The people of the USA don’t want this. The people of Russia don’t want this. The people of the entire world don’t want this. Nevertheless, USA and Russia have been moving closer to the possibility of a direct conflict. This most dangerous trend not desired by people anywhere has been happening due to the manipulations, extremely narrow vision, inflated aggression[Read More…]
Recently several fruit growers from Himalayan states, particularly from Kashmir, expressed their serious concern and resentment at the slashing of additional duties on imports of apples, walnuts and almonds from the USA. As is well-known, the fruit growers in the USA have the benefit of several government subsidies and it is difficult to compete against them. Now these worries may[Read More…]
On September 18 the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu made an announcement in the State Legislative Assembly that his government will be announcing a special aid package for all people who have suffered serious harm in the recent spate of landslides, floods and excessive rain. He said that the state had not yet received the expected help[Read More…]
Recent dam failures in Libya and Ukraine have re-emphasized the great importance of improving dam safety. The flood disaster in Libya was greatly aggravated by the heavy damage to Wadi Derna dams very recently leading to several thousand deaths, even though clear warnings of the lack of poor maintenance of these dams had been given earlier. These could not be[Read More…]
Introduction As debates leading up to 2024 union elections in India preceded by some important state assembly become intense, it is not enough to talk about election alignments among various political parties and their seat adjustments; the questions relating to the most important priorities and a future agenda based on justice, equality, peace, environment protection and democracy must get the[Read More…]
Rajaram Ka Purva is a remote rural hamlet in Banda district of Uttar Pradesh inhabited by the poorest of the poor. Almost none of the children in this hamlet are able to go to school. The reasons relate to poverty, distance of the nearest school as well as the unsafe path to school. Till these difficulties can be sorted out[Read More…]
Jarva Chauki is a village in Atarra rural area of Banda District (Uttar Pradesh). Several households face a livelihood crisis here and at times lack the minimum food stock needed to keep away hunger. These problems increased after the pandemic related distress. To try to ensure that no one remains hungry, a local voluntary organization Vidya Dham Samiti has started[Read More…]
One of the most important tasks before our troubled world relates to protective steps to reduce the harmful impacts of adverse weather and disasters arising from climate change. As is well understood and adequately documented, climate change leads to much increased possibility of adverse weather events and disasters which can be significantly more threatening than what the world has experienced[Read More…]
One of the few hopeful signs for world peace has been that at some of the most dangerous moments there has been a very helpful response in the form of big gatherings of people demanding peace. However in most such cases there was lack of adequate follow-up steps and so the one-time mobilization often became more like symbolic action, failing[Read More…]
This is clearly the time for giving the highest priority to the rescue and rehabilitation effort In Libya where the recent floods have caused massive destruction. At the time of writing this over 5300 persons are reported to have died, and thousands more are reported missing. According to Derna Mayor Abdulbenam al-Ghaithi ( quoted in a Reuter report published in[Read More…]
One of the great tasks of our times is to move USA policy more and more towards the path of peace. This can result in big welfare gains at world level as well as for the people of the USA. A lot of more resources can then become available to meet the welfare needs of the people of the USA.[Read More…]
The Sahel region in Africa has experienced some of the worst distress in the world in recent times caused by violence, insecurity, hunger and deprivation. The recent crisis in Niger and the possibilities of its escalation have added to a situation that was already full of simmering tensions as seen in various countries of this region. The problems of this[Read More…]
A simple reform of diverting some of the highly excessive and wasteful military budget to civilian and health priorities can achieve the highly desirable objective to saving about one million human lives in a year. The current USA military expenditure which is over 850 billion dollars according to official estimates and closer to 1400 billion dollars according to other reliable[Read More…]
There is no doubt that the G-20 declaration is a major diplomatic triumph for Indian negotiators. The contribution of others, like those from Brazil, who helped in securing consensus agreement on this must also be acknowledged. At a time when the world is so divided particularly on the Ukraine conflict, to secure a consensus declaration was no easy matter, and[Read More…]
Keeping in view many serious problems confronting our world, very noble precepts such as the entire earth being one family are sometimes mentioned as the basis for more enduring solutions. However only noble precepts will note take us very far, these must be moved further into more specific plans of action. This also should not be delayed for too long,[Read More…]
It is a very commendable effort that the G-20 Summit could issue a common declaration with consensus. The most praiseworthy part of this declaration is the basic precept given on the cover of the declaration—One Earth, One family, One Future. The very first sentence of the declaration says—We are One Earth, One Family, and we share One Future. In keeping[Read More…]
The recent highly unfortunate communal violence in Mewat region has drawn much comment, including appeals for unity and harmony. However enough attention has not been given to the rich tradition of unity and harmony that has been very much a part of the history of this region. A better and wider awareness of these will contribute to creating a Mewat[Read More…]
Himachal Pradesh has suffered heavier damage during this monsoon season than in any recent year that most people here can recall. While over 300 people have died and economic damage has been put at Rs. 12,000 crore till early September, given the extreme nature of the devastation the mortality figure could have been much higher but for the noble efforts[Read More…]
Even though Satai village is located close to a town, the land belonging to several dalit households had been denied irrigation opportunities for a long time and so could not be cultivated properly. Recently Haritika voluntary organization brought new hope by creating a tank with the enthusiastic involvement of people of this hamlet located in Bijawar block of Chattarpur district[Read More…]
While the famous Ganga and Yamuna rivers have at least received some attention regarding their protection, several of their important tributaries have been badly neglected even at a time when their protection needs urgent attention. Ultimately of course this neglect of tributaries will prove very harmful for the Ganga-Yamuna river system as well. The Ken river deserves special attention among[Read More…]
During a recent visit to Bundelkhand region I came across the following report in the leading Hindi newspaper Amar Ujala (August 13-14)—Villagers protesting against the Ken-Betwa River Link Project have submitted a protest petition written with their blood. Their leaders have alleged that 3 to 4 million trees are likely to be cut and people of 21 villages will be[Read More…]
The Ukrainian counteroffensive of the past three months or so, starting on 4 June, has been widely discussed. In one of the most well-documented and thoughtful reviews of this counteroffensive titled ‘Bound to Lose— Ukraine’s 2023 Counteroffensive’ Prof. John J. Mearsheimer, who is R.Wendell Harrison Distinguished Service Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago, has raised several important[Read More…]
The overwhelming feature of the education system of the greater part of the world is that is that it is completely out of connect with the real needs of our deeply troubled world. What are the real needs of our world? These are clearly linked to the recognition of the most pressing problems of our world. The present day world[Read More…]
People have been generally organized in the form of unions, political parties, sects, dissident groups, voluntary organizations and other groups requiring their own discipline and having their own programs. The world now needs a different kind of mobilization which does not require much of this discipline and not even a very firm program. Instead what we need is a much[Read More…]
In Bundelkhand region in many meetings on issues relating to justice and development, people wait eagerly to hear songs sung by Mata Dayal. It is quite possible that Mata Dayal may sing a song written and composed by himself. He shows me a diary on which he has written several of these songs, probably 50 or so. However he is[Read More…]
Those who understand the terrible implications of the onslaught of the GM lobby (genetically modified food and crops lobby) on Indian farming and farmers and are devoted to protecting India’s farmers and farming from this onslaught had reason to be both happy and sad this week ( August-end) Happy because the Supreme Court acted with so much wisdom and firmness[Read More…]
In times of climate change and adverse weather conditions, rural livelihoods come under increasing strain and there is increasing need for efforts which can protect sustainable livelihoods, particularly in the context of small and marginal famers and other weaker sections. In Bundelkhand region of Central India the work of Arunodaya Sansthaan, a voluntary organization, has consistently lived up to this[Read More…]
Phoola Devi and Devidayal work hard on their small plot of less than two acres of farmland in Larvari village, in Niwari district of Madhya Pradesh. Despite their best efforts, things had been becoming quite difficult, but then some important changes they initiated in recent times have given them new hope. Firstly, they have given up using chemical fertilizers and[Read More…]
If you meet Komal Prasad Aharwar in passing in his village ( Teraih, in Talbehat block of Lalitpur district, Uttar Pradesh), you may well ignore him as any other ordinary villager, but once you speak to him at length about his livelihood , you are likely to be highly impressed by the recent initiatives of this dalit farmer. Komal Prasad[Read More…]
In the course of its eventful journey that started in 2001, Vidyadham Samiti (VDS), a voluntary organization of Bundelkhand region in central India, has acquired a well-established reputation as a true friend of weaker sections of society, standing by them in difficult conditions and in resisting injustice. Often facing several hurdles placed in its path by the rich and the[Read More…]
Bharti Aharwar, a dalit woman of Nadia village in Jatara block of Tikamgarh district, was finding it difficult to cope with increasing economic difficulties. Her husband had even gone to Delhi in search of better earning opportunities but no durable solution had emerged. So when she learnt from an activist of Srijan social organization visiting her village about their plan[Read More…]
In most discussions on ongoing conflicts and wars, generally more attention is given to military aspects and to examining which side is likely to be victorious. However from the point of view of reducing human distress what is most important is to resolve all conflicts and end or avoid all wars with a justice-based approach. Many conflicts involving enormous distress[Read More…]
Several eminent scholars have warned time and again that false misrepresentation of history in communal terms can be very harmful for national unity, and it is very sad that despite such warnings such damaging trends have intensified further in some contexts. Due to such repeated misrepresentation most of the battles fought during the years of the Mughal rule have become[Read More…]
It is an undeniable fact of Indian history that all those leaders of the freedom movement who received the greatest support and affection of people were those who had very firm faith in communal harmony. For Jawaharlal Nehru inter-faith harmony was a matter of the deepest commitment and a firm base for the progress of the country. Badshah Khan[Read More…]
In these high-risk times the urgency of diplomacy for peace has been increasing steadily, as emphasized by several eminent experts, including those reputed to be among the most experienced in the skills and the art of diplomacy for peace. Unfortunately the most important decision makers, the ones who can most quickly and effectively de-escalate the dangers of moving towards catastrophic[Read More…]
Rajaram Ka Purva is a most neglected rural hamlet inhabited by the poorest people of Kuchbandia community. This is located in such an isolated backyard of Mahuwa panchayat (Banda district of Uttar Pradesh) that a visitor to the panchayat may easily go away without noticing it. As we went around nearly 40 homes of this hamlet, almost every home gave[Read More…]
A public hearing on 13 August in Atarra ( Banda district, Uttar Pradesh) provided revealing glimpses of extreme injustices suffered by people in more remote parts of the country and the obstacles placed in the path of getting justice for them by the rich and the powerful. This public hearing was organized by a voluntary organization Vidyadham Samiti (VS) which[Read More…]
Some of the most eminent medical journals (including The Lancet, BMJ and JAMA) recently took an almost unprecedented initiative to together publish a joint editorial on August 1, 2023 asking for the elimination of nuclear weapons in view of their unacceptably high risks. What should be particularly welcomed is that they have taken the stand of elimination of nuclear weapons[Read More…]
Rational foreign policy for any country can be defined as policy based on advancing the short-term as well as the long-term interests of that country and reconciling this with the most essential concerns of the world for peace and protecting the life-nurturing conditions of planet. There can be wide consensus on such a non-controversial presentation of rational foreign policy. The[Read More…]
Some of the most significant voices of peace in the west have emerged from former diplomats who were earlier engaged in the pursuit of western aims in more enlightened ways in keeping with the concerns of world peace and stability. While these voices are very important these have not had the expected influence on policy makers. The eastward expansion of[Read More…]
Frequent concern has been expressed by health experts in the USA that life-expectancy in this country has been reducing steadily in comparison to levels attained in several other rich countries. This has led some researchers to explore the number of excess deaths in the USA (or number of ‘missing Americans’) which they define as the deaths which are in excess[Read More…]
Recent floods have caused very heavy damage to roads and highways in Himachal Pradesh. After a rapid assessment a fund of Rs. 400 crore was announced on August 1 by the Central government for repair of roads and highways in this state. While rains and floods were severe in several places, there is also a lot of concern regarding the[Read More…]
There has been widespread recognition of the ongoing Ukraine war as a proxy war. It is a proxy war involving very high costs in terms of the loss, already, of several hundred thousand human lives as well as other extreme distress. Four dimensions of the high costs and losses suffered in the course of the nearly one and a half[Read More…]
Recently some highly responsible, timely and credible reporting by several newspapers has played an important role in stopping demolitions in Nuh district of Haryana beyond the fourth day. These efforts of journalists should be widely appreciated as this will further encourage similar journalism of great social responsibility. On August 8 a report in The Times of India titled ‘Ethnic cleansing[Read More…]
The recent communal violence in Nuh district of Haryana and neighboring areas has evoked widespread concern. In an interview published in the Indian Express (August 7), Dushyant Chautala, Deputy Chief Minister of Haryana, stated that this is a matter of serious concern and the state government has taken several important steps to stop this. However on the same day the[Read More…]
by Bharat Dogra and Madhu Dogra This year (2023) is the birth anniversary of two stalwarts of Hindi cinema who made a very enduring contribution even though they died at a young age. The contribution of both of them was somewhat unique as they had a place in the film world that was entirely their own. What is more, some[Read More…]
The urgency of improving school education, particularly in the government-run schools of more remote rural areas, has persisted for a long time. Following the prolonged closure of schools during the pandemic, this urgency has increased all the more as the learning of students was adversely affected during the time of school closure. A recent survey conducted early this year in[Read More…]
