It felt like someone had stuffed burning tyres, a hundred unstubbed cigarettes and the contents of an open drain into my nose and down my throat. I thought I was going to die. It was early November. I remember waking up gagging like the rest of Delhi and parts of the National Capital Region. The stench was so foul that I could not only smell but taste it.I made the mistake of stepping out onto my balcony to get some fresh air but instead I inhaled toxic fumes. Within seconds the incessant coughing began, my eyes watered and a shooting headache gripped me.One didn’t even need to switch on the news to confirm what I instinctively knew: Delhi had turned into a gas chamber - with poisonous gases 70 times the permissible limit! And I was in the heart of it.While the better off amongst us followed doctors’ orders to stay indoors, wear masks and buy expensive indoor air purifiers, millions of others suffered a more miserable fate. I’m referring to the underprivileged, the homeless who can’t afford these luxuries, people who need to be on the move for work and infants, children and the elderly whose immune systems are weaker. #RightToBreatheMasks and purifiers are jugaad (quick-fixes). They don’t solve the problem. They delay doom. What we need are sustainable, long-term solutions. Our government - the people we elected to protect our well-being are the ones who - should be finding a way out. And fast. But instead what we saw playing out in the news was a blame game. One state blaming another. “Stop your farmers from burning rubble”. “No, you people need to curb vehicular pollution.” “Go regulate construction dust first”.Frankly, I don’t care who did what and why. Neither do the majority of citizens in North India who are suffering this blanket killer smog year after year. The time for finger-pointing is now long gone. It’s time for the 5 states most affected by toxic air in North India to work together like the 5 fingers on our hands. They are Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.This issue should be topmost for the leadership of all NCR states.Because toxic air harms everyone. It doesn’t distinguish between the lungs of ministers and common citizens, Punjabi farmers or Delhi car owners.I’ve started my petition asking the top political parties to  “Create a 5-state policy to tackle air pollution in NCR”  This, in addition to whatever emergency measures need to be taken to tackle the ongoing situation.Clean air matters much more to us citizens than votes do to politicians. So I hope the 5 states rise above the petty politics and work in sync.Sign and share my petition if you believe you have a right to clean air today. #MyRightToBreatheImage courtesy: https://epic.uchicago.in/

A person whom I used to call Bhaiyya (brother) out of respect, forced himself on me. I was 16 years old. He had offered to walk me home late one evening after Navratri celebrations. I was grateful as I was scared to walk alone in the dark.But what happened next is something I haven’t been able to forget all these years. The way he grabbed me. The way I struggled and luckily managed to escape. Even after so many years, I still remember every detail of that horrifying night. I went into a shell after that, blamed myself and stopped going out after dark. I can only imagine what young survivors and innocent children go through after sexual assault. Many of them go into depression, some also experience PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). Trust me when I say it is very difficult for children to lead a normal life after facing sexual assault. One way to give them back their right to a happy, trauma-free life is to put the culprit behind bars. Repeated court appearances make survivors relive the trauma. And this often stops survivors and their families from seeking justice. I don’t want any child to go through the trauma I did.  I’ve started this campaign asking all political parties to commit to setting up more fast-track courts to ensure swift justice in cases registered under the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act. Sign and share my petition Ironically this pro-children act was framed in 2012 to ensure speedy trial and swift justice to children but data suggests that in reality these cases go on for years. Maharashtra has 17,300 cases pending trial; UP has 15,900 and Madhya Pradesh 10,950. Kerala, Odisha, Karnataka, Rajasthan, West Bengal and Gujarat have cases ranging between 3,500 to 5,000 pending. Even our Supreme Court agrees that children should get speedy justice. Because justice delayed is justice denied! Sign and share my petition. Raise our collective voice for voiceless children so that our lawmakers hear our call for #SwiftJusticeForKidsClick here if you want to sign my petition in Hindi #SheVotes2019

