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Radioactivity Dangers:NATIONAL E-WASTE POLICY CRITICAL, by Syed Ali Mujtaba, 19 May 2010 |
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Open Forum New Delhi, 19 May 2010 RadioactivityDangers NATIONAL E-WASTEPOLICY CRITICAL By Syed Ali Mujtaba The death of a person in New Delhi’s scrap market and hospitalisationof seven others has brought to the fore the dangers of radioactivity and theurgent need for a national e-waste management policy to avert any suchincidents in future. India, it is estimated generatesapproximately 1, 50,000 tonnes of e-waste every year. This is produced becausethe resurgent growth of the economy is dependent on electronic hardware forhousehold, industrial and office automation. However, the electronic hardwareis generatin g electronic waste that has a huge potential to causeenormous harm to human health and environment. Therefore, a commitment to eco-responsibilityis the sine qua non for the society, economy and the environment. E-waste is any broken or unwanted electronic applianceswhich include computers, entertainment electronics, mobile phones and otherelectronic items, that are discarded. The main reason why e-waste has become aglobal concern is because of the presence of toxic and hazardous substancessuch as lead, cadmium, mercury, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), arsenic barium,beryllium and brominated flame retardants etc. In the absence of an effective method for collection ofe-waste and managing the hazardous constituents, some e-waste ends up at thescrap market, which then recycles them, using high polluting technologies. Someother e-waste is being disposed off in land fills resulting in highenvironmental risk and health hazards to both humans and animals. Therefore, it’s imperative for an early formulation of anational e-waste policy that may clearly spell out the methods to safeguard anddispose off the toxic material. Such a policy should appropriately reflect theconcerns of the various stakeholders which include the end users-- we thepeople of India,as well as the views of the practitioners in the field, both in the organizedand the unorganized sector. Taking a lead, the southern State of Tamil Nadu has recently unveiled acomprehensive Environmentally Sound Management (ESM) policy on e-waste. It triesto address issues pertaining to public health and environment that has growndue to the impact of the ‘ineffective and continuous disposal’ of e-waste. Thenew e-waste policy would have a single window facility to guide investors. Itwill educate both the public and officials concerned on how to avoid recyclingelectronic equipment more often, recommending changing only the component in anelectronic item. The policy sets forth the position of the State governmenton e-waste management by identifying the roles and responsibilities of allstakeholders, including the public, in reducing the generation of e-waste andproviding a system for its collection, segregation and recycling. The policywould be implemented in a structured manner by detailing the action programmewith definite timelines, setting up a monitoring committee, promoting e-wasterecycling as a socially viable industry in the State and involving the smalland medium enterprises. The State government, its IT department and the Tamil NaduPollution Control Board (TNPCB) are responsible for formulation andimplementation of the policy. The Board is vested with the responsibility of effectivelyimplementing it and laying down the requirements and procedures for a recycler. The policy emphasizes the important role that the corporations,municipalities and panchayats, play in the collection of e-waste, especiallyfrom household and other end-users, and its segregation from other householdwaste. They will also have to send the collected waste to authorized collectioncentres or registered recyclers for recycling. The necessity for e-waste policy arose because a surveycarried out by a non-governmental organization in the State revealed that the e-wasteproblem had assumed staggering proportions –over 21,810 tonnes of e-waste in2009 alone. The survey was based on the ‘market supply method’, in which fivecomponents like televisions, mobile phones, computers, washing machines andrefrigerator were taken into account. Taking a cue from Tamil Nadu’s e-waste management, the Centreshould initiate a national policy for complete national level assessment,covering all the cities and all the sectors. Such base line study must envelopeinventories, existing technical and policy measures required for emergence ofnational e-waste policy and action plan for eco-friendly, economic e-wastemanagement. The study should also culminate in identifying potentiallyharmful substances and testing these for any adverse health and environmentaleffects for suggesting precautionary measures. This apart, the