Achyut Yagnik breathed his last on August 4, Friday. He was one of the most versatile among that rather select number of people who are able to combine a lifetime of writing and activism. However even this introduction would fall short of a very important part of his contributions which relate to the numerous ways in which he helped other[Read More…]
In recent years the number of gig workers has increased rapidly in most countries. While the need has been for ensuring better social security and welfare benefits to more workers, the trend has been in the opposite direction due to gig workers accounting for a major share of the increase in new workforce. In India the gig workers already number[Read More…]
Due to historical circumstances some countries and regions are caught in situations of serious conflict and the potential of even higher conflict. Unfortunately these get transferred from one generation to another in a needlessly prolonged way. The result is that a generation that has nothing to do with the origin of these conflicts sees its present and future life darkened[Read More…]
What happens when suddenly huge amounts of mud and debris start falling on people sleeping peacefully in a remote village, burying some of them entirely, while others watch helplessly as their near and dear ones are buried? This is a tragedy that has befallen hundreds of people in recent landslides. The recent landslide in Irshalwadi village of Raigad district, about[Read More…]
Following abnormally high damage caused by floods and landslides in Himachal Pradesh, the role of foreign aid in recovery effort is being discussed, particularly aid likely to be received from the World Bank. A recent report by the Statesman News Service (The Statesman, July 29) has stated, “The World Bank has assured assistance to disaster affected Himachal Pradesh and providing[Read More…]
Following heavy rain in many parts of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand in western Himalayan region in July 2023 there were reports of abnormally high incidence of landslides, floods and flash floods during this month. As there were simultaneous heavy rains in many plain areas below the hills, the local rainfall as well as the floodwater from the hills combined to[Read More…]
Imagine an already crumbling big building housing about two hundred families in a coastal area which has suddenly been exposed to even higher risks due to increased frequency and intensity of sea storms. Surely in such a situation protecting the safety of the building should become the topmost common priority of all the inhabitants of this building. But imagine a[Read More…]
The greater part of Europe has for long enjoyed the status of very high levels of prosperity and even higher levels of prestige. It has been the desired land not only for those persons of the majority world who seek to improve their economic prospects but even for prominent members of their business and political elite who have been willing[Read More…]
Recent steps taken by the government of Rajasthan, one of the better governed states of India, can result in providing much needed relief to the weaker sections ( with rights based longer term commitments added) and hence deserve our high praise and appreciation. The Chief Minister Mr. Ashok Gehlot deserves appreciation for his commitment to giving high priority to pushing[Read More…]
On 27 July the 70th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice is being observed at a time of increasing tensions. As a recent note of ICAN (International Coalition to Abolish Nuclear Weapons) updated till July 18 has stated, “Nuclear tensions on the Korean peninsula have continued to build through 2023. Last month, North Korea tested its most advanced solid-fueled ICBM[Read More…]
by Bharat Dogra and Madhu Dogra Note—This is a slightly edited version of an extract from the recently published book Hindi Cinema and Society written by Bharat Dogra and Madhu Dogra (published by Saptarishi, pages 234, Paperback) Hindi cinema has an overwhelming presence in Indian society. Whether it is a young man humming a romantic song constantly, or a girl[Read More…]
Several persons whose commitment to peace and justice is well-established have argued that while the USA and its western allies were obviously wrong in taking several provocative actions against Russia, nevertheless Russia should have avoided the invasion of Ukraine. These analysts agree that western steps such as constantly pushing NATO eastwards in breach of previous promises, assisting the 2014 coup[Read More…]
The government and people of Mexico have been involved in a struggle for several years to protect their staple food corn from serious health and environmental hazards linked strongly with imports of GM (genetically modified) corn and contamination of local corn with GM corn. However they and their protective efforts face the deep opposition of their neighbor and superpower the[Read More…]
As the issues of food safety and health hazards are extremely important, many people are very keen to know the reality of GM (genetically modified) crops but they feel confused by the fact that while on the one hand many scientific papers warn about the very serious risks of these crops, other papers associate these crops with several virtues. Such[Read More…]
The recent debate on amendment of forest conservation law has seen the emergence of very relevant objections, and interests of environment protection as well as democracy demand that now the government should give adequate attention and importance to these objections. The advantages which a democracy provides in terms of the possibilities of corrective actions can be properly realized only if[Read More…]
India has a very rich tradition of opposing wrongly arrested persons, going back to the days of the freedom movement, when hundreds of thousands of freedom fighters including such legendary leaders as Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Bhagat Singh, Badshah Khan and Subhash Bose were arrested time and again by colonial rulers. Despite all the repression and cruelty of colonial rule,[Read More…]
The dominant view regarding what is desirable for a country, now and in future, is normally that of the internationally recognized government of the country. The present government of Ukraine not only has widespread international recognition, its President Zelenskyy is also widely promoted as a brave war hero by many rich and powerful countries, helped by the fact that he[Read More…]
Various development models which sought to reduce poverty and deprivation in the past tried to link the production/availability of various essential goods and services with the available financial and natural resources. However with the accentuation of the environmental crisis there are new challenges and pressing needs. It is well recognized by scientific opinion that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas[Read More…]
Creation of news states in India from time to time has helped India in satisfying regional aspirations and improving governance in some of the larger states. Of course creation of a new state is not easy and involves a lot of careful work and consultation with people and various stakeholders. Whenever these consultation processes are properly followed, creation of new[Read More…]
Recently there have been several efforts by traditional boatmen of Varanasi to mobilize protests against their livelihoods being threatened by the introduction of water taxis in the Ganga river. In fact there was even a strike by them on this issue when they did ply their boats for some time. Earlier there was a protest by them against the introduction[Read More…]
Several parts of India including the capital Delhi are in the middle of above normal floods. This has happened at a very early stage of the monsoon rains and there is need for a lot of caution at this stage itself as the capacity of land, natural water sources and dams to handle floods, which has been eroded badly over[Read More…]
The situation in mid-July in India and more particularly in North India suggests need for extreme caution to avoid any further or rapid aggravation of the flood situation. At rather an early stage of the monsoon season, excessive floods have taken place in Delhi and neighboring parts as well as in the upper Himalayan catchment areas of Himachal Pradesh and[Read More…]
There are several important perspectives for understanding history and learning from it for future. One of the more useful of these ways may be to seek an understanding in terms of four crucial relationships—relationships among human beings at several levels, relationship between human beings and nature, relationship between human beings and other forms of life, relationship among the present generation[Read More…]
In the middle of an intensifying controversy over whether western countries should supply cluster bombs to Ukraine for use in the ongoing conflict, another issue that deserves serious attention is that if cluster bombs are to be used for ‘liberating’ its own territory by Ukraine, which is the stated aim for obtaining the supply of these deadly weapons by Ukraine[Read More…]
What are the most important lessons of history regarding true progress which really brings welfare and happiness? What can we learn from this to resolve the most serious survival crisis faced today in terms of the basic life-nurturing conditions of our planet being threatened by man-made factors? These are big questions which may require big answers. However if the essence[Read More…]
There is a clear urgency of action needed to check the decline in access of benefits of the most important national-level maternity benefit scheme. The government must take immediate steps for this, particularly in the context of states like Gujarat and W.Bengal where the sharp decline in 2021-22 has been particularly distressing. According to the latest available data, maternity benefits[Read More…]
Ukraine is a country where millions of people are in deep distress. Several million people have been displaced or face serious disruption of life. Hence certainly the people of Ukraine need help. The desire of anyone to extend unselfish, unconditional help to them is a very noble desire. However all those persons in any part of the world who have[Read More…]
There was much discussion of a mental health crisis possibly existing in some of the richest western countries even before the pandemic, particularly in the context of the younger part of the population. This certainly increased during the pandemic and has remained generally at higher than pre-pandemic levels since then. However there is considerable difference of opinion and much debate[Read More…]
In the middle of several increasing problems of food and farming sector, one reassuring aspect is that the various solutions do not conflict with each other and hence all the problems can be resolved simultaneously by adopting the right policies. This becomes clearer by looking at the most desirable priorities and accompanying policies for the food and farm sector. *production[Read More…]
Tens of millions of people are engaged every day in helping others and contributing to family, community and society in various ways. They are the ones who keep alive the faith in human relationships, it is their work that lightens the world, provides not just relief but also cheerfulness and hope, despite many increasing problems. Despite the evident great value[Read More…]
There are four certainties about the issue of climate change which should not be disputed any more. Firstly, it is a very serious problem, a leading problem among those problems which threaten the life-nurturing conditions of our planet. Secondly, a big reduction of fossil fuels in the near future is a necessary condition for resolving this problem while at the[Read More…]
The task of helping all too numerous beggars to find a better future while also attending to the urgent welfare needs of those among them who face serious health or disability problems is a big but often neglected task in India. It is good to know therefore that the Department of Social Justice in the union government has a scheme[Read More…]
Rational choices in any part of the world mean choices made by people and governments of the region for pursuing welfare and peace of the region within a framework of welfare and peace of the entire world. In other words, while it is understood that welfare, peace and safety of the people within the region would of course be of[Read More…]
Following an assassination attempt last week, security concerns of Chandrashekhar Azad, a dalit leader of growing popularity, have increased further. On July 1 he stated that there could be a larger plot by powerful forces to kill him. He also demanded a judicial inquiry to probe the attempt on his life. (‘Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad demands judicial probe, alleges[Read More…]
No doubt millions of indebted students in the USA are deeply disappointed by the eagerly awaited Supreme Court verdict which has now blocked the relief on student debt earlier announced by the government. However as they recover from this rather shocking news, in due course students must reflect on this issue more deeply to realize the urgent need for much[Read More…]
A Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the European Union and India has been discussed for a long time—first from 2007 to 2013 and then, despite the many problems experienced then rendering the negotiations unsuccessful, these negotiations were revived two years ago and more formally these have continued for the last one year since June 2022. However it is clear already[Read More…]
Ukraine’s people desperately need a future based on welfare and peace, and this is what all of their sincere friends would desire, but in reality Ukraine is being driven towards the kind of huge indebtedness that leads to subservience and dominance by those countries (or institutions controlled by them) which own the loans, a condition that cannot bring peace and[Read More…]
In recent years wildfires have spread uncontrollably over very vast areas in American and Australian continents, causing immense losses including loss of human and animal life and endangering environment in various ways. Their adverse impacts on pollution and health have travelled far and wide, creating health problems even in leading cities like New York. In this context one question that[Read More…]
While the many-sided destruction that has taken place and is taking place in the Ukraine conflict is a matter of deep concern, there are two related matters which should cause even higher worry and concern. Firstly, it is deeply worrying that despite 16 months of conflict having passed, there appear to be no signs today of any breakthrough for bringing[Read More…]
At what stage can a proxy war between two big powers become a direct war? This question has become very important in the context of the proxy war between the USA and Russia being fought through Ukraine, particularly as Russia and the USA are by far the two biggest nuclear weapon powers in the world, having about 90% of the[Read More…]
Yevgeny Prigozhin may not have succeeded in realizing his ambitions, but his revolt had the unintended impact of focusing worldwide attention on the wider and serious problems involved in increasing dependence in many countries on mercenary fighting forces. Russia had used the soldiers of the Wagner PMC (private military company) in several military campaigns in recent times. While this may[Read More…]
According to a recent study as many as 183,000 poverty linked deaths took place in USA in 2019. As this study has only covered population higher than 15 years of age, the total number of deaths is likely to be around 200,000. The figure of 183,000 poverty related deaths was provided in a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine (Journal[Read More…]
The question of ever-increasing student debts has been increasingly discussed in many countries, perhaps the most in the USA. There is a wide diversity of literature available on various aspects of this issue, including impact on financial prospects of indebted persons, their health and family life, even on community life, on difference in impacts on various sections of students and[Read More…]
As during the last 80 years or so the USA has been the most powerful and dominant country leading the world on a path which is exploitative towards most people and towards nature, it is only to be expected that most of those persons and groups who look for alternatives to this path are generally extremely critical of the policies[Read More…]
Social movements have always been important for the progress of humanity, but in the 21st century there are two additional and very special reasons why the role of the social movements has become all the more crucial. Firstly, there is a survival crisis in the form of the basic life-nurturing conditions of the planet being threatened seriously. Secondly, the current[Read More…]
Ahead of the Paris ‘Summit for a New Financing Pact’ on June 22-23, 2023, hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron with India and Barbados as co-hosts, over 140 experts (including renowned academics such as Prof. Yanis Varoufakis, former finance minister of Greece, and Prof. Jason Hickel, have written an open letter to the heads of various rich countries and international[Read More…]
