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An uneasy truce
Politics over Bhullar |
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Handle with care
Muddled responses
The second class
NO LONGER RETIRED AND TIRED
Reaching out to the elders
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An uneasy truce
ANY lingering doubt one had over the widely perceived rift between the Home Minister, Mr P. Chidambaram, and the Finance Minister, Mr Pranab Mukherjee, would have disappeared by the façade of unity the two senior ministers presented on Thursday. The patch-up was itself extraordinary with the two ministers explaining their conduct in public and declaring on television their utmost regard for each other. But it was when Mr Chidambaram asserted that he ‘accepted’ the statement read out by his ‘senior and distinguished colleague’ that the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle finally fell into place. It at once confirmed that Mr Chidambaram was indeed upset over references to his role made in an inter-ministerial note on the 2G scam, finalised in March this year by the Finance Ministry, and also that it was he who had insisted on a public repudiation by the Finance Minister. That both ministers have sharp differences on policy matters is not quite the best kept secret in New Delhi, but the differences aired by them in public over a ‘non issue’ must be deeply worrying. The uneasy truce, however, left the most crucial question unanswered. In a background note, there was little room for drawing inferences or fixing responsibilities. The statement that the then Finance Minister could have been more proactive in 2008 to prevent the allocation of the spectrum at 2001 prices was, therefore, grossly out of place. Indeed, while disowning the insinuation, Mr Mukherjee reiterated that the policy was in continuation of what was decided by the NDA government in 2003 and endorsed by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India. It was unfair, therefore, to single out the then Finance Minister, and Mr Chidambaram can hardly be blamed for taking umbrage. Differences of opinion among ministers are not unusual but it is the council of ministers which is collectively responsible for policy decisions. Much of the brouhaha over the note, thus, was prompted by political opportunism and the electronic media’s craving for sensationalism. But the government’s inept handling of the row and its inability to set the record straight early enough reflect a drift that is worrying for the entire country.
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Politics over Bhullar
AFTER
the Tamil Nadu Assembly passed a resolution recently seeking clemency for the convicted assassins of Rajiv Gandhi, a similar demand for commuting the death sentence of Afzal Guru and Davinderpal Singh Bhullar has kicked up a political storm in Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab. Even though an assembly resolution has little legal value, politicians want to be seen as championing a popular cause. After the President of India rejected Bhullar’s mercy plea in May the SGPC asked the Shiromani Akali Dal government to pass a resolution in favour of commuting Bhullar’s death sentence. Similar appeals were made to the panchayats. This created a piquant situation for Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, who too publicly favoured an assembly resolution but was aware that it would strain its ties with the alliance partner if pushed beyond a limit. The BJP has made it clear that it is against any leniency to terrorists, including Afzal Guru and Bhullar. The issue has bared divisions in the Congress as well. Criticising Mr Badal for “playing politics”, the vocal president of the state unit, Capt Amarinder Singh, supported the demand for clemency for Bhullar. This is contrary to the position taken by senior Congress leader Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, who has backed the hanging. The Congress stand at the national level is tactically vague. It has refused comment on the ground that the matter is pending in the Supreme Court. Large sections of the Sikhs strongly feel the death sentence awarded to Bhullar in 2001 in a bomb blast case is unwarranted. He has been on death row for more than a decade. None of the 133 witnesses has testified against him. The police, it is claimed, used torture to obtain his confession. And the judgement was not unanimous. These are weighty arguments. The death sentence is usually awarded in cases where there is not an iota of doubt about the guilt of the accused. The death sentence itself evokes strong passions. A large majority of countries have abolished the death penalty. It is time for the nation to revisit the issue. |
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Handle with care
