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[1] From: Regi P George <george_regi@yahoo.com> Date: Mon Nov 7, 2005 Subject: Real India needs real answers ?? Sunita Narayan Real India needs real answers ?? Sunita Narayan Pali is a textile town deep in water-scarce Rajasthan. It is well known for the cloth it produces. But it is even better known for the filth it also produces, best seen in the colours in its mostly dry river, the Bandi. Pali's pollution, and the protest of residents and neighbouring farmers, is part of the environmental movements of this country. The protests resulted in the setting up of a common effluent treatment plant, one of the first in India. This town has reinvented the polluter pays principle. It charges a 'pollution cess' on every bale of cloth to pay for its water treatment costs. It should have been the story of successful pollution management. It should have taught us how small textile dying units, located in water-scarce areas, can mitigate environmental stress. Pali should have been textbook material. But this is not the case. Farmers continue to cry for clean water, demanding their right to cultivate. So what is the problem? Visiting the town I learnt that Pali is still textbook material. It is a case study of how pollution by small factories, owned by the relatively less rich, using technologies that aren't state-of-the-art, can destroy the homes and livelihoods of the even lesser rich. How the poor can become the enemies of the poorer. Pali, ultimately, is about the poverty of India where answers to pollution will have to be reinvented. Small-scale units are vastly superior to their powerful competitors in the large-scale and organised sector because they provide jobs. But they are relatively poor: in technology, in money to invest in efficiency and pollution control. They all operate in the unorganized sector. Some operate illegally. The problem is these units vastly pollute. Pali is in a region that, even in the best of times, is starved of water. Its only river is a seasonal drain. But the little water it gets in the monsoon is critical since the aquifer gets recharged. Wells fill up. Farmers have some water to grow crops. In this region, there is no scope for pollution. There is no water here that will wash away colour and chemical sins. Here, the chemical becomes the river. It becomes the irrigation water. It fills up the seasonal river with poison, which then seeps into underground aquifers and into the wells. This is the challenge of pollution by the relatively poorer, in the land of the poor. What about pollution control? Hardware exists: Pali has three common effluent treatment plants that can treat 22.4 million litres of wastewater daily. The local administration told me they have asked industry to build more plants to treat waste. They also plan to relocate illegal units to an industrial estate. I was told of plans - without deadlines - to build, repair and renovate town drains. The industry association says, in turn, existing plants are efficient, meeting standards. But the industry needs to find better technologies to further reduce pollution. The association says little research exists on cost-effective ways to rid water of colour and chemicals. It says they are doing their best. Farmers of the region do not believe this. They say their river is poison, and this has, in turn, destroyed their fields. They wanted me to see. We drove for an hour along the river, downstream of the town, for 50 kilometres. What I saw shook even the experienced drain-inspector in me. The river was only chemical. The water smelt toxic. Its banks were caked with sludge. A farmer whose field adjoined the river said he could not use his well anymore. To test, I took a little sample. My hands soon smelt of a chemical and began to itch. Clearly there was something in this water. In a 2004 survey of pollution in Pali, the Central Groundwater Board found that pollution has seeped into the underground lifelines of the region; that chemicals have invaded wells. Remember, this is a region where farmers will kill for a little water. Consider, then, what happens when water cannot be used because it is contaminated. It breaks the economy of the region. It drives farmers to desperation. Pollution anywhere is terrible. But in Pali, pollution is deadly and shattering. The pollution control game can never come true. Drains are never completed and even as illegal units are relocated or closed down, more come up in its place. All this while, the river shrinks. The factories use groundwater. The river gets lesser recharge. It only gets the chemicals the factories discharge. In other words, it cannot assimilate any more waste. Pali needs a plan that can work fast. First, it must estimate the quantum of pollution. Even today, after years of investment and planning in pollution control, nobody really knows how much waste the town generates, and so, how much pollution it must treat. Second, Pali must map the drains that bring the waste to the river, so that it can be intercepted and taken to the effluent treatment plants. All the waste should be trapped - official or illegal. Currently, no one knows how much waste the main drain - the Gandhi Nagar drain; surely an ironic reference to the Father of the Nation - carries, and how to treat its effluents before it joins the river. Instead, all plans focus on refurbishing the drain upstream - until the drain is picture-perfect, pollution cannot be controlled. The difficult part is to completely treat