One of the most shocking aspects of the many glaring injustices of the world is that a few thousand persons earning hugely from the military industrial complex of the USA/NATO destroy the safety and happiness of millions of people every year in numerous ways. These thousands of persons include the main executives of the big arms companies, their lobbyists, officials[Read More…]
Laos is a country in Southeast Asia with a rich development potential based on vast water resources as well as minerals including gold. Its suitably located land trade routes had also contributed to the prosperity of the country in previous centuries. In more recent time its tourism potential has attracted much attention and the country even received the most favored[Read More…]
Recent government policy has resorted to huge promotion of exotic palm oil trees to end edible oil shortage in the country. However this is associated with highly disruptive ecological costs, as has been seen from the experience of several countries. The kind of high rainfall conditions needed for its high yield are not readily available in India and this will[Read More…]
When judged from the perspective of world peace and safety (which surely is the best perspective), recent US foreign policy based on instigating an endless Russia-Ukraine proxy war and arranging massive supply of weapons and training for Ukraine appears to be entirely irrational. Several senior, highly respected diplomats and even security experts from within the USA have actually argued these[Read More…]
The collapse of the Nova Kakhovka dam on the Dnipro river is a matter of deep concern as it exposes a large number of people to severe dangers, hardships and hurried evacuation to escape from drowning houses and settlements, apart from the longer-term harm to farming and other related livelihoods. A large number of people can be exposed for some[Read More…]
There is increasing and overwhelming evidence of the many-sided serious adverse impacts and dangers of GM (genetically modified) crops. To give an example, a review by eminent Indian scientist Dr. Pushpa M. Bhargava, who had earlier been appointed by the Supreme Court of India to advise on this issue, had revealed that almost all research papers on this subject that[Read More…]
Recently a speech made by President John Kennedy 60 years back on June 10, 1963 at the American University, Washington has been widely cited in the context of the peace efforts particularly to improve US-Russia relations. At the same time, however, its wider significance should not be missed. This wider significance rests partly in the greatness that Kennedy had already[Read More…]
Ukraine is a strategically located country which is also well-endowed with natural resources in the form of vast stretches of fertile farmland and deposits of natural gas and lithium. It is a country with immense prospects for economic development and sustainability in meeting needs of its people particularly if its potential as the breadbasket of Europe is used in sustainable[Read More…]
Did we protest when the exotic, narrow genetic-base varieties of various crops displaced thousands of indigenous varieties? Did we protest when many millet crops were being displaced? In both these cases the lack of any sustained opposition by a significant number of people (leaving aside the opposition of a small number of scientists and farmers) proved very costly. Much later,[Read More…]
Recently some new threats have been emerging for small scale food processing units in India. To give a recent example, this year new directives have been issued for mandatory six-month lab tests for them which can raise their costs and reduce their viability to a significant extent. Food fortification requirements being pushed relentlessly by the authorities in recent times can[Read More…]
While several reputed scientists of great integrity have consistently spoken against GM (genetically modified) crops and a lot of evidence regarding their harmful impacts has accumulated, one argument that has been often used to still promote their spread is that after all GM crops have been spread the most widely in the USA, and so there must have been some[Read More…]
Robert Kennedy Jr. is one of the most interesting candidates to have emerged in the USA presidential race in recent years. While some would identify him as the nephew of former President John F. Kennedy and son of former Presidential candidate Robert Kennedy (both of whom were very important voices for peace and justice but were assassinated in highly suspicious[Read More…]
Recent preliminary findings of important research conducted by the Central University of Rajasthan has identified over 31 hills in the upper Aravalli range that have disappeared during just the last 20 years or so. This has been recorded in the context of Naraina, Kilwar, Kotputli, Jhalana and Sariska ( Rajasthan ), with heights of 200 to 600 meters above sea[Read More…]
The recent highly tragic train accident in Odisha has again highlighted the urgency for the Indian Railways to correct their priorities in order to achieve balanced progress on a safe path. The biggest priority must be safety. In recent times there have been funds shortages for RRSK, the most important safety fund, as seen from the fact that during the[Read More…]
Nearly 1000 people have been injured in the recent extremely tragic train accident in Odisha; various new reports have mentioned a figure ranging from 800 to 1100 injured persons. There have been assurances at the highest level that the government will make very good arrangements for their treatment. However it is important to remember that many injuries suffered in rail[Read More…]
Several senior experts and officials have rightly emphasized that safety should get the topmost priority in railways management. In financial terms railway safety requirements were estimated in year 2015-16 at INR 1,54,000 crore ( one crore=10 million) by official experts and a decision was taken to meet the major share of INR 1,19,000 crore out of this from a special[Read More…]
At a time when the world needs peace more than ever before, it has been extremely distressing to see that some groups and opinion-makers in the west who were earlier known to stand for peace are now speaking increasingly in militarist tones. The change has been most evident in the context of the debate over the Ukraine policy of western[Read More…]
The recent disastrous Odisha train accident has re-emphasized the need for ensuring better train safety. Taking an average figure for the last decade, nearly 24,000 deaths are caused by railway accidents in a year. This may be compared to less than 700 deaths in the entire European Union related to train accidents in 2021. In India the deaths caused by[Read More…]
The big challenge for environment movement today—grow, expand, broaden, link with justice and peace movements The biggest hope for resolving life-threatening environmental problems of our planet increasingly rests now not with the world-level political leadership, which has failed miserably in many critical contexts, but instead with those highly committed environmental activists who have many significant achievements to their credit despite[Read More…]
Imperialism has always been extremely harmful and dangerous, bringing immense distress, death and destruction. However there are at least seven reasons due to which the present phase of imperialism has become the most dangerous ever in human history. Firstly, the kind of highly destructive weapons available today have been unprecedented, and these are rapidly being made even more destructive, in[Read More…]
An important feature of the western political establishment has been that while all the time speaking about world peace it has been extremely destructive in terms of its violence towards the Global South in particular, and entire nations ( Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, Vietnam, to mention only a few) were destroyed and democratically elected governments of many countries have been[Read More…]
The US government has repeatedly asserted that Russia, and Russia alone, is responsible for the Ukraine conflict in which several hundred thousand persons have been killed and seriously injured while millions have been displaced. However it should listen at least to the voices of its own security and foreign policy experts, former ambassadors and diplomats who have been saying clearly[Read More…]
The very considerable support for continuing weapon supply to Ukraine by policy makers and supporting elites in most western countries is shocking. The decision of Britain to even supply depleted uranium shells with all their longer-term health and safety risks is shocking beyond words. What is the stated rationale behind this? The most common beliefs appear to be that these[Read More…]
The shadow of climate change related problems hangs heavy over most farmers as they struggle increasingly against unexpected weather conditions, extreme weather events and disasters. In such conditions it is very important for government policy to avoid any changes that can aggravate such difficulties and problems faced by farmers. Hence it is very unfortunate to see some authorities bent upon[Read More…]
There is increasing realization that recent times have not been utilized properly to confront and reduce the most serious problems of our deeply troubled world. While there is great urgency of responding adequately to what is now nothing less than a survival crisis, the world has instead been getting involved in more serious wars and worsening of the environmental crisis[Read More…]
As past experience has repeatedly shown, in the prevailing economic, trade and investment realities of the world, it is very important from the outset to be very cautious regarding joining any international frameworks and agreements involving the superpowers as the language may be that of cooperation but the reality may be that of people of developing countries having to pay[Read More…]
The 20 years after independence constituted the most creative phase of Hindi cinema when some of the best films were made. The leading actors of this era had an enduring impact which continues to this day. Four of the best and most popular heroes, with very wide impact on society (Ashok Kumar, Raj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar and Dev Anand) have[Read More…]
It may be considered a matter of the most ordinary wisdom, indeed of common sense, that given a choice between performing various tasks, we will choose to take up the most important ones first, and perhaps later select others too in terms of their considered importance. Yet in real life, how many decisions are really taken on this basis? Given[Read More…]
Vinesh Phogat is a prominent woman wrestler who has been the proud winner of gold medals for India in Asian and Commonwealth Games. In more recent times, however she has spent most of her time struggling to get justice for seven women wrestlers, including a minor, who have complained of sexual harassment by a very senior official of the Wrestling[Read More…]
A revolution involves extensive and systemic changes, a significant break with the past. It is needed when the present system, its dominant thinking and ways of functioning, become incompatible with the welfare of people. It is most urgently needed when the present system is not just incompatible with the welfare of people, but rather it is seen to be becoming[Read More…]
As the year 2000 dawned, thoughtful people of planet earth were filled with concern that this may prove to be the most challenging, difficult and possibly the most high-risk century their planet has ever seen as enough evidence was available by then that the basic life-nurturing conditions can be disrupted by serious environmental problems (led by climate change) as well[Read More…]
A very important aspect of all wars is the great distress suffered by people and in particular the loss of human lives. This is certainly true of the Ukraine war. However there is one other aspect of the Ukraine war which may ultimately prove to be even more important when later the history of these very unfortunate and needlessly destructive[Read More…]
When the Brown University (USA) based Costs of War project had estimated the direct deaths resulting from violence (actual fighting, bombing etc.) caused by the USA’s post 9/11 ‘War on Terror’ at about 920,000 (a little less than a million, or 0.9 million) then many people were shocked by this. However even at that time the project researchers had cautioned[Read More…]
Sheetla Singh, the great Hindi editor from Faizabad, Uttar Pradesh, breathed his last on May 16. He was 93, and was on duty till the last day in his editorial office when he collapsed. Bringing out a small cooperative newspaper is not easy in the best of times, but it becomes more difficult when the editor has a tendency to[Read More…]
Among all the countries and regions of the world, the west is supposed to have the best capacity for conducting research, carrying out investigations and gathering intelligence. This is due to the existence of very well-funded intelligence agencies, academic and research organizations, universities and think –tanks as well as very well-resourced and networked media organizations. In addition there is supposed[Read More…]
Which war has been the longest war of the USA? No, it is not the 21 year War on Terror. It is the 51 year old War on Drugs, starting during the presidency of Richard Nixon. Of course this great leader may have disturbed over the increasing drug addiction, but was the war on drugs primarily motivated by this? Not[Read More…]
Do most people in the USA desire world peace? Like all normal human beings they certainly do, preferring a world of peace and stability to a world of wars and instability. Hence in normal conditions there is no reason why politicians should not be successful in seeking power on the basis of an agenda of world peace rather than an[Read More…]
There is increasing realization that our deeply troubled world and endangered planet need a different path. What are to be the basic principles and most urgent priorities of this path, what will be its basic agenda and mobilization strategies? The most basic and durable principles are clear enough—equality and justice, peace and disarmament, democracy and decentralization, protection of environment, protection[Read More…]
Large scale death of exotic Italian bees has been reported recently in many apple orchards of Himachal Pradesh. This news has been highlighted in the local media mainly in the context of the economic loss suffered by orchard owners who had purchased boxes of these exotic bees to facilitate the pollination process in their orchards. The death of bees has[Read More…]
Following the notorious coup in Ukraine in 2014, supported by the USA and some allies, which ousted a democratically elected government, a number of very important changes took places in policies. The political aspects of these policy changes have been better known even though largely ignored in the big media discourse. These include pressures from those who facilitated the coup[Read More…]
Many thoughtful people of world very rightly say today that the resolving of climate change and other inter-related serious environmental problems should get exceedingly high priority today as these threaten the basic life-nurturing capacity of our planet. Several of them, although not all, also realize that it is no less important to ensure peace in the world due to four[Read More…]
The military industrial complex is comprised of the arms industry and defense contractors, their supporting research establishment, lobbyists and assets. In recent years the military industrial complex of many countries has expanded rapidly, particularly in the case of the USA whose military-industrial complex is much more immense and vast than that of any other country. The military industrial establishment of[Read More…]
‘Revolution’ is a very positive word that has been increasingly used in a negative sense as well. So it is important to be clear about how this word is used here in a very positive sense. When the problems of any system increase, normally it should be possible to resolve these or reduce these within the system. However when the[Read More…]
An alternative education path (ATP) which is well integrated with the creation of a better and safer world is presented here. One part of ATP can be called Core 1 and the essence of this remains the same from the beginning of school education to post-graduation, although of course the learning is different for various classes and age-groups. This core[Read More…]
When Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, said while returning from a recent tour of China that European countries should not be like vassals of the USA, should not be dragged into a war with China and should be able to exercise strategic autonomy, there were voices of protest within Europe but also of support. It is likely that the[Read More…]
If despite impressive increase in mental health facilities, mental health problems rise to almost an unprecedented extent in several advanced societies, it may be time to re-examine the entire perspective of present-day approach. Treatment of mental health problems has made remarkable progress from several points of view. Many new medicines are available. Several advanced forms of counseling are available. Several[Read More…]
A long time back I was visiting some remote villages where the murder of a youth who had raised his voice against corruption of a powerful local contractor and politician had attracted a lot of attention. There was an undercurrent of simmering anger among people but no one was willing to discuss many details openly, much less make any accusations.[Read More…]