IN the last few years, much emphasis has been placed on compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) because using them results in significant energy savings. CFL essentially use the same technology as florescent tubes that are to be found in most Indian homes. A CFL fitting that replaces a fluorescent lamp, will usually use 20 per cent of the power that an ordinary, incandescent bulb does, and it will last between six and 10 times the life of an incandescent bulb. No wonder, therefore, even government agencies are promoting CFL use, through subsidies as well as outright replacements of incandescent bulbs. It is, however, shocking that the mercury content in Indian CFLs is 21.21 milligram, whereas in developed nations like the US and the UK, it is 4 to 4 mg. A major problem for CFL is that mercury is an essential component. Mercury is also highly toxic, and it is especially harmful to the brains of both fetuses and children. Alternatives are, therefore, being tapped to replace it in various devices like thermometers, but when CLF breaks, mercury escapes as vapour that can be inhaled or as powder that can settle on carpets and other furnishings. This can even cause mercury poisoning in extreme cases. Even if the CFLs are not broken, when they are replaced, they should be disposed of properly, so that mercury can be recycled and thus the toxic element kept out of the environment. That, however, is a tall order in a country like India, which does not even have rules regarding recycling, let alone the required infrastructure for it. The government must take immediate steps to encourage the producers of CFLs to use the latest technology that uses less mercury. There is simply no excuse for producing CFLs that contain such high levels of mercury. It should also take proactive steps by notifying a policy on the disposal of CFL bulbs, and help to create an infrastructure that would encourage recycling, perhaps by providing bonuses to customers who bring in their old bulbs to vendors, who would, in turn give in the bulbs to recycling centres. Energy savings are laudable, unless they come at the cost of contaminating the environment and creating potential health hazards. |
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Truth is the property of no individual but is the treasure of all men.
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Muddled responses
THE agitation over the Koodamkulam nuclear power station in southern Tamil Nadu is understandable but irrational. An accident could prove devastating for the local population and must arouse the liveliest fears after Fukushima, which survived a quake but was swamped by a tsunami such as hit the Tirunelveli coast some years ago. The damage caused by the more recent Sikkim earthquake has also aggravated fears of natural calamities. Protestors have been on fast for days and only called off their agitation after Jayalalithaa got the Assembly to pass a resolution calling for suspension of further work until popular concerns are answered and followed up with a letter to the Prime Minister in this regard. Koodamkulam envisages a battery of six 1000 MW Russian power reactors, of which the first of two, in respect of which an agreement was signed some 10 years ago,is due to be commissioned in December. The project has seen local cooperation from the start but a recent mandatory safety drill appears to have unleashed fears that something must be or could go amiss. With local body elections due, one view is that undue alarm has been triggered by competitive politics. But, as is sometimes known to happen, ideological opponents, competitors and those pushing rival technologies are not above stirring the pot for collateral reasons. The fact is that the Koodamkulam reactors are products of a newer and far superior technology than Fukushima and have built-in safety and redundancy measures to meet unforeseen eventualities. Moreover, the plant, like the proposed Jaitapur nuclear station being negotiated with Areva of France, is sited way above the maximum tsunami flood level observed at Fukushima. A post-Fukushima safety evaluation of all existing and proposed nuclear plants in India has also suggested additional safeguards that have been implemented and all plants have been certified as safe in relation to these more stringent standards. No more land is to be acquired at Koodamkulam and coolant discharge into the ocean will not unduly raise sea temperatures or otherwise affect fishing or the fish catch. The Nuclear Power Corporation of India needs to revisit Koodamkulam and all other existing and proposed nuclear power sites to allay doubts and fears, simultaneously taking the general public into confidence and not just leaving it for people to look up the NPCIL web site. That said, the media and political parties too have a responsible role to play beyond crying wolf and scoring brownie points. Hopefully, the Sikkim earthquake will not reopen old debates about dam safety, especially in the Himalayan belt and the Northeast which are highly tectonic. Some buildings, roads and civil works under construction as part of two Teesta 1200 MW projects in Upper Sikkim were damaged but the dams and headrace tunnels were unaffected according to a Teesta Urja Ltd spokesman. The same was true of the Maneri Bhali and Tehri Dams when they were shaken by the Uttarkashi earthquake some years ago. The moral again is to insist on regular dam safety inspections, invest in stronger defensive measures and upgrade disaster management procedures. Meanwhile, it is good that a Group of Ministers has got the Ministry of Environment and Forests to release 150 no-go area coal projects for mining so that the quantum and pace of power augmentation is not affected. The country simply has to get on with developing infrastructure, manufacturing and related services so as to maintain and even step up growth in order to roll-back poverty and the environmental degradation that goes with