When a soldier lays down his life, he does so for the nation. No matter which state he belongs to.  Then why is their sacrifice being measured differently?Different state governments have conferred different compensation packages on the Pulwama martyrs families.The 44 soldiers who died in the call of duty hailed from 10 states. The monetary compensation packages announced by all these state governments varies from Rs 2 lakhs (Tripura), to Rs 50 lakhs (Maharashtra) to Rs 1 crore (Madhya Pradesh).It’s not just Pulwama. Data released by the Indian Army between 2005-2017 revealed that total 1,684 men lost their lives in ceasefire violations by Pakistan, anti-terrorist operations, counter insurgency and peacekeeping missions.But all of these men got different compensation packages by their states. This discrimination must stop. All soldiers deserve the same respect in life and in death.Sign my petition asking the Ministry of Defence to end the state-wise differential treatment for martyrs by passing an order standardising the minimum compensation amount that state governments give to the respective martyrs families.Although all of India is mourning these bravehearts, it is their families - their parents, wives, siblings and young children - after all whose lives have been torn apart. Nothing will console mothers who have lost their sons or siblings who are left with only photographs and memories.I can’t imagine how heartbreaking it must be to have to explain to the children of slain soldiers as to why Papa’s body was wrapped in a Tricolour. Who is going to tell them that he will never walk up to them to hug them, talk to them, and protect them from the outside world.Nothing will bring these brave souls back. The least we can do as citizens is ensure that we give each one’s family the same compensation, so that they may pick up the pieces and find the strength to cope with such a loss. This is best way we can honour our soldiers.Sign my petition because #AllMartyrsMatterhttps://www.indiatimes.com/news/india/here-s-what-the-different-state-governments-have-announced-to-help-the-families-of-crpf-martyrs-362299.html

Didi aapke paas pad hoga kya?” (Sister, do you have a pad?) “Mere paas to nahin hai, tumhen lekar chalna chahiye na!” (I don’t have it, you should carry it yourself!) “Lekar chalti hun par…” (I carry it but…) “Train me pad kahan milega tumhen! Ye tissue paper le lo.” (You won’t get pads on a train. Take these tissue papers.) I still remember that small conversation and that journey which to me felt like--was never going to end. I have never felt so helpless in my entire life. My periods started unexpectedly during a 14-hour long train journey. I was annoyed and completely distraught as I wasn’t carrying a pad with me. I didn’t want to stain my pants. There wasn’t any sanitary pad vending machine in the train either, that could rescue me in that dreadful situation. I somehow managed to stop the blood with my handkerchief and those few tissue papers. I spent the rest of my journey, sitting like a stone in the corner of the seat, praying that the terrifying journey ends soon. I wish our periods didn’t come uninvited and I am sure lakhs of women who are reading this are nodding their heads in agreement. Women can’t control their periods, but they can be prepared for it. Indian Railways can help millions of travelling women breathe a sigh of relief with just a few women-friendly measures I am asking Indian Railways to empower millions of women like me by taking the following measures. Sign my petition and join me in asking the current railway ministry or the upcoming one to: 1. Install Sanitary Pad vending machines in all trains.2. Provide women’s toilet in trains.3. Ensure that toilets on trains have proper pad disposal mechanism.4. Advertise about these facilities for awareness on menstrual hygiene. Imagine calling out for help without making a noise, without moving because that would draw attention. Isn’t this strange or rather sad that periods are still a taboo. A taboo that makes even full-grown adults shy away from even saying the word. It’s a no-brainer that, as a passenger, the situation becomes worse. We can not get down on any station to buy pad nor we are supplied with the sanitary napkin on the train itself. The condition of toilets on trains is another major problem that we women face. They are understandably inconvenient and unclean to use. A separate toilet for women traveler will give us a sense of comfort, privacy, and safety.  I know a lot of women would relate to my story but it’s time to not just relate but change these stories. It’s time to change the narrative on menstruation so that women don’t feel helpless but empowered. The 2019 elections are on our heads, almost all political parties will talk about women empowerment and the rights of women. And you know what will happen to this topic after elections.  Let’s join hands together so that women’s issues are given priority in the next election. It becomes a priority for the next government. I’ve started this petition because I feel that it’s the right of every Indian woman to have basic menstrual hygiene facilities on trains. Sign my petition if you want women to travel without fear of staining their clothes. The problem is that nobody even talks about these issues. The problem is that these things are not even considered an issue. But when you ask a woman if she wants these facilities on trains, she’ll respond in a loud voice-Yes! I don’t want any woman to go through the situation that I went through.  Sign and share my petition and ask the Indian railways and leader of all political parties to commit to this women-friendly cause for the well-being of millions of women travelling on trains. Join me in making getting #WomenFriendlyTrains Let's get #PadsOnRail Click here if you want to sign my petition in Hindi #SheVotes2019 Image for representation Image Credit: Mihaela Noroc