the effluents so that the dry river gets water and not waste. This is the real challenge. This is where new technology is desperately needed. This is where we need science, not rocket science but real science: to find answers for poor industries, in poor areas, to combat pollution cheaply. Pali is not just about rogue industry and wretched farmers. It is about the failure of modern society to find answers for the real India. -Sunita Narain < editor@... > ------------------------ [2] From: yogi sikand <ysikand@yahoo.com> Date: Mon Nov 7, 2005 4 Subject: Quake Aid and Lashkar Politics ysikand Quake Aid and Lashkar Politics Yoginder Sikand According to news reports, militant Islamist groups, most notably the deadly Lashkar-i Tayyeba, are playing a major role in providing relief to thousands of survivors of the deadly earthquake that struck Kashmir and parts of Pakistan??s North-West Frontier Province last month. It is feared that this new role adopted by these groups might provide them with new sources of recruitment and funding for their ultimate jihadist agenda. So it seems from the claims being made in the online magazine Ghazwah (www.jamatuddawa.org), the official organ of the Jama???at ud-Dawa (JuD), the parent body of the Lashkar, the new avatar of the Markaz Da??wat wa??l-Irshad that changed its name soon after the events of 11 September 2001 fearing international repression for its consistent support to Osama bin Laden. Read the full article at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Mahajanapada/message/8328 --------------------------- [3] From: yogi sikand <ysikand@yahoo.com> Date: Mon Nov 7, 2005 Subject: Conflict in Gilgit-Baltistan (Pak-Admin Kashmir): Two Articles Two articles on the brewing violence and conflict in Gilgit-Baltistan, in Pakistan-administered Kashmir:: Read the full article at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Mahajanapada/message/8325 -------------------------- [4] From: Regi P George <george_regi@yahoo.com> Date: Mon Nov 7, 2005 Subject: A K Antony and Congress try to rewrite Indian History Dear Nandakumar Nair >>>>>>>>>>> More importantly, he is known as a straightforward politician and carries a name unsullied by the usual murkiness of Indian politics. >>>>>>>>>>>> Antony was the political leader who co-coordinated Vimochana Samaram (Liberation Struggle) against an elected communist govt. with the support of all religious and communal outfits of kerala irrespective of thier religious identity. This is the beginning of religion and communal aliments entry to Kerala politics. Antony still enjoys all these communal elements support in politics more than any other political leader of Kerala. Antony's Vimochana Samaram -These are the same days students USED for political motives and Antony is the single leader who taught keralites in the name of this same strike how to destroy public property. Still antony carry his flimsy stand on communal politics he is much familiar to kerala politics for supporting Sangparivar and RSS and for having softness to RSS agenda in Kerala. Antony named Indira "Bharatha Yakshi" (Indian Ghost) on post emergency period. He split congress in Kerala and his groups aligned with the communists to form a new front in Kerala at that time but after few years he realised Indira will be more powerful in Indian politics and in congress than any other leader he move back to congress without giving any reason for his departure from the left front. Antony is notorious for his statements like Minorities should obey the whip of majority in a country like India and the term Hindutva hurts our majority communities feelings (at the time when West Bengal Education minister called for an all state minister of Education meet to protest against Parivar Agenda in Education under Vajpey govt.) Antony as an ACC senior leader still keep good relation with Sangparivar; He keep an eye on Indian Presidents post after Kalams term or bit more later to get himself as a common candidate for this post he keeping his relation the best with sangparivar. Antony as an individual never visited his mother properly at her home but after her death many times he visited her graveyard with arranged journalists and photographers support and felt unconscious at site. His wife is a manager in public sector bank. As chief minister, MLA, MP, Cabinet Minister in Central Govt. he is earning good salary or pension along with his wife??s income but appear in the media as very poor financially. Many times he used this kind of jimmicks for his political mileage and sympathy from the public to reach the top position with an Ideal leaders name. Antony was Chief minister to Kerala for 3times and each term end with 2 different communal riots each. He is notorious for using all rightwing media support for jimmicks. Ommen Chandi the current Chiefminister of Kerala is notorious for practicing a political carrier of Pro-sangparivar was antonys main broker with Sangparivar. Antony, K. Karunakaran, Ommen Chandy, Ramesh Chennithala are few old and new congress leaders notorious for Sangparivar relations. Ramesh Chennithala the present KPCC President year??s back was a poor tutorial college Hindi teacher today his property includes laxurious apartment in Delhi with swimming pool. Vineyards in Karnataka and he is very notorious for illicit relation with liquor lobby in Karnataka and Kerala. Only the recent congress return to power at Delhi made Chennithala rethinking to stay back in congress from crossing his political carrier to Sangparivar. nandakumar nair <unnair@...