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Author
Sachin Tendulkar has said the senior players in the Indian team must be respected for the "major contributions" they have made over the years. Tendulkar, who recently became the leading Test run-scorer, said the decision on retiring from international cricket should be made by the players, whom he felt will know when the time is right.
© Getty Images
The seniors - Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman and Anil Kumble - were under intense scrutiny by the media after poor performances in the 2-1 defeat in the Test series in Sri Lanka. Ganguly, who was not picked for the Irani Trophy, announced the Tests against Australia will be his last international appearance for India.
"Lack of respect towards senior players doesn't happen anywhere," Tendulkar told the news channel NDTV. "We all know when to move away from the sport. But people have their opinions. Sometimes these opinions are not correct. But one is made to believe that this is the right opinion. The individuals will take their decisions when they feel it's the right time."
Tendulkar said he was "surprised by Sourav's [Ganguly's] decision to quit". "I am sure it must have taken him a long time to reach there. And it's a big decision. But if he feels that it is the way to go, then we all should respect his decision."
Does this not throw any light as to what were the circumstances under which Ganguly had to take such a tough decision, a man who has served Indian cricket for the past 10 years.
Tendulkar and Laxman played crucial innings to save the first Test against Australia in Bangalore. Tendulkar then became the highest run-scorer in Test cricket during his 88 in the second Test in Mohali, while Ganguly went past 7000 Test runs during his 16th Test century in the same match, which India won by 320 runs.
By Arunava Das
As a part of my dissertation project in The Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve for the Nilgiri Wildlife and Environmental Association (NWEA) and WWF-Ooty, which I have chosen as the Nilgiri Tahr, a part of the write up I am presenting on “80 Feet Road”. Hope you all will like it. This will also be followed up by a brief description of my study area.
(Note: RockSta can you please help me out in attaching the photos in the middle of the text. The post will be edited with photographs taken by my friend at the association, Quadershan Aiyyar.)
By Arunava Das
Disclaimer: ™All information presented here is copyrighted with © Nilgiri Wildlife and Environmental Association (NWEA), © WWF-Ooty, © Arunava Das, Fellow of WWF-India and NWEA. Copying is strictly prohibited. Perpetrators should be dealt as per law.
Nilgiri Tahr (Hemitragus hylocrius)
Taxonomy Classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Cetartiodactyla
Suborder: Ruminantia
Family: Bovidae
Subfamily: Caprinae
Tribe: Caprini
Hemitragus hylocrius [Ogilby, 1838]. Citation: Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1837:81 [1838].
Type locality: India, Nilgiri Hills.
The taxonomic record (above) is taken from Wilson and Reeder (1993). Originally, this tahr was assigned to the (now invalid) genus Kemas, and was included within Capra by some 19th Century authors (see Lydekker, 1913). The Nilgiri tahr is generally accepted as a full species, although some authors have placed it as a subspecies of the Himalayan tahr, Hemitragus jemlahicus (see Nowak, 1991; Wilson and Reeder, 1993). However, genetic evidence presents a strong case that the Nilgiri tahr is a species unto itself (see Bernischke and Kumamoto, 1980). The Nilgiri tahr has no subspecies (i.e., it is monotypic). The only invalid synonym for H. hylocrius is H. warryato (after the Tamil name for this species). General Characteristics
The Nilgiri tahr is the largest of the three tahr species, being just slightly larger than the Himalayan tahr, H. jemlahicus (Prater, 1971). Males are significantly heavier than females, with a body weights up to twice as much - 100 kg for males versus 50 kg for females.
Pics***********
Unlike the Himalayan tahr, the coat of the Nilgiri tahr is short - probably as an adaptation to the wet climate this species inhabits (Prater, 1971; Rice, 1990). There is significant dimorphism between mature males and females. Females and immature males are an overall yellowish-brown to grey, with the underparts being paler (Lydekker, 1913; Prater, 1971; Rice, 1988; Nowak, 1991). The only significant marking on the coat is a dark stripe which runs down the dorsal midline (Lydekker, 1913). As males age, their pelage darkens to a deep chocolate or even blackish-brown - a process which begins at two years of age and takes over four years to complete (Lydekker, 1913; Prater, 1971; Rice, 1988). As this occurs, the shoulders, neck, and legs turn nearly black, with white knee-spots marking the anterior surface of the front legs (Rice, 1990). A distinctive silvery saddle-patch marks the back of mature male Nilgiri tahr, starting out as an indistinct light tan area at five years of age and becoming lighter and more defined until around eight years (Lydekker, 1913; Prater, 1971; Rice, 1988). The face of female Nilgiri tahr is the same color as the body and has no distinctive markings. In mature males, the face is nearly black and strikingly marked (Lydekker, 1913; Rice, 1990). A fawn-colored ring encircles the eye, with a similarly-colored patch behind each eye (Lydekker, 1913). In addition, a silvery stripe on side of face runs from in front of the eye towards the muzzle, much like the dark facial stripes seen in gazelles (Lydekker, 1913). There is no beard present in either sex (Nowak, 1991). Females have two nipples, unlike the two other species of tahr which have four (Nowak, 1991).
Both sexes of H. hylocrius bear relatively short curving horns. Arising very close to each other at the top of the skull, the horns rise nearly parallel before diverging and curling downward (Prater, 1971). Their front surface (along the outer curve) is highly convex and has deeply transverse wrinkles, while the inner surface is almost flat (Lydekker, 1913; Prater, 1971). The horns lack the ridged keel seen in Himalayan tahr (Prater, 1971). The record horn length in males is 44.5 cm, with a girth of 25.1 cm (Lydekker, 1913; Prater, 1971). The horns of females are shorter and slenderer, typically up to 30 cm although the maximum recorded horn length is 35.6 cm (Prater, 1971; Rice, 1988).
Ontogeny and Reproduction
The main breeding season (rut) of wild Nilgiri tahr is from June to August during the monsoons (Rice, 1990; Robinson, 2005). There is a corresponding peak in births in the cool, clear weather of January and February, although young may be seen throughout the year (Prater, 1971; Rice, 1990; Robinson, 2005). Captive births at the Memphis Zoo were not seasonal, although males were most aggressive between September and November (Wilson, 1980). (Wilson, 1980). A single kid (rarely two) is born after a gestation period which lasts 178 to 190 days (see Prater, 1971; Wilson, 1980; Rice, 1990; Robinson, 2005). Females are highly protective of their offspring and will adopt threatening postures if other herd members approach too closely (Wilson, 1980). For the first few weeks of life the infant lies hidden while the mother forages, but by two months of age the kid follows its mother (Wilson, 1980). Young may begin tasting solid food as early as two weeks of age, although they are not weaned until four (or sometimes six) months (Wilson, 1980; Rice, 1990). Sexual maturity in the wild is usually reached around three years of age, although in captivity females may produce their first offspring as early as 22 months of age, indicating sexual maturity at 16 months or younger (Wilson, 1980; Rice, 1990). Captive females are capable of breeding and producing offspring every 7-10 months (Wilson, 1980). Average life expectancy for Nilgiri tahr in the wild is estimated to be only three or 3.5 years, although the potential life span is at least 9 years (Rice, 1988; Rice, 1990).
Ecology and Behavior
Nilgiri tahr inhabit montane grasslands at elevations of 1,200-2,600 m above sea level (Rice, 1990; Mishra and Johnsingh, 1998; Kannery, 2002; Robinson, 2005). The climate of the region is very wet, with approximately four meters of precipitation falling every year (Rice, 1990). In the Anamalai Hills, Mishra and Johnsingh (1998) observed a preference for areas dominated by short meadows, although the tall grass species Cymbopogon exuosus was present in all the sites studied. Major short grass species included Heteropogon contortus, Themeda triandra, and Chrysopogon aciculatus (Mishra and Johnsingh, 1998). Tahr observed in the neighbouring Eravikulam National Park were found in two principal grassland communities, one dominated by Eulalia phaeothrix and lschaemum indicum and the other by Andropogon polyptichus, both with similar vegetative cover but with forbs in higher abundance in the latter (Rice, 1988). In all cases, the meadows used by tahr are typically above the forest line and adjacent to rocky crags which are used for shelter and as a refuge when threatened (Prater, 1971; Rice, 1990). Indeed, Rice (1988) suggests that grazing habitat for Nilgiri tahr is limited by the availability of cliffs (escape terrain), and not by appropriate food species. At lower elevations, the grasslands are replaced by stunted evergreen forests known locally as "sholas", which are typically avoided by tahr (Rice, 1988; Robinson, 2005). Nilgiri tahr are active from dawn to late evening, grazing most frequently in the early morning and late afternoon (Prater, 1971; Nowak, 1991). When the sun is at its peak, tahr retreat to higher, rockier terrain in order to rest in the relatively secure shade of cliffs (Prater, 1971). While the herd rests, at least one member (usually a female) remains alert, serving as a sentinel and watching for predators (Prater, 1971; Wilson, 1980). These animals are sharp-sighted and able to spot danger approaching from below at a distance, but are less aware of danger descending from above (Prater, 1971). Alarm is sounded as a whistle or snort (Wilson, 1980).
The social system of the Nilgiri tahr is rather flexible. Animals may associate in groups as small as six animals or as large as 150, but typically a herd contains 11-71 individuals (Prater, 1971; Robinson, 2005). In Eravikulam National Park, the average herd size is 42 individuals (Rice, 1990). Mixed herds are common, as are all-male groups and maternal herds composed of adult females and their young (Robinson, 2005). Old males associate in larger mixed herds during the breeding season, but are often solitary or in small all-male groups at other times of the year, especially the hot season (Prater, 1971; Rice, 1990). While female herds typically inhabit particular home ranges, adult males will move between these groups (Rice, 1990). The sex ratio of the wild population is skewed towards females, with an average of 59.7 (range of 53.7 to 66.7) males for every 100 females; adult females also make up a large proportion (40-45%) of the total population (Rice, 1988).
