Letters to the Editor: 28 June, 2019

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June 28, 2019

Fix the onus of safety

Corruption rules roost in our country and most certificates be it fire compliant or others are issued by taking bribes. Not a single restaurant or hotels in the city follow safety rules and almost all eateries are prone to fire due to crumbled wirings, excessive air conditioning without exhausts due to lack of space which is certified as fire compliant for money.

Human life has become cheap and the authorities don’t seem to have learned a lesson even after several tragedies that have killed many innocent lives. Fix the onus of safety on the department than on eateries for accountability. Both need to be taken to task with penalties and imprisonment for speedy implementation of safety standards!

S.N.Kabra

World Asteroid Day

World Asteroid Day (June 30) is a global awareness movement where people from all walk of life come together to learn about asteroids and what we can do to protect our planet. Although asteroids would seem like mere rocks floating in space, they are actually objects of great importance for astronomers, geologists, planetary scientists, among others. On the evolutionary field, they are pristine objects from the dawn of the solar system. They maintain their original chemical composition that speaks to us about how our solar neighbourhood was like about 4.5 billion years ago.

Jubel D’Cruz

Give home-cooked food to children

There was a news from Chandigarh about the lungs of a child getting burst after eating chow mein, a Chinese food item. Though the child has been saved due to doctors’ making their best efforts, one cannot deny that crispy and spicy food items sold in plastic packs for Rs 5-Rs 10 in the market are causing harm to the children’s health.

There were very few companies making such items about 5-6 years ago; however, the there number has considerably increased today. Parents don’t mind buying such stuff for children since they don’t cost much. Harmful acids and chemicals are used to make these things more attractive for children and to develop a certain taste.

Children’s internal organs are very delicate and regular consumption of such things can spoil their health. Children are taught the importance of eating home-made food, vegetables, fruits, etc. in their curriculum. Even during parents’ meetings, school teachers advise them to give homemade food to children; but rather than buying children’s sickness in Rs 5 in such manner and spending thousands of rupees on the doctors, there is a need to take out time for cooking different types of nutritious food at home so as to develop taste for home-made food amongst children.

Mokshada Ghanekar

Pakistan honours Maharaja Ranjit Singh

Pakistan is going to honour Maharaja Ranjit Singh on his 180th death-anniversary by installing his life-size bronze statue near his Samadhi at Lahore, also to promote religious tourism for Sikh devotees. Earlier Pakistan government started exhibiting historic documents, books and news-clippings relating to great Indian martyr Bhagat Singh from March 26, 2018, including court-order and black warrant relating to his hanging on March 23, 1931, at Shadman Chowk (Lahore), recognising him as a common hero of India and Pakistan. Earlier Pakistani authorities had even named Shadman Chowk after Bhagat Singh after persistent demand of civil-society there, though the decision was later put on hold because of some fundamentalist elements there. However, celebrations are held at Shadman Chowk even presently on every March 23.

Indian politicians who celebrate birth and death anniversaries of their political mentors and family members should take a lesson from Pakistan. It is indeed sad that Indian politicians worship such personalities who deliberately chose not to stop hanging of martyr-trio of freedom struggle of India, and misused veto-power as king-maker by crowing such a person as first Prime Minister of India whose policies and acts created many problems including of Kashmir.

Currency-notes and coins in India should figure rather heroes of Indian freedom struggle rather than only of a politically worshipped person. An attractive stature of trio Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev should be installed at the empty canopy of famous India Gate.

Subhash Chandra Agrawal

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)

How can we stop mob lynching in India?

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Web Team

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June 28, 2019

It is a bitter reality that we never thought of that the human values of tolerance are to kiss of death and horrendous acts of mobocracy are being created across the country. It was heart ranching to read the incident of 24 yrs old person named Shams Tabrez, taking place in Jharkhand, who was caught by the mob, tied to a pole, beaten for more than seven hours and ultimately died. Was it not a horrific murder in the name of religion? How human beings can be such cruel as human life has less important than a vermin?

The most ridiculous fact in such cases is that the administration tries to protect the criminals rather than to stand shoulder to shoulder with victims or bereaved families! The government and administration should realize that lynching and mob violence of any kind shall invite serious consequences such as anarchy, chaos, disorder and eventually there can be an emergence of a violent society.

Mob violence has been a concerning matter in India for a couple of years as the country has witnessed a spate of mob attacks in some past years. The elements that fuelled this bloody mix include religious fanaticism (specifically, cow protection), increased penetration of social media and politicians, who ranged from being apathetic to instigators of violence.

Though there are no government statistics of hate crimes in India there are a few media outlets that have attempted to track them. According to IndiaSpend, there have been 117 Gau Raksha-related incidents of violence in India since 2015. As per media reports, there have been 88 people killed in lynching since 2015 across India.

