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Some
hope in sight India may provide a cure for AIDS THE news that India could become the first country in the world to develop AIDS vaccine is heartening. Although human trials are to begin only in mid-2004, the progress made so far is encouraging. The vaccine developed by the National AIDS Research Institute, Pune, offers two distinct advantages.
Despair
of the jobless
The
superstitious mind
Where
development spells disease DELHI DURBAR
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Congress itself to blame A
decision delayed also turns out to be a decision denied. Punjab is facing this unfortunate situation because of the Amarinder-Bhattal standoff which the Congress high command has not yet resolved fully. The high command should have taken a firm decision one way or the other a long time back but it dilly-dallied and moved at a leisurely pace. In fact, the problem would not have become so intractable in the first place had the central leadership of the party been alive to the tension that was brewing and taken necessary remedial steps much before an open rebellion broke out in the Legislature Party. That is what effective leadership is all about. The dissidence grew to a do-or-die stage mainly because there was no suitable and timely redressal. Even when the war locale shifted to Delhi, alarm bells did not ring loud enough in the right quarters. Had Mrs Sonia Gandhi intervened in time, things would not have come to such a pass. Even now, the leave-it-to-the-leader understanding is so precarious that there is every danger of it coming unstuck. The victim is the State. Leave alone development work, even routine administrative work is paralysed. The bureaucracy cannot really be faulted. With the elected leadership busy honing its chess moves away from the State, the babus have put everything on hold. After all, the Chief Minister has been fighting for his survival. Whatever Mrs Gandhi’s decision, the image of the Congress in Punjab has also suffered immensely. The gainer is the Akali Dal which has enjoyed the attention getting directed to the Congress party’s infighting. The Akali Dal has not only used the opportunity to chip off the corruption millstone hanging around the neck of its leader Parkash Singh Badal and his family, but has also managed to galvanise its ranks. The Congress party can blame itself if it remains caught in the mess it is in during an election year. |
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Attack on Musharraf SUNDAY'S unsuccessful attempt on General Musharraf’s life near Rawalpindi’s Chaklala airbase was shocking. This was the second such incident during the past two years. The latest blast is believed to be the handiwork of Al-Qaida, which continues to exist in Pakistan despite Islamabad’s support to America’s FBI to destroy it root and branch. The primary reason is that Al-Qaida and the Taliban have their sympathisers not only in the tribal areas in Baluchistan and the NWFP but also elsewhere in Pakistan. General Musharraf has no dearth of enemies mainly because of the circumstances under which he has been functioning ever since he came to power. A large section of people in Pakistan do not approve of his decision to support the US-led action in Afghanistan. This section provides sustenance to religious extremism and terrorism, and in a way to Al-Qaida and the Taliban. The General has to ensure that there are no vestiges of these outfits in Pakistan not only for his own survival but also for peace in the entire region. But that will not be enough. The Kashmir-centric terrorist outfits, which have direct or indirect links with the Taliban and Al-Qaida, have openly opposed the recent decisions taken by Pakistan in response to India’s peace moves. The General rightly suspects the involvement of these people also in the Rawalpindi blast. Merely putting curbs on the activities of some of these outfits or banning them is not enough. Terrorists are nobody’s friends. They must be eliminated with their infrastructure and support base destroyed without further delay. |
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Some hope in sight THE news that India could become the first country in the world to develop AIDS vaccine is heartening. Although human trials are to begin only in mid-2004, the progress made so far is encouraging. The vaccine developed by the National AIDS Research Institute, Pune, offers two distinct advantages. One, it will ensure that even an immuno-deficient person does not get infected. Two, it will also immunise people against the virus. The Indian Council of Medical Research is setting up other test centres to test the vaccine’s efficiency on human volunteers from diverse geographical backgrounds in Chennai and Kolkata. The Phase I human trials pose particularly severe difficulties because the question of unaccounted for dangers and the ethics of testing an untried vaccine on human volunteers comes into play. But