There is one critically important aspect of human life in the 21st century which is unique to this century. This highly significant factor was not present in any other century but is certainly present in the 21st century as perhaps the most important aspect of our life. What is it? In all previous human history, no matter how big the[Read More…]
“Look here, Al, I’ll tell ya one thing– the jail house is jus’ a kind a way a drivin’ a guy slowly nuts. See? An’ they go nuts, an’ you see ‘em an’ hear ‘em, and pretty soon you don’ know if you are nuts or not. When they get to screamin’ in the night sometimes you think it’s you[Read More…]
Accidents at world level result in millions of fatalities and serious injuries and constitute one of the most widespread causes of human distress. Of course fatal accidents cause the most distress and shock but several times the injuries caused by accidents are so serious, painful, disabling or unbearable due to various reasons and circumstances that victims consider their situation to[Read More…]
What Ukraine needs today above all is a large-scale, sustained, community-based rehabilitation and reconstruction effort, with added emphasis on nutrition, health, care for the ill and the injured, and many more sustainable livelihoods. So all well-wishers, real and fake ones, please send Ukraine medicines and medical equipment, generous economic support and construction material they may lack, but please keep your[Read More…]
As threats of war, weapons and violence increase at many levels in a deeply troubled world, the peace movement, in all its nobility and good intentions, is found to be too weak to respond adequately to these big challenges. Far too many people are paid to work full time for weapons and wars than for disarmament and peace–in fact the[Read More…]
The Rajasthan state government is in the process of enacting a welfare law for gig workers which should be widely welcomed. Basically this law proposes that a one per cent cess should be levied on each transaction involving gig workers (such as a taxi ride or food delivery) and the amount of this cess would then be deposited in a[Read More…]
The latest wave of violence in Sudan, in the form of two generals leading the army and para-military forces in a highly destructive, completely avoidable and non-rational clash (which has already involved warplanes dropping bombs and heavy anti-aircraft firing), has quickly led to a large number of deaths and displaced people. This is happening in a country where nearly one-third[Read More…]
There has been a lot of concern recently regarding the direction of education policy in India, particularly regarding the Union Government’s National Education Policy 2020 (NEP). The National Education Assembly (NEA), organized at Delhi on April 30 has helped to shape and consolidate these various apprehensions being felt increasingly by many educationists, students and teachers as well as their numerous[Read More…]
Several leading women wrestlers of India have been in the thick of a struggle against sexual harassment since the beginning of this year. They have been helped by some male wrestler colleagues as well. Although these wrestlers of both genders include those who have won several honors and medals at the international level, their struggle against powerful, politically very well-connected[Read More…]
The entirely avoidable, artificial enmity between Saudi Arabia and Iran has hopefully come to an end as a result of the accord reached with the help of China. All three involved countries have authoritarian regimes, but despite this the accord should be widely welcomed. There are several strong reasons for this. First and foremost is the fact that the prospects[Read More…]
How to create a better world has been the most abiding concern of thoughtful and caring people all through human history. Increasing commitment to justice, equality and peace appeared to several of these people as the most obvious way for achieving this. One way of achieving this related to improvement of human relationships and more compassion towards other forms of[Read More…]
The role of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Government of India, has become very important in the context of the challenge of increasing employment opportunities and improving quality of employment for young aspirants. If taken up properly, a lot of the work of this ministry can give much hope to youth in difficult times of high levels of[Read More…]
There are not many schemes for welfare of transgender people in India and so special care has to be given for the proper implementation of the few that exist. At the level of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment there is a scheme, or rather a sub-scheme or part of a wider scheme which is devoted exclusively to the[Read More…]
High and increasing levels of distress and stress in the USA point to the need for integrating internal and external reforms. According to a Federal Reserve Report of 2018 on the economic well-being of US households about 40% of adults in the country would not be able to meet a $400 emergency with cash, saving or even a credit card[Read More…]
World Earth Day (April 22) is a good time to suggest solutions for the climate crisis, so here is a 20-point plan that will definitely solve the climate crisis within a framework of increasing justice, peace, cooperation and democracy — 1.Reduce inequalities significantly, help the poorest peasants and workers much more, curb high luxury consumption of the richest in a[Read More…]
The terrible 9/11 attacks led the USA military and foreign policy establishment to launch a prolonged series of military actions in many countries with the stated aim of curbing terrorism and terror. These have been collectively called the war on terror or terrorism, the global war on terror and the 9/11 wars. Although there have been criticisms and debates linked[Read More…]
Socrates said, “I am not a citizen of Athens, not a citizen of Greece, I am a citizen of world.” A time may have come today 2400 years later to give much more attention to this most basic identity of human beings which unfortunately is also most neglected. Most members of humanity have been identifying themselves more in terms of[Read More…]
The concept of voluntary simplicity has been integral to some of the greatest human beings in all history and the inspirational value of their life and message influenced a very large number of followers. More generally, those who adopted voluntary simplicity used to get a lot of respect in society. Unfortunately, at a time when the world needs voluntary simplicity[Read More…]
If a big problem with the potential of causing major disruption gets resolved in a series of steps without causing major disruption, then this is good news for the world. In recent months this has been happening in the context of the international currency system. We must welcome this, but at the same remain cautious. The overwhelming position of the[Read More…]
Disturbing events in recent months have led to a deepening divide of the world between two fast consolidating power blocks, one led by the US and the NATO and the other by China and Russia. Nothing could be more disturbing for a world already faced by life-threatening problems—instead of getting together for united world action to resolve the most serious[Read More…]
Harish Chandola breathed his last on March 26. His life of 94 years, including over six decades of active work as a journalist as author, was full of highly energetic, interesting and meaningful reporting and writing from several parts of world. He was born and brought up in a remote Himalayan village of Garhwal. At a young age he started[Read More…]
The tragic and painful death of nearly 100 persons in air attacks carried out by the military junta in Sagaing region of Myanmar on April 10 is another grim and cruel reminder that violence and distress of people have become the most defining features of this deeply troubled country. According to a statement by the UN Human Rights Chief Volker[Read More…]
Europe is passing through difficult times when, due to a complex of factors, several uncomfortable issues which could remain under the carpet in normal times are getting blown up in such ways that these cannot be ignored but at the same the leadership is finding it difficult to face them in a decisive way. Of course the news headlines here[Read More…]
Several well-intentioned schemes have been started by the government to take forward various aspects of empowerment of scheduled castes (SC) in India. These schemes are covered under the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment. Unfortunately the denial of adequate funds for some of these schemes is proving to be a big problem for the realization of the objectives with which[Read More…]
The work provided under India’s National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) has been a very important support for the poorest rural households, particularly women, when implemented properly and can also contribute a lot to sustainable development by promoting important work like water conservation. Unfortunately the proper functioning of NREGA has been increasingly hindered and disrupted due to big budget cuts[Read More…]
There is increasing concern all over the world regarding the increasing and widespread use of economic and related sanctions by some of the richest and most powerful countries, led by the USA and other NATO member countries, taking undue advantage of their extraordinary privileged position in financial matters. This concern is reflected in several resolutions passed by international bodies, including[Read More…]
On April 3 a resolution condemning sanctions being imposed increasingly on many countries was approved by 33 votes to 13 in the United Nations Human Rights Council. While the countries which voted against this condemnation included the USA and its well-known European allies, the countries which voted for condemning sanction regimes represented a much greater part of the world and[Read More…]
India’s rural employment guarantee scheme has been a big help for the poorest rural households in recent years. This scheme has been created under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) to which the name of India’s most respected leader Mahatma Gandhi is often added, making it MG-NREGA. It has attracted international appreciation as a means of providing the kind[Read More…]
All available evidence regarding the present situation in Ukraine appears to suggest that the best course of action here would be to have an unconditional ceasefire as early as possible, to be followed by an internationally supported, large-scale reconstruction and rehabilitation program as well as talks with Russia to settle all contentious issue and try to secure durable peace as[Read More…]
Fund utilization data for the first 10 and a half months of the financial year 2022-23 show that several important welfare schemes of the Ministry of Labor and Employment, Government of India, were lagging far behind expectations due to poor utilization of funds. This data is available up to 13 February 2023. For Labor Welfare Scheme the Budget Estimate (BE)[Read More…]
The giant pharmaceutical company Johnson &Johnson has recently proposed paying $ 8.9 billion dollars to settle thousands of legal cases relating to severe health problems including ovarian cancer being caused by its talcum powder products in North America. Health problems caused by talcum powder to small children have been a matter of concern for doctors for a much longer period[Read More…]
The impressive mobilization of farmers, farm workers and other workers from all over the country in Delhi on April 5 for focusing attention on their problems and several unhelpful policies of the government should be widely welcomed as this unity can be very useful in resolving several serious problems of workers and farmers which have been causing distress, tensions and[Read More…]
If you were living in India in mid-2011 and taking an even cursory glance at media headlines, you may been easily led to believe that the heavens are going to fall and there will be total collapse if the demand for Jan Lokpal (visualized then as a powerful anti-corruption agency to hear complaints against public functionaries) as a one-shot solution[Read More…]
One of the most neglected sections of India’s society consists of denotified tribes, nomadic and semi-nomadic communities and tribes( DNT, NSN). The number of people of these communities is likely to be as high as 120 million or even more but we seldom hear about them. This neglect has also spread to welfare schemes for them which have been by[Read More…]
There have been countless statements by government authorities regarding the urgent need to empower women. However they have hardly paid any attention to the continuing exploitation within the government system of over 2 million mid-day cooks almost all of whom are women. What is more, most of these mid-meal cooks come from some of the poorest households. Many of them[Read More…]
The recently enacted Right to Health Act of Rajasthan has become a subject of hot debate with many renowned health activists welcoming it but at the same time some professional medical organizations and private health care providers opposing it. To clarify the issue, the Jan Swasthya Abhiyan (JSA), a joint platform of hundreds of health organizations and networks, has recently[Read More…]
An important part of various manifestations of climate change is in the form of increasing heat waves. In India very worrying heat waves have been experienced in recent times, particularly in 1998, 2002, 2010, 2015 and 2022. As for projections for the near future, on April 1 the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) stated that above normal heat-wave days are[Read More…]
Four well-known facts about super-power rivalry make it extremely dangerous; at the same time there is an X factor that can increase the danger much more, take it to an entirely new and high level. First let us briefly mention the four well-known facts. Superpower rivalry has become much worse in very recent times and rival power blocks are being[Read More…]
In the budget for financial year 2022-23 a sum of INR 1212 crore (one crore=10 million) was allocated (Budget Estimate or BE) for the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disability (DEPD). After ten and a half months had passed, up to 13 February 2023, only about half of this—INR 612 crore to be precise—had been utilized. This extremely low[Read More…]
36 persons were killed in a very tragic accident caused by the falling of roof slabs on worshippers who had collected for Ram Navmi prayers. 16 others have been admitted to hospital with injuries. The tragedy occurred at a step well located inside Baleshwar Mahadev Jhulelal temple in Indore. Many people fell inside the step well when slabs well on[Read More…]
Reforms are supposed to lead to improvements but studies of several ‘economic reforms’ in many countries including India have revealed that these increased the problems of ordinary problems particularly weaker sections. On similar lines recent ‘reforms’ relating to several schemes meant for the welfare of weaker sections have given results that are very different from what genuine reforms are supposed[Read More…]
Ensuring school education for all children is an important policy objective in India. Our progress in this was disturbed in recent times by the pandemic which increased the number of drop-outs for some time while the adverse impact on learning attainments was even more durable. Poverty is without doubt one of the major factors which hinders the completion of school[Read More…]
Backward classes are supposed to be increasingly a politically influential segment of Indian society. So it should come as a surprise that only 6% of allocated funds for all backward class schemes in the financial year 2022-23 were actually spent in the first nine months of this financial year ie up to 31 December 2022 by the Department for Social[Read More…]
Only 0.1% of funds allocated for pre-matric scholarship for scheduled caste students disbursed during first 9 months of financial year The government has been trying to reform the system of disbursement of scholarships to scheduled caste and extremely backward class students. Reform is supposed to lead to improvement. However in the present context the supposed ‘reform’ has muddled up things[Read More…]
There are several widely publicized schemes of the government to reduce poverty and increase welfare of people, but in order to understand their real impact many relevant questions need to be asked. In the case of rural employment guarantee or NREGA we need to know to what extent the demands for employment works are actually being met, and to what[Read More…]
After the cold war shadow of several decades, the best hopes of ending superpower rivalry appeared around the early 1990s. The assurances given to Gorbachev by top western leaders appeared (deceptively, as it later turned out) to lead in this direction. China, it appeared, could not just live with the increasingly globalized world but prosper in it. United Nations agencies[Read More…]
