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Thursday,
October 24, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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A national
shame Flirting
with danger Expanding
the EU |
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Pakistan
& Korean N-programme
MEA’s
new spokesman
Touching the inner core of our being
The battle of Tongpeng La Diesel vehicles cause global warming
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A national shame
The death of as many as 18 people, including 11 children, reportedly because of starvation in Baran district of Rajasthan is a national shame. One need not wait for exhaustive analyses by newspapers to know what is exactly happening in this state. The unfortunate tender faces of malnourished children crying for a morsel of food being repeatedly flashed by television channels tell a too shocking and poignant story to believe or narrate. This is enough to suggest the extent of hunger and deprivation stalking the state. Official denials, clarifications and explanations will not help whitewash the grim reality: the abdication of responsibility by both the Centre and the state to protect the lives of the people. All this is amazing because the nation’s granaries are apparently full and the surplus foodgrains are getting rotten. The Food Corporation of India (FCI) maintains that it has no adequate space to store foodgrains. The Centre and the state have been so hamhanded in their approach to the problem that they would rather allow people to die of starvation than diverting the surplus foodgrains to them and saving their precious lives. Such is the sloth and insensitivity of the authorities that they allow foodgrains to rot in the sun, rains or leave them to be pilfered by smugglers, hoarders and black-marketeers. Even otherwise, the manner in which people are dying in Rajasthan underscores the point that the government has failed in its duty to tackle the problem on a war-footing. What contingency measures has it taken to tackle the drought situation? The Food for Work programme has become a big flop. There is little to eat because of the people’s inability to find employment. As they have
absolutely no source of income, people are forced to eat rotis made of grass roots. If the poorer sections of society have been passing through a harrowing period in Rajasthan, the condition of those in Orissa is no different. Orissa is yet another classic example of misgovernance and maladministration. Corruption is at its peak and the fruits of various developmental programmes have not reached the grassroots level. Starvation deaths have been reported from time to time in Rayagada, Koraput, Kalahandi, Bolangir and Keonjhar districts, but no effort has been made to save people from hunger. Surprisingly, a new twist to the recent television reports of starvation deaths in Orissa is the administration’s claim that the deaths were because of “snake bite” and not starvation. It has also come to light that government officials were reportedly exerting pressure on the people not to confirm starvation deaths, but to support the “snake bite” theory. One may recall Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s astounding claim last year that toxic mango kernels were the “natural food” of the tribals. Clearly, reports of starvation deaths in Rajasthan and Orissa confirm one thing: the failure of the two state governments to galvanise the administration and implement the anti-poverty schemes effectively. It is a pity that while the National Nutrition Mission has failed to click, the Public Distribution System has not achieved the intended purpose. What could be done if the recalcitrant states do not follow even the Supreme Court’s fiat to improve the functioning of the official machinery, plug the loopholes and save people from dying of hunger? |
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Flirting with danger Judging by the revelations that have been made in the last few weeks, it seems that something serious has been afoot for quite some time and it does not portend well for the security of the region, and even the world. First came the frank, and rather unabashed, admission by North Korea that it was a nuclear weapons state. Simultaneously, came the confirmation that Pakistan had helped it to achieve this rather dubious status in return for missiles and missile technology. Both parties had apparently gone about the exchange without caring for their obligations under various international treaties, including the one on non-proliferation. If reports are to be believed (and there is some strong evidence on this), Pakistan scientists had even tried to arm Libya. How far the deal progressed is not yet known, but it is quite certain that they had been in reasonably live contact for some time. It has also become known that Pakistan’s nuclear brains had been courted by Al-Qaida in its bid to develop nuclear and biological