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.)

Marxism in era of globalisation.

Marxism in era of globalisation.

The globalisation along with liberalisation and privatisation is a dominant tendency of the world since 1990s. The globalisation is based on the ideology of neoliberalism and supremacy of market principal. The globalisation refers to the increasing exchange of goods, services, capital, information, and persons across nations, which is facilitated by modern means of communication. After the disintegration of Soviet Union in 1991, the ideology of Neoliberalism became dominant and Marxism needed in the background, which was termed by Fukuyama as “end of History”. Other economic based on Marxism and socialism in the Eastern Europe also opted for neo-liberal open economies. This raised the question of relevance of Marxism. However, on closer analysis, Marxism as political and economic structure may have become redundant, but some of its principals like socio-economic equality, justice and primacy of social/public interest are still relevant as the full impacts of neo-liberal ideology gradually unfolds. Under the process of globalisation, the poor peoples and poor countries are marginalised as state withdraw from social sphere and market principal takes the reins. It is in this scenario that Marxist idea of socio-economic justice assumes significance.

INDIA--AFGHANISTAN

India and Afghanistan have shared history and relations for a long time. Taxila, the famous Indian learning center lies in India, while during Maurya period, large area of Afghanistan was included in India, later many Afghan dynasties like Suris and Khilji ruled India. During colonial rule, while Pakistan was a part of British empire, the British rule had troubled rule in Afghanistan. After Independence, India signed a treaty of Friendship with Afghanistan on January 4, 1950. The internal condition of Afghanistan had influenced Indian policy in Afghanistan. India was the only South Asian country, who recognised Soviet backed Democratic Republic in Afghanistan in 1980s. While relation between the two became very close during Soviet support, the assumption of power by Pakistan and US backed Taliban in 1996 and subsequent civil war strained India-Afghan relations. India did not recognise the Taliban government 1996-2001 and instead backed its opponent Northern Alliance. It was the only period in the history (1996-2001) when India did not had diplomatic relations with Afghanistan. Some other anti-Indian activities of Taliban like destruction of Bamian Buddha statute and hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight 814 to Kandhar in Afghanistan by terrorist with the tacit support of Taliban and Pakistan, further strained the relationship between the two countries. Since the intervention of the US forces and fall of Taliban Government in 2001, India has reassumed her diplomatic relations with Afghanistan. At present, though India is involved in the process of Security and Stability in Afghanistan, she is playing an important role in the reconstruction and development of Afghanistan. In the US strategy of Afghanistan (AF-PAK) India is not assigned a major role and Pakistan continues to occupy a central place in this design. India is trying to regain her rightful place in Afghanistan and protect her vital interest through economic diplomacy and engagement.

Census Report on Indian rural-urban population trends (2011)

INDIAN RURAL-URBAN POPULATION TRENDS-2011

The Rural Urban distribution of Population of the Census 2011 was released by Union Home Secretary Mr. R.K.Singh on July 15, 2011. The first figures of Census 2011, released on March 31^st 2011, had shown that India’s overall population had increased from 1.02 billion to 1.21 billion, but for the first time, the growth during the past decade had been actually lower than the preceding 10 years. On March 31^st the government had released Census data related to Sex Ratio and literacy. On July 15, 2011 it gave the rural urban break up for these figures.

The Census 2011 dashboard was also launched on the occasion which gives rural urban break up of the population and it’s growth rate in rural and urban areas. It will also provide rural urban child sex ratio and urban child sex ratio. Besides this, literacy rate for rural urban areas will also be provided. Data on rural urban distribution distribution of population provides level and trend of urbanization. This would be useful for framing and planning policies of rural urban population particularly it would provide basic frame for ensuing Twelfth Plan Period.

The Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, C.Chandramouli presented the data highlights.

Nearly 70% of country’s population live in rural areas where, for the first time since independence, the overall growth rate of the population has sharply declined, according to the highlights. Of the 121 crore Indians, 83.3 crore live in rural areas while 37.7 crore live in urban areas. For the first time since independence, the absolute increase in population is more in urban areas than in rural areas. The rural urban distribution is 68.84% and 31.16% respectively.

The level of urbanization increased from 27.81% in 2001 Census to 31.16% in Census 2011, while the portion of rural population declined from 72.19% to 68.84%. The slowing down of overall growth rate of population is due to the sharp decline in the growth rate in rural areas, whereas the growth rate in urban areas remains almost the same. However, according to the report, the number of births in rural areas has increased by 9 crore in the last decade.

During 2001-11, the rate of growth of rural population has been 12.18%. The growth of country’s rural population is steadily declining since 1991, the report said. Though the growth rate of the population in rural areas of Empowered Action Group (EAG) states is nearly three times that in rural areas in non EAG states, it is for the first time that significant fall of growth rate is seen in the rural areas of  EAG states. The EAG states are Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Odhisa (new name for Orissa) and Chattisgarh.