The Supreme Court, in July 2018, has recommended the Centre and states to put some preventive measures in place in order to combat the incidents of mob lynching. However, regretful to say, the result nowhere is seen. It is the duty of the State to ensure the law and order in the country. So why then the states remained unsuccessful to carry out its responsibility in this regard?

The Supreme Court also commanded the government to bring legislation that specifically targets lynching. Apart from this SC ordered states to appoint nodal officers to prevent such incidents. Despite all the directions from the Apex Court, the incidents are taking place frequently.

I don’t know why the government has made all intentions and priorities to enact a law against Triple Talaq while the innocent people are being killed mercilessly all over the country? As far as the legislation regarding lynching is concerned, neither opposition nor ruling parties seem to be serious to prevent threatening incidents.

However, more sorrowfully, the political parties and their leaders use these incidents as to suit their own political vested interests not to satisfy the victim’s demands.

So, there is only one way to restrain public lynching that is the government must put harsh and preventive measures to set an example for the culprits. In addition to it, we every individual citizen, must commence discouraging such elements that have this sort of thinking because it is hazardous for the entire nation if we remain, mute spectators, not uttering a word concerning the incident happening in our surrounding, we lead the country to a disastrous situation and we only would be the responsible.

By Faheem Usmani Qasmi

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)

#MenInOrange: Is Cricket being Saffronised?

By

Vijay Panchal

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June 27, 2019

Team India’s decision to wear the orange jersey has divided Indian fans. While some fans came in support of the decision, others opposed the move and termed it as the saffronisation of the Indian cricket. Team India wearing the orange jersey against England on June 30, 2019, has come at a time when the Modi government is in power at the centre. Many of them alleged that the government is trying to saffronise cricket while some others didn’t find any fault with the team wearing the orange jersey. Many fans took to Twitter to express their loyalty towards the Indian team while some others raised objections against the Team India’s decision to wear the orange jersey. Team India is wearing the orange jersey in order to avoid any confusion while playing against England as they too are wearing the blue jersey which is the same colour worn by the Indian team.

When AV spoke to Shiv Sena spokesperson Manisha Kayande, she said, “The opposition has got no agenda and they have lost public support. They are coming out with such childish issues. Saffron colour is one of the colour existing in the tri-colour of India and we are proud of it. The fault lies with the eyes of the beholder. The opposition must focus on solving people’s issues. They should go and meet people and also introspect about why the party has lost the election. Sports must be free from politics and why are they politicising it?”

Samajwadi Party leader Abu Azmi has raised objections against Team India wearing the orange colour jersey for their final league match against England in the World Cup. Azmi alleged Prime Minister Narendra Modi of saffronising everything after coming to power. The Indian team will wear the orange jersey while playing against England as the current blue colour of Team India matches with England’s blue colour jersey. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has asked every team to carry two sets of jerseys except England.

BJP spokesperson Dattaprasad Naik said, “BCCI and ICC have taken the decision pertaining to which jersey a cricket team should wear. It has nothing to do with the government. As far as the interest of the nation is concerned a psychic person only can make such type of statement.”

Speaking to reporters outside the state legislature, Azmi said he feels happy when the Indian cricket team wins. “But Modi wants to paint the entire country with saffron,” he said.

“Today, jerseys are being made saffron. Modi-ji, the person who decided the colours of the national flag was a Muslim leader. If you want to pick a colour for the jersey, pick the tricolour, I won’t mind,” he said. “But it will be unjust if you paint everything saffron…people should oppose it,” Azmi said.

NCP leader and advocate Majeed Memon said, “When the Team India is representing the country at the highest level we should not mix politics with sports. Since England team will be wearing the blue jersey, Indian Team had changed the colour of its jersey. The back side of the jersey will flaunt the saffron colour. If people give a communal colour to this, then it is not right. Let the Indian players play with a free mindset. By bringing politics into sports, we should not disturb our players.”

Maharashtra Congress MLA MA Khan too called the politics of saffronisation unfortunate which is hampering the unity of India. When reporters asked MA Khan about the saffronisation of the Indian jersey, he became angry. He said, “The BJP is saffronising everything right from sports, cultural programme and education. It is unfortunate that saffronisation has been happening in the country since the last five years.”

Congress MLC Anant Gadgil said, “Why did the Indian team change the colour of the jersey? The BJP government is doing saffronisation of every aspect. Sports must be kept away from politics.”

Netizens took to Twitter to post their reaction about the Indian team wearing the saffron jersey.

Sonam Mahajan tweeted, “SP and Congress’s Muslim leaders have a problem with Indian team’s new jersey now cuz it has orange colour in it. The design is inspired by India’s old T20 jersey, that had orange too but it’s only a problem now cuz Modi……
Hindu-hatred have made these Mullahs go full retard”

Actor Paresh Rawal tweeted, “Ha ha ha … those who have objections should write script for Hera Pheri part 3 … it will be super hit !!!”

