Triumph of the great human spirit
Paralympics hopefully can do for them, what the society could not...

Philosophers and revolutionaries oft en proclaim that all are equal. In fact, equality is one of humanity’s insightful aspirations and the very foundation of justice. Interestingly, sports & equality are closely associated. Sports have mitigated White’s superiority over Blacks & ushered equality among races. And it is now, Paralympics, the international sport event for handicapped, which is endeavouring to restore some pride in the lives of 500 million disabled population of the world.

Sir Ludwig Guttman, the ‘father’ of sports for the people with disability, realized the need of competition among them. His rather infamous wheelchair game for disabled has become one of the largest international sporting event i.e. Paralympics. Popularity of Paralympics did remove some of the inhibitions of the disabled community. It is akin to Olympics and the next one would be hosted by China. It would perhaps go a long way to change the attitude & curb discrimination that 80 million Chinese face daily. They are discriminated everywhere. Only 63% of the disabled children attend school. Hurdles & miseries of disabled are not only confined to China, they are ill-treated in almost all Asian countries. Institutes intentionally take tough physical exams to reject qualify ed disabled. Most of the public places are still not disable-friendly. However, Paralympics is still confined to elite class. Thus, vast part of the disabled community is still out of its purview. Strangely enough, this mankind and his society which shows so much concern for the preservation of flora & fauna facing extinction. Yet this very mankind fails to offer minimum dignity which their lesser fortunate brethren rightly deserve. Paralympics would do what mankind as a whole could not.

Where a failed state is a norm than exception…
Zimbabwe would just add to the long list of failed African nations, if not acted upon soon!

With the onset of this millennium, when the world pledged to fast forward development and make it more sustainable, Zimbabwe initiated a backward journey into an era of turmoil, anarchy and something which can be compared to reverse apartheid. An apocalyptic 7,634.8% rate of inflation…that is Zimbabwe’s brief resume for the world. The controversial Land Reform Programme, the prolonged clash with the judiciary and the emergence of irrelevant price & exchange rate control mechanism, has relegated the country to irrelevance. Today the economy is characterized by both high inflation and high unemployment – the perfect recipe to bring down an economy; as a result of which 80% Zimbabweans live below the poverty line and making sure that what was once the strongest economy of Africa, has now been reduced to rubbles. With severe shortage of basic necessities becoming a perennial affair, the chances of the economy’s restoration is dim in the short run. Apart from the economical fiasco, there also exists political furore in the country. Conflicts within the Zanu-PF party, the dictatorial tendencies of President Robert Mugabe, police attack on the opposition movements over demands for democratic change have also contributed to its falling growth line. There’s an old saying that you can take a horse to water but cannot make it drink. Zimbabwe exemplifies how getting rid of colonialism does not guarantee the shaping of a better society in the realm of that country. Inspite of being endowed with rich mineral resources, Zimbabwe is surely trudging the way travelled by the likes of Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Rwanda… the reward of which is more anarchy and more turmoil. Throwing Whites away is one activity but to govern a country of unruly populace is something else. May sanity prevail someday.

Evil prevails...
and opium too in Afghanistan

The relationship between Afghanistan and opium dates back to time immemorial. While terrorism has destroyed the country, it is perhaps drug which will wipe out the nation from the world map Production of opium is growing frighteningly & even defeat of Taliban has not reduced its production. It has a shocking 193,000 hectares under opium cultivation which produced 8,200 tonnes of opium this year, which is a 34% increase over last year. No other country in the world has ever cultivated on such a deadly scale. Close investigation has indicated that opium production in poverty stricken central & northern region is decreasing while that of in rich southern region has detonated to an unprecedented level. Five provinces from south supply 70% of total opium while Hilmand alone provides 50% of country’s production. It is easier to drop missiles and kill a few perpetrators but more difficult to change a way of life and lure of easy money which is imbibed in a civilisation for centuries. Perhaps NATO and the US are learning it the hard way now.

One world…
but still a reverie in this land

History has been testimony to the fact that while many have aspired to make the globe one happy family or where Vasudhev Kutumbakam, every era had its share of Dirty Harrys too, who have been more than willing to use their oratory and absolute power to not just foment hatred but to exterminate certain communities as a whole from the face of the Earth. While it took an Earth shattering World War to defeat the Nazis, the death of Hitler and his dream, did not make sure that the concept of anti- Semitism or racism was annihilated altogether. This has essentially taken today, the shape of Neo-Nazism in the grip of which has come the countries like Germany, Russia, USA, Greece & Belgium and expatriates have to face its brunt. Eight Indian migrants were brutally beaten up in Germany recently while in Russia, Neo-Nazis brutally killed a migrant and put its video on YouTube declaring ‘Russia for Russians.’ One world is dead, long live the dream of one world. How long for the dream to be realised, with Hitler’s suicide going waste.

Eat Veggies for...
...a healthy & wealthy economy

While many have always felt that mankind should also outgrow the beastly habit of slaughtering animals and feasting on their meat…whether that is a right perception or not, is debatable. But the foregone conclusion is that if vegetarianism is a catching trend of the world, then that would be most befitting for all the developing economies across the world, which thrive on agricultural enterprises. With the growing demand for greens, these countries will easily tread a positive path. Though, vegetarian society was first founded in England in 1847, veggies are everywhere now. The UK, despite its vegetarian population being 6.1% (approx.), the country has come up concept of vegetarian shoes and vegetarian jackets, which is creating a market for itself. No where else, but India, the second most populated country, has over 70% of world’s vegetarians. Even in the US, which has some eight million vegetarians and a few million more ‘occasional vegetarians’, additive food industry is booming, of which Boca Foods brand is speculated to be the biggest gainer. For now, be it a developing country or a developed country, all are grabbing opportunities to cash on the growing vegetarian industry.

