REFLECTIONS

Apocalypse: The World Under Siege by a VIRUS

2020-03-28T00:32:00.000+05:30

A tiny virus of 80-120 nm has taken the whole world by storm, smashing the human race, changing the face and fate of the world. It is unbelievable that humans are succumbing to death as flies, falling dead as zombies, that too in days. Watch out !!!. It is not a sci-fi thriller or horror movie or teleseries like the Matrix, Jurassic Park, Contagion, Ezhaam arivu (In Tamil meaning Seventh Sense), My Secret Terrius nor imaginative novels like ‘The Eyes of Darkness” or ‘End of Days’, but its real and worse, as played out in the real world, where you and me live. There is a thin line or border between imagination and intuition, the intuitions turning predictive, that the novels and movies of authors and directors/ script writers become a fatal reality.

The ghost town of Wuhan, where the novel Corona virus, COVID-19 or SARS-CoV-2 originated, is limping back to normalcy, so also is the mainland of China. There are many theories, (or conspiracies?) of who was responsible for the pandemic, how it originated and why. But than indulging in the blame game, countries are imposing stringent measures to contain the spread of the deadly corona virus, which is wreaking havoc and pandemonium. Whether the product of natural recombination in bats or pangolins, whether jumped from the live animal market of Wuhan to humans due to the unconventional eating habits of a section of the globe or the evil plot of an aspiring-to-be super power, to subdue a rebellious population of its 'colony of the past', or a bio-weapon of the biological warfare, the powerful ‘tiny giant’ has by now infected more than 5.59 lakh people killing nearly 25,278 people (hours back it was 5.2 lakh infected with 23,623 deaths), the figures expected only to go up and accelerate, till vaccines or curative drugs are developed. The World health Organisation (WHO) has declared COVID-19 outbreak as Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). A case of 20 trilllion dollars has been filed against China for suppressing and misrepresenting facts. Transparency on the actual state-of-affairs instead of hiding and false projections, would have given time for other countries to prepare, take precautions and prophylactic emergency measures, to save their people, and their nations from turning into mass graves

The world is locked down for the fear of exponential spread of the pandemic. All-time-busy-for-no-reason world has halted. Time to take a break and stop for reflections and introspections as to whither to? Death lurking at doorstep? The enemies are not armed soldiers with nuclear weapons, nor are they with animosity for a specific reason. They are just assembly of biomolecules, obligate parasites, looking for vulnerable hosts and invisible to the naked eye. There is no respect for national/ international borders, for the virus. The virus does differentiate between region, religion, race, colour, class, culture, sex, status or wealth. The rich and the peasant are equally affected. The virus just needs a living human host.They may be lurking everywhere, but the fatal effect of their attack revealed only when it is too late. For the first time, extreme, draconian rules, even worst than those during world wars are imposed to contain the virus, which has resulted in restrictions on movements of people and disruption of daily activities in the whole globe. It is not together we are going to defeat the virus, but in isolation, by distancing from one-another and following the social distancing diligently and responsibly. Thanks to the internet or world wide web. We are very much connected in the virtual/digital world, knowing what is going on in the world, sitting in our private space. E-governance without physical involvement is also possible.Adjusting to lockdown life may be easy for the younger generations since they were already isolated from the rest of the world with the availability of mobiles with access to internet and the virtual world of social media.

Lock downs for a short period may backfire. Complacency sets in as the moratorium is lifted., the people being more active and socialising. Premature lifting of lockdowns may generate second and third waves of the pandemic. The infected persons being asymptomatic for nearly a week or more, spread the virus in an exponential manner, that even admission of infected patients won’t be possible. Alarm bells are ringing loud. We are not safe and there is nothing to be achieved by panic, but preparedness and precautions can help to an extent. A made-up optimism/positivity may only result in turning a blind eye to the reality, though too much hype and spreading rumours, will be disastrous. The virus doesn’t know the moratorium of the governments. It follows its lifecycle, keeps infecting live hosts and symptoms of attack on host becomes obvious after incubation period of nearly 10-14 days. Public health care facilities of even the most developed countries cannot manage influx of the patients in large numbers. Already the health care system of even the developed countries have crippled badly. Though the fatality rate of novel corona virus COVID-19 is 3.4% which is less than the Nipah virus or SARS virus (50-70%) or slightly higher than the Spanish flu of 1918 with crude fatality rate (CFR) of 2.1 %, the spread is at an alarming rate. The mortality rate is yet to be assessed accurately, the death rate of COVID-19 dramatically varying with country because the casualty is tallied against the number of tests or reports of positive cases.Till we are safe these are mere numbers which we check in like points in the stock exchange. The lost lives were but human beings with friends and family, with dreams and hopes.

Is it the first pandemic caused by a virus that the world is dealing with? Humans have faced several threats to their existence, as epidemic or pandemic outbreaks caused by novel deadly microbes, having more infectivity or fatality rate emerging through mutations. Spanish flu (1918), Asian flu (1956-58), Hong kong flu (1968) Small pox, Bird flu, Swine flu, Ebola (1995-2014), SARS (2003), MERS (2012), Zika (2015-16), Nipah (1999 in Malaysia and 2018 in India), are some of the epidemics, the outbreaks more frequent during recent times. Worldwide, flu-related diseases cause nearly 36,000 deaths annually. So what is novel about the corona virus SARS-CoV-2 that it is the most dreaded pandemic? Is it the fatality rate, rapid, exponential, and asymptomatic local transmission or community spread of the virus or quick death of infected ones in the final stage, that makes it more dreaded? Is the virus per se dangerous or is globalisation or population explosion, or crammed spaces in urban "most developed" cities or regions or our over- dependence on others for daily needs, to be blamed for this catastrophe of massive scale? The arrogance of man as the supreme creature in the planet and the theory of 'developed' world or 'modern' competent health care facility, that can tackle any pathogen or disease, is put to test or curbed by these invisible microbes. Man is a mere creature in the planet. The virus considered as inanimate has denigrated man as an organism or merely an assembly of organs. Is it a punishment for destroying other life forms and disturbing the delicate balance of nature and environment? The whole world is on a war against the virus.

Countries which are under-developed or poor but highly and densely populated, such as India cannot imagine of a situation as in the developed nations such as US, Italy or China where mortality rate was high. Doctors, nurses, para medical professionals, pharmaceutical/drug companies,sanitation workers, scientists, researchers, police and press are on the job. When the whole country is locked down, the warriors are on duty, for saving lives to control and fight out the enemy, risking their own lives, sacrificing their family life to save humanity from the wretches of the deadly, invisible, tiny, particulate parasites. India is not immune but rather more prone to communicable diseases, at a fast pace. Our health care systems are already pathetic, and majority of the population are not affluent nor have access to even the basic necessities like food and shelter, access to good health care facility being a distant dream. The unhygienic practices and dirty congested streets or habitats add fuel to fire. We are supposed to have a better immune system unlike the cleaner western world, thanks to the variety of dirt, filth and pollution we are daily exposed to and the trying situations in which we thrive. But are we immune to the novel pathogens like the SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19? We can but boast of handling the epidemic outbreaks of cholera (19th century), pox virus (1974), plague (1994), hepatitis (2009), Bird flu (2006), Swine flu (2015), Nipah (2018) and other non-communicable diseases like polio and eradicate them, but we have come far off and cannot lose many lives as in the ‘not-so developed days’ of the past.

Lockdown comes in the wake of the alarming rate of spread of the deadly virus. The figures of number of positive COVID-19 cases in India was low during the start of March with just 2-5 cases reported (the first COVID-19 positive case was reported by January 30^th), which led us to believe in or be over-confident on our strong immune systems, regard alarm bells as media over-hype and to retreat to our laid back or lackadaisical attitude, optimism and false positivity. But as days passed on, the quick progression of the disease with 200 cases (20^th March), 253 cases (22^nd March), 360 (23^rd March), 415, 515 (24^th march), 560, 606 (25^th March), 633 (26^th March) and 724 (27^th March) with 17 deaths indicates the potency and accelerated spread of the virus. March 22 was Janata curfew and by March 23, a complete lockdown was declared in majority of Indian states. While it took March 25 (at stage II of the disease), for the Government to announce a nation-wide lock down, forcing all states as well to shut down the business, exempting the essential services such as water, electricity, bank, postal, hospital, pharmacy,media etc from lock down. The precautionary steps had to be geared up due to quick progression of the virus. Lockdown in a nation of 1.3 billion people, is a desperate measure, kudos to the bold and powerful decision amidst the world crisis, though it is a gamble. Lock down alone cannot suffice to eradicate the virus. From screening the international travelers with symptoms, now people with mild symptoms or suspected illness are put to tests. Paucity of testing kits is a hurdle, making it impossible to screen all symptomatic suspects or asymptomatic contacts of COVID-19 positive cases. Inspite of a lockdown, the numbers of COVID-19 cases have only escalated from 360 to 724 from 23^rd to 27^th march in 4 days. But why is it so? Is it that we are virus-free till we are tested or diagnosed? Is it that there are many covert contagious infections which are still not tested nor detected nor reported (86% were asymptomatic but still contagious in China)? Is it that the severity of the infection and how it is spread be known only in the days to come? Is it that we would have carried on with our daily chores as usual till lockdown, that when our routine or livelihood was affected, we had to forcefully pay attention or is it that more people became aware of the impending disaster due to the nation-wide lock down?

Even during the lockdown, people seem to be ignorant, arrogant and irresponsible, conducting covert mass prayers, abusing law enforcing police, health workers etc escaping house quarantine, meeting family members etc against advice, (in Kasargod district of Kerala, one such person who was advised quarantine had spread the virus to many). The highest number of COVID-19 cases are from Kerala in our country and in Kerala from Kasargod district. Insensitive people without understanding the gravity of the situation are roaming around in bikes, congregating in shops, markets, hoarding food, medicines etc in large quantities, and selling in black market resulting in paucity of essentials and soaring of prices or inflation. Shut down and stay at home is like a long-term hartal or holiday for many. It is highly ridiculous that in one of the most literate state, beverages outlets were open for business and exempted from lock down, on par with other essential services. Most are bereft of social ethos or basic understanding that they were celebrating with alcohol and meat, during the trying times, when the whole world was in crisis. Janata curfew was called for to isolate people, to prevent them from assembly or getting into contact with other potential asymptomatic carriers, which was very much possible on a holiday or Sunday and clapping of hands was advised as a gesture of appreciation of those who were actively and tirelessly working in the health care sector to fight off the disease (a gesture copied from Italy, the worst-hit country).The people of India, on the contrary, by the end of curfew period assembled in many local and large groups to express their support and solidarity, as if curfew was a festival or end of a fasting period, defeating the whole purpose of the curfew and declaring loud that Indian ways are unique.Before implementing any decision the crowd behaviour and social response and infrastructure needs to be carefully studied. But lockdown was an emergency decision to douse the flames of virus from spreading in the society as wild fire, where each human is but a spark, which like chain-reaction can spread the virus far and wide through people. The unexpected massive exodus of the migrant workers thrown out of their jobs, livelihood and homes has taken the authorities by surprise.What they need is assurance from the government on food, shelter and health care, at their location, counseling on the severity of the disease and their role and importance of their decisions, on the whole nation.

Can the lockdown be effective since people live in congested spaces in India, with a joint family system? The chances of getting infection has not reduced because members of a family live close, with more proximity to each other. An outbreak in the slum areas of India will be disastrous. The daily wage or migrant labourers are cooped up in small make-shift shelters with tin, asbestos, palm leaves or even a piece of cloth, without adequate food, water, or space and living in the most unhygienic, inhuman conditions. Whatever development we boast of, the quality of life of the poor in India remains the worse, the infrastructure poor even otherwise.Exhaustive efforts are needed because, India is still a country of the poor. Few nations have manged to control the virus without lock down, but the population was less in such countries when compared to India and infrastructure far batter. Instead of lock down, they installed thermal cameras at public places and majority were tested for the presence of virus, to identify infected people, quarantine, isolate and treat them. Mass testing and no lockdown was effective than mass lockdown and few testings. No-lockdown normal situation in India will flare up the intensity and pace of infection, since most are unaware of the gravity of the situation. Mass testing and sanitisation or disinfection of public places may help.

Can we get over this? Is there a hope? Are we in a sinking ship? The iceberg has already hit, a hole is created, water is seeping in. Do we have limited time to save our lives? What is the solution? How can we tackle this? An assembly of scattered thoughts is shared, many of which are already in practice.

1.Sensitisation and creating awareness about the reality with proper care given to provide authentic information, than creating panic with exaggerated false information. But this fails since the effect is not known initially, but only by 10-11 days after exposure to the pathogen, when symptoms of illness are developed by infected person, who by that time would have transmitted the disease to 100s or 1000s of other people.

2. Lockdown: Extreme measure is timely lock down at an earlier stage preferably by Stage I or II itself and social distancing, to prevent person-to person transmission in a geometrical progression, which when happens, can increase the mortality, when the virus spreads to larger sections of population. The idea is to break the chain and flatten the curve of progression of the pathogen. In China the first case was reported around November mid-week, however complete lock down was only by January end.