It seems like the popular 'Beti Padhao, Beti Bachao' slogan that we all love to chant doesn’t cover all the young girls that need it. There is a serious shortage of secondary (Class 9 and 10) and senior secondary schools (Class 11 and 12) for girls in India. Data shows that in 2015-16, for every 100 primary schools (Class 1 to 8) there are only 14 secondary and 6 senior secondary schools. This shortage of schools ruins the future of lakhs of girls in India. They are forced to dropout and become child brides or teenage mothers, with a host of health problems. As a self-confident, educated woman who got to go to college, I want to ensure that every girl in India has a school to go to. Sign my petition asking the Congress and the BJP to make this a priority in their 2019 election manifestos. #MoreSchoolsForGirls When we’re in a position to help someone less privileged than us, the first instinct for many of us is to ask two questions: If the person has children, and if those children go to school. Because we know that education is important. Especially to break cycles of poverty and disadvantage. The Right to Education (RTE) Act made it compulsory for children between the age of 6 and 14 to get free education. But after 14 years of age, which is usually class 8 or 9, the dropout rates begin to increase. Especially for girls. Aside from the lack of senior secondary and secondary schools, girls also dropout because schools don’t have separate toilets for boys and girls and by the age of 14, most of them hit puberty. Another reason for higher dropout rates of girls is safety. All of these issues can be addressed by more schools for girls! Sign my petition to make the political parties contesting in the 2019 General Elections commit in their manifestos to increasing the number of secondary and senior secondary schools for girls in the country. The RTE Act was a huge step forward in making sure girls got equal educational opportunities to boys. But when girls reach secondary education levels, the dropout rate of girls increases to about 30% and by class 11, it’s around 57%. The number of schools also reduce sharply beyond primary school. In 2015-16, for every 100 schools offering classes 1 to 7, only 14 offered secondary level classes 9 and 10 and - even less -  6 offered senior secondary level classes 11 and 12. When we understand how important education is, how can we stand by and watch the future women leaders of our country fall by the wayside because of inadequate schools? Sign my petition and together, we can convince our politicians that this is the time to prioritize the education of girls. In 2019, whoever comes to power, school-age girls must win! #SheVotes2019#MoreSchoolsForGirls

I am Vimlesh Kumari and I hold the post of Pradhan (the elected head) in my village. This is a matter of great pride not just for me but also for my family and the larger village community. That's because, I am one of the first Mahila Pradhan who is actively heading village affairs. Unlike my dear predecessors who were as capable as I but were unfortunately undermined and not allowed to do their job. We have all heard the popular saying that goes: behind every successful man is a woman. But in my case it is the other way around. My husband backs me one hundred percent but never interferes as I execute my role. This lets me be a truly hands-on leader. I preside over meetings and take decisions on important matters that affect the welfare of our village.  It is all because of the 73rd Amendment of our Constitution that women like me have found a place in village politics and governance. But sadly and shockingly, a vast majority of Women Pradhans have been left powerless by a shameful practice called “Pradhan Pati”. Simply put: Women Pradhans exist only on paper. Once elected, they are sidelined and left being a mute spectator by their husbands or male members of the family, who preside over meetings, take decisions, meet higher officials on her behalf. A recent field monitoring report by UNICEF highlights how grave the problem is. In its report of 10 districts in my state Uttar Pradesh, UNICEF found that 7 out of 10 Women Pradhans did not know about their constitutional rights. Only 2 women knew what their role and responsibilities as a Pradhan are. This means that in reality it is not 33%, as envisaged by our Constitution but barely 3% true representation for women in village politics. The picture is grim in Madhya Pradesh and other states in the Hindi belt as well. The fact that these “Pradhan Patis” operate openly and meet government officials, administrative staff and the police means that this practice is accepted and allowed by one and all. No wonder it is so rampant and continues to thrive. Various state governments have tried to tackle this practise but it hasn't yielded the expected result. The reason being that our bureaucracy has acceptance for "Pradhan Pati" system. As a Woman Pradhan, I will not stand by and allow our Constitution and all women to be disrespected. That is why I have started this campaign asking governments to: 1. Issue orders so that there is complete boycott of "Pradhan Pati" by bureaucracy.2. Stop addressing Mahila Pradhans' husband or family members as "Pradhan"3. Create awareness on this issue through advertisements in media. Sign and share my petition so that India’s women are empowered in the truest sense by making their participation in village politics a reality. Join hands with me so that we can wipe out the practice of “pradhan patis” once and for all. Image credit: GaonConnection. Click here if you want to sign my petition in Hindi.