Bundelkhand region, spread over 14 districts of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, is best known for the valiant struggles against colonial rule by Jhansi Ki Rani Lakshmibai and her several equally brave companions like Jhalkaribai. Later this was an area of several efforts by revolutionary freedom fighters like Chandrashekhar Azad. The intenseness of anti-colonial struggles here may partly explain the[Read More…]
For most of human history justice and peace have been the biggest concerns, the most important issues determining welfare and safety of our world. Those who understood this, and they were always a thoughtful and honest minority, therefore decided to work for justice and peace. The most thoughtful among them also understood the close linkages between peace and justice and[Read More…]
The freedom movement of India to get independence from nearly two centuries of colonialism was one of the most inspiring phases of the history of India. People were motivated to take up very inspirational work and were willing to suffer unending hardships including imprisonment and torture with courageous songs and slogans. This inspirational spirit must be retained even now as[Read More…]
Writer’s Note—The writer would like to dedicate this article to the memory of Sh. PV Satheesh, who breathed his last today on March 19, whose great contributions to ecological protection as well as justice in the context of farming will never be forgotten. His work with dalit women farmers has been a source of inspiration for so many good efforts.[Read More…]
As though the havoc created by GM crops was not adequate, several experimental efforts relating to genetically modified or engineered animals are bringing a wide range of new risks and uncertainties. These include health hazards relating to transfer of diseases from genetically engineered animals to normal animals as well as to human beings. In addition there are the additional risks[Read More…]
About a hundred years back there were about a million black, or African-American, farmers in the USA, today they have decreased to just around 45,000. This is one of the steepest declines suffered by any ethnic group anywhere in farming. Yet this has not received the attention that was deserved, and as a result remedial actions too have been neglected.[Read More…]
If the biggest single source of world-level ecological ruin is to be identified, this is most likely to be related to wars, preparations for wars, conflicts, weapons and sabotage. Of course the most direct cost of war and weapons in the form of loss of human life is extremely sad, but at the same time the severity of the much[Read More…]
Anjali Deshpande and Nandita Haksar have just written a book that simply has to be read by anyone interested in the welfare of industrial workers in India. This is also a must reading for all Japanese people involved with human rights to get a glimpse of the havoc their companies cause in the lives of innocent workers and poor people[Read More…]
There is increasing evidence that resistance to colonial and feudal exploitation by Bheel tribal communities increased significantly during the decade 1912-22, leading to extreme forms of repression by the British forces supported by princely kingdoms, culminating in at least two, perhaps more, massacres whose death toll is most likely to have been in excess of the Jalianwala Bagh massacre. Around[Read More…]
There is increasing need for at least seven important reforms in India’s democracy. First and foremost, there is urgent need for the government to be more protective towards minorities, particularly Muslims and Christians, who have been feeling less secure in recent times. The government has a constitutional duty to ensure that there is no discrimination on the basis of faith[Read More…]
It has been confirmed time and again that traditional knowledge of farmers and farmer communities has a lot to contribute much but despite this the authorities of various countries have often tried to impose technologies without trying to work with farmers in a spirit of learning together with each other. This has curbed creativity and the access of invaluable information[Read More…]
Vaagdhara is one of the few voluntary organizations in the country which has centered its work around the vision of swaraj—or self-rule based on increasing self-reliance of rural communities. It has worked with this vision for nearly two decades in the tri-junction area of three states—Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, with most concentration in South Rajasthan (particularly Banswara district). This[Read More…]
Report from Jhansi district National level information has frequently highlighted many unmet needs of schools and anganwadis in remote rural areas. While the government has several ambitious plans of improvements, the harsh reality is that budgetary allocations have been falling short of meeting even essential requirements, let alone make ambitious improvements. In such a situation, voluntary organizations can make an[Read More…]
Bundelkhand region, spread over 14 districts of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh in central India, has often been in news due to water scarcity, a problem that can easily worsen in times of climate change if adequate steps are not taken to check this. Recently there has been an increasing interest in the revival of Bundelkhand’s innumerable traditional water bodies[Read More…]
Recently when I visited several villages of Bhil tribal communities in Banswara district of Rajasthan, the greeting most often heard in villages was Jai Guru. The reference here is to Guru Govind, also known as Govindgiri, a social reformer and freedom fighter of 19th and 20th centuries who continues to live on in the songs, prayers, greetings and campaigns of[Read More…]
On the farming map of Uttar Pradesh Mahoba is generally considered a relatively backward district of Bundelkhand region, but thanks to a recent initiative called BIWAL a model combining water conservation and natural farming has given a new-found strength to many farmers and rural communities. Arunoday and Srijan voluntary organization have collaborated to take this model to several villages, with[Read More…]
Anandpuri block in Banswara district (Rajasthan) is known for high concentration of tribal communities, particularly Bhil communities. Their traditional livelihood and farming patterns based on biodiversity and self-reliance were well-suited to local conditions, but these suffered under exploitative systems of colonial times. Freedom from colonial rule brought some relief, but the dominant development thinking still neglected special needs, conditions and[Read More…]
Santosh is a dedicated farmer who along with his wife Chunni Devi worked very hard in recent months to convert a small patch of unproductive land into a lush green, multi-layer vegetable garden. This has ensured year-round supply of organically grown vegetables to his family as well as fetched several thousand rupees in cash sales. This couple has grown over[Read More…]
Most farm development efforts focus more on bigger and more dominant farmers, and while they may also include smaller farmers, this gets lesser attention. It is rare to see a program focused mostly on the most marginalized farmers with the smallest holdings. An ongoing effort in Mau block of Chitrakut district should be welcomed therefore for its efforts to reach[Read More…]
About 30 farmers of Elha village ( in Manikpur block of Chitrakut district, Uttar Pradesh) have gathered for a group discussion in the courtyard of a farmer, along with activists of a voluntary organization ABSSS . One of the main subjects of discussion is—how far can the efforts of natural farming initiated about two years back progress? Two farmers Ram[Read More…]
Is implementation of NREGA (national rural employment guarantee legislation) being changed to such an extent that instead of helping workers in difficult times the scheme under this law may even becomes a source of exploiting them? This and other disturbing questions were raised at a press conference organized in Delhi on March 3 by the NREGA Sangharsh Morcha (a group[Read More…]
Women farmers of Neemkhera village (Niwari district and block, Madhya Pradesh) gather near their ancient water tank built during the times of Chandel kings several centuries earlier. Most of them are very small farmers, owning one to three acres of land or even less, yet the work they have taken up is not small, it is big. This work is[Read More…]
Europe is passing through critical times when a lot of caution as well determination is needed to avoid the possibility of large scale destruction. Hence this is a time for all those committed to a future of peace for Europe and for world to unite, setting aside all relatively less significant differences for the time being, to ensure that the[Read More…]
When the history of these times is written, the last 15 months or so from November 2021 to January 2023 will form a very tragic part of its pages. This has been the time of the most irresponsible abandonment of their most crucial responsibilities by world leadership, leading to a sharp, perhaps unprecedented, escalation of dangers and risks for the[Read More…]
The latest official statistics of ‘Youth Risk Behavior Survey’ (YRBS), USA, 2011-2021 released recently by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (CDC), USA, have revealed truly alarming levels of distress among US youth. From a distance youth of other countries perceive life of youth in USA to be a life of joy and fun in a prosperous land free[Read More…]
Sukhrani is a koladivasi woman in Sakrauhan village of Manikpur block in Chitrakut district (Uttar Pradesh). She toiled at a NREGA ( rural employment guarantee scheme)work site for 21 days. This was about six months back. However she has still not received her wages despite having made several pleas for this. ChotwaKol is an adivasi farmer of this village. He[Read More…]
On September 23, 1973 Pablo Neruda, one of the greatest poets ever and a Nobel laureate, breathed his last. This was just 12 days after the US-assisted military coup in Chile on September 11 1973 which also resulted in the highly tragic and widely mourned death of one of the most sincere and democratic leaders of Latin America—President Salvador Allende—who[Read More…]
The extremely cruel deaths of a mother and her daughter in the course of a demolition drive in Marauli village of Kanpur Dehat ( Uttar Pradesh) has disturbed the conscience of even those people who normally remain silent on such injustices against the poor, and condemnations have been coming in from far and wide. Reports have pointed out how demolitions[Read More…]
An important aspect of fiscal policy relates to the extent to which the various welfare needs of people are being met. One important indicator of this are the allocations made for the social sector. The social sector in the context of the union government of India is generally identified in terms of the following ministries—Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Rural Development,[Read More…]
At a time when minority communities have been passing through difficult times and need reassurance and support, the union budget has come as a rude jolt for them with its big cuts in allocations for such obvious priorities as education and skills. What is more, as the now available data shows, there were very big cuts in the previous year[Read More…]
The union budget 2023-24 has failed to live up to the real needs and hopes of people living in villages, or to prioritize rural areas. A clear decline can be seen in the proportion of the budget going to rural development, agriculture and allied sectors. As the Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability has pointed out in its analysis of[Read More…]
In India maize or corn has been traditionally known as a nutritious and tasty food crop grown predominantly on small family farms. It is relished in the form of mainly home baked rotis. In addition corn on cob heated on simmering fire is also a highly enjoyable food, particularly during rainy season. Similarly maize has been cherished in many cultures[Read More…]
There is increasing concern that the world is not on track to resolve climate change as well as about a dozen or so other serious, inter-related environmental problems that threaten to disrupt the life-nurturing conditions of our planet. Corrective actions should not be delayed much longer. Most environmental problems arise in the process of creating certain goods and services. In[Read More…]
Adequate investment in equality-based education is widely accepted as one of the key components as well as a strong base for the progress of developing countries. Despite this, educational progress in India has been impeded badly by low budgets as well as inequalities. There is near consensus, even at the official level, regarding the need to take government educational budget[Read More…]
The most common description of the union budget’s allocations for health sector has been that these have increased marginally. However it would be much more appropriate to say that the health allocations have been glaringly low compared to the officially recognized projections of what is needed. In 2017 the National Health Policy agreed that the health budget of the central[Read More…]
Child development is increasingly seen as the most important part of the development path. This is particularly true of a country like India where nearly a third of the children under 5 years of age are either stunted or underweight ( as per National Family Health Survey ) , or where nearly 32 million children are unable to complete school[Read More…]
2011-12 was a very sad year for Somalia. As hunger related to drought and other factors was worsening, a famine situation was not declared officially till very late and relief supplies were delayed. The result was that a large number of people perished in famine deaths even before famine was officially declared. A total of as many as 260,000 people[Read More…]
The people of Ukraine have suffered enormous distress during the last one year. Clearly it is time to consider carefully the various options and select the safest one involving the least possibilities of further distress and risks. From all available evidence the safest possible path from the point of view of the people of Ukraine appears to be a three[Read More…]
While most of the budget discussion is understandably concentrated on the financial year ahead of us, it is important to have an understanding also of the previous year’s experiences. An important aspect of this relates to significant cuts made in the allocations of various union ministries and departments of crucial importance during the previous financial year 2022-23, with hardly any[Read More…]
Even before the terrible damage caused by earthquake in Syria and Turkey, there was a strong case for ending sanctions against Syria as the existing sanctions imposed by the USA and its close allies, continuing for several years, had already accentuated the humanitarian crisis greatly in Syria. Now in the post-earthquake situation, it would be nothing short of a crime[Read More…]
An important aspect of health budget that we must keep in consideration while analyzing recent allocations relates to the fact that health budgeting in the present phase of India’s development is not about marginal increases. In fact marginal increases sometimes mean near stagnation after accounting for the inflationary factor. This apart, as India has one of the lowest public spending[Read More…]
Why GM Crops and Foods Are Becoming the Core Issue of Food Safety February 9 2010 was an important day for food safety in India when after a very broad-based public consultation the Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh announced a moratorium on Bt brinjal and thereby the entry of GM food crops was prevented at that time despite a huge attempt[Read More…]
As the prospects of world peace worsen and those of a war much beyond Ukraine increase, the role of Europe becomes increasingly important. Europe was at the center of the enormous destruction caused by both the world wars. As the possibilities of a third one increase, can Europe compensate by being the peacemaker this time? Certainly Europe, with all its[Read More…]
If a single aspect of the union budget 2023-24 is to be selected in the context of drawing the maximum criticism, then it is the very low allocation for NREGA. As a response to this widespread criticism, on February 3 the Rural Development Ministry issued a statement (see The Statesman, February 4), saying that there is no need for widely[Read More…]
India is widely mentioned as the top milk producer in world and this achievement is frequently stated to have been achieved on the basis of its ‘white revolution’ which in turn is claimed to have been achieved on the basis of improved livelihoods of small dairy farmers. How real are these claims? This is not merely an academic question. If[Read More…]
It has been customary to discuss war in terms of victory or defeat of the two sides. So it is hardly surprising that the ongoing Ukraine war too has often been discussed in these terms. However there are important reasons why such discussion is increasingly irrelevant, the most important being that even a victory by any one side in the[Read More…]
A disturbing aspect of the union budget for the year 2023-24 relates to food and nutrition. In the case of most allocations there is a decline compared to the previous year or else there is near stagnation, which also means a decline in real terms after accounting for inflation. Although so many schemes and programs impact the food and nutrition[Read More…]