3. Creating adequate infrastructure: No war can be won without adequate weapons and trained manpower. Weapons here are the effective measures to ward off and combat the virus. The need of the hour is to equip well. Health care professionals, the soldiers in the warfront are not adequately equipped. Majority of funds are floated for space and defence programmes, but health care sector is neglected like the education/research system. A meagre of 1.28% of the GDP is allocated to the health care sector, an increase of just 5.7% from the previous year, while 15.5% of GDP, 8 % and 4.6% share is for the defence, space and education sector respectively. Defence against the fast-evolving unpredictable, deadly pathogens should be equally prioritised. At least the incidence of COVID-19 should be a wakeup call. Also, the affluent sections can generously donate for the cause. Crowd funding is another way to procure more funds. But care should be taken to prevent online fraud/quacks and ensure authenticity of the links in the website. There should be definite targets while allocating the funds, with a timeline of achieving the targets. This is no natural or physical calamity but a biological unpredictable calamity.

The production of the sanitisers, nose masks, gloves, protective medical wear and medical equipments like ventilators should be increased. Even in the most developed country like the US the situation is grim or worse, with the doctors using trash bags to protect themselves, due to the acute shortage of the protective masks. Thermal cameras can be installed like CCTV cameras at public places. The CCTV cameras installed by traffic police/ municipalities can be used to monitor movement of people and coupled with thermal cameras to find out if they are infected. Testing/diagnostic kits should be adequately available. Research on indigenous kits to reduce cost and cover larger population must be encouraged and undertaken in a rapid pace.

Adequate space and hospitals should be available for isolation and treatment of virus-positive patients as well as for screening or testing citizens. Home test kits available at a nominal rate or free in public health care systems should be developed. China constructed new hospitals exclusively for treatment of the corona virus. Can India think of creating a hospital in a short span considering the accelerated spread of the contagion. People already are modifying vacant, brand new apartments, fully or half constructed (which are not allotted or occupied), hotels and government guest houses, hostels or schools etc to create temporary shelter camps or the corona-care facility for identification and treatment of the COVID-19 patients. Alternatively, the government can think of setting up a facility or building exclusively for dealing with epidemic or pandemic outbreaks, earmarking a percentage of fund every year for this.

Refugee/ Shelter camps and public kitchens for the poor and needy but with enough isolation and medical care can be thought of. Already good samaritans are on action in the streets. Again shelter camps of community kitchens,ration or and grocery shops etc should not be crowded and people should be allowed only after maintaining safe distance or wearing masks.

Transport facilities such as ambulances, which are sanitised regularly should be provided. exclusively for carrying the suspects and patients

4. Creating a task force or adequate manpower or machine power (robots/drones).

A local group of volunteers can be inducted or formed and given adequate training for a day or two about the action plan, precautions to be taken and chart out the tasks and area of operation. Instead of a new group, people from police, army, ex-servicemen, government officials or NGOs can also be roped in, or re-constituted as task force. A group of 5 -10 people will be reporting to a supervisor and get their medical status checked every day before and after their movement or completing the assigned job for the day. The group may be responsible for covering a particular area or locality. Similarly for every locality, a local circle of volunteers can be formed who can be registered and given ID cards for authenticity. These groups will be provided with adequate protective material for their own safety A nodal officer in this group can coordinate the activities such as identifying the local restaurants, grocery stores, and other outlets for supply of essentials like milk, fruits, vegetables etc. They may have list of all vendors and their contact numbers. Each week a particular vendor may be responsible for supply of commodities. Door-step-delivery is ensured by members of the task group. Likewise few restaurants should be earmarked and authorised to prepare and distribute food packets to the needy at their homes and monitored for the hygienic practices by members of the task force. Similarly announcements can be made regarding the contact numbers of the local circle groups or through print or digital media or mobile phones as calls or SMS messages. One will ensure supply of essentials like food and medicine. Another will ensure transport and medical care facility for the needy, yet another will address on emergency service needs like bank. Another may be health care worker who is responsible for mapping, tracing and tracking the contacts of the COVID-19 infected patients, testing them and isolating them for treatment at an early stage. Counselling centres to deal with anxiety, stress and trauma can be opened. Helpline numbers and online sites can be advertised by the task force. In addition, all members involved in health care system and the essential service system should be registered and frequently checked for any symptom or tested for infection. Drones can also be employed in extreme cases if possible as in China, when human indulgence is prohibited.

After the lockdown period as well restrictions should be placed and lockdown removed only in a phased manner. Transport in and out of the hotspots should be banned and if restricted, travellers should be monitored with testing kits/ cameras. The testing kits should be capable of detecting the virus at early stages of infection, even when the infected person is aysmptomatic. A fitness certificate or COVID-19-free certificate from medical officer at the hotspot locality, or at the travel place before travel or before issuing ticket/pass for travel should be a must. The medical team with testing kits can be stationed at travel stations like airports. Local circles can be formed by clustering regions based on population, density of population, infrastructure such as hospitals, pharmacy, essential services etc. Movement of people from one circle to another circle should be restricted or banned depending on severity of incidence or reported cases. Each local circle should be adequate in infrastructure and able to function independently. If not adequate, health care professionals should be deployed after testing and infrastructure created to these regions before lifting the lock down.

5. Research and Innovations: Scientists, researchers, medical professionals and pharma should work in close coordination. Brilliant scientific minds in the world should be pooled and coordinate their work by dividing the assignments and without duplications Transparency and openness should be emphasised, than competition for credit, name and fame. The need of the hour is to develop curative drugs and vaccine for treating the COVID-19. We cannot wait till 2021 for development a new vaccine (anticipated time for a new vaccine against the deadly mutant virus is a year, by 2021). Considering the time usually taken for development of a new vaccine, already available vaccines for other viral diseases can be tested. repurposing of the existing drugs is also an alternative (as I am writing this, hydroxychloroquine, a drug used for treating malaria was found to be effective against the virus, so also the drug remdesivir that cripples RNA polymerase enzyme and used against Nipah virus, and a combination of two drugs Lopinavir and Ritonavir, used against HIV, is also being tested. We cannot wait. As commented in editorial of a leading Science Journal, A solution is desired without really understanding the problem, because we do not have time to understand the problem deeply or fully. What works should be adopted without delay, to save the lives, as we continue our research on the origin, evolution, epidemiology, infectivity, mode of transmission and all other aspects of the virus and the disease. Its only ironical that by the time we understand the problem, to devise the solution, the solution may lose its significance, considering the fast spread and mortality rate of the corona virus. Modern tools of molecular biology and bioinformatics can be used effectively to understand the problem and devise solutions. The supercomputer already has identified 66 potent drugs.

Screening or testing kits which are simple, easy, portable, less time-consuming, low cost and that can be preferably used in homes even by ordinary people, should be developed on an emergency basis. The tests can be based on colorimetric assays than PCR or antibody based assays, which can be done in the second stage, to reconfirm the cases found positive by colorimetric assays. Non invasive optical detection systems and thermal cameras are other alternatives for mass screening.

The genome sequence of COVID-19 is already published (with genome size of 29.903 Kb, 38% GC content, with 11 genes, 12 proteins as available/ submitted in NCBI on 5th January 2020 and resubmitted on 13 Mar 2020).The RNA-Dependent RNA polymerase of SARS-CoV-2, like any other RNA virus, exists only in the virus, but not in animals or human, and can be targeted for developing a drug. How the genome is different from the already known SARS virus and other non-pathogenic forms of the virus, if these differences (in accessory proteins 3 and 8?) have made the virus more infective and fatal to human life etc needs to be deciphered. These regions of differences can be targeted by molecular medicines. Nanomedicine/Nano tablets/Nanorobots (brain child of Richard Feynmann, the Physics nobel prize winner) can also be thought of as an effective measure for targeting and killing the virus. Also an attenuated/ disarmed recombinant virus, which can recombine with the original SARS-CoV-2/ COVID-19 to disarm it., or that can be used as a recombinant vaccine can be designed or developed, but may require more time to develop because of the associated biosafety issues. The genome of SARS-CoV-2 is found to be relatively stable. the strain variation during global spread is not high (8 strains reported as of now) with only 4-10 genetic differences, suggesting low rate of mutation. Thus the virus can be managed with a single vaccine, unlike the common flu, where new vaccines need to be developed every year. The SARS-CoV-2 virus is thought to be a recombined version of two genomes or a mutant virus. Antibodies (active or passive immunity),plant-derived vaccines and plantibodies are other options. Blood plasma from infected and recovered persons can also be used. Bats, primates, rats, pangolins, pigs and other mammals harbour deadly viruses which do not cause any harm to their hosts, but turn lethal when they jump to humans. How this happens and if the immune system of these original hosts have antibodies conferring immunity to the pathogen, can be studied. Humans have receptors such as ACE for the viral spikes, bats or other animals which harbour them may lack them. If not causing disease then why and how do these viruses stay in them? Are they mild attackers or just parasites which are not deadly in bats? If so, how the fatality of the virus is countered in them? Such antibodies if any conferring immunity, can be isolated and studied to engineer or develop synthetic or humanised antibodies.

As per reports, the primary infectious stage, when the virus colonises the nasal region in the host, is contagious and dangerous form, from where the virus migrates to lungs, creates pneumonia-like symptoms, lung inflammation, shortness of breath and finally death. Nasal sprays with protective chemicals/biomolecules that prevent colonisation of virus, kills the virus at preliminary stage itself and antiseptic or antiviral compounds such as iodine or any other chemical or drug to kill the virus, without harming the host, can prevent spread of live virus through sneeze or cough droplets or as aerosols in the air. Also using chemicals or peptides that can block the ACE receptors in nasal cavity can be used in nasal sprays. Soap, alcohol, saline water, bleach etc were reported to be effective for sanitisation and such similar, simple, easily available chemicals should be tested for effectiveness against the virus. The virus as of now, is thought to be spread only by human-to human contact or proximity to infected person. However the persistence of virus on surfaces and transport by wind or air etc also needs to be understood for effective control measures. Statistics and mathematical predictive modelling can be used to understand the real scenario. Mass sprays with the disinfectants for sanitisation of public spaces and hospitals needs to be done to prevent recurrence. Spraying and fumigation in community level in massive scale is already practised to control mosquitoes and malaria.Undertaking this during lockdown period will be more effective. Can we also think of virus repellants (preferably biological) in vapour forms like the mosquito repellants to disinfect small closed spaces?

How the SARS was contained and controlled and the experience with other RNA viruses for drug/ vaccine development can be considered, taking into account the reports that the genome of SARS-CoV-2 is a recombinant one. Can other tested and attenuated viral vaccines which are already tested and safe be tested and used against SARS-CoV-2 as well?

Regulations in research should be revisited and amendments made to hasten or accelerate the pace of research, to overpower the virus. The guidelines for conducting research should be modified, considering the urgency for a cure for the disease and to ensure product development in a short period. Even as humanity is in danger, the basic instinct of selfishness and greed of human beings, has not vanquished. The war is on, so also is the rat race for who is the first to develop cure and who is to garner the accolades, patents, benefits etc. Limiting others from using the life saving drug should be strictly discouraged. There are already provisions in law, which need to be implemented. Considering the grim and delicate situation the entire human race is encountering, the Intellectual Property (IP) rights and laws should be modified or reframed, if at present there is no provision to immediately use the products of research and science for mankind.

More number of research groups should be identified and involved in research, than restricting the access of the study/experimental material to a few expert groups. A multidisciplinary research group with defined, specific goals to be accomplished in a very short term (of weeks or months) need to be promulgated, where the expert groups can be leading. The research equipments and materials unused during shutdown can be diverted for developing drugs and screening/diagnostic/testing kits.
Precautions also should be taken to curb the re-emergence of the virus.

6. Social measures like care for the elderly, disadvantaged, poor and marginalised sections of the society, who struggle for daily food even otherwise, is a must. The people most hard-hit due to lock down, are the unorganised, daily-wage earners. They are first and foremost to bear the brunt of any such decisions. They are jobless, daily work or job being the only means for a morsel of food, being lost. Pathetic is the situation of the poor and hungry who struggle daily for making their both ends meet. They are out of income for 3 weeks. Either the virus kills or poverty and hunger kills, either way it is the same fate. None have cared for these during the better times nor is there any care or hope, for these during crisis. The situation is same or worse or bleak. Already the government has announced a package Rs.1.7 lakh crores for the poor in unorganised sector, free ration, advance pension, home delivery of food, essentials, medicines etc. Food production is sufficient and surplus that we have enough buffer stock to be distributed to the needy, free of cost. Thanks to the agriculture sector!!. Sanitisers, gloves, masks and disposable tissue papers can also be provided to each family as a kit along with ration or food. Since social distancing and lock down is practised, majority of the vulnerable, marginalised sections who do not have access to media or internet are left out in a lurch, stranded, poorly informed and unaware as to where and whom to approach. Public announcements can be made through the media, television, social networking sites etc. Helpline numbers and 24 x 7 active emergency numbers should be available to all or by dialling 100 they should be able to get help. However, the out-reach to the needy is challenging task, especially during a shut down. All these should not only be advertisements bereft of action.The workforce already deployed in hospitals and the police or the task force can be entrusted with helping the public. Refugee/ Shelter camps and community kitchens can be opened up as in any other natural calamity, but with enough isolation and medical care.

Ambulance or transport services should be made available on a phone call to the elderly. Mobile clinics, testing centres, mobile pharmacy, information centres and other essential services can be provided based on needs. All are not tech-savvy. Volunteers or task forces/ NGOs who are as well tested for the virus can take up the job of delivery of essential services to the needy. Again, large population is the challenge. All the delivery vehicles and items should be virus-free and sanitised with clear guidelines for handling commodities. Chinese model of using drones can be adopted but use of drones still is in the inceptive stage and used in few areas like agriculture. Because of the highly contagious nature of the disaster, shelter homes and make-shift homes to assemble people and care for them by providing food etc till the crisis subsides, is not a good option. If caution is not exercised and without frequent health checkups or testing aggregation of people may spread the virus..

