Woman smoker? First heart attack could kill you

Smoking is injurious to health - and more so for women. According to doctors, smoking can lead to multiple complications in women and the very first heart attack could lead to sudden death.

Praveen Aggarwal, chief cardiologist, Escorts Heart Institute and Research Centre, New Delhi, confirms a series of heart attacks among female smokers.

Aggarwal said: "The cause of heart ailments among female smokers is much higher because women have small arteries in comparison to men. Even the first heart attack in a women smoker can cause sudden death."

Roshan Roa, senior cardiologist, Metro Hospital and Heart institute, Noida, said: "The risk of heart complications among woman smokers is twice that of a normal smoker."

"If a women is smoking from a young age then she stands a greater risk of contracting heart problems. Female smokers who use oral contraceptives risk serious after-effects, including increased risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, such as blood clots, heart attacks and strokes," Roa added.

Sanjay Mittal, also from Metro Hospital, said during pregnancy smoking increases the chances of sudden infant death syndrome, learning disorders and attention deficit disorder in the child.

If a woman is in a child-bearing age and still smoking then it will have a bad effect on the child during pregnancy along with a greater risk of heart attack to the mother.

According to a new World Health Organisation (WHO) study, one in 10 women in urban India smoke or chew tobacco. The WHO report also estimates that seven percent of women in developing countries smoke compared with 48 percent men.

"Women who smoke are at a higher risk and face a number of health hazards such as heart disease and lung cancer," said K.K. Aggarwal, president, Heart Care Foundation of India.

"Women who quit smoking have a 21 percent lower risk of dying from coronary heart disease within five years of quitting smoking. The risks of dying from other conditions also decline after quitting, although the period varies depending on the disease. For chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, it may take up to 20 years," he said.

According to a study, smoking leads to greater risk of developing cervix and vulvar cancers. Nineteen percent of cervical and 40 percent of vulvar cancer are caused by smoking.

Harmful affects of smoking for women:

- Smoking greatly increases risk of heart disease and stroke.

- Smoking causes interruptions in menstrual cycle and induces quicker menopause.

- Smoking causes pre-term delivery, low birth weight, miscarriage, and neonatal death.

- Children born to smoking mothers experience more colds, ear aches, respiratory problems, illnesses.

- Smoking affects fertility.

- Female smokers are more susceptible to osteoporosis.

- Smoking causes more breathing difficulties in women than in men.

Politicians on campaign trail seek votes - and doctors

Nakshab Khan
New Delhi Electioneering in 40 degrees Celsius-plus temperatures is sending an increasing number of politicians to health checkup clinics, say doctors, though the candidates themselves are loath to admit it.
Long hours of campaigning in this summer and reduced sleep make politicians prone to heart attacks, doctors say. As an example, they point to 50-year-old Indrajit Purakait, a Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader, who lost the district council elections in West Bengal in 2008. Unable to bear the shock, Purakait had a heart attack and died. His experience should serve as a warning to other politicians, the doctors say.

At least some politicians are taking the warning seriously. Haji Mohammed Yunus, who is contesting on the Bahujan Samaj Party ticket against sitting MP Sandeep Dikshit in the East Delhi constituency, told IANS: “I have been campaigning for long hours in the scorching heat which takes away all energy. Just before starting the campaign trail I had visited a doctor for a health checkup.”

Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president Jai Prakash Aggarwal, contesting from the Northeast Delhi constituency, has been taking care of his health by going on morning walks and keeping a check on his diet.

“Though I don’t visit a doctor for any regular health checkup, I do make sure to go for an early morning walk and to have a good night’s sleep. I am also keeping a check on my diet,” Aggarwal told IANS.

K.K. Aggarwal, senior cardiologist at Moolchand Medcity, said: “Due to the hectic pre-poll campaigning which requires long-distance walking, many candidates are reporting for checkups related to heart, blood pressure and diabetes.”

Aggarwal, who is also president of the Heart Care Foundation of India, says that candidates should meditate and also practise yoga to reduce stress.

Said Sanjay Mittal, senior cardiologist, Metro Hospitals and Heart Institute, Noida: “During the election period contestants are very cautious about their health and report for health checkups because they have to cover long distances on foot for campaigning. Those who are heart patients are feeling the brunt of poll stress.”

