SAVE WESTERN GHATS.....

Western Ghats ecologically sensitive, mining, quarrying, thermal power plants and highly polluting industries should be banned in the Ghats. The mountain range has been identified as one of the world’s eight richest biodiversity hot spots and received the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Gadgil panel was formed by MoEF in 2010 to study the impact of population, pressure, climate change and development activities on the Western Ghats. It had recommended that almost the entire Western Ghats should be declared ecologically sensitive area (ESA). It proposed that the Ghats be categorized in three zones with different degrees of protection.

Though the report was supported by ecologists, it was opposed by the states where the mountain range stretches and by politicians and farmers’ organisations who feared it would hamper development. In light of the objections it had received, MoEF constituted the Kasturirangan panel in August last year.

The panel was tasked with finding a holistic way of protecting the biodiversity of the Ghats and addressing the “rightful aspirations for inclusive growth and sustainable development” of the “indigenous residents”. The panel then came up with an estimate, saying 41 per cent of the Western Ghats is “natural landscape”, having low population impact and rich biodiversity. The remaining 59 per cent is “cultural landscape” dominated by human settlements and agricultural fields. The panel recommended that 90 per cent of the “natural landscape” should be protected.

GLIMPSES OF A DESERT

In the middle of nothing...that's a desert....vast sea of sand....arid valleys and plains...fertile oasis

Deserts are rarely lifeless as you think : camels, wild ass, wild cats, rodents, lizards and many more to name...

The people too are fascinating : the bedouins , the nomads....A widely quoted bedouin saying is "I against my brother, my brothers and I against my cousins, then my cousins and I against the strangers"-life style

POLITICS OF SEPARATISM

“By far the greater part of violence that humans have inflicted on each other is not the work of criminals or the mentally deranged, but of normal, respectable citizens in the service of the collective ego.”

--Eckhart Tolle

Though we proudly refer India as a country with ‘Unity in Diversity’, is it so? I doubt it….. The nation is seriously facing separatist movements in different parts. People in different parts of the country are facing identity crisis. I feel the major cause for this separatist movement is religious identity, regional identity, ethnicity, exploitation, mal- governance and ideological. Apart from this illiteracy, poverty, and lack of economic opportunities also has become another cause of separatist movement in the recent past.

Existence of any nation depends on homogeneity of its population, irrespective of caste, religion or region. Unfortunately, our country is not ‘united in diversity’; the reason is we never had a government with strong political will to keep the nation unified since independence. From 1947 onwards, the successive governments practiced the policy of ‘divide and rule’, which our political emperors learned from the imperial rulers.

Nehruvian secularism as a political philosophy has lost its credibility. It has proven as a national motivating force and as moral framework, judging by the many forms of corruptions at various levels. It has proven unable to create a secular national unity. There are Muslim, Sikh, Christian, Dalit, Dravidian and communist’s separatist’s movements who carry on armed struggle against the Indian secular republic. The one thing that all these separatist movements without exception have in common at the ideological level is their hatred to Hinduism. We have to give it a serious thought, because religious intolerance is a not going to be beneficial for a secular nation. We have to accommodate ourselves in religious harmony for a peaceful living.

India is fast emerging as a major regional and global power. The socio-political stability of India is thus directly relevant to India’s national interest. Movements for separate statehood will weaken the nation’s stability, well being and development direction.  The separatist movements are increasing in India. Currently 67 separatist movements are working in India. Almost all 28 states (can add one more to the list) of India are suffering from small and big separatist movements. How India manages its diversity and meets the challenges posed by separatism will determine the future of the nation and its citizens.

ARE WE NATIONALISTS?

“Patriotism is, fundamentally, a conviction that a particular country is the best in the world because you were born in it….”

--George Bernard Shaw

I have always wondered how much an Indian is a ‘Nationalist’. But to my surprise, the intensity of nationalism is the most among the common man. He lives with a dream that one day he, his children or at least the grand children will be able to live in a classless developed India. He has dream nurtured by himself to see India developed by 2020.