weapons for use against the “enemies of Islam”. The world has confirmation that Al-Qaida is alive and kicking. What it does not know till now is if it is armed with weapons of mass destruction too. The sense of disquiet that such developments produce is natural. So are the questions that arise with it. Mr Robert Einhorn, former US Assistant Secretary of State for Non-Proliferation, has said in an interview that Washington knows more about Pakistan’s role in proliferation than “it is willing to let out” as it needs Islamabad in its war against terrorism. Washington, it seems, is unwilling to admit that the centre-piece of the “axis of evil” is Pakistan. Perhaps, in order to meet its diplomatic exigencies, it tends to shut its eyes to the fact that it was Pakistan which had built up Osama bin Laden and is now providing shelter to Al-Qaida operatives. It has also been fighting shy of revealing the full extent of Pakistan’s involvement in providing communist Korea with nuclear knowhow and the help it has given to the jehadis to have their own Bomb. To the objective observer of the situation it is obvious that Pakistan stands out among all the countries as one that has been crossing the line time and again and thereby threatening peace and security in different parts of the world, both directly and indirectly. However, the USA doesn’t seem to admit it even to itself and continues to either stonewall or cover up questions on Pakistan’s duplicity. It has to understand that the proliferation game is dangerous and Pakistan has flirted with it outrageously so far. It is, therefore, time the USA defined its position on Pakistan’s involvement in proliferation and terrorism and acted decisively on it before it got out of hand. |
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Expanding the EU Mr Bertie Ahern, Irish Prime Minister, has reason to be relieved and triumphant. Ireland has said “Aye” in the referendum on the European Union, called the Nice treaty, that allows the applicant nations-Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Turkey-to join the EU by 2004. More than a year ago, voters in Ireland had rejected the treaty that proposes a number of changes in the EU’s decision-making process before enlarging the union, which will then become the biggest single market in the world with more than 50 crore consumers. The decision has evoked a very positive response from the applicant nations, with Mr Leszek Miller, Polish Prime Minister, saluting the Irish with a pint of Guinness beer in Warsaw. The Irish Prime Minister had made approval of the Nice treaty a matter of prestige and this vote is seen as a personal triumph for him since nearly 60 per cent of the 29 lakh voters have voted in favour of the treaty. The overall voter turnout had also improved by 13 per cent over the 35 per cent of last year. The contest was bitterly fought, and the government was accused of ignoring the democratic will of the people by trying to reverse the “Nay” vote, which was generally said to have been caused by the voters’ concern about Ireland’s continuing ability to maintain its neutrality. This led the government to seek and get reassurances from the other member-states at Seville earlier this year, saying that there was nothing in the treaty to compel Ireland to sign any mutual defence pact. Uniting the continent of Europe has been impossible militarily, though commerce has been able to do much. It is, however, a difficult task with various applicants to the EU having to carry out wide-ranging reforms in taxation, company law, consumer protection, law and order, et al. The EU has had a good run this year, with the successful implementation of the euro as a common currency across 12 member-states and now, following the positive results of the Irish referendum, it should end with 10 more nations being invited to join the union. There are possible hurdles ahead, which include the possibility of the Irish people saying “No” the second time the referendum is sought later this month. A divided Cyprus joining the EU is also causing disquiet, but as Romano Prodi, President of the European Commission, said: “We can now get on with finalising preparations for the enlargement of the European Union….We are closer to our goal, but not there yet.” At least the Irish have proved to be good Europeans. For this, other EU nations and candidates have to be grateful. |