7. Economic measures: Cash also can be delivered by banks to the needy senior citizens who are weak and immobile. Relief packages and financial aid to the unemployed during the lock down period, tax reliefs for donations or crowd funding, aadhar based rationing and distribution of services and goods etc can be considered. Selfless service should be adequately rewarded. Bank or postal account for all and cashless E-transactions should be encouraged. It is a period when inputs are required in enormous quantity, but output is negligible or almost nil, the mission and objective being eradicating the SARS-CoV-2. Licensing of the new technologies for diagnosis and treatment of the disease and tax benefits to manufacturing units of medical equipments and incentives to pharmaceutical companies for manufacturing curative drugs can be considered. Additional benefits of pay to the health care professionals volunteers or task force group and the who stay on job than home, has to be considered to encourage motivate and boost up the morale of these. But more strong measures are needed after the war to prevent ravaging of an already ailing economy.

8. Legal and regulatory measures: Strict legal measures should be taken for crowd control or elimination of groups/ congregations of people and criminal charges imposed on those who violate social distancing. Already it is in practice with section 144 etc imposed and law makers are pleading to and punishing those who act irresponsibly. Curbing a little freedom for the common good is better than invite or magnify the disaster for individual rights. But harassing and barbaric beating up of the poor public with the genuine cause, by law protectors should be avoided. Criminal activity and disruption of social order is a possibility given the trauma, stress and loneliness of people due to lockdown for long periods. Guns for self-protection were procured by citizens in US, anticipating social disorder. Strict vigilance is required in an already disturbed nation. Black market, inflating the prices of essential goods, hoarding, food adulteration, clearing the old stocks (date of safe consumption already expired) of essential perishable commodities should be criminalised and such unlawful activities should invite stringent punishment for deterrence. Rules and regulatiions on research and on patent rights should be revisited and amended, if there are blockades that prevent the pace of research and use of the product or technology for the common good.

9. Post-crisis measures: Lock down for a prolonged period is stressful not only for the citizens but also for the government. Can we afford a complete lockdown of the business or daily activities? Economy which is already in-not-so-good shape, may dwindle further. To quote the leader of a most developed nation, Cure (of total lockdown) is worse than the problem (of the virus killing the people). India is a socialist, democratic, republic where everything is for, of and by “we-the-people. Shutdowns may hamper the economy and result in recession, which the country cannot afford. Either way it is a situation of ‘between the devil and the deep sea’. Again our country and its leader stand apart with clear targets and priorities, and has urged to shift the focus to human beings and humanitarian values, rather than the economic targets. At present the whole focus and efforts should be to control and eradicate the deadly virus menace. Lock down was to prevent community spread of virus, but every day more cases are reported. It was anticipated that virus will be checked after lockdown, but chance of outbreak or resurgence should be carefully evaluated and strategies devised. The period of lock down is to prepare enough weapons and aids and sharpen them to efface the virus completely. The challenges emerging after lockdown, (hopefully after successful eradication the deadly contagion), will be enormous and in all spheres, the major one being the economy. Can we think of imposing strict sanction measures against the country where the virus has originated, for behaving irresponsibly and falsifying facts to the entire world or banning their products or charge an exorbitant tax rate on their commodities, as a price for disrupting and crashing the economies. Export and cooperation should be reduced on all fronts. All components of biological warfare should be criminalised. These are but sensitive, critical decisions to be made by the International community.

Challenges and lessons: An outbreak of disease occurs when the delicate balance between man and nature is disrupted. Wild animals, that too endangered species are being sold live and consumed by humans. Another virus is reported from the same country where SARS-CoV-2 has originated, the Hanta virus from rats, claiming a life as of now. Are we prepared for another series of the deadly zoonotic diseases/pandemics in future? Consumption of animal products should be minimised and strict guidelines followed on their manufacture and consumption. Minimal or no-consumption can be encouraged. Are we paying a heavy price for slaughtering innocent animals for satiating our taste buds? Animals were mercilessly killed enmass for our food factories and now human beings are killed enmass by an animal-borne virus, blindly with no distinction of the boundaries demarcated by human beings. Do such epidemics occur in animals also? It is believed that the practice of consuming wild life as food emerged as a result of famine.In certain countries and cultures it is normal food habit to consume wild life. Also soldiers in many nations are trained to live on unconventional food to help them survive in no-food conditions. But with SARS outbreak, laws were made to restrict consumption of wildlife meat. So another more potent SARS-CoV-2 has emerged from wildlife. To protect them from human beings? It is ironical that we are caged in our habitats, our movements restricted, when the animals and birds that we have once caged, are wandering in our streets and skies, enjoying their new found, most valuable freedom. Pollution is less during lock down, due to no human or industrial activity. After the crisis, definitely its time to introspect and correct our faulty courses, instead of blindly moving forward as before.

Our proximity to other life forms, mainly wildlife, by encroaching into their space, gives more opportunities for the evolution of such deadly pathogens in future as well. These pathogens or viruses are the weapons of these life forms, to protect them from the most harmful creatures in the planet, the human beings. Industrial or commercial animal farms on a large-scale (factory farms), need to be closely monitored for emergence of such diseases. We should think of alternatives to factory farms and be more alert or vigilant. Ebola, Nipah, and SARS-CoV-2 (the latest addition to the pandemic-causing deadly virus) have emerged from the bats. Is it that the viruses being obligate parasites are more potent killers or deadlly than other microbial pathogens like bacteria, fungi etc? Already antibiotic resistance emerging in bacteria is a serious concern. Many bacteria and fungi are obligate too. The possibility of plant viruses and pathogens to mutate to potent human pathogens should as well be investigated.

“Thy food is thy medicine”. We should be watchful of what we eat and shun under-cooked animals and animal products. Foods with antiviral or antimicrobial properties should be included in the diet..

Alternative medicines like Ayurveda, Homeopathy, Sidhha, Unani etc should also be considered as components of holistic approach or strategies to eliminate the virus. Modern medicine and ancient wisdom should be harmonised. Research should be encouraged and accelerated in alternative medicines. Instead of scorning them off as an aggregation of quacks, it is worth the effort to research on these and come out with a strategy. We need approval from the western world to appreciate our own system. Already this has happened in case of turmeric and neem. It is foolish to believe that we, our age and our times, are only modern/developed and those who walked before us on this planet were primitive, uncivilised, less-evolved or less-developed, savages. We don't know until the greatest civilisations are excavated and we don't know what calamity had put an end to the glorious era of intelligent humans, if they had existed. Evolution is for becoming more adaptive.

Stringent security checking was followed after 9/11 incident. Tourists and the people returning from the COVID-19 infected nations were source of the virus. It took only weeks and months for an epidemic with epicentre in Wuhan to transform to a pandemic and the worst global calamity. The first case in India was an Indian student from Wuhan. Can we think of more stringent security checks in airports, public transport systems and public places. Bombs (viruses) are hidden in the human body. The carriers nor any vigilance systems are aware of these, as these are invisible to naked eye. A group of expert medical officers should be deployed for security checks in airports and armed with detectors/ testing kits to screen and monitor every passenger when a deadly epidemic is reported . Thermal cameras are used but how if the person is asymptomatic and still a carrier? This can be in addition to or instead of the tedious contact tracing or mapping process to identify and isolate the people who have come in contact with the infected person.

There is a price to pay after lockdown. There is no production nor income only efflux of funds for saving lives. Are we ready to work overtime and double our efforts to compensate for the time lost? After a war how situations are brought back to normalcy? There will be post-trauma stress of targets, deadlines etc. For some its irrepairable loss, indelible scars left in their lives and minds due to loss of dear ones. Will there be global recession?, Will there be massive layoffs, monetary losses etc? Will our food production be affected? Will there be famine? Repo rates, interest rates etc were cut. Now itself we should devise clear strategies to avoid ending up in another crisis of economy or recession.
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The world is under siege, by the SARS-CoV-2, a tiny virus. It has not only infected humans physically, but has infected our minds too, affecting us emotionally, mentally and psychologically. The virus is everywhere, in the print, digital and social media, in our conversations and discussions, controlling and dictating our daily activities. Let us stay home, have more time for ourselves, our family and dear ones and take time to stop and stare. Salute to the soldiers and warriors fighting against the Corona virus, who are into their jobs, risking their own lives and sacrificing their own family, tirelessly serving and protecting the nation and its people, in the moments of crisis.

Are we going to surpass this too?. A pandemic of this scale, an unpleasant effect of the much-hailed globalisation, was never experienced by the whole world, any time, Will we be globally and nationally be more prepared in future, for the disasters of this scale, which can efface or wipe out human race from the planet in no time? Only time may have an answer, but definitely hope persists that we together (in isolation) shall overcome this global catastrophe.

Let each one of us contribute in whatever way we can to save humanity from the deadly pandemic of COVID-19, like the tiny squirrel who did its bit, in building stone bridge to help Lord Rama.The war is on to vanquish the virus.

“The ship is anchor’d safe and sound, its voyage closed and done,

From fearful trip the victor ship comes in with object won”-

From the poem: 'O’Captain My captain' by Walt Whitman

Let us pray for the lost lives and for the well being of humanity.

“Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavanthu”

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed here are that of the author. No third party or the organisation in which the author is working or associated with is responsible for the views.
Part of the write up is submitted in mygov.in/ group-issue/share-your-ideas-suggestions-help-fight-coronavirus

Who's land is it any way? : On the Land Acquisition Bill Amendments

2015-04-22T23:28:00.001+05:30

Once again, the focus is on Agriculture in the national media, but as usual for not-so-good reasons. From GM crops to the farmer's suicide, the baton is now transferred to the discussions (political or subsistence level) on the proposed move to amend the Land Acquisition Bill. As the debates on political callousness and insensitivity to the farmer's distress and documentaries/ series on killer fields are aired and the never-ending chain of problems continue to ravage Indian Agriculture, some thoughts on the recent addition to issues, namely amendments in the land acquisition bill are shared here.

Discussions were initiated on land acquisition bill amendments on open, social media platforms like india.foodsecurityportal.org. This is commendable, since the thoughts of a wider section of society are assumed to be included, while framing policies affecting majority. The tillers of the land, whom the decision pertaining to Land bill is going to affect seriously, may be oblivious of the discussions online or otherwise, nor may be aware of the implications of such amendments. Removal of 2 clauses that necessitates a) obtaining consent of the land owners for taking over the land and b) Social Impact Assessment before a project is initiated, in the pretext of bringing in development and developing infrastructure and industrial revolution, is still contentious.

At the first instance, removal of clause that requires "obtaining consent of land owners", seems to be outrageous and against the democratic principles, the foundation itself of one of the largest democratic country in the world. Is it the development of the majority of marginal sections of the society, or the development of only a few handful of business class, that is aimed at, by such amendments? What are the development projects which are considered as bringing in so-called development of the society? Are these projects delineated into classes as most essential/ imperative or indispensable or dispensable, such as projects for public transport (railways, roads), irrigation etc or just to set up private industrial units or MNCs? Or what will be the criteria for classification of such industrial projects? Is there any strict guideline or definition of what sort of industries can be established after taking over the land without the consent of the owner and what sort of land can be taken over for industrial use? Land itself is classified into arable/ culturable land, culturable waste land and land fit for industrial use. The same rule if applicable to all classes of land will prove destructive to an already ailing agricultural sector. Which land can be used for what purpose has to be clear.

We have seen the good and bad effects of globalisation, where the large population of India was but only a big market/ consumers for the global business giants and the motive was only providing business to MNCs. Globalisation and opening of markets/ economy did improve the standards of living of people due to access and better exposure to facilities and goods of the developed world. But our HR or Human Resource Development/ Social Development Index is abysmally poor. India is one of the countries ranking high in poverty, not the direct after-math of globalisation, but reflects our inability in setting our priorities/ goals right.

After the so-called development of industrial units, what will we eat to sustain us? Obviously, we can't live with only air or water nor can we eat computers or electronic goods or industrial goods. Food is the basic requirement for any living being. The lop-sided attitude of favouring development, by neglecting agriculture or overtaking agricultural land, will in the long term prove fatal and is like building castles without any foundation. Increasing food production and productivity in the context of burgeoning population and shrinking natural resources, especially of the land, is the greatest challenge in agriculture in the third world countries, now and in future. Diverting agricultural land for other uses, by forceful taking over of land without the consent of the owner, will further aggravate the situation. Climate change or global warming is another issue to be addressed for increasing productivity. Self-sufficiency in food production is imperative and has to be encouraged than self-wrecking consumerism. We cannot depend on other countries to address our basic requirements, nor can go back to "begging" for food, a situation that existed before Green Revolution.

Agriculture for long has been neglected when "development" of the economy is considered. Agriculture is considered to be the primary sector where at least 48% (or 60%?, it used to be 75% once) of unorganised work force is making a livelihood. But it is a strange contradiction that, a country's economy is considered as "developed" when the contribution of primary sector to GDP is less and that of secondary and tertiary sectors are more or in higher proportions. We want development, not lop-sided but holistic. Why "primary sector" or agriculture is to be excluded from the concepts of development? Why not include Agriculture as well in development than excluding it? Development will be primitive, if primary needs such as food are neglected.

