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Boat ride to death Save trees Flight of FIIs |
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Reservation question
On keeping cool
Chemical onslaught on human life Get rid of the culture police Japan considers adding patriotism to school curriculum
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Boat ride to death
ENOUGH intentional killings are taking place in Kashmir every day. An unintentional one took place on Tuesday when a naval boat carrying schoolchildren capsized in Wullar Lake, taking 23 children and one teacher to their watery grave. Nation’s sympathy is with the parents of the children. Nothing could be more heart-rending than this disaster involving innocent children in their school uniforms. A picnic turned into a catastrophe. What made it all the more poignant was the fact that the marine commandos (popularly known as Marcos) had offered them the free boat ride as a goodwill gesture. Had they been more careful when the excited children crowded on to one side of the boat, making it tilt over, life might not have gone out of so many households. Being trained divers, they should have been fully aware of the safety requirements and the greater need for care while there were children on board. Apparently, some basic precautions were not taken, leading to the disaster. In a tragedy of such magnitude, it is common for the public sorrow to turn into anger and indignation. The distraught parents and other citizens vented their ire on the naval detachment. They destroyed boats and marched on to the naval contingent in a menacing manner. Coming under attack, the security forces opened fire, resulting in the death of two persons. That worsened the situation. No one can bring back the children. Nor can the prompt disbursal of ex-gratia compensation assuage the families’ extreme sorrow. But responsible citizens can definitely restore calm and balance. Separatist organisations are out to exploit the tragedy for their ends. The public should understand the dirty game such people are playing. Marcos have always been non-controversial during their stay in Kashmir. It will be unjust to point an accusing finger at them, particularly when an inquiry has been ordered into the tragedy. |
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Save trees
The Himachal Pradesh High Court has stood up for trees and environment and banned tree felling in the state. Surprisingly, despite indiscriminate felling over the years, the government has not taken effective measures to check the menace and protect the precious green cover which is a source of life for the people. According to the latest report of the Forest Survey of India, the state has lost an area of 1,453 sq km of dense forest cover between 2001 and 2003. One reason for the continuing menace is the unholy nexus between influential people, officials and the forest mafia which has no scruple to plunder the forest wealth with impunity. The High Court Division Bench consisting of Chief Justice V.K. Gupta and Justice Deepak Gupta has rightly taken suo motu note of a letter written by a concerned citizen and issued notices to the Chief Secretary and the Chief Conservator of Forests. Equally surprising is the government’s failure to check the misuse of the timber distribution (TD) rights policy. There is a general impression that influential people, in connivance with the officials of the revenue, forest and police departments, secure allotment of trees by giving different addresses just to flout the provisions of this notorious policy. Significantly, the High Court has ruled that neither the government nor any official shall permit felling of any tree, nor any timber would be given to anyone on the basis of the TD rights. Under the TD rights policy, though a person is allowed to fell a tree once in 10 years, this provision has been flagrantly violated. In the garb of a permit, people cut trees three to four times more than the allotment, store the timber in sawmills, convert it into “rough furniture” and then smuggle it to neighbouring states. Clearly, all this would not have been possible without officials choosing to look the other way. In view of the threat to the forests by these plunderers, there is a need to identify them within and outside the government so that serious action can be taken against them in accordance with the law. The High Court’s efforts to protect the fragile tree cover must be taken seriously by the state authorities. |
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Flight of FIIs
Ever since the stock market crested what was then the “psychological mark of 7000” in June last year, it became a bull on the rampage. The next landmarks fell in quick succession, 8000 in early November, 9000 in early December, 10,000 in early February, 11,000 in late March, 12,000 in early May, and 12,600 by May 10. Any rise above 8000 was considered cause for concern by the finance minister early in the run, and it is interesting that many FIIs are going on record now to say that an appropriate valuation for the Sensex was in the 8000 region. But FIIs themselves played a key role in the overheating, pumping in excess of $ 5 billion early this year. After the fall in May, $ 2.6 billion has been withdrawn. Global factors have definitely been at play, and if it is any consolation, billions of dollars have flown out of other Asian countries as well, including Japan, Korea, Thailand and Taiwan. While the downturn in overheated metals contributed, so did widespread concerns about interest rate hikes in the US. Growth figures in the US for the last quarter were above 5 per cent, which for a developed market, is high. This led to expectations that the US Federal Reserve might cool things off with an interest rate hike. Rate hikes lead to squeezed liquidity, and FIIs tend to pull out of emerging markets. Whether this is due to conservatism with regard to emerging markets is debated by economists. But over $ 1.6 billion dollars of Asia-marked funds were redeemed recently — the money is clearly going back home to Europe and America. Now that attempts have begun to even envision a “correct” Sensex level, investors have to be very careful indeed. There is never a dearth of people playing with the market, for a variety of reasons. Corrections are indeed painful, and at current levels, the Sensex has seen a loss of 20 percentage points, which puts the market within the definition of a classic bear market. But fundamentals are strong, growth rates high, and already on Friday, the market rallied by more than 400 points, a huge intra-day rise. Expect the swings to continue. |
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The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.
