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Tuesday,
May 28, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Congress
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The
hostage drama THE only laudable part of the five-day-long hostage drama enacted by the defiant activists of the Bhartiya Kisan Union at Kandela village in Jind district of Haryana is that it has ended peacefully. That the agitators have refused to lift the Chandigarh-Jind road blockade indicates the trouble is not yet over. The BKU is within its democratic rights to protest and air its grievances. As long as it does so within the legal limits, no one should mind it.
Looking
for next President
Swat
attack!
Islam
allows religious freedom India can’t scrap Indus Water Treaty: Pak PAKISTAN Foreign Ministry officials have rejected India’s threat to scrap the Indus Water Treaty as a hoax prompted by war hysteria which could not be taken to mean that New Delhi would use water as a weapon, according to a Dawn report. Testosterone levels may cause autism EXCESS amounts of testosterone in mothers’ wombs may cause their babies to suffer autism in later life. This startling theory has been put forward by Cambridge scientists who have discovered that the hormone — which is primarily found in men, but also in low levels in women — is linked to children’s abilities to communicate and empathise with others. Fatigued brains switch to “Auto-Pilot” NEXT time you feel tired and fatigues after a days work, stop right there. Research now says that mentally fatigued individuals are more likely to make errors, repeat mistakes and search less systematically for solutions than their rested counterparts, reported Cosmiverse.
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Congress in waiting mode THE mood at the one-day session of the All-India Congress Committee on Sunday at the Talkatora Stadium in Delhi was upbeat. And why not? Members of any party that is in power in 14 states, without really having done much to explain its popularity, are bound to feel the way most Congress workers and leaders have begun to feel lately. But that is the way the wheels of Indian politics move. One party’s mistakes help the other win. Blind anti-Congressism by the left-of-the Centre parties created a vacuum that the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance has filled. Now it is the turn of the Congress to simply wait and watch the anti-NDA wave build up across the length and breadth of the country. The wave is indeed building up slowly and the BJP and its allies are themselves responsible for it. There has been some criticism of the culture of sycophancy that was on show at the Talkatora session. However, there are some traits that are common to most frontline political parties. In the Indian context few leaders have had the stature to treat party colleagues as equals. The Congress in its formative years was, of course, packed with leaders, each more capable than the other. That is why there has always been a steady flow of leaders, a trend that gained momentum when Indira Gandhi shed the pretence of encouraging inner-party democracy, seeking a future outside the Congress. That is why most of the non-Congress Prime Ministers were mostly former Congressmen. In a manner of speaking, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee is the first non-Congress Prime Minister who may complete a full term in spite of rumblings from within. The primary reason why the mood among the Congressmen at the Talkatora Stadium was upbeat had something to do with the inept handling of sensitive issues by the NDA in general and Prime Minister Vajpayee in particular. The clumsy damage control measures after the Tehelka tapes was among the series of recent events that made the people sit up and take a close hard look at the claims of the BJP as the party with a difference. The wave of hate crimes that engulfed Gujarat added to the ruling alliance’s woes. However, it is the apparent backing off after building up so much hype about “aar ya paar ki larayi” with Pakistan may prove to be the last straw on the camel’s back. The popular mood, not always based on sound logic, was in favour of an
all-out war for avenging the December 13 attack on the Indian Parliament and subsequent acts of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. However, in a unipolar world the green signal usually comes from America. The Congress leadership knows that it is only a matter of time for it to be returned to power. Indira Gandhi fought just one war and that was enough to break Pakistan into two. In sharp contrast, the NDA before and after Kargil has indulged in empty sabre-rattling, and the people know the difference between empty boast and decisive action. The only stumbling block in the Congress’ path to power may be Ms Sonia Gandhi herself. Yes, most people seem to have given up their opposition to the Congress President as the future Prime Minister. But a powerful section still feels strongly about a “foreigner” of her calibre heading the government. Is Ms Sonia Gandhi listening? |
