I Save Lives Daily!

"I save lives daily."
Are you a doctor?
No, because I am a vegetarian!

Do see the documentary 'Our Daily Bread" by Nikolaus Geyrhalter. This silent documentary is a powerful depiction of how the food industry - vegetarian as well as meat- works in a high tech manner. Sensitivities of the animals are of least concern as we have a bigger task ahead: feed the humanity!

Recession Time in USA: Airline for Pets!

The USA and the whole world is under economic recession. So is the news I hear all around and I am not doubting the veracity of this either! I am not an economic expert, but I can feel that the way jobs are being lost.

Whatever, but come July 2009 and you will see an airline service being launched exclusively for animals. Yes, for pets only! Pet Airways will fly only animals!
The website declares: "A Pet Airline where pets fly in the main cabin, NOT in cargo."
Sounds wonderful!

Without offending animal lovers and animal right activists, I am amused at this news.
The web link is: http://www.petairways.com/

Indian Doctors in Trap in USA.

1. California based Indian doctor -Sandeep kapoor- has been charged in Anna Nicole death case.

2. Dr Sushil Sheth of Illinois was recently charged in defrauding Medicare and Insurance companies. The details.

What a Simile: Corruption Vs Vegetarianism

The other day I was talking to one of my colleagues Vidya who grew up in USA but has keen knowledge of India and its affairs. The conversation veered towards democracy and ways to strengthen it. She obviously is very familiar with the corruption-infested Indian system. She even said that donating money for charitable cause in India is like putting money in a bag and throwing it in water: no one knows where it will end up. When I countered that despite all these odds, Indian has to come up with a credible system of deliverance if our democracy is to survive.

Our conversation continued. Not very impressed that corruption can be uprooted from India, she added: "Removing corruption from Indian system is like converting Americans to vegetarianism."

I could not help laughing , but her observation has merit. Corruption has become a way of life for us. Undeniably, it has its pitfalls.

Moribund Judiciary means Limping Democracy

A person becomes sick and his condition is worsening rapidly. His family members take him to the emergency department of the local civil hospital. If it takes 3 days (I am just throwing up a number) for the emergency department to assess him and take next step, will you call it an effective Emergency Services? No, rather this will be a blot on the very term 'Emergency'. If it takes courts years to decide a case of murder, will you call it a functional judiciary? Not at all!

The very concept of a democracy is existent on basic premise: where there is injustice, there shall be a redressal system. Hence, judiciary is sine-qua-non for a meaningful democracy. A sleepy and exhausted judicial system will result in a limping democracy. And that is precisely what is happening in India! The slow and over-burdened judicial system has failed to take adequate care of the grievances of the citizens. If a murder trial takes years to decide, it is tantamount to pushing the aggrieved party to immense physical and mental torture, leave alone punishing the victim to the desired extent.

Think about it! Where does lie the problem? Before I go into these issues, let me throw up a few common scenarios:

1. Why do we have paucity of judges? When a district has number of hospitals (main civil hospitals to Community hospitals to Primary Health Centers) and hundreds of doctors to cater to the health needs of its population, can a single-digit number of judges tackle the legal health of the district?
   

   Why judges are such a scarcity? Rather why such a crisis is produced? Why judges are made such a precious commodity? Are they very costly to the system? No, they are like other gazetted officers, essentially affordable. It deifies any logicthat our judicial system is so severely understaffed.
   

   I remember a car accident involving my family member took 3 full years to be decided in a Haryana court. This is simply ridiculous. Looking at the pace of the case, I got a feeling that the whole judicial system had adopted a sadistic attitude, where both parties suffer endlessly. Believe me, it is totally un-necessary. We as a state and country can afford to make our judicial system more efficient.
   

2. There is a perception that the judiciary has not been aloof from the virus of corruption. It raises more doubts when it is left to the State government to select judges for the district and lower courts.
   

   The solutions:
   

   1. Obviously, we need more courts and more judges to expedite the cases. A paralyzed judiciary is a great deterrent to the functional democracy.
      
