The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Questionable conduct
J & K House turned into a ‘fish market’

People’s representatives in Parliament and state Assemblies have increasingly been behaving in a manner unbecoming of their position as lawmakers. Uproarious scenes during discussions on any issue have become common. But what happened in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Wednesday over a private member’s resolution, seeking clemency for Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, amounted to crossing the limits of decency.

Such “fish market” scenes, as described by the Assembly Speaker, have rarely been noticed in the border state’s Assembly. One legislator (belonging to the Congress) even climbed on to the table of the Assembly’s Secretary to put across his viewpoint. Perversely, when the Speaker termed their behaviour as undemocratic, members of the Panthers Party, the BJP and the Jammu State Morcha showed victory signs as they succeeded in preventing the controversial resolution from being tabled in the House.

The J and K MLAs, however, only tried to emulate what has been unfortunately happening in many other state Assemblies. A few days back members of the Rajasthan Assembly used their shoes and sandals to add strength to their viewpoint! A BJP MLA borrowed a sandal from a colleague to throw it at Congress legislators, but, luckily, the “missile” missed its target. The Congress members retaliated with shoes, not bothering about the decorum of the House. Such reports have been received from Orissa, Karnataka and other Assemblies too. This is a worrying development, indeed.

People’s representatives need to behave in an exemplary manner, keeping in view the dignity of the House. Instead of throwing chairs, rushing to the well of the House or physically preventing anyone from performing his duty as a member of the Assembly, they should use their debating skill to make their arguments heard. In the case of J and K, the MLAs in favour of or opposed to the resolution asking for clemency for Afzal Guru should not have done anything that goes against the decorum of the House. They have not crowned themselves with glory by indulging in acts unbecoming of their position.

Ruling on Singur
Mamata on a high but order remains contentious

The Calcutta High Court’s ruling this week, upholding as ‘constitutional’ and ‘valid’ the Singur land restoration law, has given a tremendous political boost to Mamata Banerjeee. Her pre-poll promise of returning land acquired at Singur to farmers had been met with widespread scepticism.

She had opposed land acquisition at Singur, went on an indefinite fast and stalled work at the site, forcing Tata Motors to shift the Nano car project to Gujarat. And within weeks of becoming the Chief Minister in May this year, she hurried through the restorative law and wrested control of the acquired land. While Tata Motors challenged the validity of the Act, a single judge Bench of the High Court has now ruled that the law is both ‘constitutional’ and ‘valid’, paving the way for Banerjee to fulfil her promise of returning part of the land to the ‘unwilling’ farmers.

The ruling, however, comes with a caveat, with the judge staying the order till November 2 , allowing aggrieved parties time to appeal. By allowing the state to re-acquire land already allotted on lease, the ruling sets a precedent that is bound to affect land acquisition in future. The court essentially upheld the sovereign right of the state to take over private property for a public purpose while pointing out that Tata Motors had not made use of the land for the purpose for which it was allotted. The ruling also glossed over the ‘vague and uncertain’ clauses related to compensation to be paid and deemed the provisions of the Land Acquisition Act of 1894 to be included.

While an appeal against the order, therefore, appears a certainty, it does highlight a grey area. A large number of industrial units in the country are known to have come up on land acquired for them at throw-away prices. Many of them have, however, been allowed to shut down their operations, change the land-use and make a killing by selling the land for real estate. The ruling could force the state to act against this trend.

Thought for the Day

The real price of everything, what everything really costs to the man who wants to acquire it, is the toil and trouble of acquiring it. — Adam Smith

ARTICLE

Mounting US-Pak tensions
India’s crisis is purely domestic
by Inder Malhotra

DURING monsoons in this part of the world deluge and drought often alternate. Roughly the same seems to be the case with the flow of news. In recent days, however, there has been a virtual avalanche of it.

At the UN General Assembly there was Palestine’s landmark and legitimate request for recognition as a member state. Brilliantly articulated by the Palestine Authority president, Mahmoud Abbas, it received widespread support, including India’s, never mind the United States’ threat to veto it.

By contrast, the acceptance of the National Transition Council as the government of Libya was smooth because of the virtual end of the Gaddafi era. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s plea for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council for India was eloquent but didn’t evoke much response.

No less important than the UN session was the meeting in Washington of the world’s finance ministers under the auspices of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Its finding on the world economy was highly pessimistic. A meeting between Dr. Singh and the Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmedinejad, on American soil is most likely to usher in a new chapter in India-Iran relations, beginning with a visit to Teheran by Dr. Singh.