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Westward tilt ON paper, it is the biggest nuclear arms reduction treaty in history. But a close look at the Bush-Putin agreement reveals the cosmetic nature of the supposedly historic treaty. The 10-year pact will limit the USA and Russia within 10 years to between 1700 and 2200 deployed strategic nuclear warheads each, down from about 6,000 apiece now. The agreement has elements which suit both nations admirably. From the American point of view, the major gain is that extra warheads are not to be destroyed but only to be stored. That means that they can be revived whenever necessary. President Bush hinted at this possibility when he said that many changes could take place in the coming years and he would not like to tie the hands of future Presidents. Even the counting of the remaining warheads has been kept fairly vague. As far as Russia is concerned, it was finding it difficult to keep so many warheads in readiness. Now it has an honourable excuse to mothball nearly two-thirds of the white elephants. Even otherwise, the USA was in a position to have its way with or without Russian approval. The point to be noted is that protests in Russia against this “sellout” have been feeble. Perhaps the nation knows that the Putin move has been fairly clever. By yielding ground on the warhead front, he has extracted considerable concessions on the economic and technological fronts. Significantly, President Vladimir Putin not only eagerly supported Mr Bush’s war on terrorism but also kept quiet on the deployment of US troops in former Soviet republics. There was only nominal protest against America’s withdrawal from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. There are some signs that Russia’s nuclear ties with Iran may cast a shadow on the emerging relationship, but the overall shift to a more pro-western foreign policy is too pronounced to be affected by it. Mr Putin will join Mr Bush in Rome to sign a historic accord binding Russia with NATO. Mr Putin has been very keen on closer integration into Europe’s economic and political structures so that he could rebuild his own country. Mr Bush appears to have given the go-ahead for such assimilation. The USA is also likely to give Russia the status of a market-economy nation next month paving the way for its early accession to the World Trade Organisation. The USA will be making massive investment in Russia’s energy sector to make it a more dependable source of oil supplies than West Asia. The diplomatic jugglery has been so smooth that the agreement gives Russia the veneer of being an equal partner instead of a junior ally. |
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The hostage drama THE only laudable part of the five-day-long hostage drama enacted by the defiant activists of the Bhartiya Kisan Union at Kandela village in Jind district of Haryana is that it has ended peacefully. That the agitators have refused to lift the Chandigarh-Jind road blockade indicates the trouble is not yet over. The BKU is within its democratic rights to protest and air its grievances. As long as it does so within the legal limits, no one should mind it. But the moment the agitation crosses the legal limits, it becomes a criminal act and no law-abiding citizen can justify this, no matter how just their demands. The BKU has not only denied the use of a road to a large part of the population by organising a blockade, but had also gone beyond it. The BKU held seven persons,
including two DSPs, as hostages to compel the state government to release all its arrested activists and withdraw the cases registered against them, besides meeting their main demand for waiving the electricity dues. For five days the Chautala government had allowed itself to be held to ransom. The law and order machinery completely broke down in a part of the state. The so-called farmer representatives took the law into their own hands and dictated terms while the government elected by the people of the state for the protection of their lives and property watched helplessly. The standoff came to an end — whether through a deal is not clear at this stage — after the Punjab and Haryana High Court directed the state DGP to ensure the presence of the three detainees at the next hearing. Then government machinery geared up for action and the result is before everyone. The obvious lesson is: the law must assert itself, the sooner the better. The incident has further blackened the already murky record of the Haryana Government. If the situation had reached such a boiling point, the state authorities were responsible for it. Ten days ago the BKU men had taken four policemen hostage at Kiloi village in Rohtak district and their release was secured through negotiations. This emboldened the farmer organisation’s leadership. Had the state government put the BKU leaders in their place by asserting the rule of law and ordered a crackdown, the situation would not have reached such a pass. Secondly, Mr Om Prakash Chautala had himself reared and politically used “activists” in the BKU when in opposition. The same game is reportedly played by another opposition party now and Mr Chautala is facing the consequences. Such politicking has dealt a severe blow to the system of governance in the state. Third, the state government bowed to BKU pressure on the power front; it allowed part payment of electricity bills. Such a gesture is understandable when there is drought or crop failure due to some natural or man-made calamity. The Chautala government was not clear about what to do: to be firm with the agitators or treat them with sympathy with an eye on future elections. To avoid the recurrence of such an incident, it is imperative for the government, whether in Haryana or elsewhere, not to allow anybody to hijack the law. |