Pakistan & Korean N-programme President George W. Bush described North Korea not too long ago as part and parcel of an “axis of evil”. American intelligence officials have now concluded that Mr Colin Powell’s favourite dictator and “key ally” in President Bush’s War against Terrorism”, General Pervez Musharraf, has played a lead role in providing North Korea with critical components for its clandestine nuclear weapons programme. Not surprisingly, the Bush Administration is sparing no effort to see that it is not necessary to implement American laws that require it to impose sanctions on Pakistan. After speaking to General Musharraf, Mr Powell now says that his good friend has assured him that there will be no transfer of such capabilities to North Korea by Pakistan in future. In so glibly accepting his pal’s assurance, Mr Powell conveniently ignores the fact that only a few months ago General Musharraf had assured him that he would “permanently end” all infiltration across the Line of Control — an assurance that he obviously does not intend to fulfil. The USA has a track record of feigning amnesia in dealing with nuclear or missile proliferation by it friends like Pakistan and China. When the Reagan Administration needed Pakistan’s assistance to force the Soviet Union out of Afghanistan, President Zia sent his highly capable Chief of Staff Gen K.M. Arif to tell Washington that Pakistan’s support would be forthcoming only if no queries were raised about its nuclear weapons programme. The Reagan Administration duly obliged. For nearly a decade Washington turned a Nelson’s eye to Pakistan’s moves to acquire nuclear weapons capabilities and build a nuclear arsenal with Chinese assistance. Similarly, when China commenced supplying M 11 and medium-range M 9 missiles to Pakistan, President Clinton’s Administration claimed that as it had not been able to conclusively determine that such supplies were taking place, it would not implement American laws requiring sanctions against both China and Pakistan. Mr Powell will, no doubt, find equally convoluted reasons for avoiding sanctions required to be imposed on Pakistan by US law. While the USA may find it expedient to slur over Pakistan’s nuclear and missile connections with North Korea, neither India nor America can afford to ignore the long-term implications of missile and nuclear proliferation in India’s neighbourhood. There is now ample evidence to establish that not only did China provide nuclear weapons’ designs to Pakistan in the 1980s but it also augmented and sustained Pakistan’s nuclear enrichment facilities by the supply of critical components like ring magnets more recently. Less than two years after Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s visit to China in December, 1988, Beijing commenced the supply of nuclear capable M 11 missiles to Pakistan. It has assisted Pakistan not only by supplying missile components but also by establishing a missile production unit described as the National Development Complex in Fatehjang in Punjab province. This complex produces M 9 missiles with a range of around 750 kilometres (christened as “Shaheen I” by the Pakistanis) and the intermediate range M 18 missiles described as “Shaheen II”. China has thus given Pakistan the delivery systems for missiles that can target most population centres in India. These are realities that cannot be ignored by India while dealing with China. Pakistan’s missile collaboration with North Korea started in the 1990s, when Ms Benazir Bhutto paid a secret visit to Pyongyang. Pakistan’s nuclear scientist Dr A.Q. Khan also visited Pyongyang on a number of occasions. It is now evident that the two sides agreed that in return for North Korea’s supply of its nuclear-capable 1200-km range “Nodong” missile, Pakistan would provide the equipment and know how for Pyongyang to develop gas centrifuge facilities to produce weapons grade enriched uranium. It is inconceivable that such an agreement could have been arrived at between two close allies of China without the latter’s knowledge and approval. This deal enabled North Korea to go ahead with a nuclear weapons programme even while pretending to adhere to conditions set by the USA and Japan not to develop nuclear weapons capabilities and subject its plutonium producing facilities to international inspections. There are reports indicating that the nuclear-missile trade between Islamabad and Pyongyang is routed across the Karakoram highway through China. In these circumstances, queries do arise about whether there are any other parts of the world to which the China-Pakistan missile/nuclear collaboration extends. Even when China and Saudi Arabia did not have diplomatic relations, Beijing supplied Riyadh with intermediate-range (2000 kilometres) CSS 2 ballistic missiles in the mid-1980s. Unlike in the 1980s, China today needs oil supplies from the Persian Gulf. Saudi Arabia is the logical source. At the same time, the otherwise tight-fisted Saudis, who prefer to spend their surplus money in spreading Wahabism rather than finance economic development, have been more than generous in their economic assistance to Pakistan. It was Saudi Arabia that bailed out Pakistan when its economy was on the verge of collapse following its May, 1998, nuclear weapons tests, with supplies of oil at highly concessional credit terms. Even today the Saudis play a high profile political role in Pakistan and provide that country with oil supplies at highly concessional terms. Interestingly, while Pakistani troops were stationed