Tilak Chouhan tweeted, “The lobby who tried hard for saffronisation of terror in India and it’s acceptance in Indian society is opposing #MenInOrange and designating it as saffronisation of Indian team, despite of knowing that it’s just for one World Cup Match due to fair reasons.”

Biplab Goswami tweeted, “Agar yea green hota to secular ho jata”

Satish Kumar Menon tweeted, “The colour of the jersey should not matter, provided the team has done its bit by putting up a good show.”

The BJP government during it last reign had attempted to saffronise education. The Rajasthan Board of Secondary Education had revamped the syllabus of standard 10 history books. In the History textbook of Class 10, Veer Savarkar has been described as a great revolutionary and great patriot. It helped to create the myth that Savarkar was brave and he made several sacrifices for the sake of India’s independence struggle.

Is plagiarism imbibed in us since birth?

By

Vaidehi Taman

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June 27, 2019

Is plagiarism an accepted part of the education system in India? In other words, will cultural difference play a role in this? Well, as a writer, there are some measured parameters of plagiarism. The writer should describe his/her ideas or the concept without copying someone’s ideas or intellectual properties and if suppose, the ideas are conceived or copied out of someone’s intellectual property, then one must give them due to credit too. It doesn’t matter whosoever the source is. Taking acclaim for somebody else’s work is theft, whether you do it intentionally or by accident. This is what you will read everywhere when it comes to defining the term ‘plagiarism’.

Let’s go a little deep and think why this is imbibed in our minds and we don’t feel bad about copying or imitating anyone. Since birth, the social conditioning of mind plays a greater role. You are taught to call “BLACK” colour as black, you identify that colour because it’s termed and everyone calls the same. Suppose if a child disowns this conditioning and says that ‘no, for me this colour means RGB that is 255 per cent red, 255 per cent Green and 255 per cent blue’, or he may define that as something else, will we accept that child as normal or as above intellect?

No! We won’t because he is refusing to accept the conditioning, whosoever tries refusing these so-called protocols and parameters, we call them eccentric or lunatic. We are occupied and framed with typical thought process and lifestyle where we are made to believe that what my father thinks is a great thought and what my mother says or thinks is compulsory to follow. They cite examples of my elder sister or brother, who is blindly following so many such people of this society, whom he thinks is an idol. This is the birth of remote plagiarism in you.

Your name, your surname, your identity — everything is availed by so many before you are born but somewhere your parents forget to give credits to the possessor. We act, we think, we are influenced by many and act like many; rarely we realise that we are an independent individual.

Suppose, if you realise that you are independent and refuse to follow others, you are outcaste or awkward. Social conditioning comprises all of the messages and beliefs that you are programmed with over the years of your life. It comes from various sources. Due to Social Conditioning, we are grown with low self-esteem. Your mind is like raw clay and it absorbs everything that is in your environment. It doesn’t matter if you agree with what’s happening in your environment, it doesn’t matter if you HATE what’s happening, your mind will absorb whatever is in your environment and you will become more like your environment over time – and you have no choice in the matter.

This kills your self-confidence. Because rather than looking to who you are on the inside to determine your self worth, social conditioning drills you into the habit. Social conditioning, on the other hand, tells you that how you should live, how you should think, how you should be like, social conditioning also tells you that if another guy has some qualities, you should respect him and must try to follow his path.

The absolute key to having confidence is to define yourself based on your own standards, move through the world by your own compass and NOT by the standards of social conditioning. Average members in our society are a hypocrite and they unwantedly become the moral custodians of your life, you accept them or refuse but they are going to ruin your minds with their rules over your life and freedom.

Plagiarism is the beginning of these atrocities; you are asked to copy answers from the blackboard exactly as your teacher has written, then you copy answers from the brilliant student of your class, and you are compared with the child and asked to follow him/her; in rarest of the rare cases, you are asked to be yourself and be what you are.

Plagiarism on a different level is imbibed in you since birth. Students are the one fondest of plagiarising and they have their own reasons for it. First on the list is the lack of time. Students do not know how to manage time. They are not aware of the extent of work and put it off until the last minute lacking time for original work while others do not trust their own capability. Instead, they get insecure about the work of those professional ones. As they read the professional’s work, they think that they lack the knowledge to come up with as good as their work, and all students aim for a high grade. They tend to focus on what grade they will receive. They do not care whether they learn something from it. Others tell that not only they are doing it, but they are also tempted to do so since others still get a grade or are not punished by doing so without any effort.

Even those very responsible students tend to plagiarise also. It is because they are afraid of getting a low grade. For them, it is unfair that others will get a higher grade by plagiarising. It seems that their effort is useless. The students did not even find time to analyse their topic since their professor did not require a presentation of it. Students should put in mind that what’s more important is how they develop their own style of writing and how they understand the topic.