   2. The judges should be selected by a centralized judicial commission and out- of - state postings should be a norm even at the lower courts.
      
   3. The judiciary should be free from political interference.
      

      A healthy judicial system will help our democracy to be more mature and transparent.

Tamilnadu Foundation Banned in USA

Today in a sensational news Times of India reports that the US has slapped sanctions on the charity group "amil Foundation"for its alleged involvement in fund-raising for banned LTTE. The Foundation has been designated under "Executive Order 13224", which "targets terrorists and those providing support to terrorists or acts of terrorism," the US Department of Treasury said in a press statement. The foundation is accused of raising money in the US in the name of charities, which ultimately ended up in the hands of LTTE.

It may be noted that Tamil Nadu foundation has been operating as a not for profit (NGO in Indian parlance) in America for many years and many of its Directors on the Board are well-established professionals (doctors, engineers). Dr.S.Palanisamy ( an MD) is its President. Others include: Vice-Presidents: Dr. S. Deivanayagam from Cookeville, TN (Tennesse), Dr. Parimala NathanTampa, FL 33647, Mrs. Mani ManoharanPittsburg, PA 15241. The Secretary is: Mr. P.K. Aravazhi from Naperville, IL 60564 (Ph: 630-430-2158).
The website is http://www.tnfusa.org/boardofdirectors.html but I am sure the website will close down sooner than later.

TN Foundation states its objectives as:
"NF's objective is to help promote educational, social and other charitable projects in Tamil Nadu as part of a humble attempt by its members to share their fortunes with less fortunate people.It's aim and objectives are distinctly different from those of the local cultural organizations. In fact TNF is the only organization in the world that is entirely devoted to the promotion of economic, and social welfare of the people of Tamil Nadu.What was started as a small attempt by a few individuals to offer their contributions to Tamil Nadu has evolved into a well-developed foundation through the dedication of several members throughout USA."
It is hard to say what went wrong, but some of the patrons and donors may not be knowing what had been happening!

5 Newborns Die in a Punjab Hospital as Fire Breaks Out!

In a bizzare and tragic incident on January 31, 2009 five babies were burnt to death while receiving photo-therapy for jaundice ( generally a benign condition in newborns) in a neonatal unit at Rajendra Hospital in Patiala. Rajendra Hospital is a medical college hospital, run by Punjab Government.

The five new born babies were burnt alive and two others were seriously injuried when the incubators they were kept in caught fire. A total of 10 children, undergoing treatment for jaundice were kept in phototherapy units. Reportedly, a short circuit in the wires of the machine resulted in the fire, charring five infants to death including three boys and two girls.

In the aftermath, After suspending four officials, including a staff nurse, junior doctor and principal of Rajendra medical College Hospital - Minister for Health Education,Punjab, Tikshan Sood has taken the moral responsibility for factors, both under and beyond control, that led to tragic demise of five children yesterday. Mr. Sood -a BJP MLA- has reportedly resigned. Good step at least!
Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, has expressed sadness at the death of five infants . A sum of Rupees 1 lakh from the Prime Minsiter Relief Fund has been sanctioned for each of the families of the victims.

The Story of India by Michael Wood

It took one Richard Attenborough to create a masterpiece on Mahatma Gandhi. Now we have another Britisher - Michael Wood- who has produced another marvellous creation on what we call India: "The Story of India" was recently aired on PBS as a 6 series documentary ( 6 hours) over 3 phases. Nothing could be more exhilarating and titillating! The story has been done after extensive historical research. The official website describes it as: "In this landmark six-part series for PBS and the BBC, Michael Wood will embark on a dazzling and exciting journey through today's India, "seeking in the present for clues to her past, and in the past for clues to her future". Its producer Wood is also a historian ( did post-graduate research in Anglo-Saxon history. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society).
Interestingly when some of the Indian historians have tried to create a kind of identity-crisis for India and Indians by un-necessarily inflating and in the process distorting some of the historical issues (Mogul rule for example), Wood has charmingly done a great service by taking a right perspective at its old civilisations and coursing though the various historical periods. A brilliant master-stroke, indeed!
Please click at the link to the official website. The DVD is available on amazon and other e- commercial sites.