it. There is too much circular argumentation that goes on. Do not move fast enough to make a dent on poverty and then make nice calculations on how best to measure poverty. This is not to say that poverty and hunger do not exist. They do, shamefully; but with a difference in scale and context. Similarly, many argue that the fuss about civil nuclear power is exaggerated because it accounts for such a small proportion of power production. But then on-going projects are unconscionably stalled to confirm a self-fulfilling prophesy. At another level, Aligarh Muslim University has got into a quagmire by barring female undergraduates from using the university library, compelling them to rely exclusively on an inadequate college library. This is retrograde and unworthy of a modern university. Gender equality is essential for equal opportunity. The United States too has long been locked in several powerful muddles in the simplistic belief that muscle and aid can trump anything. It has now stated that the Haqqani terror network in Af-Pak is a limb of Pakistan’s ISI which it is using as an instrument of state policy and as a potential partner in Afghanistan after the US and NATO militarily withdraw. And it has warned that it will act unilaterally against Pakistan and cut military and civil aid to it unless it fights to dismantle the Haqquani network. The Pakistan Army’s cynical double-dealing (using the ISI as a front) has been known for years but was wilfully condoned. The Pressler Act and Kerry-Lugar Acts were used by the US as PR gimmicks that allowed Pakistan literally to get away with murder, causing “collateral damage” to others. Taking out Osama bin Laden was one notable exception. Therefore, none will take the latest US warning seriously until there is proof positive of its implementation. Past presidential certification of good conduct has proved to be no more than window-dressing. And, after Iraq, solemn US affirmations carry very low credibility. Having spoken out strongly against Pakistan last week, Washington has again said it needs and wants Islamabad’s cooperation. Pakistan has bluntly retorted that the US needs it as much as it needs the US and that if Washington acts unilaterally against it, it will do so at its peril. Pakistan’s bluff can be called as its economy is on drip and its military cannot long sustain itself without US aid. Nor can China be an immediate or effective substitute. A sensible regional solution in Afghanistan offers the best hope. That is the road to explore. The US is trapped in another muddle over Palestine and Israel. But that is an unfolding
story.
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The second class
We were 10 officers of the IPS on a 14-week training programme to the United Kingdom. As we came out of the Heathrow Airport terminal building at London, we were met by a representative of the British Council which had sponsored our training. “Good afternoon, gentlemen,” he said, “welcome to Britain. You would stay tonight at the Union Jack Club, Sandell Street, London and board the British Rail tomorrow at King’s Cross for Wakefield. Here are your allowances and the tickets for the rail journey”. He handed over each one of us two envelopes — one containing the money and the other, the tickets. Then, he took leave of us. We came to the hotel (Union Jack Club), lodged ourselves in our respective rooms, had a good count of the money doled out to us (£151) but didn’t even so much as have a look at the other envelope (containing the tickets) That day, and night and the next half day, we visited as much of London as possible in the time available, in buses, taxis and the tube; it was after all the first visit to London for most of us. The next day, in the afternoon, we reached King’s Cross, the British Rail station to board the train for Wakefield. And there, we opened the envelope to take out the ticket. We were aghast at what we saw. It was a ticket for journey by the 2nd class! We, the DIGs, travelling by the 2nd class! The very idea was preposterous. Back home in India, we were entitled to travelling AC 1st class. We fumed and fretted, but there was nothing we could do right then; there was nobody to protest to. The train rolled in. We looked for the sign classifying the coaches. Seeing two vertical bars on one of them, we entered it with our heavy baggage and settled in. Then we looked around. There were rows of plush seats facing each other with glass topped tables in between, classy curtains drawn over windows fixed with tinted glass hermetically sealed, carpeted floorings, suffused lights and temperature controlled environs. There was no crowding at all; rather, there were many empty seats. We discussed among ourselves (in our own native language): “It cannot be a second class. It is better to shift to the proper coach before the train moves, lest we are fined heavily”. We decided to clarify the situation from someone fully aware of the matter. We spotted an Englishman sitting a few rows away from us engrossed in reading a newspaper. “Excuse me, sir, is this a 2nd class compartment?” one of us went up to him and asked him. “Yes, it is,” he replied with obvious irritation, having been disturbed in his pursuit. We heaved a sigh of relief. “British are clever people. This is better than our AC 1st class. They have put us at the right place,” we said almost in a chorus, in our own
lingo.
