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July 31, 2001, Chandigarh, India   
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Taking students for a ride Police politics Kyoto: implications for India |
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Fresh study of the WTO agenda
Checking on the chin
Party slips, but govt is safe
‘Gadar’: why spread hatred?
Lovers’ marriages last longer How to stop snoring Jane Clare IF snoring is blighting you or your bedfellow’s life, the following tips may bring some blessed silence to your nights. Because excess weight is the most common snoring-aggravator, losing weight sensibly and taking regular exercise will improve your breathing and fitness.
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Taking students for a ride THE
report that Punjabi University, Patiala, and Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar, have introduced a number of unrecognised technical and professional courses from the current academic session should attract the attention of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Several years ago the high court's intervention had resulted in the exposure of serious flaws in the PTU's procedure for drawing up the merit list. As a result, careers of a large number of students were saved. However, the apparent fraud committed by the two leading universities of Punjab this time cannot evidently be set right even by the judiciary. Both institutions are guilty of having allowed colleges affiliated to them to introduce courses, under the distance education programme, which are not recognised by the All-India Council of Technical Education. Five colleges affiliated to Punjabi University were allowed to start a postgraduate-level course in computer applications. Over 10,000 students were enrolled by the five colleges with the backing of
PTU. Punjabi University too allowed the enrolment of students to postgraduate-level courses in information technology without the permission of the AICTE. Evidently, the two universities had followed the same principle which is applied for the construction of unauthorised colonies. If unauthorised structures, in most cases on government land, are regularised by the authorities concerned under political pressure, why should there be any problem in getting the "unauthorised" courses of study "regularised" with retrospective effect? The two universities may have got away with the act of duping a large number of students by offering them "bogus" degrees had the AICTE been within the reach of the powers that be in Punjab. The moment the apex body learnt about the introduction of IT courses not recognised by it, the regional officer, North-West Region, was directed to issue an advertisement carrying detailed information about the courses of study not recognised by it. With the process of admission to premium professional and technical courses now almost over, there is little the judiciary can do to help the students save an academic year they are in danger of losing for no fault of theirs. The guilty institutions may be forced to refund the huge amount of money, with a hefty penalty, collected from thousands of students for enrollment in unrecognised courses of study. However, the judiciary should also examine the scope of ordering the dismissal from service of those directly involved in running what can be called a massive educational scam. |
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Police politics TAMIL
Nadu and the Centre are inching towards an unscripted but explosive confrontation. New Delhi wants to punish three senior police officers of the state for their role in the midnight arrest of former Chief Minister M.Karunanidhi. It is under unbearable pressure from the DMK, the party Mr Karunanidhi heads. He also heads the National Democratic Alliance in his state and has two Cabinet ministers at the Centre. His clout is thus great and it reflects in the late evening fax message to the state government on Friday. It curtly ordered the Tamil Nadu government to relieve three senior IPS officers of Chennai – the police commissioner, the joint police commissioner and a deputy police commissioner – for posting in the Prime Minister’s Office. The Centre has not bothered to tell the Tamil Nadu government the urgency of the request or the responsibilities the three officers would discharge in their new post. Everyone knows a few facts even if the Centre believes that no one knows. One, these officers have been identified by the DMK as responsible for what it calls the brutal arrest of Mr Karunanidhi and the illegal raid on the house of Union Commerce Minister Murasoli Maran. Two, Mr Maran and his party colleague, Mr T.R.Baalu, have been meeting Home Minister L.K.Advani daily insisting on central intervention against their wrongful arrest. Three, the Centre does not need the services of the three experienced police
officer but wants to condemn them to workless desks or send them to punishment posting like a BSF unit in militant-infested states. Those with a good record in service feel humiliated when they are targeted just because they carried out the orders of the political leadership, even if it is as whimsical and vindictive as those of the AIADMK. Chief Minister Jayalalitha has already pledged total protection to all officers in doing their duties. And she has responded to the Centre’s orders by declining to relieve the threesome. She says there is a shortage of experienced police officers and stripping the state capital’s police of its three top men will weaken the administration of law and order and demoralise the entire force. Her worry is something else. If she allows the Centre the freedom to act as the big brother, the bureaucracy will refuse to act at her bidding. But she has a long list of retribution and she needs the officers to set aside their conscience and do the hatchet job. Relieving the three senior police officers will undo that grand plan. The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister has already revealed her hands by refusing to allow the seniormost police officer, R.Rajagopalan, to go to New Delhi to take over as the director-general of the elite National Security Guards, a prestigious post. Of course, it is her bargaining chip but reveals her hard thinking. |