When mature males join female herds during the rut, a dominance hierarchy evolves based on size and age of the animal involved (Rice, 1990). If two males are evenly matched, a fight will develop, but not before a ritualized pre-fight display, in which males will lower their heads, arch their backs, and walk with a stiff-legged gait (Wilson, 1980). Several fighting positions have been recorded between rival males: standing side by side, both facing the same direction, and knocking the sides of the horns together; crashing their horns head-on; or standing parallel but facing opposite directions, and ramming the shoulders and flanks of the rival with their horns (Wilson, 1980; Rice, 1990). This last posture can be extremely dangerous, as the sharp tips of the horns can cause extensive damage when hooked sharply upwards; these fights can end in death (Wilson, 1980). When engaged in combat, males can be oblivious to their immediate surroundings - as they spin around each other, they usually travel downhill and will continue to fight even if they leave the upland grassland and enter the sholas below (Rice, 1988). The loser of any male-male conflict is typically driven from the group, although they may return and be tolerated if they defer to the dominant animal (Rice, 1990).
In the wild, Nilgiri tahr are preyed upon by leopard (Panthera pardus) and dhole (Cuon alpinus), while a large number are also taken by humans (Rice, 1988; Rice,. 1990). Prater (1971) alone adds the tiger (Panthera tigris) to this list. When threatened, tahr flee to inaccessible terrain in the crags above the grazing meadows. As with most caprines, they are extremely quick and sure-footed over precipitous ground (Prater, 1971).
H. hylocrius is a grazer, feeding on herbs and grasses (Rice, 1990; Robinson, 2005).
Genetics
Nilgiri tahr have a karyotype of 2n=58, of which only one chromosome is metacentric; the entire karyotype is presented in Bernischke and Kumamoto (1980).
Distribution
The Nilgiri tahr is endemic to the Western Ghats mountain range in India, straddling the border between the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu (Rice, 1990; Fox and Johnsingh, 1997).
Countries: India (IUCN, 2004).
Range Map (Redrawn from Fox and Johnsingh, 1997) ********
Conservation Status
The IUCN Caprinae Specialist Group classifies the Nilgiri tahr as endangered (2004), but it does not appear on any CITES appendix. The present population is estimated to be between 2,000 and 2,500 individuals; current trends indicate that these numbers are in decline (Fox and Johnsingh, 1997). Nilgiri tahr exist only in small, isolated populations due to extreme habitat fragmentation and are thus vulnerable to local extinction (Fox and Johnsingh, 1997; IUCN, 2004). While Eravikulam National Park supports nearly 1,000 individuals, only one other area, the Grass Hills in Anamalai, maintains a population of more than 300 animals (Fox and Johnsingh, 1997; Kannery, 2002). As an endemic species, H. hylocrius receives full (legal) protection under the Indian Wildlife Act of 1972 - unfortunately this protection is rarely enforced and illegal hunting is a major threat (Fox and Johnsingh, 1997; Kannery, 2002; IUCN, 2004). The many facets of habitat loss are another big threat to the continued survival of the Nilgiri tahr. Overgrazing by domestic livestock increases competition and reduces available forage (and thus the number of tahr which can survive in a given area), but also allows for the invasion of graze-resistant weedy species into meadows, causing further decline in the grasses which tahr feed upon (Mishra and Johnsingh, 1998). Compounding this problem, the grassland habitat of the tahr continues to be converted into agricultural land, with the result that the present distribution of H. hylocrius is about one-tenth of its historical range (Mishra and Johnsingh, 1998; Kannery, 2002; IUCN, 2004). Inbreeding (a result of such small, isolated populations) may prove to be a future concern to the survival of the Nilgiri tahr (Kannery, 2002).
Remarks
Nilgiri is an Indian word meaning "Blue Hills" - these tahr are found in Nilgiri District in Tamil Nadu State. Thar is a Nepalese name for the closely related Himalayan tahr (Hemitragus jemlahicus).
Hemitragus is derived from the Greek hemi (half) and tragos (a goat) - tahr have many characters in common with true goats (Capra), but lack a beard and have several other unique features. The species name hylocrius translates as "goat of the woods", from the Greek words hule, meaning a wood or forest, and krios, which translates as a sheep or ram.
Local names
Varai ádoo, Varayadu [Tamil and Kanarese] (Prater, 1971; Kannery, 2002) Mulla átu [Malayalam] (Prater, 1971) French Tahr des monts Nilgiri (Rice, 1990) German Nilgiritahr (Rice, 1990)
References
Literature Cited
Bernischke, K. and A. T. Kumamoto. 1980. The chromosomes of the Nilgiri tahr Hemitragus hylocrius. International Zoo Yearbook 20: 274-275. Fox, L. J., and A. J. T. Johnsingh. 1997. India. In Wild sheep and goats and their relatives. Status survey and conservation action plan for Caprinae. Edited by D. M. Shackleton. Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK: IUCN. Chapter pagination: 215-231.
IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources). 2004. 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Available online at http://www.redlist.org/
Kannery, S. S. 2002. Ponmudi-Ibex Hill: Vanishing habitat of an isolated population of Nilgiri tahr. Caprinae (Newsletter of the IUCN/SSC Caprinae Specialist Group; August 2002: 5.
Available online at http://www.callisto.si.usherb.ca:8080/caprinae/iucnwork.htm
Lydekker, R. 1913. Catalogue of the Ungulate Mammals in the British Museum (Natural History). London and New York: Johnson Reprint Company.
Mishra, C., and A. J. T. Johnsingh. 1998. Population and conservation status of the Nilgiri tahr Hemitragus hylocrius in Anamalai Hills, south India. Biological Conservation; 86(2): 199-206.
Nowak, R. M. [editor]. 1991. Walker's Mammals of the World (Fifth Edition). Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press.
Prater, S. H. 1971. The Book of Indian Animals (Third Edition). Bombay, India: Bombay Natural History Society.
Rice, C. G. 1988. Habitat, population dynamics, and conservation of the Nilgiri tahr (Hemitragus hylocrius). Biological Conservation; 44(3): 137-156.
Rice, C. G. 1990. Tahrs (Genus Hemitragus). In Grzimek's Encyclopedia of Mammals. Edited by S. P. Parker. New York: McGraw-Hill. Volume 5, pp.542-544.
Robinson, M. 2005. The Arabian tahr: A review of its biology and conservation. Caprinae (Newsletter of the IUCN/SSC Caprinae Specialist Group; October 2005: 2-4. Available online at http://www.callisto.si.usherb.ca:8080/caprinae/iucnwork.htm
Wilson, C. G. 1980. The breeding and management of the Nilgiri tahr Hemitragus hylocrius at Memphis Zoo. International Zoo Yearbook; 20: 104-106.
Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder [editors]. 1993. Mammal Species of the World (Second Edition). Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press. Available online at http://nmnhwww.si.edu/msw/
Additional Resources
*Abraham, S. K., P. S. Easa, and M. Sivaram. 2006. Status and distribution of Nilgiri Tahr Hemitragus hylocrius in Kerala part of the Western Ghats. Zoos Print Journal; 21(9): 2379-2385. Balakrishnan, M. 1984. The larger mammals and their endangered habitat in the Silent Valley forests of south India. Biological Conservation; 29(3): 277-286.
Chandran, P. R. 1980. Nilgiri tahr (Hemitragus hylocrius) in captivity. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society; 77: 129-130.
Daniel, J. 1971. The Nilgiri tahr, Hemitragus hylocrius Ogilby, in the High Range, Kerala and the southern hills of the Western Ghats. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society; 67: 535-542.
Daniel, M. 1987. A short note on a new found group of tahr. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society; 84: 673-674.
Davidar, E. R. C. 1963. Census of the Nilgiri tahr Hemitragus hylocrius (Ogilby) in the Nilgiris. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society; 60: 251-252.
Davidar, E. R. C. 1971. A note on the status of the Nilgiri tahr (Hemitragus hylocrius) on the Grass Hills in the Anamallais. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society; 68: 347-354.
Davidar, E. R. C. 1975. The Nilgiri tahr. Oryx; 13: 205-211.
Davidar, E. R. C. 1976. Census of the Nilgiri tahr in the Nilgiris. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society; 73: 143-148.
Davidar, E. R. C. 1978. Distribution and status of the Nilgiri tahr (Hemitragus hylocrius) 1975-1978. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society; 75: 815-844.
Davidar, E. R. C. 1990. The Nilgiri tahr of the Nilgiris. Tahr (Newsletter of the Nilgiri Wildlife and Environment Association); 1(1): 10-11.
Davidar, E. R. C., and H.L. Townsend [editors]. 1977. Nilgiri Wild Life Association Centenary 1877-1977. Ooty, India: Nilgiri Wild Life Association. 90pp.
Ensthaler, J. D. 1980. Nilgiri-Tahr: Zwischen Wachtern und Wildern. Sielmanns Tierwelt; 9(4): 40-47.
Fischer, C. 1915. The Nilgiri wild goat (Hemitragus hylocrius Jerdon). Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society; 24: 189.
Hutton, A. 1947. The Nilgiri tahr (Hemitragus hylocrius). Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society; 47: 374-376.
Java, R. L. 1980. The Nilgiri tahr (Hemitragus hylocrius). Tigerpaper; 16(1): 31-32.
