Communal Riots in India Essay

Communal riots have become a distinct feature of communalism in India. Whenever conflicting groups from two different religions, which are self –conscious communities, clash, it results in a communal riot. An event is identified as a communal riot if (a) there is violence, and (b) two or more communally identified groups confront each other or members of the other group at some point during the violence.1 The reason for such a clash could be superficial and trivial, though underlying them are deeper considerations of political representation, control of and access to resources and power. There have been many incidents of riots recorded during the course of British rule and even before that. For example: In Ahmedabad there were riots in 1714, 1715, 1716 and 1750. But according to Bipan Chandra, in his book â€Å"Communalism in Modern India†, communal tension and riots began to occur only in the last quarter of the 19th century, but they did not occur in India on any sign ificant scale till 1946-472. Before that, the maximum communal rioting took place during 1923-26. A clear relationship between communal riots and politics was established for the first time in 1946, when the Muslim League gave its direct action call on August 16, 1946. 3 This chronology reveals that communal riots are not caused spontaneously and also that they are rarely caused by religious animosity. They arise due to conflicting political interests, which are often linked to economic interests. There is a significant change in the pattern of communal riots since the 1990s, which could be noticed in the later part of this chronology. This brings forth the shifts that have occurred in the nature of communal riots in India. Moreover, the aim is to underline that religion in most of the cases is not the reason why communal riots occur. The reason for the occurrence of communal violence has been different in the two different phases. During the time of partition, it was the clash of political interests of the elite of two different communities which resulted in communal riots.4 But, from the 1960s till the late 1980s, the local political and economic factors played a very important role in instigating riots. The emergence of Hindutva politics in the last two decades has been a cause of communal riots in this phase where the local factors have also helped in instigating riots. Communa l riots that took place from the 1960s to the 1980s follow a particular pattern. Read more: Essay About Crime Rate in India They have mostly occurred in urban towns which are either industrial belts or trading centers with the economy largely based on a particular occupation. Most of these places had a considerable percentage of Muslim population whose political or economic interests clashed with those of the Ashtosh Varshney, Ethnic Violence and Civic Life, (New Haven : Yale University Press, 2002), p.309 2 Bipan Chandra, Communalism in Modern India, (New Delhi: Vikas Publishing Home, 1984), Pp 4 3 Ibid, 6 4 Asghar Ali Engineer, â€Å"Gujarat Riots in the Light of the History of Communal Violence,† Economic and Political Weekly, December 14, 2002, pp. 5047-5054 -11 Hindus. Moreover, the major riots occurred when the Congress was in power in these states or during the short and uncertain phase of the Janata Party coalition rule at the Centre. Riots in this phase might have occurred in the villages or rural areas like the Biharsharif riots, but they have often remained unreported. Therefore it is important to distinguish this phase from the 1990s during which the BJP and its sister organizations have been active in instigating communal riots. Communal violence since 1990s needs to be seen in the light of the changing political equations in the country. The decline of the Congress and the emergence of the BJP as a strong political force resulted in shifting patterns of communal riots. Communal violence in the last two decades is a result of the manipulation of the religious sentiments of people by the Hindu right-wing organizations for political gains. The politicization of the Mandir-Masjid issue and the subsequent demolition of the Mosque gave t he BJP the opportunity to consolidate its vote bank. But in the process the controversy created a communal divide, and frequency of riots also increased during this time. Since partition, never before has one particular incident resulted in the emergence of violence in almost all the states. From the 1960s till 1980 local factors played a very important role in the emergence of riots, but since the late 1980s this trend seems to be changing. Communal violence has always occurred when the BJP has wanted to expand its base. In the recent years the South Indian states, particularly Kerala and Tamilnadu, have also witnessed communal violence and are slowly growing into communally sensitive areas. This is primarily because of the recent entrance of BJP in the political arena of these states. Apart from Godhra, the other incidences of communal violence in the 90s have been minor, yet they cannot be dismissed. These eruptions of communal violence have not been spontaneous, but are organized, and often have the support of the local administrations. The state support to riots is a long established feature in India, yet the state has never been such an active participant in the violence before the Gujarat riots. Communal violence has entered a new phase with the Christians and members of other minority religions being made the victims of planned attacks. Communal riots in this decade have been both urban and rural features, but the extent of damage is always greater in the thriving centers of trade and commerce. Tribal population in the rural areas is being forced to get involved in the attacks on Christians and Muslims by bringing them within the Hindutva framework. Apart from economic reasons, the call for Hindu unity which is primarily a means to achieve political advantage is the main source for communal violence in this decade. Godhra was indeed the first major communal riot that got suc h a wide media coverage particularly from the satellite channels. Therefore the media now needs to be more responsible, considering the influence that it can have over the masses. It is time that the media stopped any kind of biased reporting as it can further encourage the communal elements to instigate the masses. Political parties have always had a hand in instigating and exploiting communal violence so as to meet their electoral interests. Though communal riots are condemned in various quarters, there is still complete inaction both from the administration and the ruling governments in many states. Though religious festivals and processions are generally the starting points of communal riots, still sufficient security is not provided during these times. There is also not much response against incidents of communal violence from the civil society. Till the time the political parties which instigate communal riots are voted to power, the incentives to combat communalism will not b e able to develop fully. Year Location Communities/Organizati ons involved/Reasons Hindus, Muslims Hindus, Muslims Casualties Dead 5000 5000 Injured 25000 3000 Inquiry Commission Result Remarks 1947 MarchAugust, 1947 Calcutta and Naokhali, Bengal Lahore and Amritsar, Punjab Kota Kota Jabalpur elopement of a Hindu girl with a Muslim boy, son of a local bidi magnate was the immediate cause; rivalry between Hindus and Muslims in the bidi industry business rivalry between the Hindus and the Muslims, particularly in the liquor trade in Rourkela Justice Shiv Dayal Srivastava Committee intelligence department was inefficient, the law and order authorities responsible for laxity in investigation and prosecution, resulting in large acquittals The riots in Bihar also led to largescale devastation of human lives and properties. Punjab was the worst effected during the Partition riots. It was the key to the issue of partition and thus to the constitutional fate of India. In Lahore and Amritsar armed mobs murdered the people and burnt their homes situation brought under control quickly situation brought under control quickly A new phase began with the Jabalpur riots when local factors started playing an important role in instigating violence. Rourkela, Calcutta, Jamshedpur 2000, mostly Muslims reaction to the atrocities committed against Hindus in East Pakistan. communal elements were given a free hand by the administration Year Location Communities/Organizati ons involved/Reasons started due to brick batting of a students’ procession urging that Urdu be made the second official language of Bihar Casualties Dead 19 Hindus, 164 Muslims Injured Inquiry Commission Raghubir Dayal Commission Result Remarks August 1967 Hatia, Ranchi feelings were agitated on hearing rumors about what happened in Ranchi. The commission was critical about the inadequate measures adopted by the district authority in Hatia; DM and SP new and inexperienced; political parties and labour unions criticized It was around 1964-65 that communal disturbances began to occur in Aurangabad. The Jamait-e-Islami did not have any active branches till about 1964. The Jan Sangh in the fourth general elections found the first opportunity to approach the masses on a purely communal platform since opposing Congress candidate in Aurangabad was a Muslim. Majority of the Hindu population of Karimganj was engaged in trade and business, the bulk of them were also involved in smuggling. The Hindus of the region resented the fact that Muslim smugglers had an edge over them, due to their relations with the Muslim population in Pakistan. Aurangabad accidental injury to a cow by a Muslim boy while he was trying to chase it away from his shop. Loot and arson by RSSJan Sangh and Congress workers. Retaliation by Muslims a cow belonging to a Muslim trespassed into a Hindu house. When a Hindu boy tried to chase the cow away, a few Muslims beat him up 41 Hindua, 41 Muslims one incident of stabbing a Hindu March 1968 Karimganj, Assam   Year Location Communities/Organizati ons involved/Reasons Communal riots between Hindus and Muslims occurred near the Jagannath Temple in September. The riots spread to 25 more localities, in which around 512 persons lost their lives. It is alleged that handbills calling for a religious war were distributed to the rioters by the Jan Sangh and the RSS. Casualties Dead 512 Injured Inquiry Commission Justice P.Jaganmoha n Reddy Result Remarks Ahmadabad the havoc was caused by rumors, patrikas writings on blackboards and provocative newspaper reports; recommended that the special branch of the Gujarat police needed to be reorganized. Bhiwandi, Maharashtra Jalgaon, Maharashtra Hindus traced the disturbances to the molestation of a married Hindu woman by some Muslim youth.. May 1970 17 Hindus, 59 Muslims 1 Hindu, 42 Muslims D. P. Madan Commission of Inquiry D. P. Madan Commission of Inquiry the MTM and Rashtriya Utsav Mandal shared joint responsibility for the riots report held that there was no such incident. The Commission said that police officials with the help of some Hindus invented the story at a much later stage. The Congress was not far behind in spreading communal feelings. Most Congressmen participated directly or indirectly in the riots and called the Muslims anti-national. The Hindu Dharma Rakshak Samiti was formed at this time. Its members were largely middle class Hindus. Ahmedabad’s textile industry, which provided largescale employment opportunities for Hindus and Muslims, was facing a crisis, and there was strong rivalry between the Hindu and Muslim workers in this industry. The relief work that followed the riots was not efficient and the general attitude towards the riot victims was unsympathetic. 1,286 Muslims and 323 Hindus were arrested after the riot The day the riots occurred, 8th May, all the senior officers were out of town. Another immediate reason for the riot was a quarrel that took place at a pan shop at Rath Chowk between a Muslim and some Hindus. Year Location Communities/Organizations involved/Reasons riots broke out after the announcement of the Bhiwandi riots over All India Radio. in Nonari, the riots began on 15 November after Muslims murdered a Harijan leader; a crowd of 10,000 attacked Muslim houses and shops and started looting and arson. In Sajni on 12 December, a crowd of 5000 started looting and arson after a few Muslim boys tried to molest a Hindu Brahmin girl of another village. A Hindu boy, who was beaten up by the Muslims, saved the girl; rumor was spread the that the Hindu girl was raped riots started when students from the Anglo-Bengali College and young men from the adjoining locality of Muslim weavers clashed over the question of whether the spreading of yarn by weaver boys on a part of a playground was restricting the space available for students to play Casualties Dead Injured 9 Hindus, 6 Muslims Inquiry Commission D. P. Madan Commission of Inquiry Result Remarks May 1970 Mahad, Maharashtra criticized the political parties for exploiting communal feelings. in Nonari, 107 houses of Muslims were looted and 76 were set on fire November 1972 Nonari and Sajni, Uttar Pradesh October 1977 Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh   Muslims were stabbed after being dragged out of a cinema hall and several injured The police instigated the riots by going to the Muslim locality and beating up the weavers. This led to a worsening of the situation and further clashes taking place. In another incident the police did not make proper arrangements when a Hindu procession was crossing a Muslim locality. The police, instead of firing at the miscreants in the stabbing incident, started firing on the Muslims. Year Location Communities/Organizati ons involved/Reasons Casualties Dead 23 Hindus, 2 Muslims Injured Inquiry Commission Result Remarks March 1978 Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh a big trading centre for smugglers and bootleggers. There was trade rivalry between the Hindus and the Muslims who wanted to dispossess the Hindus of their property. Commerce in Aligarh revolves around the lock industry, which is owned by rich Muslims. But there is also the exploitation of the Muslim workers by these owners. Every time a riot occurs the lock owners come out as protectors of the Muslim workers and thereafter continue their exploitation of the