Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Recession times
Great monetarist economist Milton Friedman was of the opinion that the central bank could always deal with deflationary problems by dropping money from a helicopter. However, in the real world, not everyone is underneath the helicopter when it makes the drop. In fact, it is likely that the helicopter pilot will hover over friends and relatives when dropping the money. And even if the pilot is completely non-corrupt, the crowd on the ground will always assume that there is some hidden and partisan plan.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
In the lap of nature
Few pics from konkan valley during my journey back to kerala by train:
http://s614.photobucket.com/albums/tt229/shuhaibim/From%20KonKan%20Valley/
http://s614.photobucket.com/albums/tt229/shuhaibim/From%20KonKan%20Valley/
A Community Marriage in Disguise of a Village Festival
It represented all the perfect mix of a village festival. Children, woman and the aged came together inside the simple pandal that has been erected. The signs of joy were represented in the eyes of each and everyone gathered there. It seemed they have regained some thing which has been lost from them. The festive mood was reflected in each and every pious mind there.
The above incident is from babuwan, patteruva villages in supol and areria district of Bihar. It was the village which has been washed away in the terrific flood of August, 2008 due to collapse of Kosi dam in Nepal.
They were striving to establish the chains of life that has been lost in the midnight flood that devastated their life. Many lost their lives, houses were razed down to earth, cattle population and agricultural fields were totally devastated, Whole set of families were in refugee camps….After long eight months of refugee life, they returned back to their village. Erstwhile agricultural fields were now rivers, houses as shallow pits; the atmosphere is charged with memories of kith and kins, relatives, cattle which was once their livelihood….. Yes, the festive like mood which now arise was due to the community marriage that was being arranged there. They found it as an opportunity to forget the past memories.
The happiness reflected in the eyes of Nayyirussaman sahib. He was leading the flood relief activities in the state. His face reflected the satisfaction he has gained by working for reconstruction of the villages. He lead the activities involving maintenance of over five hundred houses, digging of three hundred tube wells, providing employment assistance to three hundred people, reconstruction of schools and mosques. His team also distributed clothes to during Ramadan, Eid and Dussehra. They distributed blankets to five thousand persons. They are still continuing their activities by providing assistance to marriages and treatments. Construction of thousand houses will begin soon.
The incident was so co-incidental. Ashraf sahib, owner of A.R.H in Ernakulam, kerala says “daughter’s marriage has been fixed. Wish to assist one or two poor girls also to get married on that occasion.” I said “there many people working to help girls from poor families to get married. If you wish to do anything in this regard, it should be in the flood devastated regions of Bihar”. He accepted the suggestion with happiness. The reply from Nayyirussaman sahib on this regard was a surprise, “after the calamity, hundreds of marriages have been cancelled here. Even the pre scheduled ones are difficult to conduct.” Here on, things moved in no time. Arrangement was made for the marriage of 65 couples from villages of supol and areria. Arrangements were done in two locations.
While we reached these villages on February 12th, the scenes were surprising. The land which was transformed in to a river by the flood reflected a perfect village festival. Two locations had one pandal each, a marriage kuthuba, one marriage for each of the selected village. Respective Imam of every village led the procedures. Food was also arranged for those invitees of bride and groom. Elderly people of the respective villages, B.D.O and police inspector were special guests, Ashraf sahib and his wife, his brother in law Musthafa and wife, me and wife were as external guests. Towards meeting expenses of dress and mehar, the organizers gave five thousand rupees each.
Nayyirussaman sahib conveyed an interesting fact. Out of the five thousand rupees granted to each, most of them bought cattle by spending around Rs 2500- 3000 !. Some of the grooms were wearing already used and old clothes. To represent their marriage costume, they wore skull cap and shawl only. From each family we allowed 10 guests.
The simplicity and village life dignity were clearly illustrated here. Moreover, the complete absence of any extravaganza and simplicity shown are beyond our imagination. Ashraf sahib, whose wish was to sponsor two marriages, is happy for sponsoring sixty five marriages.
Mufti Hazrath Imam Salafi of Nepal addressed the marriage kutuba. He reminded of duties of a husband and wife and glory of family relationship.
There were many enquiries to Nayyirussaman sahib on when would the next be held. He turned on to the audience and addressed: “shortly we will arrange a community marriage for hundred pairs”. Many interested parties have approached him to join in that. “When we conduct marriages for two pairs with ten thousand rupee, as a source of livelihood, a goat or cow also reaches that family.” Mr. Musthafa exclaimed.
The experience in Kosi was big enough to open the eyes of Muslim youth who spent millions on marriages alone.