Dictionary definition of a particular word is plagiarism. Moreover, there are certain things for example — TOP TEN HACKERS in the world, there will be the same answer everywhere. Same names, same descriptions, and same information widely available, now whom to trust? Suppose if a writer refutes saying, ‘Oh suck! They are not the top ten, I don’t think they are extraordinary anyways’, readers or the community members will say, look how stupid is this person. When a hundred writers endorse these ten as the top then why she has to prove them wrong?

If I have to write about “Indira Gandhi” and I have not seen her, then I have to rely on the limited sources those who know her or those who have already written about her. The only difference that I can create is by modifying the existing info. A paraphrase does not always prevent plagiarism. You must change not only the word itself but also the structure of the sentence of the original without changing its content. Paraphrasing is also to lessen the quotations in your paper. It is also more advantageous to put the facts from other sources which you know will support your own ideas to make it more valid. Remember, even a small part copied without citation is plagiarism. You have committed plagiarism anytime you borrow from the original source.

Generally, it is easy to find information about every topic on the Internet and most of us are dependent on online sources. Some are smart enough to modify the content and enhancing the new look to the original. However, when you are not smart, you have to be extra attentive about keeping track of the source of information and thoughts and about giving proper credit to the authors of the sources you use.

So, instead of looking at the point why it happened or in what circumstances this occurred, plagiarism is not accepted in anyways, but there is no check on these issues. Copying some senior’s project and submitting it is common in schools and even no one raises any objections against it; no one is made aware of the seriousness of this subject at the school level. Moreover, this is an easier method of completing every task and unknowingly done mistake.

Cases of plagiarism in India are not restricted to students but even authors, journalists, professors, film producers, music directors, lawyers while making drafts and documents and published researchers have been found guilty of this practice.

In the recent past, such acts are being practiced by the scientists and archaeologists too. There is no specific law or constitutional provisions to this issue. In maximum times, this happens out of an extreme passion for someone’s writing, you try to follow them, their style and remain one like. You cannot call it a culture, India has fewer cases of plagiarism. Look at USA and UK, there are so many high profile issues over plagiarism. No country can ever boast about not having plagiarism issues.

(Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us on feedback@www.afternoonvoice.com)

29 mishaps in last 4 years; 35-year-old aircrafts still in use in IAF

By

Web Team

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June 27, 2019

It is a matter of great relief that no casualty happened and the prompt action of an Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot saved his Jaguar fighter jet on Thursday. The pilot jettisoned the aircraft’s fuel tanks and small practice bombs after one of the engines failed due to a bird hit.

Indian-designed warplanes have so far not been up to the job. But more than seven years since a deal was signed to buy Rafale fighters from France, India is yet to receive these fighter planes. Some people say that it is not what India needs.

The Russian-made MiG jet is called the flying coffin. Seven years ago, India’s then defence minister A K Antony said in the Rajya Sabha that 482 of the 872 Russian-origin MiGs procured since 1966 had crashed from 1971-72 onwards. A total of 171 pilots, 39 civilians, eight service personnel and one aircrew lost their lives in these accidents. The causes of accidents were both human error and technical defects.

According to Hyderabad-based defence and aviation historian, KS Nair, said that 60 per cent of the Indian Air Force fleet is over 30 years old, because of which technical snag crashes happen regularly. Except for Sukhois, most of the fleet has ageing aircraft. The Indian Air Force has been using the same planes since the last 30-35 years. IAF claims that they have reconditioned all these aircraft but who is accountable for the numerous mishaps of these planes and the lives lost? In the last 4 years, 29 IAF planes crashed claiming 53 lives. Here is a list of most of the accidents involving Jaguar aircraft, MiG-21, AN-32, and Sukhoi Su-30 planes over the last decade:

AN-32 aircraft

June 10, 2009: One of the first AN-32 accidents reported was when an aircraft crashed in Arunachal Pradesh, killing all 13 people onboard. This incident is reportedly what prompted India to upgrade the aircraft in the air force.

July 22, 2016: In 2016, an aircraft travelling from Chennai to Port Blair went missing in July with 29 people onboard. However, after the search operations yielded no results, all the people were presumed dead and the search was called off.

June 3, 2019: All 13 personnel on board an AN-32 transport aircraft that crashed in a heavily forested mountainous area in Arunachal Pradesh on June 3 were killed.

An-32 Aircraft crashed, IAF aircraft crashed, Indian Air Force, Sukhoi Su-30, Jaguar aircraft, MiG-21, Mirage 2000, Indian aircraft crashes, Top Indian aircraft crash — AN-32 Crash: six bodies, remains of seven others were found in Arunachal Pradesh

Sukhoi Su-30 aircraft

April 30, 2009: An IAF pilot killed and another seriously injured in the first-ever Su-30 MKI fighter jet crash near Jaisalmer in Rajasthan.