While the mayhem continues!
India breaks into top three in terror casualty chart

The serial blasts in Hyderabad are a reminiscent of the fact that terrorism is here to stay and that no one is safe from being at the receiving end of terror. While Special Task Force of Andhra Pradesh Police is out on major manhunt, this incident has once again shown sheer incompetence of the state police in fighting an invisible enemy, remote-controlled mostly from across the border. And while a spineless government is expressing its helplessness to both remove or reduce terror as well as give shape to strong anti terror laws, it is the common man who keeps paying the price. Terrorism in India has already claimed more than 47,371, since January 1994, which is just second to the war-torn country - Iraq. India is the worst hit country on the terror chart experiencing more than 3,000 terrorism incidents and 2,070 hostage cases. As per Worldwide Incidents Tracking System (WITS), India ranks second in terms of incidence of terror related casualties, third for hostages (next to Iraq & Nepal). Absence of a professionally managed pan -India anti-terror federal agency severely inhibits the ability of the country to confront unforeseen contingencies and save precious lives, through prevention of terror act. From India’s financial hub Mumbai to Ayodhya, to Delhi, to Malegaon to prestigious Indian Parliament and now to cyber capital Hyderabad, all these cities have confronted terrorist activities. In last three years alone, over 8,430 people were severely injured in terror acts. Terrorism has its impact on the economy too. Projects worth Rs.11,000 crores in Kashmir valley and projects worth Rs.3,800 crores in Assam were abandoned due to severe threats from the militias which additionally is a reason for internal instability. If India has to survive and flourish, it acts has to be effective and fast. Or else....

To contain or simply maintain...?
That’s the million dollar question… involving billion lives!

Flood in essence has a long tale of a love -hate relationship with India. And though an excruciating summer makes millions beg for mercy from the weather God, the inability to contain and manage the subsequent downpour, makes sure that the request for mercy becomes resentment to the weather God. The country sees a see-saw game of drought & flood. Fury of floods causing havoc in India is nothing new. Though successive governments have pledged to build embankments, check dams and canals to mitigate this problem, history has been testimony to what extent it has been successful… thanks to a self serving bureaucracy. And while 40 million hectares of India’s geographical area continues to remain flood prone, all that such areas receive is ritualistic aerial view from the ministers, during aftermath of the disaster. Most of the worst affected areas are northern & north-eastern states like Bihar, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Assam. Over the last 50 years, thousands of embankments have been built, under hundreds of flood preventable projects. But, ironically, flood prone areas have doubled during this period. In fact, in India; managing flood and the promise to prevent losses in the future, is a major poll plank and a convenient way of building popularity. And all this benefits those in the race for power, it’s the common man, who continues to pay the price with loss of lives, properties and future of agricultural prospects. It’s naivety to imagine that natural calamities would one day cease to occur but containing them for the prevention of damage is definitely possible. But for that to happen, our polity has to take a firm decision; whether they want to contain the problem or simply maintain status quo for their political fortunes.

Missing skill!
Lack of vocational colleges

While we continue celebrating India’s economic resurgence, what oft en gets ignored is the question, whether our future workforce would be skilled enough to tap global opportunities. The widening gap in skills, signals the tremors of coming ‘jobless’ nature of the economy. As per the World Bank, the growth in employment in the formal sector is merely 0.6% while in the informal sector it is 1.1% annually. The crucial fact that needs attention is that over 93% of India’s total workforce is involved in informal sector. Consider this: India has only 5,100 Industrial Training Institutes and 1,745 polytechnics colleges and its vocational colleges has 171 low quality specific skill or subjects while more than 1,500 highly skill subjects are covered in similar colleges worldwide. Add to it, the outdated syllabus and license raj like centralised control system. While a globalised environment would exponentially increase job opportunities in the informal sector, it is to be seen whether our polity has the vision to frame policies for tapping such opportunities by qualitative & quantitative enhancement of vocational training system.

Inviting peril…
…means availing loans in India

Adream car or a dream house is nothing but a loan away, these days. With myriad of loans available at obscure interest rates, indulging in chateaus & coupes that an individual fancies is a thing of the past. Well then, what is the thing of the present? Well, Ahem! The mayhem which is a consequence of the backbreaking burden repayment of loans along with interest. While a reducing interest rate of the past had been a lure enough for the common man to fall in the trap of floating rate of interest, the rising interest rates have made sure that the dream comhome made with such loans become a nightmare, leaving many beleaguered & broke. These days, many end up paying anything between 30% - 50% of their income to the bank as EMIs & eventually paying an amount which could have bought them more such properties for which they had availed the loan. The debt traps, in cloak of malevolent loans, though have helped many to acquire what they fancied, but has vind.

Begging Inc.
Why not legalise this industry?

As per Maharashtra Government, there are three lakh beggars on Mumbai roads. It is estimated that a beggar could earn anything between Rs. 50 to Rs.100 a day, making the begging industry worth a jaw-dropping Rs.2,000 crores at national level (Rs.80 crores in Mumbai alone). But then, behind this free-lunch kind of industry, runs an illegal industry too. There are numerous incidents where reputed doctors were found performing amputation surgeries on beggars for mere Rs.10,000. Beggars are reported to be involved with crimes and criminals groups also. For want for extra and easy money, female beggars oft en get hold of children and make them unconscious to use them as sympathy generating instrument for begging. Consequently, many of these children die or lose their mental balance due to these regular doses of sedatives. Much of the malaise pertains to the illegality of the trade, almost akin to the sex industry, which though thrives, has been kept illegal. The idea of making begging a legitimate trade need not be that blasphemous given the fact that in such cases many children could perhaps be saved from being made unwarranted foot soldiers of this massive trade.