Looking for next President IF the blistering heat wave is not bad enough, the Indo-Pak war games have sent temperatures soaring. On the sidelines, however, our
netagan are busy playing another game: find an occupant for Rashtrapati Bhawan. Clues? A man of wisdom, experience, absolute integrity, scrupulous honesty and, above all, a patriot who swears by “Mera Bharat Mahan”. A man who has the ability and foresight to steer India through the difficult times. Needless to say, a battle of wits with the winner taking it all! Who would have thought that the search for the new President would get mired in political one-upmanship, ego clashes, wheels within wheels, deals, side deals and underhand deals. All talk of a consensus but none really wants it. The BJP-led NDA government has made no bones about wanting a new Rashtrapati, while the Congress and Left parties are pushing for a second term for K.R. Narayanan. True, Mr Narayanan has impeccable credentials. But the BJP has never felt comfortable with him on Raisina Hill. No doubt, Prime Minister Vajpayee has cordial relations with the President. However, whether these are truly warm and friendly is a moot point. Not only is Mr Narayanan perceived as a “pro-active” Rashtrapati, his criticism of the Gujarat carnage and its timing has not gone down well with the ruling establishment. On the other hand, Mr Narayanan, an old Congressman, has many well-wishers within the Party who applaud him for his self-righteousness and honesty in calling a spade a spade. The absence of a consensus so far has led to many throwing their hats into the Presidential ring. The front runners? Dr P.C. Alexander, Governor of Maharashtra and erstwhile Principal Secretary to Indira Gandhi, Bhai Mahavir, Madhya Pradesh Governor; Dr Karan Singh, former Sadar-e-Riyasat and Union Minister, Dr Abdul Kalam, father of Missile India; and Vice-President Krishan Kant. The BJP, by backing Mr Alexander, not only wants to stake a fresh claim to its secular credentials but also checkmate Christian Sonia’s progress towards Prime Ministership with another Christian at the top. The Congress would not like to see Bhai Mahavir, a Sangh acolyte, in Rashtrapati Bhawan. The BJP vetoes Dr Karan Singh by calling him a “blue blooded” Congressman. By tossing the name of Dr Kalam, the NDA hopes to counter Mr Narayanan’s Dalit status with a person belonging to the minority community. As for Mr Krishan Kant, he could well emerge as the proverbial dark horse, as during the last Vice-Presidential poll. In this game of musical chairs, all political parties are flexing their electoral muscle. While the Congress banks on its electoral strength in 14 states where it is in power, along with its MPs in both Houses of Parliament, the NDA, comprising 22-odd regional parties, flaunts its electoral superiority both at the Centre and in the states where regional parties like the TDP, AIADMK and the BJP hold sway. Arguably, why this hullabaloo over who will be the next President? A post which many perceive as ornamental, a titular head like that of the office of British Monarch, or a rubber stamp of the government. However, nothing could be farther from truth. As India’s first President Rajendra Prasad pointed out, the President cannot be equated with the British Monarch, a hereditary post. India’s President, according to Rajen Babu, as he was affectionately called, is not bound hand and foot by the advice of his Council of Ministers. He has the power to withhold assent to Bills in his discretion. Old-timers recall how Rajen Babu had refused to give his assent to the Hindu Code Bill brought forward by Nehru since it lacked the people’s mandate. Nehru thereupon secured the people’s mandate in the 1957 general election and the Bill was enacted. Again in the late eighties, Giani Zail Singh sat on the Postal Amendment Bill, sent to him by the then Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi. The Rashtrapati can even dismiss a ministry or a minister and order a general election. (Giani Zail Singh came very close to dismissing Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in the late eighties). As the Supreme Commander of the armed forces, the President can send for the Service Chiefs and ask for information about defence matters. These powers, Rajen Babu argued, flowed from the President’s oath of affirmation under Article 60 of the Constitution, which is as follows: “I solemnly do affirm that I will to the best of my ability preserve, protect and defend the Constitution and the law and that I will devote myself to the service and well-being of the people of India.” (emphasis added). On the face of it, the oath sounds innocuous enough. But, carefully read, it gives the President certain inherent powers to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution.” It needs to be noted that he is expected to do this “to the best of my ability”. This ability has to be his own and not that of the Council of Ministers, on whose advice he is normally supposed to act. It can mean anything or everything in the political arena where the Constitution and the country’s best interest is concerned. True, the Prime Minister may exercise all the executive powers. Yet the veto still rests with the President, who has unfettered