Johnsingh, A. J. T. 1970. An interesting behaviour of three Nilgiri tahr (Hemitragus hylocrius Ogilby 1833) kids. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society; 76: 154.
Killmar, L. E. 1982. Management problems of large mixed species exhibits at the San Diego Wild Animal Park. American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums Annual Conference Proceedings: 229-234.
Kinloch, A. 1926. The Nilgiri tahr (Hemitragus hylocrius). Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society; 31: 520-521.
Madhusudan, M. D., and A. J. T. Johnsingh. 1998. Analysis of habitat-use using ordination: The Nilgiri tahr in southern India. Current Science Bangalore; 74(11): 1000-1003.
Nielsen, N. O., J. Oosterhuis, D. Janssen, K. McColl, M. P. Anderson, and W. P. Heuschele. 1988. Fatal respiratory disease in Nilgiri tahr: Possibly malignant catarrhal fever. Canadian Journal of Veterinary Research; 52: 216-221.
Ogilby, W. 1838. Exhibition of the skins of two species of the genus Kemas. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London; 5: 81.
Pichner, J. [editor]. 1988. 1987 North American Regional Nilgiri Tahr Studbook. Apple Valley, Minnesota: Minnesota Zoological Gardens. 35pp.
Pillai, N. G. 1963. The Nilgiri tahr (Hemitragus hylocrius) in captivity. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society; 60: 451-454.
Potti, S. P. 1966. A note on the breeding of the Nilgiri tahr Hemitragus hylocrius at Trichur Zoo. International Zoo Yearbook; 6: 206.
Rice, C. G. 1984. The behavior and ecology of Nilgiri tahr (Hemitragus hylocrius Ogilby, 1838). Unpubl. Ph.D. Thesis, Texas A and M University, College Station. 254pp.
Rice, C. G. 1985. Courting 'round the mountain. Animal Kingdom; 88(6): 22-31.
Rice, C. G. 1985. The Nilgiri tahr. Sanctuary Asia; 5: 126-135.
Rice, C. G. 1986. Obervations on predators and prey at Eravikulam National Park, Kerala, India. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society; 83(2): 283-305.
*Rice, C. G. 1988. Reproductive biology of the Nilgiri tahr (Hemitagus hylocrius Mammalia, Bovidae). Journal of Zoology London; 214(2): 269-284.
Rice, C. G. 1988. Notes on the food habits of Nilgiri tahr. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society; 85: 188-189.
Rice, C. G. 1988. Agonistic and sexual behavior of Nilgiri tahr (Hemitragus hylocrius). Ethology; 78(2): 89-112.
Rice, C. G. 1988. The Nilgiri tahr. The India Magazine; 8(4): 20-31.
Rice, C. G. 1989. Growth, maturation, and physical characteristics of Nilgiri tahr (Hemitragus hylocrius Ogilby). Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society; 86(2): 129-134.
Schaller, G. 1971. Observations on the Nilgiri tahr (Hemitragus hylocrius Ogilby, 1838). Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society; 67: 365-389.
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Surendra-Varman, K. 1996. Population count of nilgiri tahr (Hemitragus hylocrius Ogilby) in Mukuruti National Park, Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu, India. Tigerpaper (Bangkok); 23(2): 4-8.
Swengel, F. B. [editor] 1988a. 1988 North American Regional Nilgiri Tahr Studbook. Apple Valley, Minnesota:Minnesota Zoological Garden.
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Swengel, F. B. 1988c. The Nilgiri tahr: A summary and bibliography. In 1987 North American Regional Nilgiri Tahr Studbook. Edited by J. Pichner. Apple Valley, Minnesota: Minnesota Zoological Garden. pp. 1-6
Swengel, F. B. 1990. Genetic and demographic status of the Nilgiri tahr in North American zoos. In Proceedings of the First International Symposium: The Role of Zoos in Wildlife Management. Edited by S. Chavan, P. P. Raval, and S. Walker. Coimbatore, India: Zoo Outreach Organisation. pp.6-8.
Swengel, F. B. 1990. Nilgiri tahr bibliography. AAZPA Librarians Special Interest Group Bibliography Service. Available online at http://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/zoo/nilgtahr.pdf
Swengel, F. B., and J. Pichner. 1987. Status and management of the Nilgiri tahr in captivity. 1987 AAZPA Regional Conference Proceedings: 584-589.
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Thyagarajan, N. 1958. The vanishing ibex. Indian Forester; 84: 188-191.
Willett, J. 1960. The Nilgiri tahr. Animals; 12(1): 6-7.
Last week when the price of oil almost fell to $65, the political machinery in India was momentarily distracted, from the usual walk outs, protests and not to mention fattening their bank accounts. All of a sudden, every MP worth his salt was clamoring for a price cut, keeping in mind their larger interest (read general elections).
Feeling the heat, and also keeping the larger interest of the ruling party in mind, petroleum minister Murli Deora announced price cuts for fuel within a week.
Ironically, a few days earlier, Swaminathan had warned against cutting the oil price. History is a great teacher, only if we are willing to learn from it. In the mid 80’s India had built up a cushion in the form of OPA (Oil Pool Account) by implementing controlled fuel prices. When the global oil prices dropped, the Indian govt. maintained the same price, and the surplus money went in to OPA. This cushion protected the economy in the 90’s when the global oil prices shot up. The oil companies were compensated for selling the fuel at a lower price when the global prices were shooting up.
After reading Swaminomics, I was convinced that this is the right way to go about addressing the fuel price issue. Politicians should not give in to ulterior motives and cheap politics. Instead, keeping in mind the interest of the Indian economy against the global recession, we need to build up a cushion again. Make hay while the sun shines. Let’s prepare for eventualities arising out of a hike in global oil prices.
OPEC is already cutting down on the output to shore up the plummeting oil prices. And not to mention the so called environmentalists have been lobbying for heavy taxes on fuel, in order to discourage its wasteful consumption. With the stock prices taking a free fall, companies slashing their workforce to minimize on losses, the last thing I would want is fuel prices shooting up. It may not be happening now. But it will happen eventually. Oil wells are not perennial.
Though the general population will heave a huge sigh of relief if the fuel prices are cut, that is temporary.
I hope someone is listening.
Image Source: Philippe TASTET
Author
Memories of the controversial Sydney Test that threatened to derail India's tour of Australia earlier this year have been revived with Adam Gilchrist questioning Sachin Tendulkar’s evidence in the Harbhajan Singh racism case in his soon-to-be-published autobiography.
Gilchrist called his evidence a "joke" and said when Tendulkar told the first hearing that he could not hear Harbhajan said to Andrew Symonds, he was "certain he was telling the truth" because he was "a fair way away". But Gilchrist said during the appeal, Tendulkar said Harbhajan had used a Hindi word that sounded like monkey.
Harbhajan's three-Test ban for racial abuse of Andrew Symonds during the Sydney Test was overturned on appeal on the basis of oral evidence from Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke, Matthew Hayden and Tendulkar. Harbhajan had been earlier found guilty of the charge levelled by Ponting, who complained to the umpires that Harbhajan called Symonds a monkey. India threatened to boycott the tour if Harbhajan was found guilty of the racism charge but the tour went on after the appeal went in his favour.
"The Indians got him off the hook when they, of all people, should have been treating the matter of racial vilification with the utmost seriousness." Gilchrist said India's threat to boycott the tour was "a disgraceful act, holding the game to ransom unless they got their way".
Gilchrist also raised questions over Tendulkar's sportsmanship and said he was "hard to find for a changing-room handshake after we have beaten India".
"Harbhajan can also be hard to find. I guess it's a case of different strokes for different folks." Gilchrist said Australians played hard and were quick to shake hands and leave it all on the field.
Niranjan Shah, who was the BCCI secretary during the Sydney Test, said Gilchrist was looking for "cheap publicity" for his book. "First of all, the matter is over now," Shah told Mid-Day, a Mumbai-based tabloid. "Since I was actively involved in the whole matter as the BCCI secretary, I have seen how neutrally the ICC has conducted the hearing. Despite all this, if Gilchrist feels otherwise, then rather than him questioning someone else's credentials, we should examine his credentials. By doing all this, he is doing nothing but getting his image tarnished."
However, there is a complete sense of racism when we come across disciplinary hearings by the ICC conferred on Asian players. It’s really an unavoidable circumstance that Gilchrist has created, because he very well knows that the media will make a cake out of flour. And it’s really a shameful act of blemishes committed by a dutiful cricketer of Australia. He is always regarded as the cleanest chit among the Aussies after David Boon and as Niranjan Shah has pointed out it will definitely tarnish his image now.
By Arunava Das
Like majority of the female population of this country, I am a huge fan of Mahi. No I don’t think he is great looking nor adore his locks. What I adore about him is his temperament.
My longest lasting crush was on Rahul Dravid whom I again adored for his temperament. But I think Dhoni goes a step further. While Dravid was cool and composed Dhoni is aggressive, cool and composed. Dhoni is proactive and takes his job seriously as a captain. He has no hesitation about voicing his opinion or offering advice to the legends of the game as he looks upon them as players whom he is expected to lead. In the recent Mohali match I was amused to see him walk up to Dada to tell him something during their long partnership.
Another adorable quality is he is objective and leads from the front. The fact that he promoted himself before the fab 3 in the second innings without even worrying about whether they would feel slighted goes to show that for him “the team indeed comes first.”
The third quality that impresses me is the way he handles the press conferences. His answers are as straightforward and crude as his shots. For instance in the post-match conference at Mohali when he was asked about how India had got the better of Australia in verbal volleying, he retorted by saying, “if we had to win the match on verbals, we would have hired a few people who were experts at that” He is also refreshingly self-effacing and down-to earth.
