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Wednesday,
October 30, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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SEBI gets teeth UP’s political drama Still behind Iron
Curtain |
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India in the age of globalisation
Gene-altered cotton brings hope to farmers
German author says life is peculiar in India
Survey shows Britons’ liberal attitude
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SEBI gets teeth THE
Union Cabinet on Monday approved an Ordinance granting more powers to the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). The Ordinance is the result of a general feeling that the SEBI was not strong enough to regulate the stock markets, which have witnessed a series of mini and major scams over the years. The Harshad Mehta securities scam of the early nineties, which was blamed on a “systemic failure” by the then Finance Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, should have prompted an immediate overhaul of the system. But the issue got buried in the din of political debate. A few years later, another scamster, Ketan Parikh, used the system’s loopholes to his advantage. He and other market players rigged share prices, causing huge losses to small investors and erosion of faith in the capital markets, specially among the foreign investors. Many rogue companies have over the years raised money from gullible investors and then gone bust, or simply disappeared, or approached the BIFR for a revival package. It is rare to see the rogues operating in the financial markets being brought to book. The latest Ordinance will amend the SEBI Act and empower the market regulator to impose penalties of up to Rs 25 crore or three times the undue profits made by a market player. SEBI has also got more search and seize powers and its board’s strength has been raised to nine from the present six. Besides, two more members have been added to the hitherto single-member Securities Appellate Tribunal. Granting more powers to SEBI alone cannot guarantee a scam-free stock trading until and unless these are exercised in time in the best interests of the investing community. The second Ordinance that the Union Cabinet approved on Monday is aimed to repeal the UTI Act and carry out the restructuring of the much maligned mutual fund notorious for letting down investors more than once. The UTI has been split into two entities. The UTI-I will manage the beleaguered US-64 and other assured return schemes and remain under government control. The other, UTI-II, will take care of the NAV-based schemes like the UTI Bond Fund, the Master Value Unit Plan and the UTI Petro Fund. All these schemes will become SEBI compliant, which means they will make public their NAVs and other information of interest to the members of the schemes. In short, greater transparency will be ensured, which was missing under the previous dispensation. The UTI-II will be a professionally managed mutual fund and open to market risks. While both Ordinances are aimed to provide administrative and legal protection against possible frauds, the investors themselves must exercise caution in handing over their money to government or private fund managers. There is no such thing as risk-free investment. |
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UP’s political drama UTTAR Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati is living on borrowed time. And that is not good news for the state. Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav may succeed in luring the disgruntled Bharatiya Janata Party-Bahujan Samaj Party MLAs to his camp for toppling her government. And that is also not good news for the state. It has been years since UP has had an honest and efficient government. An objective analysis would show that there is little to choose between Ms Mayawati and Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav. They have both betrayed the political class they claim to represent. Ms Mayawati is no longer the champion of the anti-Manuwadi forces that helped shape her political destiny. Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav lost the right to represent the secular forces at the political level when he refused to support Ms Sonia Gandhi to replace Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee in 1999. It is indeed true that Samajwadi Party with 142 MLAs is the largest group in the 403-member UP Assembly. The combined strength of the opposition stands at 186 — only 16 short of the magic number that would compel Ms Mayawati to take a one-way ride to Raj Bhavan as Chief Minister. Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav can work on the sense of frustration among the Muslim MLAs in the BSP who felt let down by the opportunistic compromise that their leader made for becoming Chief Minister. He can even convert the Samajwadi Party into a "political Ganga" that can remove the taint of being communal if the disgruntled BJP MLAs decide to do business with him. Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav is indeed a capable leader. But neither his political capabilities nor the brash demeanour of his sidekick, Mr Amar Singh, is enough to help him become Chief Minister of UP. The Congress leadership's response to his request for a collective attack on the "communal" and "corrupt" government of Ms Mayawati has exposed him for what he is. He is literally caught in a “catch-272” situation. The ghost of 272 will continue to haunt him so long as he and Mr Amar Singh do not acknowledge the political blunder they committed after the one-vote defeat of Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee's government in 1999. Mr Amar Singh had advised Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav not to extend support to Ms Sonia Gandhi to head a coalition of "secular" groups and parties. The President had no option but to dissolve the Lok Sabha and Mr Vajpayee remained Prime Minister without a legislature to report to. The understated response of the Congress to the request to support Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav in toppling Ms Mayawati provides ample evidence that it would prefer early elections in UP than being seen supporting a party that had prevented Ms Sonia Gandhi from becoming Prime Minister with the help of "secular forces". However, the announcement of elections in Gujarat has given a new twist to the unfolding political drama in UP. The Congress may decide to follow the policy of forget and forgive and extend support to the Samajwadi Party in UP in exchange for the right to lead the secular forces at the hustings in Gujarat. Political compulsions indeed make strange bedfellows |
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Still behind Iron Curtain THE
pre-dawn raid on the theatre in which hundreds of hostages were rescued by Russian special forces is being seen in a different light now, with more details being revealed. One out of seven civilians held hostage by the Chechen rebels died in the rescue attempt and the death toll is mounting, as hundreds are still under treatment in Moscow hospitals. What was earlier seen as President Vladimir Putin’s decisive action is now being called a bungled operation. The main culprit is as yet the unidentified debilitating gas that was used just before the storming of the building. Moscow’s refusal to disclose the identity of the gas even to the doctors treating the victims is inexplicable and wrong. Reports of the doctors being totally unprepared to treat patients for gas inhalation have resulted in great public resentment against the official attitude. The cover-up of the clumsy use of the powerful gas is, unfortunately, not unusual. Moscow, even in the post-Soviet era, seems to be like it was behind the Iron Curtain. It behaves in the way it always did — a “bad things do not happen here” kind of a mindset with a predisposition for secrecy and an unhealthy disdain for the human consequences of such actions. President Putin had also faced criticism for the way he handled the episode of the nuclear-powered submarine Kursk sinking in 2000. The lives of all 118 on board the submarine were lost and the Russian administrative machinery was roundly criticised for its insensitive attitude towards the crew members’ families. In 1986, the then Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev denied the Chernobyl nuclear meltdown for a number of days even as radioactive clouds over Europe told their own story. In this latest case, the refusal of the Russians to identify the gas used in the storming has raised fears that it is not something used in law-enforcement operations, but is a military version. Reports suggest that the doctors, not knowing the exact composition of the gas, have been giving patients the antibiotics used for soldiers in such conditions. Speculation about the kind of gas used has brought up the names of Valium and BZ. The first is used mainly in dentistry and the second, though not banned, is certainly not for civilian operations. There is also speculation about a military gas being used, which opens a Pandora’s Box. Various international conventions on chemical weapons ban the use of all forms of lethal gas. They do, however, allow the use of certain substances like tear gas for “law enforcement, including domestic riot control.” The gas used in Moscow had fatal effects. This is unacceptable and also brings into question Moscow’s stand on the use of chemical weapons. President Putin’s “Please forgive us” plea is not enough. What is needed is transparency about what exactly happened in the assault, so that the Russian citizens and the world at large can come to terms with the terrible cost of this operation. Only then would Russia be counted among the mature First World nations, something that it desperately wants. |
