High meat diet 'linked to early periods'

Eating a lot of meat may promote good conditions for pregnancy

Girls who eat a lot of meat during childhood tend to start their periods earlier than others, a study suggests.

UK researchers compared the diets of more than 3,000 12-year-old girls.

They found high meat consumption at age three (over eight portions a week) and age seven (12 portions) was strongly linked with early periods.

Writing in Public Health Nutrition, the researchers said a meat-rich diet might prepare the body for pregnancy, triggering an earlier puberty.

During the 20th Century, the average age at which girls started their periods fell fairly dramatically, although it now seems to be levelling off.

This is widely thought to be due to better nutrition and rising levels of obesity, which has an impact on hormones.

In the latest study, the team used data from a group of children followed from birth.

At the age of 12 years eight months, they split the girls into those who had already started their periods and those who had not.

Comparing their diets at the ages of three, seven and 10, they found that meat intake at a young age was strongly linked with earlier periods.

In fact, at age seven there was a 75% increased chance of having a period by age 12 in those eating the most meat compared with those who ate the least.

Although this finding was independent of body weight, the study repeated previous research showing that bigger girls tend to menstruate early.

'Plausible link'

Starting periods at an early age has been linked with an increased risk of breast cancer, possibly because women are exposed to higher levels of oestrogen over their lifetime.

But the researchers stressed there was no need for young girls to cut meat out of their diet as those with the highest meat consumption were eating a lot.

The seven-year-olds in the highest meat category were eating 12 or more portions a week, and the three-year-olds were having more than eight portions.

Eating a lot of meat may promote good conditions for pregnancy

Study leader Dr Imogen Rogers, senior lecturer in human nutrition at the University of Brighton, said weight could not be the only factor in girls having periods earlier as the average age had not gone down further with increasing levels of obesity.

She added: "Meat is a good source of zinc and iron, requirements for which are high during pregnancy.

"A meat-rich diet could be seen as indicating suitable nutritional conditions for a successful pregnancy."

Dr Ken Ong, paediatric endocrinologist at the Medical Research Council, said there had been "vast shifts" in the timing of first periods over the past century.

He added that the link with meat consumption was a "plausible" one.

"This was not related to larger body size, but rather could be due to a more direct effect of dietary protein on the body's hormone levels."

Indian painting sold for a record by London auctioneers

The painting has been hailed for its expressive brush strokes

A painting by top Indian artist Syed Haider Raza has set a record for a modern Indian work, officials at Christie's auctioneers say.

Raza's painting Saurashtra sold for £2.4m ($3.5m) in London on Thursday.

Officials at Christie's told the BBC that the large-scale painting was produced during a key period of Raza's career.

He painted the work in 1983 as a "homage to his homeland".

Christie's say that the painting - an acrylic on canvas - was bought by an Indian museum for well above the estimated price.

It was sold by a private French collector who acquired it directly from the artist.

The painting was one of several pictures by South Asian artists - including Francis Newton Souza and Tyeb Mehta - that were sold for millions of pounds.

Saurashtra integrates elements of Raza's Indian childhood and cultural heritage into his paintings, Christie's said.

'Brilliant colours'

The 88-year-old artist has lived and worked in France since 1950, but maintains strong ties with India.

His works are mainly abstracts in oil or acrylic, with a rich use of colour and featuring Indian cosmology and philosophy.

He has won numerous awards and has regularly exhibited his paintings in Paris.

"The painting is one of [the] most ambitious works he has ever created as a homage to his homeland," Yamini Mehta, director of South Asian modern and contemporary art at Christie's, said before the auction of Saurashtra.

"Its size, scale, and expressive brush strokes radiate the brilliant colours of India and has a deeply spiritual subtext," she said.

"In this one work, the artist has worked through all of the themes of his long and varied career and [it] serves as the shining example of one of the best works in this field to come to auction.
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Two bikers killed in same Isle of Man TT race

Two motorcyclists have been killed in the same Isle of Man TT race, the Auto Cycle Union (ACU) has said.

Martin Loicht, from Austria, and Paul Dobbs, from New Zealand, were taking part in the Supersport 2 Race on Thursday.

Mr Loicht was fatally injured at the Quarry Bends section of the course. Mr Dobbs died in an accident at Ballagarey

Mr Dobbs' death was announced on on Thursday, but the union only confirmed Mr Loicht's death on Friday.

The ACU said Mr Loicht was a professor of mechanical engineering and was married with two children.

