Kasargod is a picturesque district situated in the northern most part of Kerala state bordering the State of Karnataka. It is noted for its beautiful landscapes, mist filled mountains and is blessed with Perennial water supply running across it’s length and breadth and is a ideal tourist Paradise.
During the Course of its development the Cashew farmers in their over eagerness to reap the best out of mother Nature sprinkled deadly doses of the banned Pesticide ‘’Endosulfan’’.
The deadly pesticide not only increased the yield of the cash rich crop but also polluted the land and the water bodies which unleashed a terror amongst the ignorant and poor inhabitants.
Many Persons have been afflicted with Varying symptoms from protruding tongues to the more serious cases of bearing mentally Challenged Children.
There was a lot of debate on banning Endosulfan in Kerala and despite the Strong fertiliser lobby prevalent, the Kerala state Pollution Control Board put its feet down and banned the same in December 2004.
However it is felt that Endosulfan is still used clandestinely in sporadic Parts of Kerala which has led to a spurt in incurable diseases which unfortunately are passed on through the genes to UNSUSPECTING and GULLIBLE future generations for no fault of theirs.
This has galvanised the Ministry of Environment & forests into action and Jairam Ramesh has reportedly taken the cudgels on behalf of scores of afflicted people particularly in the belt of Kasargod.
The repeated interference of Jairam Ramesh in various muddles created by various persons is a welcome Step as it gives us a slim hope that there is atleast one guy who is doing his job to clear the heap of trash dished out by various evil mongers.
To conclude all of us are equally vulnerable to such diseases if we are going to indulge in this Chemical laden cashew as obviously it would be hard enough to detect which ones are treated by this deadly Pesticide. One possible way perhaps is not eat the extra shiny ones and also those which are abnormally bigger in size.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Friday, November 19, 2010
Abetement to Crime
A Person who was in the NOBLE profession of teaching in a reputed Engineering College near Mumbai was exposed by his wife while taking bribes from students to whom study material/answers were Provided while writing exams.
Sensing something was amiss after watching large wads of notes being regularly brought in, the Lecturers wife blew the whistle on this modus operandi and the Lecturer was caught red-handed.
The lady in question did not think twice about her future before getting her husband apprehended by the Police and naturally the Society appreciated this monumental gesture which very few would even attempt to,in these days of high Corruption and low moral standards.
Surprisingly the tables turned when the Police is looking for this lady as according to them she should also be hauled in for not revealing this information ‘’EARLIER’.
This the Police allege resorts to abetement in the Crime.
The bewildered house-wife has reportedly gone into hiding.
Let us shift to the infamous case of the 2- G Spectrum Scam.
This scam had already surfaced in July 2008 when the erstwhile Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy had written a letter to the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh about the irregularities in the allotment of the 2-G Spectrum.
The Supreme Court also has rightly asked about the inordinate delay of almost 2 years from the Prime Ministers end in replying to the Questions asked by Swamy.
The PM might have probably thought that keeping mum would be the best solution and give him enough time to evade the difficult situation that he had landed in.
Would our Police/CBI send a notice of abetement to our ‘’HONOURABLE’’ Prime minister too for refusing to act despite having the knowledge and the proof to nail the ''RAJA'' & his notorious associates????
Sensing something was amiss after watching large wads of notes being regularly brought in, the Lecturers wife blew the whistle on this modus operandi and the Lecturer was caught red-handed.
The lady in question did not think twice about her future before getting her husband apprehended by the Police and naturally the Society appreciated this monumental gesture which very few would even attempt to,in these days of high Corruption and low moral standards.
Surprisingly the tables turned when the Police is looking for this lady as according to them she should also be hauled in for not revealing this information ‘’EARLIER’.
This the Police allege resorts to abetement in the Crime.
The bewildered house-wife has reportedly gone into hiding.
Let us shift to the infamous case of the 2- G Spectrum Scam.
This scam had already surfaced in July 2008 when the erstwhile Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy had written a letter to the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh about the irregularities in the allotment of the 2-G Spectrum.
The Supreme Court also has rightly asked about the inordinate delay of almost 2 years from the Prime Ministers end in replying to the Questions asked by Swamy.
The PM might have probably thought that keeping mum would be the best solution and give him enough time to evade the difficult situation that he had landed in.
