Knock Knock

Knock knock.

Just a minute.

Who is it.

Nobody.

Had a meeting today. They are considering me for a promotion.

That's great. How soon?

Immediate effect. Involves some travelling. Few weeks at a time.

That's OK. We can manage.

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Knock Knock.

Can you wait.

Who is it?

You were saying something.

Amma called. She wants to visit.

Hmm.

You always have a problem.

Did I say anything.

That's the problem.

You know how it turns out. Same old same old.

But what's the problem? Its been four years.

You know everything.

We will manage.

You always say that.

I mean it. And Amma can help.

Please don't start.

OK. We will call your mom. Happy?

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Knock knock.

No answer.

What's the worry? We have our papers.

Even so.

And I can still work. Makes no difference.

But these things are complicated. And we may have to leave the country anytime.

Don't worry. We will manage.

Look who's talking this time.

Seriously.

You don't know these immigration guys. Let's wait.

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Knock knock.

It costs a lot of money.

Which we have.

Not to squander though.

What do you mean? Is it not important?

You confuse me.

I mean I am not growing any younger.

Precisely. Why wait then?

I cannot afford to give up at this time. I am at a very important point at work. And they are covering the costs. We may have to pay some.

What is the success rate.

Good, they say.

I don't have a lot of understanding about this. It's your take.

Knock knock. Knock....are you even listening? Do I have a say at all?

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This was the third round.

How many more are left in the freezer? What does the doctor say?

What will he say? He is always hopeful.

What's the age limit for adoption?

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Knock knock. Knock knock. You there sweetheart. Sorry we didn't have the time to answer your call. We need you more than ever. You there. We will give up everything for you. Promise.....knock knock...

Dam(n) it Dibang!

Development is not possible without keeping a balance with the environment. The central government's decision to build a 3000 MW Dibang Hydroelectric Project in Arunachal Pradesh without any public consultation comes as a surprise, in wake of Narendra Modi's assurance to voters that he will not support mega-dams in  the region, during his election campaign rally on 22nd Feb 2014, in Pasighat  here, before Lok Sabha elections.

The foundation stone for the dam was laid by Manmohan Singh in 2008. Six years on and two denials later, the project has been cleared by the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC). On 28th August 2014 the FAC had concluded the “ecological and social costs of destroying a vast tract of forest land which is a major source of livelihood for the state’s tribal population would far outweigh the benefit likely to accrue from the project.”This was followed by a letter from Nripendra Mishra, Principal Secretary to the PM to  “clear the project expeditiously” on 3rd September. Less than a month later, the project has been approved.

It will be India's largest dam and the world's tallest concrete gravity dam (previously 288 metres, now to be reduced by 20 ft). The electricity generated by the Rs 1,600 crore National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) project will be mostly transmitted to other parts of India. A proper study of its potential impacts in downstream Assam, seismic parameters, and on climate change has not been done.   

The Dibru-Saikhowa National Park and Biosphere Reserve downstream would be affected by the fluctuations in the flow of the river. It is a potential Ramsar site, for wetlands.The  Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) has said that it should be declared a Bengal Florican National Park because it supports the population of the endangered bustard species.

Besides, it is also home to other endangered birds like Black Parrot Bill, March Babbler, Manipur Bush Quail, white Winged Duck, Large Whistling, Griffin Vulture and Grey Heron.

The constitutionally protected indigenous communities like Idu Mishmis, Adis and others would be demographically and socio-culturally impacted by project construction as there would be a large influx of migrant workers who would outnumber the indigenous communities.

During its completion, around 3.24 lakh trees will be cut and more than 45 Sq Km of land will be submerged. The amount of boulder required for the construction of this project is 193 lakh cubic meter as stated in the project document. Mining on such scale on the river bed and nearby areas will be cataclysmic, considering the fragility of the Himalayan mountain range.

In other parts of the world, mostly US and Europe, a reverse process of dam removal has started. Old dams which have damaged riverine ecosystems, outlived their usefulness, are expensive to maintain, or have become a safety hazard are being gradually removed through various processes. The World Commission on Dams has said that big dams have only marginal economic value.