national policymay create a public-private participatory forum of decision-making, problem resolutionin e-waste management. This could be a Working Group comprising RegulatoryAgencies, NGOs, Industry Associations, experts etc. to keep pace with thetemporal and spatial changes in structure and content of e-waste. There is need for creation of a knowledge data base onanticipating the risks, ways of preventing and protecting from likely damageand safe and timely disposal of e-waste. The Government should promoteInformation, Education and Communication (IEC) activities in schools, colleges,industry etc. to enhance this knowledge. Additionally, it must create a database on best global practices and failure analyses for development anddeployment of efficacious e-waste management and disposal practices within thecountry. The policy should device ways and means to encouragebeneficial reuse/recycling of e-waste, catalyzing business activities that use suchwaste. It should formulate and regulate occupational health safety norms for e-wasterecycling, now mainly confined to the informal sector. Besides, it shouldreview the trade policy and exim classification codes to plug the loopholes, whichare often being misused for cross-border dumping of e-waste into the country. Indeed, the national policy should insist on stringentenforcement against wanton infringement of the Basel convention and e-waste dumping bypreferring incarceration over monetary penalties for demonstrating deterrentimpact. The e-waste policy should foster partnership with manufacturers andretailers for recycling services by creating an enabling environment so asdispose e-waste scientifically at economic costs. The policy should mandate sustained capacity building forindustrial e-waste handling for policy makers, managers, controllers andoperators. It should enhance consumer awareness regarding the potential threatto public health and environment by electronic products, if not disposedproperly. In fact, the policy should enforce labeling of all computermonitors, television sets and other household/industrial electronic devices fordeclaration of hazardous material content with a view to identifyingenvironmental hazards and ensuring proper material management and e-wastedisposal. Importantly, the policy could announce incentives for growthof e-waste disposal agencies so that remediation of environmental damage,threats of irreversible loss and lack of scientific knowledge do not posehazardous to human health and environment. Simultaneously, as a proactive step, municipal bodies must be involvedin the disposal of e-waste lest it becomes too late for their intervention,should large handling volumes necessitate it. In addition, the e-waste policy should consider gradualintroduction of enhanced producer responsibility into Indian process, practicesand procedures so that preventive accountability gains preponderance overpolluter immunity. Last but not the least, the Government should carve out aninclusive e-waste management policy, as for meeting the need for finding an“India Unique Solution”, that strikes a visionary balance between precepts andpraxis for sustainable management of e-waste. Such a policy alone can bring thedesired paradigm shift for our society, economy and the environment.—INFA (Copyright,India News and Feature Alliance) |
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India And Bangladesh:BREATH OF FRESH AIR FROM DHAKA, by Dr Nitish Sengupta, IAS (Retd), 14 May 2010 |
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Open Forum New Delhi, 14 May 2010 India And Bangladesh Breath of Fresh Air from DHAKA By Dr Nitish Sengupta, IAS (Retd) Former Member LokSabha and formerly Member-SecretaryPlanning Commission A speech delivered by the High Commissioner of Bangladesh, TariqKarim, at Shillong on 10th April last has so far notreceived the importance it deserves. Inmany respects this speech titled “From land locked to land linked: North EastIndia” deserves to be widely read and widely studied. It can be called a manifesto of the currentthinking among the best of experts from Bangladesh who wish to normalize traderelations between Bangladesh and India in a way that benefit both thesecountries and, for that matter, benefit South Asia as a whole. He nostalgically recalls the trade relationsthat prevailed in the early days after the partition of the sub-continentbetween the then East Bengal provinceof Pakistan and the neighboringprovinces of India. That phase came to end with the Indo-Pakistanclash of 1965 which led to the termination of all the existing communicationchannels. Dr Karim passionately advocates what he calls “relinking thedisconnected linkages” which existed prior to 1965 and were ruthlessly snappedby the Indo-Pakistan conflict of 1965. According to him “Bangladeshis in the very happy position of being able to offer itself as a gatewaybetween