then poured ad verbatim during examinations and promptly forgotten the next day. In fact any institution which guides a student to be an agent of positive change and transformation in society can rightly be said to have succeeded in imbibing value-based education.

In what ways it may be imparted ?

Well theoretically speaking it may be imparted in the form of living value education a kind of value based education program, which is in force in several educational institutions across the country. It offers a variety of experiential values activities and practical methodologies to teachers and facilitators to enable children and young adults to explore and develop 12 key personal and social values viz.,

Cooperation, Freedom, Happiness, Honesty, Humility, Love, Peace, Respect, Responsibility, Simplicity, Tolerance, Unity. In simplified terms it could be any education system which teaches you the following: How to live life well? How to find happiness? How to make others happy? How to manage all kinds of people and happenings as well. How to grow and succeed in the right manner?

Which is more important academic education or value education?

This is a moot question ... which is more important - academic education or value education ? …… Well the answer is: Both are equally important. Without formal education, you will not be able to read or write. Without these skills, you cannot get a good job or manage even the simple things of daily living.

Value education is equally important. If a highly qualified, well- employed person does not know how to behave properly, all that he or she does has little meaning and will not serve him or her well. Fruitful education is the kind used for our welfare as well as that of others. This can only happen only when you have both academic and value education. Value education helps you both in difficult moments and in happy ones.

Many people with education and power take success for granted and everything goes their way. But the minute something goes wrong and they face failure, they go to pieces. You have heard of some of the world richest men taking their lives when faced with crisis situations. Even renowned kings with vast kingdoms and riches have had their share of low times. A number of them collapsed. But a few others approached spiritual masters and learned about a life of values. They changed themselves, began to follow a good way of living and became even greater than before.

Degradation of values in society:

The call for values is currently echoing more incessantly throughout our country as educators, parents and even children are increasingly concerned about and affected by violence, growing social problems, and the lack of social cohesion. Educators are, once again, forced to address issues which have arisen due to lack of values within our societies.

Examples:

One case which instantly comes to mind is that of two Class 8 students of Euro International School, a Delhi suburban school gunning down their class mate Abhishek Tyagi by pumping 5 bullets on Dec 12, 2007 in a cold-blood and pre-meditated manner, as he had been reportedly bullying them. But what makes even school-going kids barely 14 years of age resort to taking the law into their hands at such a tender age. The amount of rage and anger within in some ways may be directly attributed to exposure to violence on screen both big and small, as well as internet along-with what is happening in real life as also lack of proper values inculcated at home.

Another case is that of a teachers resorting to so-called disciplining leading to a student’s death as it happened in a school in North, when a student was ruthlessly canned for an apparently frivolous reason as putting his feet out of his seat during exams. Although on the face of it, it may look a silly reason for such extreme punishment, but it indicates the level of frustration, anguish and pressure inherent within the teaching faculty living life on edge with low salaries, unable to cope with day to day living and making ends meet in this highly materialistic society. But above all it indicates the erosion of ethical values within the very segment which has the responsibility on its shoulder to impart it to tender impressionable minds. This is indeed a frightening scenario.

Conclusion:

Both these contrasting examples of violence inherent within the teaching and taught segment, makes one do a lot of rethinking on where our esteemed values have disappeared and where our society heading towards …well only posterity can answer this question. In the meantime, we need to do a lot of rethinking before the rot stems in, and we have no means to redeem it. The time is ripe now for all right thinking, well-meaning individuals, educationists, politicians, social thinkers, leaders, NGOs, and even the man on the street to put on their thinking caps and come up with new ideas and fresh streams of thought to stem the rot (so to speak), before it is too late. The time for action is NOW.

Events leading to Sunjay Dutt's conviction

Let’s go back in time, to a glimpse into the sequence of events culminating in Sanjay Dutt's conviction of six years rigorous imprisonment by the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act TADA Court, special judge P D Kode.

March 12, 1993 a series of bomb blasts rocked Mumbai city, killing 257 people and injuring around 713. Nearly a month after the blasts on, film producers/ video owners Sameer Hingora and Hanif Kadawala were arrested. They disclosed to the police that film star Sanjay Dutt also possessesed AK-56 rifles. After this revelation CBI filed a charge-sheet against Sanjay Dutt alleging that gangster Abu Salem and his men visited Dutt in January 1993.

The charge-sheet states that Abu Salem was brought to Dutt's residence accompanied by Magnum video owner Sameer Hingora and motor-training school owner Ibrahim Musa on instructions of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim's brother Annes to deliver the weapons.