it is hoped that the parliamentary committee formed to foster advocacy among the volunteers will facilitate the task. The risks involved in trying out any new vaccine are always great but the threat posed by AIDS is also exceptionally grave. India is particularly at risk because of the growing incidence of the dreaded disease. According to one report, it is home to nearly 10 per cent of the world’s HIV/AIDS-affected. The number is growing at a frightening rate. Under such circumstances, any measure that appears promising is more than welcome. There are some other good pieces of news on the medical front for India. The country may soon have an indigenous microbicide to prevent HIV transmission through sexual route even as work is currently being undertaken on the anti-cancer vaccine against human papilloma virus. All these developments are the outcome of decades of hard work for which the medical researchers deserve the nation’s – perhaps, of the world’s — thanks. |
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I hold every man a debtor to his profession. — Francis Bacon |
Despair of the jobless IT
is a pity that because of the excitement of the recent Assembly elections and the making and unmaking of ministries, the violence in Mumbai, Bihar and Assam has not received serious attention in the country. In Mumbai, railway recruitment offices were ransacked by Shiv Sena mobs protesting against outsiders – mostly from Bihar – getting jobs in the city. Bihar and Assam saw killings and counter-killings, again over recruitment by the railways. Politicians and the media have tended to see this violence in ethnic and regional terms. Actually, this is not so. Essentially, the question relates to the country’s capacity to create enough jobs for the youth who have no choice but to travel long distances for earning a living. Millions of people across the country are either without jobs or are underemployed. They continue to be a burden on their families. With uncertainty written on their faces, they choose to leave their homes for other parts of the country in search of employment. The harsh truth that does not make our political leaders in the states and at the Centre lose a bit of sleep is that there indeed are not enough jobs going in the country. What happened in Mumbai, Assam and Bihar is only a symptom of this problem which is more serious than is being realised by leaders across the political spectrum. Dim prospects staring the jobless and their pent-up anger can burst into violence and play havoc with social and political stability in the country. This, in turn, can threaten the survival of democracy in India. Politicians have simplistic remedies for serious problems: Reservation of jobs for particular castes, or local people, or one section of society or another. This approach is only aimed at securing vote-banks and against a promise of employment. Sooner or later, the people are going to see through the illusory employment being offered by the politicians who may have to pay a price for failed promises. They could simply be rejected by the people, but in the bargain the political system may lose public esteem. The violence in Mumbai, Assam and Bihar portends what may happen in other parts of the country also. Mr Bal Thackeray’s warnings to outsiders grabbing jobs on what he thinks is the Shiv Sena’s territory, or Mr Laloo Prasad Yadav’s peace trip to Assam, the opening of a few more recruitment offices by the railways for local people and ministerial homilies may not be an answer to the situation. How many jobs can the railways create in different parts of the country after all? No one in the government really knows how many are actually jobless in the country despite the Planning Commission’s “guesstimates”, or repeated National Sample Surveys. Economic experts, relying more on statistical projections, often get bogged down in definitions of what is “employment”, “semi-employment” or “under-employment”. Queues are, meanwhile, lengthening at employment exchanges which offer registration cards, not jobs, to the unemployed. There are others who are not even equipped to knock at the doors of employment exchanges. They need only an opportunity to work. Most job-seekers have begun to think that an employment exchange is not a practical route to finding a placement. While few people seem to be bothered about the consequences of the nation’s failure to create enough jobs or its fallout, the unemployed – educated or otherwise – can choose a path which could seriously disturb political stability. The jobless and the under-employed often are recruited by local mafias operating in several states, all sorts of senas that have mushroomed in Bihar, casteist leaders and criminals ready to lend muscle to unscrupulous politicians for winning elections. The political movements like the Shiv Sena have roots among the job-seekers and the semi-employed in Mumbai. The naxalite movements in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Orissa, Chhattisgarh