workers. The Hindu traders, who are followers of the Jan Sangh, had control over the raw materials for the lock industry. The Hindu traders also benefited from the riots as they got possession of a little more territory by occupying the land of the victims, which they generally leave due to fear. 19 264 were arrested; Chenna Reddy, the then Chief Minster of the state, started addressing Ganesh processions, after this incident for political gains. October 1978 Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh immediate reason for this particular riot was the murder of a Hindu. A procession was led demanding the punishment of the murderer but violence erupted when the procession was crossing the Muslim populated area. During the riots the ruling party office bearers used strong-arm methods to secure the release of some antisocials arrested by the police as a preventive measure. a particular group started throwing stones on a Ganesh procession consisting of 2000 people. September 1978 Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh Year Location Communities/Organizati ons involved/Reasons a joint Ramnavmi procession passed through an area which had a significant population of both Muslims and adivasis. The local MLA played an active role in provoking the riots. Casualties Dead 120 killed, more than half were Muslims Injured Inquiry Commission Jitendra Narain Commission of Inquiry Result Remarks April 1979 Jamshedpur, Bihar concluded that the RSS, with its extensive organization in Jamshedpur and close links with the BJP and the BMS, had a hand in creating a climate propitious for the outbreak of these disturbances. It further said that not a single Hindu was killed by the Bihar Military Police in 22 hours of firing resorted to by the police for quelling the riots. The population of Moradabad is evenly distributed between Hindus and Muslims. The town’s brassware industry is the main source of its income. Most of the artisans in the industry are Muslims, but the traders and exporters of the finished products are Hindus. There has been a long standing rivalry between the Muslims in this area and the Valmikis, traditionally sweepers. Constant clashes occur between them over land, and the straying of pigs into the Muslim locality. riots in Moradabad was followed by Biharsharif, Merrut, Baroda, Bhiwandi, Pune and Sholapur. The PAC played a communal role, and in one particular incident 15 Muslims were killed by the PAC. August 1980 Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh Id-prayers were disrupted 1500 to and scores of people, 2000 including many young children, died in a stampede at the Idgah. The riot occurred on this particular occasion when a police constable on duty refused to chase a pig when asked by Muslims in the Idgah. A number of Harijan slums and Muslim refugee camps were attacked.   Year Location Communities/Organizati ons involved/Reasons a quarrel in a toddy shop owned by a Harijan. The trouble erupted in the Gagandiwan village having a majority Muslim population. There was also traditional rivalry between the Hindus and Muslims over a piece of land which both claimed as their own. dispute over a Shiv temple and a Mazaar in two adjoining buildings in the highly sensitive Shahghasa area Casualties Dead around 80 Injured Inquiry Commission Balasubraman ian Commission set up by the Bihar Government Result Remarks April 1981 Biharsharif, Bihar failure of the intelligence machinery and the District Administration misleading the higher authorities by not providing a correct assessment. The police did not take effective action to control the clash, which ended in rioting. The spread of false rumors affected the other villages in Biharsharif. The hold of the RSS and the Jammat-e-Islami in these areas further increased the violence September 1982 In the elections that took place before the riots, a Muslim MLA was elected, displacing the BJP candidate. Soon after, the riots broke out over a trivial issue. Outside forces, which included the Shahi Imam of Delhi’s Jama Masjid and some BJP leaders joined the fray. The worst sufferers of the riots were the Ansaris, Muslim weavers. Year Location Communities/Organizati ons involved/Reasons communal clashes occurred when the Dussera and Muharram coincided. The liquor traders from both communities looted and clashed with each other. The news of the transfer of the Hindu Police Commissioner due to pressure from the Muslim community spread like wild fire, and led to a worsening of the situation. The Hindu leaders used the opportunity to criticize the Islamic Muslims for opening an Islamic study centre in Baroda. 19 riots occurred in the city in a short span of 10 months. riots were sparked off by group rivalry between the Congress (I) MLA of Malur and the exCongress (I) MLA Casualties Dead 17 Injured 50 Inquiry Commission Result Remarks December 1982 Baroda, Gujarat After the 1969 communal riots, Baroda had witnessed a deliberate boycott of Muslim shops and establishments, which led to deterioration in the economic condition of the Muslims. There was also a rise of Islamic Fundamentalism and communal activities of the RSS and BJP. The illicit liquor trade was flourishing at that time in Baroda with a large number of shops selling local brands. Both Hindus and Muslims owned these shops. The constant competition among these shop owners often aggravated the situation. May 1983 Malur, Karnataka Three months before the riots a Harijan women was raped by three Muslim youths and it was the communal, rather than the criminal aspect of the problem, that received much importance. Soon, another incident of molestation of a Hindu girl by a Muslim boy took place. The RSS took full advantage of the situation, and instigated some militant Hindus to take revenge. Soon after, trouble erupted leading to large-scale damage to Muslim property. Communal disturbances in Malur were unknown before the advent of the RSS. Year Location Communities/Organizati ons involved/Reasons The bursting of crackers before the Jama Masjid to celebrate the victory of the Indian Cricket team in the World Cup led to communal riots Casualties Dead Injured Inquiry Commission Result Remarks June 1983 Malegaon, Maharashtra October 1983 Hazaribagh, Bihar procession led by Hindus turned violent after Muslims stopped it near the Jama Masjid trade rivalry between the Hindus and the Muslims is marked. The Muslim loom-owners sold only to Muslims, which affected the profits of Hindu traders. Cow slaughter is a sensitive issue, and Malegaon is the only district where 36 butchers had been convicted and imprisoned for three months for violating the Cow Slaughter Act. The situation worsened after the then Chief Minister, A.R.Antulay, floated the idea of constructing a martyr’s memorial to honour those who had lost their lives in the freedom struggle. The Malegaon authorities came up with names, all of which were Muslims. The Hindus objected to this on the grounds that these people had been involved in destroying temples. This issue had been responsible for escalating the tension in 1982. There was an agitation by the Muslims at that time also for dropping a chapter from the standard VIII history textbook where it was stated that the Prophet Mohammad fled to Mecca caused by negligence by the local authorities; while local political leaders persuaded the members of both the communities to start the Moharram procession and the Chaitra Ramnavmi procession to spread communal harmony, the actual intention of these leaders was to gain political advantage out of the situation. The Police inspite of being well aware of the situation did not take effective measures Year Location Communities/ Organizations involved/Reasons desecration of a mosque, followed by the call for a bandh by MIM (Muslim Itthadul Muslimeen) party. Casualties Dead 45 Injured 150 Inquiry Commission Result Remarks September 1983 Hyderabad May 1984 Bhiwandi, Maharashtra A Shivaji Jayanti 146 procession led to large scale communal violence; the ban on the Shivaji Jayanti procession after the 1970 riots was resented by the Shiv Sena. 611 October 1984 Delhi anti-Sikh riots broke out in Delhi and most parts of North India after the assassination of the then prime Minister Mrs Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards 2733, mostly Sikhs Justice Jaggannath Misra Commission of Inquiry formed in 1985. In 1999, the Justice Nanavati Commission began its investigations. Jaggannath Misra Commission recommended that the Delhi administration investigate the conduct of the delinquent police The results of the Nanavati Inquiry Commission revealed that the police force played a vital role in instigating violence. The BJP, RSS, VHP and the MIM appeal to communal sentiments and raise communal tensions on the eve of elections and religious festivals. From 1979 to 1984 there have been constant communal clashes in the city. newspapers added further fuel to the communal violence by disclosing the identities of the victims. The Congress (I) and the TDP have formed electoral alliances with the MIM The Muslim population in Bhiwandi has increased considerably since 1970 and many of them set up their own powerloom industries, which was financed by Marwaris. Therefore, during the riots, the Marwari godowns were not destroyed in Muslim areas. The increase in the number of smugglers and underworld activities also led to communal tension. The number of Pakistani nationals staying illegally in the city was around one lakh according to the unofficial figures. The pattern of these riots showed that they were organized and planned against a particular community and the many senior Congress leaders were alleged to have participated in the anti-Sikh riots. The main accused in these riots were H.K.L.Bhagat, Sajjan Kumar and Jagdish Tytler. All these senior Congress leaders were exonerated till the CBI on July 11, 2003 filed an appeal against a lower court which acquitted Sajjan Kumar. Year Location Communities/Organizati ons involved/Reasons anti-reservation agitation Casualties Dead 300 Injured Inquiry Commission Result Remarks April 1985 Ahmedabad city court in April 1986 pronounced the death sentence on five Muslims charged with the killing of 8 persons during the riots. There is large-scale poverty among the Harijans and the Muslims who primarily live in the slums of Ahmedabad. Therefore the Muslims and Harijans did not respond to a bandh called to protest the reservation policy by the upper caste leaders. This eventually led to the burning down of their houses and destruction of their property. July 1986 Ahmedabad violence broke out during the historic Rath Yatra procession through the walled city areas. Disturbances started after the annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath was subjected to a heavy stone throwing barrage in the sensitive Dariapur and Kalupur localities   Year Location Communities/Organizati ons involved/Reasons Casualties Dead 6, 75 Injured 40 Inquiry Commission Minority Commission headed by Shri N.C.Saxena Result Remarks April, May 1987 Meerut blamed the police for its biased attitude in its report and stated that the Hindu communal groups aggravated the situation. October 1989 Indore riots started after a Ramshila procession was stopped. After the Ramshila procession, a Muslim local leader with political ambitions took out a rally on the occasion of Milad-un Nabi, the Prophet’s day. The procession was passing through the streets of Indore when two explosions took place leading to confusion and then the riots broke out. 7 Hindus, 20 Muslims The PAC had killed a number of young men and thrown their bodies into a canal during these riots. The media however played a positive role in uncovering the communal role played by the PAC in killing innocent people. In April 1995 that the Mulayam Singh Government announced that the 19 guilty policemen would be prosecuted. The lower-middle class, the middle strata of the population had participated in large numbers in these riots, while large section of the Harijans attacked localities inhabited by the Muslims. In some areas the rioting was between the Harijans and Muslims. The mere presence of the PAC in Muslim majority mohallas created a feeling of insecurity among the Muslims, while Hindus wanted the deployment of PAC in their localities. There was a wave of communal violence that took place in Kota, Badaun, Bhagalpur, Ratlam, Mhow, Khargone, Khambat, Palanpur and several other places. result of communal politics played by the BJP, VHP and the RSS, and it is interesting that the v iolence occurred in Congress run states. The violence in Indore and other areas were the result of political rather than religious overtones. It was soon after this wave of violence started that elections were announced. Local factors also played a significant role in the emergence of violence. Muslims form 10% of the total population of Indore and are largely backward, both economically and socially, but the important fact is that the Hindus and the Muslims have different political loyalties which encouraged the BJP and the Congress leaders to exploit the situation to their benefit. Several Muslim families suffered from police excesses. Year Location Communities/Organizati ons involved/Reasons riots broke out on the occasion of Anant Chaturdashi when Hindus took out a procession. The procession was marked by the participation of a number of Akhadas which were a part of the VHP, RSS and the Shiv Sena. Despite warnings the administration did not make proper arrangements at the time of the procession. riots occurred during the Ram Navami procession Casualties Dead Injured Inquiry Commission Result Remarks September 1989 Kota, Rajasthan The Muslims in Kota are poor, except for the Bohra Muslims who are a business community. But a large number of Muslims from this area went to the Middle-East and became prosperous. Therefore the dependency relation between the Muslims and the Hindus was disrupted. Moreover, with the coming of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions, controlled by the CPI (M), there have been more strikes and militant trade union actions. Thus, the relations between the Hindus and the Muslims ceased to be cordial from the late 70s itself. The Muslims suffered the most in the riots and among them the Dawoodi Bohras were the worst victimized. 