Dr Paul King, technical director at the ACU, said: "I got to know Martin really well by working with him on the TT Zero project as he was developing a bike to compete in that race.

"He was a real character who was passionate and committed to motorcycling and he reflected the amateur spirit and endeavour that pervades the TT."

Navy finds 'debris' from failed S Korean rocket launch

Communication was lost just two minutes after the Naro-1 took off

A South Korean navy ship has recovered debris apparently from a failed rocket launch.

The rocket is thought to have exploded 137 seconds after take-off on Thursday, ending South Korea's latest attempt to join the space launch industry.

The debris was picked up at sea 470 kilometres (292 miles) south of the Naro Space Centre at Goheung.

The Naro-1 rocket, built with Russian help, is thought to have blown up at an altitude of 70 kilometres (44 miles).

The debris will be handed over to the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (Kari) for analysis, the South Korean Ministry for Science, Education and Technology said.

Russia and South Korea will jointly examine the reasons for the rocket's failure and decide whether to push ahead with a third launch, the ministry said.

Analysts say the reported failure is a major setback for South Korea in what some observers have described as an "Asian space race".

Pictures on South Korean television appear to show the rocket's final moments, with the cameras following a white speck on its downward trajectory into the sea.

Malfunction

The launch was South Korea's second attempt to put a satellite in space, after a launch in August 2009 failed.

The country had been hoping to become only the 10th in the world able to put satellites into space, and thereby gain a lucrative slice of the growing space launch industry.China, India and Japan have developed a launch capability; China has also sent three manned missions into space.

The satellite - which had been intended to study the effects of climate change - should have separated from the rocket and deployed its solar panels some nine minutes after take-off, at an altitude of 302km.

The rocket had been due to take off on Wednesday, but lift-off was cancelled three hours before launch after fire extinguishing fluids were detected leaking from parts of the equipment.

The Ministry for Education, Science and Technology said thorough checks had confirmed the leaks did not affect the safety of the rocket and the launch had been rescheduled.

Weather conditions had been closely checked in the final hours before the latest launch. A spokesman for Kari said all faulty hardware had been replaced and steps taken to prevent a repeat of the earlier faults.

The rocket stood 33m (108ft) tall and was launched from the country's new spaceport on the southern tip of the Korean peninsula.

South Korea's first launch of the two-stage KSLV-1 last year failed to place its satellite payload into the proper orbit.

Earlier last year, an attempted space launch by North Korea was deemed to have failed when the US reported that both rocket stages had fallen into the Pacific Ocean.

The North's launch was seen as a cover for a long-range missile test, and prompted UN sanctions.

Pyongyang had voiced irritation at the South's rocket development, but most other powers in the region accepted that its attempt was part of a peaceful civilian programme
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Fresh ethnic clashes hit Kyrgyz southern city of Osh

The BBC's Rayhan Demytrie: "We've seen several ambulances heading to the city"

The death toll from violence in the southern Kyrgyz city of Osh has risen to at least 39, amid fresh fighting.

The clashes between Kyrgyz and ethnic Uzbek groups flared late on Thursday - the worst violence in the Central Asian country since ex-President Kurmanbek Bakiyev was overthrown in April.

Dozens of buildings were on fire as fighting spread on Friday. About 600 people have been hurt, officials say.

The interim government has declared a state of emergency and deployed troops.Osh is home to a large ethnic Uzbek community and was the power base of former president Bakiyev.

The cause of the latest fighting is unclear. According to local reports, the violence broke out between rival gangs and developed into gun battles late on Thursday.

Shops were attacked and cars set alight. After a night of violence followed by a lull, the shooting continued with renewed force on Friday.

Interim President Roza Otunbayeva said: "We're clearly talking about a stand-off between two ethnicities. We need (to muster) forces and means to stop and calm these people down, and this is what we are doing right now."

Soldiers have been posted at routes into the city and at major intersections.

Most of the properties attacked appear to belong to ethnic Uzbeks.

The BBC's Rayhan Demytrie in Osh says she drove through ethnic Uzbek districts where residents had written SOS on their homes.

In another Uzbek neighbourhood houses are on fire and people are building barricades, the Reuters news agency reported.

Residents told the BBC they are hoping that Uzbek troops from across the border will come for help if their neighbourhoods get attacked overnight.

Troops deployed in Osh are struggling to restore order

They have also said that all their women and children are at the Uzbek border nearby.

The interim government, which came to power after Mr Bakiyev's removal, has been struggling to impose order in the city ever since.

