Food Security

FOOD SECURITY

We have moved from the scarcity conditions at the time of the country’s independence to the present situation of being able to feed almost 1.2 billion mouths through green revolution, food storage facility, distribution system and changing food habits. However a combination of bad planning, wastage in storage, slow reaction to the consumer end shortage, low productivity, impact of unusual weather conditions and above all hoarding and corrupt practices in the chain from the farmer to the consumer creates shortages and wide variation in prices. Balancing of export and import also results in allowing or barring export of food articles.

The difficult task of balancing between good return to the farmer and reasonable price to the consumers (who are more vocal and influential) and the impact of the actions of corrupt stack holders in the chain has been the single most important factor for price variations. Corrupt practices are not punished in an exemplary way and are allowed to drag on for years while the culprit continues to enjoy the fruits of his crimes. There is a long chain of supervision maintained at high cost that does not justify its existence by its productive actions. Maximum on line facilities is the only way out.

Infrastructural development is more oriented for the affluent or middle class. The basic water, electricity and seeds/fertilizer facilities at village level are not efficiently handled. The subsidies should be directly given for increasing productivity. Information decimation is poor and delayed in spite of many technological facilities now available. Food security is not so much about distributing cheap food to the needy but about proper all round approach to avoid pitfalls given above. 

Are we doing enough to protect the environment?

Every year June 5 is observed as the World Environment day to raise awareness and enhance action on environmental issues. Many meetings and seminars were arranged all over India and abroad to observe this day. Bhopal also had similar meetings and rallies as reported yesterday. Shri O N Shrivastava, retired Governor of Meghalaya and Nagaland, while participating in the seminar at Senior Citizens Forum advised the senior citizens to take up environment protection as the core activity by personally not using polythene bags and also raise their voice to protect trees, save the lakes of Bhopal from pollution and prevail upon their family and their friends to avoid wastage of energy and control emission.
Major current environmental issues include climate change, pollution, environmental degradation, and resource depletion. It is vast subject as it includes right from agriultural practices to use of environment non-friendly practices in the course of the life of each individual. Developments process includes house construction, roads, dams, power stations, power distribution. Wastage of water and power, air polution, smoke generation of vehicles, polution of the sources of drinking water, ground water level degradation, use of paints, use of pesticide, beauty products, electronic waste generation and dispopsal, noise polution from various sources are all causing the environment to be polluted. According to a recent UN report, one third of plant and animal species are now at risk of extinction. Environmental protection is a practice of protecting the environment, at individual, organizational or governmental level. What we are trying to save is the natural environment and impact on the life of humans. Pressure of population and technology are the two main causes of environmental degradation. Environment protection and development have to go hand in hand. We all want cement roads without being concerned about its bad impact on ground water recharging or felling of trees. Many houses are being constructed without leaving any space around that is against rules. Municipal Corporation inspectors turn (or made to turn!) blind eyes to such flouting of rules, as influential people may be involved. The colonies that had trees in and around all houses are now just a concrete jungle.

We have to build in a way that minimum energy is wasted, no pollution is caused and at the same time the internal environment and health issues are given top priority rather that luxury or extra comfort. As per a recent survey, Indians are most concerned about air pollution (62 per cent), water pollution and water shortages concerns come next with 61 per cent. One area that is however ignored is the noise pollution and electronic waste generation. These areas are directly linked ‘GDP growth” through higher production of automobiles and electronic gadgets and their marketing. New models with better features are being created every day and users are also increasing. Sunita Narayan, the well-known environmentalist states in her recent report that 400,000 tons of electronic waste is being generated in our country alone during a year!
Starting from the actual users (that is each one of us), societies worried about the environment, political parties and governments at state and central level, all have to take courage to enforce environment protecting decisions even if the powerful people and Corporate oppose them in the name of freedom, growth and development. The objective of "all-inclusive" growth has to be with minimum pollution of environment and wastage of natural resources. The ‘haves’ will have to be inconvenienced for the sake of ‘have-nots’. What practices are required to be followed are all good in theory but become contentious in practice. We need to move to rules-based approaches and rely less on discretion-based decision-making. Political clouts are used primarily to allow the activities that are against rules. All clearances affecting the environment must be on go/no-go basis with NO discretion in future.