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NO LONGER RETIRED AND TIRED THE structure of Indian society is changing. Life expectancy at birth in India today is 66.8 years, up by about four years since the turn of this century and by 35 years since Independence. Significantly, women are doing better with life expectancy of females at 68 years compared to 66 years for men.
A large number of senior citizens in different parts of the country today are living a life on their own terms. They do face problems, be it related to health, finances or relationships but there is a zest for enjoying the sunset years. Today's elderly display resilient ageing, capitalising on their long experience of living to continue to grow, learn and confront the challenges of ageing. Many youngsters need to learn about coping with life from senior citizens who have taken to learning, new technologies, new ways of keeping themselves occupied - the rapid growth and success of senior citizen associations all over the country as forums of friendship, brotherhood, assistance, sharing, activities, and making friends on the Facebook, purchasing products through the internet, doing e-banking and overcoming their loneliness with emails, web photo albums and search engines for jokes, information and sharing thoughts. Kamla Malhotra (82) learnt the use of computers just a few years ago. Bed-ridden for some time, she did not lose heart. She got back into form by constantly being in touch with her children settled abroad and communicating with other relatives. Her high spirits, positive thinking, quite like many of her age, are very different from a generation before. Having longer, fuller lives is part of the growing number of seniors across the country. Asha Shankardass took to writing for children at the age of 75, with two of her books releasing in July this year in Mumbai and becoming an instant hit with primary school-goers. ‘Life’s journey a reward itself’ Lt. Gen T. B. Nanda (retd) chose to pen down in 2008 his passions of life spanning over 70 years. After retirement and achieving milestones in his versatile life, he heads clubs, associations, organises programmes for creating an environment conducive to growth. Encouraged by his family members, he started working on the second edition of his book, with the first edition sold out, going through a phase of losing his beloved wife, but not his spirit to excel, remain disciplined and be a role model for his children, grand-children and even colleagues, relatives and friends. As General Nanda puts it, "Life's journey is a reward, the essence lies in making a positive difference to lives of as many beings as possible.'' Making a difference in a novel way is a retired librarian, Padmanabha Vyasamoorthy is a blogger from Secunderabad. Having the profile of a knowledge management adviser, he set up in 2002 an online discussion group which was ranked 7th by Yahoo five years back as the most vibrant discussion forum for senior citizens among the 1,300 similar groups across the world. Sending out 2,000 to 4,000 messages a month he co-opts seniors to the information revolution on health, housing, finance, investment, taxation and many other ageing-related issues. Having a gradually growing membership of educated seniors living in India and abroad, his SSS Global interactive forum has noteworthy inputs from many seniors on health, legal, social, psychology, literature, history, economic, travel, recreation, politics, environment and development aspects. Jokes, witty remarks, cheerful episodes, nostalgic anecdotes are frequently part of messages sent across. These are seniors finding time to research and exchange matters on self-enrichment, meaningful participation in families, communities and society. They are encouraging one another, providing solace in circumstances of grief and being a unique support group as part of society for serving seniors. It is not just the educated, well-off older people in cities who are exploring avenues for celebrating their later years. Those in villages, small towns and having different income levels are also trying to give a different meaning to their ageing. Champa from a village in Uttar Pradesh now resides in Haryana with her ailing husband and is going through problems after her adult children deserted her, having a limited income, but the smile and the will to face challenges are never missing.
