Chutney Curry
Trinidad, Tobago & India

Thanks to the Indian indentured laborers that migrated from India to Trinidad & Tobago under British Raj to cater to the demand of labour in the wake of abolition of slavery across the globe, the impact of Indian culture on the melting pot of the Caribbean island has been more than apparent. Migrating primarily from the Indian States of UP & Bihar, the most pertinent aspect of migrants influencing local cultures is visible in the blending of local music with traditional Indian folk music. Chutney music, as it gets called, is local to the regions of Trinidad & Tobago, Guyana and Suriname. Drawing its lyrics from Hindi, Bhojpuri and English, it derives its beats from the Soca music (dance music of the Caribbean; a mix of Trinidadian Calypso and Indian music) and Hindi film songs. The popularity of this genre got its first boost with Sundar Popo leaping to fame with Nana & Nani (maternal grandfather and grandmother) songs, which given their humourous character, were translated to number of regional languages. Sung in Hindi and Trinidadian Creole, the genre’s popularity is touching frontiers in being a hit across continents amongst even the West Indian Diaspora in Canada, Holland and New York. This successful integration of the Indian community into the regional culture should definitely be quoted as an example to dis-satisfied groups warring with ‘outsiders’ in regions across the globe. Humanity really does not need a reason to fight...or in fact, to be happy!

Mother Dairy
Let’s milk the opportunity...

The ‘flood’ that ushered the ‘white revolution’ in this country can get drained if the crucial issues attached to it are not addressed at the earliest. There are certain core areas whose corrections can strengthen India’s top ranking in milk production, and allow it to cash on in the potentialities that dairy development has (on bringing gender, caste and region neutral development, as rural & poor entrepreneurs in this high paying field require relatively lesser business & technology skills). With a population of 134 million cows and 125 million buffalo and total cattle population of 313 million, a renewed white revolution could help develop about 70,000 village dairy co-operatives and 170 district milk producer unions (the largest network in the world). It has been interestingly observed that in areas affected by Naxalite violence, pockets of dairy development have been islands of peace. But negatively, the network producing a total of 81 million metric tonnes (making India the largest milk producer in the world) also has the lowest productivity figures. Against the world average yield of 2,021 kgs per year, the Indian average is poorly placed at 795. That also shows the tremendous opportunity waiting to be tapped. Radical changes like veterinary support to milching animals, fodder availability & humane treatment to these animals are warranted.

PLWHA...
...or People Living With HIV/AIDS

Migration of one or both of the partners in marriage has a great impact on the reproductive behaviour in terms of contraceptives & fertility decisions, as also on risks related to HIV and AIDS. Applying the estimation of the National Sample Survey Organisation to the mid-2003 projected population, it is estimated that about 264 million Indians are mobile and have migrated to either within India or abroad. The situation encountered and behaviour generated due to long periods of stay away from spouses increases vulnerability to HIV. Mostly, those are the migrant labourers who stay in conditions that foster casual unhygienic sexual relationships with sex workers. Having least access to the health services, counseling and testing facilities, these vulnerable sections infect their sex partners back home. The other mobile section, the truck drivers, (about 2 to 5 million), are another such group. A study of 1999 showed that about 87% of truck drivers change their sexual partners frequently, with only 11% opting for condoms. These PLWHA risk groups have spread the disease from urban to rural settings. With an estimated number of about 5,700,000, HIV/AIDS problems related to these migrants and truckers section needs to be looked into for preventing its spread further within the rural heartland of India.

Iraq war kills one more...politically
Natwar must resign; or prepare for a humiliating exit sooner than...

(column by Kalyan Upadhyay)

It's finally curtains for the former External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh. After being indicted by the Justice R. S. Pathak commission, the Congress stalwart seems to have hit a dead end. He was hoping for a clean chit from Justice Pathak who was asked by the government to authenticate findings of United Nation's Paul Volcker commission (Volcker had named Natwar, his son Jagat and the Congress party as being non contractual beneficiaries of multi-national oil for food scam in Iraq). Natwar’s hopes were dashed as Justice Pathak, in his 110-page report, indicted him for misusing his position as Minister for External Affairs to help Jagat’s friend Andaleeb Sehgal in landing oil contracts from Iraq during Saddam Hussain’s regime. The report, though, gave a clean chit to the Congress, which too had been named by the Volcker Commission. The opposition is already baying for his blood. Argues BJP General Secretary Arun Jaitley, “Like Bofors inquiry, the government should follow the money trail in Oil for Food scam by ordering a CBI inquiry or a Joint Parliametary Committee (JPC). We are not satisfied with Pathak commission’s report.” The Pathak Commission, however, was unable to trace the money trail, giving Natwar Singh a legal leeway. Such loopholes notwithstanding, sensing the opposition's mood, the Congress has already distanced itself from Natwar, especially with his more recent belligerent attitude of moving a privilege motion in Rajya Sabha against the Prime Minister. For Natwar Singh, the wisdom clearly lies in leaving the party, before he is humiliatingly thrown out. Of course, his talks with opposition parties will ensure his future political progress, and not necessarily within the Congress. Natwar needn’t worry; such controversies India has seen a dime a dozen, and with the memory that illiterate masses are blessed with, he could as well nurture ambitions of being the PM one day!

(End of Kalyan Upadhyay column)

Left's west logic versus Centre's right
Unless the Left becomes intelligible, their pan India ambitions can't grow

(column by Pramod Kumar)

In a move that threatened to pull down the UPA Government at the Centre, Left parties threatened to bring in a “Sense of the House” resolution in Parliament over the Indo-US nuclear deal. Fortunately, the move ended in a whimper with Left parties being left whining against the BJP. Yet, a few issues critically remain to be addressed. Like what will be the shape of Left–Congress relations in the future? But first, the opera’s sequence. A resolution moved by the Left and supported by the BJP would have resulted in the government’s defeat. The Congress did try to reason it out with the ally. Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma even assured the Parliament that the bill passed by US Congress would not affect the spirit of the Indo-US agreement. When cajoling did not work, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee doled out a direct threat to the Left : “Any such resolution would mark the end of the government.” Two days later, the UPA Chairperson personally handed over a similar warning to the CPM Rajya Sabha member, Sitaram Yechury. It had the desired effect. The Left buckled and the crisis was averted. Says Congress General Secretary J. Dwivedi, “Such maneuvers are an integral part of coalition politics, but only till they do not destabilise...” Irked at being ignored by the UPA on issues like airport privatisation, the Left has continuously wanted to gain an upper hand. But more oft en than not, the Left’s arguments have either been thoroughly illogical (for example, while opposing FDI in retail, or airports privatisation) or simply worse (their garbled accusations on Swami Ramdev a benchmark example). What the Left has to realise is that what works in the West (as in Bengal) need not always be Right (for the Centre). And for the Left to hold any ambitions of one day having their party member as India’s PM, they have to change just one part of their arguments: logic!

(End of Pramod Kumar column)