So far so good, but at home a bad state of affairs has worsened. Nature’s fury caused the catastrophic earthquake in Sikkim, northern districts of West Bengal, and parts of Bihar (as well in neighbouring Nepal). But it is a cascade of man-made disasters that has become this country’s seemingly irremediable bane.

The Planning Commission’s moronic notion of poverty, the establishment’s stark failure to address people’s concerns about nuclear power, and the Union government’s inexcusable indecision on Telangana that has been shut down for more than two weeks can be disregarded for the present.

What has tied the Congress-led ruling coalition into knots and accentuated the paralysis that has been the country’s fate for some time is the latest twist in the 2G Spectrum scam. This time around Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram (who was Finance Minister until November 2008) is in the eye of the storm, thanks to a Finance Ministry note to the PMO, sent in March this year.

It is now before the Supreme Court, together with a petition for a CBI inquiry against him. The Opposition, especially the BJP, is gleefully exploiting this situation, with some of its leaders going overboard with their rhetoric.

In New York, the Prime Minister had announced his “full confidence” in the Home Minister. But despite an unscheduled meeting with Dr. Singh in New York, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has said practically nothing. Nor has this situation changed materially even after Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s separate meetings with the two ministers, generally seen to be at loggerheads with each other. Since everyone is now waiting for the Prime Minister’s return home, further comment can also wait.

In any case, attention needs to be focused on a graver crisis in South Asia: the sharp escalation of the US-Pakistan spat over Islamabad’s use of the Haqqani network and other terrorist outfits as “an instrument of policy”. Without going into elaborate details, already in public domain, the essence of the situation can be summed up. After the testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee of Defence Secretary Leon Panetta and the Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, the United States has come to three clear-cut conclusions.

The first is that the Haqqani network is a “veritable arm of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence” (ISI); secondly, that with the “ISI support, this network ‘planned and successfully executed’ the September 13 attacks on the US embassy in Kabul” and the NATO headquarters; and thirdly, that the US regards the Haqqani network, based in North Waziristan in Pakistan’s tribal lands, as the “foremost threat to the US and coalition forces in Afghanistan”.

A necessary corollary of this is that the US, having tolerated Pakistan’s duplicity – “hunting with the American hound and running with the jihadi hare” – for long years, is now fed up because its own personnel and interests are under attack. Mr. Panetta, Admiral Mullen and others have warned Pakistan in the bluntest terms that if the Pakistan army does not act against the Haqqani network, the US would. In such matters America does not fire empty cannons, to use a Chinese expression.

In view of this, it does seem strange, though not at all surprising, that Pakistan’s reaction has been one of denial and defiance. Over the weekend, there were prolonged talks between the visiting chief of the US CENTCOM, General James N. Mattis, and Pakistan’s Army Chief, General Kayani. Immediately thereafter General Kayani held an unscheduled meeting of the Corps Commanders that lasted six hours. It was then announced that the Pakistan Army would not act against the Haqqani group.

The civilian government has reacted even more sharply, warning the US that it could “lose an ally” if it went on “wrongly” accusing Pakistan. President Asif Zardari is busy mobilising national consensus to cope with the American challenge. Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar and Interior Minister Rehman Malik have pointed out that the Haqqani network is not a “creation” of Pakistan but of the US in the days of the anti-Soviet jihad in the 1980’s.

The reason for the Pakistani “bluster” is best summed up by a perceptive writer in Wall Street Journal: the view of their country of the Pakistani ruling elite, especially of the Generals who call the shot. They believe that geo-strategically their country is equivalent of a “giant bank that can never fail”. After all, Pakistan has “180 million Muslims, the world’s fastest growing nuclear arsenal, a plethora of jihadi groups in close proximity to these weapons, an all-weather friendship with China, and a choke-hold on supplies for NATO troops in Afghanistan”.

Ms. Khar has come back home from the UN, General Kayani has cancelled his visit to London and much flurry has followed. Yet, there is plenty of evidence — especially in the official statements issued by the Pakistan Army and the US Embassy after the Kayani-Mattis talks —that points towards de-escalation, rather than escalation, of the US-Pakistan confrontation. Bluster may continue but neither side seems willing to go over the brink. Pakistan cannot do without American billions; the US needs transit facilities to Afghanistan. However, if the situation does get out of hand, the entire region, from the Hindukush to western Himalayas, would be singed.

