Evolution of Britian’s Voting System.

Jeremy Bentham

Emmeline Pankhurst

                
                       1430 : Males who own land worth 40 shillings so called forty shilling freeholders—had the right of giving vote.

                                                      1817 : Legal and Social reformer Jeremy Bentham was the first to advocate votes for woman.

                   1832 : Reform Act increases number of individuals entitled to vote in parliamentary elections to one in six adult males, but majority of working men still can’t vote.

                    1867 : Second Reform Act doubles electorate to around two million, giving vote to all male householders as well as lodgers who pays rent 10 pound a year or more, agricultural landowners and tenant farmers.

1869 : Municipal Corporation Bill results in unmarried women householders being allowed to vote in local elections.

                           1872 : Voting by secret ballot introduced by William Ewart Gladstone’s Liberal party.

1884 : Third Reform Act extends vote to 2/3 rd of adult males in England and Wales, but servants and most members of armed forces remain disenfranchised. Electorate now totals over 5,500,000.

 1897 : Women’s suffrage campaign, led by Emmeline Pankhurst, gains momentum.

                  1918 : Representation of People Act gives right of voting for women aged 30 and older, and men aged 21 or older.

1928 : Equal voting rights granted to women from age 21.

                   1966 : Harold Wilson’s Labour Government extends vote to 18 year olds.

 2000 : First trials of touch screen electronic voting machines and on-line voting.

                   2001 : Postal voting introduced.

2011 : Uk’s voters had chosen first-past-the-vote against the alternative voting system.

                             United Kingdom’s first referendum in more than 30 years was held on May 5, 2011 when the people had decided not to abandon the current first-past-the-post (which is used to elect MPs to The House of Commons) against the alternative vote ( in which voters ranks candidates in order of preferences ). The voting decision of UK was somewhat like this; 6,152,607 (32.10%) votes was polled in favour of changing to alternative voting system and 13,013,123 (67.90%) votes was polled against changing to alternative voting system. Alternative voting system is practiced only in three countries—Australia, Fiji and Papua New Guinea.

William Gladstone

Political Cultures.

The Political cultures of Developing and Developed Countries.

The concept of political culture was developed by American scholars like G. Almond, Sydney Verba etc. to analyse the political process of newly emerged developing countries after the Second World War. The concept of political culture refers to the values, belief and emotional attitudes of people towards various aspects of political system. Developing countries are those countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America who got independence from colonial rule and were on the process on socio economic-development. Though, these countries have adopted formal political institutions of developed countries or their colonial masters, their political culture displays distinct patterns in comparison to developed countries. First, according to Almond, developing countries have paroachial or subject political culture, where roles and structures are not diversified and citizens are more concerned with the output aspect of the political system. On the other hand, the political culture of the developed countries is a participant political culture. Second, in developing countries, as distinct to developed countries, the political culture is the mixture of modern values like democracy, rule of law, liberty and equality and traditional affinity of caste, race, family and religious values. In other words, the political culture of developing countries is not secularized to the extent of the political culture of developed countries. 

State politics in India.

Importance of State politics in INDIA

India has opted for the federal form of Government, in view of the size of the country and the nature of regional and cultural diversities found in India. At both the center and state levels, the parliamentary form of democratic set-up has been adopted. A historical overview of the operation of this arrangement shows that the congress, being the party of national movement, was a ruling party at both center and the states, till 1977 with few exceptions. However, since then the hold of Congress party has been weakening at states and regional or state parties have gained ground gradually; which imparted new dynamics in the state politics. This tendency has become more pronounced in late 1980s, having deep bearing on the national politics also. Some of the following points will explain the importance of state politics:- Rise of state parties and weakening of National parties. The practice of coalition politics at national level, where state parties have become king maker. Increasing tendency of regional identity based politics leading to demand of new states. The growing practice of bargaining between the state/regional parties and national parties.

Mercy Killing or not ?