I am a fitness freak yet my health is always at risk. The fact that I run marathons, practice yoga, exercise daily and count my calories doesn’t matter. Because like most people out there, I too am exposed to food poisoning, diseases, heart-attacks and even cancer for no fault of my own. The reason is food adulteration- one of the biggest problems in India and yet rarely discussed or debated. It should have been in national debates but it's sad that elected representatives, even us citizens have ignored the killers in our kitchens. I’ve started a campaign to make our political leadership take this issue seriously. Sign this petition to secure your right to safe food. There is a saying in Hindi, “Daal mein kuch kaala hai” (There is something suspicious going on). The truth is that there is literally nothing unadulterated around us anymore. Be it food grains, fruits, vegetables and cooking oil. Even the milk we give to our children is not safe anymore. These are not flimsy claims. Our very own Union Minister for Science and Technology Harsh Vardhan told the Lok Sabha in 2016 that 2 out of 3 Indians drink milk laced with detergent, caustic soda, urea and paint. 68.7% of milk and milk products sold in the country are not as per standards laid down by FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) The FSSAI plays a crucial role in protecting the health of ordinary citizens and takes action against food adulteration. But FSSAI itself faces a host of problems: from shortage of funds to lack of power. It has limited enforcement powers and needs more teeth. What we need is for all political parties is to treat food safety with the same importance as has been given to Swachh Bharat, Digital India and Make In India Sign my petition and join me in asking major political parties to commit to the following if they come to power in 2019: 1. Injecting chemicals into fruits, vegetables and adulterating milk to be made completely illegal.2. Directives for food vendors, food joints and restaurants on food adulteration.3. Equip FSSAI with modern technique, more labs with better food testing facilities.4. Increasing number of food inspector and analyst and filling the vacant posts.5. FSSAI’s guidelines and orders to be strictly implemented.6. Violators should be heavily penalized and repeat offenders’ license to be revoked. It’s time that our lawmakers across parties realise that they too are at risk of food adulteration. Every cup of milk tea they drink is probably already laced with toxins. 2018 saw a lot of policy-makers and influencers- posting messages, images and videos about their fitness on social media. It’s high time they make the issue of food adulteration go viral not just online but also in their election manifestos, rallies and eventually Parliament. Join me in this movement against adulterated food. Sign today for your right to #SafeFood Click here if you want to sign my petition in Hindi #SheVotes2019

We have only 11% women in India’s Parliament and 9% on average in state Assemblies. But women make up nearly 50% of India’s population. So who is representing our rights? If at least half of India’s MPs and MLAs were women, there would be more emphasis on issues that directly affect women and, by extension, the rest of society. These would include issues like public toilets, women’s safety, law and order, the plight of women farmers, working women and childcare, safe and comfortable public transport, better quality schools and public hospitals and much more. Currently, parties give only about 10-11% election tickets to women while men get around 90%! Because of this, women can’t even contest. This is despite the fact that over 10 lakh women have won elections and governed at the Panchayat and Corporation level. This has to change. Sign my petition to get India’s top political parties to commit to ensuring 50% of the candidates running on their party tickets in the 2019 General Elections are women. With mostly male leaders, women hesitate to report their problems or their problems aren’t taken seriously enough. Thanks to this, issues relevant to 50% of the population are ignored. India needs more women leaders. India needs to give #PoliticalPowerToWomen. Leaders of all India’s political parties talk about women's empowerment. But all the talk is hollow unless there is women-led governance. In the 2014 general elections, only 8% of the total tickets distributed went to women candidates. In the 2018 state elections across MP, Chattisgarh, Rajasthan, Telangana and Mizoram, less than 10% tickets went to women. Some argue that women have lower capacity than men to win elections. But 9 of the 12 women fielded by the BJP in 2017 won. That’s a 75% success rate. The success rate for male candidates, in fact, was around 50% in 2017. Others argue that women don’t want to contest elections. In 2014, 167 of 507 women who stood for elections contested as independents. Women clearly want to contest but are discriminated against when party tickets are distributed. Sign my petition and let’s make sure that women get an equal chance at being our elected representatives in the 2019 General Elections. Facebook: bit.ly/shakti-india  Twitter: @politicalshakti #PoliticalPowerToWomen#SheVotes2019#WeWill#PoliticalWill