Would our Police/CBI send a notice of abetement to our ‘’HONOURABLE’’ Prime minister too for refusing to act despite having the knowledge and the proof to nail the ''RAJA'' & his notorious associates????
Friday, November 12, 2010
Cartoon
It was a Pleasant but humid day in the month of May 1984 when I came across this little pup with fluffy white hair. The little doggy was very playful and I carried it home to show it my family. This later on became a routine affair.
Every time my mother offered it milk & other delicacies but she was apprehensive that the Pup would get acclimatised to us and utilise the daily visits to stay on with us.
None of us were keen to have a pet but the frequent visits slowly and surely transformed or rather melted the hearts of all and sundry and it too enjoyed the love & affection administered on it.
This Pup was full of life but possessed certain eccentric attributes which prompted the kids in the neighbourhood to name it ''CARTOON''.
Time flew and the Pup grew into a robust Dog and one fine day the municipal authorities (mind you in the 1970's & 80's the BMC used to catch all stray dogs without a license & destroy them after keeping them in a Pound for a week) caught him and took him away.
After spending a restless night my brother took the initiative of bringing him back from the pound after paying the Penalty and getting a Dog License from the municipal authorities. Even the Person who wrote his name in the License was amused by the name ’’CARTOON’’ and patted it on its head before handing it over.The joy of coming back from a desolate area was very much obvious and all of us were quite relived to have him back amidst us.
Though Cartoon was feeling uncomfortable at the onset, sporting the new collar coupled with a flashing aluminium license, the adulation which he received from the people in the neighbourhood (he was the only stray wearing the Collar) perhaps, spurred him on.
During the rainy season of 1987 Cartoon was involved in a brawl with another stray which left him with a deep gash on the neck. The wound was very deep and in a drenched condition we could hardly recognise him. My brother cleaned his wounds by bathing him in hot water and I still remember the blood that covered our entire bathroom. For a moment I thought he would not be able to survive but somehow we managed to nurse him back to health.
Even my father who was not at all possessive of animals began to shower his affection and he would follow every one of us the moment we left the house. Cartoon was no longer a stray but became a Part of our family. He was very possessive and the jealousy showed when he openly disapproved our actions of feeding or caressing any other dog in the vicinity.
I still remember a day when the whole family had gone out for a day to a relative’s house. As usual he went to our house in the afternoon for lunch as per his usual practice and started knocking on the locked door with his paws. When the knocking got too hard our neighbour offered it some biscuits and milk. Though hungry he refused to have it and wearing a forlorn look he sat outside the door.
We arrived late at night and gave a now usual whistle to him ,and down he came running breathlessly running the 3 floors in a jiffy and licking every one and barking in a low tone .May be it thought we all had left him behind to fend for itself.
November 15th 1990-Thursday:I saw him from my gallery and though he responded to my call with a little wag of his tail he looked a bit tired. He did not have the food when I bought him upstairs but laid down to rest outside our doorstep. My mother thought it was his usual STYLE of refusing to have food and then eat it when no one noticed him. He did not eat the whole day.
November 16th 1990-Friday:Cartoon could not walk properly, he tried, staggered and fell down awkwardly. Sensing something was very much wrong we took him to a vet who administered an injection.
In the evening he looked calm & composed but showed no signs of improvement.
November 17th 1990-Saturday: Having Slept most of day Cartoon started to wail loudly at night. Even in acute pain whenever my brother caressed him Cartoon kept quiet as if he knew that we were trying our best to ease his discomfort. The whole night seemed very long and nobody slept as the moans began to play on our minds.
November 18th 1990-SUNDAY: The moans continued and eventually around 9.30 am Cartoon left this mortal world as his lifeless body lay still, in my bothers lap bidding a calm good bye to everyone who loved and cared for him.
The Shock of losing Cartoon was immense, the tears refused to stop, the grief was so intense as if someone in the family itself had passed away.
It’s close to 2 decades now since Cartoon passed away but whenever I see any dog the fond and nostalgic memories that we shared together albeit for a brief Period of 6 years comes back to life .....
Every time my mother offered it milk & other delicacies but she was apprehensive that the Pup would get acclimatised to us and utilise the daily visits to stay on with us.
None of us were keen to have a pet but the frequent visits slowly and surely transformed or rather melted the hearts of all and sundry and it too enjoyed the love & affection administered on it.
This Pup was full of life but possessed certain eccentric attributes which prompted the kids in the neighbourhood to name it ''CARTOON''.