EUTHANASIA:

“ Euthanasia means an action which aims taking the life of someone at his expressed request, it concerns an action of which death is the purpose and the result “. This definition applies only to voluntary Euthanasia and excludes the non-voluntary or involuntary euthanasia, the killing of a patient without patient’s knowledge or consent. Some call this “ life –terminating treatment”. Euthanasia or “ mercy killing ” is directly intentional killing of a patient with either their consent (voluntary), without their consent when impossible (non-voluntary), or without consent but not sought (involuntary). Many patients are in immense suffering and may be led to choose death as the answer by these ‘doctors’, friends or relatives. The culpability for the patient, in these cases may be lessened, but, this action of killing can never be justified. These patients, whether having an incurable disease, being elderly or suffering in other ways, are crying out for help and love. As humans we cannot always see the answers and for that reason, it is not we to decide about the death of a human being, GOD has not given us this authority. We must also ask ourselves concerning euthanasia, where it will end ? If we allow the elderly or the incurable to be assisted in suicide, what other groups will be given this ‘right’. Will the handicapped or mentally retarded be the next ? Will teenagers, who are the leading age group of suicide, also have this ‘right to die’ ? The answer rests in our hands, if we continue to disrespect human life and it’s creator, GOD, the we will destroy ourselves. A right is a moral claim and since we do not have a claim on death, which itself has a claim on us we cannot act for the right we don’t have. Perhaps Mother Teresa was right when she said that “ if a mother can kill her own child, what is there to stop you and me from killing each other ”.

Liberalisation in India.

LIBERALISATION

India’s serious efforts at economic reform had started in 1991, when Rao government initiated a fresh wave of reforms. Since July 1991, it devalued the currency and made it partially convertible; reduced quantitative restrictions on imports; reduced import duties on capital goods; cut a number of subsidies, including that on fertilizers; progressively liberalized interest rates; abolished production license for most of the industries; ease restrictions on repatriating dividends and royalties; established a partial tax exemption on profits from export sales; allowed a partial sale of shares in selected public enterprises; reduced restrictions on foreign trading companies; revised the system of personal income tax and so on. The years of reform showed creditable progress with the country recording a fast recovery from a deep macro-economic crisis. The growth rate of Gross Domestic Product recovered to 5.3% by 1992-93 from the abysmal 0.8% in 1991-92. In the next few years the growth rate averaged at around 7.5%--close to that of powered performers of East Asia. We in the year of 2006-07 became the second fastest growing major economy after China. Exports recovered and exports earnings increasingly paid for the major part of imports. The foreign exchange reserves achieved a respectable look. Encouragement to the foreign investment resulted in foreign direct investment increasing at the rate of nearly 100%.

          So far so good ! But how have the reforms affected the people? the masses? The ‘ average citizen ’ ? Critics of the reform, most of them from the Left, charge that the process being followed is anti-poor, that it helps only the rich to get richer. The major challenges before Indian economy are to increase the agricultural and industrial strength of the country. Beyond all these lies the character of the country, its people; our attitude to change and to work. Economic reforms cannot merely be a matter of policies nor can economic efficiency be an automatic product of the right economic policies. If India has to forge ahead, the power of vested interest and the resultant corruption in every field including--education--must be curbed.

Temple standing by 1000 years.

BRIHADEESWARAR TEMPLE

Chola regime and its committment to the arts and culture to the dream Temple:

A World heritage site “The Brihadeeswarar temple” standing still with its head high, and is celebrating its millennium birthday in year 2011. This temple is also known as Rajarajeshwaram, located at Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu, (South Indian state). It is the earth’s prototypal through granite temple and a glorious instance of the leading place achieved by the Cholas in temple structure. It is a gem in the crown of Indian heritage and culture and was built during the dominion of Chola King Rajaraja I (985-1016 A.D) The temple has got more deluxe and sculptures portraying the architectural achievements of the Cholas. There is also a resemblance of the reverend with his Guru, Karur, Thevar. The hulk has quintuplet definite storeys, each marked by a projecting balcony. The ordinal trey storeys are prefab of red sandstone, the 4th and ordinal of sandstone. A stone table inscribed with a lotus on the top has the Navagrahas (9 planets of solar system) sculptured on to its sides. A large Nandi mould constructed of blocks in the front of the pedagogue temple. Brihadeeswarar temple has a height of 65 meters and the tower over the privileged spot rises to a peak of 15 meters. Brihadeeswarar Temple at Thanjavur has a 107 paragraph long inscription on the walls of the Vimanam records the contributions of Raja Raja Chola and his sister Kundavai to the Thanjavur temple. The temple stands within a fort, whose walls are later additions built in the 16th century. The towering vimanam is about 200 feet in height and is referred to as Dakshina Meru. The octogonal Shikharam rests on a single block of granite weighing 81 tons. It is believed that this block was carried up a specially built ramp built from a site 6 kilometeres away from here. Huge Nandis dot the corners of the Shikharam, and the Kalasam on top by itself is about 3.8 meteres in height. Hundreds of stucco figures bejewel the Vimanam, although it is possible that some of these may have been added on during the Maratha period. The Shivalingam - Peruvudaiyar, Rajarajeswaramudaiyar - is a huge one, set in a two storeyed sanctum, and the walls surrounding the sanctum delight visitors as a storehouse of murals and sculpture. The long prakaram surrounds the great temple (500 feet/250 feet), and the walls surrounding the prakaram again go back to Raja Raja Cholan's period. The walls house long pillared corridors, which abound in murals, Shiva Lingams and Nandis. The Periya Nayaki temple within the temple is a later addition from the Pandya period, and so is the Subramanyar Temple sung later by the Saint poet Arunagirinathar. Incidents from the lives of the Nayanmars, several of the 108 Bharata Natyam Dance postures, manifestations of Shiva (Aadalvallaan - Nataraja, Tripurantaka, Dakshinamurthi etc.) are depicted in sculptured panels or in exquisite Chola murals. Both the interior, and the exterior walls of the temple, are replete with images of the kind described above. The sanctum, the ardhamandapam, the mukhamandapam and the Mahamandapam, although distinct, form a composite unit with an imposing appearance that awes visitors, forcing one to wonder how such timeless architectural feat was executed about a 1000 years ago. Entrances to the Mandapams and the towered entrances to the Prakarams are majestic. The grandeur of the architecture and the sculptural finesse speaks volumes of the skills of the Imperial Cholas. Inscriptions refer to Shiva as Dakshina Meru Vitankar and Aadavallan. The Nandi, which dates back to the Nayak period, is housed in its own mandapam and it matches up to the grandeur and size of the temple. It is a monolithic Nandi weighing about 25 tonnes, and is about 12 feet high and 20 feet long.

History of Cholas: 

Raja Raja Chola I, was clearly the greatest of the Chola Monarchs. During his reign (985 - 1014 AD) he brought stability to the Chola Kingdom, and restored from obscurity the brilliant Tevaram hymns of the Saivite Nayanmars from obscurity. Raja Raja was a great builder, and the Peruvudaiyar Koyil or the Big Tmeple at Thanjavur was his creation. His son Rajendra Chola (1014 - 1044 AD) was a greater conqueror who marched all the way to the banks of the Ganges. This march was commemorated with a new capital Gangaikonda Cholapuram and another 'Periya Koyil'. Gangai Konda Cholapuram was the capital of the Cholas for about two centuries, although it is nothing more than a village now with this rather well maintained magnificient temple. 35 Kilometers from Thanjavur lies Darasuram, once known as Rajarajapuram - a part of the Chola's secondary capital of Pazhaiyarai. Here is the Airavateeswarar Temple built by Raja Raja II (1146 - 1173). It was during the reign of Kulottunga III (1178 - 1218) that the Kambahareswarar temple at Tribhuvanam was built.

US & AL QAEDA

US & AL QAEDA

Gulf war led the start of enmity with the Al Qaeda . The Persian Gulf War that took place in between (August 2, 1990 – February 28, 1991), commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from thirty-four nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion State of Kuwait. This war has also been referred to as Operation Desert Storm, the First Gulf war, Gulf War I, or the Iraq War, before the term became identified with the 2003 Iraq War which is also referred to as Desert Storm. Following the Soviet Union’s withdrawal from Afghanistan in February 1989, Bin Laden returned to Saudi Arabia. The Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in august 1990 had put the kingdom and it’s ruling house of Saudi at risk. The world’s most valuable oil fields were within easy striking distance of Iraqi forces in Kuwait, and Saddam’s call to pan-Arab/Islamism could potentially rally internal dissent. In the face of seemingly massive Iraqi military presence, Saudi Arabia’s own forces were well armed but far outnumbered. Bin Laden offered the services of his mujahideen to King Fahd to protect Saudi Arabia from the Iraqi army. The Saudi monarch refused Bin Laden’s offer, opting instead allow US and allied forces to deploy troops into Saudi territory. The deployment angered Bin Laden, as he believed the presence of foreign troops in the ‘land of the two mosques’ (Mecca & Medina) profaned sacred soil. After speaking publicly against the Saudi government for harbouring American troops he was banished and forced to live in exile in Sudan.