(The above experience is during the visit conducted by Prof. Siddique Hassan, Vice-President, Jamat-e- Islami Hind and others)
The above incident is from babuwan, patteruva villages in supol and areria district of Bihar. It was the village which has been washed away in the terrific flood of August, 2008 due to collapse of Kosi dam in Nepal.
They were striving to establish the chains of life that has been lost in the midnight flood that devastated their life. Many lost their lives, houses were razed down to earth, cattle population and agricultural fields were totally devastated, Whole set of families were in refugee camps….After long eight months of refugee life, they returned back to their village. Erstwhile agricultural fields were now rivers, houses as shallow pits; the atmosphere is charged with memories of kith and kins, relatives, cattle which was once their livelihood….. Yes, the festive like mood which now arise was due to the community marriage that was being arranged there. They found it as an opportunity to forget the past memories.
The happiness reflected in the eyes of Nayyirussaman sahib. He was leading the flood relief activities in the state. His face reflected the satisfaction he has gained by working for reconstruction of the villages. He lead the activities involving maintenance of over five hundred houses, digging of three hundred tube wells, providing employment assistance to three hundred people, reconstruction of schools and mosques. His team also distributed clothes to during Ramadan, Eid and Dussehra. They distributed blankets to five thousand persons. They are still continuing their activities by providing assistance to marriages and treatments. Construction of thousand houses will begin soon.
The incident was so co-incidental. Ashraf sahib, owner of A.R.H in Ernakulam, kerala says “daughter’s marriage has been fixed. Wish to assist one or two poor girls also to get married on that occasion.” I said “there many people working to help girls from poor families to get married. If you wish to do anything in this regard, it should be in the flood devastated regions of Bihar”. He accepted the suggestion with happiness. The reply from Nayyirussaman sahib on this regard was a surprise, “after the calamity, hundreds of marriages have been cancelled here. Even the pre scheduled ones are difficult to conduct.” Here on, things moved in no time. Arrangement was made for the marriage of 65 couples from villages of supol and areria. Arrangements were done in two locations.
While we reached these villages on February 12th, the scenes were surprising. The land which was transformed in to a river by the flood reflected a perfect village festival. Two locations had one pandal each, a marriage kuthuba, one marriage for each of the selected village. Respective Imam of every village led the procedures. Food was also arranged for those invitees of bride and groom. Elderly people of the respective villages, B.D.O and police inspector were special guests, Ashraf sahib and his wife, his brother in law Musthafa and wife, me and wife were as external guests. Towards meeting expenses of dress and mehar, the organizers gave five thousand rupees each.
Nayyirussaman sahib conveyed an interesting fact. Out of the five thousand rupees granted to each, most of them bought cattle by spending around Rs 2500- 3000 !. Some of the grooms were wearing already used and old clothes. To represent their marriage costume, they wore skull cap and shawl only. From each family we allowed 10 guests.
The simplicity and village life dignity were clearly illustrated here. Moreover, the complete absence of any extravaganza and simplicity shown are beyond our imagination. Ashraf sahib, whose wish was to sponsor two marriages, is happy for sponsoring sixty five marriages.
Mufti Hazrath Imam Salafi of Nepal addressed the marriage kutuba. He reminded of duties of a husband and wife and glory of family relationship.
There were many enquiries to Nayyirussaman sahib on when would the next be held. He turned on to the audience and addressed: “shortly we will arrange a community marriage for hundred pairs”. Many interested parties have approached him to join in that. “When we conduct marriages for two pairs with ten thousand rupee, as a source of livelihood, a goat or cow also reaches that family.” Mr. Musthafa exclaimed.
The experience in Kosi was big enough to open the eyes of Muslim youth who spent millions on marriages alone.
(The above experience is during the visit conducted by Prof. Siddique Hassan, Vice-President, Jamat-e- Islami Hind and others)
Friday, July 17, 2009
When it rained here.....awesome
Delhi- Jaipur Express way Toll Gate
When it rained at Guragaon, on 15th July, 2009
Sunday, July 12, 2009
A tale of two encounters: Dehradun and Batla House
Manish Sethi and Adeel Mehdi
Jamia Teachers' Solidarity Group extends its heart-felt condolences to the family of Ranbir Singh, the youth who was killed in a police encounter in Dehradun last week. This encounter again brings to the fore the trigger happy ways of the Indian police who kill and torture for medals and promotions. We demand exemplary punishment for the guilty policemen.
