|
|
|
|
|
Prosecuting the corrupt
Rafale flies high |
|
|
|
UP is crucial for Cong
Dealing with sanctions on Iran
‘Sir, I kept my promise’
Beating breast cancer
|
Prosecuting the corrupt
THE Supreme Court order on Tuesday upholding the right of a private citizen to seek sanction for prosecution of a public servant for corruption on a petition by Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy is path-breaking. Not only does it amount to rejection of the Union government’s argument that Swamy (in his status of a private citizen) had no locus standi to seek sanction for prosecution of former Telecom Minister A. Raja in the 2G spectrum allotment case, but it also debunks its argument that the issue of sanction for prosecution of a public servant arises only at the stage that the court takes cognizance of the issue. To that extent, the court order is a major step in the fight against governmental corruption and deserves to be welcomed. The two-judge bench comprising Justices G.S. Singhvi and A.K. Ganguly has also, by seeking to speed up the process for sanction of prosecution, addressed a vital issue of public apprehension that in many cases the sanction is deliberately delayed to kill a probe against politicians or bureaucrats. While requiring the executive to be prompt is appropriate, it is debatable whether it was right for the court to lay down a specific deadline of three months extendable by another month if the Attorney-General is to be consulted by the executive. The court should have left it to the good sense of the executive to decide what would be a reasonable time frame for the sanction based upon factors like the volume of pending applications and the extent of due deliberation required to arrive at a decision. It is always open to the judiciary to come down hard on the executive if the decision were to take an inordinately long time without proper justification. Significantly, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has been absolved of the charge that he was personally responsible for having taken too long in sanctioning the prosecution of A. Raja in the 2G case. No one denies that the 16-month delay in replying to Subramanian Swamy’s petition for prosecution was excessive but it is the Prime Minister’s Office that has been called to account for this and not the Prime Minister himself since the officials took too much time in apprising him of the details. This should be an object lesson to the officials who deal with such matters.
|
|
Rafale flies high
India's
selection of the Rafale multi-role figher aircraft built by French aviation major Dassault will come as a shot in the arm for the Indian Air Force which is in dire need for fighter fleet upgrade and modernisation in keeping with the rapid changes in military aviation and modern warfare the world over. The decision to buy 126 of these medium muliti-role combat aircraft comes after over five years of technical and commercial evaluation that started with six aircraft in the race that included two from the United States and one from its traditional supplier, Russia, with the Eurofighter Typhoon being eventually edged out. Billed as the world's largest open-tender military aviation deal at $11 billion, India is expected to begin taking delivery of the Dassault Rafale fighters in 2015. A first batch of 18 fighters is to be inducted in fly-away condition directly from France with the remaining 108 to be assembled in India on a transfer of technology basis over the subsequent six years. But before that a formal agreement preceded by some painstaking price negotiations will need to be inked. India will need to ensure that its interests are safeguarded before doing so, considering that New Delhi forgot to negotiate the purchase of munitions from France when it negotiated buying the Mirage-2000H in the mid-1980s. The deal, however, also serves as a reminder to the fact that the selection of the Rafale comes at a time when the IAF's fighter fleet has fallen from the sanctioned strength of 39.5 squadrons to 33, a situation far from satisfactory for an air force tasked to project power and safeguard its vast and geographically diverse terrain along lengthy stretches of disputed borders with its two major neighbours. Equally significant is the need for quicker decision making in the Ministry of Defence since delays can contribute to serious gaps in defence preparedness. Finally, it is imperative that India develops the technology of making its own fighters rather than depending on foreign military hardware. Such lapses and deficiency in capability does not reflect well for a country that aspires to be a major player in world politics.