Obama's message to Islamic Clergy

In his Presidential Inaugural address, Obama called upon the Islamic leaders and clergy to address the issue of Islamic terrorism. He without mincing words, said: "People will remember you for what you buils, and not for what you destroy". That I believe sums up the entire debate! The frustation, anger and feelings of marginalization may be there in the youth of other cultures and religion too, but that does not mean that you pick up bombs and kill people and destroy buildings!
Instead of alienating the troubled mind, engage them in dialogue! For sure! If that seems to be the approach of Mr. Obama, there may still be a hope!

Child Labor: A Blot on India

The one difference which you clearly notice when you go out of India towards the West is that you do not see children working in restraurents, coffee- shops, shops and factories! In India, the site is so common that we become immune to the fact that kids are doing the work which they should not be doing! We employ kids as domestic help to help our kids, hire them at work places. This is nothing less than exploiting the kid and rob him/her of a meaningful future! The issue is complex and strict regulations nedd to be enforced to abolish the child labor practice. To quote the article reproduced below: "NGOs working for children, point out that such exploitation goes unabated because there is no shock or outrage in society that children are at work and not in school. The tolerance of child labour is so pervasive that it gets internalised by parents too."
This article appeared in The Tribune.

Without a future Movement to end child labour
by Usha Rai
The Mumbai terror attack and the discussions on it in Parliament when it opened for the winter session drowned another kind of tyranny that is keeping a staggering 12.6 million children in our country, some of them as young as five and six years, shackled to child labour. India has the dubious distinction of having the largest number of child workers in the world.
So some 1,500 people, including NGOs, MPs, MLAs, bureaucrats, sarpanches heading village education committees, corporates, trade union representatives, educationists as well as children who have been pulled out of the labour force, got together in the Capital to work out their agenda for getting every child into school. Spearheading the movement for “Abolition of child labour and right to education” were the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), UNICEF and the ILO.
It was one of the biggest national conventions of its kind and came at the end of eight state consultations on providing dignity and freedom to children by ensuring their education. In fact, the very strong statement that went out was that every child who is not in school is a child worker.
But the terror of the moment kept the media from giving due attention to the larger terror that millions of children face every day of their lives working not just in hazardous industries but even as domestic help in homes where even 60 years after our Independence they continue to be treated as slaves and are beaten.
The British have left India but the baba log culture prevails with the less privileged children carrying school bags of the more fortunate babas.
In fact, what is hazardous is to be out of the protective environment of school. An estimated 75 million children neither go to school nor to work. They are domestic child workers, street children, migrants and are called “no where children.”
The strong anti-child labour sentiments that echoed through two days of deliberations led to an assurance at the conference by Minister for Women and Child Development, Renuka Chowdhury that the distinction between hazardous and non-hazardous jobs would cease.
It was also an epoch-making convention because it was unanimously agreed that all those below 18 years should be categorised as children. So far different policies in the country have variously defined “children” as those below 14, 16 or 18.
The demand for equity and quality in education was voiced by children from across the country. The lack of high schools in villages, adequate number of teachers (in Orissa 40,000 posts of teacher need to be filled) and basic facilities like school furniture, drinking water and toilets was raised.
Voicing concern for their less fortunate brethren, representatives of 200 children at the conference pointed out, “What is our future without education? Who will employ us?” Ending child labour and getting every child into school should be “non-negotiable.” There should be no dithering on these two issues which are interlinked.
While Renuka Chowdhury went all out to endorse the demand and even announced that her ministry would come out with a logo that could be put on products that did not employ children, the Minister of State for Labour and the Minister for Rural Development, Oscar Fernandes and Raghuvansh Prasad, skirted the issue of ending child labour.
It is not really possible to end child labour without ending poverty was their excuse at the conference and there was a chorus of protests. It is, in fact, child labour which is shackling children to a life of poverty, retorted NGOs.
The eight national commissions too, including those representing the minorities, the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes as well as the safai karamcharies issued a joint statement that they wanted total abolition of child labour whether rendered for an employer, middleman or one’s own family up to the age of 18.
There is an explosive demand for education among the poor today. Parents, even among the poorest, are not only capable of sending their children to formal day schools but are willing to do so.
This has been amply demonstrated in Andhra Pradesh, where thanks to the pioneering work of the MV Foundation, 1,500 villages have been declared free of child labour. Every child in these villages goes to school, the village panchayat monitors their attendance and the parents are proud of their children. In fact, the parents of these erstwhile child labourers are making enormous sacrifices to see that education of their children is not disrupted until they finish at least class 10.
They talk with pride about the transformation of their child from a child labourer to a student. As against the parental demand for education, there is the more powerful force of the market that prefers child labour because it is a source of cheap labour. Children can be forced to work for long hours in sub-human conditions of work.
Their exploitation goes unseen under the garb of ‘charity’ as if the employer was doing a favour to the child in employing and keeping him or her alive. NGOs working for children, point out that such exploitation goes unabated because there is no shock or outrage in society that children are at work and not in school. The tolerance of child labour is so pervasive that it gets internalised by parents too.