— Alvin Toffler |
Reservation question
The debate about reservation for OBCs in the premier educational institutions is raging in the country. Pro and anti-reservationists are out in streets demonstrating, striking and protesting. The debate has become somewhat acrimonious creating sharp divisions of opinion amongst different sections of society. Having remained ambivalent for some days, the government has finally decided to implement the policy. However, it would be naïve to dismiss the agitation as mere drama and propaganda. The agitation is symptomatic of a deep discontent amongst youth. It is also a reflection of fast-changing social and economic realities, the implication of which has not been understood by the political leadership. The socioeconomic scene has undergone a dramatic change during the past 50 years. The level of literacy in early fifties was low; candidates were few and proportion of reservation in jobs was limited. The general category candidates did not feel hurt with reservation of 22.5 per cent for SCs/STs. There was enough space for them to compete on merit. With the spread of education, rising aspirations, burgeoning middle class and increasing number of youth competing for limited seats, entry to institutions of excellence has become extremely tough. With additional reservation of 27 per cent for OBCs, opportunities for admission in these institutions would further shrink. This has caused despondency amongst youth as they perceive the system to be inequitable. In this backdrop, the purpose of affirmative action makes little sense to them. More so, when some of them are economically worse off than aspirants from the reserved categories. Reservation in jobs and educational institutions understandably is an effective instrument for helping the underprivileged sections of society to overcome social and economic handicaps. There may perhaps be no two opinions that such an action is required. But the basic question that the agitation has brought to fore is for how long, for whom and how far reservation is required to be made. Reservation of 22.5 per cent in jobs for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes has been in existence for over half a century. Further, 27 per cent reservation in jobs was introduced in 1995 for OBCs. The founding fathers of the Constitution thought that reservation for 10 years would suffice. Rather than phasing it out, it is being extended interminably. One wonders whether such a long period is not sufficient for bringing about requisite social change. It is like “infant industry” argument seeking protection perpetually against imports in the name of unfair competition or level play field. The crutches of reservation held for too long can be crippling, adversely affecting creativity, productivity and efficiency. If the intended objective has not been achieved during 50 years, something may be amiss with the policy or that the reservation per se cannot achieve the objective. Hence, there is need for review. The next important issue is for whom reservation in jobs and educational institutions is intended and who are or would be the real beneficiaries? The first generation of SCs and STs candidates who availed of reservation in jobs were really unprivileged. However, now the benefit is being mostly appropriated by their progeny, depriving the genuine voiceless underprivileged amongst them. There are umpteen instances of sons and daughters of persons in high positions and of political elite getting slotted in jobs as reserved candidates, despite the fact that they are quite well off and prosperous. Any factfinding survey about the background of the beneficiaries during the past 10-15 years would bear testimony to it. It is amazing how the political class can be so oblivious of this stark reality. Surely reservation was not intended for the creamy layer, which has become a class within class. Over the years it has acquired a strong vested interest, perpetuating caste and creating divisive tendencies in society. The issue again requires a serious debate. Another important issue is the extent to which reservation should go, so as not to impinge adversely on the interests of other sections of society and primacy of merit. Reserving high proportion of government jobs and seats for admission in the institutes of excellence puts merit at discount. That is not the end of it. There is further reservation in promotions as well. Candidates from reserved categories selected against general quota seats are not counted towards reserved quota, which brings down the proportion of seats for general category candidates. The question is how big the slice of cake has to be reserved for affirmative action. Over the years the slice has grown bigger and bigger, giving a psychological feeling of positive discrimination to the economically backward classes amongst the general categories. Perhaps there may not have been any serious objection, say if only10 per cent of seats were reserved for OBCs. In that case, the best amongst them would have been selected and meritwise they may have been only a shade poorer than those selected against general category seats. Why quota for OBCs necessarily has to be 27 per cent and why it has to be implemented in one go is something which is not easily understandable. Pro-reservationists have raised a very weighty argument against the anti-reservationists of securing admission through capitation fee which amounts to getting reservation through money power. The government has dismally failed to check this malpractice for admissions to private institutions. Howsoever well intentioned the government’s move on reservation for OBCs may have been, it is suspect in the public eye. The general perception is that the proposal is motivated