Name Pratibha Naitthani | ||
Born January 10
Mumbai, India ( 10-01-00 ) | ||
Pratiba Naitthani is an Indian professor and activist. She is known for opposing vulgarity and violence on Indian televisions.
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Early life
Born in Mumbai, her family hails from Pauri Garhwal, Uttarakhand, Pratiba Natthani is based in Mumbai. She currently teaches Political Science at St. Xavier's College, Mumbai. Her father Professor Dr. S. S. Naitthani was the pioneer of Hindi department in Bombay University and St Xavier's College. She is best known for her Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed in the Bombay High Court (PIL no 1232) in 2004 against the broadcast of all Adult films and programmes on different television channels. Due to her efforts, even the international channels had to adhere to the programming code of India. The Bombay High Court passed various orders in her PIL compelling the private channels to follow the Indian laws.
Career
Pratiba Naitthani is a professor and Head of Department of Political Science in St. Xavier College, Mumbai Besides teaching in college, she has been taking up issues related to welfare of women, children and tribals. In Mumbai she is a member of voluntary organisation Reconstructive Surgery Foundation, which offer free plastic and reconstructive surgery, primarily to children and people from economically underprivileged section of our society, who have suffered burn injuries or any other physical deformity since birth or due to accidents etc. At present she is involved in the project - Save the face, started by Padmashree Dr A K Gupta, to help the victims of acid attacks. The project is part of the social service offered by the Reconstructive Surgery Foundation. Over the years several patients, mainly women came to the foundation for treatment for severe burns by acid attacks. As the number of such patients grew, Dr Gupta decided to take this issue up at a larger scale. Ms Naitthani has been helping him in the project, which not only offers help to the victims but is also demanding the rehabilitation of the victims, free medical help and severe punishment to the perpetrators of such crimes. So far the duo have succeeded in getting the punishment for the acid attacker increased from earlier punishment of 7 years of imprisonment up to 10 years, which could be extended up to life term. Besides the victim is entitled to Rs. 5-10 lakh compensation to be paid by the culprit. However Ms Naitthani and Dr Gupta have been asking for a plan of rehabilitation of the victims, and have made several suggestions to reduce the acid attacks, such as: Acid sale should be regulated and availability of acid should be restricted, the victims should get job reservation as disables (For this purpose they are suggesting that facial deformity should be included in the list of physical disability, thus enabling the victims to get job reservations), free medical treatment for the victims, (because the victims need 30-50 surgeries, which is very expensive), stringent and faster punishment to the attacker etc.
She has been instrumental in taking up issues of advertisements which might prove fatal if copied by children, and also issues of indecent representation of women in the media.
She is also part of the struggle of tribals in Uttarakhand fighting for their traditional rights violated by the conservation policies of the state govt.
She is a Rajasthani folk singer and has album to her credit. She has been to 16 countries in the world as a cultural representative being a member of Rajasthani Ghoomar group for India. Along with the group she conducts workshops to promote Rajasthani songs, dance and culture. Ms Naitthani has been the only non Rajasthani singer who had the honour of singing and recording the state song of Udaipur royal family- "Mharo veer Shiromani Des".
Awards and honors
Ms Naitthani fond of travelling and trekking. In the year 2000 she was among the first 7 women who went for the Nanda Devi Raj Jat, a pilgrimage of Nandadevi [Parvati] in Uttarakhand held once in 13 to 16 years. Since centuries women were not allowed to go for this pilgrimage which is 280 km long, going up to the altitude of 17.500 feet above sea level to be completed on foot in 22 days. When the pilgrimage began obviously she had to face resistance as women were never allowed to go for it. But without fighting she convinced the authorities to give her a fair chance and not to be biased as she is a woman. With her determination and efforts she has paved the way for future generation women to go for the pilgrimage.
She has been on trekking trips and has been to various remote areas of Uttarakhand, Everest Base Camp etc. She is among the few women who have done the route from Dehradoon to Leh Laddakh on Motorcycle.
She was among the 29 women selected by India Today in 2005 as Power Goddesses of India. Besides many awards for her contribution in the field of social service and media issues she has been awarded the prestigious Pannadhai Awadrd by Maharana Mewar Foundation, Udaipur for going beyond the call of duty for social service.
She has also been felicitated by the Mayor of Mumbai on International Women’s Day in 2007 as the Outstanding Women of Mumbai city.