We Crooked Indians: Mera Bharat Mahan!!

The Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich has of course brought shame to the people of Illinois and USA. What is stunning is that he has blatantly indulged in corruption and fraud, arrogance running to the extent that he did not even pause to think that he is under the scanner of FBI. Day before the arrest, he told the media that he had sunlight over his head! Rod was doing all kinds of manipulations, but what is more embarrassing is the story that is he was planning to sell the Obama seat (senate seat vacated by Obama as he became President- elect of USA).
Indians make a good pesence in Chicago and obviously are an influential community. In the events that are unfolding now, a number of Indians have been quoted by Chicago Tribune- a leading newspaper of the area- who were colluding with US Representative Jesse Jackson to help him 'buy' the seat by doing fund raising for him. The Indian names quoted in the story are: Raghu Nayak, Harish Bhatt, Rajinder Singh Bedi, Jatinder Singh Bedi (editor of Indian Reporter).
A shame for we Indians. Note that these guys often find place in Indian circle because they are rich, they are inluential.
We Indians leave India to find greener pastures, but what we never leave is the crookedness, manipulative habits and of cours our immutable traits of caste-identification. We live in USA, but never refrain from identifying ourselves as Punjabis, Gujratis, Tamil, Bengali, Telugu, etc. We are no more in India, consider ourselves as progressives, but will join socities based upon caste and region. We are region- philic first, Indians last!
Link to this story in Chicago Tribune.
PS: In an unprecedented move, Attorney General of Illinois , Lisa Madigan has moved the Supreme Court of Illinois to strip off Governor from his responsibility. That is remarkable. In India, politicians of all hue and color will join hands together to serve their interests first!

MJ Akbar laments

Noted Indian journalist and commentator, Mr. M J Akbar expressed his opinion after the recent Mumbai terrorism attack:

" I am very sad. I keep feeling that if they protect India as they protect their leaders -- whether it is Prime Minister Manmohan Singh or Congress President Sonia Gandhi -- I think I would be safe. Today, India's leaders are safe and India is in panic."

Welcome Initiative from Indian Muslims Scholars

"I have heard that the terrorists were avenging the demolition of the Babri Masjid, the Gujarat riots and other issues. But, we (Indian Muslims) have never asked for any kind of help from outside India. We don't ask for help, we don't complain to outsiders. We are living in a secular country. Whatever we want to say, we will tell our Prime Minister, our Cabinet ministers. It makes no sense to talk about our issues to outsiders. Why are others coming here and taking up our issues? We don't need them."

How heart- warming! These are the words of Mr. Kamal Faruqui, well-known leader and founder member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, who had organised a seminar to launch the movement in New Delhi , where each speaker emphasised that it was time to stand up and be counted.

Similarly, Mr. Faruqui added: "Indian Muslims must come out of self-denial.
Read the whole news- piece at this link from Rediff news portal.