The leaders of Russia and China have appealed for calm.

The political crisis has raised fears of a civil war in the country, where both Russia and the US have military bases.

Mr Bakiyev fled with his family to Belarus after violent clashes between government forces and protesters on 7 April.

The interim government has promised to hold elections in October, after a constitutional referendum on reducing presidential powers
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David Cameron tells BP chief of oil spill 'frustration'

Oil from the leak has travelled at least 60km

David Cameron has told BP's chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg he is "frustrated and concerned" about the environmental damage caused by the US oil leak.

The UK PM said it was "in everyone's interest" the firm remained stable.

As much as 40,000 barrels (1.7m gallons) of oil a day may have been gushing from a blown-out well before it was capped on 3 June.

The US official overseeing the clean-up said the amount of oil being collected could be almost doubled by next month.

Oil has been leaking into the Gulf of Mexico since the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded on 20 April and sank off the coast of the US state of Louisiana, killing 11 workers.

Continue reading the main story

The prime minister had a constructive call with BP chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg

Downing Street spokesman

A Downing Street spokesman said that in a phone conversation, Mr Svanberg told Mr Cameron that BP would "continue to do all that it can to stop the oil spill, clean up the damage and meet all legitimate claims for compensation".

Earlier, Chancellor George Osborne and senior officials met Mr Svanberg at Downing Street to discuss the crisis.

Mr Cameron is due to raise the issues in a call with US President Barack Obama at the weekend.

The spokesman said: "The prime minister had a constructive call with BP chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg.

"[Mr Cameron] explained that he was frustrated and concerned about the environmental damage caused by the leak but made clear his view that BP is an economically important company in the UK, US and other countries.

"He said that it is in everyone's interests that BP continues to be a financially strong and stable company."

'Vital British interest'

BP employs 10,105 people in the UK and it is estimated that about 18 million people in the UK either own BP shares or pay into a pension fund that holds BP shares.

BP's shares finished up 7.2% on the London Stock Exchange on Friday, recovering losses suffered on Thursday as the company came under pressure from the US administration to halt dividend payments and cover the full cost of the clean-up.

On Friday, the head of the US Coast Guard, Admiral Thad Allen - the US official overseeing the clean-up of the oil spill - said BP would be able to almost double the amount of oil it was collecting from the ruptured undersea well by next month.

He said once a "hard cap containment system" was in place, BP would be able to siphon off 50,000 barrels a day.

BP's chairman has been asked to meet Mr Obama next week, amid assurances from the UK and US that bilateral ties will not be affected by the crisis.

On Thursday, a former British ambassador to Washington, Sir Christopher Meyer, told the BBC that the government must "put down a marker with the US administration that the survival and long-term prosperity of BP is a vital British interest".

London Mayor Boris Johnson has expressed concern about the "anti-British rhetoric that seems to be permeating from America", but the government has downplayed the extent of such sentiments
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Somali pirates free UK-flagged ship Asian Glory

The ship was seized on 1 January

Somali pirates have released 25 mainly east European sailors and their ship more than six months after they were seized.

Bulgaria's foreign ministry said the British-flagged vehicle carrier, the Asian Glory, was expected to head for Oman under British escort.

It is not known whether a ransom was paid for the release of ship and its crew.

The waters around Somalia are among the most dangerous in the world.

Ten Ukrainians, eight Bulgarians, five Indians and two Romanians make up the crew of the Asian Glory, which is managed by Zodiac Maritime Agency.

Zodiac said on its website that all crew members were reported to be "unharmed and well".

The 45,000-tonne ship was hijacked 1,000km (620m) off the Somali coast on 1 January
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US Defence Secretary Gates blames EU for Turkey '

Robert Gates said Turkey was being denied an "organic" link to the West

Turkey's growing hostility to Israel may have been partly caused by its effective rejection by the European Union, the US defence secretary says.

Robert Gates said Turkey may have been "pushed by some in Europe" away from the EU and into closer partnerships with states like Iran.

Turkey has been put on the path to EU membership, but countries like France and Germany are openly opposed.

Turkey and Israel's once-close alliance has come under severe strain.

Their relations were already deteriorating before Israeli troops stormed a ship carrying aid to Gaza last month, killing nine Turks.

'Matter of concern'

Turkey's President, Abdullah Gul, said relations between the two countries would "never be the same", while Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc accused Israel of "piracy" and "barbarism and oppression".

Continue reading the main storywith Iran, firmly opposing sanctions over its nuclear programme.