in Saudi Arabia to protect its monarchy with American blessings in the 1980s, the Saudis terminated this arrangement among other reasons because of the presence of Shias in Pakistan army units. But what raised eyebrows and diplomatic observers worldwide noted it was that apart from the Chinese and the North Koreans, the only foreigners who have been permitted into Pakistan’s nuclear enrichment complex at Kahuta have been the Saudis. Crown Prince Abdullah was an honoured guest at Kahuta during his visit to Pakistan in 1998. Given what has transpired in the Pakistan-North Korean nuclear/missile relationship, it would be essential for India and the international community to keep a watchful eye on and monitor any Pakistani transfers of nuclear weapons capabilities to Saudi Arabia — capabilities that can be mated to the Chinese CSS 2 missiles or American F 15 warplanes. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto did after all justify Pakistan’s quest for nuclear weapons by referring to the fact that no Islamic country possessed the bomb!! The American reaction to the Pakistan-North Korean missile/nuclear nexus only confirms that Washington is not going to cool its support for its favourite General in Islamabad, whatever his transgressions of democratic norms, or non-proliferation guidelines. This is no different from how the Reagan Administration dealt with General Zia. General Musharraf knows this and has, therefore, not complied with the repeated requests from President Bush to end cross-border terrorism. The Pakistan media is elated at the manner in which New Delhi has withdrawn its forces from the international border. Islamabad has evidently concluded that if New Delhi was not prepared to take hard measures even after the attack on Parliament and the Kaluchak massacre, it is incapable of translating its brave words and posturing into deeds. One hopes that India has learnt some lessons about the limits of American understanding of our concerns about Pakistan-sponsored terrorism by New Delhi’s recent experiences. The USA does seek a long-term strategic partnership with India. We need to conduct our diplomacy with Pakistan and the international community in an imaginative, pro-active and aggressive manner in coming months. But nations that expect others to pull their chestnuts out of the fire will never be respected or taken seriously by the international community. |
MEA’s new spokesman Mr Sarna, who will be 45 on December 2, belongs to the 1980 batch of the Indian Foreign Service. Before joining as JS (XP), he was Minister (Press, Information and Culture) in the Indian Embassy in Washington. This posting facilitated him to hone his skills in the tough job of handling the media. He has also had useful stints in Tehran, Thimpu, Warsaw, Moscow and at the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations at Geneva. At the MEA headquarters Mr Sarna’s assignments included Officer on Special Duty (Press Relations) and Deputy Chief of Protocol. The most interesting part of his personality is his craving for always doing something extra. Adept in Russian and Polish, insiders say that the world is going to discover a brilliant writer in him very soon. Penguin is slated to come out with his first novel early next year. Mr Sarna is so secretive about the novel that he does not even want to reveal its title. All that he prefers to say is that his coming novel revolves around a protagonist who launches into an emotional journey into the past when faced by a mid-life crisis. Besides this, he is working on at least two more books, one of them non-fiction and has Punjab as its backdrop. Mr Sarna has literature in his genes. His father Mahinder Singh Sarna, a former Accountant-General in the Government of India, was a renowned Punjabi writer. Mr Navtej Sarna’s mother, Mr Surjeet Sarna, too, is a known Punjabi poetess and fiction writer. She has authored four books. With rich experience in
fertiliser industry Starting his career as an Associate Lecturer with his alma mater, BHU, Mr Kaushik had his first brush with fertilisers when he joined the undivided Fertiliser Corporation of India (FCI). He worked there for 12 years and after the split he worked with National Fertilisers Limited. After a brief stint with Deepak Fertilisers and Corporation, a group company of Mannesmann A G ( Germany), Mr Kaushik moved down South and joined the UB Group at Bangalore. He was deputed as Executive Director (Planning and Development) of Mangalore Chemicals and Fertilisers Limited. Prior to his current stint as DG of FAI, he was the Managing Director of Duncans Industries Limited. A keen golfer, Mr Kaushik has provided consultancy services in overseas locations, including the USA, Europe, Mid-East and Africa. Among his peers and friends in the industry, he is known as a turnaround strategist. In his current capacity as DG of FAI, Mr Kaushik will be involved in articulating the views of the domestic fertiliser industry.