We need to diversify power generation away from large dams, more so because of the change in rainfall patterns due to climate change. Solar power, wind power and other alternative sources of energy could be tapped increasingly. Smaller dams to generate hydroelectricity is an option with lesser damage.

The brazen indifference shown by Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), to the environmental issues under the pretext of 'development' is unprecedented. Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar has cleared a backlog of most the 298 projects by June 2014  without much analysis. These include salt manufacturing plants in Gujarat close to a marine national park, a road running near the Pakistan border through "Flamingo City", Asia's biggest breeding ground for flamingos, and a cement plant close to the Majathal Wildlife Sanctuary (HP), home of the endangered cheer pheasant. Several environmental rules have also been relaxed.

Groups like the North East Dialogue Forum, People’s Platform Secretariat, Village Women Coordinating Committee, People’s Action for Development, Social Action Committee are protesting against Dibang dam. Their voices need to be joined by citizens all over the country. Nature is priceless, no money can buy it once it's lost.

http://indiaopines.com/dibang-dam-arunachal-pradesh/

Border Talks: Time to Act 'Now'

The border violations not only at the LOC, but also at the IB (International Border), which Pakistan has not apparently fully accepted and prefers to call a “working boundary”,  have started more than a week back from Pakistan, amid denials of the same.  In as much as we can call it a violation of ceasefire agreement, the escalation has been the highest, probably after the days before the truce came into effect in 2003.

Narendra Modi , in response to a question regarding the situation along the border, has answered "everything will be fine soon", and ruled out any possibilities of talks. While our PM is busy campaigning for the assembly elections in the states of Maharashtra and Haryana, the part time defence minister Arun Jaitley, is monitoring the situation along the border and held separate meetings with defence secretary Radha Krishna Mathur and three service chiefs to assess the situation. The NSA Ajit Doval, is seeking hourly report from the ground.

MHA has called a fresh meeting to discuss the issue. "It has been conveyed in no uncertain terms to Pakistan that ground realities in India have changed. If the violations continue, the army and every youth of this country are ready to give a befitting reply to Pakistan," Rajnath Singh said in a TOI report. BSF officers too have said that they would not hold any flag meetings with Pakistan to lower tensions. This is an unusual move because India has held flag meetings with Pakistan every time the ceasefire was violated in the past. Well is this the right approach. Are enough consultations being done when it comes to talks.

Meanwhile Pakistan has registered a protest with the UN monitoring mission, saying that India has been resorting to 'unprovoked' attacks. UN had reportedly told Pakistan that the issue needed to be resolved diplomatically. While the senior Indian official at the Indian Mission to the UN, Devesh Uttam said that everyone must be "assured" that India's armed forces and paramilitary forces are "fully ready and they will respond to provocation".

The mechanisms to deal with ceasefire violations include provisions for meeting between field commanders and hotline between the two Directors-General of Military Operations. But they seem to have fallen short of easing the tensions. Fresh dialogue needs to be started from both sides. Under the composite dialogue format, the Defence Secretaries met every year. But it has currently been suspended after the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai. The talks need to be called back as this is the only way to stress on their 'bilateral' nature.

India unleashed “massive retaliation” on Tuesday all along the 200-kilometre long International Border. The Indian attack targeted 37 Pakistani border posts, resulting in around 15 deaths, more than 30 injured and serious damage to outposts manned by the Pakistani Rangers, according to intelligence sources.

While this is the need of the hour, more needs to be done in dealing with the problem, through a democratic process. Showing off the nation's strength at the cost of lives of our troops, as well as innocent civilians, is not the only solution. It is time to act. Now.

http://indiaopines.com/india-and-pakistan-border-talks/

RSS on DD: Sign of Times?

The Prasar Bharati Broadcasting Corporation was founded in 1997, during the then Janata Dal government, wherein both AIR and Doordarshan were separated from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, towards giving it greater autonomy. The Shunu Sen Committee and the Sam Pitroda Committee furthered these efforts. However the fact remains that to this day the Prasar Bharati is being managed by the I & B ministry through the back door.

Information and Broadcast Minister Prakash Javadekar, in his interview with Karan thapar on Headlines today, had recently said that he is ‘philosophically’ and ‘ideologically’ in favour of doing away with the I & B Ministry as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mantra of ‘less Government, more governance.’  to bring about greater autonomy to Prasar Bharati.