The total share of India’s urban population is estimated to grow to 41% of the total population by 2030. Some estimates place this at 55% in the year 2050. The percentage of population below poverty line in the country has gone down from 55% in 1973-74 to 27.5% in 2004-05. For urban areas this percentage of poor has reduced from 49% in 1993-74 to 25.7% in 2004-05.

In the year 2004-05, the estimated number of urban poor was 81 million and the slum dwellers was 62 million. In 2001, there were 7,79,000 people living without homes.  Only 64% of urban India lives in homes that are in ‘good’ condition while close to 1.93 million live in ‘dilapidated’ houses followed by 17.31 million living in houses that are in ‘liviable condition’.

Highest Rural-Urban Populations

          The statistics reveal that while the maximum number of people living areas in a particular state is 15.5 crore in Uttar Pradesh. Mumbai tops the list having the maximum number of people in urban areas at 5 crores. The data also reflects that 18.62% of the country’s rural population lives in Uttar Pradesh and 13.48% of urban population lives in Maharashtra.

Rural-Urban Habitations

       A total of 2774 additional habitations were classified as urban units for the 2011 Census while the rise in the number of rural units was 2279. India now has 6.4 lakh villages as compared to 6.38 lakh earlier.

Highest Urban Population Growth

          Sikkim more than doubled its urban population, showing a 153% rise, while Kerala showed an increase of 93%. Tripura increased its urban population by 76%.

Highest Rural population Growth

          Bihar and Meghalay showed the biggest growth in rural populations, registering a rise of 24% and 27% respectively. However the growth of country’s rural population is steadily declining since 1991, the report said. Four states that recorded a decline in the rural population during 2001-11 are Kerala by 26%, Goa by 19%, Nagaland by 15% and Sikkim by 5%.

Most Urban States

          Goa and Mizoram are the first states to be more urban than rural.

Most Rural States

          Himachal Pradesh, 90% rural is India’s most rural state, followed by Bihar 89% and Assam 86%.

Sex Ratio

          According to the report, though the urban child ratio is far worse than that in rural areas, the fall in child sex ratio in rural areas is around four times than in urban areas. However the decline in child sex ratio is more gradual in urban areas, the report said. There is a decline of 8.9 million children in rural areas while in urban areas have shown increase of 3.9 million children. The data shows there is an increase in the overall sex ratio in the country from 933 in 2001 to 940 in 2011. However the improvement in overall sex ratio is largely in urban areas. In rural areas in the country there has been an increase by only 1 point from 946 in 2001 to 947 in 2011. In urban areas there has been an appreciable gain of 26 points from 900 in 2001 to 926 in 2011. In 10 states and UTs, the urban sex ratio is higher than rural sex ratio in Census 2011. This includes Tamil Nadu, Kerala and National Capital of Delhi, the report said.

Child Sex Ratio

        The report said that the child population in the country has declined by 5 million or almost 3% between 2001 and 2011. This is due to sharp decline of 8.9 million or about 7% in the child population in the rural areas. In urban areas, the child population has increased by 3.9 million or about 10%.Fears of rampant use of pre-natal sex determination technology in rural areas have been confirmed with census data indicating that child sex ratio (CSR) fell more sharply in villages than in urban areas in the last decade.

Rural and Urban CSRs

        The Census 2011 says that child sex ratio (ratio of girls to boys under the age of 6 years) in the country is the lowest recorded since the 1961 Census. It stands at 914 in the last Census report. “Though the urban child ratio is far worse than that in rural areas, the fall in child sex ratio in rural areas is around four times than in urban areas. In fact the decline is more gradual in urban areas,” says the Census of India’s 2011 Provisional Population Totals of Rural-Urban Distribution. Rural India still has a better CSR (ratio of girls to boys under the age of 6 years) of 919 than urban India’s 902. However between 2001 and 2011, rural India’s CSR fell by 15 points as opposed to urban India’s 4 point decline, and the gap between has narrowed. States/UTs with best and worst CSRs: Harayana has both the worst urban and rural CSR. Nagaland has the best urban CSR, while in rural areas, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands has the best, indicating yet again that tribal communities have a more egalitarian attitude to girls than other communities.

Literacy

        There has been an increase of 217.8 million literates since the last Census in 2001. Out of this, 131.1 million were in rural areas and 86.6 million in urban areas. The improvement of literacy rates in rural areas is 2 times than that in urban areas. The rural-urban literacy gap which was 21.2% points has come down to 16.1% points in 2011. There is more improvement in female literacy than in male literacy in both rural and urban areas, according to the data. The gender gap in literacy has came down from 24.6 in 2001 to 19.8 in 2011 in rural areas and from 13.4 in 2001 to 9.8 in 2011 in urban areas.