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Kyoto: implications for India FINALLY, the 1997 Kyoto Protocol on controlling the emission of greenhouse gases has been saved with an
agreement reached among the developed countries minus the USA. The signatories to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change had conflicting views on the operational aspect of the protocol coming in the way of its implementation. But at their recent Bonn meeting most developed countries, particularly the European Union members, were determined to ensure that this major step against global warming became a reality. The USA, which contributes the maximum — 25 per cent —to the world's emission of greenhouse gases, tried to scuttle the plan of the committed countries but it failed. The superpower kept itself away from the protocol, but in the process it earned the dubious distinction of being the world's environmental pariah. The US insistence that the treaty should also have provisions to force India and China, the two emerging economic giants, to reduce their emission levels failed to impress the participants in the Bonn meeting because the developing countries do not come within the purview of the protocol immediately. The Bonn deal has it that all the signatories must get the protocol ratified by their respective legislatures to make it effective from 2002. It is also necessary for the ratification process to be completed in as many countries as account for at least 55 per cent of the total harmful emissions. The European Union, which has been more enthusiastic than the other signatories about giving the protocol a practical shape, has indicated that it will start working immediately on it. It will then be obviously in a stronger position to persuade others to speed up the ratification process to meet the deadline. According to the Bonn deal, the developed countries have agreed on how to reduce their greenhouse gas emission by 5.2 per cent below the 1990 level by 2012. Those unable to do so by the fixed time will have to make emission reductions by an additional 30 per cent during 2013-17, besides paying an unspecified penalty in financial terms. In any case, the entire exercise is quite complicated. It is not only environment-oriented. It has serious economic implications too. All 178 countries, including many developing ones, which were a party to the Kyoto Protocol will be anxiously waiting for the American response till the next UN climate convention, slated to be held in October at Marrakesh. The US intransigence should, however, not be able to harm the cause of slowing down the process of global warming. In fact, there is the possibility of the Bush Administration falling in line soon. There is a vague provision in the protocol to help the developing countries in adopting environment-friendly technologies. They (and India will be one of them) stand to lose substantially if the "polluter pays" principle is not adhered to strictly. |
Fresh study of the WTO agenda INDIA has been a member of the WTO for the last six and half years. As a successor to GATT, the WTO has a much larger agenda. This includes trade in commodities (the traditional area of GATT), and services, trade-related intellectual property rights (TRIPS), trade-related investment measures (TRIMS), agricultural trade and related developments (AOA) and sanitary and phytosanitary measures. The WTO has a grievance redressal mechanism and authority to enforce its decisions and punish defaulters through measures like cross retaliation. Its area of operation can be enlarged further by its apex body, the ministerial conference. In fact, the issues of human rights, labour standards and the environment are being attempted by many advanced countries to be included in the WTO agenda. In a way, therefore, it is an open-ended organisation. The formation of the WTO has led to the burial of the international agenda of the developing countries for restructuring the global economy. This agenda was signified by the demand for the creation of New International Economic Order (NIEO). The NIEO agenda included raising the trend of prices of primary products and their stabilisation in the global market through the creation of large commodity fund, preferential entry of manufactured exports from the developing countries in the market of advanced countries under the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP), ensuring enhanced concessional economic assistance to the developing countries from the advanced countries (at least 1 per cent of their GNP) and waiving the debt payment of those among the first category which were unable to make payments due to economic hardships. The NIEO agenda also included ensuring the transfer of appropriate technologies at concessional/affordable rates to developing countries and nationalisation of assets of foreign companies on the terms to be decided by the local judicial system. In addition, it was also demanded that a code of conduct should be imposed on multinational corporations (MNCs) operating in the developing countries, and the international monetary system should be reformed to make it function in favour of the disadvantaged nations. The NIEO agenda was formulated and got passed by G-77, the core group of the developing countries. The process began at Cairo in 1962 and got articulated in three successive meetings of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) held at Geneva (1964), New Delhi (1968) and Santiago (1972). Finally, at the sixth session of the UN General Assembly in May, 1974, the NIEO was adopted, though opposed by the USA. In articulating the various issues of the NIEO and for getting them passed at the UN General Assembly, India played a leading role. India could play this role because it was one of the pillars of the nonaligned movement and was being accepted as a leader by most of the developing countries. The Indian government was alive and very active both on the front as well as in the background. In the background a serious homework was being done in studying the objective reality through the involvement of various ministries such as Foreign Affairs, Planning and Commerce within the government, and the intellectuals active in the areas within the universities and research institutes. At the same time India coordinated, “its efforts with other developing countries through the forum of G-77. Before bringing these issues to world fora, they were discussed and debated from various perspectives. This input helped in thrashing the various ideas to give them concrete shape in the form of various resolutions. Once the issues became crystal clear, India led the developing countries in moving the resolutions and getting them passed. The size of India and its leadership role provided the country quite an envious position. This was the reason why India’s voice was heard carefully by the advanced countries. The formation of the WTO and its agenda represents reversal of the NIEO. The international economic order under the WTO does not allow any intervention towards stabilisation and raising of the prices of primary products, the main exports of the developing countries. At the same time all the preferences and concessions given to the developing countries for the entry of manufactured goods are abandoned. The WTO regime is for the promotion of free trade on the basis of competition and is against preferences to the developing countries’ exports. In place of liberal concessional loans and grants to these countries, the WTO is for the promotion of free flow of the capital of MNCs. The GATT Agreement-1994, running into several hundred pages, makes no mention of MNCs. Therefore, the question of imposing any code of conduct on them does not arise. At the same time, liberal concessional loans and grants are replaced by commercial lending in which there is no scope for waiving debt payments. On the issue of technology transfer, there is complete reversal. In the place of transferring technology on easy terms to developing countries there is a move to protect more vigorously the rights of inventors, mostly from the advanced countries. This has been done under the agreement on TRIPS. In the matter of foreign capital assets which could be nationalised by the developing countries on terms to be decided by them under the NIEO, they are strongly protected through TRIMS under the WTO regime. The WTO does not envision a reform of the international monetary system but firmly believes in the development of close cooperation and coordination with institutions like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The analysis of various issues and their treatment indicate that the NIEO aspired to change the international economic order in favour of the developing countries, treating them as unequal partners in the global community, while the WTO takes an opposite position and aspires to build an economic order on the basis of competition between various countries and economic players, assuming that they are competing in an environment fair and equitable to all. Being a leading exponent of the NIEO, India’s acceptance of the WTO has led many to believe that New Delhi has meekly surrendered to a position which it opposed for many decades. Within the country when opposition (led by farmers) began to build up against the WTO, it was projected by government circles that the prices of agricultural products would rise in the global market, resulting in gains to farmers. But it has happened otherwise, and India faces a problem of large stocks of foodgrains (40 million tonnes) purchased at prices higher than the world prices. These stocks are not sustainable due to the weak financial position of the government and have put a question mark on the sustainability of the minimum support prices (MSP) for most of the crops. The Union Government is trying to riggle out of the situation by its attempt to transfer this responsibility to the states. Anyhow, the outcome of the situation is contrary to what the government projected. This has led to loss of credibility of the government among the people. Now the Union Government’s core committee on the WTO has come out with the findings that India has not lost anything by joining the new world body. This is in the face of the declining prices of agricultural commodities in the global market, reported closure of several medium and small units, mounting unemployment and general slowdown in the economy. The country (that means the government) is not involved in the serious analysis of the global situation. Unlike its earlier role the government is not coordinating its efforts with other developing countries. In fact, India is reconciled to the present situation as the fate accompli. There is a feeling in the policy making circles that India is a minor player at the global level, and the advanced countries led by the USA call the shots. In spite of this, India has not filed a case against the USA in the WTO for retaining the Super 301 Act and the Burton-Helms Act. The Super 301 Act empowers the US government to take any action, including economic sanctions, against a country which, in the judgement of the US government, operates against US interests. The Burton-Helms Act empowers the US government to impose economic sanctions against any country dealing with Cuba. Both acts are violative of the WTO