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Thursday,
February 28, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Highlighting growth capacity No FDI in print media Fighting plague |
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The India-Pakistan standoff
Best of times; worst of times
Our falling national character
If your sight is failing, eat your greens
Performance-boosters may hit brain
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Highlighting growth capacity Despite the oft-repeated claims by Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha, the economic performance of the country has been quite disappointing during 2001-2002. This is the crux of the annual Economic Survey released on Tuesday. The Ninth Five Year Plan (1997-2002) is unlikely to achieve the growth target of 6.5 per cent; it may be down by over 1 per cent. There has been lacklustre implementation of the economic reforms initiated in 1991. The result is that there is no hope for an early end to the all-round recession preventing the economy from growing on expected lines. The second generation reforms needed to be speeded up, but the NDA government had, perhaps, no time to concentrate on this aspect. Hence a depressed industrial climate. Jobs are few and far between, with people beginning to question the very purpose of the policy changes introduced courageously by the Narasimha Rao government with Dr Manmohan Singh in the driver's seat. It was then expected that the government would ensure growth based on a labour-intensive policy, and not on a capital-intensive one, keeping in view the special requirement of the country. What has happened all these years is just the opposite of it. There has been no improvement in the situation during the present regime too. In fact, the employment problem worsened in 2001-2002. The incontrovertible proof has been provided by an unprecedented poor placement record of the country's premier engineering and business schools, including the IIMs. The survey has very little to make the people cheer up. To say that the economy is capable of achieving high growth rates "through further deepening of the economic reforms process" will not do. Agreed that the international recessionary climate came in the way of the Indian economy to perform better. But what did the government do to help the wheels of industry move at a faster pace? Except for the encouraging achievements in the telecommunications sector, not much has been accomplished so far. The funds available for investment are still costlier in India than in the developed world. Adequate and trouble-free power supply is unthinkable. This is one of the major inhibiting factors in the case of fresh investments from foreign sources and also from within the country. The survey says that the efforts aimed at reforming the power sector have produced the desired fruits in a few states, but it hides the picture in the context of the country as a whole. The small-scale industry, which generates the maximum employment opportunities, has been a great sufferer because of the poor quality of power supply. It is mainly populist politics which has been coming in the way of speedy power sector reforms. The survey admits that this sector has failed to attract sufficient commercial investment as the revenue generated is not even equal to the cost of supply. There is, therefore, need for restructuring the user charges besides finding ways to eliminate the transmission losses, including those through theft. Besides this, agriculture needs to be given extra attention as foodgrain stocks are rising (currently these stand at 60 million tonnes) though there is a slowdown in production. Its high export potential must be exploited to bring about a new dynamism in the farm sector. Things are likely to improve with the elimination of curbs on the inter-state movement of agricultural produce as announced earlier. |
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No FDI in print media The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology had stunned the print media in January by recommending limited foreign direct investment in the newspaper industry. It was widely presumed that the standing committee had been pressurised into going back on its earlier stand on the sensitive issue. According to a report carried by a section of the Press, the committee has again done a flip flop, this time against foreign equity participation. If what has been reported is based on reliable information, the print media has much to celebrate. Saying no to foreign direct investment in this sensitive sector means that the Indian Press would remain relatively free. Relatively, because as recent trends have shown, the days of complete neutrality are over. There are only a handful of newspapers, including The Tribune, that have not compromised the freedom to report faithfully and fearlessly on issues concerning the general well-being of the people. There are some big players who give the impression of having turned newspapers into a medium of political and financial lobbying. It was this section that was leading the campaign for allowing foreign direct investment in the print media. The standing committee that met on Tuesday had before it two reports to choose from. One was strongly against outside interests influencing the editorial policy of Indian newspapers. The other favoured 26 per cent foreign equity participation with the