Has the present young generation become too addicted to gadgets?

Those of us, who were born before Independence, did not have the luxury of electricity in most places. Outdoor sports, cards, snake and ladders and similar indoor games were the only source of entertainment. In bigger towns the Talkies (Cinema) provided variety. Valve radio was the only gadget, that also with a few well to do and needed a car battery where electricity was not available. With the advent of transistor, a radio running on cells was the next step. The cassette player remained the party and home gadget for music for a long period. Japanese invention of Walkman made it convenient to carry (and wear!).

Computer revolution started by the microchip (integrated circuit) replaced the larger computers by minis and later by what is now called Desk Top personal computer. As the size of the microprocessor reduced and its capabilities increased, the size of computer started coming down. From Desk it moved to the Lap and then to Notebook and then to Palm and now most of its common functions are built in a mobile phone.

What was for us an occasional musical night or listening to Nehru or Patel (Yes those days we sat for hours to listen to their speeches!) in front of the neighbour’s radio is today replaced by a small hand held gadget containing hundreds and even thousands selectable songs as well as radio stations. You can see a video, hear the conversation along with the picture of the caller, see or download a movie all in a small gadget. What has really changed the scene during the last three four years throughout India is the mobile phone. Every one from the highest business leader to the ordinary worker can be seen talking to their friends or bosses.

Its prevalence in the younger generation is however a source of worry. You can see young boys and more of the girls holding a small cell phone close to the ear and walking/sitting in a car/driving a two wheeler with one hand and talking on mobile at the same time with one hand pressed to their ear. It is a common sight of girls driving or walking with scarf hiding the entire face with only eyes visible and earphone attached for music or talking on cell phone.

One can get an idea of today’s gadget addicted youngsters if we find out the time spent in talking on cell phone, listening to music on I-pod, watching videos of You Tube on computers, listening to music (louder the better) on car cassette/CD player and time and money spent in charging and ‘topping’ the mobile phone. For them life without these gadgets is unthinkable and they are least bothered about the long term ill effects as they are young and are just trying to enjoy life. Cell phone in particular was probably invented as a necessity but is today an addiction particularly for the young generation.

Naxal problem is more serious than Terrorism

The killing of 75 CRPF personnel and a local policeman in a Naxalite ambush in Dantewada clearly indicates that the Operation Green Hunt launched to flush out the Naxalites was not properly evaluated, planned, and carried out. The Army Chief recently said that the men were not fully trained to operate in jungle area. In any case it is doubtful that they were familiar with the area. It is not clear what was the aim of the movement of so many soldiers together and their returning following the same path. Who provided the intelligence to them, if any? These issues were recently discussed in a meeting of retired senior officers. The discussion was initiated by Shri R J Khurana.
The governments for the last over 60 years have created many Para-military forces but by and large ignored the need for increasing the number, capability, training, weapons and proper usage of the police force in the police stations. They are the one that are closest to the criminals. Even if the outside forces are required and sent, they have to get the input from these local policemen.
Today, it seems there is more threat from Naxalites than from terrorists. You can get intelligence and engage the terrorists but the naxalites not only ensure that they get all the information but they ensure through the element of fear that the forces get no such inputs. The terrorists may get some help from ‘sleepers’ but not from general public. They can be, in many cases, identified. But here there is no difference between an ordinary resident and a naxal.
Most of the weapons of the naxals are from looting the police armoury or through clandestine means from across the border. As per the figures given out by the Home department, over 200 districts are naxal affected and some 90 of them have no government administrative presence in large areas. Unless these districts are ‘liberated’ no long-term initiative can be taken to bring the residents in the main stream. Then the main task would be to ensure that the administration does not once again misgovern through corrupt practices, inefficiency, delays in attending to their problems, not initiating urgently needed developments and violating their freedom. These were the very causes of the development of Naxalism.