"The deterioration in the relationship between Turkey and Israel over the past year-or-so is a matter of concern," Mr Gates said during a visit to London.

"I think the two had a pretty constructive relationship and one that contributed to stability in the region, and I hope that, over time, that kind of constructive relationship can be re-established," he added.

"I personally think that if there is anything to the notion that Turkey is, if you will, moving eastward, it is, in my view, in no small part because it was pushed, and pushed by some in Europe refusing to give Turkey the kind of organic link to the West that Turkey sought."

"I think we have to think long and hard about why these developments in Turkey [occurred] and what we might be able to do to counter them."

Migration fear

The issue of whether Turkey should join the EU strongly divides European governments.

It started formal membership talks in 2005, but has only been allowed to open 12 of the 35 chapters that candidate countries must complete.

Some, like Britain, firmly believe Turkey should be encouraged to modernise and westernise, and that welcoming a big Muslim country would strengthen Muslim moderates. The US has also supported this view.

But other countries, like Germany and France, fear Turkey could destabilise the EU, not least with mass migration, and think it should be offered no more than a "privileged partnership".

Iraqi merger forms new Shia bloc, the National Alliance

Outgoing Prime Minister Nouri Maliki's coaltion is joining the National Alliance

Iraq's two main Shia groups, which performed strongly in recent elections, have merged to form the biggest alliance in the new parliament.

The bloc, to be called the National Alliance, brings together the prime minister's coalition with other Shia factions, including followers of radical cleric Moqtada Sadr.

It will be just short of an absolute majority in parliament but well ahead of the rival secular-Sunni bloc.

The new parliament opens on Monday.

After weeks of negotiations, the two Shia coalitions announced they were forming one bloc, and said they had notified the acting speaker of parliament.

Constitution unclear

The new alliance is made up of outgoing Prime Minister Nouri Maliki's State of Law coalition - which came runner-up in the March election - and the third-placed Iraqi National Alliance, along with other Shia factions.

Together, they will command just four seats short of an absolute majority, well ahead of the 91 seats held by Iyad Allawi's secular-Sunni bloc, although it came out first in the elections, with a narrow two-seat lead.

Karim Yaqoubi, an INA member, said the Kurdish Alliance would join the new Shia grouping to give them a majority.

The BBC's Jim Muir in Baghdad says that both the Shia and secular-Sunni blocs will now be claiming the right to be asked to form a government. The constitution is unclear on the issue.

In any case, our correspondent says, the Shia bloc has not yet decided who it wants to nominate as prime minister. So the betting is that the first session of parliament will be declared open, and suspended indefinitely until a power-sharing deal is hammered out.