Many political leaders in the country are suffering from one health problem or the other. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had heart bypass surgery this January. Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit also had bypass surgery in 2001. Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers Ram Vilas Paswan underwent angioplasty in 2005 to clear a blockage in a cardiac artery.

Varun Gandhi- A Lumpen Goon

By swearing with Gita, a sacred scripture of Hinduism, Varun Gandhi who may also be called a bright lumpeen goon, an ugly politician with no mass base besides associating himself with a rabid communal party has vowed to " CUT HEADS" of Muslims.


It's no surprise that Varun has on a wild rant against muslims becoz his father Sanjay Gandhi was too a person of imbecile personality which was evident from his Forced vasectomy campaign launched agaainst MUslims of this great Nation besides destructing homes of millions of Slum Dwellers in Delhi alone.


You may call it as his desperation to get quick recognition as no knows him well in the country in comparision to the Future Prime Mnister and a real Gandhi family scion Rahul Gandhi.


It is his envy and frustation that he is demonising Muslims only to get some naked publicity and some cheap votes by creating hatred and fear of Muslims in the Majority community.

Talaq via SMS, email un-Islamic, say Muslim scholars

By Nakshab Khan

New Delhi, March 15 It's a quickie way to divorce that is catching up - saying 'talaq' through SMS or email. Former Haryana deputy chief minister Chander Mohan alias Chand Mohammed is the latest to use digital means to say talaq to his estranged second wife Fiza. But Muslim scholars have termed it "unacceptable" and say there is no concept of instant divorce in Islam.

Chand Mohammed sent a terse "talaq, talaq, talaq" mobile SMS to Fiza from London and also called her up to repeat the message Friday night.

"I got an SMS from Chand on my mobile phone on Friday in which he had written 'talaq' three times. Immediately after that, I got a call from him and he reiterated that he has given talaq to me," Fiza told mediapersons in Chandigarh.

According to a study 'Marriage and divorce amongst Muslim women in India', conducted by Sabiha Hussain of the Centre for Dalit and Minorities at Jamia Millia Islamia, at least 15 such divorces were pronounced via SMS, email and phone in 2008.

"It is a case study of 30 divorced women conducted in Delhi's Jamia Nagar, Seelampuri and several districts in Bihar including Darbhanga, Madhubani, Gaya," said Hussain.

Akhtarul Wasey, head of department of Islamic studies at Jamia Millia Islamia, said: "There is no concept of instant divorce in Islam and giving it through digital means has no validity.

Any divorce should only be allowed through Darul Quaza (Islamic court) or shariat panchayat, and there should be a witness from both the bride's and groom's sides. Divorce in absentia of either husband or wife does not hold any authenticity."

All India Muslim Women Personal Law Board (AIMWPLB) president Shaista Amber said: "Giving divorce through modern gadgets like phone, SMS or email is purely illogical and invalid."

"This kind of pronouncement of talaq does not hold any authenticity," Amber told IANS.

"The Quran has specifically laid down norms for 'nikah' (marriage) and 'talaq'. In both cases, witness from both sides is a must. Then how can one ascertain the presence of a witness when technologies like SMS, phones or emails are being used," she said.

"Such technologies can be misused, manipulated and doctored. Hence the Quran has never validated divorce or marriage through digital means," she added.

"It is very sad to see people misusing and misinterpreting Islamic laws. We need to educate the Muslim community more about the sanctity of marriage as an institution," Syed Junaid, a journalist who has studied Islamic history, told IANS.

The model nikahnama (marriage contract) released by AIMWPLB clearly rejects any divorce through SMS, email, phone or video conferencing or divorce done on provocation or by husband pronouncing talaq in an inebriated condition.

Third Front will ruin prospects of BJP and Congress: D Raja

Nakshab Khan and Pranshu Negi

New Delhi, March 15: "BJP and Congress are not born to rule this country and both the parties do not represent India in totality", said CPI national secretary D Raja while speaking to IANS over the prospects of third front.

"There are new social classes and forces that are emerging which are not represented by BJP and Congress. We are confident that Third Front will ruin prospects of both BJP and Congress. And that's whyboth BJP and Congress are jittery. Third Front is a better choice for the people of this country", he added.

D Raja accused both parties (BJP and Congress) of deviating from their basic values. "Both the parties are in total crisis and it's not only political or ideological, it's also a moral crisis. Congress claims to be an 'aam aadmi' govt but it has nothing to do with the 'aam aadmi'. It has failed to address the issues of livelihood of the common man. On the other hand BJP is a communal party which thinks that it can make electoral gains by dividing people on basis of religion."