India in the age of globalisation THE alarm bells have been ringing for a while to warn the country that it is becoming less and less attractive to the foreign investor. Busy as the nation’s leaders are in their never-ending internecine battles, no one seems to have taken note of it. Despite repeated assurances from the top that India is committed to economic reforms, the world remains sceptical. The words are not being matched by action. Whether India sells loss-making public sector undertakings or not, is its own business. That is the way the world looks at it. But covering the growing budgetary deficit is a matter of concern to every investor, foreign or Indian. Being glued to a perennial deficit is a clear pointer to an impending economic crisis and a deterrent to any sound-minded investor. The recent volubility of the anti-reform lobby is not the only reason for foreign investors being put off. Increasingly, Indian entrepreneurs are finding it difficult to convince potential partners that India is stable both politically and economically — and that the system works. Terrorism threats, law and order, rampant corruption and Pakistan as a neighbour are enough factors to scare anyone away from the country. Before examining the reasons for that, it is important to consider the background to the reforms initiated in 1990, when India was on the verge of going bankrupt. It is too easily forgotten that India’s economy stood fourth in the world when it became free in 1947. The rupee was a hard currency and was the legal tender in the Gulf countries. Foreign exchange reserves were ample. The inherited infrastructure was among the finest - the roads were good, there was a 24-hour supply of good running drinking water in the cities, electric power supplies did not fail, the telephone system worked. The war-time years preceding Independence had brought new business and industry to the country. And, with a well-controlled police force, the law and order situation in the country was excellent — the safety of the citizen was ensured. Where did we go wrong to bring ourselves to near bankruptcy by 1990? Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s founding Prime Minister, laid the foundations for the inherited economy to move further ahead. His 17 years in office were marked by gigantic projects — “India’s new temples” — designed to lay the foundations of a powerful new industrialised state that could take care of its growing population. I recall an interview with him in the late fifties when he expressed confidence in achieving that aim. And it must be said to his credit that the speed with which he rid India of the feudal elements of jagirdari and zamindari, and devoted himself to reviving India’s agriculture, laid the foundations of the future Green Revolution. Then came the Chinese invasion of 1962. Preoccupied with building the economy, Nehru had neglected India’s defence capability, and defeat by China brought a rude awakening. So, during the next 20 months until his death, he devoted himself to rebuilding the armed forces — at the expense of the economy. He doubled the size of the Indian Army and modernised the whole war machine, which was put to the test in 1965 and redeemed the reputation lost in 1962. The crushing defeat of Pakistan’s effort to grab Kashmir — armed to the teeth as that country was with American aid — will ever remain a tribute to Nehru’s hard work. To find the resources to re-arm, Nehru had to introduce regulation to an economy that had hitherto been free, and he did not live long enough to de-regulate it. Nor did his successor, Lal Bahadur Shastri, who died 15 months after taking office, even as he concluded a peace deal with defeated Pakistan in Tashkent. Meanwhile, the regulated economy had opened the door of opportunity to India’s corrupt — both businessmen and government officials in key regulatory positions. When Shastri’s successor, Indira Gandhi, having shaken herself loose from the old guard of the Congress party, was forced to rule with a minority government from 1969 she became dependent on the Left and the communists. The result was the consolidation of the “licence-permit raj”. A host of measures, including bank nationalisation, gave India’s economy the pink hue of near communism. It was no longer an attractive destination for foreign investment. Indira Gandhi did try later to put the economy back on its original rails, but by then vested interests were exploiting the situation and making huge money in an environment of protection. India’s economic growth came to be known as the “Hindu rate of growth”, achieving on an average of between 2 and 3 per cent — a growth that was wiped out by burgeoning population and inflation. Adding to the woes of the country and the economy came populist moves, such as the “loan melas” that played havoc with the banks. The nationalised banks became the hunting grounds of the corrupt and the bureaucracy. Aspirants to the high civil service were suddenly found to be expressing a preference for jobs in revenue departments! Rajiv Gandhi brought a breath of fresh air. He laid the foundations of India’s new industrial revolution when he put the country on to the path of information technology. It is a great pity that his five Technology Missions were stopped short when his own Finance Minister, Mr V.P. Singh, made charges of corruption that have not been proved to this day. Mr V.P. Singh and his associates certainly derailed Rajiv Gandhi’s drive towards deregulating the economy. Thus, the economy became a victim of circumstances beyond the control of India’s hardworking and enterprising people. It was their misfortune that the country came to be ruled by politicians and bureaucrats enjoying the ill-gotten