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Touching the inner core of our being Grief and sorrow are the world's best teachers. Robert Browning in his poem “Along the Road” sums this up beautifully. “I walked a mile with Pleasure; She chattered all the way, but left me none the wiser, For all she had to say. I walked a mile with Sorrow and Ne'er a word said she; but oh, the things I learned from her, When Sorrow walked with me”. Grief as we know knocks at some time or the other at the door of every human being. It may mean small partings from things we love, our possessions or our health. It may also mean a big and final parting from those we love, which wrenches our hearts and leaves us wounded and vulnerable. It is this experience of helplessness and vulnerability that makes us grow and realise the ultimate futility of small things and attachments. Grief opens up a world beyond, which we do not understand but submit to. When a loved one passes away, it leaves behind an empty space — a space that only time and other loved ones can fill. Deep down in our hearts, we know that life has its ups and downs. It brings in its train sorrow as well as joy. While joy enriches our existence, sorrow makes us go deeper into our own human experience and to touch chords that otherwise remain unactivated and leave us as the superficial level and shallow. George Benson, a Missouri psychologist says, “People who have gone through mourning are more resilient, deeper and more appreciative of life than those who have never had to give up anything”. Grief also brings clarity and lucidness in our perspective on life. As William Arthur Ward has noted, “There are times in human experiences when we can see Divine Truth even more clearly from the valley of the Shadow than from from the crest of the hill”. Jesus' passion in the Garden of Gethsame when he prayed to his father “If you will, let this cup pass from me, but not my will but thine be done” is the classic prayer of a person in deep grief preparing for his final passage from this world. When Jesus prayed from the cross “My God, My God, why have you abandoned me”, he was also praying the prayer of a person who experienced moments of deep separation and abandonment from God. These were all experiences of grief, which touch the soul and heart of a human being before the final experience of a person of union with God. Paul F. Keller in his booklet, “How to grieve” says there are six stages from grief to recovery which include denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance and hope. In the first stage of denial, the shock of the event anesthises us for sometime and there may be a period where we deny the reality of for instance a loved one passing away. This is followed by a period of anger, in which we sometimes direct our anger against the loved one who has passed away and left us behind. The anger may be followed by bargaining when we want to make a deal with God that we would do anything to have our lost one returned. This stage may be followed by depression in which we may experience hopelessness sometimes bordering on despair. After depression follows a period of acceptance when we say “yes” to the reality of our loss. And finally once again we emerge with hope when we regain our emotional and spiritual imbalance, when we affirm life and are once again willing to participate in the living process. Recovery, as Keller says, is a matter of the heart and not of the head. One cannot think one’s way through grief. The only way out of grief is to feel one's way out of it. He says “if one gives oneself the permission and to right to feel, one is also giving oneself the permission to heal”. Have we not all had the experience that time is the greatest healer of grief. When faced with loss, words become inadequate. Though the sense of others’ solidarity with us in times of grief acts as a great balm, the final healing and acceptance come from within oneself. Only we can heal ourselves, by opening up the wound to the healing touch of God. We may ask ourselves, why God has allowed us these experiences of parting and grief in our lives, which could theoretically have been ones of only happiness and joy. When faced with this dilemma, I look at the cross of Jesus as an answer. If the divine could open itself to the arms of grief how much meaning must there be in this human experience of loss and separation. In the New Testament, we find that Jesus wept at the death of Lazarus and shared the grief of Lazarus' sisters, Martha and Mary, who fell at this feet when he arrived in their village. If Jesus could be so deeply moved by their grief to the point of restoring Lazarus to life, how much more should not we allow ourselves to be deeply moved by the loss of friends, parents, relatives and other near and dear ones. Grief is thus a normal lifetime experience that needs to be dealt with. The process of accommodation may be different for each one, but there is not the slightest doubt that there is a way to overcome it which makes us grow in maturity, wisdom and depth and to touch the inner core of our beings. |