principles and GATT agreements. On the contrary, the USA filed a suit against India and forced it to withdraw quantitative restrictions on 1429 items, which was done in two phases. India’s experience with the WTO settlement mechanism shows that it had eight cases of dispute in which it lost three and won five. The cases won related to the export of textile garments and fish products but the lost vital cases related to quantitative restrictions on imports and those concerning intellectual property rights. On the issues of utilising safeguards within the WTO and dispute settlement, the country requires documentary evidence based on careful and sustained research. In these matters India has suffered a lot as economic support to the universities and research institutes has been slashed down reducing their functioning considerably. The data gathering agencies like the NSSO have suffered a loss in their credibility due to the efforts of the various governments to artificially demonstrate their performance compared to their rivals by distorting the data of these agencies. This is in addition to the resource crunch impairing their capacity to generate information/data in time. Consequently, India has no authentic information base on several aspects of the economy. For filing suits with the WTO, the country needs a strong information base of its own economy as well as those of its competitors. Building of internal strength and capability is the prerequisite to get support from other developing countries for the right cause of creating a just, fair and equitable international economic order. It is interesting to note that Brazil and South Africa have shown more confidence by raising the issue of patents (TRIPS) in medicines, particularly for the treatment of HIV/AIDS patients, and have got support from many quarters. One would expect India and its leadership to acquire confidence of the 1960s and the 1970s and lead the developing countries in the matter of North-South dialogue. The writer is Professor of Economics, Punjabi University, Patiala. |
Checking on the chin THE chin remains a puzzle. Why did it emerge? What purpose does it serve? Is it as redundant as the appendix? The chin is unique to human beings. What to say of primates, even Neanderthals didn’t have one. It appeared around 1,30,000 years back with the first anatomically modern people. Some scientists argue the chin aids mastication. But then its arrival did not coincide with any known shift in diet or subsistence pattern. Aesthetically, of course, the chin helps by setting off the face. As hair frames the top half of the face, the shadow of the chin marks the bottom. Without a chin, the lower face would merge with the neck, and face shape would blur. Yet aesthetics alone couldn’t be the whole explanation. Some believe the chin simply appeared when the muzzle retreated, much as islands emerged when sea level dropped. The mouth flattened, leaving a bony knob which, in time, grew into a full-fledged chin. The chin now comes in many shapes and sizes: soft, cleft, jutting, receding, dimpled, long. This variety helps multiply the range of possible faces. A good chin is crucial to looks. A slight one is particularly unattractive in men. In males, the chin grows during puberty in response to testosterone, so larger chins suggest the greater presence of testosterone. Sexual selection, it is made out, may have helped the growth of male chins — taking the shape of a sexually selected structure like the antlers of the elk. In fact the average size of chins has grown over the last 200 generations. Chins are expanding, not retreating. No wonder some modern men, burdened with small or receding chins, are taking recourse to chin augmentation through implants. A beard again can bolster a weak chin. Women happily place their double chins on the altar of beauty. In a chin-lift, surgeons pierce the flesh and remove fat, commonly with liposuction. What about chin ornamentation! Among Alaskan natives, women received chin tattoos (usually one to five vertical lines), as a hallmark of their nubility. And so did Maori women, inking just the chin; the tattoo deemed glamorous and erotic. |
Party slips, but govt is safe ADI Shankara’s biggest contribution has been his theory of two levels of reality — the common man’s virtual awareness of the universe and the ultimate reality of brahman as universe. The Vajpayee government provides as many as three realities — the widespread disillusionment at the popular level, repeated setbacks for the NDA parties at the state level and a perfectly safe sailing for its government in Parliament. In the new brand of politics, such incongruities are no more viewed as unusual. Two more parties have joined the coalition during the monsoon session. Mamata Banerjee is waiting for the signal to jump on to the bandwagon. There is talk of even Papu Yadav becoming a ministerial colleague of Vajpayee along with an assorted group of independent MPs. Why this great gold rush when the NDA’s stock is so low with the public? In the normal course, political parties should have delineated themselves from such formations to uphold their own identity. Barring Chandrababu Naidu’s Telugu Desam, no NDA camp follower has even made a pretence of such political nicety. Why? There are three explanations for this, each underlining the vastly changed political morality. First, rightly or wrongly, the parties seem to have lost faith in the very political karma. Once elected, one’s actions and performance have no effect on voters in the subsequent elections. Vote banks stratified on religious or caste lines and the local political dynamics would insulate them from the electoral consequences of their actions while in power. It was this trust that made the PMK of Tamil Nadu return to the NDA after changing sides twice. Mamata Banerjee knows that no one else can take away her anti-Left lumpen