An average Indian is always proud of the past history of India (rich heritage, freedom fight, Nehru, Gandhi, and Independence & Industrialization). He is ignorant of the present, the massive illiteracy, unemployment, widespread corruption, mafias (land, sand, coal, and many others), the continued existence of diseases and devastating environmental issues. He struggles throughout his life to live for his family (Roti, kapda aur Makaan, a phrase much popularized by Indra Gandhi in the 60’s, an election gimmick like FSB).

The Indian nationalism of pre-independent India was the result of the continuous deprivation and misrule of the British. The British ruled India to promote their own interests. The Indians realized gradually that their interest was being sacrificed to those of British interests. This clash of interest was the root cause for the rise of  the Indian nationalist movement.

Time again, for a nationalist movement in post-independent India. The cause for it will be the denial of the political right of the citizens in their own country by the politicians. The politicians are behaving like the imperial rulers. They are enjoying their life with the money paid as tax by the common man. There is no security for life and property in our own country. Everything is manipulated for their convenience. Law’s are not made generally for ‘Indians’, it’s made for each section of the people, according to their convenience (vote bank politics of ‘divide and rule’).

People should refrain themselves from the ugly ways of protesting, like destroying public properties and disturbing normal life (‘Bandh/Harthaal’). The public know that the protests are carried out by the political labourers paid by the political parties; still we are unable to react to such atrocities. Let’s look forward for a better way to protest, where there is no harm for each other, but win for our rights.

SECTARIAN INDIAN POLITICS

 “The problem is not with the people or churches that are politically active. It is with a party that has gone so far in adopting a sectarian agenda that it has become the political extension of a religious movement”

--John C danforth

As a citizen of India, I am sad, as I read the accounts of scams, riots, murders, etc. Isn’t it our sectarian politics, the reason for this situation? To see our how a nation gets destroyed, just have a look at India. In the recent years, we have fallen behind everywhere- quality education, scientific R&D, industries and agriculture. Our political parties seek to divide people on the basis of caste, creed, region or language, which seem to destroy ‘the unity in diversity’ of our country.

Our right of democratic protest has degenerated to a level of destroying public properties and disturbing public life. Our country is blessed with leaders who don’t think beyond their own states/community/their children. Our political parties had failed to provide the national leaderships that were expected from them.

The major issues before us are, anti national/social attitude of some people, political/bureaucratic corruption, regional criminal politicians. From Kashmir to Kanyakumari, the govt. is mismanaging the economy and the public fund is diverted to their benefit and advantage. Instead of moving the country ahead, it is controlled by a group of uneducated and narrow minded peoples.

The fact is that, after independence pseudo secularism is destroying India culturally, socially and politically. Real secularism implies that there should be no discrimination by the state against a person or a society on the basis of religion. Today every political party is misusing secularism for their petty political ends so much that telling the truth for the good of the nation is often considered as anti-secular.

When the elected representatives fail to work for the good of the society, it falls on the ordinary citizenry to protest and force the reversal of the current destructive practices of the local political feudal lords. We can remain quiet and disinterested only at our peril.

POLITICS OF POWER

Caste or Religion is a social concept which indicates the division in the society on the contrary politics is a concept to govern the society. In India, the two have never existed independently. The reason is both need each other for their existence and for their mutual development. Independent India adopted democracy, but brought into it a new kind of politics. The politics after independence has advanced to such a level that it may affect both the society as well as the politics adversely in the near future. Changes are necessary, but the changes which are harmful to the society should be discarded by showing necessary political will.

Our politicians desire to acquire or retain power has caused damage to both society and politics. It has further divided the society as well as the political fronts. We can see the politics of dividing people/state on the basis caste/religion. All the parties from the time of independence had played the politics of caste/religion/regional/resources, to acquire or retain power. None of the political parties, including the communists in independent India has sincerely tried to avoid such politics.