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The battle of Tongpeng La
The road from Tezpur to Tewang was a rough road which ended at a height of 10,000 feet. The road was narrow, fit for only one tonne vehicles with furrows made by hundreds of passing vehicles and it was very difficult to drive on even after a light rain. This will explain why the troops falling back were forced to abandon their vehicles, artillery guns and heavy equipment. It was mostly a one-way road. From Tawang bridle and smaller paths diverge to the Tibet border and numerous villages around Tawang. The mountains also rose steeply to the Tibet border at 17,000 feet. In 1962 Tawang was the political, cultural and religious centreof the area. The Buddhist monastery there was, and still is, an important religious
centre. All bridle paths from Tibet, various villages and hamlets converged at Tawang. October 20, 1962 — China attacks 7 Infantry Brigade deployed at “Nam Ka Chu” in Kemeng, west of Tawang at first light and by night reports came in that the Chinese have routed the Brigade and are advancing towards Tawang on the aixs Thagla-Lumpu-Shakti (Headquarters 4 Infantry Division). A pall of gloom settles on all ranks in the Tawang sector as till then everyone was under the impression that India had attacked to dislodge the Chinese from Thagla. The next two days all troops worked feverishly to give finishing touches to the defences to enable them blunt the Chinese offensive. Finally on October 23, 1962, the Chinese army launches its attack on Tawang along the axis Bumla-Tongpeng La-Tawang. The Chinese army met the might and determination of the Indian Army even if it was for a short while. This is the true story of the unsung heroes who fought perhaps one of the few successive defensive battles of 1962 in NEFA. At 0500 hrs the Chinese attacked the IB Ridge Platoon commanded by Sub Joginder Singh, the enemy was engaged by artillery fire of 7 Bengal Mountain Battery and the brave troops of the 1 Sikh platoon. Three attacks were beaten back and all the brave men of the platoon made the supreme sacrifice except four men. Sub Joginder Singh was badly injured, taken prisoner and later died of his wounds in captivity. He was awarded the Param Vir Chakra for this action. By 0730 hrs the advancing Chinese made contact with the defences of Tongpeng La, which had been reinforced by a platoon from Milaktong La. This company fought valiantly. The artillery fire of 7 Bengal Mountain Battery was continuous, had a devastating effect as it was directed accurately by Capt. G.S. Gosal. The combined effect of the small arms machine guns, mortars and Mountain Artillery Battery was so effective that the enemy suffered heavy casualties, was pinned down and was unable to manoeuvre. The troops deployed at Tongpeng La had achieved their aim and at about 1100 hrs were ordered by the Battalion HQ to fall back to Kilaktong La. The enemy had not advanced on the Somatso-Tawang axis. However, as per orders this company also started withdrawing and as it passed through the gun position of 7 Bengal Mountain Battery they all helped in moving ammunition from the dumping area to the guns. This went a long way in ensuring non-stop and heavy firing by the mountain guns, 2000 shells were fired on the enemy. At about 1215 hrs an order was received from HQ 22 Mountain Regiment that the battery should withdraw to Se La after 1600 hrs. This came as a bolt from the blue as all troops thought that the main battle would be fought at Milaktong La. Se La was about 50 km away. Notwithstanding this and the fact that the observation officer had moved back with Maj Kaushik, the fire from the Mountain Battery continued throughout the day on targets previously fired on and also those close to them by using various artillery procedures. This ensured that the enemy could not move forward towards Milaktong La or Tawang. The problem now was to prepare for withdrawing which entailed destruction of all stores that could not be carried, preparing rations for about 100 mules as also emergency rations for the men. As also the destruction of the battery position at Tawang where the unit had been for about two years. It was all done as best possible under the circumstances. At 1600 hrs the Battery stopped firing and started the withdrawal. The battle of Tongpeng LA was over. We should salute all those brave sons of India who fought there, specially those who made the supreme sacrifice and stopped the enemy advance for over 16 hrs, thus making the withdrawal from Tawang possible. One can imagine the trauma the civil population had to go through as they too were withdrawing with all that they could carry on mans and beast, including the elderly, new-borns, expectant mothers, cattle, sheep after torching their homes and harvested crops. By night there were thousands of fires which one could see all around Tawang. An entire population with the look of innocence, bewilderment, despair and pain in their moist eyes truly saddened my heart and brought a lump in many a hardened soldier’s throat. As we passed through Tawang that night not a soul stirred, nor a child cried and not a dog barked, there was nothing but the errie silence of death. |