guarantee that overall control would remain in Indian hands. The standing committee rightly felt that it is not possible to stop the person who pays the piper from calling the tune. The decision to reject FDI in the newspaper industry is in harmony with a 1955 Cabinet Resolution, later re-adopted by Rajiv Gandhi and Mr P. V. Narasimha Rao. Limited foreign participation would have resulted in indirect intervention in the print media. The next step would have been influencing the editorial policy of the newspaper that accepted foreign cash in the name of upgrading technology or for infusing greater professionalism among Indian journalists. A survey commissioned by a group of large newspapers in Delhi showed that 34 of the 50 major newspapers were opposed to FDI in the print media. Yet the 16 newspapers representing a combined circulation of 23.7 per cent tried to browbeat the government into ignoring the popular view. In January it appeared that the government had indeed been influenced into supporting what is without any iota of doubt a step that had the potential to compromise national security. Before the month of February was over the standing committee had the good sense to accept that it had backed a wrong cause. However, the mischief-makers may not give up easily. The committee has given a week's time to the members to submit their notes of dissent, if any, before the report is formally tabled in the two Houses of Parliament. Hopefully, most members of the committee would stand by the majority decision against FDI in the print media. |
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Fighting plague The highly infectious disease, originating from the Rohru area of Shimla district and officially described as plague, has claimed one more life, taking the toll to five. This has given the lie to the official claims that the disease had been contained. The latest victim, Krishan Singh, who lived in Kansal village, near Chandigarh, and came in contact with a plague patient in the PGI itself, could not be diagnosed immediately. Fresh cases of suspected plague are of all those who came in contact with him either during his hospitalisation or cremation at his village near Mansa. They include his wife and daughter, apart from a nurse of a private hospital in Mohali, all now admitted to the PGI. The health employees who treated these patients have been kept in quarantine. Kansal village, where Krishan Singh lived, has been virtually sealed and the residents have been given antibiotics. As a precautionary measure, the U.T. Administrator, Lieut-Gen J.F.R Jacob (retd), has sent all those employees of the Chandigarh Administration living in Kansal village on leave for four to six days. The village school has been closed. All this has caused a scare and concern among the people in general and the residents of the affected areas in particular. While failure to observe the prescribed guidelines in handling the suspected plague patients and in the cremation of the victims can be seen, this is not the time for fault-finding or apportioning blame. Given the tricky nature of the disease and its deadly reach, the health and administrative staff engaged in taking preventive measures deserve full public cooperation as also gratitude. The PGI Director has taken the right initiative to give appropriate incentives to the staff performing not just their duty but a social obligation at a great risk to their personal well-being. A public awareness
campaign needs to be launched. Since the disease is treatable and there seems to be no dearth of medicines, all that is required is timely diagnosis, taking the prescribed preventive measures and ensuring official coordination. Any panic buying of antibiotics will only complicate the situation. The media can contribute by sticking to facts, cross-checking these when in doubt with the competent medical authorities and exercising restraint in reporting fresh cases, if any. The district-level medical authorities can avoid burdening the health network at the PGI by not referring each and every case to this institution. Besides, this exposes the patient to others and may further spread the disease. The need for having self-sufficient health infrastructure at the district level and an operation clean-up at the village, town and city levels has become all too obvious. |
The India-Pakistan standoff On February 15 soldiers of 7 Jat Regiment from the Army’s 16 Corps gunned down 14 heavily armed Pakistani jihadis who were attempting to infiltrate across the Line of Control in the Poonch sector. The terrorists carried large quantities of sophisticated weapons, ammunition, communications equipment and explosives. Identification cards and other documents that were recovered from some of them showed that they were Pakistani nationals drawn from groups like the Lashkar-e-Toiba, Al-Badr, and the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen. The terrorists struck back the next day, gunning down unarmed Hindu villagers in Rajouri. Not surprisingly, the terrorists followed the example set by General Musharraf and his Man Friday, Major General Rashid Quraishi. They promptly claimed that the Indian Army had killed the villagers in order to discredit the jihadis!! It is now obvious that General Musharraf has forgotten all that he piously promised on January 12 about putting an end to all terrorist activities undertaken from the areas controlled by his government. The