right to information. Remember, it is he who decides who shall become the Prime Minister. This is crucial in today’s era of fragmented coalition politics. The choice is based on his ability and judgment. The Head of State thus becomes vital to the smooth running of our parliamentary democracy. Notwithstanding the political shatranj being played out in this year’s Presidential poll, some basic issues regarding the election of the Head of State have remained unanswered. Should the President get a second term? Should he be elected on a party basis? Should caste considerations weigh in the choice of the President? Take the first point. There is nothing in the Constitution that bars a President from seeking a second term. But Rajendra Prasad was the only President to have held the office twice over. Few know that Nehru was opposed to a second term for the President. He wanted Dr Radhakrishnan as his next President. But Rajen Babu got a second term as most Congress leaders, led by Maulana Azad, were opposed to Radhakrishnan. In fact, there is need to formally bar a President form getting a second term to prevent the growth of cronyism at the top. Experience shows that Presidents eager to get a second term start playing up to the Prime Minister. This may not be in the best national interest. Since the President is required to be above party politics, every effort should be made for a consensus. Candidates should not be seen to be lobbying with parties for their support. At any rate, once elected, the President should shed all political robes. It is to Mr Narayanan’s credit that he maintained his distance from all this. His record should not be sullied through newspaper plants and motivated rumours. Should the electorate for the highest office of the land be required to vote on party lines? Reducing the election to a game of one-upmanship, egos and majority power? This has, no doubt, been the practice in the earlier elections. Until now the Congress has always been in overwhelming majority both at the Centre and in most states. But it is not an election that should be fought on party lines. Whoever is considered the best man should be able to win on a free vote. The Presidential and Vice-Presidential Election Act, 1952, which governs the conduct of above elections, specifically prohibits the exercise of “undue influence” in such elections. Section 13 of the said Act explicitly makes the commission of offence of “undue influence” as an offence under Section 171 C of the IPC — and a specific ground on which the election of the President/Vice-President can be challenged. Thus, the law unambiguously ordains that the election of the President should be free from any “undue influence”. What should be the credentials for the President? Until five years ago, a Presidential candidate was merely required to be a good Indian with an impeccable record. Today, the approach has degenerated to thinking in terms of caste, creed and region. Mr Narayanan is being unfairly projected for the second term on the ground of his being a Dalit. This is grossly unfair. He was chosen because he was the best among the candidates in 1997. In sum, as our leaders go about deciding who should be the next President, they should put aside all party and personal considerations. They must make sure that at least this office is occupied by a person who is not only a great patriot and a robust nationalist but is also a man of absolute integrity, specially in a polity which has become thoroughly corrupt over the years and in which all-powerful business houses are increasingly calling the shots. Rashtrapati Bhawan must continue to inspire national confidence and remain above all controversies and petty politicking. Anything less will be disastrous. |
Swat attack! OH, those horrible red welts and blitches all over my body? They are merely the result of innumerable bites by an enterprising horde of mosquitoes. In between bouts of frenetic (and furtive) scratching, I was interested to read a boxed news item that the Vector Research Institute (VRI) in Pondicherry had achieved a “dramatic” breakthru’ in mosquito control. I promptly got an official spokesman of the VRI on trunk telephone. “Yes indeed,” he said trying to suppress his rising excitement, “I can confidently confirm that our scientists have developed two most sophisticated methods of mosquito control.” “Do they involve bombarding the mosquitoes with high-intensity alpha, gamma and X-rays and iodine and strontium-80 isotopes resulting in the regressive mutation of their DNA cells and ‘x’ and y’ chromosomes in their gnomes?” “No,” said the VRI spokesman, “the whole process is more complicated than that and it involves the coordinated use of the retina of the human eye with the locomotor and ataxia muscles of the hand.” “Golly,” I said impressed, “but could you elaborate please?” “Yes,” said the VRI spokesman, “I’d be happy to explain everything in layman’s terms.” “When the human eye sights a mosquito alighting on the body, the image is processed in a real — time sequential frame on the retina and a neuron message transmitted along the optic nerve to the