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Diesel vehicles cause global warming Laws that favour the use of diesel, rather than gasoline, in engines of cars may actually encourage global warming, according to a new study. Although diesel cars obtain about 35 percent better mileage and emit less carbon dioxide than similar gasoline cars, they can emit 25 to 400 times more mass of particulate black carbon and associated organic matter “soot” per kilometre. The warming due to soot may more than offset the cooling due to reduced carbon dioxide emissions over several decades, according to Mark Z Jacobson, associate professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Stanford University. Writing in the Journal of Geophysical Research-Atmospheres, Jacobson describes computer simulations leading to the conclusion that control of fossil-fuel black carbon and organic matter may be the most effective method of slowing global warming in terms of the speed and magnitude of its effect on climate. Not only does soot warm the air to a much greater extent than does carbon dioxide per unit mass, but the lifetime of soot in the air (weeks to months) is much less than is that of carbon dioxide (50 to 200 years). As such, removing soot emissions may have a faster effect on slowing global warming than removing carbon dioxide emissions. The reason the issue of diesel versus gasoline is important, says Jacobson, is that, in Europe, one of the major strategies for satisfying the Kyoto Protocol is to promote further use of diesel vehicles.
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Love should be a tree whose roots are deep in the earth, but whose branches extend into heaven. — Bertrand Russel, Marriage and Morals
*** There is no remedy for love but to love more. —Henry David Thoreau, Journal, July 25, 1839
*** Love is an endless mystery, for it has nothing else to explain it. —Rabindranath Tagore, Fireflies
*** Live in love. Breathe in love. Sing in love. Eat in love, Drink in love. Talk in love. Pray in love. Meditate in love. Think in love. Move in love. Purify your thought, speech and action in the fire of love. Bathe and plunge in the sacred ocean of love. Take the honey of love, and become an embodiment of love. —Swami Shivananda, Bliss Divine
*** Love didst Thou hide Beneath my restless thoughts; Long didst thou flee In the chambers of eerie other. At last I hunted thee down In quiet desert-dunes Of my desirelessness. Fastened with strong cords of devotion Thou art my prisoner. I will lock thee In the cell of silence, Secure behind bars of my closed eyes. Within the temple of my dreams, Beloved Captive, I will hide thee In a bower of caresses. Precious Prisoner, I will enshrine Thee On the eh altar of my secret songs. Infinite Personage, I will cloister Thee Behind strong walls of undying love. —Paramahansa Yogananda, How You can Talk With God
*** Within whose heart love’s fires glow They have learnt all men can ever know. —Shah Latif, Sufi Saint (1689-1752) |
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A striking feature about the new foreign office spokesman Navtej Sarna is his piercing eyes. He has taken over the key post of Joint Secretary (External Publicity) in the Ministry of External Affairs at a time when Indo-Pakistan tensions appear to be somewhat easing and the war clouds drifting away. This is in stark contrast to his predecessor Nirupama Rao who occupied this hot seat for 16 months during which period Indo-Pak relations swung wildly from green to red on the Richter scale: from the Agra summit to the attack on Parliament House to Kaluchak to Akshardham. But one can be dead sure that the Indo-Pak relations would once again come into sharp focus. That is when Mr Sarna’s test-by-fire will take place. The SAARC summit in Pakistan in January next year when Islamabad’s propaganda machinery will be on the overdrive is going to be one such event.
Mr Viren Kaushik takes over as the Director-General of the Fertiliser Association of India (FAI) when the debate on disinvestment and subsidies has taken centrestage in the country’s economic reforms agenda. After taking over as the DG of FAI last week, fifty-six-year old Kaushik will effectively be the primary spokesperson of the domestic fertiliser industry. A mechanical engineer from the Institute of Technology, Benares Hindu University (BHU) and MBA from the Faculty of Management Studies, Delhi University, Mr Kaushik has over 35 years of experience in the areas of design engineering, construction, corporate planning and sales and marketing. 