The union budget for the year has been presented at a time of growing concerns that expectations regarding an inclusive recovery from the COVID and lockdown related economic crisis have not been realized for millions of poor households, while inequalities have been increasing sharply. There were therefore strong reasons for using this budget as an instrument for providing immediate relief[Read More…]
As India gets ready for the much debated annual budget of the union government (which will be presented on February 1), this may be a good time to consider some aspects of budget analysis. It is of course very clear that budget analysis can be a very useful exercise as the mass of statistics and information contained in the budget[Read More…]
The single most issue of our deeply troubled world today is that it is already in the middle of a very serious survival crisis. The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists has been drawing attention repeatedly to this, and the most powerful symbol it has been using is that of The Doomsday Clock, a symbolic clock that shows how far humanity is[Read More…]
The ongoing struggle of the women of Iran for equality and gender justice is a very justified struggle which deserves full support as the right to dress in accordance with one’s wishes is a basic right of all women, both in itself and as a symbol of wider aspects of social rights and gender based equality. Authorities or morality police[Read More…]
Two most prominently stated facts about climate change are—firstly, it is extremely important to check climate change and secondly, that greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced very significantly at a very fast pace, as scientifically determined. Both of these statements are absolutely correct. However if we confine ourselves just to these statements, then by themselves these can only give us[Read More…]
Thousands of people in Tughlaqabad, Delhi, will become homeless if the demolition notices served by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) are carried out within the next few days. These are working class poor people who pooled their savings and incurred debts in order to be able to somehow arrange their present shelter here. The threatened demolition is likely to[Read More…]
Republic Day is the right time to re-confirm commitment to a path based on justice, equality, peace, harmony, genuine democracy and protection of environment, in keeping with the spirit of the constitution of India and the preceding freedom movement of India. In addition as at least the present phase of Bharat Jodo Yatra nears completion, with its emphasis on equality[Read More…]
The freedom movement of India was known for its many-sided efforts to create a better society out of the ruins of the massive destruction caused by colonial rule. Hence many constructive activities and social reforms were pursued side by side with the struggles against colonialism. This included continuing efforts for inter-faith harmony by some of the most inspiring leaders of[Read More…]
When the Taliban regime in Afghanistan recently banned women from working in NGOs, several of them decided to stop working in this country, but later some of them reconsidered this decision and decided to continue working. This decision should be supported because while the ban on women working in NGOs was clearly and completely wrong, the fact that over two[Read More…]
The recent tragic development of many houses ( and other buildings) being devastated and many families having to leave their homes in Joshimath and to a lesser extent in some other parts of Uttarakhand has once again raised serious questions regarding the path of development being pursued in the Himalayan region. A crucial question relates to whether such concern will[Read More…]
Reports and images of a large number of badly damaged and cracked up houses and other buildings in Joshimath town of Uttarakhand, located at a height of over 6000 feet, have shocked and distressed people even in distant parts of the country as they have a deep emotional and cultural attachment to the Himalayan region and its people. While the[Read More…]
Dara Shikoh (1615-1659) was a prince of Mughal Empire who made significant contributions but was deprived of the opportunity of potentially making even greater contributions as he was executed at a young age of 44. Son of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal, he was the chosen heir to be the next successor to the great empire but was captured and[Read More…]
“For all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these—It might have been” –John Greenleaf Whittier Emperor Shah Jahan, who built the Taj Mahal, had a dream about two of his grandchildren. Even though he had emerged as one of the most powerful emperors in the world, he had suffered more than his share of distress. He was[Read More…]
In a recent 21 day march from Banswara to Jaipur, a distance of over 500 km., members of tribal communities of South Rajasthan and neighboring areas asserted the need for important policy changes keeping in view the harm being caused by over-centralizing tendencies which are imposing priorities and policies that are far from the priorities and real needs as understood[Read More…]
People of Markhera village had been facing increasing difficulties due to water shortages. Water table was declining and water level in wells was going down too. Hand pumps were often reduced to just a trickle. As women here bear most water related responsibilities, their drudgery in fetching water from more distant places increased. Many of them had back ache from[Read More…]
Oxfam India’s just released report ‘Survival of the Richest: The India Story’ has made a strong case for taxing the richest sections to find the resources for substantially stepping up funds for social sector, particularly health and education. Released close to the coming union budget, this report is expected to pitch the budget debate strongly in favor of reducing inequalities.[Read More…]
One of the most important questions in the development debate is whether economic viability of small and marginal farmers can be strengthened in sustainable ways. This question is all the more important in a country like India where small scale farming is the most common source of livelihood. The objective of land reforms is to make available at least some[Read More…]
There was a new zeal and enthusiasm, and a strong sense of comradeship among the people of Markhera village as they assembled to plan the forests they were going to create near their temple. The temple site was chosen as the forest and the birds likely to find shelter in this were considered to be safer here. These villagers had[Read More…]
While a lot of research has strengthened the case for spreading natural farming, a practical factor which has hindered its spread in India is that several farmers find it difficult to take up production of organic manures and pest-repellants for self-use, even though all the raw materials are available right within their home or close to them. In the most[Read More…]
Phulabai is a dalit woman farmer who, together with her husband, Sarman Chadaar, grows guavas and pomegranates on tiny plots of land. On another smaller plot they grow a diversity of vegetable crops with a few papaya trees standing in the middle of these. When I recently visited their one acre farm in Digaura village of Tikamgarh district (Madhya Pradesh),[Read More…]
In Bundelkhand region of Central India water tanks have constituted a very important component of efforts of communities to meet the water needs of people over the centuries. In particular the period of Chandela and Bundela rulers from 9th to 18th century has been identified as a time when royal patronage was extended to communities for creation of several thousand[Read More…]
While so many differences have emerged in the context of the recent response to COVID-19 in various countries, one point on which it should be possible to establish wider agreement is that this response would have been much better if a robust, strong, rooted among people, trust-creating, community-based, well-resourced health system was in place in all rural as well as[Read More…]
As the many-sided risks and harms of GM crops are so serious, obvious and well-established, it is only to be expected that any completely unbiased appraisal and regulatory system will not allow their approval and spread. Hence it is an important part of the big business agenda of dominating world food and farming via GM crops to weaken the appraisal[Read More…]
There were strong reasons why the issue of impending demolitions in Haldwani had so quickly led to national level sympathy and support for the threatened nearly 50,000 people, and there are equally strong reasons why the Supreme Court order of January 5 providing relief to them deserves widespread appreciation. It is obvious that the badly threatened, deeply worried people, faced[Read More…]
Millions of domestic workers in India, an overwhelming majority of them women, have suffered reduced real earnings and increased debts in recent times. In fact in some cases even actual earnings have declined, while after taking into account the impact of inflation, the decline of real wages can be seen in almost all cases. Aasmeen leaves her home in Shahbad[Read More…]
In a country where most people face severe constraints in the struggle to meet their basic needs, the question of housing is the most challenging one for many of them, particularly in urban areas. Most of them have to use each and every paisa of their meager savings and incur loans in very difficult circumstances in order to be able[Read More…]
If workers struggle for a long time for protective legislation and also succeed in their aim, but the protective law is threatened by dilution and restrictive changes even before its benefits can reach most workers, then should they not re-assert to protect this law? This is a question which construction workers face today in the context of the threat of[Read More…]
While peace and environment protection have always been important, now these have acquired the greatest urgency in the form of survival issues as basic life nurturing conditions are threatened now as never before by the most dangerous weapons and wars on the one hand and a range of very serious environmental problems led by climate change on the other hand.[Read More…]
How Construction Workers Sink Deeper into Poverty and Debt Keshav and Somvati are residents of a hut in Shahbad dairy colony of Delhi. When lockdown was announced in 2020 they were in Gujarat to work in a construction project. The closure was so sudden and placed them in such a difficult position in a new area where they had hardly[Read More…]
When two path-breaking laws were passed in India in 1996 for construction workers, there was great hope among tens of millions of these workers for a range of benefits and welfare measures promised by these laws. Despite a delayed and hesitant start, these hopes got a boost more recently when the Supreme Court gave strong directions for the better implementation[Read More…]
If 2022 was witness to a worsening of the most high-risk problems facing our planet, can 2023 bring a true message of hope? The dawn of a new year is a time for hope, but to give more meaning to this hope, some important decisions should be announced by world leadership regarding peace and co-operation for a protective world. Clearly[Read More…]
While the most visible devastation of the Ukraine war can be seen in the enormous sufferings of the people of Ukraine, the implications of this war turning sooner or later into a much wider war, perhaps even a nuclear war and the third world war, are simply too horrible to contemplate. Hence immediate peace is needed, creating conditions also for[Read More…]
In a recent press release the director general of the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) explained various issues relating to GM mustard approval. He also issued orders against presenting opinion or writing articles, different from the stated documentation and decisions made by the regulators, on the subject by serving or former officials. Since then several persons well-informed on this[Read More…]
During recent months a determined struggle by villagers in Zira area of Ferozepur district, Punjab, has been demanding the removal of a highly polluting factory to save the soil and water of their region. As a result of this pollution water and soil have been badly damaged and groundwater was found to be very contaminated. The recent crackdown of[Read More…]
In 2023 the 50th anniversary of the famous Chipko Movement is being observed. This name (which translated from Hindi means hug the trees) and the movement it represents has caught popular imagination and become almost a household name in India. This refers loosely to a series of efforts, starting about 50 years back in India’s state of Uttarakhand, in West[Read More…]
A very unfortunate but at the same time undeniable fact of recent history has been that in the global order which emerged after the Second World War, the rivalry between the USA and the Soviet Union played out in the form of several very destructive proxy wars. The two main rivals were heavily armed with thousands of nuclear weapons capable[Read More…]
Just before Christmas and holidays the Veterans for Peace organization has issued a call for ceasefire in the Ukraine conflict and at least a holiday truce which deserves wide attention. This statement has been signed by about 38 members, former or present office-bearers as well as a leading advisory board member. Veterans for Peace (VFP) is also an important constituent[Read More…]
At a time of increasing threats to world peace, a need often felt has been re-emphasized with increased urgency—our deeply troubled world should have a much stronger, much more broad-based peace movement, which works with continuity, instead of merely responding to crisis situations. Christmas may be just the right time to plan for this. To make the peace movement much[Read More…]
The European people suffered a lot in the two world wars, and hence in the post-1945 period it was only to be expected that there would be yearning for avoiding conflict and war within Europe. To the extent that the unity of Europe in the form of the European Union (EU) is a manifestation of this yearning, this should be[Read More…]
An update on the hunger hot spots of the world issued by the FAO-World Food Program in September 2022 drew particular attention to the serious situation in Afghanistan. This review stated that loss of life due to hunger may be already occurring, the levels of food insecurity and ‘significant loss of life’ are likely to increase from November, as another[Read More…]
“The truth of the matter is that we are in a heavy militarized society driven by greed, lust for profit and wars are being created just to fuel that.” The above is a very distressing, very worrisome truth about the USA of recent times that very few are willing to speak in the world’s ‘leading democracy’. However one very noteworthy[Read More…]
Two statements made by NATO Secretary General Jens Stolenberg on December 9 (quoted in The Telegraph, UK, next day), have attracted much attention. “I fear that the war in Ukraine will get out of control and spread into a major war between NATO and Russia.” “If things go wrong, they can go horribly wrong.” Although the NATO chief also said[Read More…]
Many eminent scientists who have examined the technology of genetically engineered (GE) or genetically modified (GM) crops have come to a clear conclusion that it is a highly hazardous and risky technology. To give just one example, eminent scientists from several countries who comprise the Independent Science Panel (ISP) have drawn this conclusion after studying various aspects of GM crops,[Read More…]
International trade has generally been examined in the context of impacts on two or more trading countries as well as the world trading system and its rules. Specific studies in terms of impacts on poor and vulnerable people have received lesser attention, even though very large numbers may be adversely affected in some contexts. Certain elites may benefit while the[Read More…]
While need for wide-ranging reform of world farming and food system has been increasingly voiced, one relatively neglected aspect relates to improvement of animal welfare and in particular protecting animals from many-sided cruelties. While farm animals generally have better working and living conditions in family farms, as family farms are increasingly replaced by factory type of farms in the increasingly[Read More…]
It is well-known that life-styles in developed and rich countries are much more burdensome for environment compared to normal life-patterns in developing countries. However due to more power and resources, the developed countries are in a position to shift the burden of this on developing countries in several ways. The World Resources Report has stated, “The OECD countries and their[Read More…]
Relations of dominance among human beings have caused enormous distress. When the same attitude of dominance was directed towards nature, this resulted in large-scale ecological ruin. The tendency of looking upon nature as something to be dominated and conquered has been extremely counter-productive: it has inflicted huge destruction on environment and has greatly diminished the possibilities of humanity to benefit[Read More…]