World Cup 2010 begins in South Africa

The 2010 World Cup in South Africa got under way with a spectacular and vibrant opening ceremony at the 94,000-capacity Soccer City in Johannesburg. The ceremony was followed by the first game of the tournament between the hosts and Mexico, which ended 1-1. Africa is staging the World Cup for the first time, with 32 nations competing in 64 games until the final on 11 July. Nelson Mandela was due to attend the opening ceremony but withdrew following the death of his great-granddaughter. Zenani Mandela, 13, died in a car crash when travelling home from the pre-World Cup concert in Johannesburg on Thursday.She was one of the 91-year-old anti-apartheid icon's nine great-grandchildren. The Nelson Mandela Foundation released a statement saying it would be "inappropriate" for Mandela, a former South African president, to be at the opening ceremony. "We are sure that South Africans and people all over the world will stand in solidarity with Mr Mandela and his family in the aftermath of this tragedy," added the statement. "We continue to believe that the World Cup is a momentous and historic occasion for South Africa and the continent and we are certain it will be a huge success." The 40-minute ceremony began with a five-plane military flypast over the stadium, which resembles a huge African cooking pot. A group of drummers and dancers performed a 'Welcome to Africa' song that included an introduction to all 10 tournament's venues. The next sequence saw a gigantic beetle show off its football skills with the Jabulani - the official football of the finals - before large pieces of cloth were used to show a map of the continent. Musicians and artists from the other African finalists - Algeria, Cameroon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, and Nigeria - also had their chance to perform in a joint sequence. Mandela's World Cup message Multiple Grammy Award winner R Kelly then sang the ceremony's showpiece song, 'Sign of a Victory' with South Africa's Soweto Spiritual Singers. But one of the loudest cheers was reserved for Mandela, whose image appeared on screens to a message of hope from him in song. Not everyone made it to their seats by the start, with traffic problems delaying some fans. But Archbishop Desmond Tutu and president Jacob Zuma were in attendance, along with the likes of United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon, Mexican president Felipe Calderon, Prince Albert of Monaco and United States vice-president Joe Biden. The global TV audience for the tournament will be made up of viewers in more than 215 countries and will run into hundreds of millions. The festivities began in earnest on Thursday, with Shakira among the artists at a vast pre-tournament concert in Soweto. The Colombian pop star performed the official World Cup song Waka Waka and was joined by a cast of international stars, including the Black Eyed Peas and Alicia Keys, along with African stars Amadou & Mariam and Hugh Masekela. Since it was chosen as the first African host of the World Cup in 2004, South Africa has spent about 40bn rand (£3.55bn) on stadiums, transport infrastructure and upgrading airports. The tournament, which is made up of 32 nations, could add as much as 0.5% to the country's GDP in 2010 and will bring in an estimated 370,000 foreign visitors.There are 64 games in total, with the final taking place at Soccer City on Sunday, 11 July. There have been concerns about ticketing policy and security in the run-up to the tournament. Fifa has come under fire for the way tickets have been distributed, with critics claiming its preferred method of making tickets available online excluded many locals who did not have an internet connection. However, football's world governing body has made a number of tickets exclusively available to South Africans and announced on Wednesday that 97% of the 3.1m tickets had been sold, allaying fears of empty stadiums. As for security, there have been concerns about the safety of fans, media and players travelling to South Africa. World Cup Match of the Day titles Sixteen people - including two police officers - were injured at a stampede ahead of a World Cup warm-up match on Sunday between Nigeria and North Korea outside Makhulong Stadium in the township of Tembisa near Johannesburg. And journalists from China, Spain and Portugal were targeted in two separate armed robberies in and around Johannesburg on Monday and Wednesday. However, Fifa president Sepp Blatter insists the World Cup will be a success. "Everywhere, one can feel, I hope, that this World Cup is very special, the first on African soil," he said. "We find ourselves in a position of indescribable anticipation. "More importantly, this competition will prove that South Africa, and the African continent in general, is capable of organising an event of this magnitude." Some of the world's best players will be on display in South Africa, among them Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney. But some big names will be missing because of injury, such as England duo Rio Ferdinand and David Beckham, Germany skipper Michael Ballack and Ghana midfielder Michael Essien. Didier Drogba - an icon in African sport - fractured his elbow in a recent friendly against Japan, but is hopeful of playing a part in the Ivory Coast's campaign. England are among the favourites in South Africa and get their Group C campaign under way against the United States in Rustenburg on Saturday. Defending champions Italy start on Monday with a match against Paraguay, Brazil face North Korea in their first game on Tuesday and Euro 2008 winners Spain start their bid for a first World Cup win by taking on Switzerland on Wednesday. South Africa began their campaign with a 1-1 draw with Group A rivals Mexico. Managed by Brazilian Carlos Alberto Parreira, the Bafana Bafana took the lead on 55 minutes when Siphiwe Tshabalala found the net with a wonderful left-foot shot. The Mexicans levelled through Rafael Marquez in the 79th minute, but South Africa hit the post through Katlego Mphela in the 90th minute.

பாசிச மோடிக்குப் புரியுமா ஒரு தாயின் பரிதவிப்பு?

