Delhi shields poor to appear beautiful

The upcoming 2010 CWGs have suddenly woken up the authorities to realize Delhi needs beautification, as foreigners will be visiting the city during the Games. The resultant action is beautification drive by revamping roads and planting Bamboos and Bougainvillea trees, up to 2 kms of the Games venues.

But, is the sole purpose of this drive is beautification only? Kusuma Devi, 67, of Nehru Camp degrees, “Our colony is being shielded with plants to hide us.”

Inspired by the China’s idea of hiding the slums near Olympics villages, the Commonwealth authorities are acting wise by claiming it to be “Green”.

Priyanka Sarkar of PACS (Poor Areas Civil Society) says, “The Govt has a agenda for developing the city, but at the same time managing the immigrants becomes a tough task.”

While people living in the slums lining those stretches are not much concerned about how they are being hidden, they have a crucial question to ask, “Foreigners will be travelling here so if India is showcased as better place, it is good. But tell us, where shall we go?” asks Ranjan Kumari, a fourth grade employee in Municipal Corporation of Delhi.

The beautification drive is taking place not only around Commonwealth Games sites, but the Delhi Govt is collaborating with BSES as “Green Drain” plan to plant Bougainvilleas along the drains of Najafgarh drain and Burari and Bhalsawa.

Bamboos which belong to grass family can grow almost half a meter in a day and that has made them attractive for planting them along the roads which are lined by slums, in order to hide them from tourists who would be visiting the Capital city during the Games.

To de-waste Delhi's e-waste

In a noble initiative, a Delhi based Non Governmental Organisation (NGO), Toxics Link, has installed bins in the City’s St Paul School as part of a pilot project to collect e wastes. This is the first of its kind project in India, which has been initiated at a non-commercial level.

The NGO which works to eliminate toxic wastes plans to execute it in two stages. The Programme Coordinator of NGO, Priti Mahesh, says, “This is the first stage of two stage process, which we will expand further to markets and other popular places.”

India generates 400,000 tonnes of e-waste, which is increasing at the rate of 15 percent per annum. Managing them is a tough task since the country doesn’t have proper regulation.

But, Toxics Link plans to engage government establishments like municipalities and government run schools and organisations as well. “This initiative has created awareness among people and authorities are noticing it. There have been talks of formulating proper codes to regulate e wastes, lately,” says Mahesh.

Recently, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), a central government’s entity, recognised 12 organisations nationwide which are allowed to collect and recycle e wastes.

One of them, Earthsense, which is operating plants all over the country to collect and recycle e wastes, in collaboration with Toxics Link.

“Earthsense collects the e waste from different e waste bins and reuse or recycle them,” says Spokesperson of Earthsense, S. John Robert. “Proper norms and safety guidelines, set by CPCB, are followed here. We have latest recycling facilities that confirm to international standards,” he adds.

However, Robert feels awareness among populace is needed. “Common people are not coming to dispose off their e wastes. Only those are coming who are very much aware of the repercussions of this waste.”

Multinational giants like Nokia have initiatives to collect used items but that is limited to mostly cellular phones. Mahesh says, “Earlier initiatives to collects e wastes were mainly limited to commercial sectors. No one was providing service to common people.”

Mahesh asserts the need for proper campaigning at ground level. “To reach the general population we have started with schools, which is a great medium to attract the attention of masses.” She adds further.

It has been reported the Delhi Govt has ordered Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) to install bins before the upcoming Commonwealth Games, at strategic locations like markets and government schools which is easily accessible to people.

M F Hussain is no more Maqbool Fida Hussain

M F Hussain is no more Maqbool Fida Hussain.

Maqbool, in normal circumstances, means “accepted”, Fida means “sacrifice”, again in normal circumstances.

How maqbool is he in his own country is debatable but if a similar insult mechanism, on which Taslima Nasreen or Salman Rushdie is celebrated, is applied, uncomfortable questions arise.

An unequivocal and accepted answer seems to lie in expelling the scoundrel out of the territory. See, there are no more violence, no outrageous “public” protests thereafter and obviously the resulting perfect harmony between “usually” violent Hindu and Muslim communities. Practically koool.

But, here comes a startling revelation. Our political parties are good at research. See, how they did manage to dig out the heinous insult, committed over 25 years old ago, by this Rangeela MF.

Yeah, not even a small insult can go unnoticed under their hawkish eyes, however old it may be.

There were the days when no one noticed all these stuffs seriously, but over the years the increasing government’s spending on research is paying dividend. Attitudinal change is seen!

I’m sure, they will come out with something concrete about Ajanta and Ellora caves as well, among other things. It may take some time, you know how the government people function.

Amid all this, the level of tolerance has been elevated further by few notches, thanks to the guidance provided to youths by golden oldies. Otherwise, our tolerant nationalism would have taken a violent turn.