4 Hindus, 13 Muslims. Bhadrak had a population of 70,000 Muslims at the time of the riots and two Muslim Congress leaders were popular in that area. The economy of Bhadrak was under the control of Marwaris and Oriya Hindus. But economically there was no competition between the Hindus and the Muslims. The Marwaris employ some Muslims and there is a long standing dispute between the employers and the workers on the revision of pay scales. During these riots the Muslims looted the Marwari shops and burnt them. The Muslims who had earlier voted for the Congress in the 80s switched their loyalties to the Janata Dal. The BJP was also trying at this time to get a strong hold in Orissa. Therefore it decided to take out Ram Navami processions in many places in the state. They took out a procession at Bhadrak too and surprisingly the police allowed it to pass through a Muslim locality. March 1989 Bhadrak, Orissa The mobilization campaign for Kar Sevaks to construct the proposed Ram Janma Bhoomi Temple at Ayodhya on 30th October 1990 aggravated the communal atmosphere in the country. Communal riots occurred in the wake of L.K.Advani’s Rath Yatra wherever it went.. These riots were led by RSS-BJP men to consolidate the‘Hindu’ vote bank. They were widespread over almost all the states from Assam to West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, Maharashtra and D elhi. Year Location Communities/Organizati ons involved/Reasons nearly 1400 communal incidents 120 riots Casualties Dead 224 38 Injured 775 170 Rioting, arson and looting was witnessed in Vyara and Bulsar towns of South Gujarat. The violence continued in Ahmedabad, Bapunagar, Baroda and Ankleshwar. 200 persons belonging to the minority community were detained under TADA, but among these there were no charges could be established against 178, nor any explosives or weapons recovered. 144 Inquiry Commission Result Remarks April to December 1990 January and April 1991 October 1990 Gujarat Gujarat Ahmedabad violence began soon after 41 the Rath Yatra was started from Somnath Rajasthan October 1990 October 1990 Jaipur Jodhpur, Rajasthan hate campaign organized 52 by the BJP since the Rath Yatra started from Somnath VHP, BJP and Bajrang 20 Dal called for a Jodhpur bandh to protest the arrest of L.K.Advani 100+ Uttar Pradesh >From the morning of the bandh, BJP leaders including MLAs terrorized a section of the people by using physical force and provocative slogans, which resulted in communal violence. The administration shielded the miscreants but adopted antiMuslim postures. Curfew was imposed in 49 districts Year Location Communities/Organizati ons involved/Reasons after the BJP chief started the Rath Yatra Casualties Dead 33 Injured Inquiry Commission Result Remarks October, 1990 Lucknow November 1990 Agra April-May 1990 Kanpur situation in the city was tense due to the Rath Yatra by L.K.Advani. The incident that led to riots was the stabbing of a scooter rider. 20 to 22 similar incidents occurred during the same time at different places. The city was a victim of communal riots thrice within a year. 31 mostly Muslims army had to be deployed. But despite its presence it became difficult to bring the situation under control and the riots became a regular feature for the next two months. The VHP leaders in the town were engaged in instigating communal sentiments. The city remained disturbed for nearly two months, despite the curfew imposed. 669 arrested. Communal violence resulted from a clash between mafia dons to establish a foothold in politics by communalizing incidents that resulted in violence. The city was tensed during this time due to the Rath Yatra organized by the BJP, RSS and VHP. Therefore communal riots could break out with slight provocation. But the riots that broke out in May were organized and planned. It started with the aggressive BJP stormtroopers taking out procession in Muslim dominated Lakkarmandi area and hurling abuses at the community. This was a followed by retaliation from few Muslims and four persons got killed. The next day disturbances began again due to a BJP meeting which was right in front of a thickly populated Muslim area. This led to communal riots and the police had no control over the mob. Year Location Communities/Organizati ons involved/Reasons began in Chandni Chowk area when L.K. Advani’s Rath Yatra was passing through Casualties Dead 100+ Injured Inquiry Commission Result Remarks October 1990 Delhi October 1990 Hailakandi, Assam October 1990 Beawar, Maharashtra Hindus demanded a government plot for the construction of a Kali Temple which for a very long time was commonly owned by all the communities and used for all public functions. The District Magistrate, Halakandi at that time was a Muslim and the BJP exploited this factor to its own benefit. VHP and BJP gave a call for Baewar bandh to protest against the arrest of L.K.Advani 30 to 40 people who were participants of the rally attacked the Deputy Imam of the Fatehpuri Masjid. As soon as the news of the attack on the Imam spread to the other parts riots broke out in Lal Kuan and Jama Masjid Chowk Communal tension began to rise as soon as VHP, RSS and BJP organized pujas to purify the bricks for Shilayas at Ayodhya. The continuous migration of people from Bangladesh also instigates violence between the two communities In an effort to close Jai Mandir Cinema hall, a skirmish erupted between students and its employees. The RSS and BJP gave this small incident a communal angle. The administration formed peace committees to maintain communal harmony. The peace committees had representatives of various political parties and religious organization. These were the very people who instigated communal violence. Year Location Communities/Organizati ons involved/Reasons RamjanmabhoomiMasjid controversy Casualties Dead Hindus, 896 Muslims Injured Inquiry Commission Result Remarks October 1989-90 Bhagalpur, Bihar Bhagalpur Communal Riots Inquiry Commission submitted its report after six years but the members was not unanimous in their findings of the riot. While two members of the commission blamed the BJP-VHP and the Muslim fundamentalists for the riots, the Chairman Commission held the Congress responsible. October 1990 November 1990 Patna Indore, Madhya Pradesh Rath Yatra organized by the BJP 18-100+ 7 Hindus, 6 Muslims 150 demand to set up an Inquiry Commission was rejected by the Chief Minister center for crime, and the politicization of crime. There are a large number of Muslims in and around Bhagalpur. Many Muslims are either weavers or in the powerloom business. Some Muslims are well-todo businessmen or property owners. The intelligence sources and the people were well aware of the likelihood of riots breaking out, but did not stop the Rath Yatra procession and allowed it to pass through a Muslim dominated area. There is intense rivalry between two factions of the Congress here, which is reflected through gang wars even before the riots. Gang rivalries emerged during the dispute between the Hindus and the Muslims in the celebration of their festivals. The Superintendent of Police played a blatant partisan role during the riots. Along with Bhagalpur city around 206 villages were affected. 3000 powerlooms were looted and burnt. 1100 Hindus and 900 Muslims arrested 7 houses and 5 shops burnt and 8 Mosques damaged; large scale damage to property. riots here continued for 5 d ays in which a Mosque was destroyed and a Temple desecrated. Year Location Communities/Organizati ons involved/Reasons Casualties Dead 60 Injured Inquiry Commission Interim Report an organization called the CFD 350 Result Remarks December 1990 Hassan, Mandya, Madikeri and Mysore, Karnataka Hyderabad Hyderabad the arrest of the BJP chief, L.K.Advani, in Bihar a fight between two gangs of land grabbers belonging to different communities; stabbing of a hawker boy blamed a local organization, the Hindu Yuva Sakti for the events leading to the riots After S.Banagarappa took over the Chief Ministership from Veerendra Patil, he formed a state level committee for bringing communal harmony BJP and RSS exploiting the Rath Yatra, Kar Seva and Ram Temple to ignite communal passions. The MIM too joined the fray. It was assumed that the killer must be Muslim, and soon 150 persons allegedly belonging to the Congress went on a stabbing spree. In this incident 20 Muslims were killed. The Majlis retaliated by killing migrant construction workers and each time a construction worker was killed, the BJP went on a procession with the body. This instigated further violence and the riots lasted for 10 days, The riots stopped after the resignation of the Chief Minister Chenna Reddy. a result of aggressive electioneering by the BJP; since the atmosphere was already tense this small incident was only an excuse to start the riots. The city once again witnessed communal frenzy on the occasion of Muharram. The frequent riots in the city are a result of communal politics. Moreover, the city is very congested with Hindus and the Muslims living almost in segregation. There is a high rate of unemployment, poverty and lack of education, which exacerbates the riots. October 1990 December 1990 April-July 1991 Baroda a boy was hit by an auto rickshaw   Location Communities/Organizati ons involved/Reasons Rioting began on Election Day when the Hindus allegedly prevented the Muslims from voting; In November the riots began with the Kali religious procession organized by Nav Sangh Club. Its members were divided into two groups, one of which was led by the BJP-VHP-RSS. When the procession entered a Muslim locality, slogans were shouted, and crackers were burst. Rumors spread that the idol was broken by the Muslims. Casualties Dead 50+ Injured Inquiry Commission Result Remarks MayNovember 1991 Benaras, UP In Benaras, a large number of Muslims are weavers and they suffered the most during the riots. The rioters were led by the PAC. Most of the Muslims are weavers though some have turned entrepreneurs and are prosperous. The present phase of riots in Benaras is also a result of the growing competition between the prosperous Muslim entrepreneurs and traditional Hindu traders. The police force in Benaras after the Ram Janmabhoomi episode was highly communalized. Between 1967 and 1991 Benaras witnessed 12 communal riots. In November 1991, Instead of the antisocial elements it was the police that looted and terrorized the Muslims. Communal riots erupted on the Election Day, because the BJP was upset that it would to lose the Meerut city seat. The Janata Dal candidate received the Muslim and Dalit votes while the BJP got the Hindu votes. There was thus a complete polarization of votes. The violence soon spread to 13 more villages in the area. May 1991 Baroda, UP 4 Hindus, 24 Muslims October 1992 Sitamarhi, Bihar a religious procession taken out by one community was stopped by another community Riots after the demolition of Babri Masjid Year Location Communities/Organizati ons involved/Reasons A bandh was called by a Muslim organization which did not have much of a following among the Muslims. The bandh was followed by the damaging of a dyeing mill and soon the situation deteriorated into a riot. Casualties Dead Less than 200, 95% Muslim Injured Surat has a considerable population of Muslims who are mainly into the trading business, and have a close business relationship with the Hindu traders which was the reason attributed for communal harmony in Surat. The unemployment level in the city was also low. But, from the late 80s, there was growing incidents of crime as migrant workers who are not rooted in its culture have settled in the city. The hate campaign by the RSS-BJP combine also added fuel to the situation. The Babri Masjid Action Committee and other Muslim leaders also played with the emotions of the Muslims. The atmosphere in Surat was tense and the Babri Masjid in cident provided the opportunity for organizations to start the riots. The manner in which large scale looting and burnings took place revealed that the riots were pre-planned. Inquiry Commission Result Remarks December 1992 Surat Year Location Communities/Organizati ons involved/Reasons the repeated showing of the debris of the Babri Masjid by BBC instigated more violence; a Muslim mob attacked a temple which added to the fury 1993 – the Shiv Sena seemed to have been preparing for these riots Casualties Dead 400+ and 600+ mostly due to police firing and mostly Muslims Injured Inquiry Commission Justice Srikrishna Commission Result Remarks December 1992, January 1993 Bombay blamed the Shiv Sena chief, Bal Thakeray and Sena activists for the riots. It blamed them for their ‘political role’ in fomenting communal frenzy and organizing attacks on Muslims. On the role of the Congress government in the State, the Commission observed that inefficient political leadership, vacillation for political reasons and conflicting orders issued to the Commissioner of Police resulted in a dilemma to shoot or not to shoot. 