November 30, 2009: A Sukhoi fighter jet crashed during a routine training sortie south-west of Pokhran firing ranges in Rajasthan. The two pilots, Wing Commander Srivastava, and Flight Lieutenant Arora, bailed out safely.

December 13, 2011: A Sukhoi jet crashed soon after taking off from Lohegaon airbase near Pune but both the pilots managed to bail out safely. The aircraft was on a routine mission.

February 19, 2013: A Sukhoi aircraft crashed in Jaisalmer but both the pilots bailed out safely. There was no loss of life or damage to property on the ground.

October 14, 2014: A Sukhoi jet crashed at a village near Pune. Both the pilot and the co-pilot were unharmed.

May 19, 2015: A Sukhoi fighter crashed at Laokhowa in Nagaon district of Assam with both the pilot and co-pilot ejecting safely. It was on a routine sortie from Tezpur Air Force station and lost radar connection and crashed thereafter.

March 15, 2017: A Sukhoi aircraft crashed in Rajasthan’s Barmer district, injuring three villagers. Both the pilots ejected safely from the plane.

June 27, 2018: A Sukhoi 30 MKI fighter jet has crashed near Nashik in Maharashtra on June 27, 2018.

July 14, 2018: A Sukhoi Su-30MKI went missing while on a training mission near Tezpur, Assam. The aircraft’s wreckage was found three days later along with the black box. Both the pilots, Ft Lt Achudev and Sqn Ld D Pankaj were killed as they were unable to eject before the crash.

MiG aircraft

April 4, 2002: A MIG-21 crashed in Jodhpur district in Rajasthan. The pilot ejected safely.

May 3, 2002: At least seven people died when a MiG-21 crashed into a residential area in Punjab.

June 26, 2002: A MiG-27 caught fire on the runway at the military airport in Srinagar.

June 26, 2002: A Mig-23 fighter crashed in Punjab at the peak of India-Pakistan tensions but the Pilot ejected safely.

July 15, 2002: A MiG-21 aircraft caught fire in mid-air and crashed into a pond in a sparsely-populated village near Phansidewa in Darjeeling district in West Bengal. The pilot and a trainee pilot ejected and were rescued with minor injuries.

September 9, 2002: Two fighter planes of MiG-21 variant, which had been cleared for flying after being grounded for weeks, crashed in Haryana and Rajasthan. The pilots bailed out unhurt. One jet crashed in the fields on the outskirts of Chaurmaspur village near Ambala cantonment while another crashed in Shivpur in Pali district in Rajasthan.

April 4, 2003: Three women and a child on the ground were killed and five persons were injured, four of them seriously, after a Mig-23 fighter crashed in a residential area in Dashmesh Nagar locality in Ludhiana in Punjab.

April 7, 2003: A MiG-21 fighter jet crashed into a milk processing plant in Haryana, injuring at least three people.

June 4, 2003: A MiG-21 aircraft of Indian Air Force crashed shortly after take-off from Uttarlai Air Base in Rajasthan killing the pilot. Flight Lt AS Jamwal was killed after the aircraft caught fire and plunged into a nearby field in Barmer.

July 15, 2003: A twin-seater MiG-21 fighter-trainer crashed near Srinagar airbase. Both pilots — Wing Commander R Rastogi and Flight Lieutenant Ganesh — were killed. The jet hit the ground after it suffered the loss of power while trying to pull up from a low-flying position. This was the sixth IAF fighter and the fifth of the MiG series to crash in 2003.

March 8, 2018: An Indian Air Force’s MiG-21 crashed near Nal in Rajasthan, however, the pilot ejected safely. A court of inquiry was set up to investigate the cause of the accident. IAF spokesperson Group Captain Anupam Banerjee said initial inputs indicated that the likely cause was a bird which was hit after take off.

March 31, 2018: A MiG 27 aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed near Jodhpur in Rajasthan but the pilot ejected safely. The fighter jet had taken off from the Utarlai airforce base but the jet experienced engine problems leading to the crash at around 11.45 am in Sirohi district around 120 kilometres south of Jodhpur.

May 8, 2018: A MiG- 27 aircraft had crashed at Tantipara near Alipurduar town in West Bengal following a technical problem, killing two civilians on the ground though the pilot ejected safely. A court of inquiry was ordered.

January 28, 2019: A MiG 27 crashed near Jodhpur’s Banad area.

Jaguar aircraft

June 5, 2018: Air Commodore Sanjay Chauhan passed away after his Jaguar fighter plane went down in the Mundra taluk of the Kutch region in northwestern Gujarat. This was the second alarming incident in the month of June 2018 with an Indian Air Force Jaguar.

