Stray dog culling – Good judgment

The Bombay High Court ruled in a majority verdict that stray dogs which creates public nuisance can be killed. Good move indeed. The public was waiting eagerly for the judgment. Every nook and corner of Mumbai is infested by the stray dogs and because of the pending judgment (since 1999) nothing could be done. Only pets with proper licenses should be permitted in the city.

Millions of Rupees can be saved by stopping the “so-called” sterilization programs for the dogs by some NGOs. Now, the government need not spend another few millions in building Dog Shelters. The money can be spent on building kindergartens or schools for children and ensure quality healthcare for the rural population.

As per a 2008 census carried out by the BMC and the State Government (as reported in the press), there are 70,182 stray dogs in the Mumbai city and roughly 45,000 incidents of dog bites are reported each year! It is shocking.

If one can export meat (of goat, sheep and other animals) to other countries, why not export dog meat to some countries (where dog meat is a delicacy) and get some revenues?

Security for VIPs/VVIPS

Common man in India is always under threat, either due to terrorists from out-side the country or political terrorists from inside the country. No security is provided for him, even if it is there, it is only on paper. The so-called VIPs or VVIPs s are: politicians, their relatives, film personalities, “goonda” elements, senior cops, judges, etc, etc. The security cover is given based on threat perception. The risk perception is decided by some “well-planned” threatening email or phone call or pre-fabricated attacks. There are different category types, X, Y and Z. Everyone is trying to get the Z or Zplus category, the highest type, where the VIP is protected by 55-250 security personnel! It has become a status symbol! At whose cost? Crores and Crores of tax payer’s money is spent on these fellows. One can watch politicians of the type Mayawati surrounded by an entourage of gun-wielding commandos.

There is an urgent need to review the necessity of the cover and the type. Only the minimum type of cover should be provided, that too with only lathis or condemned guns used by the policemen in Mumbai during the terror attacks. Anyway, the politicians are not seen around during the crisis of the kind witnessed recently in Mumbai. So what is need of providing them security cover? Only, the national leaders like Prime Minister and President should be made eligible for Zplus. Where ever possible, the protected should be made to pay, fully or partly, for the expenses incurred. The laws applicable to the terrorists should be made applicable to the political terrorism also. No security cover should be provided by the government for persons involved in political terrorism. Citizens need commandos to protect national properties and the common man.

Health care – pathetic in India

The Indian Health Minister is doing all things except those which are directly related to his ministry, such as ban on smoking, and now try to stop consumption of alcohol. It is true that the tobacco smoke and alcohol are proved carcinogenic substances. For that matter, the exhaust of automobiles contains many carcinogenic organic compounds in it. The environmental concentrations of such chemicals in Indian cities are generally higher than the standards prescribed by environmental safety regulators. Cancer is poised to become the leading cause of death world-wide by 2010 as per the report by the WHO’s International Agency for Research on Caner (IARC).

Health care statistics in India is reported to be pathetic. It is strongly felt that the minister should concentrate on health care centers in rural areas so that the medical care is available to the rural population, particularly women and children. There are acute shortage of health care centers, life-saving medicines, vaccines and even the doctors. Instead of concentrating on public image-building issues, the minister should improve the rural health situation and concentrate on health awareness programs.

Local politicians should be pressurized by the public to build hospitals instead of temples or mosques.

Life insurance coverage for deaths in clinical trials

India is a booming market for Clinical trials by Pharmaceutical companies. Many potential drugs and vaccines are tried on infants and on the poor population. The population in general is not aware of the provisions and the regulatory aspects of the clinical trials. Who regulates the clinical trials in India? Drug Controller General of India? Recently, there were several deaths of infants due to faulty clinical trials. The corporate world and other concerned (?) authorities are insensitive to such tragic incidents. Medical ethics is totally missing in this highly lucrative business of clinical trials.

What we need today is transparency in the clinical trial business. The results and the contact details of the investigators should be properly and adequately documented for verification. What about the insurance cover for such clinical trial deaths or disabilities? There are many questions which need answers from the companies and the national regulators. There is an urgent need for building up public confidence.

India salutes martyrs – terrorist war on Mumbai

The war on Mumbai by handful of terrorists is just over. India is in the process of saluting the heroes from armed forces, who laid their lives for Mumbai to live on. The best of the quotes came from a retreating NSG. To a question from a media person, he said “nothing is impossible for us”. That is the right spirit and every Indian should keep these words in mind. India salutes the martyrs. Unfortunately, Indian governments, past or present, never really tried to prevent or prepare for terrorist attacks in any seriousness.

Now at least, after the humiliation suffered in the hands of a few 20-year old terrorists, the governments should wake-up to seriously review and update the existing (if any) crisis infrastructure to meet this type of situations. Any preparedness made should be practicable with clear-cut assigned responsibilities for implementation in short notice. Indian coasts (over 8000 km) are potential infiltration points for terrorists. In addition to meeting the surveillance/physical barrier requirements of the shores, it is also necessary to hire services of “informers” (Kabri) in the coastal villages to report to the authorities any unusual activities on the shores. All the fishing boats should be registered with the police. Any complaints of missing boats should be verified. Locally elected Corporator should be made answerable for any unusual activities in his jurisdiction.

War on Mumbai – All the terrorists dead - after 57 hours!

Indians world-over, are very angry with the political, administrative, and all the corrupt systems prevailing in the country, which is truly responsible for this national shame. Handful of terrorists has brought the country to its knees. The question is: From where the terrorists got the stock of arms/ammunitions to keep the NSGs at bay for 57 hours? For over 57 hours, more than a billion of Indians world-over, are watching the live-coverage with their heads down in shame. The political system is “impotent”.

The Indians are still taking all this shame lying down! All appreciated the Times-Now channel for refusing to entertain politicians visiting the terror sites showing lip-sympathy.

I strongly feel that for next three days, all the media (press & TV) should boycott completely all the speeches the sympathies likely to be expressed by these politicians. These are purely vote catching gimmicks which on one should not support. How the government at Delhi can have talks with the perpetrators of the very crimes, that too at the time it is being committed on Indian soil? It is a shame. However, the Indians should be proud of their armed forces. They should feel safe only in the hands of their elite NSGs. Hats-off to them.

These types of situations are likely to occur in the future also. The need of the hour is to develop Crisis Infrastructure (as Ratan Tata says) to manage these types of emergency situations. The infrastructure should be in place at all levels - local, regional, state and national level, so that the consequences are kept to minimum. What can not be prevented - be prepared for.

Congratulations Obama, You have made history

Obama will be the 44th President of United States of America. Most of the nations in the world are happily welcoming the great winner who will also be the first Black President of USA. As everybody said “Any thing is possible in America”.

Now, from Indian context, one has to see the fate of the Nuclear Deal with US, which was signed very recently. Whether Obama will call for a review of the conditions of the deal?

What happens to the outsourcing of jobs to the countries like India.? Obama declared that he wants to create more jobs for the Americans. How? As it looks, the country may need support system from Asian countries to tide over the financial crisis and the on-going recession condition.

One would know when the dust settles down.