How is it then, that the same I & B Minister holds meetings with the Director General (News) of  Doordarshan, on a daily basis at 9.30 am , which was reported by a senior DD official?

Is it a sign of autonomy or interference, as this has never been the norm before. Not even during the time of Indira Gandhi's government.

And if such meetings are indeed held daily, how can he say that he was not aware that DD was planning to telecast live, the speech of Mohan Bhagwat, the RSS chief on Vijayadashmi, the founding day of the organization. This happened to be shortly before PM Modi's 'Man Ki Baat' on AIR. Modi later tweeted  praising Mohan Bhagwat and his speech.

"https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/517939746698305536"

The argument given is that the speech was telecast live for its newsworthiness. Agreed, for all the newsworthiness it has, it should have been covered in a section of one of the news bulletins, in the right context and for the right duration.

In fact Javadekar has counter questioned on why it has not been done before. Why had the Congress put a blanket ban on the organization in the past, and not allowed any of its programmes being telecast. Well then it did not happen during the time of Atal Behari Vajpayee either.

The twice banned organization, RSS, it seems, is not a politico-religious organization, but caters to people from all sections, and is involved in social reform. It claims to reach and help during natural calamities and conduct various social work programmes. But it has been infamous for its role in the Gandhi assassination, Babri Masjid demolition, Godhra riots, to the more recent 'love jihad' doctrine. Does it bear any solidarity to the high principles of nation building it claims. Its role in the struggle for Indian independence is conspicuous by its absence, neither does it believe in the symbols of Indian nationalism, e.g, the tricolor or the national anthem

The speech itself was interesting, which was attended by many BJP leaders,like Nitin Gadkari and Devendra Fadnavis. In between the window dressing of saving the environment, consumerism, the so called RSS version of unity in diversity, inclusive development, and the call for not buying Chinese goods, there were also mentions of the jihadi activities going on in the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, and their threat in Bihar, Bengal and Assam, showing the real face of the organization. In between slight mentions of Gandhi and Ambedkar, there were adulations to "Guruji" Golwalkar".

Though DD allowing the telecast may not be a threat in itself, as there are other points of views expressed on  DD as and different private channels too, there is definitely a chance of brainwashing the already spongy minds of the general public, and adding fire to the growing fundamentalist, right wing mindset.  Well the difference here between the private news channels and DD is that the latter is funded by the taxpayer's money.  For all the justifications that are being given, it is obvious that this telecast is plain propaganda.

The Modi government is doing what its predecessors have done in the past. Using its powers to benefit themselves as well as all the factors that helped them win elections. Is it payback time? Or is it well timed for the assembly elections to be held in the states of Haryana and Maharashtra, where the cadre has vouched to send 60000 pracharaks for volunteering in the campaign.

Congress has been no saint when it comes to misuse of the public broadcaster, for its own agenda, the epitome of which was reached during the unfortunate emergency.  Besides the BJP spokespersons are also reminding the critics of how Jawaharlal Nehru invited the RSS to participate in the 1963 Republic Day parade, and how Lal Bahadur Shastri invited them to work as traffic police, as there was a shortage of personnel during invasion by Pakistan in 1965. But there is no doubt whatsoever about the divisive nature of RSS, as the statement of Mohan Bhagwat himself that “The cultural identity of all Indians is Hindutva", indicates.

The news of the plans of the program being telecast came a day in advance (when the I& B Minister was probably in deep pretend slumber), and many protested through social media but to no avail. Prominent among them being historian Ramachandra Guha and journalist Siddharth Varadarajan.

"https://twitter.com/Ram_Guha/status/517863985761091584"

"https://twitter.com/svaradarajan/status/517879966315204609"

The dust seems to have settled in on this issue. Either that, or the media has implicitly avoided any more controversy, just as it did after the infamous 'one small incident' reference by Arun Jaitley. Narendra Modi and his newly formed government is slowly moving from its honeymoon phase to a learning phase, or rather, learning from its mistakes phase. Hopefully they won't repeat such feats in the future by perhaps not allowing the broadcast of the speeches by VHP and Bajrang Dal, and draw a line in the right earnest. Or is it a sign of times to come.

http://www.smarttechtoday.com/rss-on-dd-sign-of-times/

Swachh Bharat: The 'Clean India' Movement.