wealth provided by a regime of regulation. Adding to the woes of the nation came the nexus between criminals and politicians. The result: a new breed of politicians is emerging fast in India. The dreams of the founding fathers have been laid waste; poverty alleviation programmes have ended up as mere slogans. The world gave a cautious welcome when India began its reforms process in the early nineties — essentially a process of deregulation. But the reforms have moved at such a slow pace that many of the potential gains could be lost, due to the reluctance of a bureaucracy to damage the vested interests it enjoys in a regime of regulation, and the dislike of some businessmen for competition in a free economy. The reforms process suffers further by the actions of an ill-informed political establishment that can be suspected to have vested interests in continuing a regime of controls. The problems for a foreign visitor on a scouting mission to India begin as he lands in the country. Delhi’s airport has seen little improvement in the last 10 or 15 years; it hardly deserves the status of “international air terminal”. The immigration procedures do not include a “Fast Track” for business and first class travellers: The procedures are archaic, and conducted by an unsmiling staff whose manner seems to question the motive of those coming to India. They give the impression that it is below their dignity to say: “Welcome to India, sir.” Then the visitor faces the chaos in the baggage hall, with no uniformed porter in sight. As he moves through the Green Channel, the vigilant Customs men stop him because he is carrying a lap-top computer. Surely, the Customs must realise that this is part of any modern businessman’s day-to-day equipment, and that carrying it openly does not make him a potential smuggler, to be questioned with suspicion. Having suffered that indignity, the unfortunate visitor, if he is not being met, is hit by the cultural shock of getting to his hotel. As the touts battle for his attention, he is at a risk of choosing the wrong one and ending up at the wrong hotel or at the mercy of dangerous thugs. Such incidents occur almost every night, yet the authorities in Delhi have failed to evolve a foolproof control system to protect passengers arriving from abroad. Thus, even before any business discussion can begin the visitor is made to feel that he is not welcome. And when he successfully negotiates an investment opportunity, that feeling is deepened by the treatment meted out by various regulatory authorities. For example, there are the iniquities of the Income Tax Department. Businessmen who have experienced them are prone to tell fellow would-be investors: “Those guys in their tax department will rob you of everything.” I have heard the complaint often enough at various places abroad. The International Tax Division of the Taxation Department is said to be spending more time on how to make life miserable for foreigners working in India than making them feel good that they are working here and paying taxes. Non-resident Indians are treated much the same — indeed, they seem to face greater problems. But they know how to handle the situation — they know that mutual advantage can be bought at a price. The loser is India, in terms of both tax collected and the country’s reputation. Even the justice system has of late come under suspicion by foreigners. Known for delays in the legal procedures, it is now being openly said, even by some Indian lawyers, that the system can be tainted. The legal problems that foreign companies or businessmen face are usually in lower courts dealing with rent cases, procedural challans and the like. Something that elsewhere would be sorted out over the telephone goes into the courts, and results in a hugely expensive affair to deal with a petty problem. India’s infrastructure is in a messy situation despite 10 years of reform. The nation is building four-lane highways when it should be building motorways. And all the roads are aptly called killer ways, with the worst record in the world for road accident casualties. The cities do not carry 24-hour running water in homes — a basic necessity in any modern city. Electricity cuts add to the misery, and private power generators are certainly no solution, though everyone is forced to make a wasteful investment in them. These are all factors that affect the comfort of foreigners, and it is no answer to point out that they can make life easier by hiring servants — that is not a priority for people who are used to fending for themselves. India has been talking about creating Special Economic Zones along the lines that China has done to make life easy for the foreign investor to do business, but here again progress is tardy. Meanwhile, China is leaving India far behind in securing foreign investment, as are other developing countries seeking. The answer lies in making India itself a “welcome economic zone” of a globalised world. India’s health care system is another deterrent to the foreigner. It lacks the equivalent of a GP (General Practitioner, or family doctor). Even if you find one, the chances are that he never takes notes, never keeps a record, and is seldom available