June 8, 2018: An Indian Air Force’s ‘Jaguar’ developed a snag while landing and had a minor accident. The pilot was on a routine training mission from the Jamnagar Air Force base.

January 28, 2019: A Jaguar fighter of the Indian Air Force crashed in the Kushinagar district Uttar Pradesh. Though, the pilot was able to eject safely in time using his tactical expertise to land the plane away from the habitation nearby. A court of enquiry was ordered to investigate the accident, the Defence PRO in Lucknow said.

June 27, 2019: The prompt action of an Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot saved his Jaguar fighter jet on June 27. The pilot jettisoned the aircraft’s fuel tanks and small practice bombs after one of the engines failed due to a bird hit.

Mirage 2000

February 1, 2019: A Mirage 2000 trainer aircraft, which was recently upgraded by the defence PSU Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), crashed soon after taking off at the HAL airport resulting in the deaths of Sqn Ldr Siddartha Negi and Sqn Ldr Samir Abrol, both test pilots with the Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment (ASTE).

The aircraft was repaired by HAL and was in HAL airport for an acceptance test flight before reinduction. HAL, which has been upgrading the Mirage fleet under a contract from 2015, said: The Company has initiated an enquiry into the accident in coordination with the Indian Air Force.”

Will CPM, Congress and TMC join hands in West Bengal?

By

Web Team

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June 27, 2019

After suffering severe drubbing in the Lok sabha election at the hands of the BJP, the TMC supremo and CM Mamata Banerjee is desperate to check the BJP at any cost. That is why for first time, Mamata Banerjee has openly asked for the help of her arch rivals the CPM and the Congress to defeat the BJP in West Bengal. But both parties have rejected her offer and said that only the TMC is responsible for rise of the saffron party in the state.

Earlier, on several occasions she had laid stress on an alliance with these parties at the national level but for the first time, she is ready to join hands with the CPM and the Congress at home. In the Assembly Mamata Banerjee said, “I have apprehensions that the BJP would change the Constitution of India. I think all of us, including the Left and Congress, should join hands to combat the BJP.”

TMC, CPM and Congress have no other options left

It is remarkable that the BJP won 18 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state and bagged 40.5 per cent vote share, a record jump of 23 per cent from the last general elections. In 2014 the BJP had won only two seats. Although the TMC managed to increase its vote share by four per cent, its seats came down to 22 from 34 in last general elections. The CPM, Congress and TMC had been together at the national level. Therefore, there is possibility that they may join hands in the state. At the same time, they have no other options left. West Bengal Assembly elections in West Bengal are due in 2021. Buoyed by major gains in the Lok Sabha polls in West Bengal, the BJP leadership is aiming for more than two-third majority in the assembly elections due in 2021 and also for early polls in the state.

CPM politburo member Hannan Mollah said, “We don’t need lessons from Mamata Banerjee on ways to fight the BJP. It is due to her policies that the BJP has gained ground in Bengal. She should first accept that it is due to her fault that the BJP has made inroads in Bengal.” Mollah said, “Before thinking anything on this line (on Mamata Banerjee’s call for joining hands), I think we need to strengthen our own party. She is a selfish leader. Did she speak to any Opposition leader ever in Bengal? She is doing this because she is helpless right now. We will wait and watch before making any commitment.”

Bengal Congress president Somen Mitra, said, “We are not here to run after her statements and suggestions. Her statement in the Assembly has no meaning. She said this out of her own interest. Before the Lok Sabha election, she made a statement that we are with the RSS. Later, she said that we have become a ‘sign board’ (lost relevance) in Bengal. Now, why does she want to join hands with the ‘sign board? She should speak clearly what exactly she means with her statement.”

Post-poll violence in West Bengal

After the Lok Sabha elections, violence erupted in West Bengal. Violence has been an integral part of Bengal politics. The TMC and the BJP workers clashed with each other. It must be noted that the political situation in West Bengal is so volatile that even a road-side quarrel between the BJP and TMC is capable to leading to lethal violence now. Recently, five people were killed over an argument about party flags in Sandeshkhali, around 70 km from Kolkata.

Most of the post-poll violence in Bengal has taken place in the North 24 Parganas district for two reasons. First, the district shares a border with Bangladesh and lends itself to Hindu-Muslim tension, with post-election communal polarisation playing the role of catalyst. In 2017, Basirhat city in the district had seen communal clashes. The second reason is Arjun Singh, the former TMC strong man who contested the Lok Sabha election on a BJP ticket and won the Barrackpore seat. Arjun Singh was the MLA from Bhatpara. For over two decades, he has been a key asset of the TMC. He held sway over the whole of the Barrackpore constituency because of his booth-level organisational skills and the support he had from the state’s Hindi speakers.