votes in West Bengal even if she defended the government’s massive stocks and UTI scams or the diplomatic fiasco. It is no so with ruling parties like the TDP and the Orissa BJD which have to tend their vast floating middle class votes. Hence such parties occasionally try course corrections. Second, despite the danger to the government at the popular level, the minor allies still find it ‘safe’ at the government level so that they can enjoy power so long as it lasts. Third, in their own states the allies have no political space outside the NDA and no opposition party can make sufficient political engineering to wean them away. Jayalalitha did so and reaped dividends. Such trappings apart, there are signs of suppressed uneasiness among BJP allies about the future. During the current session, they have been hesitant to come to the government’s rescue on issues like scandals. Some leaders have even begun lamenting the government’s loss of grip on issues and Vajpayee’s own fading image, right in the presence of newsmen. However, the rising numbers in Parliament have also added to Vajpayee’s worries. His plans for a Cabinet reshuffle had to be abandoned. Instead, he had to limit it to Ajit Singh. Mamata has been staking claims for more portfolios for her men apart from the return of her Railways. That will make Nitish Kumar jobless after Ajit Singh’s rightful demand for Agriculture was conceded. George Fernandes has begun throwing tantrums and Vajpayee cannot take the risk of a full-fledged reshuffle without him. Then there have been intense pressures from his own BJP claimants for ministerial positions. Vajpayee’s problems have multiplied with his own increasing fatigue and lack of confidence. A series of developments within the RSS parivar have brought about structural and functional changes within his establishment. He had to pay a heavy price for buying peace from the RSS hierarchy. In those happy days, the PMO under Brajesh Mishra had functioned fairly efficiently. Vajpayee had depended on his wise counsel and sense of judgement to resolve complex problems. As a team leader, Mishra had kept a watch on other ministries and coordinated decisions. He tried to ensure the insulation of the Prime Minister from lobbyists and power brokers. Mishra’s earlier role remains distributed among an undefinable set of leaders. It is so confusing that in this government, many people work simultaneously on similar subjects. Lack of a dependable functional support has led to lack of self-confidence. The government, which had moved with such bright ideas as Pokhran blasts and peace offensives, has now lost all initiatives. Much of its grandiose plans like super highways and economic advisory councils are falling into a similar category. Government leaders no more talk of ‘pro-active’ ventures. Instead, the responses are reactive in nature. Decisions on crucial issues are taken in a casual manner on the spur of a moment. To get out of the ceasefire syndrome, talks were offered to Musharraf as a face-saver. It agreed to the summit, again on impulses, without an agenda which, finally, led to a sure fiasco. Incidentally, the Vajpayee establishment’s decline coincided with his patch-up with the RSS. It proved to be a temporary gain and long-term loss to the Prime Minister. Under the patch-up formula, RSS chief Sudarshan, who has been frequently criticising the government’s economic policies’ was forced back to the barracks of Nagpur. Vajpayee insisted that he observe total maun which he obeyed. M.G. Vydya, pro-Vajpayee to the hilt, has been authorised to be the virtual RSS spokesman on issues relating to its relationship with the PMO. Since then, the once powerful Sudarshan has ceased to open up even to his organisational outfits. Govindacharya, the pracharak deputed to the BJP by the RSS, has been sent on Agnana Vas. Many in the RSS say that this once top BJP leader has been turned into a virtual mental wreck. The Swadeshi Jagran Manch and BMS, sharp critics of Vajpayee’s economic policies, have been under ‘ban’ order. This week, S. Gurumurthy complained to a TV channel about the way he is being muffled by the pro-government media. All this marked a decisive personal victory for Vajpayee over the once powerful RSS. The PM camp rightly interprets this as the emergence of a Vajpayee much larger than all RSS outfits put together. However, what was lost in the process was a healthy institution that had functioned as a balancing force within the parivar establishment. Along with this, all traces of dissent, honest criticism and culture of wider consensus have been successfully eliminated. For some time, the RSS outfits through their criticism had taken the role of the opposition. It was then interpreted as the parivar appropriating both the government and opposition roles for itself. The devaluation of the RSS has caused a wide wedge within the parivar. Aggrieved RSS leaders gleefully refer to the BJP setbacks in recent elections. They attribute this to the non-participation of the parivar outfits in the BJP campaign. There seems to be a sort of unintended convergence of interests among various political players. Elimination of dissent has given the Prime Minister a totally free hand which creates an ideal climate for flounderings and fiascos. His parivar adversaries are waiting in wings with their “I-told-yous”. Vajpayee derives more strength from a badly divided opposition which is even unable to effect an informal floor coordination. Having lost all hopes of doing anything worthwhile in the present Lok Sabha, they are simply waiting for the government to commit more bunglings and get unpopular. Thus the present drift suits everyone. |