> wrote: A K Antony and Congress try to rewrite Indian History Nandakumar Nair All over India the Congress Party observed the passing of Mrs. Indira Gandhi. She was tragically killed this day in 1984. And at the 21st anniversary meeting held in Trivandrum Mr. Antony made a speech that ought to make every thinking Indian stare in disbelief. ------------------- [5] From: yogi sikand <ysikand@yahoo.com> Date: Mon Nov 7, 2005 Subject: MAU RIOTS: ANOTHER REPORT Here is a second report on the recent violence in Mau, eastern UP, by a fact-finding team consisting of Rooprekha Verma, Vibhuti Narain Rai and Nasiruddin Haider Khan MAU RIOTS: A REPORT Prof. Rooprekha Verma Vibhuti Narain Rai & Nasiruddin Haider Khan Read the full article at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Mahajanapada/message/8331 ----------------------- [6] Sukla Sen <suklasen@yahoo.com> Collapsing Berlin Wall: Myth or Reality? http://us.rediff.com/news/2005/nov/07quake.htm?q=tp&file=.htm India, Pakistan open first point on LoC November 07, 2005 14:02 IST Last Updated: November 07, 2005 15:03 IST Army officers from India and Pakistan on Monday shook hands and exchanged pleasantries at the frontier point Chakhan-Da-Bag as the first of the three points on the Line of Control was opened for earthquake relief work. Brigadier A K Bakshi and his Pakistani counterpart Tahir Naqvi exchanged white flags and hugged each other as hundreds of locals and scores of journalists converged on both sides of the divide for the landmark occasion. Emotional locals from both sides then took over as they rushed to talk and embrace their near and dear ones separated for half a century. Indian and Pakistani scribes were also seen hugging each other and clicking photographs. "It's a good feeling," Army officer Santanu Ghose said after shaking hands with Pakistani Colonel Ali Khan across the white ribbon marking the LoC. India and Pakistan had decided to open three points on the LoC to facilitate relief work in the wake of the October 8 quake which devastated both sides of Kashmir killing thousands of people. The crossing point at Kaman in Uri will open on November 9 while Tithwal in Tangdhar on November 10. All the three points were to open on Monday but opening the other two points were delayed due to non-completion of work, including laying and clearing roads of landslide debris and de-mining in the area. Relief material for the earthquake victims will be sent through these crossing points and people would be able to cross the LoC once their names are approved by both sides. "Today, we will transport relief material across the LoC," Divisional Commissioner of Jammu region, B L Sharma said. He added that trucks carrying rice, tents and medicines, have lined up on the Indian side and soon Pakistani trucks will cross over and offload the material. Shortly after the official ceremony, some anxious moments were witnessed on the other side as people rushed to relief point in the hope of meeting their relatives, forcing Pakistani security forces to fire tear gas shells to control the mob. Brigadier Bakshi said: "People have expressed their happiness. We have to control them. But it should not be seen as something wrong has happened." A senior police official from Jammu said that the arrangements on the Indian side were clear and it had been conveyed through the media that people wouldn't be allowed to cross over on Monday. "Probably there was some confusion on the other side and we saw many people had gathered and it was getting difficult to control them. The police on the other side had to use tear gas and fire in the air," he said. Indian officials, meanwhile, said the divided families would not be able to meet immediately as only relief material would be ferried across the LoC as of now. The divided families will have to wait for another 5-7 days as those wishing to go to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir would have to go to the regional passport office first to seek clearance, Sharma said. He said the process was likely to take up to a week. ------------------- [7] From: "Asha Shahed" <ashahed45@hotmail.com> Date: Tue Nov 8, 2005 Subject: RE: [indiathinkersnet] Temple denies entry to US Hindu convert ashahed45@hotmail.com Well said Shuklaji Asha >From: "I. K. Shukla" > > > >A religion which is perpetually afraid of being polluted and extinct by >human interaction does not deserve to exist at all. How can it ever be of >any help to humans when it is all the times shuddering in fear from human >contact? Such religion pollutes and pulverizes humanity, and must be >discarded as trash, unhealthy for body and deleterious for mind, a disgrace >to civilization, a disaster for culture. > > ------------------------ [8] From: Regi P George <george_regi@yahoo.com> Date: Mon Nov 7, 2005 Subject: Is Avian Flu Another Pentagon Hoax? Tamiflu ?? a Worthless Drugby F. William Engdahl, Germany ???Gilead is fortunate to have had Don Rumsfeld as a stalwart board member since the company??s earliest days, and we are very pleased that he has accepted the Chairmanship,??? Dr. Riordan said. ???He has played an important role in helping to build and steer the company. His broad experience in leadership positions in both industry and government will serve us well as Gilead continues to build its commercial presence.??? The full article at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Mahajanapada/message/8334 |
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