|
|
|
UP is crucial for Cong
AS the first phase of the assembly elections in UP draws near, the focus on identity politics is getting sharper. Almost every party is playing the caste and community cards in its own way. While the BSP is known for its solid caste-based following, the SP has emerged as a major political force by fine-tuning the MY (Muslim-Yadav) combination. The BJP has been the biggest gainer in a situation of communal polarisation. The Congress, which once ruled UP almost unchallenged, also appears to have realised that playing the development card alone cannot take it too far. Hence its attempt to win back the sympathies of the castes and communities on the margins of society. Its decision to highlight the caste (carpenter) of Mr Sam Pitroda, Innovation and Technology Adviser to the Prime Minister, at the Congress manifesto release function in Lucknow on Tuesday should be seen against this backdrop. The Congress manifesto makes it clear that the party will do all it can to recapture its old vote banks of Dalits and Muslims. It has promised to introduce a sub-quota for the Most Backward Classes and minorities under the OBC category for government jobs and seats for admission to educational institutions. This is, however, besides the 4.5 per cent reservation promised for the backward sections among the minorities. The Congress manifesto, in fact, goes beyond this and talks of establishing religio-cultural centres in memory of Dalit icons. This is obviously an open challenge to Chief Minister Mayawati that she is not the only one who cares for the aspirations of Dalits. The truth is that UP has acquired special significance for the Congress. One obvious reason is that the road to power at the national level continues to pass through Lucknow. But the more crucial reason is that the electoral outcome in UP has become a matter of prestige for Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi, who has been working tirelessly to restore the old pre-eminent position of the party in the state. If the Congress at least repeats its 2009 performance when it won 22 Lok Sabha seats in UP, it will substantially enhance the stature of the leader seen as the country’s future Prime Minister. |
|
|
Peace demands the most heroic labour and the most difficult sacrifice. — Thomas Merton
|
Dealing with sanctions on Iran
WITH the US Presidential elections due later this year, President Obama has to be seen to be acting “tough” on Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Israel plays a key role in shaping American policies on Iran. The Iranians have not helped their own cause by threatening to “wipe out” Israel and backing radical Arab groups like Hamas and Hezbollah, which are perceived as acting as spoilers in the Middle-East peace process. Virtually, Iran’s all Sunni Arab neighbours also fear Iranian intentions and echo international concern on the lack of transparency in its nuclear programme. With Iran threatening to shut the vital sea lanes of the Straits of Hormuz in the event of being attacked, Israel and the US appear to have been persuaded that military strikes would be counterproductive. Moreover, American National Intelligence Estimates have concluded that Iran is still one to three years away from assembling a nuclear weapon. President Obama has, therefore, acted continuously to tighten sanctions on Iranian oil exports. On December 31, Mr. Obama approved US legislation imposing sanctions on foreign banks dealing with Iran’s Central Bank, by channelling payments for Iranian oil exports. The President can exempt sanctions for six months on a country that significantly reduces its dealings with Iran in situations where it is in US national security interests, or would be necessary for ensuring market stability. Sanctioned financial institutions would be frozen out of the US market. Within weeks, the European Union (EU) followed suit, imposing sanctions on oil imports from Iran. These sanctions will come into effect on July 1. EU members like Greece, Italy and Spain will be adversely affected by these sanctions. Debt-ridden Greece is likely to seek exemption, given its large exposure to oil imports on favourable terms from Iran. Within Asia, the major importers of Iranian crude are China, India, Japan and South Korea. Iran is China’s third largest supplier, at 500,000 barrels per day. Moreover, China has committed huge investments in the oil and gas industry in Iran. India has been hit hard by the expanding Western sanctions on Iran’s oil and gas sector. With its surplus oil refining capacity, India’s exports of refined petroleum products reached around $40 billion last year. Refined petroleum products are India’s largest foreign exchange earner in foreign trade. But American sanctions have constricted our export market. Iran is a major importer of refined petroleum products and exports to Iran from the Reliance Oil Refinery in Junagadh have been progressively reduced and ended in the face of American sanctions on exports of refined petroleum products to Iran. This is primarily because Reliance Industries, like most of our large industrial enterprises and financial institutions, has substantial business and financial interests in the US. Towards the end of 2010, the US worked with its European partners to close the avenues for payments using European banks, which India was making to Iran, through the Asian Clearing Union, for its oil imports. Pushed to a corner, India had to look for banks across the world for oil payments to Iran, with an agreement finally being reached for payments through Turkey’s Halkbank in July 2011. Anticipating the tightening of sanctions on Iran’s oil exports, India has worked to quietly reduce its exposure to Iranian oil imports, which are likely to fall to an estimated 13 million tonnes in this financial year from 21.2 million tonnes barely two years ago. In the wake of improving relations after the visit of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, India is reported to have received assurances from the Saudis that they would be happy to meet any shortfalls we may face following reductions in imports from Iran. The Saudis are also reported to have given China similar assurances. China has been particularly pro-active in dealing with the emerging situation, with Premier Wen Jiabao visiting Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE earlier this month. Wen’s visit to Saudi Arabia led to a Chinese investment