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

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 ?

         

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?

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

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?

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

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

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….