30,000 Muslims were displaced. On 9th December mobs of Hindu men entered Muslim homes, ransacked their belongings, often killing a family member. The main victims during these riots were the poor Muslims and also the middle-class Muslims of BHEL township of Bhopal. The state government was not able to provide the adequate security to the people and the police also played a vital role in aggravating the situation. December 1992 Bhopal 143, majority Muslims Year Location Communities/Organizati ons involved/Reasons A blast in the Hindu Munnani office in Madras Casualties Dead 4 Injured Inquiry CommissionResult Remarks March 1995 Madras April, 1995 Chitradurga, Karnataka Kerala April 1995 a quarrel between two groups of bus agents belonging to two different communities Riots broke out between Christians and Muslims. visit by members of the National Minorities Commission The bomb was planted by a Muslim youth who was also responsible for planting a bomb in the RSS office in August 1993 when 13 people were killed. The Munani was targeted because of a provocative speech delivered by its State President, Rama Gopalan. There was a powerful blast in Rameshwaram where a BJP activist was also stabbed to death; over the years, there has been an increase in the activities of the RSS-VHP. The Muslim population in the state is quite prosperous as compared to Muslims in other states but again with an increase in the flow of Middle East money there has also been an increase in the Muslim fundamentalist activities in many parts of the state. The state has become communally sensitive after the BJP expanded its political base here. It did not have a past history of communal riots A place of worship was damaged in the riots and fishing equipment worth several lakhs destroyed The Muslims alleged that the police were a silent spectator. One of the Samajwadi Party leade rs alleged that the violence was designed to punish the SP workers by the Mayawati government. Though the village Rajputs supported defusing the conflict, the attitude of the village head was instrumental in instigating the violence. June 1995 Rankhandi, UP Hindus objected to the construction of a mosque. After the Mosque was finally constructed, a crowd collected and destroyed it 1 in police firing   Year Location Communities/Organizati ons involved/Reasons four Muslims were killed in a quarrel over a boundary wall Communal clashes occurred on the occasion of Ganapati procession Casualties Dead 5 Injured Inquiry Commission Result Remarks July 1995 Palmau, Bihar September 1995 Madras and Hyderabad 2 in Hyderaba d 100+ January 1998 Kanpur an attack on the Imam of a mosque; the protests following it turned to clashes between Hindus and Muslims February 1998 Ajmer, Rajasthan alleged to have been started by some communal element among the shopkeepers outside the Dargah of Ajmer Sharif local police in the State are highly communalized and the corrupt state of affairs further aids in the occurrence of communal violence In Madras stones were pelted on Muslims who were offering prayers in a Mosque. It was alleged that the Hindu Munnani leaders had a hand in the clash. The riots in Hyderabad were more serious due to a past history of communal riots in the state. The police claimed that the clashes were an outcome of the Lok Sabha elections which were to take place. Kanpur has also been communally volatile in the past and in the recent years, with the organization of rallies and processions by the BJP the number of such incidents has increased further. The city has a large population of Muslims and the riot was. There are shops owned by the majority community outside the Dargah but houses are of the minority community, and miscreants set these shops and houses alight. A memorandum presented to the Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral alleged that the police entered the Dargah with their shoes on and lathi charged the people offering prayers and also fired in the air. Year Location Communities/Organizati ons involved/Reasons riots followed the blasts that killed 60 people it was alleged that the blasts were organized by the al-Ummah and alJihad organizations, aided and abetted by the ISI Casualties Dead Injured Inquiry Commission P.R.Gokulakri shna Commission of Inquiry Result Remarks February 1998 Coimbatore a definite lapse on the part of the police personnel, deputed for surveillan e and checks, who ought to have discharged their duties more rigorously, vigilantly and intelligently. May 1998 Moradabad, University Press Rioting broke out after an acid bottle was thrown on the ‘taziah’ procession allegedly by BJP supporters riots started when a Muslim mob coming out of a Mosque near the Charminar in the old city went berserk and attacked shops in the area. The trouble began after the circulation of an anonymously produced pamphlet lampooning the religious sentiments of Muslims June 1998 Hyderabad The target of the attack was allegedly L.K.Advani who was to address an election meeting in the city. The police arrested some 500 people in connection with these blasts. Coimbatore had witnessed communal riots in 1997 as well and the Hindu Munnani activists were alleged to have played a key role in those riots. While L.K.Advani escaped the attack, BJP got a lot of sympathy votes. Coimbatore has also been a center of Muslim fundamentalist activities and the BJP has been trying to expand its political base in the city. Around 80 people were arrested including several political leaders who tried to visit the riot affected areas. The Moradabad riots took a serious turn mainly due to the alleged involvement of the political parties. the army was alerted and the Union Home Ministry was urged to send the Para-military force. There were different reasons given for the occurrence of the riots but all pointed the responsibility of the different political parties. An ex-mayor of the city who w as accused of distributing these pamphlets surrendered, and there were five more arrests made in this connection. Year Location Communities/Organizati ons involved/Reasons the VHP and Bajrang Dal activists terrorized the Muslim community over some Muslim boys marrying tribal girls Casualties Dead 2 Injured Inquiry Commission Result Remarks July 1998 Bardoli and Sanjeli, Gujarat October 1998 Nalanda and clashes erupted over the Mungher, Bihar issue of immersion of the Durga idol in the Katrapar locality in Nalanda Ahwa and the BJP and Bajrang Dal Dang districts, attacked Christian Gujarat churches Suratkul, Karnataka Manoharpur, Orissa an eve-teasing incident involving a Muslim boy and a Hindu girl Graham Staines, an Australian-born Christian Missionary was burnt alive along with his two children by VHP activists led by Dara Singh The VHP consider the tribals as Hindus and held ‘dharma sabhas’ in these villages. After every such event, Muslim shops were looted and burnt. The police was asked to stay away and threatened with being transferred. Marriages between Hindu girls and Muslim boys are opposed by these organizations and Christians too have come under attack in many parts of Gujarat. Some 200 copies of the Bible were burnt by the Sangh Parivar activists claiming that they were a means to convert the people. The leaders of various political parties tried to gain political mileage out of the incident. In Munger, 27 people including three policemen were injured. Though a peace committee was constituted by the state home minister, the committee members traded charges and Christians were even accused by the members of being ‘naxalites’. The riots continued in January the following year and were encouraged by the Hindu Jagran Vedike After the Babri Masjid attack when the VHP and Bajran g Dal could not attract the support of the masses, they started following a new strategy by attacking churches. December 1998 January 1999   CM JH.Patel ordered an inquiry The Wadhwa Commission concluded that Dara Singh was responsible for the killings, but did not see the hand of any other communal organization. Year Location Communities/Organizati ons involved/Reasons riots broke out after two people were killed on the occasion of Mahavir Jayanti and Idul Fitr. Riots broke out again in July after an Indo-Pak cricket match Casualties Dead 1 Injured Inquiry Commission Result Remarks January-July 1999 Ahmedabad July 1999 Harda, MP September 1999 December 1999 Surat Auranagabad December 2000 Kolhapur, Karnataka a communal mob confronted the police and the Deputy Superintendent of police was killed. violence broke out during the Ganapati festival a procession of Muslims and the Samajwadi party members to mark the seventh anniversary of the demolition of Babri Masjid was lathi- charged by the police riots broke out when some people of the minority community did not close their shops after a bandh was called by the Shiv Sena over the killing of an Army Jawan in a bomb explosion in Kashmir – 29 – In the second incident, there was an organized attempt to distribute crackers among the youngsters. The cricket match incident was followed by the Kargil war, when demonstrations were held against Pakistan in which both Hindus and Muslims participated. However, in many demonstrations objectionable slogans were raised. Curfew was clamped in the area and the violence continued for a couple of days. About 90 persons were arrested in this connection. 27 government ordered a judicial enquiry The riots were a result of a dispute over the route to be taken by the procession The Shiv Sena had flooded the whole area with saffron flags just before the riots. Several journalists were injured in the police lathicharge. The police had also permitted the Shiv Sena to organize a religious ceremony just before the riots broke out. The shops which did not close were stoned by a 10,000 strong crowd. a few injured Year Location Communities/Organizati ons involved/Reasons after the Jama Masjid was gutted due to a short circuit Casualties Dead Injured Inquiry Commission Result Remarks January 2001 Kishtwar, Jammu March 2001 March, 2001 Nalanda, Bihar Kanpur two groups clashed on the occasion of Holi in Shambhu village the protest march taken out by the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) over the burning of a copy of the Quran turned violent The state came under the spell of communal politics after the emergence of the Jamaat-i-Islami which began as a cultural organization. After it won 5 seats in the Assembly elections, it started showing its communal colors. There are many other communal organizations that have come up now in Kashmir and terrorist activities further encourage communal violence. Over the years the BJP has also gained some political mileage in the state. Superintendent of Police brought the situation under control The procession was fired upon by the PAC killing 12 persons, all young Muslim boys. The PAC was itself a party to the looting that followed. The SIMI has spread communal poison over the years and instigated the minds of Muslim youths through provocative posters. In spite of its controversial role the PAC is deployed as soon as a disturbance emerges. The procession was taken out to demand the arrest of people who were involved in the construction of a religious structure in a village near by. April 2001 Beawar, Rajasthan a VHP-BJP procession was stoned and miscreants threw bottles of acid on it Year Location Communities/Organizati ons involved/Reasons violence erupted after the murder of a youth belonging to the minority community following an incident of eve teasing Casualties Dead Injured Inquiry Commission ResultRemarks June 2001 Chamrajnagar, Mysore Jamner, Maharashtra June 2001 July 2001 Moradabad, UP a gang of miscreants attacked the houses of the minority community August 2001 August 2001 Amravani, Maharashtra Ahmedabad October 2001 Malegaon, Maharashtra Shiv Sainiks attacked Muslims who were taking their oxen for slaughter hawkers belonging to the minority community were beaten up in the Maninagar area. arrest of a Muslim youth distributing pamphlets outside a Mosque 2 1 in police firing 30 10, including 4 policemen several 12 persons were taken into custody after the riots. Arson and looting took place on a large scale but there was no loss of life. Many people came out into the streets carrying swords and began looting and burning property. The population of Muslims in this town happens to be quite substantial, whereas Sarpanch and the MLA both belonged to the BJP. Those involved in the looting and arson fled the town and were not arrested even several days after the incidents. no one was arrested. The police said that the motive behind the clashes could have been robbery. But, a deputation of the Jamait-ul-Ulema visited the village and refuted the police theory, because those killed were very poor and had hardly anything in their houses worth robbing. The police arrested 70 persons in this connection. Four Bajrang Dal activists were arrested for inciting violence. 13, including 3 in police firing Year Location Communities/Organizati ons involved/Reasons the burning at Godhra, of a coach of the Sabarmati express which was coming from Ayodhya, carrying kar sevaks Casualties Dead 2000+ Injured Inquiry Commission More than 30 reports have been prepared by various committees. On March 6, 2002, inquiry committee under Justice (Rtd.) KG Shah and Justice Nanavati established Result Remarks February, 2002 Ahmedabad, Gujarat Their common finding has been that it was a one-sided carnage and not a riot in the usual sense. The violence continued for about a month. The administration as well as the government did nothing to control the violence and right-wing organizations like the VHP and Bajrang Dal got full support in spreading violence. The Modi government benefited from all this as the BJP won the Assembly elections in December, 2002. February 2002 Kaithal, Haryana linked to the Gujarat violence March 2002 March 2002 Bhivani district, a mob of 300 persons Haryana were incited by rumors of cow slaughter Rajasthan violence occurred on the occasion of Muharram. The immediate reason for the violence was the organization of a yagna in a temple by the VHP, BJP and Bajrang Dal Mobs pulled down a Mosque and considerable damage was done to property. The police made feeble attempts to stop the mob, which later demolished the Macesoleum of Pir Nurani Badshah and extensively damaged three others. two mosques and 15 shops and houses belonging to the Muslims were attacked The population of the area comprises 25 percent Muslims and was once considered to be a stronghold of the SIMI. Year Location Communities/Organizati ons involved/Reasons riots began when some Muslim organizations led by the Muslim Vikas Parishad gave the call for a bandh to protest against a Christian Baptist priest in the US describing the Prophet as a terrorist Celebrations over India’s win against Pakistan in the World Cup turned violent Casualties Dead 9 Injured 115 Inquiry Commission Result Remarks October 2002 Sholapur, Maharashtra The protestors went in procession after prayers on Friday afternoon and threw stones at a Navratri pandal. The Hindus retaliated and riots broke out.. 500 arrested. March 2003 Gujarat 1 in Gujarat 9 several elsewhere several Similar incidents also took place in Vadodara, Gorakhpur, Gajrawadi, Kolkata and Bangalore Marad was a case of planned attack when some well armed men came and killed members of a particular community. May 2003 Marad, Kerala About the Author B Rajeshwari is a Research Scholar at the Center for Political Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. She is writing her MPhil dissertation titled â€Å"Power, Knowledge and Globalisation – A Case Study of TRIPS.† Her research interests include issues relating to Communal Violence, Governance and Development. Currently she is Research Assistant at the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies.

