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EDITORIAL A report about the seizure of 1700 kilograms of spurious chilli and turmeric in Srinagar is certain to make many stomachs turn. After all, these are two basic ingredients of our diet. Our taste buds are tickled by them. That explains their extensive use. Their adulteration can only be damaging to our health. But it comes in handy for unscrupulous elements to make a fast buck. The quantity captured in this instance is enormous. This has to be seen in the correct perspective: the two spices constitute an almost indispensable but small component of every cooked vegetable. There are very few who have aversion to chillies --- red in this case but it can be green as well. But there is har......more It sounds too good to be true. The Maoists in Nepal are getting ready to shed their image as terrorists and join the administrative apparatus. They have signed a historic deal to this effect with the present government in their country. The two sides have decided to constitute a 330-member Interim Parliament, form an Interim Government inclusive of the Maoists and hold elections for a 425-member Constituent Assembly by June 2007 to draft a new constitution. The Interim Parliament will include 73 Maoists to be nominated by rebels. Under the agreed dispensation the Maoists have settled for renunciation of violence and confinement of weapons and cadres in designated cantonment under the United Nations supervision. They will give up abductions, tortures, extortions and display of arms in public places. Maoist chief Prachanda was quoted as having assured ruling leaders: "Once the peace accord is signed, we will honour every word of it." To many ears these utterances .........more |
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Power
and power-game By Arun Nehru The power game in a democracy is dependant on electoral success and the recent court verdict on death by hanging for Saddam Hussain is timed to help President Bush and the Republican Party to retain their majority in both the Houses. Iraq has been a 'disaster' and public opinion nee..more By Ujwala Sharma The UN General Assembly is in session, and the member countries are more than eager to give the world body a new character and dynamism. The newly elected Secretary General Ban-Ki-Moon has set an agenda to reform the UN, and has urged its member states to consider more seriously than they have done so far the ways in which the aims and ideals enshrined in the UN Charter have been trampled and distorted by.......more By Joginder Singh Delhi Police recently arrested two armymen, who were allegedly passing on sensitive information in the form of documents, pen drives and CDs about army establishments to their Pakistani handlers. In one instance, one of them had travelled to Kathmandu in the past and was now caught with sensitive information before he could proceed to Kathmandu to hand it over there to his contacts. They were all doing it for the sake of money. Spying or espionage is not something new. Both involve obtaining the information by accessing the place where the......more |
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EDITORIAL A report about the seizure of 1700 kilograms of spurious chilli and turmeric in Srinagar is certain to make many stomachs turn. After all, these are two basic ingredients of our diet. Our taste buds are tickled by them. That explains their extensive use. Their adulteration can only be damaging to our health. But it comes in handy for unscrupulous elements to make a fast buck. The quantity captured in this instance is enormous. This has to be seen in the correct perspective: the two spices constitute an almost indispensable but small component of every cooked vegetable. There are very few who have aversion to chillies --- red in this case but it can be green as well. But there is hardly anybody who detests turmeric popularly known as haldi. In fact, it is highly regarded as a mother's recipe for sound physical condition when mixed with warm milk. Down the generations it has been accepted as a wonderful medicinal plant. Some of its properties have been proved scientifically: it is antiseptic, anti-inflammatory (a cure for arthritis), deterrent against ulcers and dysentery, protective for liver, lowers serum cholesterol and prevents the formation of internal blood clots thereby reducing risks of heart strokes. It is applied to heal wounds and for saline gargles as treatment for sore throats. Chillies including of the red variety are a rich source of Vitamin C. They are effective in checking cold along with onion and garlic. The most pungent of them causes secretion that can only be beneficial for our stomachs. Medical experts have referred to their anti-oxidant qualities that are helpful in preventing deadly diseases like cancer. The red pigment of chillies is a tonic. Ironically, this is precisely what is tampered with during grinding processes. Any thing in powder form can be coloured crimson and passed off as red chillies in markets. The same havoc can be done to turmeric which too has fine particles. One can thus easily assess the harm the bogus stuff can do. Since there is no dearth of those who are out to make money at any cost they seek to flood the bazaars with fake products. That is why there are strong laws. Unfortunately, however, these are not enforced all the times. One has to blame corruption, administrative lethargy, huge population and virtually inaccessible areas for this sad state of affairs. From the records it appears that the European Union had also once acknowledged the relevant Indian legislations as models. In retrospect it may sound paradoxical. To say that the problem is Srinagar-specific will be factually wrong. It is to be noted that the entire supply --- 850 kilograms each of contaminated chillies and haldi --- has gone from Satwari in this city. It was packed in bags of 5 kilograms each. There was no mention of dates of manufacture and expiry on any of containers. Thus from the beginning itself the entire exercise was a fraud that had been carefully planned. The arrest of two persons in this connection has revealed that they had performed such illegal operation at least once earlier. An entire truckload then was said to have been sold in Sopore in the north of the Valley. An obvious conclusion is that this city also may well be in the grip of the evil. There can be little doubt either about the vulnerability of remote hilly areas on this side of the Pir Panjal. This calls for strict action against all those involved in such heinous trade. It is a crime against humanity to say the least. Erring officials should also be brought to book for gross negligence of duty that can be deliberate. For their part the consumers should be extremely vigilant. In this regard they must be guided by the World Health Organisation's definition of health: "A state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." It sounds too good to be true. The Maoists in Nepal are getting ready to shed their image as terrorists and join the administrative apparatus. They have signed a historic deal to this effect with the present government in their country. The two sides have decided to constitute a 330-member Interim Parliament, form an Interim Government inclusive of the Maoists and hold elections for a 425-member Constituent Assembly by June 2007 to draft a new constitution. The Interim Parliament will include 73 Maoists to be nominated by rebels. Under the agreed dispensation the Maoists have settled for renunciation of violence and confinement of weapons and cadres in designated cantonment under the United Nations supervision. They will give up abductions, tortures, extortions and display of arms in public places. Maoist chief Prachanda was quoted as having assured ruling leaders: "Once the peace accord is signed, we will honour every word of it." To many ears these utterances may sound as music. If one has a dispassionate look there can't be two opinions that the Maoists had held Nepal to ransom for rather too long. They had used guns extensively in order to press home a point. It will always be debatable whether they had forced the change in the Himalayan nation or whether the new monarchy's failures had brought about the transformation. What is to be welcomed, however, is that they have felt the need for mending their ways. Only the time will tell whether it is a genuine expression of sentiments or a tactical retreat with the idea of extending their constituency. It is quite possible that a battle of wits may ensue between the Maoists and their political opponents in the days to come notwithstanding their coming together on the same platform at this juncture. Two different corners of the world have witnessed identical developments. The emergence of the Maoists in power in Nepal and Hamas in the Middle-East shows the capacity of gun-wielding forces to dictate terms. At the same time it is clear that they are unable to keep the same violent face after taking over the responsibility of governance. How should one interpret this phenomenon? Can those who have always believed in ruling by gun alter their stripes? This is the question that has relevance for this State as well as the country. Let us hope that the Maoists respect the virtues like individual liberty and respect for human life. It is never too late to make a new beginning. They can draw a lesson from the neighbouring China. The Dragon is slowly dropping its fabled iron curtain lest it met the fate of the Soviet Union.
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