Why our primary sector doesn't have the glamour nor status of the elite sectors? It's a lot more of perception than reality. "Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan" used to be the slogan, but with the changing notions/ dynamics of development/ modernisation, agricultural sector is considered as lack-lustre. "Kisan" was equivalent to the soldier. Food sector is important as the defence sector. The farming community is losing out, due to the dismal issues/ situations plaguing the agriculture sector. Farming is no longer considered as a profitable or revered occupation, due to lack of proper support system. Majority of farmers, if given a choice would never want their future generations to engage in farming nor consider farming as a decent source of living.

"Make in India" is an attractive and beautiful concept but it cannot be realistic, and the very purpose of development will not materialise by excluding the primary sector which is agriculture. In the changing equations of global markets/ world trade regimes and open economies, where market force rather than military force can make or mar a nation, India cannot afford to import the basic requirements. Why food doesn't fall into the "Make in India" concept?

It is true that many of the development projects are stalled due to delay in acquiring land. Every individual of the state has the right to own land/ property and are free to buy or sell the property to anyone she/ he wishes within the territory of the nation. In urban areas, people themselves will be willing to provide the land for infrastructure development (like the Metros), when the serious problems faced by them would be solved by these mega projects. But in rural areas, the "amended" law can be easily misused.

Availability of land for cultivation is a serious impediment in agriculture due to fragmentation of land holdings and diversion of cultivable land for non-agricultural use. No technology can be implemented successfully for increased farm production due to the small size of land holdings. As per a recent report, the marginal farmers with < 1-2 hectares land, and ironically a majority, are the silent sufferers who find it difficult to earn a livelihood from agriculture. The large scale farmers with > 10 hectares land are better off and find farming remunerative due to affordability of inputs, facilities and technologies. In this scenario, pooling of land is a good option. This is already done in states like Kerala, where Farmers themselves organise into farming groups, pool the land and resources, practise scientific cultivation and the profit is shared. Sensitisation of farming community is required.

In the wake of the proposed move to amend the land acquisition bill, the following suggestions are made as an agricultural professional and restricted to agriculture-related issues.

1. It has to be clearly defined what is the industrial use/ purpose or under which circumstances or purpose, the owner's consent and SIA clause can be waivered. Is it for all types of industries?

2. If the clause regarding the consent is to be waivered for most essential/ major development projects, it should not be waivered completely, but the proportion of landowners whose consent is to be obtained can be reduced to 20% from 70-80%. These projects may be initiated by state and executed by public enterprises for the common benefit of society.

3. Only after providing satisfactory compensation and adequate relocation, shall the projects be initiated.

4. Sensitisation programmes to educate the people of the benefits is a must. People participation in projects especially of the affected ones should be encouraged.

5. Public-private partnerships should be encouraged for infrastructure development than solely of private enterprises, for mega projects.

6. Strict and tough legislation should be made to prevent diversion of agricultural land for real estate or non-agricultural use. Agricultural land, especially for paddy cultivation, cannot be sold or brought for non-agricultural use as per laws, at least in some states.

7. Not all land can be used for industrial purpose, especially the agricultural land. Agricultural land should be strictly used for agriculture-related use. If once-cultivated land becomes unsuitable for any cultivation later, it can be used to set up agri-based industries or small scale industries.

8. Agri-business involving the farmers has to be encouraged and new/ innovative agri-business models have to be implemented to make farming an attractive and profitable career than occupation.

9. If culturable land is fallow, the government should initiate technology transfer programmes in such lands or farmers should organise and pool their land and other resources, than selling off the land for commercial or on-agricultural use. This is similar to a co-operative mode of operation where farmers themselves organise without any compulsion or force by external authorities, organise into farmers groups and pool resources for intensive cultivation. This is already in practise for paddy cultivation in some states.

10. Alternatively, instead of farmers leasing in lands for cultivation and paying interest to land lords, the public reseach organisations or KVKs can initiate programmes to take over the land for cultivation and provide all inputs and practice intensive scientific cultivation to improve productivity. The farmer can be paid/ given a share from the profit from the sale of the produce for using his land. The ownership of the land stays with the farmer. This is similar to the farmer renting out his land for cultivation to the public authorities and will be best extension method of demonstrating by doing/ practice than preach.But this model of adoptionis not be planned permanently ibut till a self-sustaining system is established.

11. Alternate technologies for intensive cultivation wth less land requirement like glass houses, culture rooms with artificial lighting, hydroponics etc should be explored.

12. Technologies for reclaiming polluted lands for agricultural use or converting land otherwise unfit for cultivation should be explored.

Agriculture is closely woven with "culture' itself of a vast majority of people rather than being just an occupation.

Development should be inclusive of masses and not only to be steered by private business empires.

The comments/suggestions are published in the india.foodsecurityportal.org.

http://india.foodsecurityportal.org/content/topic-1various-options-compensating-and-resettling-farmers-whose-lands-will-be-acquired.

Disclaimer: The opinion expressed here are only of the author and not of any third party or the organisation in which she works.

LIFE: Intriguing For Ever ?

2013-12-14T21:51:00.001+05:30

Image: www.thelabyrinthoflife.net

What is life? A simple question….. but the answer may not be as simple.

A professor in a theory class of Biochemistry defines life, in simple terms as a series of biochemical reactions/processes….. A thought provoking statement indeed….. raises a million questions and doubts. Is life as simple as that ?? The opening chapters of most of the textbooks in biology try to define life in a more theoretical/superficial manner fitting to suit the context, sometimes sounding absurd. May be simplifying the complicated process to a more assimilative form may make it more complex.

Life is a series of biochemical processes….True. But is life only limited to a series of biochemical reactions? A physics maestro may have a different opinion. Life may be an integration of physical processes…..Molecular interactions of bio-molecules may define and govern what life is all about according to the molecular biologists. Can the metabolic and biological processes in a stimulus-response mode alone define life? Can they alone determine what life is all about?

With all the amazing advancements in technology and the knowledge generated can we still have a more convincing definition for what life is? How exactly are the living beings different from the non-living? Other than the usual textbook definitions can there be a precise definition? Can a self sustained system which can generate energy and reproduce on its own be called as a living organism?

Single cell organisms such as bacteria divide and multiply. So also do the atoms. Nuclear and/or atomic fission is a destructive process if uncontrolled. But atomic fission and fusion are considered as physical processes and not biological. Why? Is it because atoms as such cannot decide when to stop the fission/ fusion once triggered. An external force is required to start and stop the process. In biological systems as well many processes are determined by external signals. Do these decisions to regulate a biological process define the life processes? So what are these decisions? Are these decisions/ regulation of biological processes merely responses to external stimuli or environmental factors? Signaling networks also exist in lower organisms. May be in lower organisms the complexity is less and the decisions are just limited to that. So do these complexities in signaling networks determine a higher order of evolution? There are myriad molecular machineries with in a system. A majority of them may be still cryptic and remain undecoded. These molecular machineries are subset of the whole organism. Am “I” constituted merely of all these tiny interconnected machineries alone. There must be something such as a master control.The master control may be the whole organism itself in case of lower organisms or may be a specialised organ such as brain in higher organisms. Then is it higher intelligence? Where is the seat of intelligence and thinking? Is it the brain? How is the organism intelligence connected to the cellular intelligence or molecular intelligence or atomic intelligence. The question is: "Am 'I' just a human machine"?

Development of the whole organism from a single cell is a more enamoring and intricate process. Plants are living organisms, which are mostly immobile and have totipotency. Some lower animals/ organs also exhibit totipotency. De-differentiation and re-differentiation are part of development of biological organisms. New life originates by the union of sperm and egg. Sperm and egg are though not considered organisms as such. Birth is programmed. Are we constituted of 5 elements of Fire (agni), Earth, Water, Vayu (air) and space/sky..... as explained in the "Panjabootha" concept?

"God" particle may be Higgs Boson or something else, charged or chargeless.Life originated in ocean as an assembly of biomolecules which at a later stage acquired more diverse functions.Today we know much more about the functions of these biomolecules, however, a sea of information still remains to be decoded about the biomolecules. Life might have originated from space as per the 'Panspermic' theory. How did “I” as a being originate from the organisation of biomolecules? There are many physical, biochemical and physiological processes operating in an organism. Diffusion, osmosis etc are physical processes operating in a cell. Still many physical processes as such are not biological though occurring within the organism.

There is a remarkable progress in our understanding of human development, the 10 month period in the womb as well the developmental processes after birth. Can we create life under artificial conditions? Already efforts are underway but theoretically the bacteria Synthia produced under artificial conditions by assembly of genetic information/DNA cannot be considered as synthesis of new life form. Can life be created from the assembly of inanimate molecules? Is re-generation the only sign of life? A cell originates from a pre-existing cell. How and from where does the original (pre-existing) cell come from?

Much is known about the development of an organism/ life form. Equally important is the knowledge of death. If energy can be equated to matter (E=mc2), is it true that the soul or life-force is simply the energy that leaves the matter/mass which has a definite form and shape.Then is it true that after death a person becomes one with the universe? May be the departed soul had become a star shining in the sky as told in the many folk lores and fairy tales.

Energy can neither be created nor be destroyed. Then does the cycle of re-births occur? Rebirth may be manifestation of the energy or soul that has left the mass/ matter. Energy can manifest from one form to the other. So can the human be reborn as a plant or an animal? Scientific studies have been conducted on re-incarnations and have been published (ref: Dr. Ian Stevenson, a medical doctor by profession who has delved into the mysterious recall of past lives in children). Then there is a possibility of existence of ghosts. Can ghosts be considered as forms of negative energy? What is unknown is mysterious……

Reiki is a form of healing by removing the negative energy from the system. The alternative medicines such as Ayruveda, Siddha and Homoeopathy treat the human body as a system. Aura scanning is widely employed to diagnose diseases which may even be life-threatening.

Cell death is also programmed (apoptosis). Necrosis is another form of cell death which is not biological but purely a physical process though occurring inside a biological organism. What is ageing? Is it simply a wear and tear in response to environment. It is well known that iron gets oxidized when exposed to air and moisture. Oxidants in the cell may cause damage to the critical components of the cell accelerating the cellular and biological ageing processes. Is rusting of iron equivalent to biological ageing?

How do the stars originate? Big-bang and other theories may explain the origin of universe/ similar phenomenon. If we are a part of the vast inexplicable universe, are we humans in an isolated system called Earth. Do we have partners or companions somewhere out there and how advanced they may be? How the aliens will be if they exist? Some Sci-Fi movies do depict them as monsters/ monster-like, having different forms or shapes, different genetic code so and so.

How am "I"(consciousness) different from others? What makes us human? Is life simply a chain of biochemical reactions, integrated and tuned to a particular stimuli or respond to a particular stimulus in a specified way. Can emotions be programmed? “I” as a being is an integration of the physical, biochemical and molecular processes. But still “ I” as a being is different and more evolved? Where is that demarcation?

Is it the higher level of organization/ complex level of organisation part of the processes that determine our (human) level/order of evolution? So does it imply that organization of molecules at a lower level or less complexity of processes are alone present in lower organisms which are in the lower ranking or order of evolution? Or is it the highly evolved neuronal system or the language/ communication /the formulas/theories/maths that had elevated us to organisms of higher intelligence and higher in the order of evolution???

Language is also part of our evolutionary process to humans (of a higher order?). Animals also have different ways of communication. Some parrots do talk as human beings. There were men who could understand the language of birds according to Hindu mythology. It is widely believed that animals have a different sensory perception other than the five senses of humans. Even human beings have Sixth sense or ESP (Extra Sensory Perception). Music also is a language. How can one distinguish that a low note is a sad note and the higher beats correlate to joy and happiness. Can plants distinguish these notes? As some reports go, there is some concept of music therapy where greater growth of plants was achieved with music. If there is a scientific basis to such theories then it may well be believed….

Many machines are simulations of biological processes. For example principle of camera is based on human eye, aeroplane is designed based on birds, design of ship (buoyancy and stream lined body) is again a simulation of animal world. The integrated circuits in chips can be compared to neurological circuits in brain. Can immune cell memory be related to the computer memory?

How amazing is the animal world !!! It’s just unbelievable…. at times thwarting our general notion of being the superior creature in the small space called earth… Ants, bees etc have a social structure or organize as colonies. There are many examples such as the Beavers, Nature’s engineers and the weaver bird which makes a great nest of remarkable shape!!!! Dolphins are believed to be animals of higher intelligence. The radar is based on dolphin’s way of communication using sound waves. Echo-location is used in bats and whales as well. The long, seasonal flight of migratory birds which is precise and well co-ordinated is as well a subject of scientific curiosity. May be the networking /signaling systems in animals are different or are understood and decoded in a different way. So can we still take pride as the most intelligent creatures /life forms on earth?

What is learning? If a person is not trained in a particular way or the system is not trained in a particular way then are we savages just following the animal instincts?.Is training a process of evolution? Is learning a way of programming the system to perform in a defined or prescribed way?

What is personality? Is it a sum total of the patterned behavior? Can behavior be predicted given the subset of conditions. The laws of physics and chemistry are defined under particular conditions, meaning the law operates under the standard/particular conditions of temperature and pressure and as such means when conditions change, the law fails to operate. But the conditions keep changing with respect to biological processes more often or at a greater frequency. Biological processes also can be simulated or modeled or can be fitted into mathematical models. Like weather forecasting, disease forecasting can be done. Pre-disposition to diseases can also be found out given the sequence of genome. Why does the developmental processes or pattern formation in living world follow a set of mathematical calculations (Fibonacci numbers)?There is then maths in life as well. Can tools like bioinformatics and statistics be applied to study human behavior and personality as well?