strategy that General Musharraf intends to adopt on Jammu and Kashmir is now coming into clearer focus. The events of September 11 and December 13 have led to a situation where the international community would not countenance terrorist actions like the October 1 attack on the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, or the subsequent attack on the Parliament complex. Further, the jihadi terrorist groups like the Lashkar-e-Toiba have to be more circumspect. They can no longer have confidence as in the past even in the Jammu region. The Indian Army has now replaced the BSF on the border and will retaliate in more than equal measure if its posts are shelled. That General Musharraf is still determined to persist with his jihad in J&K should be evident from the fact that despite all these limitations in the post-December 13 scenario, the ISI is making every effort to infiltrate well-armed and trained terrorists across the LoC. The post-December 13 international environment has also led to a demoralisation of misguided Kashmiri youth who have taken to militancy. There are now increasing signs that these youths and their families recognise that the international community frowns upon resort to violence and that they should give up this path. But many of these youths and their families have been warned by the Pakistani jihadis of serious consequences if they do not play ball. They are thus being coerced to continue their involvement in terrorism. Even today over 70 per cent of those involved in terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir are not Kashmiri youths but ISI-trained Pakistani nationals. There are also a few thousand such jihadis in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir prepared to cross the LoC. It is also a matter of time before hundreds from among those the Bush Administration so generously allowed to be airlifted and escape from Kunduz in Afghanistan join these terrorists in J&K. The ISI will spare no effort to see that its armed jihadis in J&K intimidate and coerce people in the state and prevent them from voting in the assembly elections scheduled for the second half of this year. Similar tactics will be used to prevent the leaders of the Hurriyat Conference from participating in the elections. The Hurriyat is after all made up of two categories of leaders. The first group is ideologically pro-Pakistani. The second lot comprises people who echo the Pakistani view and fall in line with Pakistani demands because of fear of the bullet. The Pakistani aim will be to get the Hurriyat raise demands that New Delhi just cannot agree to. The local Press in J&K is similarly being infiltrated and intimidated. New Delhi would also have to carefully analyse the long-term impact of demographic changes and the mushrooming of fundamentalist madarasas now taking place in the Jammu region. There is no dearth of armchair strategists and well-meaning individuals in Delhi and elsewhere who have little appreciation of these ground realities. They appear to believe that if only New Delhi would pamper the Hurriyat Conference and marginalise Dr Farooq Abdullah’s National Conference a political settlement addressing the “alienation” of the people of Kashmir would be round the corner. It is nobody’s case that the National Conference government has been a model one. I recall the late Rajiv Gandhi telling me in 1989 that though huge funds had been sanctioned to the J&K government for flood relief, it had a track record of misusing development funds. Despite this, the fact remains that it is the National Conference alone that has shown the courage to face terrorist bullets and a commitment to the secular ethos of our society. One hopes that as the torch of leadership of the National Conference passes to a new generation, the party will be more sensitive and responsive to people’s concerns and aspirations on development issues. It is now evident that General Musharraf is stalling for time in fulfilling the commitments he made about fighting terrorism on January 12. The Daniel Pearl affair has raised questions about his credibility, sincerity and effectiveness. Omar Sheikh did after all surrender to the Home Secretary of Punjab, Brigadier Ejaz Shah, on February 5. Shah was a close confidante of General Aziz Khan when the latter was Corps Commander, Lahore. Significantly Brigadier Shah was the head of the ISI operations in Punjab before being appointed the Home Secretary of Punjab after the army takeover of October 12. It is inconceivable that General Musharraf, General Aziz and ISI chief Lieut-General Ehsan-ul-Haq did not know of Omar Sheikh’s revelations about the killing of Pearl well before General Musharraf left for his pilgrimage to the White House. General Musharraf cannot, however, allow all this to become public and controversial in the weeks ahead. The only question is whether the Bush Administration will also seek to sweep all this under the carpet, as it did in the Kunduz airlift. New Delhi is under no pressure and should be in no hurry to turn the heat off General Musharraf. It is still debatable as to whether the massive deployment on the border was the only option available to us to militarily turn the heat on Pakistan after December 13. Those who argue that continued deployment of our troops on the border is unprecedented and provocative will, however, do well to remember that such deployments for prolonged periods were the order