Lastly and to me the most important are his special “gestures”. Its difficult enough to control the heady sense of victory and the adrenaline rush when we have won an important series. But captain cool does not just keep cool but goes beyond that. How? Remember when
In this modern age of at times dirty aggressive cricket, its nice to see these warm gestures which bring out the softer- humane side of our super-heroes.
ByPravda
By Shilz
A couple of days back, I read a review about a new self-service "bicycle transit system" called Vélib’ in Paris. This is a public bicycle rental program in Paris, France. 10,000 bicycles were introduced to the city with 750 automated rental stations each with 15 or more bikes/spaces. This number has since grown to 20,000 bicycles and 1,450 stations, about 1 station every 300 m throughout the city centre, making Vélib’ the largest system of its kind in the world.
Guess what? There are daily, weekly, monthly and annual passes available for residents to access these bikes which can be picked up and returned at any of the stations. Easier and simple! To access the bikes, riders can select a one-day card for 1 euro, a weekly card for 5 euros or an annual card for 29 euros.Each Velib’ parking station will be equipped with muni-meters to purchase one and 7-day passes and to pay any additional charges once the bike is dropped off. The Velib’ meters will also provide information on other station locations.
With this system, no worries of obesity or environmental pollution. By using such bicycles, you will not only be healthy, but also save our planet, Earth. After all, this magnificent earth is our only home.
Poverty is a problem that the world is grappling with today. But when we refer to the word, we often tend to interpret the word in purely materialistic sense. The picture that springs up in front of our eyes is often that of homeless, malnourished destitutes. It is a serious and thought–provoking issue that despite achieving so much, man still has not found solutions to provide the basic necessities of subsistence to all human beings. But for me there is another kind of poverty that is spreading like an epidemic and that possibly could threaten the very existence of mankind.
This is the poverty of emotion, the poverty of patience and sensitivity towards other human beings and other creatures. Today we are so engrossed in this struggle for survival and this mad race that we don’t even pause to think whether our actions are affecting people around us adversely. We have become so insensitive that we don’t even feel the pain and the loneliness of those who are near us; leave alone the starving, malnourished children in some foreign land.
I have often wondered how journalists could go about filming a man who sets himself on fire in broad daylight without making even the smallest attempt to stop him. An entire village watching a man being lynched to death without one person coming forward to help or support. All this points to the poverty of our core feelings.
It is sad indeed that as we become rich materially, our souls become poorer.
Pravda
Shaun Marsh has been called up to replace the injured Phil Jaques for Australia's tour of India.
Jaques was ruled out of Australia's tour of India with a long-standing back injury prior to their second Test at Mohali. Jaques joined Bryce McGain as the second Australian to depart the tour early, but his absence gives Marsh - a highly rated batsman and the son of Australia's former opener and national selector, Geoff - another opportunity at the highest level. Marsh played eight one-dayers during Australia's tour of West Indies in June this year, though has yet to make his Test debut.
Marsh, significantly, has experience of Indian conditions; he played for Kings XI Punjab in the IPL earlier this year and ended the tournament as the highest runscorer.
"Shaun has been selected having opened the batting for Australia in the one-day international arena and shown great potential," Andrew Hilditch, the chairman of selectors, said. "He has recently moved to opening the batting in all three forms of the game in interstate competition and played very well in Western Australia's run chase and victory at the WACA against New South Wales.
"As a replacement batsman on the tour, should the opportunity arise, we are confident that Shaun could fill any role in the batting order. We have also taken the opportunity to enhance Shaun's international experience as we consider him to be one of the promising young batsmen in Australia capable of having a significant impact in Australian cricket in the future."
The third Test gets underway on October 29 in Delhi. India lead the series 1-0 with two to play.
By Arunava Das
Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has again accused International Cricket Council match referees of being biased against Asian players after Zaheer Khan was fined for a code of conduct breach.
India paceman Khan was fined 80 percent of his match fee by match referee Chris Broad of England after he pleaded guilty to a level two charge following the second test against Australia on Tuesday.
The left-arm paceman appeared to say something to opener Matthew Hayden following the batsman's dismissal before tea on Monday's fourth day.
"If he swore at him, if he abused him, he obviously deserves to get punished," Gavaskar told TV channel CNN-IBN on Wednesday.
"But let's not mince words here. Every time, it is always an Indian or a sub-continent player who gets hauled up, never the Australians.
"There were a lot of incidents in the match.
"Do you remember Virender Sehwag batting in the second innings was given not out where everybody appealed and (Australia captain) Ricky Ponting came from extra cover towards the umpire and kept on asking again?
"Now if that had been an Indian, the match referee would have taken him to task, fined him... This is where I think the ICC needs to actually get its act together."
India won the contest by 320 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the four-match series ahead of the third test starting on Oct. 29.
Gavaskar resigned as ICC cricket committee chairman in May after being asked to choose between his position with the sport's governing body and his job as a paid media pundit over concerns about a conflict of interest.
In January, he claimed white ICC match referee Mike Procter was biased against Indian players because of their skin colour, after the South African found spinner Harbhajan Singh guilty of racially abusing Andrew Symonds in the Sydney test.
By Arunava Das
Bangladesh came close to clinching their first Test victory against New Zealand but, despite being in control for the majority of the match, the hosts slipped to defeat by three wickets in Chittagong. Mohammad Ashraful, the Bangladesh captain, said that his team played "really well" but added that New Zealand's ability to avoid their first-innings mistakes made the difference during their chase of 317.
"We had a pretty good chance of winning and, on an individual level, I thought Shakib Al Hasan bowled and batted wonderfully well, Mushfiqur Rahim made runs in both innings and Tamim Iqbal got starts in both innings," Ashraful said. "The difference between the two sides was Daniel Vettori who was brilliant with the bat and ball. Also they [New Zealand] planned their second innings really well and did not repeat the mistakes they did in the first innings."
Unlike his counterpart Vettori, who took nine wickets and scored two vital half-centuries, Ashraful had a poor match, scoring 2 and 0, and fell to Vettori in both innings. "I have played match-winning knocks in most of Bangladesh's big wins in one-day cricket but it hasn't happened for me in Tests yet. I tried my best but wasn't successful," Ashraful said. "There is another Test in this series and I will continue to try and hopefully it will happen in the future.
New Zealand began the day needing 172 to win with eight wickets in hand. At one stage they needed 101 with only five wickets remaining but Vettori steered his team home with a calm 76. Jamie Siddons, the Bangladesh coach, felt that the visitors had "learned their lessons pretty well" after being dismissed for 171 in the first innings.
"They [New Zealand] planned well, didn't play any unnecessary shots and made us [work] for every wicket," Siddons said. "They batted with discipline and didn't give us any chances. Hopefully our guys can learn a bit from that, especially our top-order.
"Having outbatted them and bowled so well in the first innings makes me happy. Everything's looking good with young guys like Mehrab [Hossain jr] and Shakib, and we'll get Ashraful and Zunaed (Siddique) to play well. I need all the guys to play well in the one game but at the moment we are a little inconsistent."
Siddons praised left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak's performance in the second innings. Razzak bowled 50 overs and took 3 for 93. "He tied up an end beautifully for us and bowled at two an over," Siddons said. "He stretched the game out which you have to do when you have 300 on the board. He made them work very hard for their runs. He got a couple of wickets but we didn't quite get enough from the other end."
Siddons hoped that his team would be able to catch New Zealand "on the hop" in Dhaka where the pitch "stays low and plays tricks". The second Test begins on October 25 at the Shere-e-Bangla Stadium.
By Arunava Das
Until Ricky Ponting spoke after the game it felt like this Test was a throwback to the 20th century. Australia looked angry, upset and impotent on the field, and they were struggling again in India. Instead of showing his frustration, which has emerged a couple of times during the game, Ponting calmly outlined his plan for the rest of the tour.
The players would rest, reflect and refocus for the third game in Delhi next Wednesday. On the form of the first two Tests it won't be enough. The way India overcame Australia in Mohali was shockingly easy after the more competitive opening game in Bangalore. It looks like the teams have found their levels and the gap is significant - only the usual winners are losing.
This result has showed Australia's deficiencies cannot be covered unless a couple of the senior players carry the team, and one of those has to be a bowler. Ponting offered Brett Lee his support after the match following their on-field disagreements on Monday, when Lee was upset not to be used in the first session. But transforming from pedestrian to powerhouse in a week is unlikely to be helped by whichever holiday destination he chooses for the side's mini-break this week.
Fast bowling in India is one of the most difficult tasks and it looks like it will be beyond Lee in his first series in the country. None of the fast bowlers can expect help in Delhi, where the wicket will be made for spin, turn and more spin. It is where Australia are at their most deficient.
The team arrived knowing this sector would be weak and it would have to rely on pace. If they could alter their outlook they would, but apart from Stuart Clark, who has an elbow problem, they played their best team in Mohali. The result was a 320-run defeat, the seventh-heaviest by runs in Australian history, and the side's worst performance under Ponting's captaincy.
Australia's best chance of revival revolves around them retaining their supreme self-belief. If that goes too, their first series loss since the 2005 Ashes could end in a 0-3 return. The arrogance was at its greatest when the batsmen swung like unmanned hoses in the second innings as they tried to prove the target of 516, almost 100 greater than any successful chase in history, was within reach. It was as out of touch as their wild attitude and 58 for 5 was a worthy result for the tactic. Not even Steve Waugh's team would have done it that way.
Matthew Hayden attempted to bash his way out of form but just looked like a man who had forgotten how to read a game. He has only 42 runs for the series - six more than Mitchell Johnson - and has been more like the player who turned up in England in 2005 than the hero of 2001. If Lee and Hayden are firing, Australia have a chance. Without contributions close to their career averages the team is likely to fold again. The spine is no longer strong and dreams of a reprise of 2004 should end.