India and Bangladesh on the one hand and countries of the South East Asia on the other. “We are ready to take on our destiny as anatural bridge between India’sNorth East and the rest of the country as also between India and Bangladeshon the one hand and South East Asia on theother hand. We are ready and willing tohelp reconnect not only the States of the North East to the rest of India but also enable Nepaland Bhutan to get access tothe sea and enable India toreach Myanmar and Thailand. Bangladesh is eager to serve as the hub ofregional linkages in all its modes – “air, road, rail and riverine”. He dreamsof regular riverine connection between Guwahati and Karimganj in Assam on one side and Kolkata and Allahabad in India. He mentions addition of Ashuganj as a regularport of call. He also mentions that as alogical corollary, Bangladeshshould allow India to use Chittagong port for transporting bulk goods to India’s NorthEast and vice-versa. He also envisagesthe reopening of all the closed rail-road routes through Bangladesh suchas Radhikapur-Birol, Haldibari-Chilahati, Geetaldaha-Moghulhat andSealdah-Khulna not to speak of setting up of railway link between Akhaura andAgartala. Once these are established, travelling distance to the NorthEast India will be considerably shortened and that will benefit people of boththe countries. He even envisages theextension of the existing Dhaka-Kolkata and Dhaka-Agartala bus routes toShillong and Guwahati. A distinct gainfrom Indiawill be that the cost of transporting bulk goods like food grains and cement tothe North East India will be reduced by one-third. It will also mean not using costly importeddiesel on a route (Kolkata to Shillong) which is more than double the roaddistance between Kolkata and Mumbai. Bangladesh will gain enormously through theroyalty that it can levy on Indiaand also through the enormous employment opportunities which will be createdall along these new routes. Dr. Karimalso talks of reopening of the traditional border Hats which will provideconsiderable economic benefit to the people of both sides of the border. All this should be music to our ears. India, therefore, needs to takethis speech very seriously and respond to it in a positive and concrete manner.In that event, Bangladeshwill become an essential platform for economic improvement of not only Bangladesh and India but also as a bridge-head foreconomic development in the entire SAFTA and ASEAN region. For years, India-Bangladesh relations were affected by a lotof mutual suspicion and mis-apprehension. Bangladesh feared India’sdomination and tried zealously to safeguard all visible aspects of hersovereignty. It was felt that allowing India to trans ship her goods through Bangladeshterritory amounted to the loss of her sovereignty. Also there were deep rooted suspicions of India withholding Bangladesh’s legitimate due ofriver waters. The unmarked bordersbetween the two countries, not natural borders in any sense, but artificiallycreated borders, caused tension at many points. Extremist opinion in Bangladeshoften forgot Bangladesh’sadvantages in her geographical position, almost like Panama Canal or Suez Canalproviding transit passage for Indian goods through Bangladeshto the entire India’snorth east. Bangladesh could have earned billions ofdollars by permitting this transit traffic. Instead, all kinds of difficultieswere created. Even at the Indian end,many officials in the South Block for reasons best known to themselves wereagainst reliance on Bangladeshfor transit traffic. One cannot rule outthe influence exercised on both the countries by very powerful road transport lobbyfrom India. In between for several years under theprevious Jot Government, Bangladeshencouraged both Pakistan’sJihadi elements to launch attacks in Indiatreating Bangladesh as abase and also the secessionists elements in the North East to operate from Bangladesh. There was a high wall of suspicion betweenthe two sides. The new Government, which returned to power with anover-whelming mandate, made a complete break from the recent past by declaringthat Bangladesh would notallow her soil for use by anti-India elements and by handing over secured topsecessionist to India.Also, Bangladesh declaredthat she would favourably consider a request from Indiafor both transit traffic and the use of Bangladesh’sport and riverine facilities for transit traffic between India and hernorth eastern States. Prime MinisterSheikh Hassina’s recent visit to NewDelhi was a land mark in restoring normalcy. Now Bangladesh’sHigh Commissioner’s statement with refreshing candour shows that Bangladesh iswilling to forget the past and is ready to begin a new future. India should encash thisopportunity. The protocol between India’s CentralInland Water Ways Corporation and Bangladesh Government for riverine trafficbetween Kolkata and Guwahati and Karimganj should be