of the day for years on the Sino-Soviet border and on the NATO-Warsaw Pact borders. American and South Korean troops have likewise remained eyeball to eyeball with the North Koreans for nearly half a century now. The Pakistan army and the ISI will have to exercise the maximum restraint in supporting cross-border terrorism as long as the Indian Army remains deployed on Pakistan’s borders. And given the heinous crimes that Omar Sheikh has now admitted to have committed there should be no let-up in our demand for the deportation of the most wanted criminals and terrorists now living in Lahore, Karachi, Rawalpindi and elsewhere in Pakistan. The American war against terrorism is now entering a new phase. The bulk of the Taliban and Al-Qaeda leadership have escaped into Pakistan. There is also no dearth of people both within and outside the military-bureaucratic elite and in the right-wing political parties and jihadi groups in Pakistan who will regroup and challenge the international community. The real challenge the world community faces is on how to deal with the attempts these elements will together make to undermine the already fragile and fractured power structure in Afghanistan. General Musharraf will hopefully learn that he cannot forever run with the hare and hunt with the hounds. He cannot fight terrorism within his country and prevent its proponents from acting in Afghanistan and indeed worldwide while at the same time giving them a free run with ISI assistance in Jammu and Kashmir. |
Best of times; worst of times Those were the best of times. Those were the worst of times. This Dickensian cliche ran across my mind several times while watching the tortuous battle of the ballot recently. Not perhaps to the liking of some this quinquennial democratic visitation called the Election nudges the silent and nonchalant electorate into once again exercising the ultimate right and duty of casting a vote — an innocent press of the button which aggregates to usher in and usher out the fortunes of the contending protagonists at the centre stage. While the political executive at the hustings is engaged in a do-or-die battle either to come to power or to stay in it, the general populace watches them from the safety of the stands while the gladiatorial fight goes on to the finish. The bureaucratic executive are not bothered any more with nocturnal telephonic calls for favours from the political counterparts. The entire administrative machinery is left alone to enjoy the spectacle. With the political bosses having gone to the front lines the lesser mortals sit back and relax while pushing an odd file here and there — their raison d’ etre. A morning scan of the newspapers fills one with enough excitement for the day. The mud-slinging, the skullduggery and pulverising invectives exchanged by politicians make for interesting reading. When the mighty take on the mighty the playing field becomes even. The public at large relishes the calumny and the dust that the election kicks up and vicariously enjoy the rise and fall of regimes. It is not the music of accusations alone which is enjoyable. It is the claims and counter-claims that appear equally interesting. With the arch-rivals claiming sweeping successes for themselves it is interesting to realise how ill-founded egos burst a few days later releasing an obnoxious scent of foul air. Every gullible politician is made to think that the icing belongs to him whereas in fact it belongs to the voter who administers democratic justice to the best of his wisdom. The voter may enjoy the hospitality of a Tom, Dick or Harry but scarcely abdicates his right to make the correct choice at a given point of time — often with sensational outcome. And they are entitled to this democratic catharsis — their solitary gain. The hustle and bustle of election times which gives employment to thousands of persons collapses by the clock. And that ends an exciting chapter in public life. The bureaucrat before settling down to his routine once again gets a feeling that “men may come and men may go but I go on for ever”. The electorate gets a chance to do and undo things or at least to have a catharsis — certainly the best of times for them and those who come in riding their piggybacks. For the outgoing, obviously the worst of times. |
Our falling national character The greatest contradiction of our times is that on the one hand, we are at the pinnacle of advancement of science and technology and on the other, in the matter of morals, human values and character, we are touching the nadir of degradation. We generally define the word “character” in a limited and narrow sense. If someone misbehaves with a woman, we call him a “bad character” but if someone is engaged in blackmarketing, hoarding, corruption, adulteration or smuggling, gives or accepts bribe, proves treacherous to the nation, spreads class hatred, promotes differences of creed, caste, colour, language or region, or does not show any civic sense, we do not denounce him as a bad character. The word “character” has a much wider meaning. It is not merely a quality, it is a way of life. Our character is the result of our conduct. It envisages our ways of thinking, way of earning our livelihood, way of discharging our duties, fulfilling our obligations to society, way of achieving our ambitions and aspirations, way of our behaving or dealing with our relatives, neighbours and other fellow beings, our way of