Marketing Paper Final Exam Essay

Final Paper Marketing encompasses the complex cycle of every stage of a product, from conception to the final sale and everything in between. Marketers are challenged with identifying the consumers needs/wants and managing the process to meet those needs. Every product a marketer develops goes through four stages in its life, The Product Life Cycle. Each stage of the product life cycle (Introduction, Growth, Maturity, and Decline) have unique characteristics that a marketer faces as they create utility and try to maintain or grow their market share. Through each stage advertising is critical and marketers try to inform, persuade and remind consumers about their product. The difference is the approach and focus of the advertising. Every product that comes to market enters into the Introduction Stage. This is the stage where consumers are first introduced to the product. â€Å"During the introductory stage of the product life cycle, a firm works to stimulate demand for the new market entry. † (Boone & Kurtz, 2006, p. 371) A marketer must connect with consumers to create a market for the new product. Every year hundreds of new products enter the introductory stage. Currently a product that is just beginning to take hold is high-definition televisions (HDTVs). HDTVs broadcast pictures with increased clarity and give the viewer (consumer) options on camera angles and additional information. Currently, â€Å"Yankee Group estimates that 15 percent of American households now own (a HDTV), with Forrester estimating 10 percent at most. † (Crawford, 2005) During the introductory stage, marketers are trying to introduce the product to consumers. One of the ways marketers succeed is in offering promotions or discounts to distributors to get the product in the marketplace. Most of the advertising focuses on informing the public about the new product. While information is key, advertisers also try to persuade consumers to purchase the product and often times remind consumers where they can find the product. The Introductory stage is where all products start. It is in this early stage that products are refined based on consumer and distribution feedback. Often times the numbers of marketers are minimal in the introductory stage as the market is being developed. As a product finds its market and begins to gain acceptance, it moves into the Growth Stage of the product life cycle. The growth stage is where a product sees its sales volumes increase dramatically. At this stage in the product’s life, â€Å"new customers make initial purchases and early buyers repurchase. † (Boone & Kurtz, 2006, p. 372) Early marketers find increased competition as their competitors enter the product space to share in the profits. Satellite television has entered into the growth market with the advent of the small dish. Early satellite television was mainly limited to rural areas that were inaccessible to cable television. The dishes were large and unattractive. As the technology has advances and the satellite dish has shrunk to less then twenty-four inches, consumers have rushed to the alternative to cable television. Satellite television marketers are continuing to refine their product in this growth stage. Recently, the top two providers of satellite television signed deals to provide affordable high-speed internet service. â€Å"For satellite-TV providers, the service is another way to offer a full line of products. † (AP, 2006) The growth stage is where marketers move from a heavy focus on information in advertising to a more persuasive approach. The persuasive approach allows the marketers to differentiate from competitors and encourage individuals to not be left behind. If the product space attracts multiple marketers, pricing, features and other differentiators are used in the advertising to help marketers gain or maintain market share. The Growth Stage of the product life cycle is complex and changing. Marketers rely on word-of-mouth, mass advertising and falling prices to sustain the momentum and interest in the product. The goal of the growth stage is to get reluctant buyers to buy and current customers to repurchase. As a product matures and growth stabilizes, the product moves in the Maturity Stage. Sales start to plateau and supply exceeds demand for the first time in the products life cycle. Competing marketers have flooded the field and profits begin to become depressed. All of these factors create pressure on marketers to continue their brands sustainability. Carbonated soft drinks are a very mature product. According to the American Beverage Association (ABA) the beginnings of the modern soda started in the 1830’s. (ABA, 2006) The ABA estimates that there are over 450 brands in the product space. The number of brands creates fierce competition for American’s 65 billion in annual purchases. Adverting in the mature stage of a product’s life is all about increasing purchases, differentiating your brand and finding new uses or markets for the product. In the soft drink space marketers try celebrity endorsements and product differentiation. 7-UP is â€Å"the un-cola†, trying to draw its distinction among more popular cola brands. Whatever approach the marketer takes in advertising, the goal is to extend the maturity stage and maintain profits for as long as possible. A product in the mature stage of the product life cycle does not indicate imminent demise. As illustrated above, soft drinks continue to command consumer’s dollars. Marketers will often look to new markets and changes in the product to extend the life of the product. One of the largest struggles for mature products is maintaining profits as competition drives down prices. As the product leaves maturity it enters the Decline Stage in the Product life cycle. A products decline is most often linked to new technologies. Marketers focus on reminding the remaining customers in the market that they are there for the consumer’s needs. Sales decline, profits decline and the product space eventually looses money. VCRs are a product on the decline in the United States. With the advance of DVDs and the reduction in price of DVRs, VCRs are loosing shelf space and market share. Marketers often times search for new markets as products decline in their existing markets. So while the United States and Europe may transition to a new technology, emerging economies may embrace the â€Å"older† and cheaper technology, thus extending the products life. Advertising a product in the stage of decline focuses on reminding the remaining consumer base the product still exists.