and a part of Madhya Pradesh would not have acquired the present dimensions were more jobs available in these states. In Punjab, the Green Revolution led to large-scale unemployment which goaded some young men to join terrorist groups in the late 1980s and 1990s. Many a young man in Jammu and Kashmir became a victim of overtures of secessionists and militants simply because the country did not find ways to give them jobs despite the fact that most of them were educated, thanks to education being free in the state for nearly five decades. Jobless youth can be recruited by a communal leader in the name of a mandir or a mosque, a casteist leader in the name of a caste, a naxalite in the name of a promised revolution. By joining such organisations they acquire a sense of belonging in contrast to the rejection they face from the rest of society. Slogans of the extreme right-wing and left-wing groups come in handy to the unemployed. These groups, in turn, offer an outlet for their bottled up anger against the political system which does not offer even work for livelihood. The result is violence and riots on one issue or another. Rather than looking into the deeper causes that have brought all this about, the governments at the Centre adopt a law and order approach and deploy more security forces to tackle violence which again leads to greater alienation of the people as seen in many parts of the country, particularly North-eastern India and Jammu and Kashmir. Experience has shown that large-scale unemployment and democracy do not go together. The example of Germany after World War I is too clear: The recession and a massive loss of jobs led to the rise of Adolf Hitler. It took another World War and much destruction in Europe for Germany to return to a democratic path and rejoin the world community. Our politicians, busy as they are in their pursuit of power and allied concerns, do not know the threat a failure to tackle unemployment can pose to the very power base they are thriving on. Those in the street without jobs are not really impressed by their argument that benefits of a higher growth rate will trickle down and one day create jobs for them. Economists’ argument that the reforms underway are bound to create more jobs every year may be sound if reason prevails, but it is unlikely to convince those young men and women who have no means to live on and are prone to harbour the feeling that they have become a burden on their parents. Their patience could be wearing thin and faith in the political system getting diluted. The people are used to occasional violence in one part of the country or another, but it will be dangerous to ignore the discontent in the villages, towns and cities. Leaders of all responsible political parties would need to shed their complacency and the cosy feeling that all is well below the
surface. |
The superstitious mind A few years ago an old acquaintance gave me a horseshoe. “Nail it above a wooden door and good luck will smile on you,” I was told. If you think that’s an old little superstition, consider the numerous other befuddling beliefs which have a tremendous following in our country. There are people who prefer to place their faith in the magical powers of amulets, charm bracelets, talismans, lockets and mascots. They are said to work only if they are given as gifts. Don’t ask me why because it’s beyond my comprehension. It’s easy to mock and scoff at all this, because such mystifying beliefs are devoid of cold logic and reason. However, even hardened sceptics like me still keep our fingers crossed, toss coins into the Bhakra canal from the car window while travelling, wish each other good luck and throw rice at the bride and groom. Some theories and postulations are truly bizarre. For example what are we to make of claims that it’s luck to sneeze three times in a row, count the spots on the ladybird and look at the moon while holding silver coins in your right hand? Artists, it seems, are particularly superstitious. If an actor’s shoes squeak when he makes an entrance on the stage, the show will be a hit. Stars in the world of sport have their own charms. Sachin Tendulkar always ties his left pad first, Wimbledon champ Pat Cash carried a note from his grandmother while playing and Micheal Jordan wore his old college basketball shorts because “I feel confident because that’s where it all started for me.” Business has its own sets of beliefs and rituals. The Ambanis consult an astrologer before starting a new venture and the Modis move forward only after getting the green signal from Pundits. Leave alone Indians, even the average westerners have started taking interest in “vastu” and feng-shui. All kinds of intriguing ideas have captured their fascination. Like moving your desk into an auspicious position and create a “wealth bowl” — one filled to the brim with semiprecious stones, crystals and cash wrapped in red paper. It could be argued, I suppose, that the force of such beliefs can create its own magic. I have always found, however, that more orthodox methods work best. Luck is all about recognising opportunities and making the most of them. Life without chance would be dull, but chance favours the mind that is prepared. Indeed, these beliefs are anathema to me. However, I have been made to wear two precious stones on the fingers of my right hand by my educated wife. I dare not do away with them, fearful of the commotion that may engulf my sweet home. And the horseshoe is still in place. Good