So also there is chemistry of emotions, we have a love chemical oxytocin, stress hormone adrenalin, and also MHC (Major Histocompatibility complex) related laws of attraction. So does the variation in all these chemicals/ biological factors determine personality types? Is it the cause or the effect? If the signalling networks go hay wire does the personality type change? What is then madness? Can emotions be programmed? Can behavior be predicted? Like the predictability of physical processes, predictability of designs, there should be predictability of behavior as well. Can emotions be simulated and modeled? Can biological processes be precisely predicted and explained with mathematical models? How effective it will be?

What is the scientific basis of astrology? If the physical and environmental factors affect the development or fate of an organism, does the particular configuration of constellations during birth affect the development of the foetus and life afterwards. Is it absurd / non sense or is there some latent wisdom in such astrological calculations? The tides on earth are caused by the position of moon. On a similar note, can planetary positions influence the events in one’s life?

What if all the theories of theoretical physics are only imaginations of some crazy scientists? It is the way we interpret. We have proofs for gravity, electricity etc. …It may be our own terms/ways to explain the unknown.

What is time? A sense, a perception or an absolute phenomenon? There are different time zones. There is a biological clock in-built in all organisms. Circadian rhythms are also exhibited by plants.

Genome is not randomly made. There is an intelligent design. Is it an individual or collective design? The Lamarckian principle of use and disuse is highly relevant given the knowledge of regulatory processes involved other than the genetic mechanisms. It is well known we are not the sum total of our genes alone. Intelligence, is it essential for survival? Intelligence, is it only a survival instinct or a luxurious outfit (In-built?) at least for humans.

Are we as organisms a mere assembly of systems and processes and signaling networks that are interconnected. But then am “I” as a being just a subset of the whole universe? Then how "I” as a being is different from the rest? There are more questions than answers……….

Science in Shackles?

2010-07-13T22:23:00.005+05:30

Science enriches the mind of those in its pursuit. Science and the knowledge it generates are invaluable to human society and its collective progress. But whither to? Should the direction of scientific progress be predetermined before it’s too late for the greater benefit of all?

Go(l)d's Own Country

2010-06-07T15:34:00.009+05:30

Welcome to nature’s heaven (once upon a time?), the land bequeathed with nature’s beauty and charisma of backwaters, a small state with diligent people (diligent only outside the boundaries of their native land).

The meandering rivers and the roads alike, speak of the skewed march towards urbanization, rivers are on the verge of death due to undue exploitation and transforming to high-rising flats and multistoreys, proclaiming aloud the influence of land mafia and powerful real estate dealers. Nila/ Bharatapuzha is no more than a trickle even after heavy monsoon showers. The river bed is exposed resembling fine sands of desert. The richness remains in the imaginations of the poets and writers of the past. (similar to R.K Narayan’s portrayal of the Vaigai river of Madurai in ‘The River’). The roads pathetically become rivers after the slightest showers. A blend of revolutionary thinking and conservative approach? The land of most literate and politically active people shines equally well in male chauvinism and parochial attitude towards development.

Welcome to Kerala, God’s own country with lush green vegetation, nostalgic mossy, wet walls and tiled mansions. Huge hoardings on the highways welcome us to 'God’s own country'. Even the trains to Kerala bear the pictures showcasing the natural beauty and rich cultural heritage of the land. Yeah, we depend on imported money, money from foreigners or tourists and that from the gulf. Aah, here comes the chain of advertisements when you open the idiot box for entertainment. A series of jewellery shops advertising day and night for loads of gold to be purchased. One even goes to the extent that womanhood itself is about possessing gold and ornaments (‘Pennayal ponnu venam’ in Malayalam meaning 'a girl should own gold'). Hoardings on the highways, roads, railway stations, bus stations, junctions and everywhere…..as some great poet has remarked 'turn and see any where you will find'……, instead of 'trees in bloom', advertisements for gold jewellery shops and sometimes textile shops. In railway stations, in between the announcements of arrival and departure of trains, bangs in the advertisements of gold jewellery shops. Film stars are busy inaugrating jewellery and textile shops that have mushroomed in every nook and corner of cities. The popularity of cine stars can be judged by not the cinemas they have acted in, but by the number of jewellery shops they have inaugurated. Palatial luxurious mansions are marks of the inflow of gulf money into the state.

What will one do after buying gold? Eat it? Kerala is predominantly a consumer state. For the day-to-day necessities like food grains, vegetables, milk, eggs, flowers etc, the state shamelessly depends on the neighbouring states, those which are not blessed with natural resources as the state .

Kerala has many virtues and firsts to its credit, high literacy rate, low female infanticide, so and so.... Wonder if it is our optimism which makes us feel that everything is fine. We stand first in health care and law-enforcement as per the reports of a national weekly. True, these are the things Kerala should be proud of, as there is a silver lining somewhere .The political awareness of the people is far high when compared to any other state. But isn’t it also true and equally odd that the same politics is eating into the very economy of the state that, implementing any development programme is never possible in the state. No entrepreneur is willing to start any thing novel in the state. Keralites do very well in every sphere but only outside Kerala. Those who get bugged up by the system move on to make their fortunes elsewhere. Competition is very tough and being confronted with severe challenges, we are confident of winning the toughest outside.

Regarding female literacy, it’s true that women are educated and respected in our societies, but what’s the reality? Shashi Tharoor’s article in the Sunday magazine of “The Hindu” ‘Kalyanikutty’s Kerala’ is worth mention in this context. Is the same education helping us to reduce the number of cases of molestations or verbal abuse or gain regards from the male counter-parts? Impolite people dominate, impolite in attitude, behaviour and speech. In some families ladies are the sole earning members of the family who take care of every need of the family inspite of being abused by their drunken husbands. Ladies never go out alone after 6 P.M, for safety matters. Kerala is one of the states where scandals in which high-profile politicians are involved are prominent, thanks to the highly alert and competitive journalism. The liquor mafia continues to put the life of many at stake with the whole-hearted support of our politicians whose vote banks and bank accounts are on the rise. Kerala tops in suicide rate. Domestic violence and divorces are increasing. Such contradictions are in plenty. We receive education at least till the age of 25 years. This is to be considered a boon when we compare with those of our kin in other parts of the country, where a girl child is killed before birth and the spared ones do not have a voice but to live a life equivalent to death. But what after receiving that education? To be married with loads of jewellery to some one as something is being sold out? It is ridiculous. Young girls become a prey to the filthiest dowry system. The system is not so severe but still exists. Marriage is a display of the false pride, power and pelf of the families than a union of two individuals/ families.

Things surely ought to change, rather the attitude needs immense discretion and change. Truly “gold’s own odd country”!!!

What is in a DAY?

2010-05-07T19:00:00.013+05:30

What is in a DAY? Given the propensity of celebrating each and every day as world/ universal/ national/ international ‘D’ days, this is no exaggerated remark.

Usher in every new day with open arms, for each day is unique or special. Each day of the year is dedicated for a cause/ purpose, for us to stop and think on certain grave issues. For example, March 22 is ‘World Water Day’, April 22 is ‘World Earth Day’, June 5 is ‘World Environment Day’, February 4 is ‘World Cancer Day’, June 8 is ‘World Brain Tumor Day’, September 21 is ‘World Alzheimer’s Day', September 27 is ‘World Heart Day’, August 31 is ‘World Road Safety Day’, October 16 is ‘World Food Day’, April 23 is ‘World Book Day’ etc. A day is devoted for a particular cause/ concern when it deserves urgent attention of people for drawing creative solutions. Each and every day seems rather a celebration/ festival.

A single day sometimes signifies for more than one cause. November 14 is ‘Children’s Day’ (in India) as well as ‘World Diabetes Day’. New Year day is both ‘Global Family Day’ and ‘World Day of Peace’. But global peace alone seems to be elusive and sacrificed every year. The alarming statistics of mass murders, terrorist attacks, communal riots, wars and bomb blasts, summarized by the culmination of a year depicts the extent by which global peace is thwarted. The month of May begins with the ‘Labour Day’ and ends with ‘World No Tobacco Day’. Indeed, these are some good reasons to celebrate !!

Certain "days for a cause” fall on a particular day of week of a particular month. For example, last Saturday of April is celebrated as ‘World Veterinary Day’, first Sunday of May is ‘World Laughter Day’. Same day (for a single cause) is celebrated in different times of a year in different parts of the world. First Sunday of May is celebrated as ‘National Grand Parent’s Day’ in US while the same is celebrated during first Sunday of October in UK. With only twenty-four hours a day and with ever expanding issues/ causes, we have a limited 365 days in a year, to dedicate for each. Dedicating each hour or specific period of a day will be not a bad idea either due to the dearth of days in a year.

Why only dedicate days for a cause? Each year (all 365 days) can be dedicated for a cause. The year 2004 was the ‘International year of Rice’, 2007 was the ‘International Year of Dolphin’ and 2009 was dedicated for Astronomy. The year 2010 is for Culture, Communications and also is the ‘International Year of Biodiversity’.What special achievement was made by such dedications is still not clear.

Is a cause to be dedicated to a day, because the cause is unique or because it is more frequent? If it is because of the latter, then we should first and foremost have a ‘World Treaty Day’ when all the treaties could be signed and all the lengthy never-ending discussions, talks and negotiations between disputing nations could be finished off in one single day with (or without ?) a possible positive outcome.

‘Valentine’s Day’ is a celebration, though many a times turning to be controversial celebration. Seminars, symposiums, demonstrations, high profile meetings, etc are conducted or organized at the international as well as national echelon, without fail, on the particular day dedicated for environment. Activism is more fashionable now-a-days and there is no paucity of self-serving activists. But no euphoria is associated with other petty causes.

The significance of celebrating special days mitigate, as each and every day becomes special, in one or the other way. A person of average memory should never risk loading all the dates and their significance into his/ her memory hard disk for the sake of general awareness, to avoid turning insane. It is better to look for which day is yet not dedicated/ celebrated. Hardly, there will be a few.

What can be the possible difference between ‘International Children’s Day’ (June 1) and ‘Universal Children’s Day’ (November 20)? What is the significance of ‘World Dance Day’ or ‘World Sleep Day’ (March 17)? Hope no one is expected to keep on dancing or sleeping throughout the particular days. Heard anything like an ‘International Kiss day’ (July 6) or ‘International Picnic Day’ (June 18) or ‘International Talk Like a Pirate Day’ (September 17)? Sounds funny sometimes? Not some times, but most often!

Given all these very special days, let there only be a “World No-More-Nonsense Days Day”, to stop celebrating each day for simply silly causes. So watch out, ‘What is today for’?

Hunger Pangs

2010-04-24T19:55:00.016+05:30

The drama of life, for a majority of population is all about quenching this demon, the inevitable hunger, ironically, even in this era of advanced technological developments. A grave as well as a predominant issue of concern which is to be addressed is “Food for all”. But who is to take care of this issue or who is to address? Who is to be made responsible? You or me or a third party or officials or the governments? We have innumerable schemes and projects sanctioned every year, some times renamed (old wine in new bottles) with the objective of appeasing hunger of millions. The driving force of life, governing all our activities such as earning money, is to appease this feeling. Life becomes dreaded and miserable than death itself.

The hunger demon keeps torturing hapless millions, some xy% of the population (statistics and estimations, let them find a place only in official records, maintained diligently for formalities and for launching yet another worthless scheme bereaving the public fund to further the interests of so-called ‘beneficiaries’). What is significant and thought-provoking is that even when our great nation is progressing with ‘so and so’ % growth rate in GDP and economy, a majority of population still doesn’t have means to satiate hunger. The privileged (minority) are engrossed in their own world of merriment or preoccupied with trivial issues, gossips, personal affairs/ exaggerated sensational news of celebrities, soap operas and reality shows either unaware or not really bothering to be aware of the saga of real life. This is no reality "show", but reality itself, for which unfortunately, the audience is sparse. India is shining or made shining by shutting eyes to such harsh realities of life, plaguing millions. There is no wide media coverage on this aspect, for it doesn’t interest the readers nor there is any sensationalism in the routine affair. Such dreaded stories remain in dark, in the backyard. We are not oblivious of this reality but purposely insulate our selves from the miseries of the empty stomachs and opportunistically forget/ be oblivious of such sufferings. But reality doesn’t vanish or cease to exist by closing the eyes. Let’s look around, watch/ pay attention to our premises, our own neighborhood, the people we know, the less privileged, for whom poverty and hunger are part and parcel of life.

Hunger, what is that? For those in ivory towers, for those who can afford all luxuries of life, who live an extravagant life of richness, a life of posh and pomp, for those who check diligently every now and then on their calorie intake/ find ways out to burn out the extra fat deposits on their obese frames for maintaining their glamour quotient., hunger and poverty belongs to some alien world. Pangs of hunger are best understood only by the hungry, people who struggle for a morsel of food! How many of us have remained hungry for even a day, since we cannot afford food or otherwise?. Hunger pangs are to be felt to understand why and what for people fill their stomach with water, mud and ash (as a recent report goes).We are fortunate. The food wasted everyday in urban households can otherwise feed million mouths.