cerebral cortex of the brain.” The brain will simulate first the left hand which will raise slowly and cover the unsuspecting mosquito. Simultaneously, a neuron message will cause the locomotor and involuntary ataxia muscle of the right hand which will also raise at a tangential acute angle of 45 degrees and the two hands, acting in the conjunction with the eye, will squash the mosquito resulting in its instant destruction. “We believe that this method developed by VRI scientists to be the most significant breakthrough in mosquito control since the discovery of DDT.” “I’m sure it is,” I said, “and what about the other method VRI has perfected?” “It’s no less sophisticated,” said the VRI spokesman, and it involves taking a discarded tea-stainer and bevelling its edges so that they are evenly flattened. When a mosquito is observed alighting on the human body, this advanced tool is slowly lifted with the right hand and swung thru’ a horizontal arc and simple harmonic motion and with a sudden and swift movement with a good deal of wristy follow thru’, it’s brought down on the blood-sucking insect and resulting in its death. “I think people will be eternally grateful to the VRI for its most remarkable work in mosquito control,” I said, “but one last question. What’s the name of the scientist directing this most significant and path-breaking research work?” “Oh, it’s Doctor
Buzz-ard.” |
Acceptance of offer favoured
Calcutta It is understood that Mr Sarat C. Bose has just put forward certain suggestions to Mr Subhas Chandra Bose regarding the acceptance of the government’s offer of release. |
Islam allows religious freedom ACCORDING to Islam human life is a sacred and inviolable and every effort will be made to protect it. Man is born free. No inroads will be made on man’s right to liberty except under the authority and in due process of the law. Every person is ensured the security, dignity and liberty in terms set out by methods approved and within the limits set by the law. Moreover, every person has the right to freedom of conscience and worship in accordance with his religious beliefs. No one shall hold in contempt or ridicule the religious beliefs of others or incite public hostility against them. Respect for the religious feelings of others is also obligatory on all Muslims. In a Muslim country, religious minorities shall have the choice to be governed in respect of their civil and personal matters by Islamic law or by their own laws. Furthermore, every person has the right to express his thoughts and beliefs so long as he remains within the limits prescribed by law. Moreover, the disorder that may arise out of religious fanaticism and dogmatism has also been denounced in a very effective way. The Koran maintains in categorical terms that there shall be no compulsion in the matter of religion. The Koran says: “There shall be no coercion in matters of faith,” (2:256). On the strength of the above categorical prohibition of coercion (“ikrah”) in any thing that pertains to faith or religion all Islamic jurists, without any exception, hold that forcible conversion is under all circumstances null and void, and that any attempt at coercing a non-believer to accept the faith of Islam is grievous sin: a verdict which disposes of the widespread fallacy that Islam places before the unbelievers the alternative of “conversion or the sword even”. A British writer Karen Armstrong writes in her famous book about the same fact that “In the West, Mohammed has often been presented as a warlord, who imposed Islam on a reluctant world, by force of arms. The reality was quite different. Mohammed was fighting for his life, was evolving a theology of the just war in the Koran, with which most Christians would agree, and never forced any body to convert to his religion. Indeed the Koran is clear that there is to be “no compulsion in religion”. In the Koran war is held to be abhorrent; the only just war is a war of self-defence. sometimes it is necessary to fight in order to preserve decent values, as Christians believed it necessary to fight against Hitler”. (A History of Gods, p 155-56 Alfered
A. Knopf, New York, 1994.) Islam even upholds the religious freedom of all people and calls it “the foremost cause for which arms may-and-indeed must be taken up, otherwise it warns that the corruption would surely overwhelm the earth”. The Koran says “For if God has not enabled people to defend themselves against one another (all) monasteries and churches and synagogues and mosques — in (all of) which God’s name is abundantly extolled — would surely have been destroyed...”(22:39). Islam wants that if times demand arms may be raised for protecting religious freedom. The Koran says: “Until God can be worshipped without the fear of persecution, and none is compelled to bow in awe before another human being. Islam, however, allows that the message may be conveyed to the people in the best way, adopting the most beautiful style. Even in the process of invitation, the Koran lays much emphasis on the commonalities between one religion and other rather than differences thereof. Especially, when followers of earlier revelations are to be addressed by the Muslims, they should start with the common “propositions” or “tenets”, rather than difference. In other words, the similarities need to be highlighted rather than dissimilarities. The Koran says, for example: “Say: O followers of earlier revelation! Come unto that tenet which we and you hold in common: that we shall worship none but God, and that we shall not ascribe divinity to ought beside Him, and that we shall not take human beings for our Lords beside God” (3:64). But if