BJP will never win from Navi Mumbai unless

Navi Mumbai is the developing satellite city of Mumbai. Large number of educated Mumbaikars has shifted to Navi Mumbai and they have settled in newly developed sectors of different nodes. Every one agrees that the vote bank of BJP is from the educated and employed class of people.

It is everyone’s guess that in the last two elections in India, the Congress and NCP, somehow have ensured that the newly migrated population groups in are not there in the list of residents eligible to vote. Many have filled up the forms but their names have not appeared in the list.

The BJP volunteers should go from flat to flat in the buildings and make sure that the residents are registered in the voters’ list for the next elections. The party should also try to solve some of the sector-specific issues which are bothering the residents. Only then, the residents will come out and vote for the party. The most awaited change will only come afterwards.

Obama wins peace Nobel for nuclear disarmament

It is going to affect India much more than to any other country. It is well known that Obama is for disarmament of the countries of nuclear weapons. That means he will pressurize all the countries, mainly the new entrants to the Nuclear Club to stop producing nuclear materials and the nuclear weapons. Prime Minister of India also has been a supporter of the disarmament, but without any discrimination.

By awarding Noble Peace Prize to US President Obama, he will be encouraged to take the position of Global Leader to ensure peace. But, it is too early to award of such a prestigious award anticipating peace initiative in this terror and hunger stricken world. Everybody including himself was shocked. There are other more important issues like global warming, providing clean drinking water and food to the poor billions need to be addressed. Nuclear is not the only issue that needs consideration.

Climate Change – watery grave in the near future?

A study by British Met Office indicated that the actual climate change situation is serious than that predicted by IPCC. More extreme changes can happen, says the research scholar at the Climate Change Conference held at Oxford University. The global temperature is likely to rise by 4 degree C by mid 2050s! There are other predictions such as rapid melting of Arctic ice, gradual loss of land to rising sea, decreased rainfalls in many regions of the world, the prospect of water scarcity, etc, etc.

The Indian newspaper, the Times of India reports that the climate changes could result in security implications for India due to influx of refuges from India’s neighboring countries, melting of Himalayan ice resulting in geopolitical changes in the region, and most importantly the security and safety of India’s military in mountainous regions and nuclear and naval installations in the costal areas by the rising sea levels.

Every Indian hopes that the respective organizations responsible for national security are taking into account these newly developing scenarios and their implications in national strategic planning. The decisions should be taken at the highest level with realistic technical inputs from the concerned ministries. Let there be enough transparency so that Indian citizens are aware of the governmental moves and get ready for facing or fighting the potential watery grave in the near future. It is a global challenge.

One-third of all new cancer cases in India are related to tobacco habits!

Tobacco is the single most important cause of avoidable morbidity and early mortality in many countries including India. Majority of cancer cases are induced by tobacco. There are studies carried out in India to investigate the cancer patters with respect to tobacco use. Chewing tobacco has a major risk for oral cancer; bidi smoking, for cancers of the pharynx and larynx and cigarette smoking, for lung cancer.

The highest incidence rate of lung cancer in males in India is reported from Calcutta. The 1993 Cancer registry of the Tata Memorial Hospital (TMC) in Mumbai provided evidence of clear correlation between smoking and cancer. Tobacco-related cancer (TRC) cases constitute 48.2% in men and 20.1% in women of the total cancers seen in India per year.

The authors opined that in-depth studies are necessary with larger data sets to evaluate the role of confounding and competing risk factors such as environmental pollution, smoking habits, domestic use of fossil fuels, consumption of alcohol, etc. Since cancer is a known old age disease, increase in life expectancy over the years, the number of cancer incidences also will increase.

The government should bring in stringent measures through legislation or otherwise, to control Tobacco use, particularly by children (gutka), the female population, and provide measures to control passive smoking by the non-smoking population.

Mumbai slums

It is reported by a study that 54% of city’s population live in slums! It is shocking but likely to be true. Slum Redevelopment programs never bothered to ensure that the slums are demolished before the dwellers are given possession of the flats. In fact, slums only increase by the day and new slums are cropping up everywhere. The local politicians, municipal corporators / and MLAs are responsible for this miserable sate of affairs. The slum clusters form their vote bank and it is mafia-like money making machinery.

The government should not regularise these slums and existing system of periodic regularization of the slums only support proliferation of the slums. Allotment of flats in Slum Redevelopment Schemes should make sure that the slums in the areas are completely demolished and the area is cleared for development.

Right to Education – India

The much needed reforms in the education system in India are finally coming. The UPA government is legislating the Right to Education Law, whereby it is the governments’ responsibility to provide education to the children. Also, welcome are: the grading system for Xth to reduce examination stress, core curriculum in science and maths across all education boards, de-politicising the appointment of vice-chancellors, law to prevent, prohibit and punish rampant malpractices in higher education. But, just laws are not enough, implementation of the laws is more important.

Media should support these issues to sensitise the public about the existence of the laws and their rights.

Tamiflu

Now that the drug for swineflu “available”, over the counter, it will be used by the gullible public (due to hyper media coverage) as a preventive measure is not desirable. Cases of resistance of the virus to the drug have come to light in some countries. The irrational use can be detrimental to health due to many of its side effects. Black marketing will soon flourish in a country like India and the needy poor will not be able to get the drug.

Over the counter sale of Tamiflu should be discouraged and the government should make it available only to the hospitals recognized for treating the disease.