Civic Engagement

key words when we talk about society, community and its empowerment:
1. Civic engagement
2. Community Development
3. Peace and social justice: Human rights, civil society and governance

Civic Engagement : Wikipedia gives a good narration of this concept.
"Civic engagement" can mean not only a set of actions and efforts, but a feeling of belonging, an experience of investment and ownership in the local, regional, national, and/or international political communities to which citizens belong. According to the New York Times , "Civic engagement means working to make a difference in the civic life of our communities and developing the combination of knowledge, skills, values and motivation to make that difference."

Beginning in 2001, a major international research initiative on civic engagement was initiated by the Global Service Institute (GSI) at the Center for Social Development, at Washington University in St. Louis to more carefully define this term.
Forms:
Civic engagement can take many forms— from individual volunteerism to organizational involvement to electoral participation. It can include efforts to directly address an issue, work with others in a communityy to solve a problem or interact with the institutions of representative democracy.
Activities:
In a study published by the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement at the University of Maryland researchers developed a quantifiable definition of civic engagement. The following measure is based on 19 measures of civic engagement, which is divided into 3 categories: civic, electoral, and political voice.
Measures of Civic Engagement:

a] Civic b] Electoral c] Political Voice

Thomas Ehrlich says:
"Educational attainment is a powerful predictor of civic engagement. The more education people have, the more likely it is that they will participate in civic affairs."
He further adds: Voice and Equality analyzed nine types of political activity: voting, campaign work, campaign contributions, contacting an official, protests, informal community work, membership on a local board, affiliation with a political organization, and contribution to a political cause. One could debate the presence or absence of one or more categories on this list, but in sum they reflect the range of activities that make our democracy work.

To summarize in simple words, Civic Engagement means as the organization PACE puts:
Civic Engagement:"There are many ways in which people participate in civic, community and political life and, by doing so, express their engaged citizenship. From volunteering to voting, from community organizing to political advocacy, the defining characteristic of active civic engagement is the commitment to participate and contribute to the improvement of one’s community, neighborhood and nation."

New adjectives for Pakistan

Given its role in Jehadi terrorism, Pakistan has been painted in media in last several years with various descriptions:

Hub of terrorism, a rogue nation, a failed state and Time described as 'the most dangerous nation on earth'.

In wake of Mumbai terrorist attack last week which was carried out by -as the evidence suggest so far- by Pakistani Jehadi terrorists- western media has coined 2 new phrases to the list:

1) Madeline Albright has called Pakistan 'an International Migraine'.
2) "Intersection of nuclear weapons and terrorism."

The US media has said that next attack in US will originate in Pakistan. Click over here to read the news-item.

Reservation Largesse continues!

In last many weeks, India witnessed another impasse over reservation issue. The Gujjar community was at agitation over the demand for catse-based reservation in Rajasthan. The sordid tale of evnts ended only after the state BJP government bowed to their demands and granted them 5 % reservation.

When will this bogey of reservation end? Tomorrow another community will make an uprise and try to shoot the administration in the eyes! Whereas India needs a long term solution to get rid of this caste-based reservation, we are witnessing largesses being distributed! This speaks volumes of our lack of long term vision, pragmatism and an indirect admission of caste-based realities of Indian (Hindu) society! I am not against reservation for socially disadvantages people: they need to be assisted for the upliftment, but I am of the firm belief that this catse -based reservation must be phased out with a more coherent and pragmatic policy replacing it!

And one more point: The fact that BJP agreed to this arrangement is more disappointing! BJP calls herself a party with a difference and takes pride in nationalism and national integration! So much for that cause!

World Health Day

Today -April 7- is World Health Day. This year's theme is: "Protecting Health from Climate Change". In 2008, World Health Day focuses on the need to protect health from the adverse effects of climate change. WHO selected this theme in recognition that climate change is posing ever growing threats to global public health security.

A WHO press release on this occasion says: "Climate change will erode foundations of health".
WHO Director-General warns vulnerable populations at greatest risk of projected impacts. Read the full story....