There are more than a couple of  firms who conduct tours of Dharavi slums in Mumbai, mostly for international tourists, which came into prominence after the much acclaimed movie  "Slumdog Millionaire". Rave reviews of these can be found online, which talk  at length about the culture, cuisine, industry and hospitality of Dharavi, trying not to mention the unhygienic conditions people live in. Definitely not something to be proud of. Concrete and humongous steps in cleaning our country are long due.

The 'Clean India Mission', better known as 'Swachh Bharat' campaign has reverberated from the Red Fort to the White House. It finds mention in the Independence Day Speech of PM Narendra Modi to his joint editorial in the Washington Post with US President Barack Obama. The likes of Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg are also joining hands with India in this mission, in terms of sharing their expertise. While the rest of the editorial talks about cooperation between Indian and US in various fields from business to space, US seems to have gone out of its way in the cleaning India endeavour. There definitely is no "Chalein Saath Saath" here for US and India, as the two countries are not even near to equal standing in this field. Is it a repetition of the 'Slumdog' showcase? Could we have handled this issue on our own?

The bane of filth has chased us a long time down the history lane. Mahatma Gandhi said “I will not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet.” He devoted his whole life to this endeavor.  It is only apt then that 2nd October was chosen for the 'Swachh Bharat' campaign, which will continue for five years, culminating into a 'Clean India' on  his 150 birth anniversary in 2019. 

Besides the symbolism attached to it, and the tokenism in the form of ministers holding brooms for photo-ops, it is a welcome step by the present government. A recycled version of 'Nirmal Bharat' mission started by the UPA governemt, "Swach Bharat' will go the extra mile and aim to make India open defecation free. Government employees, students, actors and common people participated in this event. What is important to see to it that it extends to more than one day, and becomes a part of our everyday lives.

Sanitation has always been a game of 'ping pong' between people and the authorities blaming each other. Taxpayers complain that not enough is being done in cleaning the streets and sewers by the local authorities, while the latter conveniently blame it on the 'habits' of the people who throw trash out in the open.  A solution of working together could be found to this problem as a collective effort. In the west, a community or a neighborhood adopts a street or an area and work together on cleaning it regularly, taking joint responsibility.

A change in mindset is more important than anything else. Cleanliness begins at home.We should first start cleaning up our home as a family, not just the female members, working alongside the helpers and maids wherever necessary. It is not somebody else's responsibility but our own. Government needs to chip in by providing waste bins, drainage systems, toilets etc.Recycling, separating dry and wet waste, rehabilitating our dumping grounds could be the things we could look forward to. Industrial waste needs to be treated in an environment friendly manner. Standardized measures and practices can be brought in by the administration.

Swach Bharat is set to be an andolan, a movement, rather than just a government program. Our PM has rightly asked the masses to participate, by contributing two hours a week to this endeavor. He has also asked his ministers to join. To bring home the point,he has himself taken the broom in his hand. This is the right approach. Leading by example. Mahatma Gandhi did it, and the masses followed. Lal Bahadur Shastri did it, and to this day, his followers sing his praises. It is his birth anniversary too on 2nd October. It remains to be observed if our present PM too is planning to set such a precedent, by himself contributing two hours a week to cleaning, outside his busy schedule. 

A social media campaign was launched by our PM, through his speech from Rajpath, where he nominated nine celebrities, which include Sachin Tendulkar, Priyanka Chopra, Kamal Hasan and others, to join in this campaign and asked others to do the same. He also administered a pledge of cleanliness to everyone attending, along with special guest Aamir Khan, amid a charged atmosphere. This is an issue beyond politics, and everybody needs to join in, despite different affiliations.

Let us also not lose this opportunity to not only clean the 'outside' but also our 'inside'. Starting from ourselves, let us clean our country of the vices of corruption, communalism, gender inequality and casteism in thought and in act. Hope our ministers follow too.


http://indiaopines.com/swachh-bharat-clean-india-movement/