Armchair philosophies will never suffice to solve/eradicate the deadly disease of poverty and hunger. Conferences, consortiums and meetings are held even at international levels but without a creative solution. “Education is the manifestation of perfection already in man”, goes the famous words of Swami Vivekananda. But ideologies, theories and philosophies are not for empty stomachs and the 'less perfect' lives. Education is for enlightenment, but education for the poor is a means to find food, at least for once a day. ‘Daily meal programme’ in schools have to an extent helped the children from poor families. But, what after such a glorious education? Child labour is one of the severe forms of human agony in the society. It exists with the informal approval of even the authorities who are responsible to curb the menace. Children are employed to do petty jobs or sometimes dangerous jobs as they need to be paid less for the same lump of work and can be exploited/ harassed without any complaints. The attitude of the privileged towards food in this context deserves mention. Narrating facts from real life is going to raise many eyebrows and fetch some amount of enemity. But to be frank, those students/ future diplomats/ HiFi educated class, and future scientists responsible for the food security of the nation, need to introspect when in hostels they shout for food from a particular state/ region or complain of the bad taste.

A meagre amount/ food given may be a silver lining for at least one in a million. Let good things begin with each one of us.

From ‘Jeero’ to ‘Seero’: Speaking English the Indian way

2010-04-18T18:25:00.005+05:30

Wondered anyone, why you don’t have the privilege to read a word as it is written in English? Certain words have to be pronounced altogether in a different way, different from how these are spelt/ written.

The word education is to be read as ‘ejucation’ and not ‘edewcation’. Mirage is not ‘mi-rage’ or ‘miraage’ but ‘mirash’. Rendezvous is ron-day–voo. The word Director is to be enunciated as Director or ‘Diarector’? The dictionaries do often guide us on how a word is to be pronounced. Certain letters are silent whereas certain letters need to be emphasized. If a letter is to be silent while pronouncing, why at all it is inserted in the particular word in the first place? Foreign origin of the words may be one of the reasons for the unimaginable way of pronunciation. The British should acknowledge us Indians for contributing nearly or more than 700 words to their vocabulary!!! The words such as jungle, bungalow, catamaran, curry, ghee etc of Indian origin, have found a place in the Oxford dictionary. The Indian authors who write in English have equally contributed to this enchanting language. Think there still will be more additions to the dictionary, given our obsession with English.

We are obliged to the British for this beautiful, enamoring, universal language. Though officially Hindi is our national language, a major chunk of urban India communicates and connects through English. Speaking English is considered to be a matter of pride. If you are educated, you should definitely know English, irrespective of your knowledge on the subject of study or irrespective of the fact that you have studied in a regional language. Infact, if you happen to be a student or even parent of a student studying in a private school, you will learn to respect English by always speaking English. If you dare to talk in your mother tongue, you will be fined or punished. Dressing up to the occasion in a gathering is not enough to command reverence and to be considered as polished/ refined. You should utter only English or wherever possible, even if others fail to make anything out of what you speak. Such is the “colonial” influence. Speaking English is a symbol of education, dignity, prestige and superiority.

India has 28 states and 7 union territories. But more than 1500 languages exist in India, with 22 languages being classified as “official” languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India. One need not speak the regional language to make out his/her place of origin. The extensions added to the “English” words in the local slang or speaking the local version of English, can effectively identify the region where the person belongs to. Non-functional syllables may be mutated in local languages to evolve into myriad words which symbolize the same thing, thus enriching the English vocabulary. The word zero can take any form from ‘jeero’ to ‘seero’ depending on the region/ locality. It can be i-ron rod or an I(r)on rod, the letter ‘r’ being silent in the latter but correct version. In the Eastern parts of India, ‘O’ and ‘B’ are more predominant in places of ‘A’ and ‘V,’ respectively, while pronouncing words containing the latter group of letters. However, in southern parts, ‘O’ is opportunistically forgotten and replaced with the first and foremost ‘A’. The letters ‘ed’ often added to signify the past tense of a word, is pronounced separately to sound something like ‘learn-edu’ or ‘learn-idd’. For many, ‘the’ is ‘Da’/ ‘Dha’, ‘against’ is ‘aginist’…..so and so. These are not exaggerations. There are numerous such examples of mispronunciations (?) sometimes drawing chuckles if one carefully listens. No wonder, some of our abroad-educated ministers always land in a soup/ controversy for exhibiting their english skills., we the colonial Indians failing to grasp the ulterior meaning of such comments/ slangs.

We are Indians and can never be expected to speak the British English and show our still-persistent servility. After all, it is 62 years of independence from the British!! So we have our own version of English. It may be hinglish, binglish, benglish, gunglish, punglish, tamlish, manglish, kanglish etc. But it is a fact that we fare off well when compared to people from other non-English speaking countries of Asia.

With all such confusions, does any one of us speak the language the way it is to be spoken? After all, a language is meant for communication. Why bother of the jargons when it can serve its purpose of conveying messages and as long as we can understand only our own version of English. So let’s leave the pronunciations to the literary circuits or language experts and enjoy speaking English, the Indian way….

We, The People....

2010-03-27T20:27:00.021+05:30

WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a SOVEREIGN SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC and to secure to all its citizens:
JUSTICE;
LIBERTY;
EQUALITY …….. and fraternity……….. and everything written and promised in/as per the constitution.

All these terms are but interpreted according to the whims and fancies of each and everybody concerned, be it an average citizen, a corporate billionaire, the working class or a professional, a student/ students group or politician or any political organization. We the people of (Global) India … enjoy freedom ‘unlimited’, freedom to do what ever we want ….… at any cost.

"Me” first and all else can follow later!!! Rules are made for others and only to be blindly as well as unquestionably abided in ‘other’ countries which strictly impose those for the common good. Ideals, morals and altruism are meant only for lip service. Discipline and order have paved way to utter chaos. Is democracy the culprit? How much of the individual interests can be restrained to sustain a social cause/ social justice? How much of individual responsibilities account for the collective social responsibility?

Welcome a new day with cheers and hopes!!! Nay, a new dawn now is ushered in with anxieties and uncertainties. Surfing the daily newspaper is enough to bring in all those tensions and conflicts of the big bad world. Start your day with a cup of tea/ coffee/ milk, a complete food…... milk is a complete food and has xy% of protein, abc% of fat, vitamins, minerals, so and so…... “Milk is an emulsion of fat in water”. Sorry, that’s textbook information. Please set your facts right. Recheck the scientific facts. ‘It’s milk in water and not water in milk’!!! Well, what’s new in that? It is quite usual!!! Or else how can the milk vendor survive in times of spiraling prices? He has a huge family to support and expenses to meet. The problem is ultimately with the one who raises the question of why and how such things happen. And here in floods all advices. Please try to adjust, learn to live, be wise, be practical, do not expect too much, this is the way it has been, do not try to change the system and land yourselves in trouble …..Well, the ones who made such “wonderful” systems are forever anonymous and unknown.

“Always eat fresh fruits and vegetables for health”. All that glitters is not gold. Make sure to select ones that are little damaged by pests to avoid consuming hazardous pesticides in raw and in total. “Green” peas once soaked in water turns dull grey with the supernatant assuming bright green colour. This is not a ‘new chemical reaction', but a routine scorching example of the extent of adulteration in foods.

Economic theories also have to be revamped. “Demand for a commodity decreases with increase in price and supply increases with increase in price as well as demand”. How can that be? Supply has to be decreased/ restricted first for scarcity of commodities (hoarding) and for increasing the prices. Prices can only increase and not vice versa, irrespective of demand or supply. Anyone can choose to increase/ fix the price of locally available (unlabeled/ non-branded) commodities. Prices can be increased in small increments week by week so that at the end of the month you end up paying double the amount for the same commodity. It depends on the smartness of the customer/buyer to update him/herself of the prices prevailing in the market to avoid getting duped.

Natural resources are scarce as well as fast depleting and scarcity adds value to a product. So is the case with petrol and diesel. With all scientific and technological advancements there still is no feasible alternative to these and to solve the problem of fuel scarcity. It has become imperative to hike the fuel prices and no government can function effectively without fuel price hike. Meters of autorickshaws run faster than autos themselves, Rs. 4 or Rs. 5 has to be paid as ‘tip’ in addition to the meter charge, for every journey. If one is wise enough, it is to be practiced without objection to avoid verbal abuse and conflicts. The excuse is soaring fuel price and inflation. Such day-light robberies are very common.

Do you exercise regularly? If you do not find time due to a hectic schedule, make sure you travel in state- run buses. You may run for at least 100 metres as no buses do stop at the designated bus stops. May be our successful athletes had come up this way. Also beware, buses only slow down and don’t stop. You can learn all the balancing acts in a packed bus, moving through congested, potholed roads and turns in full speed. Passengers traveling hanging from the window is a common scene. Tiny kids are even experts in foot-board ride. Seen anyone getting into the bus with patience and in a queue? You can only squeeze your way in by pushing fellow passengers. A free training is obtained on boxing, wrestling and gymnastics by choosing a bus travel. Three in one!!!! It may take years to widen highways for easing traffic, but only to be dug out and damaged by public works authorities in a few days. Another long year has to pass before it assumes the previous form. Private vehicles can be parked on public road sides, again narrowing down them to a trickle.

Rules and regulations are flouted in case of VIPs and VVIPs. Security checks can be evaded at one’s own convenience as had happened recently in case of a millionaire private airline owner. What more? We do expect such privileges in other countries also, like the famous bollywood actor. Loopholes in our terror surveillance and lack of alertness have resulted in the country witnessing a spate of terror attacks with greater frequency. The common man’s life is a casualty. Who is bothered, when Z and Z+ category of security, convoy and body guards are provided for those in power, those who make policies for the public..... policies for the rest, to be followed by the rest…. All are equal. Some are more equal.

Freedom of expression (expression of opinion, anger, frustrations etc) and protest happens in a public space on public organizations and on public property. One needs to be loud enough to be heard and so are these ways to be heard causing nuisance to others. Hartals (most popular phenomenon or form of protest in a politically active state like Kerala) have assumed the role of an already banned “bandh”. For the success of hartals, atleast 10 vehicles as well as public buildings have to damaged and at least a few innocents have to be attacked and injured for daring to travel on a hartal day. Rights are prioritized than responsibilities.

Regional political parties in the name of ideology have in a self-styled manner made themselves responsible for preserving the so-called culture and morals in a society. May it be barring education in the national language or forcing education only in the regional language, imposing a dress-code on women etc…. Goons and hooligans of such parties play havoc by threatening and exploiting the public in the name of region, language, culture, caste, gender etc and leash in vandalism. Their priorities seem to be silly when there are other burning issues. Why there are no organizations which work to ensure the right to live, right to have basic amenities like clean air, drinking water, food, shelter, etc? Why men are excluded from moral values? Why not these organizations make sincere efforts to efface eve-teasing, alcoholism and smoking which are more prevalent among men? Puffing away at others face in public place seems not a matter of concern at all. Passive smoking is more injurious to health. No one can dare to stop anyone from smoking in public. There will be protests; demonstrations etc and such decisions to ban smoking in public will be declared undemocratic. Culture and morals are sacrificed in the era of technological advancements. Certain states run solely on the funds provided by liquor barons and so is their powerful clout that their activities are but promoted at the cost of social morals and health. The right to spit where ever as one pleases is a ‘birth right’. No questioning of that privilege. Think the great men who framed our constitution didn’t possess enough far-sight. Else the 'right to spit' would have been included as a fundamental right. The walls, stairs and corners of old public mansions are always stained with paan (An article in a magazine bearing the picture of an aircraft with paan stain as a design is still vivid in memory). More disgusting is the habit of dumping wastes and urinating in public space. Even main roads are not spared. Savagely or beast-like instincts?

Practising faith is purely the choice of an individual. But coercing others to practice the faith or exploiting in the name of religion is to be condemned. Devotion is no longer a peaceful and calm personal dialect, but has to be proclaimed aloud in high decibels using loud speakers, damaging the eardrum and hampering all normal activities. Again who is bothered?

Justice delayed is equivalent to justice denied. Injustice by the affluent prevails when justice is for sale. Better bear with injustice than knock the doors for justice and emaciate in the long chase of the mirage. At the end of the day, the culprits get away with minor punishments using their political and monetary smack, making a mockery of the whole system. Crores are spend on a terrorist/ gunman who in broad day light murdered innocent civilians. Is it to exhibit our rich tradition of tolerance and virtues before the world? This is only an example of how we are projecting ourselves as fools. Trial goes on till a criminal dies of old age. Criminals should be given their due within a time-frame and speedy justice has to be ensured rather than entertaining stupid dramas.

It's 62 years of Independence and we are happy celebrating the hard fought freedom as we wish, as we choose and as we please !!!!.

Indian Railways : On the Right Track?

2010-02-24T12:00:00.024+05:30

The Union Minister for Railways, Ms. Mamta Banerjee, deserves applause for her strong convictions and to stand on her own terms surmounting the political pressures, to protect the interest of the common man. A hike in fuel price will lead to rise in prices of almost all commodities. Already an average Indian is finding it difficult to survive due to the inflation and price hike of essential commodities such as food. Bringing down the prices may be a Herculean task after allowing for a hike.

“Social viability should be the priority than commercial viability for measuring projects", as stated by the minister herself. But society is not restricted to only the minister’s state. Patronizing the interests of only the constituencies/states of the MPs/ministers forgetting the fact that they are Union Ministers has become a predominant phenomenon in Indian poltics. None to blame. MPs are answerable to the people who have elected them and so all the sops.

Certain matters require urgent attention if the minister is really concerned of the society and a common passenger.

1. Improve cleanliness of the coaches and ensure proper maintenance of coaches. (Rats, cockroaches, ticks and noxious insects are co-passengers in a second class compartment and wonderfully even in AC coaches).