‘Gadar’: why spread hatred? I saw “Gadar” last week and my instant reaction was that it was a nice movie. But later after pondering over it for some time, I asked myself: what was nice about it any way? Is the hatred between India and Pakistan any less that you need a movie to instigate the people further ? The only parts where the audience was seen clapping in the movie were the ones where Muslim were getting beaten or abused or where we were being shown superior to the Pakistanis. Come to think of it : if you make a movie which is basically a love story and you take India-Pakistan problems as a hurdle in the love story, then in the end why close it only with a happy ending of the love story, why not make some efforts to drive away the hurdle too. I don’t deny that what we have received from Pakistan is not something that we deserved or relished; but what do you expect: will provocation of anti-feelings help us in any way ? The director of Gadar might think that he has made a movie bringing out the virtues of Indians but, excuse me, people are liking the movie not because of this but simply because of the vices of Pakistan being depicted in the movie. I am surprised that a movie like this has gone on to become a blockbuster and has surpassed the records of “Kaho Na Pyar Hai” “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai”, movies which taught us what true love is or even a movie like “Lagaan” which instead of concentrating on the vices of the British brought out the qualities of Indians. So do we conclude that people today are concentrating more on hatred than on love. It seems so. It is high time that we realise that all this hatred will lead us nowhere — only to war and bloodshed. It was a pity that parents took their little kids to see such a film. Kids who may not even understand what the basic problem is between India and Pakistan; but after seeing this movie must have concluded: Pakistan is bad. I remember my last trip to Lahore, when the little one in the household of our hosts showed us his school book in which Kafir Indians had been abused right and left; and we were telling our Pak friends that we do not have such utterances in our books. I now think that our conclusions or declarations were obviously wrong. We are spreading venom in the name of entertainment. What has happened, has happened and should be forgotten. We have already suffered, they have also suffered, why do we want our future generations to suffer too ? We have already lost thousands of our dear ones but this will only make us lose hundred thousands more if you continue like this. Why do we want Indian kids to grow up with hatred ? If you can’t do anything to stop all these feelings at least don’t pour oil on the fire. Coach Lou Holtz was very correct when he said: “Life is 10 per cent what happens to me and 90 per cent how I react to it”. Movie like “Gadar”, which deal with just jingoism and nothing else, shouldn’t be made in the first place, leave alone being banned. I guess all directors who make movies are more mature than I am; and if a 19-year-old girl can think like this, why can’t they and the people around? We all say that we love our country and that we are very patriotic but if you can still see Indian soldiers fighting and getting killed in the wars inflicted due to sheer vengeance then I don’t know what kind of patriotism is this. |
Lovers’ marriages last longer DIAMOND anniversary or divorce court? Researchers suggest that the long-term health of a marriage is rooted in a couple’s level of love and commitment as they say their “I do’s”. “A successful marriage is one that has maintained a high level of affection (right from the start), where both partners behave as lovers and stay that way,” said study lead author Ted L. Huston of the University of Texas at Austin. Huston and his colleagues followed the long-term relationships of 168 married couples, interviewing partners when they first married, through the first two years of married life, and finally 13 years after they had taken their vows. Participants were asked about their feelings toward their spouse and the marriage in general. Writing in Current Directions in Psychological Science, Huston says couples who were happily together 13 years into their marriage had been in tune with each other from the very beginning. In contrast, those who were unhappily married reported having a more negative and/or ambivalent relationship toward each other when interviewed as newlyweds. The investigators also point out that, whether good or bad, the general tone of relationships did not change over time, with the exception that those who ultimately had a happy marriage “began to see their partner as having a less contrary nature than they did when first married, whereas spouses in the other categories did not change their views of their partner’s contrariness.” Among couples headed for divorce, some stayed married longer because they appeared to have unrealistically romantic levels of affection and love as newlyweds. Men and women in these types of relationships initially seemed resistant to recognising and focusing on their spouse’s less appealing qualities or on their own growing disenchantment with the marriage. In contrast, couples who experienced friction at the very outset of a marriage headed for the exits at a much quicker pace. The authors theorise that these couples entered into marriage hoping that the simple act of ‘tying the knot’ would turn discord into bliss — only to leave the relationship when this proved futile. The researchers conclude that partners who maintain long, happy marriages carry between them a deep love, affection and attachment — feelings that first began during courtship. He said the couples headed for the rockiest road are those who either had an extremely long or extremely short courtship prior to marriage. “Either they don’t know each other very well or it’s a long road to marriage, not because they are learning so much about each other but because they have real problems in the relationship that they’re trying to put aside in order to marry.”