Nationalism has been redefined. Gandhi is rechristened, remodeled. He fought non-violently out of no choice, as the then Gandhi was born and brought up in technological disadvantaged society. We don’t have any impedance in this age. Technologically and economically third to none.

We have always loved our god(s), and we still do. No doubt. And, sanctity of our mother land is second to none. We were alien to crimes and corruption till our films depicted it, bad governance till Bofors or Tehelka cases were highlighted. We were raped of our innocence of no fault of ours, otherwise we would have been forever a virgin.

But our mother land is paraded naked by MFs, our Quran’s verses have been satanised by Rushdies. Nevertheless we never raped our mother land and never followed satanic paths.

Sarah Fox Palin: In her re-energised avatar

By Neyaz Farooquee

Sarah Palin, the Republican’s 2008 Vice Presidential candidate, lost the elections quite convincingly, blamed largely for the defeat, bewildered, knowing nothing what to do, went into hiding for almost a year, and rightly so.

Nobody knew, when she resigned from Governership of Alaska, what’s in the store, till she came up abruptly with a book, Going Rogue. A great idea to remain in news, and may be to remain in Presidential fray, at least unofficially, as its clear John McCain is not going to be around in 2012. With this book, she tries to clear the air, using her trademark style of narrative, expecting electorates, at least Republicans, to acknowledge her esteemed presence.

To pile on her loss in elections, she resigned from Governership, giving ample reasons to her critic, especially McCain camp, whom she had deserted after the elections, to further question her integrity and suitability as a vice-presidential candidacy, let alone her future prospects as President.

While the spectators were busy analyzing, has she really gone rogue, Palin springs another surprise, joining Fox News, a right wing, Obama bashing news channel, as a Commentator. It is left to your guess as to why she joined Fox news. Will she use it as a training ground to dodge the media’s question in 2012, or it would be a propaganda tool?

But, for the time being, it seems a wise decision, as it is certainly going to help her remain in touch with her core electorate. And, in turn, electorate also would be benefitted in terms of knowing her better. It’s unquestionable that she gave every chance to media to mock her, but it is also imperative that, while media mocking her excessively, faltered in giving the Hockey mom a fair chance to present herself in her own way. May be a beauty queen’s way. Or may be a journalist’s way. It’s quite obvious she didn’t define her presence; media defined a mocking character called Sarah Palin, with her incessant involuntary help throughout the Presidential campaign.

Recently after her comeback, she complained about a question on ‘60 minutes’, "I think that these are the political establishment reporters who love to gin up controversy and spin up gossip. The rest of America doesn't care about that kind of crap." Obviously, she is better prepared now.

Last week, while announcing hand in glove, of her joining of Fox News as commentator, Bill O’ Reilly, in his Tuesday show, Reilly Factor, invited her to come on his show anytime, to ‘set the record straight’. It seems, she also has got some friends in media who can vouch for her publicly.

Amid all this, she is still seen as a doll. Time to time she still gives enough fodder for her critics to cheer about. Bloomberg’s Margaret Carlson, calling her populist, reportedly said on Countdown, “They… have actually been part of a fairly intellectual group of people. But she really doesn't know anything. And it's in God's plan apparently that she not learn anything."

Senior advisor to McCain, Jon Schmidt, still finds her stunningly inept and ill prepared. On 60 minutes show, he said, referring to an enquiry against her when she was Alaska Governor, “She went out and said that, you know, 'This report completely exonerates me.' And in fact, it didn't. You know, it's the equivalent of saying down is up and up is down. It was provably, demonstrably untrue.”

Commentators also doubt her stay at Fox News, given her tumultuous history of Going Rouge. Writing for Nation, Leslie Savan, “She could back out of the contract as she has so many speaking engagements.” If it happens, it would be quite comic. She can’t afford to risk Fox platform now.

Each comment she made while campaigning, she lost a bit in already diminished stature. But after comeback, while she is better by a whisker, she gave conservatives a choice to rally around. While criticising Obama, they needed a choice that they could portray as their better alternative, who truly believe in change, and who ‘can’.

On her Facebook page, a fan who claims to be a republican, writes, “I was really disappointed the way you left the scene, but I’m happier now as you have made a grand comeback. Now I can claim Palin is here for a real change.”

She is here, certainly, to dispel the doubts about her qualifications to lead the country. But question remains as how much one can remodel herself in span of 3-4 years? She didn’t know a year before, the difference between Koreas. Which enemy his son is going to fight? Who bombed WTC?

But she is morally upright, since McCain has publically come ih her support. He said, “I am so proud that Sarah Palin agreed to be my running mate.” He spoke to Palin and congratulated her for joining Fox News. “And she will be coming to Arizona, I’m sure,” he added.

It would be quite premature to forecast anything certain about Palin, there is no doubt Republicans are rallying around her. But it is to be seen how much she improves her geography, among other issues, to be a confident Presidential candidate who can face charismatic and tall Obama, who is certain to lead Democrats in 2012.