immediatelyimplemented. If necessary, BangladeshWater Ways Corporation should be allowed 50 per cent share holding in theIndian company. The Portof Ashuganj which isnavigable throughout the year should be reactivated for traffic with Kolkata. Ashuganj is only 40 kms from Agartala and ifthe Indian trucks are allowed to proceed to Ashuganj and allowed to load goodscarried by the steamers from Kolkata. This can be a key signal for development. Lastly there is strongpossibility of trans-shipment of goods by coastal ships from Haldia andParadeep to Chittagong and thereafter carryingthem through Bangladeshrailways to Akhura where Indian trucks can take over the task of trans-shippingof these goods to all over the north east. India need not pursue the agreement thatshe has entered with Myanmarfor trans-shipping goods through Akyab port and Kaladen river to Ajal. Thatwill be very costly and uncertain. Finally there is a question of permitting the ASEAN highway and theASEAN rail road through Bangladeshupto Bangkok and Singapore. Indiashould no longer spend unnecessary time on “negative list, etc.” and permitfree import of goods from Bangladesh. This will correspondingly impose on Bangladesh thesame obligation to do so in respect of Indian goods. Already the cement factoryat Chatak depending on raw material, from Meghalaya has set a goodexample. There could be any number ofgood examples. Bangladesh’s current power crisis can be solvedby Indiaproviding some power from her own grid. It is the duty of Indiaand Bangladeshto ensure that all these proposals are not allowed to remain only emptypromises but are translated on the ground. They will surely benefit both thecountries and also usher in a new era of friendly cooperation. ---INFA (Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance) |
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Hindutva Terrorism:RELOOK MAKKA MASJID CASE, by Syed Ali Mujtaba, 3 June 2010 |
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Open Forum
New Delhi, 3 June 2010
Hindutva Terrorism
RELOOK MAKKA MASJID
CASE
By Syed Ali Mujtaba
With the arrest
of some persons belonging to Hindu extremist organization for their involvement
in the Malegoan Muslim graveyard bomb blast, the Samjutha Express train blast
and the Ajmer Dargah blast, the ugly face of Hindutva terrorism has been
unmasked.
The probe
into these blasts making some headway clearly points a pan India Hindu terror
structure operating in the country, a fact so far the Government and we the
people has refused to accept.
In the
series of these blasts targeting Muslims, there is also the case of the bomb
blast that took place in Hyderabad
at Makkah Masjid on 18th May 2007, but the investigation of this case has
hardly made any breakthrough. The kin of the deceased are observing the third
anniversary of the dead in the hope that the long arm of the State may one day
reach the real conspirators and bring them to justice.
The blast
took place at the historic Makka Masjid located in the old city of Hyderabad, which left
five Muslims praying in the mosque dead and scores injured. Subsequently, those Muslims who were
helping the blast victims to be taken to the hospitals were fired upon by the
police that killed nine of them. The probe of these two incidents is gathering
dust and no one is sure when the truth will come out in this case and when the
guilty may be punished.
The Makkah
Masjid blast is a unique case among all the blast cases in India. This is
because the victim and suspect in this case both happen to be the Muslims.
First the blast killed the innocent Muslims who were praying, which was followed
by the police firing that killed those Muslims who were helping the blast
victims reach hospitals.
There were more Muslims killed in police firing than
in the bomb blast. Subsequently, in the name of investigation, the police
targeted innocent Muslim youths arresting hundreds and harassing and torturing
them.
A fact-finding
committee of civil liberties group comprising of some eminent citizens of Hyderabad probed the two
incidents and came out with a report, which is worth considering for long-term
national security purposes. The panel clearly stated that the blast was the
handiwork of the extremist Hindutva forces and the firing was ordered by some
anti-Muslim police officers within the rank and file of the State police.
The
committee particularly mentions the name of the then additional commissioner of
police, Rajiv Trivedi and inspector Ramchandran who played an important role in
feeding the name of one Shahed Bilal, a Bangladeshi responsible for the blast. The
report further says that some police officers were misguiding the investigation
by registering two cases for a single offence, one for bombs that got exploded
and another for those unexploded. They handed over the case of the exploded
bombs to the CBI and kept the other case with themselves.