The inexperienced men have contributed usefully, particularly Shane Watson in the first innings and Brad Haddin in the second. It is too much to expect big centuries from these two, or five-wicket hauls from Cameron White or Peter Siddle. They are doing fine for men with such little experience in Tests or in India.
When players enter a team they look to the top for guidance, but the new entrants have been let down by the on-field deeds of the senior men. Ponting knows this has to be fixed and after a couple of outbursts during the game he settled down at the finish. Cool heads work better than hot ones when teams are under pressure in India.
By Arunava Das
The count down to India’s first un-manned mission to Moon, code-named Chandrayaan-I has already begun. The 1.38-tonne spacecraft will take approximately eight days to travel about 386,240km before reaching its final orbit 96km above the surface of the Moon.
The lunar orbiter’s main mission is to look for water and Helium-3. An Indian flag will also be dropped on to the moon. A small probe will be released, which will then hurtle down towards the moon’s surface. The probe will transmit pictures, data regarding the moon’s atmosphere, and then finally data of the soil analysis when it strikes the moon’s surface. This probe will also be carrying the Indian flag.
Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), G. Madhavan Nair has said that this is an ideal launch pad for a mission to Mars. The GSLV rocket can take a nearly 500 kg spacecraft to Mars and hence this is a certainty in the coming 3-4 years. He has given a rough cost estimate of Rs.100 billion for a manned mission.
In the past, India has completed 21 successful rocket launches bearing satellites since 1980. If this mission is successful, then it will make India the fourth country to join U.S., Russia and Japan to have its flag on the moon.
The ISRO chairman gets very defensive when probed about the feasibility of the mission in current economic conditions. He points out that the budget for the entire space program is a miniscule one, when compared to the total budget of the country. Conservative estimates put this mission at less than 300 crore INR.
If the weather permits, we are set for a lift-off at 6.20am on Wednesday morning.
Is India shining? Definitively, if you look at the moon!
Author
Enshrined in the Constitution of India, Article 41 of the Directive Principles of State Policy states that: The State shall, within the limits of its economic capacity and development, make effective provision for securing the right to work, to education and to public assistance in cases of unemployment, old age, sickness and disablement, and in other cases of undeserved want.Right to work is an unenforceable right, not a fundamental right. The manner in which the sacked employees of Jet Airways went about protesting their “unceremonious sacking,” made me wonder whether the Indian Constitution has been amended to the effect that “ Right to work is a fundamental right (birth right).”
I couldn’t digest the fact that a multi-national corporation was arm twisted (blackmailed / whitemailed – take your pick) into reinstating around 1900 of its staff, barely a day after they were sacked (pink-slipped).
Some of the legal eagles have pointed out emphatically that Jet would have “force landed” into a soup over the issue of sacking its employees as they had not given a proper termination notice and compensation. They also pointed out that the sackings were completely illegal as there was no notice nor was government’s permission taken to sack 800 employees.
Correct me if I am wrong, Jet Airways is a not a public sector company. So the question of taking the government’s permission is absolutely ridiculous.
A Jet Airways spokesperson re-iterated that the sacking of the employees was done legally. There was no violation of legal or labour ministry guidelines at any point in time. The company had paid a month’s salary while showing the door to the employees, including the probationers.
Then in must be truly a change of heart for Naresh Goyal, Chairman of Jet Airways, unable to see the sufferings, pain, and insecurity in his employees’ eyes, to order the reinstatement of sacked employees with immediate effect.
Or is it? A number of political outfits have staked their claim that they have been the major influencers behind Goyal’s decision to take back the sacked employees. Aviation minister Praful Patel puts it discreetly that it was his stern warning did the trick. Also doing the rounds is that Raj Thackeray’s (MNS) involvement made Jet Airways to blink. Bal Thackeray’s Shiv Sena too is claiming undue credit.
I do wonder whether this fiasco would put off other MNC’s looking to set shop here in India. Here the private corporations are forced to dance to the tunes of whims and fancies of the local politician cum goonda. Corporate policies are as good as toilet paper in a dustbin.
So if you are working for a MNC (and it happens so that, it is here in India) and get pink slipped; where the company describes it as a part cost cutting measure in response to the global melt down. Don’t worry. All you have to do is to vociferously protest against it in the streets, make sure either the MNS or the Shiv Sena take note of it. That’s it. You are back to the office the next day!
Two things: I am an Indian and it happens only in India. Boy! Am I lucky or what.
Author
Whenever I think of poverty, there is one image that invariably pops-up. Yes! That photograph is the one you see below.
The vulture is waiting for the child to die so that it can survive. This picture shocked the whole world. No one knows what happened to the child.
This photo was the “Pulitzer Prize” winner taken in 1994 during the Sudan Famine by Kevin Carter. The picture depicts malnourished child crawling towards a United Nations food camp, located a kilometer away.
Carter
I had seen this stomach wrenching image before. But what startled me was when my dad gave me a paper clip on the story behind this photograph. This is what it said, “In March 1993 Carter made a trip to southern Sudan. The sound of soft, high-pitched whimpering near the village of Ayod attracted Carter to a young emaciated Sudanese toddler. The girl had stopped to rest while struggling to a feeding center, wherein a vulture had landed nearby. He said that he waited about 20 minutes, hoping that the vulture would spread its wings. It didn't. Carter snapped the haunting photograph and chased the vulture away.”
The photograph was sold to The New York Times where it appeared for the first time on March 26, 1993. On April 2, 1994 Nancy Buirski, a foreign New York Times picture editor, phoned Carter to inform him that he had won the most coveted prize for photography. Carter was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography on May 23, 1994 at Columbia University's Low Memorial Library.
Carter came under heavy criticism for just photographing — and not helping — the little girl.
On 27 July 1994 Carter drove to the Braamfonteinspruit river and took his own life by taping one end of a hose to his pickup truck’s exhaust pipe and running the other end to the passenger-side window. He died of carbon monoxide poisoning at the age of 33. Portions of Carter's suicide note read:
"I am depressed ... without phone ... money for rent ... money for child support ... money for debts ... money!!! ... I am haunted by the vivid memories of killings and corpses and anger and pain ... of starving or wounded children, of trigger-happy madmen, often police, of killer executioners...I have gone to join Ken if I am that lucky."
Dan Krauss shot a documentary titled “The Life of Kevin Carter” which released in 2004.
I feel that people are ignorant of the fact that some of their fellow humans don’t even get a mouthful in many days. And when they see the truth in front of their eyes They are LOST. Lost for words. Lost for actions.
ByGuruvardhan
Interestingly Wiki describes poverty as “deprivation of common necessities that determine the quality of life, including food, clothing, shelter and safe drinking water, and may also include the deprivation of opportunities to learn, to obtain better employment to escape poverty, and/or to enjoy the respect of fellow citizens.”
Here in India, we have gotten used to it so much that poverty has become a way of life. It is truly an eye opener when one comes across people who have made it as a career. Yes! That is exactly what I have said. A Career! To be poor, is no longer blamed on one’s fate, in fact; it is looked upon as a blessing in disguise.
At one extreme end we have the destitutes who beg on the street. On a good day, they (some of them) get to make at least around 500 INR. Most of them even sport mobile phones. Networking among fellow beggars is a top priority for them. Having gotten the taste of making the money the easy way, they wouldn’t have it any other way and proudly pass on their “begging skills” to their children.
The government has literally turned a blind eye towards them. Though rudimentary facilities have been put in place to tackle this issue, ignorance and reluctance from the destitutes has made the maters worse. Spiraling numbers of destitutes has compounded the woes. The facilities meant for them are either being misused or are in ruins.
Next comes the category of people who are better off compared to the destitutes, but are woefully below the poverty line. Majority of them have a roof on their heads, occupying the lower rungs of the society. People belonging to this category have had maximum support from the government in terms of policies and schemes. But getting through corruption and red tape is their biggest hurdle, preventing them from making optimum use the existing infrastructure.
The word “poverty” is a much abused word in India, thanks to our ever enterprising politicians, whose only aim is to fatten up their bank accounts. After all, they have an illustrious reputation to be maintain, apart from their crime sheet. There is talk on poverty virtually everywhere during the elections. Promises are made; dime a dozen. When everything is done and dusted, the funds meant for the welfare of the poor gets rerouted into some politicians bank account.
I will stop ranting as there is no point. I will not even bother to offer suggestions or solutions because we need to wake up to the simple fact that there is none (I mean the practical ones). Like I said earlier, poverty has become a way of life. Nobody bothers about it anymore. With our population numbers hell bent on overtaking that of China’s, our country being the largest democracy in the world, do we still stand any chance? We are hurtling back into a black hole, at warp speed. I wish we could escape from all this. I wish I could say, “Beam me up Scotty.”
But I have dared to dream.
Author
(In response to an article on The Indian Express, October 14, 2008)
Who will replace Sourav Ganguly? For Indian cricket that question has mostly been about the key role he's played as part of perhaps the best middle order in Test history. As he retires - with, we regret to admit, drastically diminished dominance of the offside - in this, his last series, the Australians have reminded us that Ganguly had other, non-cricketing, attributes that need an entirely different sort of successor. And in this he has found an able heir: Zaheer Khan. By the evidence of his post-Bangalore Test spat with Ricky Ponting, the fast bowler will keep stirring the Australian pot long as ably as Dada did.