not by any genuine desire to help the backward classes, but possibly to extend its vote bank. Interestingly, such an expectation is not always fulfilled. Despite implementing reservation of 27 per cent in jobs for OBCs in 1995, the then Congress government lost power, as electoral results are swayed by many complex factors. It is unfortunate that creditability of political leadership has touched a new low. It is time to evolve a suitable mechanism for excluding the creamy layer from the pale of reservation for jobs as well as admissions to educational institutions. Once the head of family has availed of reservation for a job, his children should not be entitled to the same advantage. Let others of the same class benefit from it. Two, to meet the aspirations of deserving economically backward candidates from both the backward and general categories, ideally it may be desirable to replace the criterion of caste with economic backwardness over a period of time. Three, the proportion of reserved seats has to be reasonable for striking a balance between the need for securing social justice and quest for merit. Reservation should not be perceived as positive discrimination against other sections of society. Fourth, it needs to be deliberated for how long will reservation continue. Are there any alternatives to reservation and has the caste to be the sole criterion for reservation? Should not the reservation be gradually phased out and other forms of affirmative action in the form of better educational facilities at school level be initiated so that candidates from reserved categories are enabled to realise their full potential. Last but not the least, the government has to put an end to the menace of capitation fee with a heavy hand. To bring about a paradigm shift in policy, political statesmanship and vision are required. Let the nation debate these issues and evolve a
consensus.
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On keeping cool
As the celebrated chronicler of the activities of the Pickwick Club said a long time ago, “It is pleasant to turn from contemplating the strife and torment of political existence to the peaceful repose of private life. Not that I have had much “peaceful repose” these past few days. There is a koel in the lime tree outside my bedroom who keeps repeating the announcement that another blistering summer is here. And with the onset of summer one’s thoughts turn naturally to ways and means of keeping oneself cool, mentally and physically. The first is no problem. Don’t get into an argument with anyone, least of all with your wife. If you feel that she is being unfair in her remarks about your character and capabilities, or the lack thereof, just remind her gently that she married you for better and worse. As to keeping one’s bodily temperature down, I am reminded of the oft-repeated injunction given us by our elders in the ‘20s and ‘30s never to set foot, outside the house at this time of the year without the protection of a ‘sola topi’ as this most inelegant form of headgear was called. I also recall the hectic days in the early ‘30s when I, in company with my fellow-students, went about knocking sola topis off other people’s heads having previously stamped on our own while shouting slogans such as “down with the toadies’ and “boycott British goods”. I dare say that the first Britisher who presented himself at the Mughal court wore a sun helmet, but the “sola topi” our parents insisted on our wearing was made in Calcutta and sold in Delhi’s Chandni Chowk. It certainly wasn’t a British product. I often wonder how we avoid getting a sunstroke these days without that old contraption on our heads. Of course, many of our young men wear their locks longer than was considered manly, or even respectable in the days of my youth and the heavy “thatching” may provide some sort of insulation. But one often sees someone with his head as innocent of hair as a baby’s bottom going about in the sun with no apparent discomfort. Indeed, to see a man wearing a sola topi today is to label him instantly as an eccentric or, what is worse, a “square”. The modern theory, I am told, is that one is safe from the ill-effects of the sun if one wears dark glasses. I do so myself, and I don’t cover my head. But then, I seldom leave my house during daytime in summer. I don’t have to, having retired from service 40 years ago. Besides, I am a firm believer in the old saying that only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the mid-day sun. There are other simple and inexpensive ways of keeping cool in the hot weather. I recommend contemplating one’s navel while sitting under a cold water tap, assuming that there is at least a faint trickle in it; drinking plenty of iced water, eight a day being the dose suggested by doctors; wearing as few clothes as is consistent with propriety and, above all, spending two hours in bed in a darkened room every afternoon. This, perhaps, is the greatest blessing that my retirement has brought me — and the greatest curse as when someone rings up the wrong number and gets a mouthful of the choicest abuse from
me. |
Chemical onslaught on human life