Human beings are the most capable among the millions of life-forms on earth, but unfortunately their numerous capabilities cannot contribute adequately to reducing distress because of some highly undesirable traits among human beings afflicting them to a lesser or greater extent in the course of their known history. When persons of great spiritual strength and deep social concerns emerged to[Read More…]
The growing disillusionment with the existing pace as well as the direction of the efforts for checking climate change is leading many people to explore the need for an alternative framework which can be more successful in checking climate change while at the same contributing much more to adaption aspects, and which is better integrated with important justice, equality and[Read More…]
Nature has been desperately trying to tell us something very important. When even desperate calls go unheeded, what does the caller do? It is likely that the caller will yell even more loudly, jump and throw around limbs and legs, and when all this fails, will even turn violent. This is exactly what nature has been doing recently—in the form[Read More…]
Several distressing reports of justice being denied to displaced and evicted people have been received from time to time. Sometimes those who have been promised satisfactory compensation and rehabilitation have to wait endlessly for years for this. In this context the strong action taken recently by a District Court for providing speedy justice has proved very effective in Himachal Pradesh[Read More…]
The four ruptures in the Nord Stream Pipelines in the Baltic Sea on September 26-27 constitute an act of sabotage that has led to the biggest-ever single point leak of methane. Let us first examine the various aspects relating to this issue on which already there is widespread agreement. Firstly, it is already widely agreed that this is the single[Read More…]
There is increasing realization that prolonging or escalation of Ukraine conflict can bring very high risks for the entire world. Elsewhere in the world, many less talked about conflicts in the Horn of Africa, in Nigeria and elsewhere are aggravating very serious situations of starvation and starvation deaths, making it impossible for relief workers to reach those in dire need[Read More…]
The extremely serious issue of the threat of genetic contamination caused by genetically modified or engineered (GM or GE) crops finally reached the Supreme Court of India on November 30 in the context of on-going cases relating to the introduction of GM Mustard in India. Advocate Prashant Bhushan, after pointing out the serious implications of this risk in a country[Read More…]
On December 1, in the on-going case relating to objections raised against the introduction of the first GM (genetically modified) food crop in the form of GM Mustard in India, the Supreme Court raised some important questions. As reported in The Times of India (December 2, 2022), “A bench of Justices Dinesh Maheshwari and BV Nagarathna told Attorney General R.Venkataramani,[Read More…]
Starting from 1989 and continuing for at least 15 years, perhaps much more, millions of tonnes of toxic wastes were dumped in the long-stretched coastal areas of Somalia, as confirmed in several reports of United Nations agencies, leading NGOs and independent investigators. While attention is currently focused understandably on the devastating impact of drought, hunger and malnutrition in endangering the[Read More…]
In the hunger map of present day world, Somalia is probably the most seriously affected country of the 21st century. Somalia is reported by the UN to have lost 260,000 lives in and around 2011 to hunger and famine deaths, one of the very few countries in the world to have such a high number of recorded hunger deaths in[Read More…]
At a time when most of the world has left far behind the stage of prolonged COVID related lockdowns, the Chinese authorities have continued with very long lockdowns in several parts of the country, justifying this as a policy of so-called zero tolerance for COVID. This is both surprising and unfortunate, as recent experience of long stretched lockdowns in many[Read More…]
Supreme Court’s firmness in upholding the Bombay High Court’s order granting bail to Anand Teltumbde has been widely appreciated. However, we must also listen to what this 73 year old distinguished scholar activist, coming out after spending 31 months in prison, had to stay regarding the case in which several other distinguished activists have also been implicated—“the sad thing is[Read More…]
In May the Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC-22), prepared by UN agencies and other expert groups, issued a clear warning stating that the acute hunger situation in world, including its extreme forms, is worse now than ever before since this annual report started being prepared. Then in mid-September the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Food Program, which[Read More…]
Suppose there is a restaurant in your locality which is notorious for serving unsafe food. Of course you feel very bad about this, but not exactly threatened as you have the option of not consuming its food and also warning your friends not to do so. But supposing the restaurant has such high-level connections that it acquires the[Read More…]
She may have left us 16 years ago, but on her birth anniversary November 25, Surinder Kaur is being remembered very fondly by her countless admirers in India, Pakistan, Canada, UK, USA and several other countries as well. The contributions of the ‘Nightingale of Punjab’ to music can never be forgotten, all the more so in present times of degradation[Read More…]
Efforts to prevent violence against women and girls should be based on careful identification of causes When the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said in his message for the International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women and Children ( November 25) that “every 11 minutes , a woman or girl is killed by an intimate partner or family[Read More…]
In 1945 from the ruins of the second world war emerged a new world and initially, for the people of world aspiring for democracy, freedom and justice the USA emerged as the most important center of hope. This is not because these people were not aware of several highly suspect aspects of the US ruling classes, but because these had[Read More…]
Among all the people who leave for work on any given day, about 1000 do not return home—they die in workplace accidents. This is stated on the basis on the total number of occupational accident fatalities in a year, the WHO/ILO estimate for which is 360,000 in a year. This is very sad, but even more distressing is the fact[Read More…]
COP-27 (the 27th Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change) has ended as expected on a note more or less of status quo. True, the long pending demand of countries worst affected by climate change for a loss and damage fund has been accepted, an important gain in itself, but any celebrations over this will be[Read More…]
In international strategic discussion a hot topic is the challenge posed to US dominance by China in the coming years. However the leadership position of the USA is increasingly under pressure not so much by external competition as by its own policy failures, internal weaknesses and problems. Democracy was supposed to be the biggest strength of the USA giving it[Read More…]
Recent controversy regarding the research at Boston University’s National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories (NEIDL) has again revived the concerns regarding continuation of certain types of high-risk biological research. As reported, a team of 14 scientists here has developed a new strain of COVID-19 that killed 80% of the mice infected with the virus in a laboratory setting. NEIDL has denied[Read More…]
‘One Earth’ is A Great Theme for G-20, But How Do We Take it Forward in the Middle of Grim Realities? India has done well to select ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’ as the theme of the year of India’s presidency of G-20. In fact one can go a step further and say that if only this is accepted[Read More…]
On 17 November, 1913 the colonial British regime mobilized cannons and machine guns to fire on Bhil tribal freedom fighters gathered at the hill of Mangarh, located in present day Banswara district of South Rajasthan. Over 1500 of those gathered died. The legendary leader of the tribal community, Govind Guru ( or Govindgiri) was arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment.[Read More…]
During the last two decades the experiences of over 7 million cotton growing farmers in India, the world’s highest producer of cotton, has changed drastically as a diversity of cotton varieties have been replaced to the extent of perhaps over 90 per cent by genetically engineered Bt cotton varieties like Bollgard I and Bollgard II. This change was widely promoted[Read More…]
If 1 out of 2 high school girls feel persistently sad or hopeless and one out of six students plan suicide in a year, isn’t it time for a society so affected to look inwards at what has gone wrong, so that at least, and as a first step, the causes of such a dismal state of affairs can be[Read More…]
There are few writers who have displayed such consistency and continuity in their writings on justice and concerns of the unprivileged as Jeremy Seabrook. His writings on these and other issues of high social relevance are marked by deep sympathy for those who deserve and need this the most. Readers are frequently awed by the sheer brilliance of his deep[Read More…]
In the discourse on climate change, as the inadequacy of incremental change is increasingly realized, we are now beginning to hear those much needed words more frequently—that much wider changes in economy and society are needed to check climate change effectively. What exactly does this mean? It is a widely accepted norm of present-day society that people keep aspiring for[Read More…]
The Global Report on Food Crisis has been drawing attention to the people affected by acute hunger annually for seven years, and this year its recently presented estimates stated that as many as 205 million spread over 45 countries are affected by acute food insecurity and need urgent assistance. To this were later added 17 million people from 8 other[Read More…]
The World Food Organization and the World Food Program recently released a joint review of the world-level acute hunger situation for the period October 2022—January 2023. This review starts by mapping the countries and regions worst affected by acute hunger and just a glance at this is adequate to tell us that the hunger hot-spots are most heavily concentrated in[Read More…]
The concerns expressed by a Supreme Court Bench on November 9 regarding the health of an elderly political prisoner Gautam Navlakha have been widely appreciated in the country. Justice Hrishikesh Roy found it disturbing that hardly any progress had been made since the charge-sheet against him was filed in October 2020 ( over two years ago). Justice K.M. Joseph stated,[Read More…]
As election day (November 12) approaches, people of Himachal Pradesh are more inclined to recall the more impressive achievements of the long era of Congress rule. In 2017-18 among Human Development indicators Himachal was at 7th place and in Gender Development indicators Himachal was at number 2 place ( compared to rank number 16 of neighboring state Haryana) among 36[Read More…]
by Bharat Dogra and Madhu Dogra A true mark of greatness is that the message conveyed by a person by work as well words, conduct as well as character, brings solace to people and reduces distress of people in contemporary times, but at the same time is also found to be of enduring importance to people when they cope with[Read More…]
Since mid-October there has been widespread concern regarding hurried introduction of GM (genetically modified) food crops in India due to the approval of a GM/HT (herbicide tolerant) mustard crop by a regulating agency. Hence there was a feeling of great relief on November 3 when the Supreme Court of India asked the government to maintain the status quo and not[Read More…]
Pakistan has suffered its worst ever floods this year, resulting in over 1700 deaths, nearly 13,000 seriously injured persons and damage estimated at around $40 billon. UNICEF stated in a report that as a result of these floods, nearly 10 million children needed urgent assistance. As millions of persons were rendered homeless by floods, urgent reconstruction efforts are needed. Winter[Read More…]
If very high and increasing mental health problems are reported from any society, then the most obvious response is to increase the availability of mental health services. However, if despite this, the trend of high incidence of such problems persists, then isn’t it time to inquire at a wider level regarding what problems of society are causing this and then[Read More…]
Some recent statements that have appeared in media indicate that there is a lot of pressure for very hurried introduction of genetically modified mustard crop after its approval by a regulating agency GEAC. Even the fact that on such an important matter the final government decision should be awaited has not been considered by GM lobbyists and pressure groups. In[Read More…]
Climate change is one of the biggest challenges of our times. It has to be checked as a matter of highest priority. Despite this adequate attention has not been given to how human life must change to realize this objective. We know that fossil fuels must be phased out and replaced by renewable energy. But is renewable energy capable of[Read More…]
While conservation and protection of environment should get very high priority in development planning, avoidable problems have been created whenever conservation has been pushed into a narrow path where it gets alienated from the concerns and needs of local people and communities. One aspect of this narrow approach, promoted by elites who frequently dominate conservation groups, relates to strong opposition[Read More…]
Since the end of the Second World War in 1945, there has been no other year when the possibility of a Third World War has been discussed as much as in the year 2022, mostly in the context of the Ukraine War and USA-Russia relations, but to a much lesser extent also in the context of Taiwan and USA-China relations.[Read More…]
A rise in the number of homeless people has been reported from several countries. This is either being neglected, or at best is seen in terms of stepping up relief. However relief alone will not take us very far if the deeper, wider injustices of urban and housing policies is not corrected. In the USA there have been warnings against[Read More…]
The possibility of the use of nuclear weapons, intentional or on the basis of misunderstandings which can result in a situation of high-tensions and escalating tensions continuing for a long time, has been repeatedly and increasingly held out in recent times. In this context various scenarios have been presented by several eminent experts almost all of which reveal a very[Read More…]
Will COP-27 help to improve the climate agenda in significant ways, or will it carry on as before? This is an important question for humanity, keeping in view the increasing evidence of the extremely serious nature of climate disruption related threats, which just keeps on piling. At the same time, it has become increasingly clear that the existing response of[Read More…]
Recent times have witnessed constant constant lobbying by very powerful corporate interest lobbies for the introduction of GM (genetically modified) crops and technology in India. These corporate interests have been promoting GM technology and GE (genetic engineering) technology in food and farming which has been exposed by eminent experts to be extremely harmful for food, health and farmers and useful[Read More…]
When the history of the struggles of industrial workers against injustice in India is finally written, a detailed chapter will have to be devoted to the various injustices suffered by Maruti vehicle workers in Manesar (Haryana) following some unfortunate and regrettable violence in July 2012. More than a decade later this struggle is still continuing, as was visible in[Read More…]
Sometimes this happens also in personal life—someone who insists he is helping you keeps pushing you in the direction of harm and even ruin. Something similar seems to have unfortunately been the fate of Ukraine in recent times—those who kept insisting about helping Ukraine have actually kept pushing it towards ruin. It was certainly possible for Ukraine to have a[Read More…]
Victims of occupational diseases suffer all too frequently from neglect, resulting in extremely distressing conditions for them. Hence a recent campaign involving activists, judiciary and some state governments, particularly Rajasthan government, has appeared like a rare ray of hope. This campaign shows how significant benefits can reach workers suffering from silicosis, one of the most serious and common occupational diseases,[Read More…]
Deepawali, the most awaited festival of lights in India, is celebrated by people in many ways but most prominently as a wish and worship for prosperity to them and their near and dear ones. While economic well-being should be wished to all people of the world, certainly our greatest concern should clearly be for the poorest sections. It is very[Read More…]