Ganguly's great skill in rattling the Australians was more than the stuff of cricket gossip. Ever since he kept the then Australia skipper, Steve Waugh, waiting for the toss in the 2000-2001 home series, a legend was born. The x-factor in Ganguly's leadership to a new team driven by self-belief and aggressive professionalism stood identified. He looked his opponents in the eye, he steeled his charges into dismissing their opponents' formidable reputations. He outdid Australia at their mind-games! Even now, watch how they look to Ganguly to account for their failure to seal the Bangalore Test. Having failed to take 20 Indian wickets, their media is holding Ganguly responsible for the draw, for taking a few minutes too many to return to the field after a short suspension in play for poor light - minutes, presumably, in which six Indian wickets could have been taken.
So, thank you, Australia, for this more than gentle reminder. Thank you, Ricky Ponting, for your absurd post-match comment that Australia were the only one "trying to take the game forward", as if forcing a draw has not been an indication of a team's Test skills. Thank you for recalling in this season of obsessive mourning about the Indian Fab Four's impending departure that an Australia series will never be dull, even if the action on the field is inconclusive.
By Arunava Das
By Shilz
One of my friend, who lost her love, said: "It hurts to breathe because every breath I take proves I can't live without him."
Sometimes it so happens that the spectre of a person's non negotiable past hangs between that person and the one who is trying to read him/her....I feel that a broken heart is not just an empty metaphor but a grievous wound to one's persona !
I have seen several friends who are tormenting greatly because of this. I agree that a mind does not have a so called DELETE button to delete the memories that haunt us or bring us pain ! There is no such thing as "getting over it" !!! A wound can heal but the scar always remains...those words, those dreams shared..those broken promises...those gestures...those caring ways...nothing of those can be erased...may be we pretend to have forgotten everything but such things always remain in our minds....strange is that such memories bring us pain & sometimes laughter...!!!
Not each one of us know the pain & passion of broken hearts..of how cruel people can be to those whom they loved once or may be still love...how opportunistic & mean people can be...to fulfill their needs in the name of love...if we don't know that pain then we are the most luckiest!!!!
However, sometimes it so happens that such pains mark as the foundation stones for achieving something really BIG!!!
Sometimes I wonder..how savage is that love which plants a seed in one field and uproots another field !!!
There is always something to be happy about....!!! With this post, I just request all those broken hearts to smile...because The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit!
By Shilz
Guys truth cannot be found in arguments! Learn respecting the difference in opinions. Don’t try to prove someone wrong just because you think that what ever you know is true!
We view life in our own perspective. That’s not wrong, but when we try to say someone is wrong when they express their view of seeing life, then its absolutely our mistake. I hate such people who heap their opinions on me, I am not here to carry anyone’s shit…neither anyone of you right? If you are not ready, then how can you do that with someone else?
Opportunities present themselves to give us the chance to achieve greater accomplishments in our life and in the world. We create our destiny with every action and decision we make, by using our talents, with our daily effort, with our hard work as we try to achieve our goals and make our dreams come true. Even when we have failed before we are able to recreate our future with new and better decisions with the lessons learned from our mistakes. We are able to renew our faith in people, in love, in God, in all the things we chose not to have faith anymore and let the experience give a new meaning and purpose to our life.
Every day that we chose to do or not something we are creating our destiny, it is a journey not a destination. It evolves, grows and changes with time. It serves us in the manner that suits us.
I do not believe in destiny. To believe in it will be to renounce to the possibility of so many things in my life. It’s just an excuse in letting things happen instead of MAKING them happen. Destiny is the usual “scapegoat” when we don’t fully understand what happens at the beginning and at the end. But in between, it is all up to us…and what's "in between" is what actually counts the most. I think "fate" is just a way to blame the cosmos for the outcomes of our actions rather than taking responsibility (good or bad) for them ourselves.
Fate/destiny is the entity we love to put the blame on when we're wrong or when we are helpless. A guy may break up with a gal & put the blame on fate saying that he is unable to convince his parents for marriage. A son may tell to his father that it’s all his fate when he is unable to understand mathematics…examples go on…
I would like to say one thing here that instead of fighting amongst ourselves about the existence of fate/destiny, lets shape our lives ourselves. Why to waste time in fighting for that, instead utilize that time in using all the possible choices to make your life worth living. Let’s not care whether there is destiny or fate. If it is there or not, that does not bother me, all I want is to shape my life with my sincere efforts!
“We are the masters of our fate, the captains of our souls,because we have the power to control our thoughts.” - Napoleon Hill
I had to blog on this! Yesterday I was watching a documentary on wild dogs of Africa. It invoked some past memories of watching “Jungle Book” where the central character, Mowgli, is taught how to fight them....
If you are wondering what “wild” dogs are: they are close ancestors of our domesticated dogs. Not much of a difference between the two – except that the former is a hunter by birth.
Discovery showcased “The African wild dog” or Lycaon pictus, which is a carnivorous mammal, found only in Africa – in the forests of Botswana. It is also called the African hunting dog, the Cape hunting dog, the spotted dog, or the painted wolf in English, Wildehond in Afrikaans, and Mbwa mwitu in Swahili.
Apart from being quick and very caring nature of the dogs among the group, what interested me was their hunting tactics. The African wild dog hunts in packs. It pursues its prey in a long, open chase. During pursuit, it may reach speeds of up to 47 mph. Nearly 80% of all hunts end in a kill !!!. Members of a pack vocalize to help coordinate their movements. Its voice is characterized by an unusual chirping or squeaking sound, similar to a bird.
Remarkably, this large-animal hunting tactic appears to be a learned behavior, passed on from generation to generation within specific hunting packs within the species.
The big cat - “Lion” is the natural enemy of the dogs. They somehow get very aggressive whenever they see a dog.
Among the group of cameramen was an amazing Bushman (he drove the SUV around) – like the one in “The Gods Must Be Crazy” - except that he wore modern khaki dress and spoke English. He guided the cameramen and identified the dogs’ footprints to such an accurate degree that he amazed everyone, since the cameraman was tired of searching for it using radio tracking system.
These dogs are dangerously close to extinction. A few hundred of them survive today.
ByGuruvardhan
Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore
Centre for Ecological Sciences, Karnataka State Forest Department and the
Future of Conservation Network
Background:
This set of Recommendations has emanated from a two-day National Workshop on
Critical Tiger Habitats and Critical Wildlife Habitats held at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) on 8th and 9th May 2008. This workshop was organized by the Centre for Ecological Sciences (IISc), Karnataka State Forest Department and the Future of Conservation Network (FoC)1. It was attended by officers from State Forest Departments, scientists, academics, social activists and a number of groups working on wildlife issues.
The workshop was an attempt to understand the legal provisions relating to Critical Tiger Habitats and Critical Wildlife Habitats as given in the Wild Life Protection (Amendment) Act 2006 (WLPA) and the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights Act) 2006 (STOTFDA). Participants gathered to gain clarity on the countrywide status of their implementation, discuss key issues and concerns
regarding their application and work out actions towards effective implementation
including the use of better science/knowledge and consultative methods. Through
dialogue, we hoped to arrive at a common process to secure these habitats in the interest of wildlife while ensuring the livelihood rights of forest-dwellers. During the Workshop, participants discussed at length the various implications and interpretations of Critical Tiger and Wildlife Habitats and the practical difficulties with their implementation. A number of documents were used as inputs to the discussion.
These included, other than the Acts themselves, the MoEF Guidelines and the FoC’s
Guidelines for identifying and notifying Critical Tiger and Wildlife Habitats. At the end of the workshop, most were in agreement that in spite of the extensive differences that exist state-to-state in socioeconomic, cultural contexts and other issues, these Acts could be used as a tool to secure wildlife from serious threats such as mining, expressways and large scale infrastructure. It was also understood that, for various reasons, including for effective conservation itself, the livelihoods concerns of forest dwelling communities have to be integral to the Protected Area (PA) management process. While such livelihoods in some cases also have impacts on biodiversity, it is the massive thrust towards unsustainable economic growth that is the greatest threat. Critical Wildlife Habitats, if applied with the recommendations below could be one tool to safeguard biodiversity against this threat.
NOTE:
1 The Future of Conservation in India (FoC) is a network of ecological and social organizations and individuals committed to effective and equitable conservation of biodiversity. FoC's objective is to foster dialogue and engagement in complex conservation issues, and help tackle the increasing threats that both biodiversity and people's livelihoods face. This includes joint action on areas of agreement, and attempts at evolving common understanding on issues where there are differences. FoC is not an organization, but a forum where organizations and individuals can meet, dialogue, and take joint actions. For further details, pl. contact arshiyabose.research@googlemail.com
1.
Identification and management of Critical Tiger Habitats (CTH) and Critical
Wildlife Habitats (CWH) needs to be based on sound knowledge and democratic
processes.
2.
The process should not be hurried; it should be time-bound, but with at least one
year to take into account the complexities involved.
3.
The criteria for identifying CTH and CWH should involve a number of factors
relating to ecosystems and species, and be based on the Precautionary Principle.
Areas important for wildlife outside current protected areas (PAs) should also be
considered for CWH or other similar status.
4.
The process for identifying such areas, must involve knowledgeable people from
all sectors including those with traditional knowledge; and the feasibility of
protection, and relevant socio-economic factors should also be considered.
5.
Committees for identification of CWHs should be set up both at the level of the
state and of the PA and its landscape, and involve local experts including from
local communities (the MoEF Guidelines on CWH need to be changed to involve
more than one local expert).
6.
All further processes including impact assessment, assessment of co-existence
possibilities, and of relocation, must be in full consultation with the people to be
affected.
7.
In the process of determining continuation or modification of rights within a CTH
or CWH, appropriate methods need to be employed including thumbrules
acceptable to all those involved, that indicate impacts of human use on the
conservation values of the proposed areas.