குஜராத் மாநிலத்தின் கோத்ராவைச் சேர்ந்த பீபி காத்தூன் எனும் தாயின் மூன்று மகன்கள் கடந்த எட்டு ஆண்டுகளாகச் சிறையில் அடைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளனர்.கோத்ராவில் ரயில் பெட்டி ஒன்றுக்குத் தீ வைத்து 58 பேரைக் கொடூரமாகக் கொலை செய்ய உதவினர் என்பதே இவர்கள் மீதான குற்றச்சாட்டு. இதுவரை இக்குற்றம் நிரூபிக்கப்படவில்லை. இச்சம்பவத்தின் பின்னணியில் தீவிரவாதச் சதி இருப்பதாகக் குஜராத் அரசு தொடர்ந்து குற்றம் சாட்டி வந்தது. அச்சதியை நிரூபிக்கஎந்த ஆதாரமும் இல்லை என உயர்நீதி மன்றமும் உச்சநீதி மன்றமும் தீர்ப்பளித்துவிட்ட போதிலும் இம்மூவருக்கும் இன்றுவரை பிணைகூட கிடைக்கவில்லை. கோத்ரா ரயில் நிலையத்துக்கு அருகில் உள்ள, பெரும்பாலும் உழைக்கும் மக்கள் நிறைந்த சேரியான ரஹ்மத் நகரில்தான் பீபி வசித்து வந்தார். கோத்ரா சம்பவம் நடந்த அன்று மாலை இச்சேரிக்குள் குவிந்த சீருடையணியாத போலீசார் பீபி காத்தூனின் மூன்று மகன்கள் உட்பட 14 இளைஞர்களைப் பிடித்துச் சென்றனர். இதனைக் கண்டு கொதித்தெழுந்த அப்பகுதிப் பெண்களிடம் தங்களது உயரதிகாரி விசாரித்தவுடன் அவர்களை அனுப்பிவிடுவதாகப் போலீசார் கூறினர். ஆனால் எட்டு ஆண்டுகளாகியும் அவர்கள் யாரும் திரும்பிவராத நிலையில் "இன்னமுமா அந்த உயரதிகாரி வரவில்லை?'' என பீபி காத்தூன் வருத்தத்துடன் கேட்கிறார். கைதான அனைவரையும் முதலில் ரயில்வே காவல்நிலையத்தில் வைத்திருந்தனர். பின்னர் அவர்கள் என்ன ஆனார்கள் என்றே தெரியவில்லை. அவர்கள் இருக்குமிடத்தைப் பற்றிச் சொல்லக்கூட போலீசார் மறுத்துவிட்டனர். மூன்று மாதங்களுக்குப் பிறகு தாங்கள் அகமதாபாத் சபர்மதி சிறைச்சாலையில் இருப்பதாகக் கூறி பீபியின் மகன்கள் தங்களின் தந்தைக்குக் கடிதம் எழுதினர். கோத்ராவில் ரயில் பெட்டியைக் கொளுத்த சதி செய்ததாக இவர்களுடன் சேர்த்து 131 பேர் மீது "பொடா'' கருப்புச் சட்டத்தின் கீழ் வழக்குப் பதியப்பட்டது. சிறைக் கம்பிகளுக்குப் பின்னால் தன் மகன்களைப் பார்த்த பீபிக்கு இதயமே வெடித்துவிடும் போலிருந்தது. அவர்கள் உடல் மெலிந்து பேயறைந்தது போலக் காணப்பட்டனர். தாங்கள் பட்ட அடிகள் சித்திரவதைகளைப் பற்றி அருகில் இருந்த சிறை ஊழியர்களுக்குக் கேட்காவண்ணம் கிசுகிசுக் குரலில் அவர்கள் விம்மினார்கள். தாங்கள் சிறுநீர் கழித்த வாளியிலேயே தண்ணீர் குடிக்கக் கட்டாயப்படுத்தப்பட்டதாகக் கூறினர். தன் மகன்களிடம், "நம்பிக்கை தளர வேண்டாம்'' என்றும் "சிறையிலிருந்து வெளிக்கொணர தன்னால் இயன்றதனைத்தையும் செய்வதாகவும்'' அவர்களின் தந்தை உறுதியளித்தார். பீபியின் மூத்த மகனுக்கு, பள்ளி செல்லும் வயதில் இரு மகன்கள் இருந்தனர். கைதாவதற்குச் சில மாதங்களுக்கு முன்புதான் இரண்டாவது மகனுக்குத் திருமணமாகியிருந்தது. அவர் சிறையிலிருக்கும்போதுதான் அவருக்கு ஒரு பெண் குழந்தை பிறந்தது. பீபியின் கடைசி மகனோ பதின்ம வயதில் இருந்தான். வேலைக்குச் சென்று சம்பாதிக்க மகன்கள் யாரும் இல்லாத நிலையில் வீட்டில் உணவுக்கே திண்டாட்டமானது. பீபியின் வயதான கணவர் கிடைத்த வேலையைச் செய்துகொண்டிருக்க பீபியும் அவரது இரு மருமகள்களும் வீட்டு வேலை கிடைக்குமா எனத் தேடிக் கொண்டிருந்தனர். ஆனால் தீவிரவாதியின் குடும்பம் என்றும் பொடா குடும்பம் என்றும் முத்திரை குத்தப்பட்டதால் யாரும் வேலை கொடுக்கவில்லை. 