When things go wrong Bahadur Chand, an agricultural land owner, aged 90, is deeply involved with farming techniques, village affairs and is respected for his modern scientific thinking. He is often sought out by youngsters for guidance. He is uncritical of others, patient and subtly shows a different path for facing the world when things go wrong. As we celebrate the International Day of Older Persons on October 1, we need to applaud the increasing brigade of senior citizens who are socially connected, highly involved and committed to projects and causes, open to new experiences and are engaged in tapping their strengths and regenerating capacities, which help them thrive in later years. Their skills and abilities need to be valued.
The writer is an Associate Professor of Sociology, Maitreyi College, Delhi University.
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Reaching out to the elders INDIA
is home to the maximum of about 450 million elders in the world. The number may increase by 0.5 to 1.00 per cent of the world and country population every year. The discovery of broad-spectrum anti-biotics to combat all types of infections, vaccines to boost immunity against almost all bacterial and viral enemies of human health and rejuvenating injectable hormones have credibly helped to prolong human life. Inconceivable surgical procedures, open as well as laparoscopic, like coronary artery bypass grafts, kidney and liver transplants, hip and knee replacements, neuro-surgical feats of wonder to fight strokes etc are all man-made means to save and prolong God-given life. India has achieved an average longevity of 66-72 years. But only 10 per cent of the lucky privileged Indians who have spare Rs. 5-10 lakh can avail of these facilities, available only in urban India, where only 30-35 per cent of Indian elders live and are virtually inaccessible to 65-70 per cent of the rural elders. Our survey of 5,000 elders revealed that every elder has to live with , osteo-arthritis, mono or hemiplegic sequel of stroke, ocular problems including cataract, glaucoma, age-related retinal degeneration, various degrees of deafness, dental problems, digestive sluggishness, constipation, insomnia, dwindling memory, dementia and depression. But the silver lining of this dark cloudy scenario is that most of these are preventable with an efficient and regular geriatric health care to ensure a full span of life. Every elder needs a bi-annual and in later decades of life a quarterly general physical check up, a blood and urine examination. The blood tests should include fasting blood sugar level, uric acid estimate, renal and liver function tests, a complete lipidogram and haemogram. Audio-visual assessment needs special attention. Bone density, specially in elder women, skiagram of osteo-arthritic joints and an e.c.g. examination in cases of hypertension need regular recording. There are ample facilities available for these assessments for urban elders. Rural primary health centres need to be well-equipped to cater for these tests for the rural elders. Geriatics has matured into a specialty by itself. It is practised as such in several developed countries. In India we need to take cognizance of this specialty to take care of our ever-growing population of elders. After health care, financial stress bothers more than 50 per cent Indian elders, particularly those living in the rural areas. The old age pension hardly makes the dry-wood dependant elder a welcome member of his family. A countrywide old age insurance scheme for such elders is a necessity. A sea change in the work culture of government departments dealing with elders' problems is long overdue. Their representatives at all levels should reach out to elders, identify them in every street of every town and village. BPL cards, pension documents etc. should be prepared and delivered at home. By reaching out to them, most of their safety and security problems will also be resolved easily. India is witnessing gradual urbanization. The rapidly expanding network of road and rail communication, the right to education and work, industrialisation, easy foreign travel facilities, women's education and empowerment are some prominent factors which are eroding the traditional joint family. The neglect of farmers and fragmentation of land-holdings in the rural areas and a multi-storey contracting urban living space are further aggravating problems. About 70-75 per cent well-to-do urban elders live alone. Their children live separately. Such elders who are at the mercy of their domestic aids are vulnerable to theft, lack of health care and even occasional murder. Some of those living with their children are gradually pushed into the house annexe by insolent sons and indifferent daughters-in-law. Domestic violence and lack of maintenance are common. In rural areas elders at times are hacked to death by their sons over land disputes. In the year 1999-2,000, the Government of India formulated a national policy for the elders after a nationwide debate. All measures were consolidated into the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act 2007. Under Section 32 of the Act all states are required to frame their own rules to empower themselves to deal with elders' problems as prevalent in each state. Several states have not yet done this so far. The writer is a retired Brigadier and specialises in geriatric care |
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