8.
The CTH/CWH process should be used as an opportunity to move towards comanagement,
which includes all relevant rightsholders and stakeholders in
decision-making, starting with a few pilot sites where the capacity exists and
conditions are appropriate, and keeping in mind that this may not be an appropriate
strategy for all PAs.
9.
Given that in many or most PAs including within CWHs, there will continue to be
human presence including in many cases settlements, strategies for co-existence
need to be urgently developed; these would include encouraging activities that are
beneficial or neutral for the relevant conservation values of the area, and
alternatives for those that are detrimental.
10.
Where it is determined that co-existence is not possible, relocation options need to
be considered with appropriate processes of consultation and consent. Both the
process and package of relocation need considerable enhancement.
NOTE:
2 Not all participants were in agreement with each of the recommendations articulated here. However, these
recommendations represent the views of the majority of the participants.
Participants of the National Workshop on Critical Tiger Habitats and Critical Wildlife
Habitats, welcome the protection of areas of crucial importance for wildlife as envisaged by the provisions of ‘Critical Tiger Habitats’ under the WLPA and ‘Critical Wildlife Habitats’ under the STOTFDA. The scope of the above provisions to strengthen conservation, including securing the habitats of many wildlife species and simultaneously the livelihoods of forest-dwelling communities is recognized as extremely significant. Critical Wildlife Habitats once notified, cannot be diverted for any other use (as per Section 4(2) of STOTFDA), which is the strongest provision for conservation available in any law in India. The provisions for Critical Tiger and Wildlife Habitats, however, require the use of scientific and local knowledge for identification, and a democratic process of consultations during the entire process from identification to notification to dealing with people’s rights to management and monitoring.
In view of this, we recommend the following:
Time frame
Given the need for a thorough, knowledge-based, democratic process, it is critical that the Central and State Governments do not hastily undertake the identification and notification of Critical Wildlife Habitats and the implementation of already notified Critical Tiger Habitats. This process needs to be time-bound, but with at least one year for completion.
Criteria for Identifying Critical Wildlife Habitats
A key presumption operating here is that the decision on which PAs, how much and which parts of a specific PA and its landscape would be declared Critical Wildlife Habitats will be on a case-by-case basis. We recommend that these areas be identified based on a set of ecological and biological criteria and in relation to the conservation goal of the specific PA. Ecological and biological criteria would include sites that are unique or crucial for:
• Exclusive representation of a Biome
• Rare and/ or restricted range species
• Endemic species
• Key wintering or stepping stone sites for migratory species
• Species richness (relative to biogeographic context)
• Status of a particular species or habitat using established importance/threat criteria, e.g. IUCN Red List, Ramsar Sites, World Heritage Sites.
• Ecosystem service providers i.e. pollinators, seed dispersers
• Key habitats for ecosystem integrity e.g. riparian forest in arid area, catchment areas for watersheds
• Unique geomorphologic features and scientific archives of evolutionary processes or climate change e.g. fossiliferous rocks and peat bogs
• Wild relatives of important crops/domesticated animals
• Current roosting, breeding and display sites e.g. lekking sites for floricans
• Species range during periods of stress, e.g. severe drought years and including adaptation to climate change
• Regeneration sites for endangered plants or plants that are characteristic of that PA, e.g. regeneration of shola trees within shola-Acacia plantation matrix
• Areas with relatively high densities of wild animals and relatively low human densities
NOTE:
3 Not all participants were in agreement with each of the recommendations articulated here. However, these
recommendations represent the views of the majority of the participants.
Given that the above criteria could be interpreted to include or exclude nearly all parts of the country, an additional factor of feasibility of protection could be considered. Areas that are of high biodiversity value and low human use, would be high on the priority list, but those with high biodiversity value and intense human use would also need to be considered.
We recommend that essential areas outside National Parks and Sanctuaries that are also crucial for wildlife, such as corridors, be identified as part of the current process. These can be considered for declaration as Critical Wildlife Habitats after going through the required process, or where this is inappropriate, they can be given legal backing through other various options in the WLPA (including as Conservation and Community Reserves), the Biological Diversity Act (as Biodiversity Heritage Sites), the STOTFDA (as community forests), and the EPA (as eco-sensitive areas). We strongly advise that the Precautionary Principle4 is used when there is genuine absence of adequate information on the above criteria. General rules for the application of this principle are however very difficult to provide; local stakeholders and rights-holders will need to apply the principle based on site-specific situation and knowledge, giving the benefit of doubt to actions that are least likely to cause harm. Such an approach, however,
NOTE:
4 It is recognized that uncertainty is an integral characteristic of complex ecosystems. In conservation, many situations require for urgent action and in these cases, conservation decisions are made based on great uncertainties. Requiring all information to be available before making conservation decisions and knowing the exact outcomes of those decisions before undertaking them is neither practical nor feasible, particularly when capacity and resources are limited. In these circumstances, it is helpful to adopt the "precautionary principle" which advises that an absence of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason to postpone measures where there is a risk of serious or irreversible harm to both wildlife and local communities. Additionally, if there is a doubt about an animal's or plant's exact conservation status, the strongest protective measures should be chosen. In these circumstances, it is crucial to adopt an adaptive management approach, where conservation decisions are periodically reviewed and amended in the light of new information. However, given that the precautionary principle could be used as a rationale to support conservation interventions that are detrimental to local communities, this principle should be applied in a manner that involves all stakeholders. (Source: "The Precautionary Principle in Natural Resource Management and Biodiversity Conservation": Workshop Final Report. Fourth Regional Session for Asia of the Global Biodiversity Forum, South-East Asia Manila, The Philippines. June 20-23 2004 URL: http://www.pprinciple.net/publications/PP%20Workshop%20Report_Manila%20GBF.pd f)
• The process to identify Critical Wildlife Habitats should be at the level of PAs and their landscapes so that it is situated within varying local contexts.
• It should engage scientists (ecologists, biologists, geologists, hydrologists, social scientists etc.), professionals, holders of traditional knowledge and other primary stakeholders at PA level.
• If the impact evaluation (for which appropriate criteria need to be developed and applied) reveals that the rights of certain groups need to be modified, we urge that various social considerations are brought into the process. Within this, crucial steps would be to: (a) Consider traditional use of sacred sites, species and other entities within the proposed Critical Wildlife Habitat (b) Cultural sensitivities, e.g. particularly vulnerable groups, access to culturally important sites or where displacement from PAs could cause cultural disintegration of the community.
• Socioeconomic factors, e.g. process of modifying or relocating bona fide rights holders under STOTFDA or when the number of people affected is large.
Strategies for Relocation
We recommend that the relocation of traditional resident communities should be adopted only after the following processes have already occurred and been found inadequate for relevant wildlife and wildlife habitat (as indicated in the legal provisions for CTHs and CWHs):
• Objective evaluation of impacts of human activities on wildlife and wildlife habitat (And impacts of wildlife on humans within PAs). Given that a thorough evaluation 9 may in many situations be time-consuming, the use of thumb-rule indicators all members of the CWH sub-committee are agreeable to, may be necessary best available methods for doing this should be employed, including available from traditional knowledge, and care will need to be taken not abuse of such methods to take arbitrary decisions based on assumptions impact of human use. Simultaneously, comprehensive long-term studies initiated to gauge any mistakes that may be made in the use of thumb-rules, on board the need for adaptive management in all processes.
• Negotiating specific modifications in human activities, through a fully consultative process.
• Providing appropriate livelihood alternatives that are feasible.
When carrying out relocation and resettlement of forest-dwelling communities, critical to consider the following:
• Memorandums of Understanding regarding the details of relocation including extent of resettlement facilities must be signed between the community and the relevant government agency prior to initiating the resettlement process.
• The consent of both the household (must include women) and the gram relocation must be taken in writing. There should also be a provision for withdraw consent if it is found that the prerequisites for rehabilitation place, but with safeguards against withdrawing consent on flimsy grounds; of an independent agency in all this would be useful.
• The relocation process must be initiated after the State Government has the required funds and the relevant committees have been constituted and least once; this is to ensure that there are not too many delays once relocation announced and initiated.
• In order to avoid interminable delays in the payment of funds to individuals, deterrents must apply, e.g. an annual interest on the delayed could be considered. PA Managers or relevant authorities must have the option to outsource either components or the entire relocation process if they feel they are not equipped carries it out single-handedly. This should happen through local community institutions, and/or NGOs and/or independent agencies that are accountable communities being impacted.
• The same relocation package, building in appropriate special measures disprivileged sections such as landless and women, must be used to resettle households in a given community to avoid conflict and resentment between and landless families.
• In situations where the assets owned by a family exceed the relocation package, State Government should be responsible for additional funds that exceed lakh budget provided by the Central Government.
• The new site for resettlement should be acceptable to the affected communities as far as possible culturally and ecologically similar to the site from relocation occurred.
• Various mechanisms for reviewing the quality of resettlement should undertaken after the relocation process, e.g. through a PA Rehabilitation
• The cash allotted under the relocation package must be enhanced for difficult where costs may be higher.
• With respect to cash compensations, additional measures must be taken to ensure that individuals do not occupy any further forestland once they have already been given funds, e.g. in Madhya Pradesh, the final installment of the cash compensation is proposed to be released only when the affected individual purchases a permanent asset.
• Although, the National Tiger Conservation Authority’s (NTCA) and MoEF’s ‘Format for Preparation of Village Relocation Plan from Core/Critical Tiger Habitats’ provides an option between a ‘cash only’ and ‘relocation and rehabilitation by Forest Department’, we recommend that ‘land for land’ be considered the first option and ‘cash only’ only as a last resort, except where it can be independently verified that communities prefer the cash option and conditions are in place to ensure they are not exploited or do not lose out in the process. Independent institutions should be involved in monitoring the entire process of relocation and rehabilitation.