He also criticized Congress-led UPA government for signing nuclear deal with United States and moving India closer to US administration. "Nuclear cooperation between US and India is more than building strategic partnership. The deal has increasingly threatened the sovereignty of India", he told IANS.

He further elaborated on the effects of economic slowdown that Indo-US nuclear deal is going to face in future, and wondered as to how the US is going to invest in nuclear business when the whole nation is currently in the throes of grave financial crisis.

"The whole US is in financial crisis and I don't see the possibility of US investing in nuclear business," he said.

Talking about the first commercial pact signed with French company Areva to build atomic power plants in India, D Raja argued that how it would be possible for France or other nation to build such reactors when the recession has affected the West in a severe manner.

When asked whether CPI would join hands with Congress after general elections to fend off BJP from coming to power, Raja cleverly steered clear of this issue by saying, "Let the election be over". However, he didn't deny the possibility of joining hands with the Congress in wake of hung Parliament to restrain BJP from gaining power.

When asked about CPI's stance on Samajwadi Party after the latter chose to go with nuclear deal overlooking the former, Raja clearly said, "We have no common ground with Samajwadi Party. During Presidential election, SP went with BJP to elect APJ Abdul Kalam while during the trust vote on N-deal they voted in favour of Congress-led UPA government.

However, he approved BSP's ideology and politics describing it as a fight against social oppression.

When asked that CPI is against BJP for its alleged communal politics then why it has no problem in joining hands with BSP- a party based on caste politics, he said, "BSP is not a castiest party. Mayawati (BSP president) does not represent a caste but the deprived sections of the society."

"Do you think if somebody speaks for 'Dalits', it is casteism", Raja questioned.

"Politically, UP CM Mayawati is closer to us since she is fighting both the Congress and BJP, which I think is a positive sign," he added.

Reacting over the Sri Lankan Tamil issue, D Raja who himself is a Tamil and a Rajya Sabha MP from Tamil Nadu, accused the Indian government of supplying arms to Sri Lankan forces for fighting LTTE. "Indian government has no clear policy over the Tamil issue," he said.

However, he expressed his concerns over the issue. "We are very much concerned on this, and have formed a movement called 'Sri Lankan Tamil Protection Movement' along with other political groups in Tamil Nadu."

Kalyan Singh may derail ties with Samajwadi Party: Congress

Nakshab Khan

New Delhi, Jan 31: The Congress is all set for a tie-up with the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh, but it will "take appropriate action" if the latter admits to its fold former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kalyan Singh who presided over the razing of the Babri mosque.

This is the view of Congress leader Shakeel Ahmad, who is also minister of state for home affairs.

Speaking to IANS, Ahmad rejected Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav's comments that Kalyan Singh was not to blame for the Babri mosque demolition, which took place when the then BJP leader was Uttar Pradesh chief minister.

If Kalyan Singh contests or officially joins the Samajwadi Party, the Congress "will take appropriate action", Ahmad said.

"Kalyan is responsible for the Babri demolition and we still believe that the central (security) forces sent to Ayodhya (in December 1992) were not utilised effectively by the state government," he said.

"Till now Kalyan has not joined the Samajwadi Party. But if he joins it officially or contests election on the Samajwadi Party ticket, we will talk to Samajwadi Party leaders about it."

But he said the Congress had no problem with Kalyan Singh's son joining the Samajwadi Party.

Citing the Scindia family, where the political loyalties of the mother and son were divided between the BJP and the Congress, Ahmad said that "communal and secular beings could co-exist in a family".

At the same time, the Congress spokesman said that his party was confident of the Samajwadi Party putting up a good showing in the upcoming parliamentary elections in Uttar Pradesh.

Ahmad was asked if the Congress would ditch the Samajwadi Party in case the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati bagged more seats in Uttar Pradesh.

"The Samajwadi Party is our ally and will do well in Uttar Pradesh," he said. But he quickly added that the Congress would also emerge as a strong force in the state that accounts for 80 Lok Sabha seats.

"It's time for all secular forces to unite against communal politics. The Samajwadi-Congress alliance will help both the parties."

Ahmad said the move by Hindi film star Sanjay Dutt, brother of Congress MP Priya Dutt, to join the Samajwadi Party and contest from Lucknow was an "individual decision".