in the evenings and at week-ends. The Government-run hospitals are in a messy situation — crowded, dirty and overworked — and the private ones are as crowded and as unprofessional in their approach towards the patients. In contrast, China has created special hospitals to deal with foreigners, and their doctors are usually available. In general, India needs to do a lot of work on the basics to make life a little easier, not just for the foreign visitor, but also for its own people. It has to devise a regime that does not leave the individual so frustrated that he finds it necessary to resort to unfair means to get anywhere. Once when I was travelling from Delhi, I saw a very senior industrialist being brought in a wheelchair to check in and go through airport formalities. I was surprised because I had known the man as a very healthy person. He had feigned illness to circumvent the cumbersome, crowded and tiring procedures of checking in at Delhi, and was on his seat in the plane even though he had arrived at the last minute. This was his way of beating the system. Who would blame him? Last, but not the least, it is high time that the BJP made up its mind on what kind of economy it wants for India. Is the party working for the people of India, including the poor, or is it concerned only with the trading and middle classes? If the mass of the people become prosperous enough to lead a good life, we would emerge as a world economic power. India cannot prosper by ignoring its poor. As things stand, we have already lost to China and others in the Far East. The leadership has shown no inclination to deal with the inconveniences suffered by those seeking to do business in India. The leaders use ceremonial lounges at airports for their arrivals and departures and have no idea of the pain that ordinary Indians and visitors suffer going through the normal channels of travel. Inside India they have special planes or the IAF at their disposal. They are divorced from life as it really is. The Prime Minister has been making every effort in his visits abroad to get the Indian diaspora to bring into India the story of their successes. He is listened to with respect. But the voices of dissent and controls in the garb of “swadeshi” that many of his partymen raise leave everyone confused. Day-to-day hassles, pinpricks and the chaotic atmosphere at the country’s airports need to be removed. It is time for a clear-cut statement from the Bharatiya Janata Party and the NDA on their approach to the economy. How do the rulers plan to achieve the goal of “Mahan Bharat”, when even the basic issue of de-regulating the economy seems beyond them ? Failing to come out with a clear-cut statement of intent, and action to match it, this government could earn a reputation in history for having derailed India’s economic growth. History can be unforgiving. The writer is a veteran political commentator. |
Gene-altered cotton brings hope to farmers FARMERS have hailed India’s nod for the commercial production of genetically modified cotton, after a protracted controversy, welcoming it as a miracle solution for hard-hit cotton growers. “It’s certain to change the fortunes of the cotton industry,” said Ishwarbhai Patel, a cotton farmer in Idar, a drought-prone town in the western state of Gujarat. “It’s a huge relief for us because spending on pesticides was so much.” The arrival of Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) cotton has huge significance because the country devotes nine million hectares to growing cotton — more than any other country — but whose yields are much lower. The difference is that Bt cotton, marketed as “Bollguard”, virtually eliminates spending on pesticides and promotes higher yields, promising to be more profitable than most other crops. The gene-altered cotton in a two-acre (one hectare) plot owned by Patel bears testimony to the virtues of Bt cotton. It has sturdy branches and lush leaves — a stark contrast to the moth-eaten leaves of the local variety he has grown nearby. Traders said the introduction of Bt cotton could enhance India’s cotton output by as much as 25 percent in three or four years from nearly 16 million bales (each weighing 170 kg) now. Each hectare (2.4 acres) under cotton produces about 300 kg (660 lbs) compared with a world average of 650 kg. Bt cotton seeds would yield 30 to 40 percent more than non-GM hybrids and require 70 percent less pesticide to control the bollworm, the most common pest attacking Indian cotton, experts said. Cotton belt revival Idar, a small town surrounded by rocky mountains in Gujarat, grew mainly cotton in the late 1960s and 1970s. But high production costs and minimal returns forced Patel and other villagers to give it up for more lucrative crops such as groundnut and coarse cereals. Now that a domestic company, collaborating with U.S-based Monsanto Inc has been allowed to produce and sell Bt cotton, farmers hope Idar will regain its status as a producer of the fibre. “Word is spreading fast that Bt is good,” said Jagdip Shah, a farmer who also sells pesticides. “Idar could again be a cotton belt provided enough Bt seeds are made available.” Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Company Ltd (Mahyco) supplies Bt cotton seeds under the brandname “Bollguard” to farmers across the nation, except for three states in the north. Approval was granted to GM cotton after years of trials and strong opposition from environmentalists and pro-organic farm lobbyists who argue the technology could weaken the in-built resistance of soil to pests, besides making users perpetually dependent on the company for seeds. “Bt cotton development in India has been a one-sided research programme and raw data has not been made public,” said Ganesh Nochur, campaign director for Greenpeace in India. “Farmers’ acceptability of the new seeds alone should not be the criteria to judge the technology. They are poor and caught in neck-deep debt and hence would latch on to any survival options.” Patel, who has planted Bt cotton on only two acres of his total holding of 25 acres, is thrilled with the results. “I plan to divert more areas to Bt cotton next season,” he said. In all, Bt cotton has been planted on an estimated 105,000 acres of land in its first year of introduction. By contrast, neighbouring China, the world’s top producer of cotton, planted some 1.5 million hectares of GM cotton in 2001, or 30 percent of the total crop, from less than 100,000 hectares in 1998. Better tomorrow Mayhco Monsanto Biotech Ltd, a joint venture between Mayhco and Monsanto to market gene-altered seeds, plans to scale up the supply of seeds to cover an area of up to one million acres during the planting season starting May 2003. The authorities in Gujarat destroyed gene-altered cotton in an estimated 10,000 hectares in 2001 after the farmers were discovered to have sown seeds illegally supplied by a private firm. “The controversy last year spread awareness about the advantages of Bt cotton. So farmers were jubilant finally when the government approved it,” said Shah. “Whatever may be the controversy, these cotton seeds have dared us to think of a better tomorrow,” said Patel. ($1=48.35 rupees)
Reuters |
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German author says life is peculiar in India IF saints and emperors-turned-saints inspired foreigners writing on India in the last century, “promising” politicians and “straightforward” censusmen are filling the gap in the 21st century. The new repertoire of inspiration include Mohan Chickenwala, who rode on the power of his forever audible voice and promises to become an MLA and the teacher-censusman who asks a woman: “What is your sex?” Others like the tailor, who refuses to make an evening gown with a low-cut back because it would expose the strap of the bra, and the rich country boys from Haryana who would harness bullocks to make a Mercedes move, also step in. These characters stare at us from a collection of anecdotes by a German who adopted India as her home. “Life is Peculiar” by Hamburg-born Roswitha Joshi is a riveting tale of many moments of a clock of life ticking away to meet more new moments of fun, tension and surprise. The author, who came to Bangalore more than three decades ago after marrying an Indian, fits in 48 tales which range from a day on the Delhi roads to a journey on the Indian Airlines. Life can be peculiar even for the Hindu gods. After Kamala Das sent the statues of her Hindu gods into the guest room in Kerala following her conversion to Islam, the Hindu gods were on the move again, this time in the author’s friend’s home in Frankfurt. The forces that sent Radha, Krishna and the Shiva Lingam packing came from India in the form of two nuns from the catholic church! The friend packed them after she received news that the nuns were coming to visit her. “When I came to India, I initially stuck to my old values. I realised later that people who have ideas entirely different from ours can also lead successful lives,’’ says the author. Learning to be more tolerant mainly came from the readings of J Krishnamurthy, Osho and Deepak Chopra. “They taught me how to start thinking differently.” Released by German Ambassador to India Heimo Richter at an impressive launch ceremony at Hotel Ashok last week, the book also offers a peep into how terrorism affected ordinary lives even before September 11 changed the world. The story “Terror Garb” is an account of the author’s encounter with securitymen at the Frankfurt airport while travelling from India in the early 1970s. Dressed in a black leather coat and high-heeled boots like those worn by members of the West German revolutionary group Baader-Meinhoff then, she also arose suspicion for a suitcase full of tiny, well-wrapped packets, which turned out to be “sword-weilding Maharaja puppet from Rajasthan, delicately painted papier mache duck from Kashmir and cushion covers of shining brocade”, all Christmas gifts from her German friends to their relatives back home. The author plans to publish a German translation of the book, which is based on actual events, in her home country. The translation by herself has been completed, she adds. Her second book, a collection of eight short stories, also is ready. “The stories are relationship dramas based on facts, but with a dose of imagination. I wanted it to be humorous, but has turned out to be suspenseful.”