Quiz Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Quiz - Essay Example Which of the following actions can you ethically take? 13. Ojay Corp., A-C, Inc., and Kato Co. are competitors in the production and sale of knives. A year ago, the three firms agreed to share pricing information with each other on a periodic basis. As a result of this agreed sharing of information, the three companies regularly charge the same prices, including a minimum price that none of the three goes below and a maximum price that none of the three goes above. A fourth producer of knives is Bronco Co., the plaintiff in a Sherman Act section 1 lawsuit against Ojay, A-C, and Kato. Bronco claims in the lawsuit that the foregoing facts constituted price fixing and that Bronco suffered direct antitrust injury as a result. Assuming that Bronco is a proper plaintiff, which of the following is an accurate analysis under current antitrust law? B) If the court believes that the evidence demonstrates an agreement to fix prices, it will hold the defendants liable under section 1 without giving them the opportunity to make arguments concerning any allegedly sound business justifications for their agreement. D) If the court believes that the evidence demonstrates an agreement to fix prices, the defendants should succeed with an argument that they are not liable for any fixing of maximum prices, because any such price-fixing would have benefited consumers. 14. Mel is a securities broker who holds shares in Beanbag Inc. Mel does not disclose this to his customer Kim, whom he advises to buy Beanbag shares. Mel hopes that by not disclosing his conflict of interest, he will influence Kim to buy the shares. Kim, believing the information on Beanbag shares is given from Mels disinterested point of view, declares that buying Beanbag shares "sounds like an excellent idea" and purchases the shares. Which of the following statements is most

K-129 Submarine explosion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

K-129 Submarine explosion - Essay Example The intelligence and the senior executives of each country do not have trust on the military to settle the issue. For that reason, the issue of the Nuclear Missile Submarine is still shrouded in mystery and uncertainty on what transpired. Different theories to explain why the submarine sank no American or Russian fail to state that the explosion result from an attempted nuclear missile launch as the primary source of the submarine demise. For many years, there is a speculation that an exploding warhead leads to the catastrophe. In the 1960s, small groups of American and Russian military specialists secretly cooperate to prevent a likely nuclear war. Wagner believes that Americans drowned their submarine in 1968. The Soviets had a direct line into the United States Navy Atlantic Fleet submarine headquarters. In the early 50s, American navy began installing hydrophone cables on the ocean floor. The underwater microphones could pick up sounds transmitted back to shore and converted to visual display. The author finds that the low frequency sounds travel in great distances to pick up noise from underwater explosions. Military specialists identified the sounds and determined if the sub was a diesel or nuclear powered and where it likely belonged. The development of the technology helped the specialists to establish the territory of the K-129 as well as other subs. Sewell finds that an expert witness testifying on the occurrence cited that it was an explosion. United States knows the whereabouts of the submarine since they recorded the wreck and buried the military officers at sea. . United States classifies all the information concerning the wreck as secret. The court investigating the sinking proves that sounds picked from hydrophones compare to those of the sinking submarine. Several SOSUS arrays recorded sufficient triangulation to provide a locus on the possible wreck site. Soviets naval lack an equivalent of

Eminent Domain Law in California Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Eminent Domain Law in California - Case Study Example Supreme Court's finding in Kelo v. City of New London that the government may use eminent domain to "take" property from its owner for the purpose of transferring it to a private developer (California). However, as noted above, the issues brought into the voting arena were oversimplified by the media. Because of public concern about the possibility of rent control being phased out and the fact that both propositions were efforts to amend Article I, Section 19, of the California State Constitution, the California voters made the decision to reject the proposition that they thought might do them the most harm, namely Proposition 98. Instead of informed debate leading to eminent domain reforms, each political campaign waged in this battle focused on one issue only. Therefore, it is highly likely that further study of this issue will be necessary in an effort to determine what changes must be made to Article I, Section 19, of California's State Constitution so that the public will be pro perly served. The Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution applies to rights of persons and in terms of eminent domain states: ". . . nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation" (U.S., par. 1). This compensation clause contains the requirement that "the taking of private property be for a public use" (U.S., par. 4). ... The California State Constitution was ratified on November 13, 1849, just prior to California attaining statehood in 1850. Because of this, a new state constitution was established in 1879 (California). Over the years, there have been many amendments, which makes the California constitution one of the longest in the nation. For purposes of this paper, however, Article I, Section 19, will be discussed. Article I is based on the Fifth Amendment, and Section 19 focuses on eminent domain. Implications of Kelo v. City of New London The decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2005 opened discussion in California on how California law could be changed to further protect the rights of private homeowners and businesses while still using eminent domain for legitimate public purposes (Keene). Kelo found that a Connecticut redevelopment authority had the right to seize private property for hotels, shopping centers and other private developments, and it is well known that California real estate developers and hotel planners are always looking for a way to acquire land for private purposes. It was noted by the California Senate Local Government Committee that there was a similarity between eminent domain use in California and New London, Connecticut. Suggestions were made by the Committee as follows: Clarify definition of "public use." Tighten the "blight" definition in Statute. Remove or lengthen time limit to challenge a blight designation. Proposition 98 and Proposition 99 As a result of Kelo, two propositions were initiated and presented to the people of California for a vote. Neither of these propositions completely resolves the possibility that private property might be seized by the government for private purposes. There are

Global marketing and communication Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Global marketing and communication - Assignment Example So, it can be said that globalization complements the standardization of company’s products in various markets around the world, and as a result plays a major role in the influencing and changing the consumer behavior of the masses in various markets around the world. There are some widely popular examples that can be quoted to demonstrate the globalization strategy of companies when they focused on treating the world as a single entity. It has to be noted that different category of products like beverage drinks, electronic goods, music products, clothing accessories implement the strategy related to globalization. The popular sports brand Adidas implements the strategy of globalization for the purpose of communicating value to its customers around the world (Pride and Ferrell, 2010, p. 194). Another company that increasingly categorizes the world as a single entity for the purpose of marketing its standardized products is the globally reputed beverage brand Coke which caters to consumers around the globe, with its widely popular product range which are homogeneous in all markets around the world (Czinkota and Ronkainen, 2007, p. 313). Various companies that have the clothing based product offering like that of Levi Jeans etc, also focus on standardization of its products while offering it to consumers in various markets around the world. Localization Localization happens when companies of a particular country focus on the process of going for market development by entering in to new markets in the country (Hines, 2000, p. 27). Talking in these regards, it can be said that the companies while focusing on the designing of... As a matter of fact, it can be said that there is a great demand for various new as well as existing products and services in the marketplace. In an attempt to cater for this demand, various companies around the world are focusing on fulfilling this demand by entering into new markets or catering existing markets by offering new values based products and services. This paper discusses in details the multiple processes that companies implement for the process of value generation for a wide range of customers while maintaining their levels of profitability. Conclusion As of today’s date in an attempt to survive the cut throat competition in the marketplace, the companies around the world firmly believe, that the process of entering into new markets through the carefully designed strategic moves related to product development, market development, product penetration and diversification will help them achieve significant amount of business growth in the upcoming future. So, the companies are looking forward to implement the various methodologies like globalization, localization as well as glocalization. On a concluding note, it has to be stated that in this particular assignment, the global brand Apple is taken because of the brand’s significant amount of presence in various markets around the world. The other important factors behind the selection of this particular global brand are the process of high brand equity as well as high consumer demand around the world.

Management Consulting Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Management Consulting - Coursework Example Theoretically, one can understand the significance of Management Consulting only when they understand its definition at two levels. First is the basic level which looks into the broad 'functional view' of Management Consulting. According to Fritz Steele, Management Consulting is, "any form of providing help on the content, process or structure of a task or series of tasks, where the consultant is not actually responsible for doing the task itself but is helping those who are." Looking at this definition one might feel the importance of Management Consulting is over-hyped. However, it is the second definition which views Management Consulting as a "special professional service" that will help clear this misunderstanding. According to Larry Greiner and Robert Metzger, "management consulting is an advisory service contracted for and provided to organizations by specially trained and qualified persons who assist, in an objective and independent manner, the client organization to identify management problems, analyze such problems, recommended solutions to these problems, and help, when requested, in the implementation of solutions." This approach takes Management Consulting at a different level and calls it a 'professional service which can be carried out effectively only with the help of professionals.' Value addition is a profession in which there is tr... Hence in context of Management Consulting, value addition is carried out when knowledge is being transferred from the consultancy to their client. According to Peter Drucker, "what is unique to management is that from the very beginning the consultant played a key role in the development of the practice, the knowledge and the profession of management." In Management Consulting knowledge is not only being transferred in the form of facts and figures, but also as methods, practices and their application which eventually leads to achieving the consultancy's objectives. This transfer of knowledge which finally leads to value addition exists in two dimensions. First is the 'technical dimension' which deals with finding solutions to problems relating to the nature of management of the clients. Second is the 'human dimension' which deals with the interpersonal relation in the client organization and between the client and the consultancy. In legal terms however, the implication of 'creating value' is totally different and inextricably liked with the shareholders of the company. The fact that the shareholders invest their funds in the company and take unlimited risk in doing so, makes it necessary for the company to pay due considerations to the shareholders needs. Today, the process of creating value in a financial scenario is carried out as an 'operational activity' in 3 different ways. One of them is called 'Market Value Added' which describes value as the difference between the market value and the book value of the company's equity. Another view is the 'free cash flow' approach, which takes the view that value is related only when cash produced by a company's operations

Media Comparison Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Media Comparison Paper - Essay Example The E-business in its simplest form can be described as doing business in electronic form. Online presence is one predominant form of e-business. Today we are living in a society where the marketing techniques hold a great deal of importance. These techniques include marketing communication together with packaging of the product or service. Mass media plays a crucial role in propagating the message from the company to the existing as well as prospective customer. 'Mass media' a perfect combination of 'Mass' i.e. the public and 'media' i.e. the means of communication, is a deceptively simple yet broad term which encompasses Institutions as well as individuals. Electronic media, print media, internet, informal channels etc are all different forms of mass media. Now a days print media stands distinctly apart from other forms of media. While internet is able to provide us instant access to any information that we desire, print media has the potential of holding our attention provided the company is able to come out with a catchy advertisement. This forms the basis for further exploration. Dell seems to have mastered the art of co ming out with catchy ideas while propagating the message through print media. ... ell makes it a point that the advertisement appears distinctively graceful and full of information, sufficient enough for the prospective customer to do some initial research. In addition the company indicates its website address as well, with the information that the products can be customer built depending upon the requirements of the customers. This helps the company in making it a comprehensive marketing communication campaign. Dell.com: Where every day brings a New Deal The homepage of Dell is quite attractive as compared with the latest laptops inviting the visitor to at least have a look on the features. In the products category on the net, the company displays its entire range of products with options for the customer to go through all these products and zero-in on the desired one. Subsequently, the customer is taken on the desired product page, which displays; i. The price of the product ii. The tabs 'Build yours' and 'Build Yours with 64 bit power' for customization of the product1 Once the customer starts making his/her own product e.g. laptop computer with distinctive requirements, the costs of the product gets updated automatically. This feature is generally not found with other companies Once the prospective customer finalizes his/her requirements, the website asks the customer to fill out some of the personal details so that the company executive could get in touch with the person/s. This process hardly takes couple of minutes. Now, it is the turn of the company and its executives to get in touch with the online visitor and offer him/her the products at best possible prices. This is perfectly in line with the theories of communication which say that the visit must be followed up with matching offers to the customer. If the customer feels inclined