At present, the BJP’s cadres are a mishmash of former TMC, CPM and Congress workers. The recent election has shown that the BJP is as adept at using violence as the TMC or CPM. In such a situation, the strong emergence of the BJP has meant the addition of a new and volatile element into the mix polarisation.

Days after the Lok Sabha election results were declared, hundreds of councillors, also known corporators, from various municipalities, joined the BJP. About five TMC MLAs and one CPI(M) MLA also joined the BJP. They had perhaps sensed that the wind is now blowing away from Mamata. The BJP now claims that it has a majority in the municipalities of Nahihati, Bhatpara, Kachrapada, Bijpur, Bongaon and Darjeeling.

BJP takes control of the South Dinajpur Zilla Parishad in Bengal

According to reports, the BJP finally took control of the South Dinajpur Zilla Parishad in West Bengal from the TMC, after majority of its members, besides an MLA, switched sides. It is first time in the state. Veteran leader Biplab Mitra also joined the BJP. Biplab Mitra who was considered to be one of the architects of the Trinamool Congress in the district in north Bengal, was shunted out as the party’s district president after the Lok Sabha polls. Besides Biplab Mitra and 10 of the 18 members of South Dinajpur Zilla Parishad, TMC MLA Wilson Champramary joined the BJP in Delhi. Biplab Mitra said, “The TMC has become a party of arrogant autocratic leaders. I had built the party in the district from scratch from 1998 but I was made to feel like an outsider in the party. My hard work of so many years was not respected.”

Kamat Hotels helps restore Fani-ravaged Odisha’s lost greenery

By

Vaidehi Taman

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June 27, 2019

The first severe cyclonic storm of the 2019 North Indian Ocean cyclone season, Fani has devastated Odisha causing huge loss to infrastructure and livelihood. Over 50 lakh trees in Balukhand Sanctuary on Puri-Konark Road Marine drive, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, and the other parts of Odisha have been uprooted. With an objective to regain the greenery in urban and rural areas in Puri, Khordha, Cuttack and other severely affected districts of Odisha, one of India’s renowned hospitality chain Kamat Hotel India Ltd has taken the initiative of planting 10 lakh trees through seed balls to help rebuild the forest cover of the state.

The seed balls are made from mud, organic compost, and seeds. The advantage of these seed balls is that it can be thrown anywhere where there is land to grow, provided that the soil isn’t too dry compact, or dense with other vegetation. Also, these seed balls are easy to plant as compared to saplings.

Talking about the initiative to give back the environment, Executive Chairman and Managing Director of Kamat Hotels India Ltd Dr. Vithal Venkatesh Kamat said, “We are dispatching 10 lakh seed balls from Mumbai alone to Odisha before the onset of the monsoon to ensure they bloom into magnificent trees. This is our way of giving back to Odisha, where we’ve operating Lotus Eco Beach Resort Konark, Mahodadhi Palace Puri & Vits Bhubaneshwar for the past 10 years. This is our home and we’ll try our best to rebuild its green cover.”

“On behalf of the people of Maharashtra, it’s our contribution to plant trees in Odisha, as One Nation One Family. We are grateful to all the school children, societies, NGOs and hotel guests who participated in this noble cause. All seeds are native to India and Odisha and will help birds and animals in the region as they are grass and fruit-bearing,” Kamat added.

The cyclonic storm Fani originated from a tropical depression that formed west of Sumatra in the Indian Ocean on April 26. Vertical wind shear at first hindered the storm’s development, but conditions became more favourable on April 30. Fani rapidly intensified into an extremely severe cyclonic storm and reached its peak intensity on May 2, as a high-end extremely severe cyclonic storm and the equivalent of a high-end Category 4 major hurricane.

Video Courtesy: OTV

New ‘unprinting’ method will help with paper recycling and curb environmental cost

By

Web Team

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June 27, 2019

Unprinting method, printers,unprint,reprint — Image Courtesy : Youtube

Scientists have created a new way to erase black, blue, red and green toners from printed pages — an advance that may help recycle paper.

The method, developed by researchers at Rutgers University in the US, can work with the standard, coated paper used in home and office printers.

It uses pulses of light from a xenon lamp, and can erase black, blue, red and green toners without damaging the paper, according to the study published in the Journal of Cleaner Production.

“Our method makes it possible to unprint and then reprint on the same paper at least five times, which is typically as many times paper can be reused with conventional recycling,” said Rajiv Malhotra, an assistant professor at Rutgers University.

According to the research, conventional recycling of coated paper is a major contributor to climate change emissions, chemical pollution and energy use. Extending the life of paper while avoiding these recycling steps would yield significant environmental benefits.

“By eliminating the steps involved in conventional recycling, our unprinting method could reduce energy costs, pollution and greenhouse gas emissions,” said Malhotra.