AJT Johnsingh, Bangalore
Amit Sharma, WWF-India, Assam
Anand Sekhar, IBA Advocacy Officer, Delhi
Anil Johri, Gujarat Forest Department, Gandhinagar
Aparajita Datta, Nature Conservation Foundation, Mysore
Arshiya Urveeja Bose, Kalpavriksh, Pune
Arunava Das, Green Peace and National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore
Ashish Kothari, Kalpavriksh, Pune
B.B. Mallesh, Karnataka Forest Department, Mercara
B. Venkata Reddy, Sahajeevan, Andhra Pradesh
Bishan Singh Bonal, Assam Forest Department, Guwahati
C.M. Hegde, Maharashtra Forest Department, Dandeli
Dilip Gode, Vidharbha Nature Conservation Society, Nagpur
Guman Singh, Himalaya Forest Policy Campaign, Kulu
H.S. Pabla, Madhya Pradesh Forest Department, Bhopal
James Zacharias, Tribal Rehabilitation Commission, Kerala Forest Department, Kochi
Janardhanan Pillai, CES, Indian Institute of Sciences, Bangalore
Kishor Rithe, Satpuda Foundation, Amaravati
M.D. Madhusudhan, Nature Conservation Foundation, Mysore
Md. Firoz Ahmed, Aaranyak, Guwahati
Mohan Jha, Maharashtra Forest Department, Pench
Mohan Raj, WWF-India, Ooty
B.K. Patnaik, Orissa Forest Department, Bhubaneswar
Vanashree Vipin Singh, Karnataka Forest Department, Bannerghatta
Nitin Rai, ATREE, Bangalore
P. Mullai, WWF-India, Coimbatore
Pankaj Sekhsaria, Kalpavriksh, Pune
Pratyush Mohapatra, Vasundhara, Bhubaneswar
R. Sukumar, Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore
Ranjitha B.N., WWF-India, Bangalore
Ravi Chellam, ATREE, Bangalore
Renee M. Borges, Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore
S. A. Thorath, Maharashtra Forest Department
S. Pallavi, WWF-India, Bangalore
S.H.Patil, Maharasthra Forest Department, Tadoba-Andhari
Seema Mundoli, ATREE, Bangalore
Shivaji Chavan, WWF-India, Mandla
Sisir Kanta Pradhan, FES, Angul
Sudha S., Sahajeevan, Bangalore
Sunil Chaudhury, Bhagalpur University, Bhagalpur
Sushmita Mandal, ATREE, Bangalore
Thomas Mathew, Bangalore
V.D. Chafekar, Maharashtra Forest Department, Nashik
V.S. Varughese, Kerala Forest Department, Thiruvananthapuram
Vinay Tandon, Himachal Pradesh Forest Department, Shimla
Vishaish Uppal, WWF-India, New Delhi
W.S. Suiting, Kerala Forest Department, Palakkad
Baghban – “the caretaker of a garden”, probably the best script written in the Indian celluloid history, probably the best acting done by all the stars and co-stars. They pulled out the naked truth that all families face, that all parents face, sometime or the other, which all children inflict on their parents.
It is a custom of an Indian family where ones’ father is seen as GOD and ones’ mother is seen as the Gateway To Heaven. These are two individuals who are known to be supreme. They are the creators of future generation. Every mother and father has a dream that their child becomes a person that the world recognizes as a true human being. All parents always want their child’s well being. They leave no stone unturned in providing happiness, joy and pleasure to their children. They go to the extent of sacrificing their quota of happiness, joy and pleasure for the sake of their children, just to see them smiling all the time. They are the ones who teach them how to speak, how to walk, how to read, how to write, what is wrong and what is correct for their well being, in a nutshell, they are the ones who bring infants to life, show them the light of the world. They take the place of the Almighty in molding us from raw clay to hardened bricks that can form a strong building.
But we tend to forget all these when we start a new family. Well established now, we don’t need them anymore; we start neglecting our parents. We forget that it is because of them we are what we are today. We owe them our life that is not possible for us to fulfill our debt and no parents will ever ask for that. What they ask for is support when they are old, when they require solace; but, shame on us that we neglect them. We have used them as stairs to climb up the ladder of social security, now that we have reached the summit, we don’t need them, we throw them as waste, pieces of torn shirt, pieces of used up furniture and dump them in the can. This is what reality is and Baghban has truly become successful in teaching worthless, shameless sons and daughters like us who think parents are burden when they grow old. When an old dad or a mom can’t expect a little solace and love from their grown-up and established children, I am sorry to say it is an absolute necessity that parents have every right to disgrace their so-called children. They have sacrificed their yesterday for our today and this is what we present them.
Baghban should come out as a book so that every single person can realize that they are the LIVING GOD, instead of neglecting and harassing them in their old age, we need to love them, we need to show them respect and we need to worship them. Such movies should go for Oscar Fevers. We need strong coordinators in the film management box office to forward such gold movies to the Oscar management, and I am sure if Baghban goes for Oscar, it will give us some sort of achievements, if not the Oscar.
By Arunava Das
It was the wicked minds of the politicians through their two pronged slanderous tongue, have slain a vision. The vision of one man was envied by everyone else. Rival small car manufacturers must have heaved a sigh of relief.
Ratan Tata had embarked on a journey, which was a first in the entire automotive history. As expected, he was alone. There were many, who said it was not possible. There were many, who tried to discourage. There were many, who laughed it off.
But that’s the stuff dreams are made of. You do not expect others to believe in your dreams. Most of the time, you are on your own. Mr. Tata was a step ahead. It was not his dream, it was his vision. Of course he had the complete support and faith from his staff. Apart from a few misguided people, the entire nation was waiting holding her breath for the next revolution to take place.
But it did not happen. Should we feel proud when someone says that ours is the largest democracy in the world? I will certainly hang my head in shame. Despite being the largest democracy in the world, we are powerless, while the elected representatives satisfy their whims and fancies. Corruption is the way of life and sadly we have resigned ourselves to it. Nobody bothers to fight anymore, because it is just a waste of time. Right from the watchman to the highest ranked officials in government offices, the so called politicians, and the law are corrupt. Those who are not, are powerless to do anything.
The parliament sessions that are beamed live on the national television channel, stand testimony to what I have just said above. If you are bored and tired of surfing through the channels, I would recommend you to watch one of these sessions. The manner in which they hurl abuses against one and another, disrupt the debate, raise slogans, and if these do not have the satisfactory effect, then they throw fists, hurl shoes and slippers, rip off the mikes, destroy the furniture, violate a female member’s modesty…….all live on TV! What more do you want. Where’s the censor board when you need it.
If this is how our elected representatives choose to represent our country, then what would you expect from others. Having a huge crime charge-sheet against one’s name is a surefire success mantra to get elected. Why? Because ours is a democratic country where even criminals are elected as people’s representatives.
And I am not even talking about the auto drivers, bus-conductors and policemen. Otherwise this would qualify as a PhD thesis and not a blog post. These are the ground realities that we face everyday, but choose not to confront it. Mr. Ratan Tata also had to face a ground reality that his vision to roll out Nano’s from the Singur plant will not be realized.
The Tata’s issued a press release on October 3, 2008 saying that in the interest of the project's success and viability and in light of the opposition's continued agitation; there was no option but to move the project out of the state of West Bengal.
India is shining. Not for me. Look harder and deeper, with conviction. You will see the helplessness of an entire nation. We have become selfish. Here nobody cares. Angelina Jolie warding off depression fights for the coveted space with churches being targeted on the front page of the newspapers. Reruns of the Splitsvilla fighting for TV ratings with the saas-bahu soaps, while the nuclear deal and its ramifications is being aired on every other news channel.
We are Indians. We are like this only. And most importantly “It happens only in India.”
Author
The Wise And Unwise Leader
A good executive simply is not a dictator. He listens to his employees. When the top people don't communicate with those under them, then of course they don't understand them or their problems. Leaders at any level should listen to those under them. Leaders are responsible to make the final decision, but being a leader does not mean that you have all the ideas and do all the thinking and all the consulting just within yourself
A good executive will listen to others
A good secretary knows more about her boss' business than he does--and she should. He shouldn't have to be involved with every little thing, but someone needs to be. A good boss understands that his secretary is more familiar with the extent of the work and the urgency of it, and he will respect that and usually take his secretary's suggestions.
When it comes to plans and goals and motivation and other overall aspects of the work, the leaders are supposed to be good or they shouldn't be the leaders. But when it comes to practical matters, leaders ought to listen to their helpers, because their helpers probably know more about it than they do. A good leader will listen to his workers' suggestions, discuss, agree with them on a course of action, and then leave them alone to carry out the work, just checking now and then to see that they are producing and don't make any serious mistakes.
That's really the job of the executive--to keep things moving. He should let his people recommend the work, initiate the work, and by all means carry out the work.
Any smart executive is going to pump people power. He is not going to try to be the pump, or the pump handle, or the water, or the bucket. He's merely going to be the guiding hand that takes hold of the handle and pumps. All he does is keep the pump in motion. A good leader will try to keep everybody happy, because everybody has a right to be happy and to do the work he likes to do and wants to do if he's qualified.
If you're going to be an effective team, every member must work together with all the other members--not just one, not just a few, not even the majority, but all. You must learn to work together, listen to each other, counsel together, agree together, decide together, and then work it out together. Everyone has his job, everyone is needed, and all must work together.
By Arunava Das
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