Time flew and the Pup grew into a robust Dog and one fine day the municipal authorities (mind you in the 1970's & 80's the BMC used to catch all stray dogs without a license & destroy them after keeping them in a Pound for a week) caught him and took him away.
After spending a restless night my brother took the initiative of bringing him back from the pound after paying the Penalty and getting a Dog License from the municipal authorities. Even the Person who wrote his name in the License was amused by the name ’’CARTOON’’ and patted it on its head before handing it over.The joy of coming back from a desolate area was very much obvious and all of us were quite relived to have him back amidst us.
Though Cartoon was feeling uncomfortable at the onset, sporting the new collar coupled with a flashing aluminium license, the adulation which he received from the people in the neighbourhood (he was the only stray wearing the Collar) perhaps, spurred him on.
During the rainy season of 1987 Cartoon was involved in a brawl with another stray which left him with a deep gash on the neck. The wound was very deep and in a drenched condition we could hardly recognise him. My brother cleaned his wounds by bathing him in hot water and I still remember the blood that covered our entire bathroom. For a moment I thought he would not be able to survive but somehow we managed to nurse him back to health.
Even my father who was not at all possessive of animals began to shower his affection and he would follow every one of us the moment we left the house. Cartoon was no longer a stray but became a Part of our family. He was very possessive and the jealousy showed when he openly disapproved our actions of feeding or caressing any other dog in the vicinity.
I still remember a day when the whole family had gone out for a day to a relative’s house. As usual he went to our house in the afternoon for lunch as per his usual practice and started knocking on the locked door with his paws. When the knocking got too hard our neighbour offered it some biscuits and milk. Though hungry he refused to have it and wearing a forlorn look he sat outside the door.
We arrived late at night and gave a now usual whistle to him ,and down he came running breathlessly running the 3 floors in a jiffy and licking every one and barking in a low tone .May be it thought we all had left him behind to fend for itself.
November 15th 1990-Thursday:I saw him from my gallery and though he responded to my call with a little wag of his tail he looked a bit tired. He did not have the food when I bought him upstairs but laid down to rest outside our doorstep. My mother thought it was his usual STYLE of refusing to have food and then eat it when no one noticed him. He did not eat the whole day.
November 16th 1990-Friday:Cartoon could not walk properly, he tried, staggered and fell down awkwardly. Sensing something was very much wrong we took him to a vet who administered an injection.
In the evening he looked calm & composed but showed no signs of improvement.
November 17th 1990-Saturday: Having Slept most of day Cartoon started to wail loudly at night. Even in acute pain whenever my brother caressed him Cartoon kept quiet as if he knew that we were trying our best to ease his discomfort. The whole night seemed very long and nobody slept as the moans began to play on our minds.
November 18th 1990-SUNDAY: The moans continued and eventually around 9.30 am Cartoon left this mortal world as his lifeless body lay still, in my bothers lap bidding a calm good bye to everyone who loved and cared for him.
The Shock of losing Cartoon was immense, the tears refused to stop, the grief was so intense as if someone in the family itself had passed away.
It’s close to 2 decades now since Cartoon passed away but whenever I see any dog the fond and nostalgic memories that we shared together albeit for a brief Period of 6 years comes back to life .....
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
The Obama Visit
Finally the hype of the Visit of one of the most illustrious figures -the US President has started to fizzle out and many analysts have started to put up their opinions on the pros and cons of the Visit.
As usual the high profile Visit was given wide coverage by the media and a lot of talk made the rounds about the advantages that would be bestowed on us by the US President.
The US mind you,has not yet come out of recession and 600 billion dollars has been pumped in recently to boost the sagging morales.Much of these would flow into the Indian Stock Markets(keeping in mind the current boom) which would negate the intention of the US Economists & Planners.
The US in the late 1990's had denied India the transfer of technology for Cryogenic engines for its rockets fearing that the same would be used for developing Inter Continental Ballistic Missiles.It went ahead and black listed institutions like ISRO & DRDO.
Under the able guidance of Prof.Abdul Kalam India successfully configured the Super Computer and even launched multiple satellites
using a single rocket at a fraction of the cost incurred by the European Sales Agency/Ariane Space.
This incident left the US red faced and by the time they realised their folly they had already lost millions of dollars in potential future business.