Rise of Al Qaeda

9/11 In Humanitarian Attack on US

        After his expulsion from Saudi Arabia, Bin Laden established his headquarters for Al Qaeda in Khartoum, Sudan. The first actions of Al Qaeda against American interests were attack on US servicemen in Somalia. A string of terrorists actions suspected to have been orchestrated by Al Qaeda followed, and in August 1996 Bin Laden issued a ‘declaration of War’ against the US. Al Qaeda worked to forge alliances with other radical groups. In February 1998, Bin Laden announced an alliance of terrorist organisation- “International Islamic front for Jihad Against the Jews and the Crusaders ” that included the Egyptian Al Gama’at Al Islamiyya, the Egyptian Islamic Jihad, the Harkat-ul-Ansar and the other various groups. In 1994 Sudan under pressure from Saudi Arabia and the US expelled Bin Laden, who moved his base of operation to Afghanistan. Bin Laden was the ‘guest’ of the Taliban until the US drove them from power in November 2001. Al Qaeda set up terrorist training camps in the war torn nation, as it had in Sudan. From the organisation carried terrorist operations in the different parts of the world including the most horrifying twin towers 9/11 attack.

BROCCOLI

A VEGETABLE THAT FIGHTS CANCER

As the growing industrialization is continuously spitting out carcinogens into our environment and cancer of various hues are spreading their tentacles to take an ever increasing toll on human life, an apparent relief has been discovered in lowly fruits and vegetables rich in anti-oxidants, polyphenols and other cancer preventive chemicals. Among these Italian Broccoli, which is simply called as broccoli, a vegetable belonging to the Brassicacae family has proved to be a most potent one. Besides, the unique anti cancer and other medicinal properties, it is also very rich in various nutrients that can ensure sound health and long life. Particularly its vitamin C content is very high.

Nutritional Constituents of Broccoli (per 100g of raw edible part)  Energy=30 kcals :- Carbohydrates, Sugar, Dietary Fibre, Fat, Protein, Water, Vitamin A equivalent, B-Carotene, Thiamin (Vitamin. B1), Riboflavin (Vitamin. B2), Niacin (Vitamin. B3), Pantothenic Acid (B5), Vitamin. B6, Folate (Vitamin. B9), Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potasium, Zinc.

Green Bud of Broccoli :

Broccoli green Bud

This cool weather crop is rich in vitamin –C, folic acid and soluble dietary fibres. It contains a number of nutrients with potent anti-cancer properties including diindolyl methane and selenium. Particularly 3,-Diindolyl methane is an active modulator of the minnate immune response system with anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-cancer activities. Similarly, like other Brassica vegetables, Broccoli is also rich in Glucosinolates, which are metabolized to cancer preventive substances like isothio-cyanates. Glucoraphanin, a compound present in it can be processed into sulphoraphane, a known anti-cancer agent. Broccoli leaf is edible and it contains a lot of beta-carotene. Therefore, a high intake of Broccoli has been found to reduce the risk of many types of cancer, especially prostrate cancer. Recently, a research from the US National Cancer Institute has found that eating broccoli and cauliflower once a week, decreases the aggressiveness of the disease by 45% to 52%. Similar effects have also been observed in case of colon cancer.

Broccoli Green bud

          Methods of storage and cooking have varying impacts on anti-cancer effects of broccoli. Domestic storage of vegetables at ambient temperature in refrigerator shows only minor loss of glucosinolate levels over 7 days. However, when stored at much lower temperature the loss may be upto 33% by fracture of vegetable material during thawing. On the other hand, a total loss of 77% glucosinolate has been observed after boiling it for 30 minutes, but steaming for 2 minutes, microwave cooking for 3 minutes and stir-fry cooking for 5 minutes do not have any significant effect on those, except when the vegetable is finely shredded. Therefore, in order to derive the maximum benefits from broccoli the latter three methods of cooking should be adopted. However, if it is boiled, it should be done with less water, which should be consumed along with the vegetables and the boiling time should be also reduced.

Broccoli Field.

(Source: USDA nutrient database, Kurushetra.)