There was a time when man derived all his requirements from nature. He used naturally available herbs as medicine, naturally available nutrients and colours as cosmetics, and so on. But today, we cannot imagine a world without chemicals. Our homes, offices and factories are filled with aerosols, artificial sweeteners, cosmetics, dyes, inks, paints, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, plastics, refrigerants, and synthetics. Today more than 1500 chemicals are introduced annually. About seven million chemicals are known to exist of which more than 1,00,000 are commonly used in the products we buy every day. However this flood of chemicals invites questions regarding how they affect the environment as well as our health. 20 per cent of the food we eat is contaminated with trace amounts of pesticides even though most of them have been banned for decades. A typical diet contains DDT, dialdrin & dioxin. There is increasing evidence to suggest that some chemicals are linked to a rising rate in certain cancers, birth defects, genital abnormalities, and reproductive and other problems. We are sailing into uncharted waters. We are all a part of an experimental generation and the full effects will not be known for decades to come. There is growing evidence pointing to a link between pollution and childhood illnesses. Children breathe more air, drink more water and consume more food as a percentage of their body weight than adults. The relatively greater rates of intake mean that children receive higher doses of contaminants present in air, food and water. Children are also more susceptible because of the immaturity of their bio-chemical and physiological functions. Certain organs may not be fully developed and thus are vulnerable to damage. In fact, the exposure to chemicals starts even before the child is born. A recent study revealed that there are more than 250 chemicals in the blood of the umbilical cord indicating that a foetus is exposed to a large number of chemicals. Of these, a number of chemicals in common use possess a remarkable property — they can weakly mimic, or modify, the action of human hormones. Hormones are the most potent chemical messengers in the body as they control critical body functions. In the foetus, they appear to be more important still, programming development and directing cells to differentiate into different organs. Some chemicals, like plastic additives, pesticides and industrial products, are weakly oestrogenic, modifying the action of the female hormone; others can affect the male hormone, the androgens, or anti-androgens; others are thought to target different hormone systems, such as the thyroid and adrenal glands. More frightening still, these are chemicals which we may be eating, drinking, breathing and bathing in. They are chemicals which no human infant escapes, sometimes even before birth. Scientists have measured some of them in our own body tissues: our saliva, blood, breast milk and fat. Early in pregnancy, exposure to solvents and pesticides has been linked to miscarriage and birth defects. Later in pregnancy, exposure to chemicals such as lead, mercury and Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) have been linked to brain damage. Exposure to PCBs can trigger premature labour as they make the uterus more likely to contract. Male babies exposed in the womb to chemicals that mimic estrogen compounds found in birth control pills and some plastics are at risk of being born with deformities in their prostate gland and urethra that may lead to diseases in adulthood, according to a study on lab animals. Both Ethinylestradiol, the drug found in birth control pills and bisphenol A, found in clear plastics, are known as estrogenic (they imitate the natural female hormone estrogen). Exposure of mice to these chemicals on an average resulted in narrowing of urethera & defects in prostrate. Bisphenol A is one of the highest-volume chemicals in the world today, with more that 6 billion pounds used annually. The chemical is essential to the making of polycarbonate plastic, but it can leach from the containers, which include baby bottles and water bottles. The chemical industry only does very crude toxicity screening tests just to ensure the products pose no immediate danger to the consumer. Standard tests for cancer, birth defects and other long-term health problems are almost never performed. Chemical industry claims that lower doses pose no harm. But studies show that low doses can be more toxic especially for chemicals such as pyrethyroid insecticides that affect the endocrine (hormone) system. The reason appears to be that at higher doses, the defence mechanisms kick in. Not only this, as soon as the child is born we subject him to immunization. Generally, all vaccines contain thimerosal (an ethyl mercury compound) added to increase the shelf life and check the growth of fungus and bacteria. Such vaccines are implicated in the onset of autism — a brain disorder that begins during childhood & affects development skills related to communication & creativity. From 1987 to 1998 there has been a 273 % increase of autism in California alone. On September 28, 2005 California became the 2nd State after Iowa in the US to ban the use of such compounds in vaccines. But in developing countries, where the situation is worse as the level of thimerosal in multidose vials is nearly 10 times more, there has been no effort to ban it in vaccines. Non mercury vaccines are available, but they are expensive. Some studies argue that thimerosal does not accumulate in the body, as its half-life in the body is only 7-10 days. However despite their claims, recommendations for elimination of thimerosal from all childhood vaccines were made. In some countries like Australia thimerosal has been eliminated or replaced in general & multidose vials are not used for routine immunization. In a country like India, there is virtually no data available on the long term effects of chemicals being used, neither is there sufficient awareness. The longer we wait to gather the evidence, the harder it may become to put things right. “In the long term game called evolution there are unpredictable winners and losers,” warns Professor Carlos Sonnenschein at Tufts University, Boston. “It would not be too clever for humans to inadvertently load the dice against their own
chances.”