The
committee also lampooned the print and electronic media, especially the
regional press, the Telugu media that has played a negative role, publishing
and telecasting false stories by depicting Muslim youths as terrorists in this
case. In fact, within five minutes of the blast the electronic media drummed up
the name of Shahed Bilal, citing reference of the officers. It further reported that Bilal triggered the bomb from Bangladesh
through his cell phone. As for the print media, it published the story that
Bilal celebrated the blast by distributing sweets while sitting in Bangladesh.
Since then
three years have elapsed and tragically there is absolutely no clue to the
investigators who committed the blast at the Makkah Masjid. Initial suspicion
fell on the Muslims and they were arrested and harassed. Subsequently, the
court exonerated them from all the charges due to lack of evidence.
Here, it
needs to be recalled that last year when Union Home Minister, PC Chidambaram,
visited Hyderabad and was asked about the investigation into the Makkah Masjid
blast case, he said the main accused, Shahed Bilal had died and the case has turned
cold! Sadly, the statement reflects the commitment towards the issues of
national security.
Well, now
that it has been established that the Hindutva terrorists are active in the
country, and had an explicit role in the Malegoan Muslim graveyard bomb blast,
the Samjutha Express train blast, and the Ajmer Dargah blast, it is time the
probe into the Makkah Masjid bomb blast be ordered afresh with new leads
emerging from other such cases.
There is a
growing feeling among a section of the society that the lethargic attitude of
the investigators and their non-committal attitude to crack this case, has led
to innocent persons being targeted as against the culprits, who are merrily roaming
freely. This apart, it is being felt that the biggest conspiracy of the
Hindutva terrorists is to make use of their sympathizers among the police
personnel to serve their nefarious ends. These terrorists are posing the greatest
threat to national security and if their activities are not checked now, like
the Maoist, they may become uncontrollable.
Moreover,
the police firing that took place immediately after the blast, the Andhra
Pradesh Government had constituted the Bhaskar Rao commission to investigate
the incident. Even after three years, the Commission has failed to submit its
report. This shows the panel’s non-seriousness to lead an unbiased probe of the
police firing and that its negligent attitude is shielding the guilty officers
from being indicted.
Now when
Hindutva terrorism has been exposed, there is an urgent need for handing over
these two cases to the CBI. The investigating agency should expose the real face of the Hindutva terror
operatives and arrest them. The CBI should also investigate the nexus of
Hindutva terrorists and some anti-Muslim police officers who had ordered firing
on the armless people.
The
investigation should in fact expose that there are many Hindutva sleeper cells
in the country and suggest how to confront with such kind indoctrinated people
who are on the prowl to kill and create mayhem in the country.
Importantly,
when the courts are exonerating Muslim youth arrested for the Makkah Masjid
bomb blast, the Government should take stringent action against the police
officers responsible for the illegal detention, harassment, torture and arrest
of these innocent youth. Besides, the Government should clearly direct the
police to stop labeling the Muslim community as terrorists once and for all.
It should
also direct the police to stop terrorizing people in the name of red alert,
checking on the roads, and all unnecessary actions in the Muslim-populated
areas. Additionally, both the Government and the police should change their
attitude towards the RSS and its allied outfits and keep a tab on the activities
appropriately.
The
Bhaskar Rao Commission should be activated immediately and asked to submit its
report within a time-frame. More so, at a time when the inland national
security is under threat from different actors, and this new facet of Hindutva
terrorism that is creeping into the body and soul of India is posing a grave
danger to the country. An ostrich like attitude towards this fact, may likely
to bleed India for times to come. –INFA
(Copyright, India News and Feature
Alliance)
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Congress, CPM ‘Left’ Cold:MAMATA MANTRA: YES WE CAN!, by Poonam I Kaushish, 5 June, 2010 |
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Political Diary
New Delhi, 5 June 2010
Congress, CPM
‘Left’ Cold
MAMATA MANTRA: YES
WE CAN!
