ASHOK KUMAR SINGH

Wednesday, June 4, 2025

If the accused did not know the victim's caste

If the accused did not know the victim's caste, then Section 3 of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 may not be attracted, because knowledge of the victim’s caste is an essential ingredient for invoking the provisions of the Act.

Key Judicial Precedents:

Hitesh Verma v. State of Uttarakhand, (2020) 10 SCC 710:
- The Supreme Court held that “intention to humiliate a person belonging to SC/ST in a place within public view is a necessary ingredient” of the offence under the Act.
- The Court emphasized that mere abusive language or quarrel will not attract the Act unless it is intentionally targeted at the victim's SC/ST identity.
- If the accused was unaware of the victim’s caste, it cannot be said that the humiliation was caste-based.
Khuman Singh v. State of Madhya Pradesh, (2019) 8 SCC 625:
- The Supreme Court observed that mere utterance of caste name in isolation is not sufficient. There must be intentional insult or intimidation with knowledge of the victim's caste.

Conclusion:

If the accused had no knowledge that the victim belonged to a Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe, and there is no evidence of intentional insult or discrimination based on caste, then the SC/ST Act cannot be lawfully invoked.

However, each case depends on evidence — including whether:

The accused had prior interaction with the victim,
There was a history of caste-based hostility,
The insult or assault occurred in public view, and
Witnesses can corroborate the intent of the accused.

Monday, June 2, 2025

What You Are Good At — your strengths and talents

💡 What You Are Good At — your strengths and talents.

Here are some gentle prompts for you to reflect on:

✅ 1️⃣ What skills or abilities come naturally to you?
(for example: communicating, problem-solving, teaching, organizing, creating, empathizing, leading, designing)

✅ 2️⃣ What do friends, family, or colleagues often praise you for?
(think about compliments you’ve received or times people turned to you for help)

✅ 3️⃣ What tasks feel easy or enjoyable for you — even if they’re hard for others?
(sometimes we overlook our own gifts because they feel “normal” to us)

✅ 4️⃣ What achievements or experiences are you proud of?
(these could be from work, hobbies, school, or personal life)

What the World Needs — your sense of mission

🌍 What the World Needs — your sense of mission.

Here are some prompts for you to reflect on (take your time; you can type answers or just think them through):

✨ 1️⃣ What issues or causes make you emotional or fired up?
(e.g., climate change, education, mental health, poverty, animal welfare, innovation, justice, community building)

✨ 2️⃣ Where do you see problems or gaps that you wish were solved?
(e.g., access to clean water, loneliness in the elderly, better healthcare, more creativity in schools)

✨ 3️⃣ Who or what do you feel called to help or support?
(children, the poor, the sick, artists, entrepreneurs, the environment, etc.)

✨ 4️⃣ If you could change one thing in your community or the world, what would it be?

step-by-step ikigai reflection

step-by-step ikigai reflection we can do together. I’ll ask you questions in four areas — you can type short answers, and I’ll help you connect them. Ready?

💛 1. What You Love (your passions)

What activities or topics make you feel most alive or joyful?
What could you spend hours doing, even if no one paid you?

💡 2. What You Are Good At (your talents)

What skills or abilities do you have that others notice or appreciate?
What feels natural or easy for you?

🌍 3. What the World Needs (your sense of mission)

What problems or causes do you care deeply about?
Where do you wish you could make a difference?

💰 4. What You Can Be Paid For (your potential income)

What work, service, or expertise could people pay you for?
Are there career or business ideas where your skills and passions fit?

What Does Ikigai Mean?

🌸 What Does Ikigai Mean?

The Japanese word ikigai (生き甲斐) combines:

iki (生き) → “life”
gai (甲斐) → “worth” or “value”

So it loosely translates as “that which gives your life meaning” or “reason for being.”
It’s what makes you feel your life is worth living — the spark that gets you up in the morning.

Unlike Western ideas of “purpose” or “success,” ikigai doesn’t have to be tied to career, wealth, or fame.
It can be simple, quiet, personal:

tending a garden
spending time with family
crafting something by hand
contributing to your community
pursuing a passion just because you love it

In fact, many Japanese people associate ikigai more with daily joys and small satisfactions than with grand life goals.

🌊 The Four Circles of Ikigai

In the popular Westernized diagram, ikigai sits at the intersection of:
✅ What you love
✅ What you’re good at
✅ What the world needs
✅ What you can be paid for

When all four align, you have:

Passion (love + skill)
Mission (love + need)
Vocation (need + paid)
Profession (skill + paid)

The center, where they all meet, is your ikigai.

🌿 Ikigai in Daily Life

It’s important to know that ikigai doesn’t have to be “productive.”
In Japanese culture, it might be:

sharing tea with a friend
practicing a craft quietly
engaging in lifelong learning
appreciating the seasons
doing something meaningful for its own sake

You don’t have to monetize or optimize it — it’s about what fulfills you deeply.

To explore your ikigai

To explore your ikigai, we can walk through four zones and reflect on them. I’ll drop some prompts — you can answer here, or just think them through.

💛 What You Love (Passion)

What activities make you lose track of time?
What did you love doing as a kid or teen?
What topics excite you to talk or read about for hours?

💡 What You Are Good At (Profession)

What do people say you’re naturally talented at?
What skills have you developed over time?
What comes easily to you but feels hard for others?

🌍 What the World Needs (Mission)

What problems or causes move you emotionally?
Where do you feel you could make a positive impact?
What change would you like to see in your community or the world?

💰 What You Can Be Paid For (Vocation)

What work or service would others pay you to do?
Are there roles or industries where your skills fit?
Could you turn any of your passions or talents into income?

ikigai — beautiful concept

ikigai — beautiful concept!

It’s a Japanese word (生き甲斐) that roughly translates to “reason for being” or “reason to wake up in the morning.”

It’s often visualized as the intersection of four things:
☀ What you love
💰 What you can be paid for
💡 What you are good at
🌍 What the world needs

When these overlap, you’re said to have found your ikigai — your purpose, your motivating force, your meaningful life path.

Some people link it to career, others to hobbies, relationships, or even quiet personal passions. It’s not necessarily grand or flashy — even small daily joys can be part of your ikigai.