UNI |
Survey shows Britons’ liberal attitude A majority of Britons believe prostitution should be legalised and admit to having had a one-night stand, according to a survey of sexual attitudes. Sixty per cent of the Britons favour legalised prostitution while more than half have slept with somebody for one night only, according to an ICM poll for The Observer, carried out in August on 1,027 Britons aged 16 and over. The survey found the Welsh to be the nation’s most promiscuous, having had 13 sexual partners on average — 30 per cent more than the average Briton with ten. The Scottish were the least faithful with more than a third involved in a long-term relationship having had at least one affair. Londoners were the most faithful with only 7 per cent admitting to having cheated on their partner. Almost a third of Scottish people said they would sleep their way to promotion or a pay rise while the average figure across Britain was 18 per cent. Britons also showed their liberal stance when it came to gay and safe sex. Only a quarter of those polled said gay sex should be made illegal while 30 per cent admitted to not practising safe sex with a new partner.
AFP Eating fish cuts dementia risk Eating fish once a week may help reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, French scientists have said. After studying the diets of more than 1,600 elderly people living in France they have found that, after a follow-up period of up to seven years, people who ate the most fish had the fewest signs of dementia. Fish is high in polyunsaturated fatty acids which could reduce inflammation in the brain. They may also have an impact on brain development and the regeneration of nerve cells. Other medical studies have shown that eating fish regularly could significantly cut the risk of death from a heart attack. The scientists, who reported their findings in the British Medical Journal, said they did not find any significant link between eating meat and the risk of dementia. Alzheimer’s disease is the leading cause of dementia in elderly people. It affects about 12 million people worldwide. It is an incurable, progressive disease that clogs up the brain and robs people of memory and mental ability.
Reuters |
One feels happy at sunrise and sunset without having the least idea that life is passing by. None can escape death for its follows each one like his shadow. — From Maharishi Valmiki Ke Upadesh by Manjula Sahadeva
*** Birth is the messenger of death —Syrian proverb
*** I forgive all souls; let all souls forgive me. I am on friendly terms with all. I have no enmity with anybody. —Avesyaka Sutra, p.763.
*** Subdue wrath by forgiveness, Conquer vanity by humbleness, fraud by straightforwardness, and vanquish greed through contentment. —Dasha Vaikalika Sutra, 8,39
*** Forgive others but yourself never. —Japanese proverb
*** Forgive thyself nothing, others much. —German proverb
*** And, when you stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any; that your father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. — Bible, Mark 11.25
*** To forgive is considered man’s duty; To win is considered man’s ingenuity. —Chinese proverb
*** Endless would be the fire-offerings required for our sins and numberless the sweet savours for our trespasses; but thou knowest that our latter end is death, and therefore hast thou multiplied the measures of our forgiveness. —The Hebrew ritual for the Day of Atonement. |
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