However, the manner in which the Indian State and the mainstream political parties have responded to the encounter in Dehradun is in striking contrast to the reaction to the shooting down of two young men in Batla House in Delhi last September. Both encounters were followed by mass anger and upsurge which spilled onto the streets of the capital cities of Uttarakhand and the country. While the `secular' Congress has put its weight behind the agitation in Uttrakhand, joining the peoples' demand for fair probe and crying foul over human rights violation, the BJP not to be left behind in the Human Rights race sent its emissary in the form of BJP President's and Ghaziabad MP's son to the family of the slain youth to reassure them that the probe into the encounter would be fair and independent, without the involvement of the accused Dehradun Police. A CB-CID enquiry has already been ordered and all police men involved in the shootout have been charged for murder.
Recall now the jingoist hysteria created by Congress and BJP alike, aided by a section of pliant media, in which all calls for independent and impartial enquiry in the Batla House encounter were branded as unpatriotic and downright insulting of the bravery of Special Cell cops. The Congress, which today preens on the retrieval of its minority vote, persistently bulldozed all demands for a probe into the Batla House `encounter'. So much so, that even the simple, procedural requirement for a magisterial enquiry was subverted through the Lieutenant Governor, who refused to grant permission for an enquiry on flimsy grounds. The post mortem reports of the deceased—the killed boys as well as Inspector Sharma—have been accorded the status of State secret.
So, what could be the reason for this speedy demonstration of justice for Ranbir Singh, and the obstinate refusal to concede to the widespread demand for an enquiry into the killings of Atif Ameen and Mohammad Sajid? Except that Atif and Sajid fall in that unfortunate category of `encounterables'— those whose killings can be justified, explained, and remain unmourned by our society and polity. It is all right to snuff out the lives of young men as long as they are drawn from a certain demographic and reside in areas identified as ghettoes. What we are being told here is that Atifs and Sajids cannot claim the framework of democratic rights—the only framework that they must exist in is that of national security.
JTSG reiterates its demand for a judicial probe into the Batla House incident, and the application of the same standards of justice for Atif and Sajid as those applied in the unfortunate and tragic case of Ranbir Singh.
(The authors teach at Jamia Millia Islamia, and are attached to Jamia Teachers' Solidarity Group)
Jamia Teachers' Solidarity Group extends its heart-felt condolences to the family of Ranbir Singh, the youth who was killed in a police encounter in Dehradun last week. This encounter again brings to the fore the trigger happy ways of the Indian police who kill and torture for medals and promotions. We demand exemplary punishment for the guilty policemen.
However, the manner in which the Indian State and the mainstream political parties have responded to the encounter in Dehradun is in striking contrast to the reaction to the shooting down of two young men in Batla House in Delhi last September. Both encounters were followed by mass anger and upsurge which spilled onto the streets of the capital cities of Uttarakhand and the country. While the `secular' Congress has put its weight behind the agitation in Uttrakhand, joining the peoples' demand for fair probe and crying foul over human rights violation, the BJP not to be left behind in the Human Rights race sent its emissary in the form of BJP President's and Ghaziabad MP's son to the family of the slain youth to reassure them that the probe into the encounter would be fair and independent, without the involvement of the accused Dehradun Police. A CB-CID enquiry has already been ordered and all police men involved in the shootout have been charged for murder.
Recall now the jingoist hysteria created by Congress and BJP alike, aided by a section of pliant media, in which all calls for independent and impartial enquiry in the Batla House encounter were branded as unpatriotic and downright insulting of the bravery of Special Cell cops. The Congress, which today preens on the retrieval of its minority vote, persistently bulldozed all demands for a probe into the Batla House `encounter'. So much so, that even the simple, procedural requirement for a magisterial enquiry was subverted through the Lieutenant Governor, who refused to grant permission for an enquiry on flimsy grounds. The post mortem reports of the deceased—the killed boys as well as Inspector Sharma—have been accorded the status of State secret.
So, what could be the reason for this speedy demonstration of justice for Ranbir Singh, and the obstinate refusal to concede to the widespread demand for an enquiry into the killings of Atif Ameen and Mohammad Sajid? Except that Atif and Sajid fall in that unfortunate category of `encounterables'— those whose killings can be justified, explained, and remain unmourned by our society and polity. It is all right to snuff out the lives of young men as long as they are drawn from a certain demographic and reside in areas identified as ghettoes. What we are being told here is that Atifs and Sajids cannot claim the framework of democratic rights—the only framework that they must exist in is that of national security.
JTSG reiterates its demand for a judicial probe into the Batla House incident, and the application of the same standards of justice for Atif and Sajid as those applied in the unfortunate and tragic case of Ranbir Singh.