The moment he left the Indian shores Obama equated Pakistan & China with India as Partners and refused to acknowledge the handiwork of Pakistan which closely works with terror Organisations with a Single Point agenda to destabilise India.
The Mumbai Police too had to bear the arrogant tactics of the American Intelligence who had accompanied the US President but the issue was downplayed as usual by the Indian Govt.
The one positive trend which emerged by this visit was the Pedestrians were able to actually WALK on the footpaths!!
The illegal markets at Fashion Street too was cleared for a couple of days which brought down the traffic snarls to a certain extent.
Many areas particularly in the City were brushed up for the event,potential trouble makers were shifted out of the city and traffic was smoothly regulated.
Some times we the Citizens of Mumbai wish that such dignitaries make a trip once a year so that the adminstration(BMC & the Police) are on their toes and the city appears to have a polished look.
Jai Ho!!
As usual the high profile Visit was given wide coverage by the media and a lot of talk made the rounds about the advantages that would be bestowed on us by the US President.
The US mind you,has not yet come out of recession and 600 billion dollars has been pumped in recently to boost the sagging morales.Much of these would flow into the Indian Stock Markets(keeping in mind the current boom) which would negate the intention of the US Economists & Planners.
The US in the late 1990's had denied India the transfer of technology for Cryogenic engines for its rockets fearing that the same would be used for developing Inter Continental Ballistic Missiles.It went ahead and black listed institutions like ISRO & DRDO.
Under the able guidance of Prof.Abdul Kalam India successfully configured the Super Computer and even launched multiple satellites
using a single rocket at a fraction of the cost incurred by the European Sales Agency/Ariane Space.
This incident left the US red faced and by the time they realised their folly they had already lost millions of dollars in potential future business.
The moment he left the Indian shores Obama equated Pakistan & China with India as Partners and refused to acknowledge the handiwork of Pakistan which closely works with terror Organisations with a Single Point agenda to destabilise India.
The Mumbai Police too had to bear the arrogant tactics of the American Intelligence who had accompanied the US President but the issue was downplayed as usual by the Indian Govt.
The one positive trend which emerged by this visit was the Pedestrians were able to actually WALK on the footpaths!!
The illegal markets at Fashion Street too was cleared for a couple of days which brought down the traffic snarls to a certain extent.
Many areas particularly in the City were brushed up for the event,potential trouble makers were shifted out of the city and traffic was smoothly regulated.
Some times we the Citizens of Mumbai wish that such dignitaries make a trip once a year so that the adminstration(BMC & the Police) are on their toes and the city appears to have a polished look.
Jai Ho!!
Friday, August 20, 2010
Lavasa- Development at What Cost???
Lavasa a picturesque Place near Pune on the endangered Western Ghats is the latest place which is to be ravaged in a planned manner by the developer Hindustan Construction company in connivance with the State Govt of Maharashtra.
The Plans to develop this site was initiated by Supriya sule & her spouse and were amongst the promoters but sensing future trouble they quitely distanced themselves from this mega Project.
The laws stipulate that any all projects situated at a height of 1000 metres & above should be cleared by the Centre and the State Govt does not have any say in the matter.
Lavasa at certain points exceed the stipulated height of 1000 metres and it is but natural that certain vested interests must have corroborated & conspired to give a green flag to this development which blatantly violates Environment protection Act.
It seems that the Promoters of this Project were influenced by the Amby Valley Project(Promoted by the Sahara Group) which too has minted crores by developing a similar site.
The Opponents of this Project is led by Lawyer & former IPS Officer Y P SINGH who has sent a legal notice to the Union Environment ministry Challenging the Clearances given by the State Govt.
We need more of such upright & honest officers who can take on the might of the Centre/State given the fact they know the Challenges having worked in a similar atmosphere of lies,corruption and mismanagement.
Progress which is synonymous to development is a must but certainly should not be at the Cost of ravaging the environment and destroying the fragile biodiversity.
The Plans to develop this site was initiated by Supriya sule & her spouse and were amongst the promoters but sensing future trouble they quitely distanced themselves from this mega Project.
The laws stipulate that any all projects situated at a height of 1000 metres & above should be cleared by the Centre and the State Govt does not have any say in the matter.
Lavasa at certain points exceed the stipulated height of 1000 metres and it is but natural that certain vested interests must have corroborated & conspired to give a green flag to this development which blatantly violates Environment protection Act.