MIDDLE

Return to Kerni
by Harwant Singh

The recent news regarding the return of inhabitants of Kerni to their village after a decade, brings to mind their earlier ordeal. Kerni is a village North-West of Poonch, very close to the LoC and at the lower end of a steep slope. The upper parts of the slope are in PoK, where there is a Pak Army post. At the upper end of the village and closer to the LoC is a longish barrack type structure known as Gillani’s hut.

Indian Army posts along the LoC are widely separated with large gaps between them. Kerni falls in one of those large gaps. In early nineties, the Pakistan Army crossed the LoC and occupied Gillani’s hut and built defences in the area. This aggression by the Pak Army across the LoC sent shock waves up the military channels. Pressure was built up for immediate eviction of the enemy. However, such pressures and hustling troops into premature action can be resisted at corps level. After due planning and appropriate deception measures Pak troops were evicted, but they left behind the body of a soldier and an officer. Soon after the Indian action to evict the Pak troops, ceasefire was declared by both sides.

In the presence of large crowds from both countries, these two bodies were handed over to the Pak Army at an agreed point near Poonch. Care was taken to conform to Muslim customs and military ceremonials and respect due to fallen soldiers were observed. The Indian Army established a temporary army post near Gillani’s hut. Since the Pak Army in the area was in a dominating position, it could, any time attempt to overrun the Indian post.

As expected, soon after ceasefire was lifted, the Pak Army decided to take back the area of Gillani’s hut. The Indian Army had suitably deployed artillery observation posts (arty OPs) which could pick up any activity across the LoC in the event of buildup of an attack on the Indian post. Sure enough, around midnight, the Pak Army mounted a battalion attack. However, Indian arty OPs picked up the battalion in its very early stages of the attack and let loose one of the largest artillery barrages seen or heard in peace time along the LoC in J and K. It decimated the Pak battalion. The next night Pakistan tried another attack from a different direction and this battalion too met with the same fate.

There were urgent requests from Pakistan for a ceasefire, because the Indian artillery had continued to be active and there was a problem for the Pak Army to collect their dead and wounded. Finally, ceasefire was accepted. After this incident, where the Pak Army had suffered very heavy casualties, peace in this area prevailed for many years.

Though Pakistan had carried out intense shelling in the area of Kerni then also, the inhabitants of this village had braved that onslaught and did not leave their homes. Hope, hereafter Pakistan will let these villagers live in peace.

OPED HEALTH

Is your heart in the right place?
India loses about 30 lakh people per year to heart disease. According to WHO, cardiovascular diseases will be the largest cause of death and disability in India by 2020. If this does not serve as a wake-up call, then what will?
Dr Aashish Contractor

If we take the threat of heart disease seriously, we need to act and act fast. It's important to trace the problem to its source and tackle it from there. As a developing nation we cannot bear the huge economic burden of deadly lifestyle diseases like diabetes and heart problem.

The government is already struggling to tackle the healthcare issues. At present, it spends just 1 per cent of its gross domestic product on public health leading to a public health infrastructure which is sorely deficient. Apart from developing world health problems and communicable diseases, India now has to grapple with the dual burden of chronic diseases that accompany unhealthy lifestyles-diabetes and heart disease — which are eating into the finances of the individuals and the country.

One can take heart from the fact that heart disease can be prevented as it is related to the lifestyle of the patient. Some of the risk factors for heart disease that can be modified are diabetes, high blood cholesterol, consumption of tobacco, high blood pressure, physical inactivity, obesity and stress. The focus should be on attacking these risk factors.

A smoker's risk of having a heart attack is twice more than that of a non-smoker. Smoking speeds up the development of plaque in the arteries. It also reduces the level of the good cholesterol (known as HDL), and increases the stickiness of blood cells causing blood clots inside the arteries. Stubbing out that cigarette can be the first step to protecting oneself from heart disease.

Diet and exercise are known to play a key role in controlling the menace. Exercise helps protect against heart disease. It's important to know that every extra step one takes during the day builds up the "health balance" and helps prevent disease. Incorporating 30 minutes of exercise in daily life can lead to immense benefits.

It is also important to maintain a healthy weight, according to one's height. Studies have shown that healthy eating and exercise lead to improved health parameters, even in the absence of weight loss.

Eating right is as important as exercising. One should stay away from diet fads and stick to 'sensible diets' that result in long lasting benefits. Several servings of vegetables and fruits, oil lowest in saturated content and several small meals in a day are ways to eat right. The intake of simple sugars needs to be kept to a minimum, while consuming more of complex carbohydrates. What is also required is a regular check-up of parameters. Most of the risk factors for heart disease are silent and therefore one needs to keep a regular watch over weight, glucose levels, blood pressure etc to pre-empt the disease.