He denied Sanjay Dutt's allegations that the Congress did not help him during his bad times -- when he was in prison.

"When Sanjay was in jail, his father was with the Congress. Sunil Dutt knew more about what was happening outside. I feel it could be Sanjay's misconception that the Congress disappointed him," said Ahmad.

With Lok Sabha elections only months away, Ahmad said none of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) partners could bid for the post of prime minister in the coalition.

As the largest party in the alliance, the Congress "will occupy the top post", he said.

Would the Congress change its allies post-election like it did this time in Jammu and Kashmir, ditching the People's Democratic Party (PDP) and embracing the National Conference.

Ahmad said the situation in Jammu and Kashmir was different.

"There the PDP betrayed us. The proposal for land transfer to the Amarnath Shrine Board was approved with the consent of senior PDP leaders. But when protests started against it, instead of taking collective responsibility, the PDP created an issue out of it and led to the fall of (Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi) Azad's government," he explained.

What about the DMK's reported threat to quit the Congress-led UPA over Sri Lankan Tamils?

Ahmad said the Congress-led Indian government was "deeply concerned" about the safety of civilians, especially Tamils. "That is very much evident with the visit of (External Affairs Minister) Pranab Mukherjee to Sri Lanka."

He rejected reports that the DMK was sympathetic to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

"LTTE is a banned terrorist organisation and its chief (Velupillai) Prabhakaran is an accused in the assassination of our leader (and former prime minister) Rajiv Gandhi," he added.

Is bigamy in Islam a tool in hands of opportunists?

By Nakshab Khan
IS IT really so simple and easy to embrace Islam and marry a second time without divorcing one’s first wife?
The question has raised a fresh storm in the wake of former Haryana deputy CM Chander Mohan converting to Islam and tying nuptial knot in succession with the existence of legal sanctity of his first marriage.
Chand Mohammad or Chander Mohan as he was known earlier claims to be attracted towards Islam since childhood and has not adopted it only for the sake of his new bride Fiza alias Anuradha Bali before converting to Islam.
The former deputy CMs second marriage after conversion to Islam has raised eyebrows of many calling their marriage null and void in the light of the Hindu marriage Act 1955 and making them liable to offence under section 494 of IPC for indulging in bigamy.
The trend was also allegedly seen repeated in case of Bollywood actor and Lok Sabha MP Dharmendra purportedly embracing Islam and marrying "Dream Girl" and Rajya Sabha MP Hema Malini even while he had a living spouse from whom no valid divorce has taken place.
Noted Islamic scholar Moulana Wahiduddin Khan says Islam permits one marriage at a time but it depends upon the prevailing circumstances in the society like the increase in the number of women among other things that may allow a person to have a second wife.
"Bigamy in Islam is allowed in only exceptional cases where a wife is suffering from incurable diseases or in a condition when the said wife is not able to produce a child, in that situation only a man can look for a second spouse," says Moulana Mohammed Rafiq, head priest Jama Masjid, Okhla. He also said that the will of the first wife is also binding for a man looking to marry a second time. He further adds that "Islam allows Muslims to have four wives at a time provided that absolute justice is done to all of them".
He also disapproved of the current phenomenon of people converting to Islam and marrying a second time to escape the law. "People embracing Islam and marrying a second time during subsistence of their previous marriage have nothing to do with principals and real teachings of Islam. Such people are mocking Islam and adopting such tactics only to escape from the jaws of the law and indulge in sexual extravaganza". Islam, which is a pious, progressive and a respectful religion with a rational outlook cannot be given such a narrow concept, asserts Rafiq.
However, social activist, Shabnam Hashmi, differs and says that there is nothing like people are abusing bigamy in Islam as a tool for second wife. "Bigamy is already a part of our society and thousands of cases of bigamy can be found which are not reported and the case of Haryana’s ex-deputy CM Chander Mohan is highlighted only because of his high status in society.
Chander Mohan lost his high profile job and family after he and Bali embraced Islam and got married secretly in UPs Meerut City last month.
Section 494 of IPC punishes bigamy and lays down that a person who marries while having a husband or wife living is punishable with seven years.
The Supreme Court in the Sarla Mudgal case in 1995 had ruled, "that the second marriage of a Hindu husband after conversion to Islam, without having his first marriage dissolved under law would be invalid. The second marriage would be void in terms of the provisions of section 494 IPC and the apostate husband would be guilty of offence under section 494."