In a democratic India, it was expected that the political power and the democratic processes would bring social justice and further a casteless society. However, it didn’t go that way. Instead of social transformations, the political establishments contented itself from the electoral loyalty of castes/religion. This led to the end of social transformation and each caste/religion organized themselves on caste/religious lines and made a bid for political power.

The impact of caste/religious politics in India has been disastrous. It has deepened the fissures in the society and escalated social tensions. It has hampered national growth due to the precedence of local/regional issues. The occupational groups are divided on the basis of caste/religion, which in turn has hampered their development, example farmers in India.

Democracy can be ensured only by public participation in the governing process through a system of adult franchise. To make it successful, the political equality should match with the social and economic equality. For this there should be efforts from both the political class and society. We should take necessary actions towards supporting the people suffering from the evils of the castes/religions.

 “For a successful revolution it is not enough that there is discontent. What is required is a profound and thorough conviction of the justice, necessity and importance of political and social rights.”

--B.R.Ambedkar

ARE WE DEMOCRATIC?

 “What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or in the holy name of liberty or democracy?”

--Mahatma Gandhi

Democracy (‘rule by the people” when translated from its Greek meaning) is seen as one of the ultimate ideals that modern civilizations strive to create, or preserve. At the heart of all problems lies the politics of the country. But I have been wondering for quite some time- how democratic is Indian polity?

Indian polity has failed to provide solutions to the common man’s problems. The common man do not have access to proper health care facilities ( a doctor in a got. Hospital does not treat properly/give medicines), educational facilities ( govt. schools lacks infrastructural facilties/ moreover the deadly mid-day meals) and food security ( inflation and inferior food stuff and corrupt PDS).

We cannot do anything about it. We can only complain to higher authorities, who do not act upon our complaints. So, we citizens do not have any control over govt. employees. We also do not have any control over govt. funds. Govt. fund is our money. We pay taxes. Even a beggar on the street pays tax- when he buys a soap/biscuits, he pays sales tax and many other taxes. All this money belongs to us. And we absolutely have no control over it. Do we have any control over government policies or the kind of laws passed by our legislatures?

Empowerment requires the rule of law. People feel empowered only when they know that they have rights and the institutions of govt. exists, first and foremost, to enforce them. The rule of law is, however, only another name for justice. Empowerment therefore requires justice. Inspite of being a democracy for 65 years, India could not create something that people value even more than material benefits- a just society. It has achieved this unique feat by making both its elected legislators and its bureaucracy, not to mention it’s lower judiciary, immune to accountability. It has therefore become a predatory state that the people have learned to fear.

In India this has been all, but denied not simply by law but by the constitution itself. Article 311 of the constitution reads- “ No person who is a member of a civil service of the Union or an all India service or a civil service of a State or holds a civil post under the Union or a State shall be dismissed or removed by an authority subordinate to that which he was appointed.” It makes very clear that this injunction applies to not only civil but also criminal cases as well. For the central services, the empowered authority is the President of India; for the state civil services, it’s the governor. This has meant that no prosecution can be initiated without the permission of the central or state government. As the dismal experience of the central Vigilance Commission has shown, in civil cases this permission is rarely given.

“There was much in such a society that was primitive and insecure and it certainly could never measure up to the demands of the present epoch. But in such a society are contained the seeds of revolutionary democracy in which none will be held in slave”

--Nelson Mandela

WILL CONGRESS SAVE INDIA?

The country is sinking. The poor are under the burden of price rise, the borders are not protected, and there are only scams to score, riots, bomb blasts and hatred among people. We cannot even feel whether there is a government at the center or not.

The congress has ruled the country for five decades, what did they do for us? Isn’t the congress sacrificing the national interest for one family? The congress just does not have the spirit to take the country forward. Other countries have overtaken us. For the past 65 years we are just developing, not yet developed.