despite the beautiful speech and wise admonitions, an invitee does not accept the call of Islam, he will not be compelled to accept faith under coercion. Rather they will be allowed to follow their own religion, and be obedient to a law that they deem suitable for them. The Koran indicates the attitude of a believer and a Muslim in such a situation in the following ways: “Say: unbelievers, I do not worship what you worship, nor do you worship that I worship. I shall never worship what you worship, nor will you ever worship what I worship. You have your own religion, and I have mine.” (109:1-6). “But do not revile those (beings) whom they invoke instead of God, lest they revile God out of spite, and in ignorance: for goodly, indeed, We made their own doings appear into every community. In time, (however), unto their sustainer they must return: and then He will make them (truly) understand all that they were doing.” (Koran 6:108). This prohibition of reviling anything that other people hold sacred — even in contravention of the principle of God’s oneness — is addressed to all believers. Thus while Muslims are expected to argue against the false beliefs of others, they are not allowed to abuse the objects of those beliefs and hurt thereby the feelings of their fellowman. The reason which the Koran ascribes to this phenomenon is that it is in the nature of man to regard the beliefs which have been implanted in him from childhood, and which he shares with his social environment, as the only true and possible ones — with the result that a polemic against those beliefs invokes psychological reaction. Moreover, add to it the pluralistic approach if Islam, in the situations where many people adhering to diverse faiths and creeds, are living together. The Koran says: “those who believe, Jews, Christians, and Sabeans — whoever believes in God and the Last Day and does good works, they shall be rewarded and shall have nothing to fear.” (2:62). And also the Koran says:” If God had willed it, He would have made you one community” (5:48). Apart from guaranteeing religious freedom, Islam declares that all men are born equal and nothing race, colour, language, nationality, but God fearing can place one above the other. “O mankind, We created you from a single pair of a man and woman and made you into nations and tribes so that you know each other. Indeed the most honoured of you in the sight of God is one who is most conscious of Him” (49:13). The writer is Director of Shah-I-Hamadan Institute of Islamic Studies, University of Kashmir, Srinagar |
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India can’t scrap Indus Water Treaty: Pak PAKISTAN Foreign Ministry officials have rejected India’s threat to scrap the Indus Water Treaty as a hoax prompted by war hysteria which could not be taken to mean that New Delhi would use water as a weapon, according to a Dawn report. The officials said on Saturday that what India was reported to have suggested as a “diplomatic action” against Pakistan amounted to a blatant violation of an international treaty. Scrapping the treaty could not be treated as a diplomatic or legal recourse available to India but would be tantamount to a declaration of war. Foreign Ministry spokesman Aziz Ahmed Khan refused to speculate as to the fate of the meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission in New Delhi next week, hinting that the government was not willing to officially respond to the Indian rhetoric in the same terms. “It is all in the realm of speculation and it is not productive to react on such statements,” said another Foreign Ministry official when asked to comment on the Indian threat to withdraw from the treaty. “The treaty was made foolproof with in-built safeguards and contains no renunciation clause.” Legal experts point out that international law forbids using water as a weapon as such an act is considered a crime against humanity. This point was also made by the former Indian water resources Secretary last week who was quoted in the Indian Express saying: “India would be blamed for going against protocols of the 1949 Geneva Convention, which clearly say that “starvation of civilians as a method of warfare is prohibited and includes drinking water installations, supplies and irrigation works.” He also warned that India would create suspicions in the minds of friendly neighbours that “treaties are not sacred.” Besides Pakistan, India has signed water-sharing agreements with Nepal and Bangladesh, which came into force in 1996. According to Pakistan’s former Finance Minister Mubashir Hasan’s calculation, reduction of waters from the Indus system to Pakistan by one per cent would threaten 1.4 million people in Pakistan with starvation. “India cannot build dams to overnight attain the capacity of withholding Pakistani waters,” maintain technical experts. “The only way for India to make Pakistan ‘beg for every drop of water’ is to inundate a large part of India. Even for that India would need a structure for diversion of waters,” said one expert. At present there is no man-made obstruction on any of the three rivers allotted to India. India’s own former water resources Secretary conceded in his interview with the Indian Express that there was nothing India could do immediately and building storages on rivers flowing into Pakistan, if the treaty was abrogated, would still take 10 to 15 years.