of $8.5 billion in an oil refinery which will process offshore oil for shipment through a pipeline bypassing the volatile Straits of Hormuz. Similar investments by China are envisaged in Abu Dhabi. Like in Central Asia, China has acted more deftly and imaginatively than India has in the Persian Gulf in guaranteeing its energy security. India will now have to move imaginatively and expeditiously to devise alternate payment mechanisms for Iranian oil imports. Statements by Halkbank representatives indicate that Turkey will fall in line by July 1 with American and EU sanctions on Iranian oil exports. One option for India would be to see if payments are possible through Russia, the largest oil producer in the world, through a bank like the Gazprom Bank, which has dealings with Iran. But there are reportedly indications that while Russia may back Iran against unilateral American sanctions, it may not like to directly undermine Western sanctions. Another possibility is to consider using our currency swap arrangement with Japan for Iranian oil payments. But this again may prove unworkable, given the fact that Japan itself has formally asked the US for a six-month waiver of sanctions on its oil imports from Iran. While a rupee trade arrangement with Iran may be ideal, it remains doubtful if this is possible, given the fact that the rupee has been the worst performing Asian currency in 2011. Moreover, the viability of such an arrangement may be limited, given the huge trade deficit we have with Iran. Despite these difficulties and the fact that Iran has been an unreliable partner in honouring contracts it has signed on the supply of gas to India, we should seek innovative means, including the use of Indian banks, which do not have exposure to American markets and financial institutions, for routing payments for oil imports from Iran. The Americans cannot claim to be our “strategic partners” on the one hand while undermining our energy security on the other. Moreover, given the uncertainties on American policies in Afghanistan, Iran, which is our primary gateway to Afghanistan and Central Asia, will remain a crucial partner for facilitating access to and safeguarding our interests in Afghanistan. There are concerns that, like in Iraq, the Americans will withdraw completely from Afghanistan in 2014, leaving behind an unstable, financially bankrupt and violence-ridden country. Iran and India would find a destabilised and dysfunctional Afghanistan, which will again become a haven for terrorism, a source of serious and common concern. The Iranians, in turn, will, however, have to be advised to be more transparent on their nuclear programme if they are to overcome their growing international
isolation.
|
|||||
‘Sir, I kept my promise’
During our last annual ‘Founders’ in October at Sanawar, we put up a play, “Remembering the Legends”, on the life and sacrifices of our freedom fighters, in particular Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Raj Guru and Sukhdev. It was well received by parents and old students which encouraged us to stage it at Delhi and Chandigarh during the winter vacations. The risk was that all the cast of more than 100 children and many staff members would have to return to school right in the middle of their vacation for almost five days to rehearse, as it would be a good three months after they had staged it early in October. Not only did this mean sacrificing a bit of their holidays but, more so, to come in the middle of a severe winter, at a time when it normally snows and the winds are chilly. Anyway, we floated this idea with the children first, then took their parents into confidence. The response was encouraging and thus we took it up as a challenge. All I told these children was that our country at this time needed to know once again about the sacrifices made by our freedom fighters. Most of all, I got encouragement from a small Sardar boy, a member of the cast who shouted on top of his voice while I was addressing them saying, ‘Sir, Bhagat Singh maange kurbaani’. Before our school closed for winter vacations I spoke to one senior boy to see that most of the cast comes to school on time to practice during the holidays, and certainly the lead players. He said they would. He is a quiet, unassuming boy, but one who always ‘stood out’ to me as different and with substance. Not even in the seniormost class whom we had kept out due to their board exams in March. It had been raining for many days before the children had to return to school for rehearsals, and I was worried and wondering how many would turn up. With us already having spent money on booking the ‘auditorium’ in Delhi for two days, and a guest house for such a large contingent of children and staff to stay in Delhi for three nights, disaster was staring me in the face, and I was silently steeling myself to answer difficult questions from my board. We had spent a considerable amount also on printing invitation cards, passes, posters, transport bookings, etc. More than all this, it was our honour at stake now. Would the shows have to be cancelled at the last moment? This was the question really haunting me. Lo and behold, when the day arrived, except for a few children, all my cast came on time, and, yes, even while it was raining and very cold. They all looked very happy and excited, and when I inquired about their ‘morale’, the same Sardar boy said ‘Bhagat Singh maange kurbaani’. I am happy the shows at Delhi and Chandigarh were appreciated, and that these children remained true to our school motto, ‘Never Give In’. The boy I spoke to before the school closed for vacation walked up to me in the end in an assured manner and softly whispered, ‘Sir, I kept my promise’.
|
|||||
Beating breast cancer A study by the Indian Council of Medical Research (1982-2005) has concluded that the incidence of this disease has doubled in metros like New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore. There has been a global increase in the number of new cases from 6.4 lakh in 1980 to 16 lakh in 2010. A research study published in British medical journal The Lancet says 51 per cent of these new cases have occurred in developing countries like India. The reason being more and more Indian women are beginning to work outside their homes, which allows various risk factors to come into play. These include: increased age of a woman at first childbirth, fewer children and shorter duration of breast-feeding.