The engineers’ next steps are to further refine the method by testing additional toner colours on a wider range of paper types.

Unprinting can be done with simple equipment and a wipe with a very small amount of benign alcohol, and the engineers are working to integrate unprinting with typical office and home printers.

FSSAI calls for visible labelling of high fat, sugar and salt contents on packaged foods

By

Web Team

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June 27, 2019

food safety.fssai,food safety and standards authority of india — Image Courtesy : Agency

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued draft regulations aiming to mandate packaged food companies to label high fat, sugar and salt contents in front of the package itself in red colour.

Alarmed by rising rates of obesity and diabetes, India has been planning rules from as early as two years ago, requiring food manufacturers to display fat, sugar and salt content on their labels and was also considering a nationwide “fat tax” on so-called “junk food”.

The food labels will also declare, per serve percentage contribution to RDA (recommended dietary allowance) on the front of the pack, the FSSAI said in a statement dated June 25.

The Economic Times newspaper earlier reported the move and said the food industry has expressed concerns over the proposed changes.

Currently, most of the packaged food companies print nutrition details of the contents, including their recommended daily values, at the back of the package.

The president of the All India Food Processors’ Association (AIFPA), Subodh Jindal, told ET that the proposed FSSAI regulations were neither scientific nor practical.

“It is recommended that the authority should instead focus on awareness generation of consumer about balanced diet and suitability of different foods as per one’s lifestyle,” the paper quoted Jindal as saying.

Pros and cons of One Nation One Poll

By

C K Subramaniam

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June 27, 2019

The common man goes with the tide. Whatever the government imposes, they will bend. Why change the time tested arrangement. It is all a paradox, saving money and all. The citizens have to bear the expenditure anyway. It is all imagination. Priority to common mans’ needs are important. All other things can wait. Where is drinking water? Think of connecting rivers. More water is flowing into fruitless talks only.

Moral of the story is that the idea of simultaneous polls is a non-feasible one. I am also of the opinion that it is not a workable idea from the democratic point of view. Everything must not be seen from the economic prism as it is wrong. There can be many other options to enforce cost cuttings or savings or austerity.

The popular will of the general public is surely in favour of One Nation One Poll. It is only the politicians, who are in regional and minority parties doing protest for their own existence and crying wolf and making excuses like “federalism” “constitution” etc. I think the government of the day is justified in heeding to the popular views of the public and go ahead with this proposal if it can push through democratically using whenever they gain the majority in both houses. Money and time can be saved from other unnecessary projects.

The foundation of our Constitution should not be shaken and probably reducing the number of days to one or two days of polling can be done instead of holding it for more than a month. It will only cause greater confusion and money can be saved from many other unnecessary programmes and projects. Elections are the foundations of our constitution and there is no point in breaking it down.

It would be best if we think of the expenditure incurred by parties in the recent past elections. In a country where most of the people are unaware of education the thought of one nation one election is not a cup of tea to them. Let us strive for a free, justifiable and ideological democracy to be taken place by any means for a brighter India.

One Nation One Poll is a good idea to reduce the cost of election and people will give more importance to the election. Save time and money, as well as Political speeches against divisive Parties. One clear vote in each State and the Nation can work better. Till 1967 in almost all states Congress was the ruling party. So the electorate fund it easy to elect its representatives. Now caste and language are new factors which mostly are influencing the voters adversely. Simultaneous elections are beneficial no doubt but it may be difficult to implement in this fouled environment.

Seems like a noble idea on paper. However, rather than concentrating on these type of issues, which needs a detailed examination and once it goes haywire for any reasons the whole system would be in the doldrums. Analysis and evaluations need not bring in a clear picture prior to its implementations. It is likely that there could be lots of merits. However, in the worst possibility, the government encounters irreparable damage which could be attributed to the ransacking of democracy getting things to revert to its original form would be hazardous.

GST and all can be fine-tuned in the course of time. However, these reforms are not that similar and it will reflect irreparable damages to the existing fabric of the democratic system. So better the government concentrates on more burning issues like unemployment and agriculture. The nation is facing burning problems; instead of opening a Pandora’s Box at this moment, let us concentrate only on development. Once such issues are resolved, people can’t feel sceptical and time would be ripe move on.

The proposal, if adopted, would have the following consequence: this will be a blow to democracy and federalism. More deeply, the founding pact of the Indian Union is based on federalism. It is the choice of the founding fathers of the Union. Of course, the Constitution of the Union can evolve because a Constitution is not a fixed text for eternity. What seems to be emerging through the announced project is the questioning of the founding pact that can lead to the destruction of the Union. It becomes more than necessary to have in mind what was said seventy years ago, on November 25, 1949, by B.R. Ambedkar at India’s Constituent Assembly for the last time. It is important to re-read this speech and especially to make it known to younger generations.

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)