The next morning the consignment arrived and they gave him three AK-56 rifles, 25 hand grenades, one 9 mm pistol and cartridges. Dutt however returned the AK-56 rifles, hand grenades and cartridges to Hanif and Samir but kept one AK-56 rifle with himself. The rifle and cartridges allegedly formed part of the consignment, which was smuggled into India at Dighi Port on 9 January, 1993.

On learning that Mumbai police were looking to question Sanjay Dutt, his father Sunil Dutt asked him to immediately return from Mauritius, where he was shooting for a film. As soon as Dutt arrived from Mauritius, police arrested him stating that the AK-56 found in his house, was from the consignment of arms smuggled into India before the blasts.

Dutt confessed to the police that while he was in Mauritius for shooting, he had instructed his friends to destroy the weapons. The rifle was then accordingly destroyed by his friends Yusuf Nullawalla, Kersi Adjenia, Rusi Mulla and Ajay Marwah. Sanjay Dutt however denied the charges that he was involved in the larger conspiracy. Although at first Dutt had admitted to the charges of owning the weapons but later he retracted the confession.

In May, 1993, Dutt was released on bail. In July 4, 1994, Dutt’s bail was cancelled and he was re-arrested on 19 April, 1993 (nearly a month after the Mumbai blasts). After spending nearly 16 months in Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai, Dutt was again released on bail on Oct 16, 1995. In the year 2001 Dutt faced several queries from the court spread over four days, on the subject of his possessing the AK-56 rifle. To which Dutt flatly denied having a connection with any such event and even denied having met Abu Salem and others.

However, in 2002, the Mumbai police tapped alleged Dutt's conversation with gangster Chhota Shakeel. The conversation had references to the actor having bought a T-shirt for him, from Dubai. In fact after this incident the Shiv Sena-BJP combine in Maharashtra created a furore in the State legislature over the Bollywood star's alleged taped conversation with underworld don Chhota Shakeel. In the year 2003, Dutt informed the court that he did not know about Pakistan-based gangster Chhota Shakeel. Court exempted Dutt from personal appearance till June-end, stating he had gone abroad for stage shows with the court's permission.

After this Dutt’s bail was extended a number of times. On 28 November 2006, the Special TADA court found actor Sanjay Dutt guilty under the Arms Act of possessing an illegal weapon. He was cleared, however, of the charges of terrorism and conspiracy by the Judge Kode who said in his ruling in the open court "During my reasoning I have not found him (Sanjay) to be a terrorist."

Finally on 31 July, 2007 Sanjay Dutt was sentenced to 6 years rigorous imprisonment by Judge Kode. His aide Rusi Mulla, was however, awarded probation and is under observation for one year. Sanjay Dutt was also fined Rs. 25,000 and his probation plea was rejected. The 16 months that Dutt has already served in jail will be deducted from the sentence.

Dutt’s plea for sometime for surrender was rejected by the judge. Sanjay Dutt’s lawyer, Mr Satish Maneshinde, however, said the actor would appeal against his sentence in the Supreme Court. On August 2, 2007, Sanjay Dutt was shifted from Arthur Road jail in Mumbai to the Yerwada Jail in Pune, where Dutt will carry out the rest of his sentence.

De-Indoctrination on terrorism

• URGENT NEED OF THE HOUR

Friday morning, July 6, 2007 one read the blazing newspaper headline “Suicide Bomber is Bangalorean” To say that one was shaken to the core was just an understatement. Of course at that point in time one did have some inkling on the matter as there was news in bits and pieces that the suspects in the blotched terror plots in UK could be Indians. The two Indians said to be involved in crashing a blazing Jeep Cherokee into the Glasgow airport terminal building. But like any other citizen, one lives in hope and faith that our country men will not be involved in such dastardly attacks, where they not only massacre other human beings but are even prepared to die for the attainment of so called martyrdom. Now it has been confirmed that one of them is indeed an Indian, lying in a critical state with little hope of survival. So the unimaginable has happened. Now reality stares us starkly in the face, that from now onwards even our citizens are no longer immune from being in the vicious grip of invisible master minds of terror attacks.

According to newspaper reports the two Indian youths were Kafeel Ahmed, 28-year-old engineer and the other is his brother Sabeel Ahmed who is 26. Their cousin who is also alleged to be involved is Mohammed Haneef, 27. In all three of the eight suspects are from the same family from Bangalore, while the families of another two were old friends, in the Middle East. Several shared homes in Britain. The shocking point here is that except one, all are doctors working in NHS hospitals. This is ironical, as they have to take an oath before they receive their degree to save lives and today they are involved in an attempt to take human lives on a mass scale.