Make initial medical consultation easy and free

The other day our house-maid mentioned how the private doctor charged Rs 200 consultation fee for ordinary fever and cold. The medicines cost was Rs 50. When I asked her why did she not go to the government hospital, her answer was predictable. Ordinary Indians have to stand in long queues and spend almost the full day in government hospitals or pay high consultancy fee to private medical practitioners/consultants. The medicines are rarely available free and in serious cases the cost is also prohibitive. Tests are routinely advised by private practitioners and are a big drain on the hard earned money of non-organized labour.
The primary health centers and government hospitals are run more like government offices. They are reasonably well kept only at places within the constituencies of high and mighty. What we need is the establishment of a one room Medical unit in each urban ward and village. This should be manned 4 hours in the morning and four hours in the evening. A general medical practitioner and a nursing assistant with minimal furniture and facilities is enough.
This MI room can provide to anyone, and specially the poor among the unorganized labour just the initial examination of the patient and prescribing of common medicines. If a test is essential it can be prescribed and the person can get it done either from government hospital (if it is convenient and available!) or private center. For more serious cases the person can be referred to the next level of government hospital or if the patient requests to a private nursing home.The main advantage would be the saving of high consultation fee. One important fall out would be that many such persons, who avoid going to doctor until the case becomes serious, would visit the MI room as soon they get ill. The health statistics would become more reliable as more cases would come on record.

A call from a Muslim to Muslims

A Muslim wrote this on Internet.
“I have to admit that our current Islamic teaching creates violence and hatred toward Non-Muslims. We Muslims are the ones who need to change. We have never had a clear and strong stand against the concept of slavery or wars, to spread our religion and to subjugate others to Islam and force them to pay a humiliating tax called Jizia. We ask others to respect our religion while all the time we curse non-Muslims loudly (in Arabic) in our Friday prayers in the Mosques.
Muslims denounce terrorist attacks to look good in front of the media, but condone the Islamic terrorists and either sympathise with their cause or just keep silent. Till now our religious authorities have never issued a Fatwa to proclaim Bin Laden as an apostate, while an author, like Rushdie, was declared an apostate who should be killed according to Islamic Shariia law just for writing a book criticizing Islam.
Our religious leaders have to show a clear and very strong stand against polygamy, pedophilia, slavery, killing those who convert from Islam to other religions, beating of women by men, and declaring wars on non-Muslims to spread Islam.”
Would the moderate amongst the Muslim community take up this ‘change of attitude’ task? Would they have the courage to face the opposition from their religious leaders?

Make this our Political Agenda

Make this our Political Agenda
This is what a foreign visitor wrote about our great country after a few visits.
“In my opinion the filth, squalor and all around pollution indicates a marked lack of respect for India by Indians. I don’t know how cultural the filth is, but it’s really beyond anything I have ever encountered.
At times the smells, trash, refuse and excrement are like a garbage dump. Right next door to the Taj Mahal was a pile of trash that smelled so bad, was so foul as to almost ruin the entire Taj experience. Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai, to a lesser degree, were so very polluted as to make me physically ill. Sinus infections, ear infection, bowels churning were an all too common experience in India. Dung, be it goat, cow or human fecal matter, was common on the streets.
In major tourist areas filth was everywhere, littering the sidewalks and the roadways. Toilets in the middle of the road, men urinating and defecating anywhere, in broad daylight were common sight. Whole villages are plastic bag wastelands. Roadsides are choked by it. Air quality that can hardly be called fit for breathing. Far too much coal and too few unleaded vehicles on the road. The measure should be how dangerous the air is for one’s health, not how good it is. People casually throw trash in the streets, on the roads.”
We take a bath everyday, our homes may be clean but we throw away filth all around us. We take holy dips in rivers that we worship, God knows on how many festival days. But we dump everything and anything in the same river. We have paper tigers burning effigies of anyone who goes against what we consider is against our ‘culture’ but do nothing to make our country clean, green and filth-free.
Here is a suggestion that I know will be laughed at. All political parties loosing a state or central election should earmark for one full year for all members and supporters to spend in cleaning our country of filth and educating citizens by example. During this period there should be no political agitation of any kind by them. Only the top leadership should attack the party in power in the center and states in the respective assemblies for policies and decisions that they consider wrong. If just Shrimati Sonia Gandhi and Shri Gadkari take the initiative, other party heads will fall in line. I appeal to them just do it for one year and see the difference.