(The authors teach at Jamia Millia Islamia, and are attached to Jamia Teachers' Solidarity Group)
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Lost mercy of of monsoon
The lower than expected seasonal rainfall, or what is fondly called the monsoons, is casting gloom not just on the faces of those looking for a respite from the heat, but in a country where the rains are the only way to irrigate crops, agricultural output could falter and the economy could start sputtering.
Satya Bansal, CEO of Barclays Wealth, India, said, "17 per cent of India's GDP still depends on the agriculture sector and 60 per cent of agriculture remains rain dependent. A weak monsoon would mean lower agricultural output."
Apart from the economic impact, a weak monsoon could also put pressure on corporates by denting India's rural consumption story, but for now corporates find little reason to worry.
As every major report on climate change has alarmingly pointed out, the impact of global warming will be most felt by developing countries. In a final injustice of geography and imperial history, the world's developing countries are by and large also the world's warmest and most densely populated. Of all the emerging economies whose fortunes are rising, India is one of the most vulnerable to climate change.
Little wonder India is building a fence along its border with Bangladesh in anticipation of a wave of climate-change refugees. At 4,000 kilometers in length, the Indo-Bangladeshi Barrier will rival the Great Wall of China. One can only imagine what rising sea levels will do to the millions crammed onto reclaimed land in Mumbai or in India's new auto manufacturing hub of Chennai, around which one trusts the government of India has no plans to build fences.
Climate change is also already causing the glaciers of the Himalayas to melt at an alarming rate, the rivers they feed are receding. Some scientists are predicting that the sacred Ganga, whose waters have nourished the great grain-producing Gangetic plains as well as the souls of untold millions of Hindu faithful through millennia, is in danger of simply drying up. Three billion people - half the world's current population - depend on the Himalayas for water. The impact of that water dwindling away is terrifying.
If temperatures rise in India by even a couple of degrees Celsius, which they are already well on track to do, the very viability of food plants will be threatened. Yields will plummet in plants simply not evolved to thrive in higher temperatures. More immediately, climate change causes predictable weather patterns to become unpredictable. This is not good news for a country where the vast majority of agricultural production depends on the regular arrival, duration, and bounty of the monsoon rains.
Climate change is a weapon of mass destruction. Mitigating global warming by whatever means necessary should be the new Indian government's priority number one.
The government should make a major push to develop low-cost alternative energy technologies that don't require finite, toxic fuel sources (which means both fossil and fissile energy sources).
India must embrace a new path to equity and sustainability, without which democracy will merely be one casualty among many too terrible to imagine
Satya Bansal, CEO of Barclays Wealth, India, said, "17 per cent of India's GDP still depends on the agriculture sector and 60 per cent of agriculture remains rain dependent. A weak monsoon would mean lower agricultural output."
Apart from the economic impact, a weak monsoon could also put pressure on corporates by denting India's rural consumption story, but for now corporates find little reason to worry.
As every major report on climate change has alarmingly pointed out, the impact of global warming will be most felt by developing countries. In a final injustice of geography and imperial history, the world's developing countries are by and large also the world's warmest and most densely populated. Of all the emerging economies whose fortunes are rising, India is one of the most vulnerable to climate change.
Little wonder India is building a fence along its border with Bangladesh in anticipation of a wave of climate-change refugees. At 4,000 kilometers in length, the Indo-Bangladeshi Barrier will rival the Great Wall of China. One can only imagine what rising sea levels will do to the millions crammed onto reclaimed land in Mumbai or in India's new auto manufacturing hub of Chennai, around which one trusts the government of India has no plans to build fences.
Climate change is also already causing the glaciers of the Himalayas to melt at an alarming rate, the rivers they feed are receding. Some scientists are predicting that the sacred Ganga, whose waters have nourished the great grain-producing Gangetic plains as well as the souls of untold millions of Hindu faithful through millennia, is in danger of simply drying up. Three billion people - half the world's current population - depend on the Himalayas for water. The impact of that water dwindling away is terrifying.
If temperatures rise in India by even a couple of degrees Celsius, which they are already well on track to do, the very viability of food plants will be threatened. Yields will plummet in plants simply not evolved to thrive in higher temperatures. More immediately, climate change causes predictable weather patterns to become unpredictable. This is not good news for a country where the vast majority of agricultural production depends on the regular arrival, duration, and bounty of the monsoon rains.
Climate change is a weapon of mass destruction. Mitigating global warming by whatever means necessary should be the new Indian government's priority number one.
The government should make a major push to develop low-cost alternative energy technologies that don't require finite, toxic fuel sources (which means both fossil and fissile energy sources).