#JusticeForSreejith A brother’s quest for justice Sreejith's brother Sreejeev died in May 2014 at Parassala Police station in Thiruvananthapuram. Sreejeev was taken into custody by the Parasala police on May 19, 2014, allegedly for stealing a mobile phone. Sreejeev was later shifted to the Medical College Hospital citing ingestion of poison The police had informed Sreejith that his brother committed suicide while in custody. Sreejeev maintains a fake case had been registered against his brother following his relationship with a girl in their neighbourhood. The girl was a relative of one of the policemen. Later, a report by the State Police Complaints Authority found out that Sreejeev died of injuries and sought action against the policemen at Parassala station. Sreejith started the agitation when he sensed not much was being done to punish the perpetrators and justice is being denied.Sreejith began his protest demanding action against said policemen in May 2015. He then switched to a hunger strike in January 30 the following year. So far, Sreejith has been on hunger strike for 760 days. He survives by only imbibing water. Join this petition to ensure that *The case must be enquired in fast track manner. * Sreejith should get justice. It won't be delayed. * Deserving punishment for the culprits. *He should get enough Media coverage.   If all of us come together, we can ensure that JUSTICE WON'T BE DENIED OR DELAYED

Sarita was fighting hard in the consumer court for the delay in possession of her flat in-spite of payment of timely installments. Rajesh is fighting in the Consumer Court against a popular mobile phone company for a defective handset while Malini is still fighting a medical negligence case which almost crippled her only child. Like Malini, Rajesh, Sarita there are hundreds of others who are still waiting for justice from Consumer Courts as Justice Delayed is Justice Denied. Every year such cases are filed in Consumer Courts but the progress is delayed and therefore the result is rendered meaningless. Many of us are not even aware that we as consumers are protected under the Consumer Protection Act, 1986. In total, there are approximately 4.5 lakhs cases pending in Consumer Courts. There are many petty consumer cases against PSUs, Railways and other government departments which can be disposed off quickly. What is Consumer Protection Act, 1986? A high number of consumers remain unaware of their rights. This Consumer Law is therefore important as it enforces rights of consumers, and provides for redressal of complaints. You can complaint against unfair trade practises which include providing misleading information regarding the quality or quantity of a good or service, and misleading advertisements.  But this Act needs changes. On December 20, 2018, The Consumer Protection Bill, 2018 with some significant amendments was passed in the Lok Sabha. However, the Bill lapsed in the Rajya Sabha awaiting passage when the Parliament was adjourned sine die on Wednesday, 13th February, 2019. Since this Bill had been introduced in Lok Sabha which had completed its term, the Bill in Rajya Sabha lapsed upon dissolution of Lok Sabha as per parliamentary procedure. Why is the Bill so important? There are some gaps in the existing Act like no provision for mediation and out of court settlement inordinate delay, lengthy process of appeal, several adjournments due to unavailability of quorams etc.  These are the biggest reasons why several aggrieved consumers refrain themselves from filing consumer complaints. For example, if the disputed amount of the consumer is Rs. 10,000/-and his case goes beyond 6 months, no consumer would want to pursue the case as it will defeat the entire purpose of achieving justice. This Bill introduced various positive changes, which included (i) Setting up of a Central Consumer protection Authority, (ii) Setting up of Mediation Centres in Consumer Courts, (iii) Widening the jurisdiction of Consumer Courts (iv) Unfair Terms of Contract, (v) Jail for false and misleading ads, sale of spurious products and adulterated food, (vi) Product Liability. This Bill is important to be passed as it will curb these issues and more consumers will be open to approach the consumer courts. Let's join hands and sign the petition to benefit all the consumers. Let's save our hard earned money ,time and efforts.#Consumer complaint Sign this petition asking the Congress President Rahul Gandhi and leaders of all National Political Parties and their candidates to pass the much needed bill, THE CONSUMER PROTECTION BILL, 2018 in the new Lok Sabha after election. #consumer court