The writer is a Senior Scientific Officer with the Punjab Pollution Control Board |
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Get rid of the culture police
In December 1998, a small group of protesters halted the screening of the movie
Fire in two Mumbai theatres. The following day a similar group attacked a theatre in Delhi. Protestors wore saffron-coloured scarves to mark their religious affiliation, bought tickets to the screening, and once inside the hall, burnt posters, destroyed furniture and effectively banned a film that had gained critical audience. They condemned the movie’s portrayal of lesbian sexuality claiming it was alien to Indian culture and an affront to its values. It is under these difficult circumstances Canadian-Indian filmmaker Deepa Mehta, began a trilogy of films,
Fire, Earth and Water. Fire was the first part of the trilogy Mehta conceived to offer a gendered view of the social transformations in India during the 20th century. Water, the third film in the trilogy, set in the 1930s India, explored the lives of young widows in the ashrams of Varanasi. Water, like Fire, faced retributions of its own. The day before filming was due to begin in Varanasi, the crew was greeted with 2,000 protesters who stormed the ghats and destroyed the main film set. Led by the KSRSS (Kashi Sanskriti Raksha Sangharsh Samiti) protesters burnt effigies of Deepa Mehta and threatened her life. Filming, eventually, moved to Sri Lanka where it was completed under strict security and a fictitious title in 2003. As controversies around such films as Water,
Da Vinci Code and Fanaa erupt, one is reminded how easily political and religious forces can hijack culture. Deepa Mehta’s films were deemed controversial because they focused on the everyday struggles Indian women face when they try to work within the structures of joint family and oppressive social and religious institutions. Da Vinci Code hurt the sentiments of a small but vocal minority. In
Fanaa’s case, Aamir Khan’s political stance had become a cause for a ban. In Hollywood, actors have always involved themselves in political causes. Any list would have to include Audrey Hepburn, who worked with the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund from 1988 until her death in 1993 and Humphrey Bogart, who led a 1947 group that protested the U.S. government’s probe of communism in Hollywood. More recently, Angelina Jolie has been an Ambassador with the United Nations’ High Commission on Refugees, traveling to Sudan, Pakistan, Sierra Leone and other countries where refugee problems are a major concern. The World Economic Forum this year included, in its line-up of speakers, singers Bono and Peter Gabriel, actors Susan Sarandon, Richard Gere and Sharon Stone. Should this entail a ban on films of Hepburn, Bogart, Sarandon, Gere and Jolie and ban on music of Bono and Gabriel? Those who believe in censorship and banning of films hold the view that censorship protects the values that are prevalent in society and that the audiences are not capable of mature, safe responses to “immoral” materials. Fortunately, the box-office success of
Fanaa is a comeuppance for the political and religious strongmen who can’t be allowed to police our culture, our movies and what we believe in. |
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Japan considers adding patriotism
If the Japanese government gets its way, educators will soon add another course to the standard curriculum of reading, writing and arithmetic: teaching students to show love for their country. The proposal to make education more patriotic in Japan signals the determination of conservatives here to combat what they see as a self-obsessed youth culture, characterized by rampant school bullying and juvenile crime, which they say is eroding the nation’s vaunted social order. Under proposed revisions to the Basic Education Law, which are being debated in Parliament, teachers would be required to instill in students “an attitude that respects tradition and culture, and loves the nation and the homeland that have fostered them.” The changes alarm liberal critics who worry that a legal duty to teach a love for Japan would override the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of thought and conscience. They argue that mandating educators to teach patriotism echoes the ultra-nationalism of imperial Japan, which led to the catastrophic error of military aggression and, ultimately, ruin. But the mood in Japan is strongly in favor of strengthening pride in country. Recent polls show two-thirds of the public supports the revisions, demanding schools foster civic morality and teach students to show more respect. During parliamentary debates last week, critics of the proposal revealed that some schools are already grading students on their level of patriotism. Fifty elementary and middle schools in Saitama prefecture just north of Tokyo have been marking students on their love for Japan, a practice the teachers’ union contends is spreading to other parts of the nation in anticipation of changes to the Basic Education Law. “How can patriotism be