Explain the integers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Explain the integers - Essay Example All authors believe that teachers should use a variety of representations and even some relatively unconventional tools. Following is the explanation of various approaches towards teaching mathematics in schools. Mental mathematics, linking cubes, drawings, mental images, concrete materials, equations, base-ten blocks, computer programs can all be used with the goal of students to find the representations they personally can manipulate (physically and or mentally) with most ease and meaning. By choosing the representation that represents how they personally think, students can attach meaning to the situation and it becomes more accessible. Parents should also learn their childrens learning style even if it differs from their own. Parents are also encouraged to "pretend" they enjoy mathematics and can do them "as well and anybody" (Dedyna, 2002, Press). For Thompson, one of the simplest ways of teaching vocabulary is to explain the concepts first, and then attach the term to it. This strategy can be used in conjunction with etymologies (word origins) because when students know these roots, they can make connections between common English words with which they are familiar and mathematics terms. After the space race focus, researchers world wide have in the last twenty years taught us a lot about childrens understanding of numeracy and how they come to develop these ideas. Young-Love ridge (2002) drew attention to the fact that many of the understandings children had on entering school were not well matched to the curriculum and what they were taught. Baroody et al (2005) mentions the work of ten different researchers or research groups who assisted the understanding of childrens mathematical thinking in the last twenty years. Young-Love ridge (2005) acknowledged that teachers in Australia and United States that were given a framework, were better able facilitate their students learning. She valued the work of Fuson and Renick in the United

Seven Virtues Essay Example for Free

Seven Virtues Essay As long as there has been recognized sin in recorded history, there has been the virtuous equivalent by which good people live their lives. Before Christianity, there were the Pagan virtues, and when Christianity came into dominance in Scandinavia, it adopted these virtues and added several spiritual virtues of its own. Each virtue can be seen as a reflection of societal thought. The virtues tell how the ideal person lives their life, and this idea of the virtuous person is often reflected in literature. In fact, ever since the philosophical writings of Aristotle and the Greeks, there have been tales of characters who embody these virtues. The protagonist of Authun and the Bear exemplifies these seven virtues, and this technique can be seen in modern literature as well, particularly in the 1986 novel, Forrest Gump, by Winston Broom. The virtuous character used must be first defined as morally pure. This chastity sets about them an aura of childhood innocence in many representations. The seven heavenly virtues were first displayed in their current form in the epic poem, Psychomachia, around year 400 (Prudentius). They were the counterparts to the well-known seven deadly sins and chastity is perhaps the broadest of them all. It stresses the importance of honesty and purity of the soul in all walks of life. This was meant to be portrayed to society through the story of Authun and the Bear, as Authun lives a completely pure life in terms of morality. He is open and honest with all those he encounters throughout the story, even those who might otherwise be his enemies. When facing the rival king of Denmark, he maintains that he means to give his bear to Denmark’s king (Jones). By expressing this virtue in a traditional tale which was most likely passed on for years before being written down, it appealed to many people on a very personal scale. Authun may not have always lived the pure life he does in the current form because the story was written down after the shift away from shamanistic principles, when Christianity stressed the virtues. Ever since Christianity took hold as the dominant religion in Western society, there have been tales focusing on characters who represent the virtuous life. Forrest Gump is a modern example that distinctly outlines the idea of a pure character. He only has one love, is open and honest in all his dealings, and carries about a childhood innocence throughout the text. The effect of tales such as Authun and the Bear and Forrest Gump has made an undeniable mark on society; it has led to the reverence of a chaste life in all aspects of the word. In order to live a life of purity, one must also live by the virtue of temperance. Authun shows balance in many aspects of his life. Although he leaves on a journey for himself, he ensures that his mother is provided for before doing so (Jones). In Scandinavia, this can be seen as a shift away from the gluttonous pillaging of the Vikings. It was meant to impress upon the citizens that a life lived by moderation can be just as successful and fulfilling as an immoral life of greed. The vices were being brought to the light and this continued with many pieces of literature exposing them. Georg Stiernhielm, in Hercules, condemns gluttony through his personification of the vice in Ruus . This trend is prevalent all the way through to the 20th Century where in Broom contrasts the virtues Forrest with the greed of others in Forrest Gump. Forrest finds balance in his life by not overindulging in any one activity, but living a life of variety and virtue. _____________________ A clear offspring of the temperate life, is the participation in charity. For a society where it was once thought that the rich had the right to supplement themselves and let the poor remain poor, this was a monumental shift in social thought. This principle is displayed by Authun in his gift of the bear to the king of a foreign land, but more important is the reaction of the king. Kind Svein returns Authuns gift with marvelous treasure which Authun humbly accepts. The king also finds Authun a poor and sick man, but scorns those who scoff at him saying, â€Å"He has provided better for his soul than any of you† (Jones). With this new idea of Christian charity impregnated in traditional folk tales, Scandinavian society was able to move in a direction where assistance of the less fortunate was commended. This attribute of Authun and the Bear was especially standout for a time when kings meant to project images of power and might. Snorri Sturluson did not include the tale of Authun in his original book of King’s sagas, possibly meaning that the tale was created years later to suit Christian ideals. Either way, charity has been impressed on world culture as a virtuous characteristic, and has been noticeably prevalent in literature. While the virtuous character must be concerned with providing for others, he or she must also have intrinsic motivation to accomplish the tasks at hand. This is where the person of virtue must come to embody diligence. This virtue is set to combat the vice of sloth, which can be devastating to a productive society. By showing the success and happiness of a zealous man in Authun, the impression is that one can reach similar achievements by applying this motivation to their own life. This idea has been around many years as a necessary trait of citizens. In Plato’s Republic, the citizens are raised to work diligently at their tasks so that the entire city can prosper. Christianity saw the rewards of this work ethic and therefore preached that the virtuous life requires it. Forrest Gump continues this trend into the 20th Century by following the successful life of a man who excels at all tasks because of his persistence. Intelligence is not stressed in the virtues and neither Authun nor Forrest shows any signs of great intellect. Christianity did not need its followers to become extremely educated, because that was not deemed important for an ideal society. John Ruskin, a writer and critic of art, architecture and society in the 19th Century said, â€Å"Nearly all the evils in the Church have arisen from bishops desiring power more than light. They want authority, not outlook. † By teaching people to be diligent and hardworking rather than speculative and questioning, the Church gained power and authority through citizens who did not question its corruption at the time. Authun and the Bear was written prior to the Modern Breakthrough, where writers began questioning authority and tradition.