The congress has been arguably extremely successful in maintaining its stranglehold on India. The first and perhaps the most critical factor that contributes to the congress success is just one word – Gandhi. As long they have a ‘Gandhi’- Indira, Sanjay, Rajiv, Sonia, Rahul and Priyanka (Why Priyanka still holds the surname Gandhi even after her marriage?). They are sure to get the votes.

The strategy of the congress from the time of independence is simple and elegant. Keep the voters ill-informed and ignorant. It was easily achieved since most of the voters are illiterate or literate illiterates. Then add the surname ‘Gandhi’ to everything. Though there are educated, competent and shrewd people in congress, they keep a low profile and promote the ‘Gandhi’s’ for their personal and material gains (corruption).

After keeping the nation under darkness for 50 years, congress has no right to speak about education. After giving the slogan ‘Garibi Hatao’ to winning power, congress getting impatient over giving a ‘Food Security Bill’, and such a party has no right to speak about the poor. Tones of food grains are rooting in the FCI godowns. Despite orders of Hon’ble Supreme court to give the grains to the poor, the congress gave the grains to the liquor manufacturers. After the mid-day meal tragedy across the country, the congress has lost trust and credibility. Such a party has no right to speak about mid-day meal.

If the congress couldn’t make India developed in 50 years, what wonder they will bring in next 5 years? Congress is playing ‘negative communal politics’. Deliberately the congress has been trying to communalise the national issues and want to divert the attention of the public from the developmental point of the nation. Failures of the last nine years, series of unending corruption, unemployment, fall in agriculture and industrial production are not explained or answered by the congress. 

ARE TEACHER'S UNDERMINED?

We know that great teachers make the difference when it comes to raising standards of the students/the young minds. Supporting and improving the quality of the teaching profession should be a priority of the education sector. Teacher morale is being seriously undermined by the present day education sector, putting education standards at risk.

Recent studies show that the teachers under increasing pressure to get pupils through tests and exams. The present day teachers felt that they had been bullied, 50% by a senior member of staff/management, compared with 25% by pupils and 23% by parents, which creates stress on the teacher to quit the job. The most widespread forms of bullying are "negative comments" and verbal insults. 

The negative impact of such bullying included stress and many of the victims had considered either changing jobs or leaving teaching altogether. It is unacceptable for any staff to be bullied by colleagues, and education institutions need robust policies in place to pick up any problems and deal with them promptly.

We should remember that teachers are professionals who help our kids grow and learn. They are not adversaries; they are helpers. They need our support and gratitude. Yes, there might be the occasional teacher who gives educators a bad name, but they aren't common and most often can be navigated. The truth is, a lot of times it's the bad teachers who give the easiest grades, because they know by giving good grades everyone will leave them alone.

Education and political leaders across the world are currently trying to decide how to evaluate teachers. This type of system shows a profound lack of understanding of leadership. Leadership is about hiring great people and empowering them, and requires a delicate balance of evaluation and encouragement. Teachers should be given enormous amount of freedom and respect. The scenario in the education sector will make it impossible to attract great teachers and will diminish the motivation of the ones we have. It will make teaching so scripted and controlled that we won’t be able to attract smart, passionate people. Everyone says we should treat teachers as professionals, but then they promote top-down policies that are insulting to serious educators.

If we don’t change course in the coming years, these modern systems that treat teachers like low-level workers will become self-fulfilling. As the great educational thinker Theodore R. Sizer put it, “Eventually, hierarchical bureaucracy will be totally self-validating: virtually all teachers will be semi-competent.”