evaluated?” complained Sachiko Nishinaka, an official with the Japan Teacher’s Union. “If a student says the SDF (Self-Defense Force, the nation’s military) should be sent to Iraq, does this student deserve an A? If a student says no, there are other things Japan could do besides sending the SDF, does this student deserve an A?” The government enjoys a comfortable majority in Parliament and hopes to pass the amendments before the current session ends June 18, though a crowded legislative schedule means the bill may have to be carried over until the fall. But all three major parties agree the Basic Law needs amending to include some form of patriotic education. They are merely squabbling over the wording. The changes would be the first revisions to the law that was written under American occupation in 1947. Japanese conservatives never liked the original measure’s emphasis on individualism, which was aimed at cultivating independent thought as an antidote to the prewar Imperial Rescript on Education that had indoctrinated generations of students on the merit of obeying the emperor and the state. Some observers argue that modern Japanese schools, which still cling to student uniforms and emphasis on rote learning, are hardly hives of unfettered individualism. “We are not intending a law that would draw us into war,” Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi told legislators last week, noting the proposed revisions would also require teachers to imbue a respect for other countries. The revisions are part of a broader attempt by conservative politicians to impose their will over education policy and the powerful teachers’ union, one of Japan’s last bastions of leftist politics. The bill includes a clause requiring education policy to be carried out “in accordance with other laws,” a potent phrase designed to make it easier for the authorities to enforce their directives on teachers. The Basic Law has made education immune from “improper control,” a protection that teachers have always cited to fend off political interference. In recent years, they have challenged everything from government textbook selection to the attempts by school boards to force teachers and students to stand, face the flag, and sing the national anthem at graduation ceremonies. That latter battle has been particularly bitter. Many teachers have refused to stand, citing the anthem’s links to the militarist era. In turn, they have been disciplined by school boards and, on occasion, prosecuted by the government. On Tuesday, a retired Tokyo teacher was found guilty of “obstructing business through the use of force” after he disrupted a 2004 high school graduation ceremony. Katsuhisa Fujita, 65, was charged after he implored parents not to stand for the anthem as required by the Tokyo Metropolitan Board of Education. Fujita was ejected from the service, but school officials said about 90 percent of the graduating students remained seated for the anthem. The judge fined Fujita nearly $2,000, dismissing the prosecution’s demand for an eight-month jail sentence. But the deeply conservative Tokyo board’s decision to fine and suspend teachers who refuse to stand for the anthem has driven the number of dissenters down from more than 200 in 2003 to just 44 cases last year. It is that record of intimidation that worries critics of the plan to put patriotic education into law. (Hisako Ueno of the Times’ Tokyo bureau contributed to this report.) — By arrangement with
LA Times-Washington Post |
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From the pages of Thakkar Bapa — Friend of poor
In a mentally and spiritually sick world, which is full of dwarfed souls and warped intellects and where human beings get snarled up in their lives at every step due to the battle of “isms” and the conflict of ideologies, men like Thakkar Bapa, who identify themselves with everything that lives, are like rare gems. His was a truly dedicated life for he resisted the lure of wealth, spurned worldly delights and for about 45 years strenuously strove to ameliorate the hard and unenviable lot of the socially and economically disinherited sections of the nation. The late Mr Gokhale did the right thing at the right moment when in 1914 he prevailed upon the members of the Servants of India Society not to be too punctilious or literalist about the age limit and thus enabled Mr A.B. Thakkar to join that memorable organisation at the age of 45. To work among the aborigines is an exceedingly uphill task, but Thakkar Bapa did it for several decades as a labour of love. In 1920 he did an excellent job as a relief worker among the famine-stricken areas of Orissa, a province of chronic drought. Till 1932 he was connected with several welfare and relief organisations of Gujarat and Assam, but at the time of the Poona Pact he came in close contact with Mahatma Gandhi, who asked him to become the General Secretary of the Harijan Sewak Sangh, which remained his first love till the end of his days. For those who are keen to promote the well-being of the ‘loweliest and the lost’ he was an exemplar. |
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