Preventing Harm From Deterioration In Patients Nursing Essay

Preventing Harm From Deterioration In Patients Nursing Essay This study will discuss what a nurse needs to know in relation to identifying and preventing harm from deterioration in patients in a hospital ward setting. A review of current literature will be carried out in order to find the best available evidence on the subject. The key issues arising from the literature will be critically analysed to provide a balanced and objective consideration of the strengths and limitations of current practice in relation to the recognition and communication of patient deterioration. Finally the study will use the evidence to attempt to make recommendations for practice in this area and discuss the nurses role in the development of the new practices which could enhance the management of patient deterioration and ultimately ensure safer care for patients. Rationale for Subject Choice As a student nurse about to become a registered and accountable practitioner, one of my main concerns is that I have the knowledge and skills to recognise deterioration in the condition of my patients and the ability to communicate my concerns effectively to ensure they are seen promptly by a more senior clinician and any further decline is prevented. Therefore my rationale for choosing to study this topic was to try to find evidence which would support me in contributing to safer care of acutely ill patients. Background The increasing complexity of healthcare, an ageing population and shorter length of stay, means that hospital patients today need a higher level of care than ever before. Therefore, it is essential that hospital staff are equipped to recognise and manage deterioration (Department of Health 2009). Many patients who experience cardiopulmonary arrest show signs of deterioration for more than 24 hours before arrest, and it has been estimated that approximately 23,000 in-hospital cardiac arrests in the United Kingdom (UK) could be avoided each year with better care (Smith et al 2006). Furthermore, evidence has shown that delays in recognising deterioration or inappropriate management can result in late treatment, avoidable admissions to intensive care and in some cases, unnecessary deaths National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death (NCEPOD) (2005) National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) (2007) (2007a). These studies highlighted the magnitude of the problem in the UK, they s howed that hospital staff do not understand the disturbances in physiology affecting the sick patient, they frequently ignore signs of clinical deterioration and lack skills in the implementation of oxygen therapy, assessment of respiration and management of fluid balance NPSA (2007) (2007a). NCEPOD (2005) reported that approximately 50% of ward based patients receive substandard care prior to Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission, and 21-41% of ICU admissions are potentially avoidable. Analysis of 425 deaths that occurred in general acute hospitals in England showed that 64 deaths occurred as a result of patient deterioration not being recognised due to observations not being undertaken for a prolonged period leading to changes in vital signs not being detected, and delay in patients receiving medical attention even when deterioration was detected (NPSA 2007). Despite considerable economic investment there is continued evidence of suboptimal care and the Department of Health (DoH) (2 009) have acknowledged that the recognition and management of acutely ill patients need attention. They say there are many factors influencing a patients ability to receive appropriate and timely care including the failure to seek advice, poor communication between professional groups, and a lack of clinical supervision for staff in training (DoH 2009). The following literature review will attempt to find evidence of the factors which contribute to sub optimal treatment of deterioration. Literature Review A literature search was undertaken using the electronic databases CINAHL, ESCBO host, Internurse, Medline, Science Direct and Swetswise through the Liverpool John Moores University search engine, and also the British Nursing Index via Ovid using the Royal College of Nursing search engine. The keywords used were: deterioration, hospital deterioration, communication of deterioration and early warning systems. A total of thirteen articles were found to be of use, two of these were published outside the UK (Australia and Italy) however after reading them it was decided that the evidence was relevant and they were deemed appropriate for use. As the study developed a further search was performed using the terms deterioration tools, communication tools, SBAR and RSVP communication tool two articles from this subsequent search were used in this study. Additionally and as mentioned above useful references were also sought from the Department of Health, the National Patient Safety Agency, the National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcomes and Death, and the National Institute of Clinical Excellence. The search revealed the topic had been fairly well researched, especially in recent years and the articles seemed to have stemmed from the reports by NPSA (2007) (2007a) and NICE (2007). Smith (2010) recently proposed a Chain of Prevention to assist hospitals in structuring their care processes to prevent and detect patient deterioration and cardiac arrest. The five rings of the chain represent staff education, monitoring, recognition, the call for help and the response and it was found that the themes of education, and recognition were well documented in the literature. Nurse Education Preston and Flynn (2010) say in order to avoid unrecognised patient deterioration and therefore enhance patient safety nurses must review their knowledge and skills in measuring the physiological parameters of temperature, blood pressure, blood glucose levels, oxygen saturation levels, and neurological function, and in particular identified the respiratory rate as a particularly sensitive indicator of clinical decline. In addition nurses also need to recognise the significance of physiological compensatory mechanisms that are activated in clinical deterioration, so they can report their findings accurately and with confidence to doctors and senior staff. Steen (2010) agrees that nurses require the knowledge and skills to be able to provide critical care in the general ward setting, as accurate assessment using a systematic approach can aid timely detection and intervention and can help to stabilise the individuals condition preventing organ dysfunction, multi organ failure and furthe r deterioration, thus reducing morbidity and mortality rates and admission to ICU. However, Odell, Victor and Oliver (2009) feel that recognising deterioration of a ward patient and referring to critical care teams is a highly complex process, requiring skill, experience, and confidence. Preston and Flynn (2010) suggest that nurses can be helped to develop these skills by attending the Advanced Life Threatening Events Recognition and Treatment (ALERT) course, they considered the possibility of nurses undertaking the ALERT course whilst a student, they say this will help newly qualified nurses to promote their skills, abilities and rationale for recognizing and responding to patient deterioration. They also recommend the further development of acute illness simulation programmes in both pre and post registration courses to help nurses to become more confident and expert in responding and reporting acute illness to medical and more senior staff. They say what is needed is a closer col laboration between education and health service partners to deliver these programmes and competent clinical teaching staff to facilitate these simulated exercises in a safe environment that utilises accurate patient scenarios, equipment and charts that are currently used in practice (Preston and Flynn 2009). Monitoring Accurate monitoring of patient condition featured highly in the literature. The NPSA (2007) revealed that in 14 of the 64 incident reports they studied, no observations had been made for a prolonged period before the patient died therefore vital signs such as blood pressure, pulse and respirations were not detected. But the literature revealed the crucial importance of regular observations in the recognition of deteriorating patients. Preston and Flynn (2010) said doing the observations is crucial for detecting early signs of deterioration in acute care as closely monitoring changes in physiological observations can identify abnormalities before a serious adverse event occurs. Early identification is important to reduce mortality, morbidity, length of stay in hospital and associated healthcare costs (NICE 2007). Preston and Flynn (2010) also stipulated that close supervision of unqualified nursing staff doing the observations in acute care should be a high priority and should follow both the NICE (2007) guidelines and recommendations from the NSPA (2007) (2007a). However following an observation of care by Morris (2010) an issue was identified where observations were incomplete, with recording of respiratory rate and oxygen saturations omitted and although an early warning score chart had been used, a score had not been recorded (Morris 2010). Recognition The importance of nurses utilising an early warning system was highlighted. Cei, Bartolomei and Mumoli (2009) say using the Modified Early Warning Score (MEWS) when recording patient observations is a simple but highly useful tool to predict a worse in-hospital outcome and aid identification of patients at risk of clinical adverse events such as cardiac arrest, sepsis and raised intracranial pressure. Nonetheless a study by Donohue and Endacott (2010) revealed that participants did not look for trends in the MEWS data and few used MEWS data in the manner it was intended i.e. it was used to confirm whether the patient met the trigger criteria, rather than as a routine component of assessment, the study found that MEWS was used infrequently, used too late and not employed to communicate patient deterioration. Mohammed, Hayton, Clements, Smith, and Prytherch (2009) felt the significant advantage of an early warning or track and trigger system like MEWS was that they use a visual scale t hat gives a score if a physiological recording enters a colour zone. But they found that there are disadvantages to using these systems in practice if nurses add up the scores incorrectly. In their study (Mohammed at al 2009) found that calculating scores could be improved by using a handheld computer and this approach was more accurate, efficient and acceptable to nurses than using the traditional pen and paper methods in acute care. The Department of Health (2009) say early warning systems play a key role in the detection of deteriorating patients; however, clinicians need to be aware that in some clinical situations these systems will not reflect clinical urgency (Department of Health 2009) and effective assessment skills must be employed. Call for Help and Response The NPSA (2007) report revealed that in 30 of the 64 incident reports they audited, despite recording vital signs, the importance of the clinical deterioration had not been recognised and/or no action had been taken other than the recording of observations (NPSA 2007). This could be due to ineffective communication of the deterioration. The literature review showed that communication of deterioration was a more recently well documented subject. Steen (2010) Tait (2010) feel that a vital component of the management of the acutely ill patient is the ability to communicate clearly and precisely with all members of the multidisciplinary team to aid timely and appropriate help and intervention for the patient. Still there is much evidence of communication breakdown between disciplines, Beaumont (2008) states communication between medical and nursing staff can be problematic, nurses may not communicate clearly enough and struggle to convey information in a manner that would convince doctor s of the urgency of the situation, sometimes there is failure by doctors to perceive, understand or accept the source of nurses clinical and professional judgement, less experienced nursing staff might not feel comfortable or confident to call more senior staff because they fear doing the wrong thing or crossing occupational and hierarchical boundaries. These problems can result in conflict between professional groups as they attempt to work towards positive outcomes and may prevent patients from receiving assistance and support when required (Beaumont 2008). Endacott, Kidd, Chaboyer and Edington (2007) agree that formal divisions of labour and professional boundaries can cause gaps or discontinuities in patient care and feel communication between clinicians must improve. Donahue and Endacott (2010) say the failure of nurses to recruit senior support to deal with acutely ill patients is a contributing factor to the sub-optimal care of critically ill patient, it may be due to a lack of experience or knowledge on the part of the doctor but may equally be due to the nurses inability to articulate the seriousness of the situation. Their data identified that nurses have an awareness of the need for a succinct story but they continue to make calls for assistance with little relevant information (Donohue and Endacott 2010). As stated above suboptimal communication between health professionals has been recognised as a significant causative factor in incidents compromising patient safety and the use of a structured method of communication has been suggested to improve the quality of information exchange (Marshall, Harrison and Flanagan 2009). A number of communication tools are available; some hospitals use the SBAR (situation, background, assessment, recommendation) tool to structure conversations between members of the multidisciplinary team, which uses standardised questions to prompt the conveyor of information to share the necessary details (Steen 2010). In a simulated clinical scenario Marshall et al (2009) described the positive effect of this method on students ability to communicate clear telephone referrals. However, Featherstone, Chalmers and Smith (2008) feel that SBAR is not a memorable acronym and they prefer the use of the RSVP (Reason, Story, Vital Signs, Plan) system used in the ALERT cou rse as framework for the communication of deterioration, the authors say SBAR does not easily slip off the tongue, and RSVP is much easier to remember in an emergency. They say the reason for the call can be explained in clear simple language, and the story gives a time line of important events, they feel nurses will be familiar with a narrative style of communication and are used to giving a brief summary as part of the handover process. The vital signs must be given in figures, and can include the early warning score, or summarized in words that convey the deterioration effectively and the plan for the patient should be outlined by the caller or expected from the receiver (Featherstone et al 2008). Smith (2010) says the use of standardised method of communication, such as the RSVP system will improve communication about patient decline. Recommendations for Practice Constant change within the National Health Service is essential to advance care quality and ensure the provision patient focused care that is evidenced based. Ensuring the latest and best available evidence is put into practice is a is a crucial way of ensuring that people get the treatments and services that are the most effective and will have the best health outcomes, it ensures that the public funding that supports the NHS is used wisely and that the treatments and services offered are cost effective, and both of these factors lead to the provision of clinically effective care. Everyone involved in healthcare provision must ensure quality is enhanced and must be willing to change current practices for the benefit of patients. Nurses have a professional responsibility to keep up to date with changes and developments within their field and to deliver care based on the best available evidence or best practice (Nursing and Midwifery Council 2008). Larrabees (2009) Model for Evidence Based Practice Change suggests that there are six steps towards implementing change in practice, firstly practitioners should assess need for change in practice, and this study has found evidence which clearly points to the need for changes in practice in order to reduce avoidable harm to patients. The next steps of Larabees Model (2009) are to locate the best evidence, and critically analyse the evidence, and from the evidence found in this study it is evident there are several recommendations for changes in practice which would help nurses in acute care to develop their skills in recognising and reporting deterioration. To keep the Chain of Prevention suggested by Smith (2010) strong he suggests that staff education, monitoring, recognition, the call for help and the response must all be robust in order to prevent harm from unrecognised and unassisted illness. Recommendations to enhance these areas would be to ensure that the recognition of life threatening illness is taught from an early stage in a nurses career by attending the ALERT course earlier in their training and by the teaching of patient scenarios in the clinical area and facilitated by staff who are trained in critical care. With regards to the call for help and the response rings of the Chain of Prevention (Smith 2010), it has been shown that the use of communication tools help nurses to get an earlier response when calling for assistance, so it seems sensible to implement the standard use of a communication tool in acute care when communicating deterioration. The next step in Larabees Model for Change (2009) is to design the practice change, and it is recommended that use of the RSVP communication tool (see appendix) should become hospital protocol when calling for assistance; this is because it is easy to remember and it is used as part of the ALERT course which many acute care nurses have attended. Nurses should receive training on the use of this tool and it should be displayed near the tele phone in every acute area. In order to implement and evaluate this change, which are the next steps in the Model (Lara bee 2009) a nurse should firstly let people know about it, this can be done by using various means of communication i.e. trust intranet, ward meetings, discussion with senior nursing staff and managers. They must then get people to take on the change by involving enthusiastic team members and organising a pilot test of the use of the RSVP tool. Crucially the rate in which more senior practitioners respond must be audited find out if the tool is working in practice and if not why not, is more information or training required is the tool not displayed clearly enough. The final step of the Model for Change (Larabee 2009) is to integrate and maintain the change in practice, to do this a nurse must ensure all new staff are trained to use the system and continuously evaluate its use to ensure it is working in practice. Conclusion This study has highlighted the evidence base and resources available to support nurses in contributing to safer care of acutely ill patients it has found that in order to facilitate accurate detection of changes in condition, nurses working in acute care must acknowledge the importance of observations and early warning systems in the identification of patients at risk of adverse events and ensure patients are assessed using a sound knowledge of physiological compensatory mechanisms, to enhance this knowledge they should attend an ALERT course, the evidence pointed to nurses attending these courses early in their career and that clinical scenarios could also help increase their knowledge of acute illness. It was found that communication tools help nurses when calling for senior assistance and the implementation of a standard tool within acute hospital settings could help to prevent harm from deterioration.