2004ஆம் ஆண்டு ஆட்சிக்கு வந்த ஐக்கிய முன்னணி அரசு, பொடா கருப்புச் சட்டத்தை திரும்பப் பெற்றது. ஆனால் சட்டத்தை முன்தேதியிட்டுத் திரும்பப் பெறாததால் பொடாவில் கைதானவர்கள் விடுவிக்கப்படவில்லை. அச்சட்டத்தின் அடிப்படையிலேயே வழக்கு நடந்தது. தில்லியின் புகழ்பெற்ற கிரிமினல் வழக்குரைஞர்களான நித்தியா இராமகிருஷ்ணன் மற்றும் ஹசன் போன்றவர்கள் குற்றம் சாட்டப்பட்டவர்களுக்காக வாதாடினர். குஜராத் அரசின் வாதப்படி தாக்குதலில் ஈடுபட்ட கும்பல் முன்பே திட்டமிட்டு இதனைச் செய்ததாகவும் வெளியிலிருந்து ரயில் பெட்டிக்குள் பெட்ரோலை, தனது குடும்பத்தை உயிரோடு வைத்திருக்கப் பிச்சையெடுக்கும் இழிநிலைக்குத் தள்ளப்பட்ட கோத்ராவைச் சேர்ந்த ஏழைத்தாய் பீபி காத்தூன் ஊற்றியதாகவும் குற்றம் சாட்டப்பட்டுள்ளது. ஆனால் வெளியிலிருந்து ரயில் பெட்டிக்குள் பெட்ரோலை ஊற்றுவது என்பது மனித சக்தியால் இயலாத காரியம் எனத் தடயவியல் அறிக்கை கூறுகிறது. அதேபோல ரயில் பெட்டிக்குள் பெட்ரோலின் மூலக்கூறான "ஹைட்ரோ கார்பனின்'' தடயங்கள் எதுவும் இல்லை என்றும் கண்டறியப்பட்டுள்ளது. மாநிலப் போலீசாரால் புனையப்பட்ட இவ்வழக்கில் இதுபோன்று மேலும் பல ஓட்டைகள் இருப்பதாக இவ்வழக்குரைஞர்கள் சுட்டிக்காட்டியுள்ளனர். இவ்வழக்கு நடைபெற்ற எட்டு ஆண்டுகளில் குற்றம் சாட்டப்பட்டவர்களுக்குச் சாதகமாகப் பல தீர்ப்புகள் வந்துள்ளன. ஒவ்வொரு முறையும் அவர்கள் விடுவிக்கப்படுவார்கள் என பீபியும் மற்றவர்களும் நம்பினர். ஆனால் இவர்களது நம்பிக்கை ஒவ்வொரு முறையும் தகர்ந்தது. 2005ஆம் ஆண்டில் பொடா மறு ஆய்வுக்குழு இந்த வழக்கில் தீவிரவாத சதி இருந்ததற்கான ஆதாரம் எதுவும் இல்லை எனவும் இந்தியாவின் பாதுகாப்பைக் குலைக்கும் அம்சங்கள் எதுவும் இல்லை எனவும் உறுதிப்படுத்தியது. இதனால் பொடாவின்கீழ் இவர்கள் மேல் எந்த வழக்கும் பதிவு செய்யப்படவில்லை. இதனை ஏற்றுக்கொள்ள விரும்பாத குஜராத் அரசு உயர்நீதிமன்றத்தில் மேல்முறையீடு செய்தது. ஆனால் உயர்நீதி மன்றமும் பின்னர் உச்சநீதி மன்றமும் மறு ஆய்வுக் குழுவின் முடிவையே உறுதிசெய்தன. இருப்பினும் குஜராத் அரசு குற்றம் சாட்டப்பட்டவர்களை விடுவிக்கவில்லை. அவர்கள் மீது சாதாரண குற்றவியல் சட்டங்களின்கீழ் வழக்குத் தொடுத்துள்ளது. குற்றம் சாட்டப்பட்டவர்களில் பலர் குற்றம் நிரூபிக்கப்பட்டால் கிடைக்கக்கூடிய தண்டனைக் காலத்தைவிட அதிகமான வருடங்களை விசாரணைக் கைதிகளாகவே சிறையில் கழித்துவிட்டனர். இருந்தபோதிலும் இவர்களுக்கு சாதாரண குற்றவியல் சட்டங்களின்கீழ் கூட பிணை வழங்கப்படவில்லை. இதனிடையில் நான்கு ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முன்பு பீபியின் கணவர் தொண்டைப் புற்று நோயால் பாதிக்கப்பட்டார். சாகக் கிடக்கும் தங்கள் தந்தையைக் கடைசியாகப் பார்க்க மகன்களுக்கு ஆளுக்கொரு நாள் பரோல் கொடுக்கப்பட்டது. அவரது மரணத்திற்குப் பிறகு அப்பெரிய குடும்பத்தைச் சுமக்கும் பாரம் பீபியின் தோளில் இறங்கியது. மூப்பின் காரணமாகவும் ஒரு விபத்தின் காரணமாகவும் அவரால் வேலை செய்ய இயலவில்லை. அவர் பிச்சை எடுக்கும் நிலைக்குத் தள்ளப்பட்டார். நடக்க முடியாத அவர் கோத்ரா நகரத்து வீதிகளில் நொண்டி நொண்டிச் சென்று பிச்சையெடுக்கிறார். பத்தாம் வகுப்புப் படித்துக் கொண்டிருந்த அவரது மூத்த பேரனின் படிப்புக்குத் தேவைப்பட்ட பணத்தை அவர் பிச்சையெடுத்துச் சேர்த்துத் தந்தார். ஆனால் அவன் பொதுத்தேர்வில் தோல்வியடையவே அவனைப் பள்ளியிலிருந்து நிறுத்திவிட்டார். அவருடைய இளைய பேரனை இன்னமும் முன்னதாக எட்டாம் வகுப்போடு நிறுத்திவிட்டார். அவர்கள் இருவரும் தற்போது தினமும் ஐம்பது ருபாய் கூலிக்குப் பட்டறையில் வேலை செய்கின்றனர். சிறையிலிருப்பவர்களைப் பார்க்கச் செல்வதற்கான பேருந்துக் கட்டணச் செலவுகள் அவர்களது ஒரு மாதச்சம்பளத்தை விழுங்கிவிடுவதால் தற்போது அவர்கள் ஆறு மாதங்களுக்கு ஒருமுறை மட்டுமே செல்கின்றனர். சிறையில் உள்ள பீபியின் மகன்கள் உடல் மெலிந்து காசநோய் போன்ற கடும் நோய்களினால் பாதிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளனர். பீபியின் கடைசி மகனான சபீக் சிறையில் புத்தி சுவாதீனம் இழந்துவிட்டான். காகிதத்தையும் குப்பையையும் பொறுக்கித் தின்கிறான். சில சமயங்களில் பிற கைதிகளையும் சிறை ஊழியர்களையும் தாக்குகிறான். தன் குடும்பத்திரையே அவனால் அடையாளம் காணமுடியவில்லை. "அவனை அவர்கள் பிடித்துச் சென்ற வயதில் பால்பற்கள் விழுந்து அவனுக்கு புதிய பற்கள்கூட வளரவில்லை. எனது செல்லமகனை அவர்கள் எப்படி எல்லாம் சீரழித்து விட்டார்கள்?'' என பீபி கதறுகிறார். அவனுக்கு சிகிச்சையளிக்க பரோல் கொடுக்குமாறு அவர்களது வழக்கறிஞர்கள் தாக்கல் செய்த மனுக்கள் தள்ளுபடி செய்யப்பட்டன. தன் பேச்சைக் காதுகொடுத்துக் கேட்பவர்களிடம் அவர் கெஞ்சுவது ஒன்றுதான்: "என் மகன்களைச் சிறையிலிருந்து விடுவிக்க உங்களால் உதவ முடியுமா? அவர்கள் விடுதலையாவதைக் காண நான் உயிருடன் இருப்பேனா?''தனது குடும்பத்தை உயிரோடு வைத்திருக்கப் பிச்சையெடுக்கும் இழிநிலைக்குத் தள்ளப்பட்டதை எண்ணி பீபி கூனிக் குறுகுகிறார். மேலும் தன் மகன்கள்மீது இப்படிப்பட்ட படுபாதகக் குற்றம் சுமத்தப்பட்டதை எண்ணி வெட்கப்படுகிறார். "மகனே! நான் படிப்பறிவில்லாதவள். இந்தச் சட்டங்கள் எனக்குப் புரிவதில்லை. ஆனால் அப்பாவியான என் மகன்கள் ஏன் இத்தனை ஆண்டுகளாகச் சிறையில் அடைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளனர் என எனக்கு விளக்குங்கள்'' எனக் கேட்கிறார். மூலம் : தி ஹிந்து தமிழில் : சுந்தர் - புதிய ஜனநாயகம் (தமிழரங்கம்)