The purpose of this article here is not to discuss the details of the plot and whether our citizens caught are guilty or not. All these matters are being widely publicized and printed all over. And of course the law must take its own course and the guilty youth too have to face the legal outcome. Which again is terribly sad, considering the fact that the parents of the youths have to face so much of trauma and suffering for no fault of their own? They are respectable citizens and doctors to the core living honest simple lives, who have dedicated their lives to saving precious lives.

The concern here is what as ordinary citizens we are doing to prevent such incidents from happening. Are we indeed powerless to prevent our precious highly educated youth from falling prey to the masters of terrorists modules sitting somewhere at their head quarters, who plot and plan and target gullible youths in cities and towns. Then slowly start the process of brainwashing them, using various religious theologies and goading them into acts of revenge against alleged wrongs done. They are indoctrinating and manipulating them not only into committing terrorist attacks but shockingly even motivating them to give up their own lives in the name of martyrdom. And once the job is done, washing their hands off from the whole incident and hiding behind the clock of invisibility searching for more such soft targets to carry out their sinister agendas.

We too on our part may sit back and discuss these issues till the matter is hot and is a newspaper headline and the next day may just shrug off our shoulders and go on with our lives. Moreover as Indians we have got into the habit of locking the stables after the horses have bolted. But we cannot afford to do so this time, as we will have to pay a very heavy price for our complacency and laid back attitude. Earlier our reformers and founding fathers used to preach that education is the solution to most of the evils in society. That a thinking man, armed with degrees and knowledge will not fall prey to evil activities and commit inhuman acts.

All such theories need a complete overhaul in today’s changing scenario. Today we are noticing a new trend of highly educated youths who are being transformed into anti-socials. These are the youths, on whom the country’s exchequer has spent valuable resources and money in order to groom them to be valuable and useful members of society. To bring laurels to their country wherever they go and to represent their country in a proud light, just as our very own Mangalorean, actress Shilpa Shetty, who not only made her parents but all us Indians proud. Today in UK, if we Indians can hold our head up high it’s in no small measure to the way Shilpa conducted herself in the course of the British television show where she showed exemplary grace and dignity when racially attacked by her fellow contestants.

One suggestion is that just as there is slow process of doctrinarian and brainwashing of youths going on and cases of violence and hatred on the rise at the grass root level, the government along-with religious bodies, the NGO’s as well as we ordinary citizens can support a cause whereby special cells or modules are opened in colleges, government institutions and different religious places - whether a temple or a masjid or a gurudwara or a church where youths and teenagers are given counseling. General awareness and guidance program can be conducted on not falling prey to any kind of terrorist networks and modules. And also bringing some of those involved in small crimes back to mainstream society.

The readers are invited to give their own suggestions in this matter which will be whole heartedly welcome. One such valuable suggestion put forth was that counseling and watch-out on the whereabouts of the youth in all areas and from different back grounds should be done by a special state squad. It would also be very useful if the students of the NCC and NSS as also the Scouts and Guides are made to form together a particular organization, and trained thoroughly. The purpose is that the common youth is fore-armed from falling prey to evil ideologies. Concluding this article one may state that unless steps are taken now for some kind of de-indoctrination, we will in future too have many more exceptionally brilliant doctors like Kafeel and Sabeel falling prey to invisible terrorist master minds.

CHECK OUT THIS ARTICLE ON TERRORISM FOR A DETAILED ANALYSIS OF THE PROBLEM:

Inter Subjective Dimensions of Terrorism and its Transcendence

Resolutions adopted at human rights & NCHRO Meeting

Press Release
Mumbai

The following are the resolutions adopted at the meeting of Human Rights and Civil Society Activists called by the National Confederation of Human Rights Organization (NCHRO), on the occasion of International Day of “Solidarity with Victims of Torture” held at the Mumbai Patrakar Sangh hall on June 26, 2007.

Encounter killings are part of a deliberate and conscious state administrative
practice for which the Indian government must bear responsibility. The successive political groups in power sanctified this de facto policy of extra-judicial killings by members of the police forces, the armed forces and para-military security personnel in Jammu and Kashmir, Assam, Manipur and Tripura and by state armed police in Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Gujarat in the name of eliminating naxalites, terrorists or criminals.

The State has armed itself with draconian laws such as Armed Forces Special Powers Act, Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, and derivative state legislations which are irrational, unjust and against the principles of natural justice. These laws justify preventive detention and encourage extraction of confessions by any method.