luck! |
Where development spells disease
THE Andaman and Nicobar islands are so far away from the mainland that no one seems to bother about what is happening to the indigenous people of the island, particularly the aboriginal tribal communities that have lived on the islands for centuries. These people who have not ventured out of the forests till quite recently are falling prey to modern development and diseases. With a third of the 340-km-long Andaman Trunk Road cutting through the Jarawa territory, heavy logging of timber from forest reserves that were their exclusive home, increasing encroachment on forest lands and the deluge of people from the mainland on the tiny islands, it's a doomsday scenario for the indigenous people. They number less than 40,000 in a total population of 5,00,000. While the population of the Andamanese is down to 28 (1991) from 625 in 1901, the Onges are down to 100 (2001) from 672 in 1901, the Jarawas to 250 (2001) from 468 in 1901. The population of the fourth tribe of Negrito origin, the Sentinelese, is also spiraling downwards. Only the population of the Nicobarese (of Mongoloid origin) has been increasing — from 5,962 in 1901 to 21,172 in 1991. Efforts by NGOs like Kalpavrish and SANE (Society for Andaman and Nicobar Ecology) to protect the local indigenous people have failed and even the rulings of the Supreme Court seem to have got the short shrift. The story of the Troubled Islands (a collection of articles that have appeared in newspapers and magazines) has been compiled in the form of a small, extremely well illustrated booklet by Pankaj Sekhsaria, an activist who has spent a lot of time researching and documenting developments on the islands. The Andaman Trunk Road (ATR), that connects Port Blair in South Andamans to Diglipur in the North, was once flaunted as the road that would bring development to the island. Instead it has brought disease and death. A third of the road cuts through Jarawa territory. The protests against the road from environmentalists, anthropologists and the Jarawas themselves were ignored and the situation escalated into violence. Large tracts of the virgin, evergreen forests were destroyed. The immunity that the Jarawas enjoyed living in isolation has gone. There was a devastating measles epidemic in 2000 resulting in several deaths. It is estimated that 34 to 40 per cent of the tribals have contracted hepatitis or malaria. Huge amounts of money (over Rs 15 crore) and timber are used annually to maintain the road. The SANE estimates that some 12,000 cu. m. of timber from the evergreen forests is used for maintenance of the road. Combine this with the 80,000 cu. m. of timber officially logged from these islands every year and you can get an idea of the destruction caused to the forests. The ATR, says Pankaj, “is a perfect example of shortsighted planning, as it is not even the best way to travel in the islands. The traditional inhabitants of these islands have always used the sea route because all the towns in the Andamans are located on the coast.” With the plying of vehicles on the ATR a Jarawa boy injured an arm and another suffered a fracture on the foot. It was one of the injured boys, Enmey, who was hospitalized at Port Blair and enjoyed local hospitality, who is probably responsible for the coming out of the Jarawas. Though the older tribals are shunning the road and the ills it brings their sheltered lives, the younger ones, more curious, are often seen on the road. At any given time 25 to 30 of them of 14 to 21 years are always on the road. Pankaj has a series of photographs of a young tribal woman running beside a bus stretching her hand and collecting a packet of biscuits from the bus driver. Since there are a number of buses that ply on the ATR, there is no knowing what is handed to the Jarawas. Pankaj says there are confirmed reports that vices like tobacco, gutkha and alcohol have been introduced and the Jarawas are getting addicted to them. Additionally, there are also reports of sexual exploitation of the Jarawa women. Among the many recommendations of the Supreme Court appointed Shekhar Singh Commission is a ban on the felling of trees and collection of non-timber forest products from the Little Andaman Island; a complete ban on any wood based units for 10 years; relocating small scale wood based units (saw mills) within industrial areas or next to forest offices where they can be monitored; no further regularisation of encroachments on forest land and the closure of ATR to vehicular traffic from Miletilak in South Andamans to the northern boundary of S. Andaman Island. It should also be closed to all traffic from Kadamtala in Middle Andamans to Kaushalya Nagar. This, it said, should be done in three months. Further, no person except for the Jarawas living in the reserve should be allowed to enter the reserve unless he/she is permitted by the