Signs and symptoms
In 80 per cent cases, the disease is discovered when a woman detects a lump in her breast. These lumps are localised swellings, knots, bumps, bulges or protuberances in the breast. Other than a lump, the symptoms may include a change in the breast size or shape, skin dimpling, nipple inversion, or spontaneous single-nipple discharge. If the lump does not disappear even after the menstrual cycle, consult a doctor immediately and undergo mammography. However, in many cases, the lump may be benign or fibrocystic. The symptoms of fibrocystic disease include mild tenderness or pain with many lumpy or nodular areas in both breasts. But this, too, will be detected only after a mammogram. Paget’s disease of the nipple has symptoms that include skin changes, including erythema, crusting, scaling, and discharge. As Paget’s disease advances, other symptoms may include tingling, itching, increased sensitivity, burning, and pain in the breast. A more advanced stage of breast cancer is characterised by the fixation of the lump to the chest wall or to overlying skin, by satellite nodules or ulcers in the skin. Matted or fixed axillary lymph nodes suggest the tumour has spread. Inflammatory breast cancer is characterised by diffuse inflammation and enlargement of the breast, often without a lump. Symptoms may resemble a breast inflammation and include itching, pain, swelling, nipple inversion, warmth and redness throughout the breast, as well as an orange-peel texture to the skin. In this case, the absence of a discernible lump delays the detection of cancer, which is dangerous. This cancer follows a very aggressive course.
Treatment
Surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and hormone therapy are the four modalities of treatment of breast cancer. A multi-disciplinary approach is preferable. Treatments are given with increasing aggressiveness according to the prognosis and risk of recurrence. Every patient needs to be treated individually. After evaluating various factors as well as considering the patient’s preference, a decision for breast conservation therapy (BCT) is taken. It includes several combinations of treatments after assessing the patient’s exact condition, stage of breast cancer, clinical examinations, and last but not the least patient’s personal preference or choice. In the initial stages, the oncologist removes the breast lump, along with the lymph glands in the armpit. In advanced stages, mastectomy is done which involves the removal of the entire breast, along with the lymph glands in the armpit. Various studies have proven that the chances of cure are the same after mastectomy or a combination of breast conservation surgery and radiotherapy. It is mandatory to take radiotherapy after breast conservation. In chemotherapy, anti-cancer drugs are administered intravenously to destroy the cancer cells. Chemotherapy after surgery aims to kill any remaining cancer cells. Hormonal therapy involves taking a drug called Tamoxifen (20mg) daily for a period of five years. It has very minimal side-effects. It works by blocking the production of estrogen and is supplemented with an aromatase inhibitor drug.
Post-treatment concerns
Many women undergo feelings of depression, isolation, guilt, anger, resentment, denial, after diagnosis of this cancer. Some experience these feelings after the pain inflicted by the chemotherapeutic agents and radiotherapy. Nevertheless, a majority of women undergo a depressive and isolative spell after undergoing mastectomy.
Corrective surgery
The breast mound can be surgically reconstructed after modified radical mastectomy. There are various re-constructive plastic surgery procedures available that can reconstruct the mound. The surgery involves utilisation of the muscle on the back or abdomen to reconstruct a breast. This can also be done by implantation of silicon prosthesis. It is also possible to have an artificial breast (prosthesis). The prostheses can either be worn externally (these are fitted on the bra) or a special type of prosthesis can be surgically implanted underneath the skin so as to give the shape of the mound. The only limitation of these internal prostheses is that they are costly and may not be a 100 per cent match for the normal size.
Non-modifiable risk factors
Breast cancer takes its toll on older women, as the rates are eight-fold higher in 50 plus women as compared to those under 30. The average age of patients when the disease first appears is around 10 years younger in India as compared to the developed world. Around five to 10 per cent cases are hereditary. Personal history accounts for three to four times increased risk of cancer, either in other breast or a different part of the same breast. It also contributes to high chances of recurrence. Having one first-degree relative (mother, sister, or daughter) with breast cancer approximately doubles a woman’s risk. It is more prevalent in women, who have had no children, or had the first child after 30. Girls who have early menstruation below 12 years and women who have late menopause i.e. after 55 years of age are in a high-risk category. Women with denser breasts (having less fatty tissue and more non-fatty tissue) are at six times more risk.
Modifiable risk factors
Women who had undergone radiation therapy in the chest area either in the childhood or during adulthood, especially before 30, those using oral contraceptives, drug diethylstilbestrol (DES) and combined hormone therapy after menopause are in the high-risk group. Women with an excessive alcohol intake and smoking are also at risk. Overweight women are in a high-risk category, as the extra fat cells make more estrogen. This causes extra breast cell growth, which increases the risk. According to some studies, the incidence of the disease in obese postmenopausal women is twice than in the non-obese women. Women with low levels of Vitamin D and those exposed to bright lights in night e g. factory workers, doctors, nurses, police officers have a higher risk of breast cancer. A diet rich in polyunsaturated and saturated fat, especially during puberty, and eating a lot of grilled, barbecued, and smoked meats also raises the breast cancer risk. When the meat is cooked at higher temperatures, a group of chemicals — heterocyclic amines (HCAs) – forms, and longer and hotter the cooking, the more HCAs form, especially in the blackened parts of the meat. Women exposed to chemicals in cosmetics, lawns and gardens, plastics, sunscreen products, water are also at risk, as many of the chemicals in these items are considered hormone disruptors. These disruptors affect estrogen and other hormones acting in the body by blocking them or mimicking them.
No-risk factors
1. Wearing under-wired bras and tight bras in the night 2. Using antiperspirants 3. Silicone breast implants
Breast self-examination
Most women should start this practice in their twenties. They should report any changes to their doctors right away. Women in their twenties and thirties should have a clinical breast examination as part of a regular health check-up by a doctor at least every three years. Those above 40 must go in for an annual mammogram and breast examination by doctor. For women with dense breasts, monthly breast self-examination is a must. There should also be an annual breast examination by a doctor. An annual digital mammography after 40 is a must.
Support groups
Shanti Avedna in New Delhi, Prerna support group in KEM Hospital, Mumbai, are actively working for the uplift and rehabilitation of cancer patients. In North India, especially in Punjab, an international NGO, “Roko Cancer” is very active and presently involved in the early detection of breast and cervical cancer among women in Bathinda and Faridkot belt of Punjab.Its headquarters in India are at New Delhi. Also Chandigarh Breast Cancer Trust, Sewa Trust, Chandigarh, Rotary International are actively involved in voluntary and rehabilitative works related to breast cancer. Dr Raman Arora is Head, Department of Medical Oncology, Mohan Dai Oswal Cancer Hospital, Ludhiana.
Radha Saini is International Oncology Nursing Fellow of UICC Geneva and the Vice-Principal of Rayat and Bahra College of Nursing, Mohali.
Steps for SElf-Examination n
Look at the breasts in the mirror, with shoulders straight and arms on the hips. n
Look for the usual size, colour. See a doctor if there is any swelling, dimpling or bulging of the skin. n
Look for redness, soreness, and rash. Inspect nipples for changed position or an inverted nipple (nipple folded inside instead of bulging out). n
Lift your arms and see the underarms for
Similar changes.
n
Look at the nipples for any discharge in the form
n
Lie down on bed. Using left hand, feel the right breast. Then use right hand to feel the left breast. n
Firmly but gently, touch breasts with first three finger-pads of your hand, start a circular motion, beginning from the nipples and going to the outer edge of the breast, looking for a mole or lump. n
Use medium pressure for tissue in the middle of your breasts; use firm pressure for the deep tissue at the back.
Do’s
n
Wear a loose, rubber glove on the hand on affected side when washing dishes or gardening. n
Protect hand from pinpricks, scratches or cuts of any kind. n
Use an electric razor with a narrow head for underarm shaving to reduce the risk of scratches. nUse a thimble while stitching. n
Wear loose clothing and use insect repellent to avoid bites.
Don’ts
n
Do not allow injections of any kind on the affected arm. n
Do not allow blood to be drawn from the affected arm. n
Do not take blood pressure on the affected arm. n
Do not cut or prick at the cuticles or nails on the affected arm. n
Do not wear tight clothing or jewellery on the affected arm. n
Do not expose the affected arm or hand to excessive temperature.
|
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
INDIA reports around 1 lakh cases of breast cancer every year. One in 15 women is expected to be diagnosed with this malignant disease in her lifetime. According to International Agency for Research on Cancer, France, which is part of the World Health Organisation, by 2030 there will be more than 20 lakh new cases per year globally. In India, there will be a 100 per cent increase, with the number of patients reaching just under 2 lakh per year. 
Do’s and Don’ts
for the patients