Girl from red-light area in Mumbai flies to the US for studies

Mumbai: For 18-year-old Shweta Katti, who grew up as the daughter of a devdasi in the infamous red-light area of Kamathipura in the city, getting scholarship to study in the US is a dream coming true.

Shweta, who once studied in a civic school, flew to New York on Thursday to pursue a course in psychology at Bard University.


"Shweta has got the opportunity to study in the US. I don't know what she would be studying there. But I feel proud of her," her mother Vandana, a dev

dasi, told PTI here on Sunday.

Devdasis are girls who are 'dedicated' to a life of sex work in the name of religion.

"Since childhood Shweta had been good at studies. Earlier, she studied in the municipality school. From class VIII, she started going a private school in south Mumbai," she added.

After Shweta completed her higher secondary school (HSC), she approached 'Apne Aap', an organisation in Kamathipura to which she was associated since her class IV.

'Apne Aap' then took her to 'Kranti'--an NGO--which educates and empowers trafficked girls, to help her in pursuing further education.

Knowing well about her field of interest, the organisation then cleared the deck for Shweta to get further education in the US.

When asked about the funding part of Shweta's education abroad, Robin from 'Kranti' said, "Around 200 people from all over the world have contributed to towards her education in the US. She would be studying psychology over there. She had told us about her dream and we promised that we will make it happen."

Her mother says that Shweta would come back only after four years. "I am missing her. But I have to make myself strong," she said.

PTI 

Now, Goa Tourism to promote backwaters

Kolkata: Going beyond sea and beaches for which the state is known globally, Goa Tourism wants to promote its backwaters to cash in on the monsoon season.

"There are many a things beyond the beaches of Goa and the monsoons are the best time to experience them. We also have very good backwaters like Kerala," Goa Tourism Development Corporation Ltd Chairman Nilesh Cabral said.

Goa, which experiences a lean period during the monsoon months in terms of tourism revenue, is trying to create more utility infrastructure for the rich experience of backwater cruises.

Cabral said that GTDC offers monsoon packa

ges at nearly 50 per cent discount compared to the peak season which would be valid till September.

Goa is also promoting safari tours, spice plantations, white-water rafting, trekking, mountaineering and traditional Goan festivals.

For the safari tours, the tourism board is promoting places such as Bhagwan Mahavir National Park, Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary, Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary, among others.

The spice plantation guided tours cover places such as tropical spice plantation in Ponda, Savoi, Pascoal Spice Village near Khandepar and Sahakar Spice Farm on the Ponda-Belgaum road.


Goa also offers world class spa resorts and day spas with a variety of Ayurvedic treatments, a niche of Kerala known globally.

Goa would also complete installing basic amenities on all its beaches in public private partnership over the next one year, Cabral added.

PTI

Video chat facility unveiled in Himachal prisons

Shimla: In an effort to connect prisoners with their family and friends online, a video chat facility has been introduced in all the six prisons in Himachal Pradesh, a police officer said on Saturday.

"Our website (www.hpprisons.nic.in) will enable video chat with any prisoner in all the six prisons in the state," Additional Director General of Police (Prisons) SR Mardi told a news agency.


He said the facility was launched by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh in the state capital Shimla on Friday.

He said the video-conference facility, first of its kind in the country, would help family and friends save time and money on travelling to prisons to meet the inmates.

"Even foreigners can avail this facility," he added.

The government has already amended the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), enabling the courts to utilise the video-conference facility between the jails and the courts.

Mardi said this would also help save time and money of the prison department in escorting the prisoners from jails to courts.

"Around 2,000 policemen are daily involved in escort duty," he added.

The state has already taken many initiatives to reform the prisons. It has declared one barrack each in six jails as "open air jail" in Kanda, Nahan, Solan, Mandi, Dharamsala and Chamba towns.

These jails allow prisoners to go out after serving a stipulated term and earn their livelihood.

IANS