The United Nations Basic Principles emphasise that the use of force and firearms by law enforcement officials should be in consonance with respect for human rights. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.” Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) provides that “every human being has the inherent right to life. This right shall be protected by law. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his life.” Extra-judicial killings clearly contravene the right to life.

India ratified ICCPR in 1979 and signed the convention against torture since 1997, but it has since betrayed its commitment to take effective measures to ensure that extra-judicial killings do not occur. It is yet to follow-up on that and have a ratification of the said convention. The rapid increase in the number of such killings flies in the face of the Right to Life as enshrined in Article 21 of the Indian Constitution. These antiquated laws are yet to be amended and brought in line with international practices. Infact there is no real investigation into such extra-judicial killings. It is no surprise therefore that the guilty in the police and security forces remain unpunished.

The hopes that a just civil society had in the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), have been belied because of serious flaws in the Statutes. The NHRC and other National Commissions too have not been able to call the guilty to account for violence against religious minorities, women, dalits and tribals.

This “National Convention on Encounter Killings” organized by
National Confederation of Human Rights Organizations (NCHRO) in association with Amnesty International of India on this 26th day of June 2007, on the International Anti-torture day, notes gross violation of human rights, specially of torture and extra judicial deaths in many countries. The Convention condemns the assault on human dignity in the US military prison in Guantanamo Bay in the Cuban island, the military prisons in Iraq, and the situation in countries of South Asia and thereby demands the following:

We demand from the Government of India and State Governments, the following:

* Urgent and effective measures to stop fake encounters, disappearances, custodial violence, custodial death and extra judicial killings by police, special squads and security forces.

* Reform the criminal justice system and the Penal code, beginning the process by repealing all special legislation that enable a culture of torture and culture of impunity.

* Prevent cruel, inhuman or degrading punishments by authorities.
Stop discrimination and violence against women, indigenous peoples, dalits and minorities and ensure genuine safe guards.

* Strengthen the statutes of the NHRC, State Human Rights and Minorities Commission (SHRMC) and other statutory bodies.

* Protect and rehabilitate the victims and survivors of encounter killings and other police atrocities, and give them affirmative compensation.

* Ratify UN convention against torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment (convention against torture) by making amendments in statutes.

* Establish a national register of the missing persons, and of the victims of torture, custodial deaths and encounter killings under the supervision of the NHRC.

* Establish public grievance and redressal mechanisms in the pattern of Lokayukta and Ombudsman to take cognisance of excesses committed by the police and armed personnel, and to enforce Command Responsibility..

* Maintain the sanctity of the ultimate power of Clemency now being exercised by the President of India and by State Governors from judicial and political aggression and encroachments.

Edited by Nina Rai in NRI website: Daijiworld.com
Check out the article below :

Govt. Must Bear Responsibility for Encounter Killings : NCHRO

National Seminar on encounter killings

Press Release
Mumbai
June, 2007

Different communities living in this country should join hands together to counter state terrorism, so that each and every individual is able to lead a dignified life.

Concerted efforts needs to be made by one and all to see that the unholy nexus between the politicians in power, the police and the media is exposed irrespective of the fact whether one is affected or not, directly or indirectly. The media too has played a major role in creating an image of all Naxalites as anti-nationals and all Muslims as terrorists.

Muslims all over are now being targeted in fake encounter killings in the name of terrorism while earlier other downtrodden masses were shot down in the guise of them being Naxalites. These were some the viewpoints expressed in a near unanimous voice by different speakers at the National Seminar on fake ‘Encounter Killings’ organized by the National Confederation of Human Rights Organizations (NCHRO) here today, in association with Amnesty International India.

The speakers stressed the need to develop a database of encounter killings in order to follow the cases to its final logical conclusion of bringing the culprits to book under the law of the land. This would give some degree of solace to the kith and kin of those killed in such encounter killings.


The Seminar was attended in large numbers by the delegates and relatives of the victims of encounter killings. The session was presided over by E.M.Abdurahman, General Secretary Popular Front of India, Adv. K.P.Mohammed Shareef; General Convener delivered the welcome address. Dr. John Dayal inaugurated the seminar. Justice Hosbet Suresh concluded the seminar. Prof. Nagari Babbaya (Bangalore), Prof. Shamsul Islam (New Delhi), Ms Gouri Lankesh (Bangalore), Adv Yousuf Hatim Muchala, Adv. Suresh Kumar, Latheef (Andhra Pradesh), Parvez Bari (Bhopal), Pattabi Somayaji, B.V Sitaram, Arshi Khan (Aligarh), Taeedul Islam (West Bengal), Subramaniam, Adv. Sunder Raj, T Sukumaran (Tamilnadu), M.A. Khalid (Mumbai) were the other attendees.