discharging our responsibilities towards our family, town, society and the nation. In fact, all our activities, mental as well as physical, come under the purview of character. Social customs and outlook on life may change from country to country but the basic moral and human values remain the same all over the world as these concern noble qualities of man, irrespective of colour, creed, culture or materialistic advancement or backwardness. If someone does not fulfil his obligations to his family, his fellow-beings, his town, his country and humanity at large, or is engaged in evils such as corruption, blackmarketing etc, he or she is only a bad character and should be denounced as such. It is a pity that society does not adopt a responsibility attitude in dealing with these bad characters. We silently suffer and bear them as a necessary evil and conveniently leave the matter to be dealt with by the government, and disown any responsibility, or express our helplessness in this regard. This callous attitude on the part of society is not correct, because the government, in spite of all the power at its command and all its efforts in this direction, will fail to deal with these bad characters. These evils have permeated deep in society and only society can eradicate them. Due to the lack of public vigilance and co-operation, even hardened criminals go scot-free from the clutches of the law and consequently their nefarious activities go on multiplying. Thus the evils go unchecked and unabated and the ‘bad characters’ indulging in them keep flourishing. This fact, in itself, is a slur on our national character. Public opinion has to be roused against the crimes of these ‘bad characters’ so that society, instead of looking up to the government or blaming it, condemns them and brings them to book for punishment under the law. Tolerating evil is nothing short of evil. |
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If your sight is failing, eat your greens I was never very interested in food as a child, but I do remember being encouraged to eat plenty of carrots to help me see in the dark. Not all nutritional folklore is supported by sound science, but this one is: carrots are loaded with the nutrient betacarotene, and the vitamin A this may convert to in the body is indeed important for night vision. In recent years, science has begun to examine more closely the link between diet and eyesight. In particular, researchers have been busy identifying the true causes of deteriorating eyesight, in an attempt to discover ways of protecting against eye disease. It turns out that the humble carrot, in addition to helping with night sight, has other ocular benefits up its sleeve. The latest research suggests that consuming carrots and other deeply coloured vegetables may do much to preserve our visual powers as we age. Much of the scientific community’s recent research into the links between diet and eye health has focused on a condition known as macular degeneration. The macula is part of the retina, the structure at the back of the eye that essentially fulfils the same function as film in a camera. The macula `sees’ whatever our eye is focusing on, and is responsible for our most detailed and intricate vision. However, as with all the other parts of our body, the macula can be subject to the vagaries of time. Damage to the macular as we age can give rise to a condition known as age-related macular degeneration (AMD). AMD tends to be one of those conditions you don’t hear about until you have it. Yet despite its relative obscurity, it is actually the most common cause of visual deterioration and blindness in the developed world. For a long time, AMD has been viewed as a natural part of the ageing process, and a condition about which we could do very little. However, a better understanding of what actually causes AMD has thrown up some very promising possibilities for its treatment and prevention. In recent years, scientists have discovered that AMD is related to molecules known as free radicals. Free radicals are natural by-products of the biochemical and physiological processes that keep us alive. Essentially waste products, free radicals are believed to be the major players in the damage characteristic of AMD. However, these rogue molecules don’t get it all their own way in the body. The effects of free radicals are tempered by substances known as antioxidants, many of which are nutrients. The good news is that upping our intake of antioxidants appears to help protect against AMD. The antioxidants that appear to offer most potential in this respect are a class of compounds known as the carotenoids. The most famous of the carotenoids is betacarotene. However, its relatives lutein and zeaxanthin also seem to protect the eyes from free radical attack. Carotenoids are found in dark-green and orange-yellow vegetables, such as spinach, broccoli, squash, and of course, carrots. Not surprisingly, more than one study has found that high levels of carotenoids in the system appear to protect against AMD. It appears that eating plenty of carrots and other carotenoid-rich veggies is a worthwhile insurance policy against visual problems later in life. Our diet offers more potential for the preservation of our eyesight in the form of wine. One study published recently found that as little as two to 12 glasses of red or white wine per year might reduce the risk of AMD by up to a half. While it