One can combat the disease at the grass root level by simply being more aware and cautious about the risk factors and symptoms. But existing cases of heart disease and those in the danger zone need governmental help as well. The population of the country must get an opportunity to attain the highest-possible level of health. Access to quality, affordable healthcare is absolutely essential especially for the poor and marginalized population.

Many lifestyle diseases have their origin in childhood. Unhealthy eating habits among children lead to lifestyle diseases like obesity, diabetes, heart disease later in life. This calls for the need to educate children about the ill effects of unhealthy snacking. The Centre recently asked state governments to ban sale of junk food and carbonated drinks on schools premises. The Union health and family welfare ministry wants guidelines to be framed to serve good quality food like dal, roti, sprouts etc in schools and colleges.

More needs to be done to curb childhood obesity and related problems like heart disease. People in the metros are not only hard pressed for time but also for open spaces to exercise. A study of 4000 Indian children in 15 cities indicated that 23 per cent of 5 to 14 year olds in urban schools were overweight, while nearly 11 per cent were obese. Overweight children are at a greater risk of developing diabetes and heart disease.

Open spaces in the city are few and far between. The existing ones are getting more crowded than ever, leading to children spending more time in front of their TV and computer screens. Civic administration of cities needs to give heed to the development and maintenance of open spaces for the citizens.

A holistic view of the disease would lead to holistic measures being taken. Programmes to combat NCDs are under-funded in India at present. As the world discusses this growing malaise at a world forum, India needs to chalk out its own plan to combat it.

Heart-disease triggers

Smoking

Smoking is the one of the most important preventable causes of premature death. A smoker's risk of having a heart attack is twice more than that of a non-smoker. Smoking speeds up the development of plaque in the arteries, reduces the level of the good HDL cholesterol, and increases the stickiness of blood cells causing blood clots inside the arteries.

Hypertension

High blood pressure or hypertension is often referred to as the "silent killer." The reason for this is that people often suffer severe problems related to hypertension, without being aware that their pressure is high. . It is a common misconception that your systolic BP should be your age plus 100. This is a myth.

A high blood pressure has been defined as either the higher number, called systolic pressure being over 140 or the lower number, called diastolic pressure being over 90. However, your ideal Blood Pressure should be below 120/80.

High Cholesterol

If LDL or bad cholesterol is too high in your blood, some of it sticks to the walls of blood vessels and is absorbed. The end result is large fatty deposits in the blood vessels which cause the vessels to become narrow , stiff, narrow and less responsive to triggers to expand and constrict, reducing the blood flow to the heart and other organs. This leads to heart diseases and potentially a heart attack. Therefore it is important to make lifestyle changes, exercise regularly, eat healthy and minimalize the sources of bad fats.

Diabetes

Indians have one of the highest genetic risks for diabetes. It is a very serious disease in itself and leads to complications in the eyes, kidneys, and blood vessels, besides being one of the major risk factors for heart disease. In clinical practice we are observing more patients (and at younger ages) with Syndrome X, also called the 'Metabolic Syndrome', in which high blood sugar, high blood pressure, a large waistline, and abnormal lipid values are all clustered together.

l Diabetes is diagnosed on the basis of your fasting glucose levels. A level of more than 126 mg/dl indicates diabetes. However, this should be confirmed by another test done on a different day.

l Normal fasting blood sugar should be 70 -100 mg/dl

Obesity

As India is becoming more 'prosperous' so are the waistlines of its citizens. Obesity can lead to diabetes, high blood pressure, as well as other complications such as arthritis. A sensible diet, combined with an exercise programme is the best way to lose weight. Crash diets do not work in the long term, and may actually be harmful for the body.

Stress

The role of stress in the development of heart disease is not clearly defined as it cannot be 'measured' by any test, but it is advisable that you keep your stress levels as low as possible.

The triggers of heart disease can be controlled by leading a healthy life. This should include a healthy diet which lowers cholesterol and blood pressure and also keep obesity in check. Regular physical activity of some kind is also beneficial in keeping heart disease at bay. One should try to maintain the ideal Body Mass Index or healthy weight for a sustained period of time. Alcohol should be consumed in moderation and tobacco consumption should be stopped immediately.

The key is to stay away from risk factors of heart disease. The more risk factors a person has, the greater the possibility of developing heart disease.

The writer is Head of Department, Preventive Cardiology and Rehabilitation, Asian Heart Institute, Delhi

Heart smart by age
Dr Harinder Singh Bedi

No matter how old (or young) you are, the only way to stay on top of your game is to know your risk factors and take the right steps to avoid problems down the road. Here is everything you need to know to guarantee your ticker stays stronger longer.

In Your 20s

There is a common problem among men in their twenties: they don't know they're vulnerable Your twenties are the prefect time to establish heart-healthy diet and exercise habits that'll extend your expiration date and keep those extra years healthy and worth living too . That means 30 minutes of aerobic exercise five times a week and maintaining a normal blood pressure, healthy weight and lipid profile.

Your 20s Checklist:

l 30 minutes of aerobic exercise five times a week. Useful hint : bhangra is the best heart healthy aerobic exercise

l Annual physicals

l EKG

l Echocardiogram if indicated

l Blood pressure: 119/ 79 mm Hg or lower

l Lipid profile: Triglycerides less than 150 mg/dL , LDL between 70 - 100 mg/dL and HDL greater than 40 mg/dL

l Fasting blood sugar between 70-100 mg/dl

l Have a hobby / sport which interests you - this is important for overall health and a good rounding of personality

l Learn yoga - this is one stress buster which you can continue doing for the rest of your life

In Your 30s

Although most heart conditions are strongly hereditary, they may not manifest till the 30's. So along with your standard health check, schedule another echocardiogram 10 years after the first one (if the first was normal) -especially if you're regularly weight lifting, wrestling, playing football, cricket or participating in any sport with short bursts of activity or have a profession which entails stress (actually which one doesn't ? !!). Men older than 35 should also have an electrocardiogram (EKG), which traces the electrical waves of the heart every five years.

Your 30s Checklist

l 30 minutes of exercise five times a week

l Annual physicals

l Echocardiogram, 10 years after the first

l Blood pressure: 119/79 mm Hg or lower

l Lipid profile and blood sugar : as before

It has been seen that happily married couples have a lower incidence of heart disease - so make sure that you get along well with your spouse! This is also the time that you should pass on healthy lifestyle habits to your children.

In Your 40s

When you hit 40, your doctor should additionally start monitoring the overall degree of inflammation within your body with C-reactive protein (CRP) testing. The higher your CRP level, the higher your risk of cardiovascular disease. But there's no need to make an extra appointment for this one-just an additional tick on the same lab form as the blood test that checks your cholesterol levels measures CRP levels. The best way to keep CRP levels in check? Regular exercise.

Your 40s Checklist:

l 30 minutes of exercise five times a week

l Annual physicals

l Echocardiogram, 10 years after your last one

l EKG, 5 years after your last one

l Cholesterol: LDL less than 160 mg/dL and HDL greater than 40 mg/dL

l Blood pressure: 119/79 mm Hg or lower

l Lipid profile and blood sugar : as before

l C-reactive protein: Less than 1 mg per liter

In Your 50s

Fifty is the typical age men develop coronary heart disease. An exercise stress test -- sometimes called a treadmill test, monitors how well your heart handles work. If this test is positive or if you have symptoms (chest pain) your doctor may decide on getting an angiogram done.

Your 50s Checklist:

l 30 minutes of exercise five times a week : less strenuous than before, less of high impact

l Annual physicals

l Echocardiogram, 10 years after your last one

l EKG, 5 years after your last one

l Exercise stress test (tread mill test or TMT)

l Lipid profile and blood sugar : as before

l C-reactive protein: Less than 1 mg per liter

l A nuclear perfusion scan and a CT angiogram in carefully selected cases

Post-retirement

One is still quite young at age 60 years. Physical and mental activity must continue - though at a slightly more dignified pace - although there are quite a few 'elderly' people I know (including my father ) whose level of enthusiasm and activity beats most 'younger' people like me! Make sure you have some form of exercise - just a brisk walk for 20 minutes - has heart healthy advantages.

At Any Age

If you experience chest pain or shortness of breath, get to the hospital right away. These are the two primary symptoms of heart disease and should never go unchecked. A good percentage of heart attacks can be prevented and the morbidity and mortality associated with this disease can be greatly reduced by lifestyle changes, control of the risk factors and surgery where indicated.

The writer is Head, Cardio-Vascular Endovascular & Thoracic Surgery, at the Christian Medical College & Hospital, Ludhiana