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Corruption vs Development –India

A series of high-profile corruption scandals has rocked the Indian government in the last few months and is a threat to the development of the country. India ranks 87 out of 178 countries on Transparency International's 2010 Corruption Perceptions Index. A 2010 report from Washington-based think tank Global Financial Integrity blames India's poor governance for the tax evasion and corruption, which result in illicit financial flows from the country of at least $462 billion. Some investment analysts say corruption is already a factor in declining foreign investment --which has been a key to India's growth over the last two decades--and is worrying domestic investors, too. India's surging growth rate of nearly 8.5 percent is also under threat from high inflation, which may further scare off foreign investors. A report from international organizations, including the UN Global Compact, estimates that corruption adds as much as 10 percent to the total cost of doing business globally, and as much as 25 percent to the cost of procuring contracts in developing countries. When it comes to ease of doing business, the World Bank ranks India 134 out of 183 countries in 2011.Corruption also harms poverty-alleviation efforts in India. The World Bank has found corruption the single greatest obstacle to economic and social development. India has a right-to-information law that promises to make government accountable, but whistle blowers have often had a fight on their hands , in several instances paying with their lives. 

India: Population and Resources

India is facing an intense crisis of resources. There is fierce competition for the nation's limited natural resources leading to quarrels between states, between communities and even families. The exploitation of mineral resources is threatening forests, nature reserves, and ecology.  Over use of resources is contributing to natural disasters occurring more frequently and with greater devastation. The recent Uttarakhand disaster is the result of over exploitation of nature by humans. The disaster has been caused by unplanned development. It is the result of mindless misuse of the state's natural resources. The dams, barrages and tunnels built in the name of hydel projects have impacted the course of the rivers which led to the tragedy

Over use of resources is contributing to natural disasters occurring more frequently and with greater devastation. In a country like India where the factors contributing to population growth far outweigh the factors for development, population is no longer a resource but a burden to society. 

When India became independent, population growth was seen as a major impediment to the country's socio-economic development and population 'control' was seen as integral to the development process. Population growth was seen as an urgent problem related to economic development with limited resources. At the same time, family planning would benefit both individual families as well as women's health.

The pressing need of the day is to at create ideal conditions for acceptance of the need for stabilizing the population and how it is an essential element of human welfare and development. The solution to this lie in spreading of education and enlightenment, and in the empowerment of women. Birth control programmes should also be integrated with medical and public health services to make them popular among the masses.

MALNUTRITION & FOOD SECURITY BILL-INDIA

The Food Security Bill does not give access to diversified food. While providing food grains will help increase access to calories, it will not ensure beneficiaries get all important nutrients. Iron deficiency and related anemia claims 22,000 maternal deaths per year, according to ICMR. Latest ICMR data shows 87 per cent of pregnant women and 75 per cent of children below five years of age suffer from iron-deficiency anemia. UNICEF data shows that Vitamin A and iodine deficiencies are also significant in public health problems relevant to the malnutrition challenge. The FSB might prevent starvation related deaths; but is chronic under nutrition going to be addressed?

The ordinance specifically provides free meals to pregnant and nursing women (six months after childbirth) along with children up to 14 years, through local anganwadis (primary healthcare centres).These free meals can help pregnant women gain weight and it will consequently increase weights at birth. More than a fourth of all newborns are 'low birth infants" weighing less than 2.5 kg, according to latest UNICEF data. A healthy infant weight is around 3 kg at birth, according to UNICEF.
Free meals to children, especially adolescent girls, can also increase their weight-for-age and allow them to have healthy pregnancies and infants. But the success of free anganwadi meals is questionable especially after the deaths of 22 children in Bihar who consumed a mid-day meal.

While food security can be limited to access to more calories and diversified nutrients, any legislation will need to address sanitation shortcomings to truly attack all malnutrition problems. Diarrheal diseases, for example, create a perpetual cycle of deteriorating malnutrition; repeated episodes reduce the body's ability to absorb nutrients. Diarrhea claims 13 per cent of all child mortalities, according to UNICEF. Several things need to work out for nutrition challenges. Improved child feeding practices, such as [better] breastfeeding, is important to combat malnutrition effectively.

Studies continue to find links between nutritional status and sanitation. IFPRI has found in an ongoing exploratory analysis that access to clean toilets is most significant when explaining declining malnutrition in India's 'Hunger States'.