2. Toilets in trains have to be cleaned before the start of every journey and twice a day (at least once a day) in case of long journey trains. The unbearable smell from the toilets due to lack of cleaning makes the journey suffocating especially for the passenger seated at either end of the coaches.

3. Use of technology to avoid the human waste in railway tracks can be given a thought.

4. One or more waste bins can be provided in all coaches irrespective of the class and these should be emptied at regular intervals at certain chosen stations to prevent spilling. Passengers have to be strictly advised and penalized if found to take rules for granted.

5. The rusted coaches have to be replaced by good ones. The iron protrusions of the windows, doors and jammed panes are life threatening.

6. Hygiene of food served from the pantry has to be ensured. In most trains, the food purchased from outside (sometimes stale depending on the fortune of the passenger) is served in the pantry at a higher rate as per the imagination of the person in the pantry.

7. There should be a public grievance system/ feedback system for every journey and a system to take appropriate action or address such grievances.

8. The availability of tickets for crowded trains/routes has to be ensured by allowing more trains in such routes. Innocent passengers are exploited and looted by the immoral TTEs/ railway employees. Corruption by the TTEs and other railway personnel should be strictly prevented by strict penalties to the guilty.

9. Proper monitoring system should be employed to avoid the unreserved passengers occupying the reserved seats and unauthorized sale of tickets to ‘influential’ passengers undermining the merit under the reservation system. Some ‘smart’ passengers take a general compartment ticket and enter even into the AC and enjoy the journey by bribing the TTEs when most others have to cancel their journey due to non availability of tickets/ seats.

10. The tatkal reservation scheme should be opened atleast 5 days prior to start of the journey instead of 2 days to facilitate for reservation for 'to and fro' journeys in case of emergencies. This can be implemented for long distance trains.

11. Senior citizens, disabled and sick persons should be provided with facilities for mobility/lift for moving from one platform to the other or for boarding the trains since climbing the stairs and walking through the crowded and lengthy platform will be difficult. Underground subways may be a viable alternative. Also provisions have to be made to reserve the lower berths to senior citizens (if any) in the compartment.

12. In case of long distance journeys, the safety of passengers has to be ensured by employing adequate and efficient police personnel. A facility for complaining about mis-behaviour of co-passengers (if any) has to be made available for ensuring safety of lone/lady passengers.

13. It would be extra sweet if a medical practitioner(s) and medical shop is provided within the train itself.

14. Smoking and drinking by the passengers and railway personnel/ pantrywalas should be strictly prevented.

All these rules/ ethics have to be enforced uniformly across the country. There are more serious problems in some parts of the country like burning the trains by hooligans to mark protests, mangling the railway tracks by bomb blasts, train accidents due to carelessness or climatic factors such as fog and flood, looting of passengers by antisocial elements, delay in journey by hours due to heavy rail traffic etc. The problems are numerous and practical solutions may require cooperation of other departments/ministries as well.

It is not easy and as simple as it looks for the largest public enterprise to make the train journey comfortable. At least the minister can address the basic necessities (comfort is a word of distant future). The public will be more than happy to give a few rupees as fare if the services are good. All is well when said but in practice…?.

Travelling in train should not be at the risk of one’s health and life. HAPPY JOURNEY INDIAN RAILWAYS!!!!!

Patriotism or Hooliganism?

2010-02-04T14:38:00.017+05:30

People in politics are not going to win nor gain by the divisive politics and ‘state spirit’ jingoism. The policy of ‘Divide and Rule’ followed by the British is sadly taken up by our politicians. It reminds of the story of two goats which fought fiercely and the clever monkey who went away with the meal. India has more serious challenges and threats to tackle. Why not concentrate on these, than play petty politics on some insignificant divisive strategies?

What Mr. Bachchan has done (by turning down the award from Australia in the wake of a spate of attacks on Indians in that country) is laudable and reflects his concern and urge to identify with the problems of the fellow country men. Every one can have his/her own take in any issue without affecting the unity and integrity of the country. That’s the true spirit of Democracy !!

Revelling in regional/ cultural heritage is one thing and using the same to divide the nation, to denigrate/ drive away people from other parts of the country from Mumbai/ Maharashtra is another thing. Instead of debating on this issue, the government should be courageous to stop at any cost any filthy move to divide the nation on the basis of religion or region. Or else India will be shattered by the regional political parties into mere pieces of land without a soul. India is for all Indians (Indians in the true spirit)

The war of words between the SS chief, RG and SRK is but a futile exercise. Regarding SRK, he is not the film industry. Infact there are thousands of people/ petty workers toiling in the industry. By targeting or preventing the screening of the particular movie, SS is clearly exhibiting its hooliganism and is sure alienating itself from the masses/ working class (if it cares for them?). The bus diplomacy and the Kargil war that followed the infiltration of the terrorists from the ‘great neighbourhood’ is worth mentioning in this context. Diplomacy and gestures of friendship were never greeted in the same manner by the ‘great neighbourhood’ ('great neighbourhood' in SRK’s own words). Innocents have been killed by terrorists and in bloody wars. It is both ironical and hypocritical that our soldiers have sacrificed their precious lives for us to safely watch the cricket matches(played with the people from this ‘great neighbour’ country against whom they have fought). It's true all are not same and there is no point in reviving the wounds of the past and hostility.The good and the bad exist everywhere. Bollywood has a huge fan following in Pakistan. Cinema can transcend beyond boundaries and abridge the chasm and enemity. But caution has to be exercised in dealing with the 'great neighbour' and lessons have still to be learnt from the past incidents. Before making 'flaring up' remarks casually, it would be wise if one shows enough discretion. It's between states and not individuals. But individuals such as the celebrities owe as much responsibility while making comments.

Cricket has lost its spirit as a sport/ game. In the era of blind and wretched commercialisation, cricketers have but demoted to 'bunch of puppets' in the hands of commercial barons. When there is money to make, everything else can take a back seat. It’s time to remember the lessons of the school days. Vande mataram!!!!

Doomed Education in 'Deemed' Universities

2010-01-21T18:49:00.027+05:30

Providing education has become just a business/source of revenue in recent times. Education has relegated to a saleable commodity which increases one’s marketability and educational institutions (especially seats of higher learning) are mere business centres offering the "trendy" and "marketable" courses without the basic infrastructure and churning out 'commodities' called the ‘degree holders’. The way some institutions are operating and advertising reflects on the commercial motive behind establishing these enterprises. These institutions are selling hopes and dreams to the future generation.

No one is bothered of the credibility/authenticity of the institutions before joining for post graduation or PhD. Many of us go by the attractive labels or tags, as 'flies are to fire'. Its strange that lots of fake institutes have been getting the status of University and more ironically the status of ‘Deemed’ University. The Centre's decision to withdraw the deemed university status to 44 DUs seems to be a good move to cleanse up the rotten educational system. What ever be the aim behind the decision by the Centre, it's ultimately the students who have to pay the price for their decision to join these institutes for a secure future. Implementing such decisions one fine morning will be endangering the future of innocent students. It’s the authorities who had given the nod for establishing such institutes and granted "Deemed" or what ever status to some institutions. Why in the first place the authorities had made judgemental errors/ improper decisions having far-reaching implications in the society? Why there was no early scrutiny/ monitoring of these institutes? Realisation has dawned late.

In the name of education many business centres had mushroomed in many parts of the country producing some degree holders and mocking at those students who are admitted to good institutes after a tough competition and who pass out from such institutes of repute. Again how admission is obtained in such institutes is a different issue to be addressed. If you have money you can even buy a medical seat, you can enroll in a medical college and safely complete your studies and become a doctor. This applies to other professions as well. Once in the profession you can get back all the money you had spend for getting a degree. Or why bother? After all your marketability and status in society is improved with such a degree. This is the aim and attitude of many of the students and parents. The investment made by parents for the education of their children is huge. Sprouting of innumerable private tuition centres for even primary classes, mushrooming of entrance coaching centres charging huge fees (even for IAS there are rigorous coaching classes... ridiculous or even worst?), screening the students for admission in the nursery classes etc only reflect upon the demeaning commercialised education and the erosion of values in totality from the system. (The rut in the educational system is discussed else where in the blog, Ref: Ethics, Education and Religion). As a result, education has become inaccessible to a major chunk of the impoverished population who are economically weak and lack a political clout. Higher education is an affair meant only for the upper strata of the society. Anyone can start an educational institution in his/her own name, a short-cut and an easy way to fame, reputation or social recognition. The functional autonomy provided by the 'deemed' status enables them to work as they please. If it is not exaggeration, there are educational institutions established in the name of liquor barons and other such ‘noble’ people. And then we have all sorts of technologies and specialisations now a days. We have hair dressing technology, catering technology, cleaning technology, washing technology, cloth-cutting technology and what not. Hope no one starts an IIT to offer such 'professional' courses.....Specialisations/specialists who treat the disease and not the patient (failing to look at the whole) are so common now a days. We have engineering colleges at every nook and corner. Do we require these many engineers? Ultimately the scenario in the job sector becomes grim. Those with higher educational qualifications end up doing petty jobs, the years spend on education becoming a sheer waste.

When the government itself is encouraging privatisation in the name of quality, establishing self-financing colleges even in medical or engineering or other professions, and exercises absolutely ineffective monitoring of state-run educational institutions or is the least concerned to improve the working conditions of government institutions, why blame the private colleges/ institutions? The situation in some of the institutes (Government) of high repute is not different. A total revamp is needed in all aspects of higher education. Let this be the first step.

Fortunes In a Far Away Land

2010-01-18T21:49:00.014+05:30

Dreams and hopes unlimited !!!! Beckoning are the glories of life in far away lands, opportunities galore, to work/study in better conditions, with good facilities and exposure, to realize the dreams of a good career, recognition and financial reward. These may be the expectations and concepts of anyone choosing to work/ study abroad.

The greener pasture of the dreams is far from the reality as pictured by the flooding reports of robbery and attacks (especially from Australia) against the Indians. Numerous cases might not have drawn our attention as they go unreported. It is not clear at this stage whether its racism or some other issue which is behind these attacks. The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas was celebrated with much pomp. The week (Jan 7-9, 2010) of glitters and gala is over. The authorities did succeed in showing their concern to the NRIs/ PIOs abroad and in pleasing as well as wooing them by offering dual citizen ship.

Indian diaspora is one of the successful, influential and efficient professional/ work force. The intellectual and managerial capacities of the people from the “land of saints, snake charmers and bullock carts” are now recognized world wide. Thanks to the Indian diaspora who, through their outstanding and remarkable work have overcome the ignorance the west had of this nation and succeeded in leaving an indelible footprint in all the sectors in which they have chosen to work. Thanks to the highly motivated hardworking individuals abroad who keep their cultural and emotional contact with the country of origin. Indian diaspora is as diverse as the nation itself. Living abroad as such is easy for the people of India and they find it easy to fit into the different cultural and social background in alien lands. The boundaries of language, region and religion fade away. The question is to merge with a larger world, a world which is very different from that of our own. Skilled labour have migrated to the developing countries while less-skilled ones have opted for the Middle East countries. Nearly 30 million people live in the US alone!! The investment made by NRIs in India is as much as $50 billion as per the recent statistics. With all appreciation for the efforts and contributions of the Indians abroad for the development of the country, let the focus be shifted to some major issues which need to be addressed keeping politics at bay. The ground realities are neither as glittering as the celebrations nor are so heart-warming.

It needs immense hardwork to succeed in unfamilar terrain adjusting to the different time zones, food, cultural and social conditions. The laws of the land are entirely different. It takes time to familiarize, to accommodate and reorient one to such conditions. But why majority of Indians choose to go abroad and permanently settle over there? Is it in our genes? Education in esteemed Institutes of repute seems to be a mere gateway to life abroad. Population in the country is exploding at a disastrous pace and at this rate we are definitely going to surpass China. There are fewer opportunities in India for even the well-educated. With favoritisms and unbridled politics, only the rich, mighty and the powerful can live in India comfortably. The fantasies and fascinations about better conditions abroad makes one to take any risk to reach there. Leaving the country in search of greener pastures seems to be the only way out…. a golden ray of hope or a meek straw to hold on for a sinking life… A better life abroad is like chasing a mirage for these unfortunate!!!!

The financial crunch back home might have driven many to work in pitiable conditions especially in the Gulf countries. Property, land and other valuable possessions are sold in total, just to obtain a visa. But all the woven dreams are shattered by the harsh realities. Many are cheated by the unscrupulous agents; many chose to work/ in inhuman, appalling conditions risking their lives just to support their family back home. Many are stranded and trapped in these countries as their passport and visa are confiscated by the employers. Luring the foreigners with false promises of a decent job, employing them in petty jobs, illegal detention of the workers etc have become very common. Some surpass all these and make a life abroad, some just stay back never wanting to return to the more dreaded conditions back home, but some (majority) may yearn to return to their home land at any cost. There are many many real life stories (especially of the people from Kerala who chose to work in Gulf countries). The recent issue is that of Indian brides duped by NRIs. There may be still many issues which need considerable and serious attention by the authorities concerned (not written here due to inadequate exposure or lack of experience).

Offering dual citizen ship with an eye on the cash is just ridiculous and reflects the irresponsible attitude of the concerned. Votes for cash or cash for votes? How many of the affluent NRIs do want to return to their home land? Whether the people who leave their roots for ever for a better life, need to be given votes is a different issue altogether. Again it’s India, a democratic country where anything and everything (read as ‘bad’) is possible. So why not sell democracy itself in return for money? That was not new, but happening in our incredible India and will happen in future too. Only new areas for corruption need to be identified. Instead of only wooing the affluent NRIs, why not the concerned focus on the problems of millions of NRIs toiling and trapped in foreign lands on occasions such as Pravasi Bharatiya Divas!!