Peace-Makers

Andrea Riccardi founded a religious community -Sant'Egidio- in 1968 when he was just 28 years old without big plans: pray together and aid the poor. Now his community has grown into a big international organization so much so that they broker peace. When there is so much unrest, violence and hatred and divide in the world, who listens to the likes of Riccardi? Well, he says: " We all are volunteers. Our lack of vested interest gives us moral authority". That is so aptly said! For details about his work, please visit http://www.santegidio.org

Vegetarians: Keep in Mind

Being vegetarian has an advantage. More so if you are a Lacto-ovo vegetarian (one who consumes milk products as well as eggs)! Veganism- they typically reject milk and milk products and eggs- does pose some health concerns.
Lacto-ovo vegetarians, who consume dairy products or eggs, usually present with few nutritional concerns, according to Jatinder Bhatia, M.D., FAAP, a member the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Committee on Nutrition. "Studies show that the growth of (lacto-ovo) children are pretty equal to those who eat regular diets," Dr. Bhatia said.

Now if you are a vegetarian, what are the concerns? There are concerns that you may develop some nutritional deficiencies.

1. According to the AAP Pediatric Nutrition Handbook, iron is by far the nutrient most commonly deficient in vegetarian and vegan children. This is in part because iron sources in meatless diets are nonheme and plant-based, which are less bioavailable than the heme iron found in meat.

Solution: You may have to be careful to consume more items that are iron-rich, like apple, guava, jaggery (commonly available in developing nations).

2.Another common deficiency is vitamin B-12, which is found only in animal products. Therefore, youths who do not eat dairy products, eggs or meat should take a supplement or consume foods fortified with the vitamin.

3. For example, low calcium and vitamin D intake in childhood, possibly due to a vegan diet, can lead to a lifetime of weak bones and an increased risk of fractures. Adequate consumption of certain vitamins and minerals, therefore, is crucial during these formative years. This may not be a problem in lacto-ovo vegetarians, though!

And advantages of being a vegetarian: Plentiful, indeed!

Here is a summation:

Despite potential nutritional deficiencies, however, a well-balanced vegetarian diet can hold many health benefits over traditionally meat-laden American fare. Vegetarian children take in fewer calories and consume a diet lower in fat and higher in carbohydrates, Dr. Schneider said. Vegetarians also consume more calcium, folate and other nutrients than non-vegetarians, and a plant-based diet can mean vegetarians consume more whole grains, vegetables and fruit, and fewer processed snacks than do their meat-eating counterparts.

"They’re not going to McDonald’s for the burgers and fried chicken," Dr. Schneider said. "They end up with a relatively healthier diet."

Vegetarian families often take more time and effort to plan nutritious meals, and generally tend to emphasize healthy lifestyle choices, Dr. Barsky said. "They know how to approach the diet and they eat more organic foods. They give their children less junk food, make sure the kids are physically active. Most have already done the research about how to best feed their child."

With input from: AAP News (April 2008)

Ganga: Tera Paani Maila (Thy Impure Water)!

Ganga river is considered sacred by Hindus. You will come across legion of devotinal songs dedicated to Ganga and the name itself fills Hindu hearts with a sense of reverence, pride and joy. In this blind devotion to Ganga, we have ignored the fact that holy Ganga has degenrated into an impure and dirty river. As Professor Veer Bhadra Mishra has said: " Science and technology are one bank of the river, and religion,tradition and faith are the other bank of the river. Both the banks need to be firm, and only then can the river maintain the flow." Prof Mishra- former professor of Hydraulic engineering and former Head of the Civil Engineering Department at the Banaras Hindu University- is the founding president of the Sankat Mochan Foundation.
It is indeed a sad commentary on our current state of affairs that we have willfully let Ganga become more and more polluted, given our scientific wisdom! It sounds that there have been acts of omission and commission on part of beaurocracy and thus the current mess!
There is no point in crying hoarse about the glories of our past civilizations and religion if we can not keep pace with the currents of modern times. The purification of Ganga needs a scientific approach. At the same time, it reminds us of the havoc we are playing with mother nature!
The following link is a small story on Dr Mishra's project.