High levels of workplace violence are becoming a cause for serious concern in many countries. According to the European Working Conditions Survey, 6 million workers in the European Union are exposed in one year to workplace violence. If verbal violence is included, then the number exposed to violence is likely to exceed 30 million. France, Denmark and Belgium are among[Read More…]
Occupational diseases constitute a much more serious risk to the health and welfare of workers than is normally realized. The International Labor Organization and the World Health Organization got together jointly to estimate the number of deaths caused by occupational diseases and injuries at world level for 2016. The two international agencies found that as many as 1.90 million ([Read More…]
There has been growing concern in recent years regarding the extent to which workers and employees are stressed in their work and have strong feelings of alienation. In this context the findings of one of the most extensive surveys on this subject are significant. These can be seen in Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace Report 2022. This is based[Read More…]
Accidents are a leading cause of human distress. However most discussion has been concentrated on road accidents while occupational accidents which affect mostly the working class have received comparatively much lesser attention. This should not lead to neglect of the very heavy price that workers have to pay in terms of serious injuries or even loss of life caused[Read More…]
On October 15, the Indian Women’s Cricket team won the 8th Asia cup in great style, turning the final match into a one-sided game which they won by 8 wickets in 8 overs. The Indian women played exceedingly well throughout the tournament, putting in an exceptional all-round performance. There was no dominance of one or two players, all team-mates contributed[Read More…]
The peace movement is extremely important for our increasingly troubled and violent world, particularly at a time when the world leadership is strangely getting less and less cautious about the world being led into the most dangerous situations. Those who contribute sincerely and honestly to the peace movement, standing for truth in difficult conditions, are among the most noble persons[Read More…]
World Food Program says that now needs are sky-high and resources are rock bottom Possibilities of not just increase of hunger but even of starvation deaths have been voiced by several international agencies during the greater part of this year. This is particularly true for the Horn of Africa region where the situation has been reported to be the most[Read More…]
On October 11 over 100 leading peace organizations of the USA released a joint statement calling upon President Biden to “end the US role in escalating the extremely dangerous tensions with Russia over Ukraine.” This statement has stated very clearly, “It is greatly irresponsible for a President to participate in brinkmanship between two nations that possess 90% of the world’s[Read More…]
At a time of increasing economic inequalities and ecological ruin, the search for alternative development paradigms has increased and an important aspect of these efforts has been to learn more about indigenous and tribal cultures and world-views as a source of guidance. While these efforts can be seen more in a few countries like Bolivia and Ecuador, there have been[Read More…]
The recent closure (mostly from October 1 onwards) of several industrial units in the National Capital Region (NCR) has led to the unemployment of a very large number of workers in several leading centers of industrial activity like Panipat, Faridabad and Gurugram. This is hardly the first time that pollution control curbs have led to the unemployment of workers on[Read More…]
Exceptionally heavy continuous rain has been experienced in several parts of India in early October, at a time when the season of monsoon rain is normally considered to be over. Such abnormal weather is not rare in times of climate change, and we need to be very careful in several contexts to minimize harm. In particular we need to be[Read More…]
On October 8, as many as 12 passengers died and 43 were injured when a sleeper ‘luxury’ bus caught fire after hitting a truck in Nashik city ( Maharashtra). Recently several other serious accidents involving sleeper buses have been reported. In June this year a large number of passengers travelling from Gonda ( Eastern UP) to Delhi had a narrow[Read More…]
In the middle of the increasing proliferation of arms and weapons in most parts of the world, a small window of hope is still provided by the partial success of some campaigns to check the use of some of the most painful weapons. These efforts were led by a broad-based campaign to ban the use of landmines. Wounds caused by[Read More…]
In an extremely tragic accident on October 5 in Faridabad (Haryana) four workers who had gone for cleaning sewer of a hospital died due to inhaling poisonous gas. Two of them were real brothers, young sons of a widow. The hospital used their services through a contract agency. So soon after the deaths allegation were being traded between them regarding[Read More…]
If the single most important feature of the present phase of human history is to be identified, then clearly it is that this phase is the most dangerous in human history. The year 2022 appears to be confirming this more than several previous ones. Several serious human-made environmental problems led by (but by no means confined to) climate change threaten[Read More…]
On the night of October 1 at least 125 people died in a football stadium in Malang, East Java (Indonesia) in an entirely avoidable mishap. When the home team lost there was a rush of frustrated spectators, a situation that could have been controlled. However when the police over-reacted with excessive use of tear gas shells and batons, a big[Read More…]
On October 4 a bus carrying a marriage party fell into a deep gorge near Simri in Pauri Garhwal district ( Uttarakhand ). Although local villages rushed for rescue effort followed by a government rescue team, as many as 33 members of the marriage party (coming from Haridwar district ) died while 19 were injured. While all accidents are tragic[Read More…]
The Indian Himalayas stretch majestically for nearly 2500 km across 13 states and union territories. Nearly 50 million people live here, but the number of people whose life is closely influenced by the Himalayas is many times more, with a heavy concentration in the densely populated Gangetic plains. For all their outward grandeur, the Himalayas are geologically young and fragile[Read More…]
In October-November this year the world observes the 60th anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 when the world had come closest to the exchange of nuclear weapons. Now in October 2022 we again have a situation where the risk of use of nuclear weapons is fast increasing. This risk is more widely discussed today than ever before in[Read More…]
Recently a mass unemployment threat has arisen in the National Capital Region (NCR) of India, in densely populated cities and towns like Panipat, Sonipat , Bahadurgarh, Ballabhgarh and Faridabad. Several hundred thousand jobs may be lost. Thousands of industrial units temporarily suspended work on October 1. At a more obvious level, it is being said that this crisis situation has[Read More…]
Majrooh Sultanpuri ( 1919-2000) was a highly talented lyricist of Hindi cinema who also received the highly coveted Dadasaheb Phalke Award for lifetime achievement. What is less known is his involvement in the Progressive Writers Movement and his strong leftist views as reflected in some of his earliest poems. In fact due to this he was imprisoned in 1949, just[Read More…]
Jahanara–The First Lady of a Great Empire Who Devoted Herself to Reducing Suffering and Distress In times when royalty was characterized by the craze for luxury and constant intrigues for power, Princess Jahanara (1614-81) is almost a unique character in the Mughal Dynasty who devoted most of her time, efforts and wealth to reducing the distress and suffering of others.[Read More…]
A Pioneering Book That Brings Out the Love of School Children for Birds “Birds are a miracle because they prove to us there is a finer, simpler state of being which we may strive to attain.” This is the illuminating quote from Douglas Coupland with which a remarkable new book ‘Familiar Birds of Sanawar’ has started. This book has been[Read More…]
On October 2 an increasingly divided and troubled world observes the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi (MG). This is a good time to reflect on the essence of some of his enduring messages. Firstly, he said that economics should never be separated from ethics. In particular he gave a call for placing the poorer and weaker sections at the center[Read More…]
Charlie Chaplin called this the most beautiful Italian film he had ever seen, but then this is also an extremely tragic film. Based on the life of a family in post-Second War Berlin, ‘Germany Year Zero’ (1948) is not a film you can forget easily. War is over, but its devastation lives on in the life of so many people.[Read More…]
In the build-up to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the USA was on the one hand provoking Russia in numerous ways to attack and on the other hand saying to its European allies and other countries—Look how dangerous is Putin’s Russia—attacking its weaker neighbor so aggressively. Unfortunate as such conduct was, it could be understood by those who had followed[Read More…]
Seven months after the Russian invasion started, the Ukraine crisis has become the biggest flashpoint which can endanger world peace. From the point of view of those who cherish world peace, the situation is fast becoming more perplexing, difficult and dangerous than before. It may sound alarmist to ask whether we are moving closer to a world war type situation[Read More…]
Today on September 28 many, many people in Chattisgarh and other parts of India will be remembering Shankar Guha Niyogi on his death anniversary. It was on this day that he was assassinated at the peak of his efforts to mobilize workers for a big struggle. Niyogi, a labor leader who became a legend in his lifetime, led a very[Read More…]
Today September 28 is the birth anniversary of Bhagat Singh, the revolutionary freedom fighter from India who could dare to think at a very young age of fighting imperialism all over the world! Although he was hanged by colonial rulers at the age of only 23 in 1931, he is still not only remembered with great affection and respect by[Read More…]
With the passage of time, not only has distress and destruction associated with the Ukraine war increased, in addition the possibility of peace has become more distant and difficult. As in the case of many wars that drag on, more unfortunate incidents and statements become the cause of increasing bitterness on both sides and this itself then becomes the reason[Read More…]
At a time when the trend of trying to maximize profits has led to so many serious distortions in the health sector, the need for at least some efforts which have been consistently providing rationality based, low cost medical care with a special emphasis on trying to reach out to workers and peasants and to all weaker sections of society[Read More…]
Europe could have criticized the Russian invasion as much as it wanted, it could have called Putin authoritarian as many times as it desired and of course it could (should) have provided even more humanitarian assistance to Ukraine refugees/displaced persons, but its more or less unquestioning acceptance of the role of the USA in Ukraine certainly raises several disturbing questions.[Read More…]
There has already been significant criticism of the Ukraine policy of the USA government from a perspective of world peace. The base of US policy is the concept of a proxy war that can bleed and weaken Russia as much as possible (at great cost to the people of Ukraine as well as the peace and stability of the rest[Read More…]
Soon after the Russian invasion of Ukraine started, in the very next month of March an important initiative was launched with the help of Turkish diplomats. Right through this month this initiative appears to have progressed well, and broad agreements for ceasefire were substantially reached, even though details remained to be worked out. Among other things, this is likely to[Read More…]
Ukraine has for long been a very productive food grain producing country with very favorable natural conditions for this role. In particular its role in producing surplus wheat has been very well-established. What is important for government policy is to establish the sustainability and equality aspects of these natural strengths. Unfortunately in recent years Ukraine has instead travelled in an[Read More…]
One of the most widely discussed rural initiatives from India has been the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) which provides a guarantee of employment in various tasks of rural development. While it can provide very genuine benefits to workers and peasants while carrying out highly useful tasks ( like water conservation), in practice its implementation has been increasingly marred[Read More…]
September 21 will be remembered in history as a day when the Ukraine crisis appeared to be escalating very sharply. Russian President Vladimir Putin called up 300,000 reservists to fight in Ukraine and backed a plan for territorial gains to make up for some recent reverses. In an address to his country he said, “If the territorial integrity of our[Read More…]
Several peace activists in the USA recently observed a peace week during September 12-15 to mobilize more and more people for pressurizing US government policy towards peace-based solutions, instead of merely announcing weapon supply increases to an already deeply ravaged region. This effort was coordinated by Peace in Ukraine Coalition (PIUC) and spread to several parts of USA including Washington,[Read More…]
At what stage can the USA’s increasing military assistance to Ukraine become like a direct conflict-or war- with Russia? This is one of the most significant questions facing humanity today, with very dangerous implications not just for these three countries but the entire humanity. Reuters reported on August 2 ( see news report titled ‘Russia says United States is directly[Read More…]
The release of eight cheetahs into the Kuno National Park ( Madhya Pradesh) by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 17, although accompanied by a media blitz, has raised several questions. The animals were flown from Namibia to Gwalior and from there they were taken to the release site in a helicopter. Official sources have stated that this is the[Read More…]
Most countries of South Asia have suffered excessive flood losses this year, peaking in Pakistan. In the last week of August Pakistan, overwhelmed by surging waters, declared an emergency. Nearly 1500 human lives have already been claimed by the disaster. With excessive rains affecting almost half the country and a third of the country submerged during the peak of the[Read More…]
In Kolawalpur village of Banda District (state of Uttar Pradesh), many farmers complained bitterly that the miners of river sand had destroyed their farms and standing crops. What is more, threat of floods in the rainy season and the river drying up in the dry season had increased due to the excessive extraction of sand from the river using heavy[Read More…]
US Policy Makers Must Listen to Gerry Condon Gerry Condon, former President of Veterans of Peace, a USA-based global organization of Military Veterans and allies with 140 chapters worldwide whose collective efforts are to build a culture for peace and end all wars, has very recently written a letter to President Biden which needs to be widely read by all[Read More…]
Barbara Ehrenreich died at the age of 81 on September 1. The American author had reached a worldwide readership with her over 20 books which are best known for their strong voice of justice and dignity for the weakest sections as well as for opposing hypocrisy and social deceit at several levels. Her brilliant reportage, social commentary and book reviews[Read More…]
There have been frequent demands in recent times for increasing the budgetary allocations for weaker sections as many of their priority needs are not being met properly. Instead of responding sympathetically to these demands, if some of these allocations are cut in arbitrary and indiscriminate ways, then this is bound to increase the distress of weaker sections by midway jeopardizing[Read More…]
The population of elderly (60 years plus) citizens in India is around 140 million. The union ( central) government pays annual pensions worth around Rs. 180,000 crore ( one crore=10 million) to its former employees numbering between 6 to 7 million. For the remaining elderly it provides about Rs. 9700 crore ( inclusive of some other welfare spending). During recent[Read More…]
Landowning farmers ( kisans) present the most visible face of India’s villages, and most of the discussion is in their context. However a very important aspect of rural India seldom emphasized is that there are more landless peasants and workers ( bhumiheen) in villages of India than landowning farmers. Several landless farm workers have belonged traditionally to the most marginalized[Read More…]