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests or select senior officials of the local administration. In May 2002, the Supreme Court accepted the Shekhar Singh report with some modifications. “The Supreme Court proposes, the local administration disposes,” says Pankaj. Deadlines set have gone but some of the key orders continue to remain unimplemented. Attempts to mainstream the tribals will only finish them. “It is not a question of choice but one of survival,” say all those on the islands seeking to protect them and their culture. |
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DELHI
DURBAR THE US remains the most sought after diplomatic assignment in New Delhi. A little bird discovered this week that a high-profile candidate has joined the race for the post of Indian Ambassador in Washington. The post is due to fall vacant in March next when Mr Lalit Mansingh completes his tenure. Till now, former Foreign Secretary Kanwar Sibal and Cabinet Secretary Kamal Pande were said to be
in the race for the hot seat. The latest doing the rounds in knowledgeable circles here is that of Omar Abdullah, President of the National Conference and former Minister of State for External Affairs. Abdullah’s advocates are convinced that he would be able to win over the Americans.
No to Sonia photo Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s birthday earlier this month did not remain untouched by the party’s factional politics in Punjab. The groups led by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and Agriculture Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal greeted Sonia Gandhi separately at her 10 Janpath residence. Sonia went inside her house after accepting the greetings of the gathering. Soon the “Bhattal group” demanded a photograph with her. Sonia’s photograph with any Congress group now could have led to speculation which her access managers were in no mood to oblige. They politely told the “Bhattal group” that Madam would not return.
Andhra polls on March 5? The just-concluded assembly elections in five states were perhaps not the semi-finals for the India Cup due in 2004. The real semi-final may well be on March 5 when Andhra Pradesh is slated to have assembly elections. Political circles say the Election Commission, which has informally indicated this date to the powers that be, is going to make a formal announcement to this effect in the second week of January. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu was here early this week and had closed-door discussions with Vajpayee and Advani. Political grapevine has it that during this visit the BJP and TDP decided that they would contest the assembly polls together.
Amar Singh’s
offer to Benazir Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh, known for celebrating New Year eves in style, invited Benazir Bhutto to join in the party in Dubai where he would be accompanied by Bachchans, among others. Singh first asked her phone number and then said “I will take it from Karan”. Singh was not referring to Karan Johar, the celebrated Bollywood director, but to journalist Karan Thapar, a classmate of Bhutto in UK decades ago.
Laloo as SAARC
leader Laloo Prasad Yadav won the hearts of millions of Pakistanis when he bowled them over with his wit, humour and Lalooisms during his visit to Pakistan earlier this year. And the RJD supremo is well aware of this. He confided into one of the organisers of SAFMA (South Asian Free Media
Association) that now he wanted to visit Bangladesh. As a wag put it: India is proving to be a pond to the whale called Laloo; now he wants to become a SAARC leader. Watch this space. Contributed by Satish Misra, Anita Katyal, S. Satyanarayanan, Prashant Sood and Rajeev Sharma |
One can ascend to the top of a house by means of a ladder or a bamboo or a staircase or a rope; so too, diverse are the ways of approaching God and each religion in the world shows one of the ways. — Sri Ramakrishna To err is human; but how few know to lead an erring man? — Sarada Devi
Without the Guru all is darkness; without the Word we do not realise it. — Guru Nanak If this is the time for charity, then I am the recipient of the charity. You are the only one charitable Lord. I do not ask for anything other than you. Please grant me unswerving devotion to you. O Compassionate Sambhu! I am grateful to you for that. — Shri Adi Shankaracharya Go on doing good, thinking holy thoughts continuously, that is the only way to suppress base impressions. — Swami Vivekananda |
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