is not known for sure what the protective factor is, wine is known to contain substances called flavonoids that do have antioxidant action in the body. Although very moderate wine consumption appears to be beneficial, it is not known whether more is better. Nevertheless, it does seem likely that the occasional glass of wine has benefits for our eyes. While the right diet might offer real potential for protecting against AMD, I generally recommend a more aggressive approach for individuals who already have signs of this condition. Supplements of eye-supporting nutrients may provide benefits in addition to those provided by dietary change. In fact, a study published last year found that taking a supplement containing betacarotene and other antioxidants (vitamins C and E) significantly reduces the risk of severe AMD in those who might be highly susceptible to this condition. For those interested in affording themselves the best protection, I usually recommend a supplement called OcuPlus. This has been specifically formulated with macular degeneration in mind, and contains a complex of all the nutrients associated with a reduced risk of AMD. By arrangement with The Observer |
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Performance-boosters may hit brain Just how dangerous is the practice of taking dope to strengthen your chances at an athletic meet? The risk is rather large. Take the case of a cyclist who suffered a blood clot in the brain after taking a proscribed drug. This incident has been reported in the journal Neurology, according to BBC. Athletes competing at the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City have tested positive for a similar drug. The man in question was a Spanish. He suffered a severe headache which was later diagnosed as a "cerebral sinus thrombosis." Doctors ultimately discovered that he had been taking a cocktail of drugs and vitamins, including the banned drug erythropoietin (EPO). This combination raises the proportion of red blood cells in the blood which in turn enables the athlete to carry more oxygen from the lungs to the muscles. In the process, performance, particularly in endurance events, gets a boost. But the problem is that because of the increased proportion of red cells, the blood becomes more dense and viscous. In all likelihood, blood clots form as a consequence and block blood vessels. The cyclist's case is symptomatic of this chain of cause and effect.
ANI Low birth-weight kids face problems Children with low birth weight not only have increased academic difficulties persisting into adolescence, but also have
behavioral problems, says a new study. Finnish researchers found that children who are smaller than average at birth experience more failures at school than do their average-sized peers. Doctors studied 106 children whose birth weight was below the 2.5th percentile of the fetal growth chart. They were compared with 105 children born at average weight. The researchers speculated that the children who were small at birth would have some lingering effects, but the results of the study highlighted many more problems, says a report in Ivanhoe. Children were given IQ tests, observed by researchers, graded by teachers for behavioural issues and assessed by family members for behavior and learning problems. Surprisingly, say researchers, academic success and behavior were both affected by low birth weight. The teacher's assessments showed the children born at lower weights had more inattentiveness and restlessness during class. About 25 per cent of those children had academic problems while only 14 per cent of the comparison group had learning issues. The researchers say this study points out the overall intelligence of small-for-gestational-age children was lower than their average peers. They say low birth weight needs to be considered by physicians as a risk factor for poor performance at school.
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Mend a quarrel. Search out a forgotten friend. Dismiss suspicion and replace it with thrust. Share some treasure. Give a soft answer. Manifest your loyalty in a word or deed. Keep a promise. Find the Time. Forego a grudge. Forgive an enemy. Apologise if you were wrong. Try to understand. Flout envy. Examine your demand on others. Think first of someone else. Laugh little more. Take up arms against malice. Decry complacency. Express your gratitude. Worship your god. Gladden the heart of a child. Take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of the earth. Speak your love. Speak it again. Speak it still again. Speak it still once again. — Swami Chidananda, 'On this Day' Forget not the Name of the Lord, O Friend, Or else you will sink in the ocean of sorrow. Immersed you are in lust and anger, day and night; And plough the baron soil of attachment and avarice. A man of property you become, amassing pelf and riches. Then death, the leveller comes And wipes off all you possess. Says Paltu: In what elaborate plans are you engaged? Sudden will be the onslaught of Death when it comes. — Sant Paltu, "Ram ke naam se bhulna nahin hai" He who serves the True Guru attains his object and is liberated through the practice of the Word. Whoever receives the Lord's mercy practices the Guru's Word. He who always utters the Name of God is at peace in this world and the next. — Sri Guru Granth Sahib, page 597, 672, 683 |
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