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Testosterone levels may cause autism Excess amounts of testosterone in mothers’ wombs may cause their babies to suffer autism in later life. This startling theory has been put forward by Cambridge scientists who have discovered that the hormone — which is primarily found in men, but also in low levels in women — is linked to children’s abilities to communicate and empathise with others. As a result, scientists at the Cambridge Autism Research Centre are now preparing to launch a major study involving more than 3,000 children to establish testosterone’s links to autism or, in less extreme cases, to inabilities to socialise. Their results may also provide crucial insights into the causes of autism’s recent dramatic rise in Britain. Those who had experienced high testosterone in the womb tended to be poor at maintaining eye contact, a failing that typifies poor socialisers and communicators, and in severe cases, sufferers of autism. Elevated testosterone tended to produce children with the smallest vocabularies. By contrast, low testosterone babies were those who knew the greatest number of words. In between these extremes, there was a steady gradient in ability: as testosterone fell, social and communication skills increased. Papers on their findings are to be published shortly in the Journal of Infant Behaviour.
The Observer |
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Fatigued brains switch to “Auto-Pilot” NEXT time you feel tired and fatigues after a days work, stop right there. Research now says that mentally fatigued individuals are more likely to make errors, repeat mistakes and search less systematically for solutions than their rested counterparts, reported Cosmiverse. Psychologists from the University of Amsterdam conducted a series of tests to determine the effects of fatigue on mental performance. Half of the participants were allowed to relax for two hours prior to the tests while the other half spent the two hours drawing up schedules. The participants meeting their tests already mentally fatigued had difficulty in translating objectives into the associated actions. They were also less flexible and continually repeated the same mistakes. The mentally fatigued group worked less systematically, and repeatedly tried options that had not previously worked. Additionally, they were found to guess more often. The rested participants were more systematic in their work and made purposeful decisions. They were also able to learn from their mistakes and avoid repeating errors. Both groups were given two standard psychological tests. In this area, the trend continued. Fatigued individuals did not score as well as rested individuals. For example, fatigued individuals were unable to respond as quickly to mind games. Additionally, when the rules of the game were clandestinely changed, fatigued individuals took longer to recognise the change than did those who were rested. Finally, subjects were tested to determine how much control they had over their own actions. Both groups faired equally well in substituting a standard action with an alternative. ANI A phone thin enough to fit in a letter Next time your friend doesn’t call you for a long time, it will be possible for you to paste a phone on a paper and mail it in an envelope. Not only that, you could also be keeping your mobile phone in your wallet alongside the money that you are carrying. Designer Stephen Forshaw has developed a wafer-thin phone stuck onto paper that can be used to make one call and he speculated that the phone could become a novel alternative to greetings cards. The design has already won first prize in a competition sponsored by Sony, reported BBC. Thin enough to stick on a piece of paper and post, just like a letter ‘PS Call Me’, the flat phone, squashes all the electronics for a phone into a flat computer chip. Just like with a normal phone, the recipient of the letter-phone contacts the sender by pressing the call button on the flat chip phone. The sender would activate the gadget to ensure it rang the right person. Special messages for family members or proposals of marriage could be recorded to ensure they were heard, said Forshaw, about these greeting-phones that could sell for up to 10 pounds each.
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Higher than the highest is the Lord's abode which God's devotees equally contemplate... The beloved Lord is my repository, full of all powers. God first created light; then by His omnipotence made all the materials. Since from one light is the whole world created who is noble, who is inferior? Do not be lost in illusion; the creator is in the creation; in the creation abides the creator, pervasive everywhere. — Sri Guru Granth Sahib, Parbhati M 5 *** Impurity of egoism, of multiple births sticks to the self. This impurity is shed in the holy congregation. In company with the wood even a piece of iron swims; likewise by attachment to the Master's Word the Lord is attained. Join the company of the holy. In company of the holy shall be obtained joy in the Lord. — Sri Guru Granth Sahib, M 4 *** May the Lord not be forgotten even for an instant... May the holy preceptor show you grace and May your love be fixed in the holy.... Quaffing 'amrit' may you live long. May anxiety never grip you; May you attain unending joy in Divine contemplation; May you ever folie in joy and your joys be fulfilled. May your heart be the humming bee... — Sri Guru Granth Sahib, Gujri M5 *** The Name Divine is contemplated in the mind whereby the poison of egoism is cast off. — Sri Guru Granth Sahib, M4 *** Do not get annoyed if I tell you this simple truth, that in happiness is sorrow, and in miseries is happiness. — Ramprasad, an Indian mystic *** That you suffer is a good sign. Do you not know that sufferings and temptations become multiplied when the Lord prepared His mercy. — From Philokalia (translated from the Russian text Dobrotolubiye by E. Kadloubovsky and G.E.H. Palmer) |
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