India must embrace a new path to equity and sustainability, without which democracy will merely be one casualty among many too terrible to imagine
Thursday, June 4, 2009
'WalaikumAssalaam': Indian muslims to Obama
MUMBAI: President Barack Obama's "new beginning'' seems to have sown seeds of hope among large sections of the Muslim community in India going rom initial reactions to his much-awaited speech to the Islamic world. Opening with the traditional greeting of `Assalaamu Alaykum', Obama made several references to Quranic verses and spoke both articulately and with feeling, and referred to the conflict-torn areas of Israel, Iraq and Afghanistan.
The American Centre in Mumbai organised a post-speech discussion of Muslim scholars, clerics and lay Muslims. The collective sentiment seemed to be that Indian Muslims should cooperate to isolate the extremist fringe and promote peace.
Urdu commentator Hasan Kamal, who led the discussion, sounded quite overwhelmed when he said, "I have heard and read speeches of many world leaders. But I can honestly say that I have never heard anything like this before. I listened to Obama as a Muslim, and must say that he has given the Muslims and the world a new hope.''
Many were touched by Obama's "Assalaamu Alaykum'' and his quoting from the holy book. "By quoting the Quran in the right context, Obama has reiterated that Islam stands for peace and reconciliation. He reminded the Muslims of the Quranic commandment about being truthful when he quoted `be conscious of God and always speak the truth','' said Zeenat Shaukat Ali who teaches Islamic Studies at St Xavier's College. She was also happy at the way in which Obama upheld the rights of women and women's educations. The American president said he had no problem with the hijab but did have a problem with a woman being denied the right to education andequality.
Even the orthodox section welcomed Obama's effort to debunk the "crude stereotypes' ' that the community has been labelled with.
"His speech will help reduce hostility between the USA and the Islamic world. It will open a new chapter of reconciliation between the largely aggrieved Muslim world and the West,'' said Qasim Rasool Illyas of All India Muslim Personal Law Board, an influential Muslim body. Illyas also lauded the venue of the speech. "Cairo, with its rich Islamic roots and its two major institutions which co-sponsored the address-Islamic seminary Al-Azhar and Cairo University-was the right platform to reach out to Muslims. Muslims must welcome it,'' he said.
The most widely appreciated point in the speech was the roadmap to solve the festering Palestine-Israel conflict. Prof Mushirul Hasan, historian and vice-chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia, called it a "laudable initiative'' . "He has openly talked of Palestine's genuine right of being a separate nation and Israel's right to exist. This is the best possible speech one could have expected from him,'' said Hasan.
The American Centre in Mumbai organised a post-speech discussion of Muslim scholars, clerics and lay Muslims. The collective sentiment seemed to be that Indian Muslims should cooperate to isolate the extremist fringe and promote peace.
Urdu commentator Hasan Kamal, who led the discussion, sounded quite overwhelmed when he said, "I have heard and read speeches of many world leaders. But I can honestly say that I have never heard anything like this before. I listened to Obama as a Muslim, and must say that he has given the Muslims and the world a new hope.''
Many were touched by Obama's "Assalaamu Alaykum'' and his quoting from the holy book. "By quoting the Quran in the right context, Obama has reiterated that Islam stands for peace and reconciliation. He reminded the Muslims of the Quranic commandment about being truthful when he quoted `be conscious of God and always speak the truth','' said Zeenat Shaukat Ali who teaches Islamic Studies at St Xavier's College. She was also happy at the way in which Obama upheld the rights of women and women's educations. The American president said he had no problem with the hijab but did have a problem with a woman being denied the right to education andequality.
Even the orthodox section welcomed Obama's effort to debunk the "crude stereotypes' ' that the community has been labelled with.
"His speech will help reduce hostility between the USA and the Islamic world. It will open a new chapter of reconciliation between the largely aggrieved Muslim world and the West,'' said Qasim Rasool Illyas of All India Muslim Personal Law Board, an influential Muslim body. Illyas also lauded the venue of the speech. "Cairo, with its rich Islamic roots and its two major institutions which co-sponsored the address-Islamic seminary Al-Azhar and Cairo University-was the right platform to reach out to Muslims. Muslims must welcome it,'' he said.
The most widely appreciated point in the speech was the roadmap to solve the festering Palestine-Israel conflict. Prof Mushirul Hasan, historian and vice-chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia, called it a "laudable initiative'' . "He has openly talked of Palestine's genuine right of being a separate nation and Israel's right to exist. This is the best possible speech one could have expected from him,'' said Hasan.
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