By Poonam I Kaushish
Political India
was a mixed bag of colour hues last week. West Bengal
was a sea of green as Trinamool swept a majority of the municipalities across
the State. Its arch rival, the CPM was ‘red’ in the face over its defeat and in
Delhi the Congress
green with envy over ally Mamata’s “historic success”.
Predictably, stormy petrel Mamata is over the moon with her
Daniel-like success, having demolished the ‘Reds’ in their municipal den. Her
TMC emerged the biggest winner with 24, Left Front retained a mere 18 and
Congress netted seven out of 81 across 16 districts in the State. In Kolkata
alone it won 95 of the 141Municipal Corporation wards. Dubbing it a victory of ma-mati-manush she now demands pre-poning
the Assembly elections slated early next year.
Questionably, what’s the big deal about a State civic poll?
Everything. Importantly, Mamata has unveiled a new brand of politics. She has shown
that if one has the courage of conviction, belief in a cause and single-minded
pursuit nothing can stop one from achieving one’s goal – Yes We Can. Two, it is
set to change the political equations between the Congress-Trinamool, within
the UPA at the Centre. Three, it is being seen as a semi-final before the
crucial final State poll lap in 2011. Wherein, it could be the beginning of the
end of the road for the Left.
Like her or hate her, but Bengal’s
stormy petrel has shown nothing is impossible. From a street fighter in the
early 80’s and vanquished pugilist of the 2005 Assembly polls who took on the
Left single-handed, Mamata has today emerged as the beacon of change. With
sheer perseverance and shrewd manipulation Bengal’s tigress has turned the "one-woman
party" into a vibrant alternative force in Bengal.
A mass leader who usurped her arch rival’s strength, farmers and minorities,
and beat them at their own game.
Riding the winds of political transformation, Mamata’s
triumph is set to alter equations to her advantage vis- vis the Congress and within the UPA. Not only will her
bargaining power go up but she may well arm-twist the Congress to give in to
all her demands, even those unjustifiable, flimsy or unnecessary. Already the
Centre has acceded to her request and ordered a CBI probe into the Jhargram
train mishap despite the State Government’s opposition.
However, Mamata also knows that she cannot always dictate
terms. The Trinamool too needs the Grand Dame of Politics on her side to ensure
a clear victory in the 2011 Assembly polls. With the electorate giving a hung
verdict in 32 municipalities the writing is on the wall. If the TMC and
Congress had aligned and fought these municipalities they would have won.
Thus, Mamata would need to give up her gun-boat politics and
tantrums, "In this election we had to fight against the ruling Party and
three to four other forces," read Congress. Behave maturely, continue
being part of the UPA, abide by the coalition dharma and agree to seat-sharing
with the Congress in the State polls.
That the need for each other’s partnership was “mutual” was
also clear from Mamata’s statement saying, “I am part of the UPA.” Indicating
that her party would cobble up a majority in at least 23 of the 31
municipalities where there was a hung mandate. Her words of seeking "a
broad alliance against CPM" also hinted towards a post-poll tie-up with
Congress after the civic boards.
True, her blind opposition to the CPM has driven her yo-yo
like to the BJP and Congress. But now she faces the biggest challenge in her
career. She knows she has been walking a razor's edge in her headlong charge
against the Left and it's time to make a few changes. With eyes set on the 2011
Assembly polls, Mamata needs to mend bridges with the industry without which it
would be difficult to run the State smoothly. Along with going in for an image
make-over: from a rabble-rousing Opposition to a dependable Party with a
vision. Given that the civic polls are a barometer for people to gauge the
worth of the Left and the TMC.
For the Congress, W Bengal
is another wake-up call. Like Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Bihar
it has failed to make inroads among the State’s electorate and has to play
second fiddle to regional players. Already, Mamata has dared the Party to
decide which team, CPM or TMC, it wanted to play for. Sonia needs to rein in
her State satraps and make certain
they don’t rub the mercurial leader the wrong way. They will have to learn to
play second fiddle to the mercurial Didi. Not a few continue to treat Mamata as
a junior, notwithstanding her stellar performance. Add to this, the TMC Chief
is not an easy ally. Like her ilk, she is well versed in making national
parties twirl to her tune.