Let us come out of the fascinations and fantasies and face the realities as they are!!!!

At the Altar of Aging: Sorrows of the Senile

2010-01-07T23:19:00.010+05:30

It’s a poignant issue which needs to be addressed through deeds and not words. It’s about a grave issue encountered by the helpless at the twilight of their life; it’s about the plight of the elderly. (This article is written in response to the news reports of dumping the elderly by their relatives). Aged or senile as they are referred to, population of this section of citizens is on the rise and so also are the atrocities against them. How can one determine age or aging? Aging is simply not an inevitable biological process. It may be chronological, emotional, physiological or psychological. Age makes men wise. As a fruit becomes sweeter on ripening, so does a man. (“Fruits sweeten only when they ripen, Old age is one such fruit”., Ref: Ageless mind and spirit by Samar. S. Jodha). In spite of their physical frailties, they form a generation rich in life experiences and wisdom but unfortunately are neglected and least cared for. Vulnerable to the insensitiveness of none other than their own kith and kin, the senior citizens are left with no choice, but to tolerate them. Seldom does the younger generation realize the need of the elderly and require their presence in this self-absorbed world, lacking any empathy.

Poverty is the deadliest ‘disease’ in the society. Everything has value except human life. But at present, old age has assumed the status of a miserable phase and dreaded experience in one’s life, poverty adding fuel to the fire. Why? Because of the way society has ‘progressed’. In the world of globalization and consumerism, where the whole globe has denigrated to a market, where nations are built on economic power; every individual seems to be a customer in one or the other way. We are taught how to dress, how to speak, and how to conduct ourselves before our customer. The plastic smiles are not inherited but acquired to please our customer. Unfortunately; no one had trained or taught us how to behave with the elderly or for that matter the under-privileged. Does age deprive the elderly of their dignity and fortunes and ring in a world of miseries? For many death is better, death emancipates them from the weary world of wickedness, loneliness and isolation. In India it is just considered destiny and not a social evil. Many lives end on roads, footpaths, besides temples and other public places. There are in fact a lot of real life examples to quote here regarding the inhuman acts meted out by the senior citizens of this country which have become common, predominant and at the same time heart-wrenching (only for some one with a good heart). There are but a few lucky exceptions, those who end their life peacefully and with due respect.

We were always proud of the joint family system, the strength of relations and family bonding, but it seems everything has evaporated out, with the gush of time. We are busy, too busy for even fulfilling our needs, a day is not sufficient for most of us, then how can it be spent for someone or even bothering for someone if that someone is dependent on us either for the basic needs or emotional needs or if they are unproductive on the basis of monetary benefits? We don’t have enough time, time to stop and stare or care. Once they were everything for us, supporting us, struggling to meet our needs, we were dependent on them; part of their life, for some of them may be life itself. What has become so important for us, our life, our false pride or our struggles of life? We have come to live life through our parents. There should not be any excuses to discard them from our life for what ever reasons. One cannot shirk of responsibilities. Our elderly are not bundles of burden; we would not have existed if we were regarded as burden. It is the most heinous crime against humanity. It is very clear, very evident we are least concerned of our senior citizens, we have transformed to insensitive brutes that we are into another social evil and are not even aware of that.

The news, nay the reality that our elderly are left to suffer, deserted in the footpaths, in the roads, in beaches, in the temples or places of worship and in old age homes (the more sophisticated form of isolation), is thought-provoking. How many students of medicine do opt for geriatrics as a subject of study? No one who wants a lucrative career for sure would take such a decision. It has recently become highly fashionable and a contagious practice to desert our elderly or dump them into old age homes. Are the old age homes garages or prisons for the senior citizens? The situation is not different for those who had led a life of grace and have enough to support themselves. The senior citizens (even affluent) are haunted by the loneliness and the “empty nest syndrome”. The solace seems to be pets; at least animals are far better than humans. The affluent living alone in cities are vulnerable to attacks from antisocial elements and live in constant fear of being looted.

Maimed is their mind and wrecked their hearts, but still they have become hard enough to bear the trauma of ostracism by their own children. The government has taken small but laudable steps to culminate this “social” (or attitude?) disorder by providing incentives and health care to the senior citizens. It is plain ridiculous, the idea of compelling the younger generation or family of the elderly to feed or take care of the elderly. How many elderly will be content or happy to live with such a family who are just for grabbing the money government is providing? But that seems the only option left in a “democratic” country like ours. Something is better than nothing. Our conscience is dead. All are mortal. This is the eternal truth. In this short journey of life, change is the only thing which is constant. Why don’t we realize that we are also walking to the ultimate destination of death and will soon lose our youthfulness, vitality and energy and pass through the same stage, the dreaded old age? Why do not we feel the pain and suffering that they undergo? How pathetic and miserable it would be to live a lonely life when they need us the most. Unfortunate are those mothers, those fathers who have to meet such a fate as to be cut off from their family, to spend their rest of life begging in the streets, none to provide food, clothes or shelter. Cursed are those lives that cannot oblige or acknowledge the love and care provided by their fathers and grand fathers. Such criminals should be dealt toughly by law, if they have not learnt their lessons. Old age is a debilitating phase of life, a phase sans eyes, sans ears, sans taste, or sans senses. Usher in the ambitious, self-oriented younger generations, the purely mechanical machines, who have precociously become senile sans the mind, conscience, emotions, feelings and kind or an empathetic heart. Whither to without our elderly?

A mighty flame can result from a far away spark. Let us hope that millions of sparks can be ignited with powerful words. These words, let them be not borne out of hypocrisy, or for writing sake, but from the depths to find their true destination, let these at least alter the attitude of the concerned so that there will be hands to hold on for those hapless aged humans, there shall be hands to wipe out the tears rolling down those wrinkled cheeks, that there will be shoulders to support those frail bodies, an act of kindness or at least a word of concern which they long for!!!

Ethics, Education and Religion: The Indian context

2010-01-06T20:26:00.011+05:30

We live in a world, of vagaries and ambiguities, of lop-sided attitudes and obscure visions. Intelligence, is it the wisdom to live in this world? Then we require it badly to thrive in among the inadequacies of this little world. Values and good thoughts are eroding from the society in general. Succumbing to ethics is considered as weakness in the practical world. The priority is success, success by what ever means. What ultimately matters is the destination, success, and not the path, the means to achieve it. So what gives people the courage to do wrong in spite of knowing that these are wrong? It’s the majority because majority is thriving on the filthy. The greed for power, fame and money exists in various forms in various grades in the society. The role models for this generation are icons who therefore achieve success and stand in the pedestals of victory. What’s wrong? For any man would want to be successful. ‘Might is right’ is the rule prevailing in this part of the world where the successful and the mighty expand their empires and no one for sure has a voice.

India is a sacred land of saints. And there was a saint who spoke at Chicago and changed the norms and prejudices of the western world. Ours is a great nation but in deep sleep. We have lost our identity and demoted our selves as the blind followers of the west. The richness of our tradition, cultural values and social ethos are fast lost to be the alien. Why to ape the west? Is it just because they are successful? They are successful due to their dreams, their attitude and their work. We were fragmented. Now also the situation is not different. We are fragmented on the basis of religion, caste, creed, colour, language and sex. When others focus on their frailities and plunder over the world to become the super powers, we in India are still asleep absorbed in such filthy things, not having a greater picture. Years back, foreigners looted our land and made us slaves. Today we are ready to become slaves in any other country which offers us a better opportunity, better exposure, and rescues us from the clutter that prevails within. Who is to blame? We needed foreign rulers to awaken us from our slumber. Which monster can whip us from this insensitivity? India has come a long way since independence. Our country has the potential and talents to emerge as the global power. So what is needed to gear up?

Clarity of mind, clarity of vision, prudence of thoughts and the philosophies which one clings to are needed for a righteous living. Therein lies the relevance of education. In this world of fierce competition where only performance matters, education is relegated to a saleable commodity which increases one’s marketability. Educational institutions have unfortunately demoted themselves to business centres or factories churning out commodities, the so-called degree holders or catering to the whims and needs of global markets. Is our educational system strong enough to impart the right knowledge? So the concern is not of mere degrees which is relevant, but the right kind of education, values and ethics inculcated in a generation. How many educational institutions are now focusing on this aspect, in a system fraught with blind competition where marks, grades and intellectual capacities out-weigh the basic human feelings? The only aim seems to survive the brutal struggles of life and emerge successful. To consider the larger picture, our country as a whole, things are really disheartening. The so-called visionaries and policy-makers in the process of nation building are to decide for reservation in Parliament for the so-called weaker sections of the society. But who made her weaker? There were also reports that Indian schools are worst because of the caste-based prejudices of teachers. How many buds have been scorched down by the very hands that have to nurture them? So who is to be educated? Such contradictions prevail and are rampant in India alone . As a Chinese saying goes, “Give a man a fish, you feed him for a day, Teach a man fishing and you feed him for life”. Our focus should be on humans as resources for developing the nation and not as feeds for the rusty politics where corruption never ends. In future one should be identified by his qualities and not by the labels attached to him by birth, on which one has no choice or control. It is what one has achieved through in his life, the right kind of living that one should be recognized for. Long back, there were days when there was no hardwired or heavy syllabus. So what guided people then? Religion? Is it a significant one? What the Bible, the Koran and the Geetha preach is relevant in today’s world.

Religion is mysterious when furled in, admirable when unfurled, the intricacies inexplicable. Religion preaches for the purity of mind and sanctity of thoughts. Thoughts frame and mould you to the person you are. Religion assists a person in breeding better thoughts and for that matter a better living. A truly religious person follows what is being preached in by the predecessors and what he believes in. The atheist also is a follower, following his school of thought, what his mind says is right. The difference lies in whether one is a blind follower of religion or understands the true essence of religion. The essence of what religion is all about. Else we have blatant followers struggling and indulging in violence to fetch a piece of land for ‘God’ oblivious of what ‘God’ symbolizes, forgetting opportunistically that he should reside in their mind and not confined to a particular region. No religion is framed for human suffering or to discard it into the dungeon. And no religion should violate the individual’s freedom of thought or living. The boundary that demarcates religion and atheism vanishes then. When it is said that ‘I don’t believe in a particular thing, it is that ‘I believe’ in some thing else, may be quite contrary to some prescribed thoughts or actions. But then certainly ‘I believe’. This belief or faith is the true essence of religion. Faith which is not blind but framed after a thorough understanding of what was preached added with your own thoughts and wisdom as inputs. So the question is what you believe in. When Science is the quest for knowledge about the world, religion is the quest for the self, the divine soul in each one of us.

Science for Whom?

2010-01-04T22:21:00.014+05:30

Kudos to this great yet simple human !!!. Not much fuss, not much frills, his foot firm on the ground. The way Dr.Venkataraman Ramakrishnan, the nobel laureate of Indian origin handles his new found fame is appreciation-worthy. Remarkable is his science and more impressive are his genuine thoughts. We are so good at marveling on reflected glories. Not to say of our hero worship. When someone of Indian origin achieves we here are in a festive mood and there are reports and stories on the greatness of this particular person flooding in newspapers for a few days. It may even go to the extent of silly details like what he eats/ drinks. Everyone tries to relate to him/her, run after him/ her, catch hold of the faintest roots of connection/ relation… only to be forgotten after the initial frenzy/ sensational news. Yes, winning a nobel is not easy. It is truly admirable.

Success is not achieved overnight. A battle is to be fought before the prize is won. Dr. V. Ramakrishnan seems to very well understand that (though his years of hardwork was not aimed at winning a nobel prize). He seems to have imbibed the true spirit of science. As rightly remarked by Dr. V. Ramakrishnan, there is a lot of good science and research work done at many labs all over the world. A problem based-approach is what is required. Science is not about cramming information and in this era of exploding technological advancement, it is practically impossible to use the brain for feeding all the information generated at an alarming amount. Rather it is important to identify the real problem and solve it in the best possible way. Our society is diverse and dynamic. Problems whether scientific or societal exist in myriad forms. When we focus on these and find solutions we become extra ordinary/ great and not by imitating the prestigious prize winners or the successful of the west. Science is for society and through science even if a small problem of common man could be rectified, it is truly great. A scientist is judged now by the number of papers published in high impact factor journals/ the number of patents/ the number of talks or invited lectures he/she has given or even the number of symposiums or useless seminars he/she has attended and all that. A different and a high profile culture is being created. It’s high time for us to introspect on what kind of rut we are entering into.

Nobel prize shouldn’t be the reason for choosing a career in Science. Nobel prize is not to be won by aping but it should be only an inspiration to conduct good research. Every word and thought of Dr. Ramakrishnan seems to reflect his wisdom. Learned is he and as wise is he. Think all these felicitations (ceremonials??) will not surely distract the nobel laureate from his mission!!!!.

GM crops for India : Some Views

2010-01-04T21:55:00.019+05:30

World wide there is an upheaval or furore against GMOs especially genetically modified/engineered plants. There has been much mud slinging between the opponents and proponents of Genetically Modified (GM) crops. As a student who had the opportunity to work in the field of agricultural biotechnology am jotting down some thoughts which may be relevant.

The views expressed here are only of the author and not associated with any third party or institution.

The article was submitted to the Ministry of Environment and Forests, GOI as an opinion from the Public.