Earlier in the day during the interactive session of the human right activists, Justice Hosbet Suresh said that these types of extra judicial killings will put an end to law abiding society.

Justice Suresh during his address before the human rights activists held at Mumbai observed that criminalization and extra judicial powers given to the police force is the main reason for the fake encounter killings. According to him under the existing system, police can book anyone and kill them at any time, in fake encounter in the guise of extremism and terrorism. This is he stated is a violation of person’s rights and right to live. The program was part of a “National Seminar on Encounter Killings” organized by the National Confederation of Human Rights Organizations (NCHRO) in association with Amnesty International India on 26 June 2007 and Anti-Torture Day held at the Marathi Patrakar Sangh Hall, Mumbai.

Relatives of encounter victims Gopinatha Pillai (father of Pranesh Kumar alias Javed who was killed in Ahmedabad), Sajida (wife of Pranesh Kumar alias Javed), Muthu Lakshmi (widow of Veerappan killed by STF), Philomina (mother of Sudheer killed by the Mangalore police) Noori (widow of Abdul Raoof who killed by Bangalore police) all shared their personal experiences.

Edited by: Nina Rai in NRI website Daijiworld.com dated June 28, 2007

Press here to read it in Daijiworld.com
Govt Responsibile for Encounter Killings - NCHRO

Golden thumb rules for internet safety for children and teenagers

According to various surveys conducted with regard to internet security recently in US, almost 100% of children in the age group 11-17, use the Internet for email, over 70% use social networking sites, about 60% of children ages 3+, use the Internet,43% of teenagers have been contacted by online strangers when using a social networking site. And most parents are concerned about predatory behavior as well as pornography exposure.

There is an urgent need to educate ourselves as well as our children, in order to keep our children safer online. While some things may be disturbing or difficult to discuss with our children, but by not communicating honestly and in a direct manner, we are putting them at a grave risk.

Here are some of the pertinent things which parents need to know and take relevant action:

1. Find out your childs user name, email address and password.

2. Never allow children to have computers in their own bedrooms. Keep it in an open space at home, so that it is visible when they are browsing and will not be able to access any pornographic sites.

3. Do not allow them to have a webcam on their computer, if they insist keep the pass word with you and allow it to be accessed when you are around.

4. Instruct them, educate them constantly, not to give out or post personal information, such as their full name, social security number, home address, location, email address, school name, phone number, date of birth, or real age.

5. Firmly insist to your children that personal information must remain PRIVATE and that they use non-descript gender neutral screen or user name such as Table10 or Internet 2.

6. Guide them that when using social networking site to restrict access to their profile by using privacy settings. Ask them to talk only to people known in real life. Explain to them the pitfalls of dealing with strangers.

7. Warn them never to accept unsolicited emails, files, photographs, videos or attachments from online strangers.

8. Google your children and go online with your children.

9. Register for your own account on Friendster or My Space or Orkut or any other social networking sites, so that you too get an accurate idea of the sites your children visit.

10. Learn your children’s passwords. And also advise them not to share their pass- words with anyone including friends.

11. Tell your children that what is published or said online today, may come back to haunt them tomorrow. If your child insists and chooses to use a picture, then either blur or morph it before posting.

12. One Golden Rule of language to be used online is “netiquette” or online etiquette.

13. Advise them not to say things on the Internet which they would not say to some one in person.

14. Insist firmly that when it comes to questionnaires or surveys, their permission as parents must be taken first.

15. In case your child is a victim of cyber bullying or stalking, or knows someone who has been targeted. Stress to your children to TELL an adult.

16. Insist to your children that if something online makes them feel scared un-comfortable or worried they should immediately inform a trusted adult.

17. Not to rely solely on parental control but to also TALK and LISTEN attentively to your children.

18. Speak to the school principal and insist on your childs school or college to have a regular Internet Safety curriculum in place. Alongwith an an anti-cyber bullying policy in place.

As it has been wisely told by someone, its always better to be safe rather than sorry later. The safety and well being of your child or teenager is in your hand. Follow the above thumb rules and you can rest assured that all will be fine in your childs cyber world tyrst.

ULTIMATELY THE BEST PARENTAL CONTROL, IS YOU !!

Please check the link below to read this article in Daijiworld.com:

Internet Safety for Children and Teenagers: