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Coal and corruption A matter of shame |
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Hurriyat has to change tactics
Learning a golf lesson
Ebola Virus Disease a dreaded infection
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Coal and corruption The
coal and telecom scams have already revealed how politicians gift away the country's natural resources to private companies. In the absence of, or in violation of, policy and procedures, Central and state-level politicians handed over coal mines to several private companies, including some which were ineligible. The surprise, if any, in the Supreme Court's order of Monday is at the extent of the plunder of resources, which goes as far back as 1993, covering both the NDA and UPA regimes. Of the 194 coal blocks under investigation 73 were given to private companies. Coal allocations raised the market valuation of those companies. Subsequently, 41 blocks were de-allotted by the UPA. The CAG caused a nationwide storm when it calculated that the Treasury had lost Rs 1.86 lakh crore because coal blocks were allotted and not auctioned. The Supreme Court has not gone into the policy issue, leaving it for the government to decide whether to auction or allocate coal mines. Though a formal decision is expected on September 1, the court's observations have already shaken the corporate world. Shares of the companies named in controversial coal allotments have crashed. Any cancellation of coal blocks, imposition of a hefty fine or delay will raise project costs and hit company finances. Banks have extended large amounts of loans to companies in the three affected sectors of power, cement and steel. Loan defaults may further swell their already unmanageable NPAs (non-performing assets). New investments as well as the over-all economic growth may take a hit. The government must ensure, however, that the damage is not long lasting. It should formulate a clear-cut policy so that unlike the 2G scam, which hit the telecom sector, the thermal power sector is not adversely hit. Yet, the government must also ensure that the companies do not offer bribes for acquiring natural resources. The punitive action may put rogue companies out of business and contribute to a corporate cleanup along with efforts towards responsible and transparent governance. An obvious lesson from the sordid saga is that discretionary powers should be discarded and punishment for policy violations be made exemplary. Politicians and industrialists involved in the coal scam should not get away lightly.
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A matter of shame Two
girl students of Rohtak killed themselves. Madhu and Nikita were fed up with their repeated harassment at the hands of some boys who molested them. They left a suicide note at their tuition
centre, in which they explained why they were taking the extreme step. They apologised to their families for taking their own lives, even as they asked for measures to be taken to curb molestation, lest other girls should also be forced into taking such a drastic measure. Heart rendering! Yes. Shocking? No. What an unfortunate society in which girls, no matter which corner of the country they are in, face discrimination, verbal harassment, the threat of physical assault, even rape. The underbelly of India is the way it is unable to provide security and safety to its women citizens. We have it all-governments that do not take measures to make women safe; police forces that downplay crimes against women; and a society that is still in the grip of a mindset that fails to recognise women as equal and productive partners. The rising numbers of crimes against women only tell a partial story. Rapes make news, molestations seldom do. What is euphemistically called eve-teasing is so common that most women say they have been victims of it at some time or the other. One of the major measures of a society is of how it treats its women. By this measure, India falls short by a mile. Haryana has improved some parameters of development, but all that comes to a naught when you have a case of hooligans harassing girls to an extent that they take their own lives. Society and religious leaders must step in to change mindsets. The police must keep such criminals in check. Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda must personally monitor his state to ensure that the safety of women becomes a primary goal of his police and administration officials. What happened to Madhu and Nikita is a shame. All effort must be made to ensure that they did not die in vain.
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The ability to delude yourself may be an important survival tool. —Jane Wagner, an American writer
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THE Hon'ble Mr. Ghuznavi has raised an interesting question as regards the attitude of Indian Mahomedans in the event of Turkey joining forces with the enemy and has answered it promptly, firmly and unhesitatingly. At his instance a large gathering of Mahomedans estimated between 3,000 and 5,000 have also adopted a timely and well considered resolution on this question; and it will, we are sure, be faithfully followed by our Mahomedan fellow countrymen in every other province. The resolution says: "That prayers be offered so that Turkey may not be involved in this war on the side of the enemy, but if, God forbid, she came to be involved in any way, then since this is not a war in which any religious question is concerned, it is the bounden duty of the Mahomedans of India to stand by the Empire and in no way swerve from their traditional loyalty to the British Throne, particularly as England has gone to war on a just cause and it is resolved that Mussalmans of this locality adhere to this." This, we believe, is the correct attitude for Indian Moslems to assume. Town-planning literature
WITH a view to popularise the knowledge of town-planning methods, the Government of Madras have been recommending Municipal Committees to subscribe for or purchase some of the well-known magazines and books on the subject — a list of which is furnished. In the resolution, the Government say: “The desire for the amelioration of existing urban conditions which is manifesting itself in this Presidency should have valuable results if rightly directed and the Government consider that much advantage would follow a wide acquaintance among Municipal Councillors and the educated public.”
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Hurriyat has to change tactics ARTICLE 370 is not meant to reflect the liberal tilt in the Indian Constitution. It is specific. It gives special status to the state of Jammu and Kashmir- one which the people of Jammu and Kashmir won after waging a long, tough fight for freedom, both from the British and the Maharaja ruling the state. The undertakings given at that time are sacred and cannot be written off by the people who are of different thinking. The state had adopted even a separate constitution which made it clear the state would not compromise on its autonomy. Watering it down now will amount to a betrayal of the confidence which the people of Jammu and Kashmir had reposed in New Delhi. If any change had to be made, it has to be done by them. The Indian Union, which the state had joined, cannot amend its powers without the consent of the people of the state. To give more subjects to Delhi is the prerogative of Srinagar. Sheikh Abdullah joined the Union on that understanding. Some elements trying to undo the understanding accorded to the state people are neither serving the cause of India, nor that of the state. In fact, most of what is happening in Kashmir is irrelevant and confusing. Take the meeting of some Hurriyat leaders with Pakistan High Commissioner Basit Ali in Delhi. Such meetings had taken place in the past too. The Indian government did not raise any objection to them then because they were taken as exercises to exchange views from the sidelines. Shabbir Shah was only following a practice of several other Kashmiri leaders. To be charitable to him, one can say that he met the Pakistan High Commissioner as he or some other leaders would have done in the past, without a furore. The Pakistan High Commissioner, however, is to be blamed because he knew that the Narendra Modi government had discontinued such practices. In his case, New Delhi made a request not to meet the Hurriyat leaders. Despite the majority in India being opposed to the "cozy relationship," the Pakistan High Commissioner went ahead with the meeting. He should have anticipated the anger sweeping through India. Apart from some sort of bravado, there was nothing positive about the meeting. New Delhi's policy on Kashmir is to monopolise power and dilute the special status of Kashmir. Sheikh Abdullah had kept the issue alive with some authoritarian thinking. When he challenged New Delhi, he was detained in a special jail in a faraway Tamil Nadu for 12 years. No doubt, Jawaharlal Nehru tried to rub off the stigma of being power crazy and put up the Sheikh at his house after the detention. But history judged Nehru as a ruthless ruler who did not spare even his intimate friends. The same thinking prevails when those who want independence are called separatists. They are wrong in projecting a demand which has acquired a fundamentalist edge. In the bargain, the secular Sheikh's contribution has been forgotten. No doubt, the Hurriyat is a divided house. Some, led by Syed Shah Gillani, want the state to 'join' Pakistan. And the others, led by Yasin Malik, demand 'azaadi'. Then there are those who are confused. Not long ago, when most Kashmiris, alienated from India as they are, favoured the integration with Pakistan, the Kashmiris would have voted for Pakistan if there had been a plebiscite. Today, a preponderant majority of Kashmiris, want 'azaadi'. Yasin Malik has been able to veer them round from being pro-Pakistan elements to making them accept the demand for an independent, sovereign state. Yet what the Hurriyat does not realise is that 'azaadi' is an ideal, not a feasible proposition. When the British left India in August 1947, they gave the princely states an option to stay independent and they did not want to join either India or Pakistan. Maharaja Hari Singh, the then Jammu and Kashmir ruler, declared that he would stay independent. The land-locked state had to have the support of both India and Pakistan for access to the outside world. He did not want to depend on one. With the Muslims in a majority in J and K, Pakistan expected its accession. When it did not take place, Pakistan sent its irregulars, backed by the regular troops. The Maharaja sought the help of India which insisted on the accession before sending its troops. He had to sign the Instrument of Accession Act. The task of the Hurriyat is more difficult than that of the Maharaja. The two parts of the states are against 'azaadi'. Jammu, the Hindu majority part, would like to join India. The Buddhist majority Ladakh, the other part, want to be a Union Territory of India. Therefore the demand for 'azaadi' is essentially that of the valley which has nearly 98 per cent Muslims. When India is in the midst of endeavours towards polarisation and when a political party is playing a Hindu card, it is difficult to imagine that the Congress or any other political party, including the Communists, would support the Hurriyat. Even otherwise, all political parties are opposed to the demand for independence, although some may go to the farthest in giving powers to the state. After 67 years of Partition, the wounds inflicted because of the division have not healed yet. How does the Hurriyat expect the people in India to reconcile to another partition, however genuine and strong the sentiments of the Kashmiris? If Partition is again on the basis of religion, the secular state may not survive as it is. True, the 15 crore Muslims in India are equal citizens and they cannot be treated as hostages. But the valley's secession may have repercussions which are dreadful to imagine. The Hurriyat has to introspect and change its tactics. It has to prove that it counts.
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Learning a golf lesson Golf
has many stories. Some years ago the late Bob Hope, an English-born American comedian, had organised a tournament for all the retired US Presidents. In the closing remarks, referring to the wayward shots of George Bush Sr, Bob remarked, "San Francisco has nine golf courses. Today George played on all of them." I fixed up with a Gunner friend in Poonch to have lunch with him one day. The commanding officer agreed to let me go. "Not more than six hours' absence" was his caveat. Considering that the outing entailed a two-hour one-way drive, it was not much of a break. But anything was welcome. After an exchange of pleasantries with my friend, we walked to their dug-out mess. As we entered, I had my first introduction to golf. A steel tumbler lay agape on its side at one corner of the carpet. From the other corner some 15 feet away, my host's CO was trying to hit golf balls in its mouth. "Ssshhh", my host whispered, putting his finger on the mouth. We froze at the door reverentially. The CO was missing his mark generously. Some two misses later I heard the clicking of boots outside. "Ram Ram Sahib" the caller said as I looked back to see a tall man in regimental police uniform, "Who kal wali ball mil gayee Sahib." The CO remained focused on the ball. "Shabaash", he said from the corner of his mouth, "Woh parson wali bhi dhoondho." Not enthused by the first experience, golf went off my mental radar. In 1988 I took over a Brigade on the Indo-Tibet border. One of my ardent predecessors had laid out a nine-hole golf course there among boulders. It was recognised by the Indian Golf Union. At a 12,800-foot altitude it is the second highest golf course in the world. Nature has only two seasons in that area: the rains or snow. Our playing gear, therefore, always included gum boots and an umbrella. Aided by the rarefied air, experienced golfers hit long drives, some up to 300 yards. In my case the drives were often measured in minus, because that is where the ball went after ricocheting off a rock some yards in front. I also understood why the CO in Poonch had been missing the seemingly easy putts on the carpet. I can't say I am a fanatic golfer but I have been fairly regular on the course. Recently I played with an Admiral at the Army Golf Course in Delhi cantonment. After the game, he recounted his experience of having played with the Commandant of Australian Staff College, where he had gone to attend a training course. Having seen his game, the Commandant called the coach and asked him to conduct a lesson for the young man. The next day the coach asked him to take a tee shot. After he had twice gone off into the rough, the coach told him, "Sir, this time after you hit the ball you must spit on the tee before you look up." The shot went perfectly straight and he paid five dollars for the lesson. I admired the Admiral's masterful subtlety and promised to keep my head down. Teeing off is like taking a long written examination; you have to keep your head down till it is finished.
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Ebola Virus Disease a dreaded infection TheRe is an ongoing epidemic of Ebola virus Disease (EVD) since December 2013 in three poverty-stricken, West-African countries namely, Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. The fourth one, Nigeria, has recently been added to this list. Rightly cited as the deadliest and unprecedented outbreak ever, affecting 2,615 and killing 1,427 patients, with 64 per cent case fatality. Though this part of Africa is hyper endemic for another viral disease, Lassa hemorrhagic fever but never for the EVD, surprising the entire medical fraternity. It is the same brutal civil war-torn geographic diamond-rich belt as depicted in the award-winning movie Blood Diamond. But now it is making headlines for health reasons. The politico-economic situation had somewhat stabilised during the last decade or so but now this calamity will have long-term bearing. Previous outbreaks
This is not the first time that Ebola virus disease has come into the limelight. The very first outbreak occurred in August, 1976 in Yambuku village, in northern Zaire, a Central-African country, now called the Democratic Republic of Congo, just south of Ebola river. It was labelled as Ebola virus after the name of this river. This epidemic affected 318 and killed 280 patients.The second one occurred almost parallel to the first one from June to November, 1976 in Nzara, southern Sudan, bordering Zaire, affecting 284 and killing 151 patients. The third epidemic flared up again in southern Sudan in 1979 in the same region as the previous one and it claimed 22
lives. The next significant epidemic in this series occurred in 1995 in Kikwit, the southern region of rainforests of Zaire, affecting 315 and killing 250 patients, with case fatality of 79 per cent. Since 1976, there have been 24 self-limiting outbreaks of Ebola viruses, confined to the African subcontinent only but the ongoing one is the severest. The origin of this epidemic can be traced back to the two-year-old boy in Gueckedou village, southeastern Guinea. He died on December 6, 2013, a few days after he fell ill with fever, vomiting and diarrhoea. The disease spread to kill the child's mother, sister and grandmother, before infecting a health care worker. From this “patient zero” it has now spread across four countries of western Africa. Transmission of the virus There are five species of this virus, namely, Zaire, Sudan, Bundibugyo, Tai Forest and Reston ebola virus. The first two have been named after the country of origin, the third one after the city of origin in western Uganda adjoining DR Congo, the fourth one after the name of Tai Forest National Park in Ivory Coast. The fifth, the only outside Africa, named after a town in Virginia (USA), where primates were infected in a quarantine unit and it was simultaneously found in monkeys of rainforests of the Philippines. Subsequently, it has also been found in several outbreaks among pigs in People's Republic of China and the Philippines. The US Government and Centre of Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) applied for the patent for Bundibugyo ebola virus, which they have got (vide No.CA2741523A1) on April, 2010 entitled, “Human Ebolavirus species and compositions and methods thereof”.This will have long-term implications in the diagnostics and treatment, including the antiviral drugs and vaccines pertaining to the virus.What remains, as an unsolved puzzle, is how can a virus be termed as invention and patented until and unless it is a created or a modified one? The Ebola virus is introduced into the human population through close contact with the blood, secretions, organs or bodily fluids of infected animals, chimpanzee, gorilla, cave-dwelling fruit bats and monkeys. The health-care workers have frequently been infected while treating patients with suspected or confirmed cases. The traditional funeral practices may also be a potential source of infection. The virus can be transmitted through semen of affected person upto seven weeks after recovery from the illness. The Zaire ebola virus is more virulent since it has a case-fatality rate ranging between 50 and 90 per cent. It has never been reported outside the three African countries, namely, DR Congo, Republic of Congo and Gabon. The Reston ebola virus is infectious to humans but does not cause serious disease or death, which is only the species reported outside Africa. The natural reservoir of the Ebola virus is not exactly known but it is thought to be non-human primates like monkeys, gorillas and chimpanzees. Peridomestic rodents are also suspected to be the reservoirs of infection in Zaire and Sudan ebola viruses, whereas Asian crab-eating macaque is the reservoir of infection in Reston ebola virus. It is one of the highly infectious and virulent viruses. Therefore, very strict precautions have to be taken to prevent its transmission. Its infection can be prevented with simple measures such as wearing gloves, protective masks and clothing in hospitals. This is a highly infectious microbe, which falls under Risk Group-4 or “Category A” pathogens to be handled with Biosafety Level-4 (BSL-4) precautions. At present there is no available cure or vaccine for it. This makes it the perfect weapon for biowarfare. Clinical features The Filoviruses, Ebola and Marburg, are among the most virulent human pathogens leading to case fatality rate betwen 50 and 90 per cent. The Ebola virus disease was previously known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF). The incubation period is from four to six days and rarely it may extend up to three weeks — making its range as 21 days. That is why a quarantine period of at least three weeks is mandatory in suspected cases. The EVD is a severe acute viral illness, often characterised by the sudden onset of fever, intense weakness, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, impaired kidney and liver functions and, in some cases, both internal and external bleeding. Many individuals have skin rashes like that of measles. In two to three days, there is vomiting followed by diarrhoea that often contains blood. Moreover, bleeding from eyes, ears, nose, mouth, rectum and injection site is a characteristic feature of this illness. The hemorrhage in internal body organs is due to disseminated intravascular coagulation. Such profuse blood loss leads to a state of shock, entailing death in up to 90 per cent of cases, usually within a week of the onset of the disease. The other diseases which should be ruled out before diagnosing EVD include malaria, typhoid fever, shigellosis, cholera, leptospirosis, plague, rickettsioses, relapsing fever, meningitis, hepatitis and viral hemorrhagic fevers. Ebola virus infection can be diagnosed definitively in laboratory by several types of tests: antibody-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), antigen detection tests, real time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay, electron microscopy and virus isolation by tissue cultures. Samples from patients are an extreme biohazard risk; sample processing and testing should be conducted under maximum biological containment conditions. A suspected or probable case requires laboratory confirmation of IgM antibody, RT-PCR or viral isolation. There is no specific treatment of EVD because no proven or licensed antiviral drug is effective. Moreover, no vaccine is available hence a symptomatic approach with good nursing care is resorted to, thereby preventing/treating shock, cerebral edema, kidney failure and secondary bacterial infections. In the current outbreak, hemorrhages are slightly less prominent as compared to the previous ones. Secondly, it is also suspected that it may now be transmitted through the airborne route due to mutations. This feature has never been reported before this outbreak. The WHO as well as FDA have cleared two drugs for this disease, bypassing animal/human trials or ethical issues, keeping in view the gravity of the situation. One is ZMapp, which consists of humanised monoclonal antibodies, developed by the San-Diego-based Mapp Biopharmaceutical, in collaboration with LeafBio and Defyrus. It is produced in greenhouses in genetically modified tobacco plants (Nicotiana). This drug has been given to two American philanthropists, working in the "Ebola Zone," who are now recovering in the US. Giving of serum from a convalescing patient is a very common practice in Africa, with good results. In his famous novel of 1987, Outbreak (now also a movie) about an imaginary Motaba virus outbreak, Robin Cook, described a similar situation as the current Ebola virus threat and patients being treated by such antisera. The other drug is TKM-Ebola, produced by a Canadian firm, Tekmira Pharmaceuticals, wherein GM crops giant, Monsanto has invested $1.5 million. It acts through small interfering RNA (siRNA) i.e. messenger RNA in the form of lipid nanoparticle that is designed to silence certain critical Ebolavirus genes. Earlier, the trials were stopped due to some bizarre results but now for the time being these have been cleared in this objective situation. The writer is Professor & Head, Deptt of Microbiology, Government Medical College Hospital, Chandigarh Prevention of EVD
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Sheikh Abdullah was in the lead and achieved what looked impossible at one time, autonomous status within the sovereign, secular Republic of India. Except three subjects-Defence, Foreign Affairs and Communications-the Indian Parliament had no power to legislate without the consent of the state legislature. The state could have merged with Pakistan, but preferred to integrate with secular India because the entire struggle by the Kashmiris was secular.
In my case it all started in 1966. We were deployed on posts along the then Ceasefire Line in J&K. It was a very active area with firing and casualties almost on a daily basis. For me as an Adjutant, it was a 24-hour commitment for days on end. I was stressed out. A break was needed.
Ebola virus is a filamentous RNA virus. The Ebola virus appears long, slender, taking different shapes due to its tendencies to curl at one end assuming a “b”-shaped appearance. Although its breadth is uniformly about 80 nm but its length may vary greatly from 900 to 14,000 nm. The process of its multiplication within host cells resembles that of the rabies virus. It is an enveloped virus, hence it is unstable in lipid solvents like ether and soap solution. It is completely inactivated by heating at 60°C for an hour.