Reuters |
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How to stop snoring IF snoring is blighting you or your bedfellow’s life, the following tips may bring some blessed silence to your nights. Because excess weight is the most common snoring-aggravator, losing weight sensibly and taking regular exercise will improve your breathing and fitness. You should also stop smoking - a habit that not only alters your breathing patterns, but can cause serious respiratory conditions. Having an alcoholic nightcap is not a good idea, and although a glass of cold milk or a hot milky drink at bedtime helps many people drift off to sleep, excess milk can increase mucus production in others, so it may be worth steering clear of milk at night to see if you can establish a link. Other people find that their snoring is aggravated by certain food additives, such as colourings and monosodium glutamate (MSG), so monitor your intake of these. On occasion, snoring can cause more extreme problems. I have several patients whose lives are actually seriously disrupted by something called obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), a chronic condition. OSA causes sleep to be disturbed hundreds of times a night, both by snoring and the temporary cessation of breathing. If your life is being seriously affected by snoring, I suggest that you ask your doctor to refer you to a sleep specialist, who will advise you about medication and may even recommend surgery. On the subject of medication, note that prescription sleeping pills can often make matters worse, while certain natural remedies, such as garlic (if you can’t bear the taste, try garlic tablets) and sweet cicely, lavender or marjoram essential oils, can act as powerful decongestants. Oral cancer According to the British Dental Association, oral cancer is on the increase in the UK among the under-45s. One of the best ways in which to reduce the risk of developing the disease is to pay an annual trip to your dentist, who will check your mouth for any early symptoms of oral cancer by feeling for swollen glands around the throat and neck and looking for mouth ulcers or red or white patches within the mouth. There may be more at stake than your dental health. The Observer |
Reduction in court fees THE Court Fees Act, passed by the Punjab Legislature this month, will, it is notified, come into force in the Delhi Province with effect from the 19th July. It may be recalled that this Act reduces the court fees to the old rates in cases of suits of the value of Rs 500 and below. The Punjab District Boards (Amendment Act, 1925, is also extended to the Delhi Province after the omission of section. |
O my True Lord, what is there That is not to be found in Thy House? In Thy House are all riches; He to whom Thou givest receiveth; He will sing Thy Glories for ever And house Thy Name in his heart. Heavenly Music resoundeth, In the hearts where the Lord indwelleth, Saith Nanak: O my True Lord, What is there, that is not to be found in Thy House. — Sri Guru Amar Das, Anand Sahib ***** Gracious Master, help me To be slow to notice earth's discords, and swift to respond to its music. May my voice take on a charrier tone, and my words of praise help to make the way smoother for those whose lives touch mine. — Charlotte Skinner, The Marks of the Master, chapter IX ***** O Lord, in Thee I have taken refuge: Since I have seen Thee, I have no more doubts, Without my speaking it Thou knewest my sorrow. Thou didst cause me to meditate on Thy Name, My sorrow is gone, I have attained the bliss of oneness with Thee Through singing Thy praises. Holding me by the arm, Thou hast guided me out of Maya's Blind maze and the trap of my wordly attachments. Nanak saith: The Guru hath broken my fetters; I who was separated am united with the Lord. — Sri Guru Arjan Dev, Rag Sarang. Sri Guru Granth Sahib, page 1218 ***** Meditation is - the gathering of self knowledge and the dispelling of ignorance; the pathway to inner peace; the restoration of love for your self; the act of creating quality thoughts and feelings; rediscovering that place of eternal, unchanging stillnes within; the best way for extremely busy people to stay cool, calm and focussed. — B.K. Jayanti, "Extremely Busy People Learn Meditation", Purity ***** Eight powers are specifically developed through Raja Yoga The power to tolerate; The power to face obstacles; The power to accommodate; The power to cooperate; The power to discriminate; The power to judge; The power to pack up waste thoughts in soul consciousness, and The power to withdraw thoughts even while I perform my activity. — Practical Meditation (A Brahma Kumaris' publication) |
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