It seems that the Promoters of this Project were influenced by the Amby Valley Project(Promoted by the Sahara Group) which too has minted crores by developing a similar site.
The Opponents of this Project is led by Lawyer & former IPS Officer Y P SINGH who has sent a legal notice to the Union Environment ministry Challenging the Clearances given by the State Govt.
We need more of such upright & honest officers who can take on the might of the Centre/State given the fact they know the Challenges having worked in a similar atmosphere of lies,corruption and mismanagement.
Progress which is synonymous to development is a must but certainly should not be at the Cost of ravaging the environment and destroying the fragile biodiversity.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Worry over the BlackBerry
It remains to be seen whether the Indian Govt resorts to a Partial Ban on the BlackBerry.The Canadian counterpart is refusing to buckle under the enormous Pressure mounted by the Saudi/Indian govts against the supposedly intimidatory tactics adopted by the BlackBerry manufacturers who are refusing to divulge the encrypted messages(E-MAILS) originating from/between sender and the ultimate receiver.
The Saudis have agreed to step down from its earlier approach after the US officials intervened in the imbroglio upon insistence from its immediate neighbour.
The Indian Govt has done the right thing by not compromising with the aggressive & rigid approach of Canadian Officials as the nations security is at a threat from terrorists who have kept themselves abreast with the latest gizmos and state of the art technology which can cause havoc at some point of time.
Often it has been seen that the Western World has bullied the the 3rd world Countries by selling obsolete junk material,dumping hazardous chemicals etc and got away with it.
Concluding this we in India hope that none of our Corrupt Politician's jump into this meelee and accept the diktats dished out by BlackBerry.
The Saudis have agreed to step down from its earlier approach after the US officials intervened in the imbroglio upon insistence from its immediate neighbour.
The Indian Govt has done the right thing by not compromising with the aggressive & rigid approach of Canadian Officials as the nations security is at a threat from terrorists who have kept themselves abreast with the latest gizmos and state of the art technology which can cause havoc at some point of time.
Often it has been seen that the Western World has bullied the the 3rd world Countries by selling obsolete junk material,dumping hazardous chemicals etc and got away with it.
Concluding this we in India hope that none of our Corrupt Politician's jump into this meelee and accept the diktats dished out by BlackBerry.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Common''Wealth'' Games
The Common Wealth games was awarded to India in 2003.Only two months remain for the Games to open and the Games authorities have yet to arrange for the infrastucture associated with it.Some of the infrastucture that was unveiled(leaked??)before the Media could barely stand its Ground and the Ceilings gave in to the monsoon fury leaking like hell.
The Politicians many of whom have assumed the top posts in Various Sports bodies in India viz.(Sharad Pawar-ICC Chief,Suresh Kalmadi-President Indian Olympic Association since ages...,Laloo Yadav-President of Bihar Cricket Association,Narendra Modi-President of Gujarat Cricket Association etc to name a few)have neither any knowledge nor have any liking for the game they so represent.
It is only the Money associated with it which beckons them to this Coveted Post.
Mr M S Gill who vehementely opposed one of the most Upright & Honest Chief Election Commissioner TN SHESHAN(Readers may recollect that Mr Sheshan was unjustly removed from the post and Gill reinstated in his place,as his reforms to cleanse the election malpractices proved to be a thorn in the flesh for many Politicians)is now the Sports minister and hobnobbing with the most tainted politicians in New Delhi was seen unabashedly defending the delay in completion of the Various Stadiums and denying any money laundering by the bigwigs associated with the Games.
It seems that Kalmadi & co did not Share the ''booty'' with Mani Shankar Iyer who promptly issued a Statement that he will be the happiest Person On Earth if the Games Fail.
The Media must be applauded for its sincere efforts in exposing the politicians-Sports nexus which has ultimately forced the Indian Govt not to BID for he ASIAN GAMES scheduled to be held in 2019.May be a bigger Planning was in the Pipeline keeping in mind the Billions that was to be Spent for the ASIAD.
What the Poor Politicians fail to understand is that the games showcase our Country and its Vast ''CULTURE'' but unfortunately their 'VULTURE'' instincts rips off the rich & cultural traditions associated with our great Country.
Kalmadi & Co might be ruing the fact that if they had shared the booty ''COMMONLY''& not accumulated the ''WEALTH''amongst a coveted few then this scandal would probably never had come to light.
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