For the first time after 32 long years the powerful Left has
been pushed into a corner in Bengal. With the curtain
ringing down on its rule over Kolkata’s municipalities. This third consecutive
match-up is a clear indication that the political momentum is with Mamata and
might sweep it off Writer’s Building. A serious and timely warning for it to
tighten its belt, set its house in order or else be prepared to exit the State
Government.
Prakash Karat and Co have only themselves to blame. Post the
controversial land acquisition in Singur and Nandigram, which translated into a
huge poll debacle for the Left Front in the 2009 Lok Sabha election down from
62 to 22 seats it did nothing to heal the scars. Instead of taking any
development or industry-related steps, Karat turned a blind eye which further
alienated them from the people.
Also, the Left has developed alarming cracks. Today, it is
on a slippery slope in Kerala and its rein may end in the next State poll. A defeat in Bengal
would be a massive setback for a Party that defied the decline of Communism
world-wide to command clout. Simultaneously, it can say sayonara to dreams of putting together an anti-NDA and anti-UPA
Third Front. It brand equity as a viable option as an alliance partner stands
considerably diluted. Be it regional parties or the Congress and BJP.
All eyes are on Mamata as a new political hope in Bengal. Will she emerge as a long-term political player
in the State and Centre or will her temper, tantrums and capricious ways
destroy her. She needs to remember: Its easy to reach the top but difficult to retain
one’s numero uno status. She has to
deliver the goods. Otherwise go. A long hard battle lies in store for her. Will
she make her mark?
For Sonia-Rahul’s Congress, it needs to get its act
together. Even as exit polls show him as the people’s choice as Prime Minister
he has yet to earn his spurs .If the Congress wants to go it alone in the 2014
General Elections it’s going to be tough.
The Left should be gracious in its defeat, cut its losses,
move aside and let Assembly election be advanced. It needs to learn from its
mistakes and reinvent itself. If it continues it dogmatic ways it would not only
be fooling itself but worse people who believe in it. After burning its
electoral fingers in 2009-2010 can it afford another defeat at the hustings? It
remains to be seen if the Red brigade sphinx-like rise from the ashes.
Undoubtedly, history will decide what lies in store, good or
bad times. But at the moment, a change is what was needed the most. All have miles
to go before one of them reaches the winning Red tape and asserts: Yes we can!
INFA
(Copyright,
India News and Feature Alliance)
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‘Green Economy’:HOPE FOR LABOUR UNIONS , by Suraj Saraf,2 June 2010 |
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Sunday Reading
New Delhi, 2 June 2010
‘Green Economy’
HOPE FOR LABOUR
UNIONS
By Suraj Saraf
Two global studies, one done by the International Labour Organisation
(ILO) and the other by Worldwatch Institute (WWI) have held out promising
employment opportunities through “Green Economy”.
The study by the ILO on the impact of an emerging global
“Green Economy” has suggested that efforts to tackle climate change could
result in the creation of new “green jobs” in the coming decades. The study
“Green jobs, Towards Decent Works in a sustainable, Low Carbon World”
underlined that changing patterns of employment and investments resulting from
efforts to reduce climate change and its effects are already generating new
jobs in many sectors and economies and “could contain millions more jobs in
both the developed and developing countries”.
However, the study added that the process of climate change
already under way will continue to have a negative effect on workers and their
families, especially those whose livelihood depends on agriculture and
tourists. Action to tackle climate change as well as to cope with its effects
is therefore urgent and should be designed to generate decent jobs, said the
ILO study.
Though the study is optimistic about the creation of new
jobs it warns that many of these jobs could be “dirty, dangerous and difficult.”
Sectors of concern especially but not exclusively in developing economies,
include agriculture, recycling, where all too often low pay, insecure
employment contracts and exposure to healthy hazardous materials “need to
change fast.”
The study adds that too few green jobs are being created for
the most vulnerable “the 1.3 billion working poor (43 per cent of the global
working force) in the world with earning too low to lift them and their
dependents above the poverty threshold of two dollars per person per day, or
for the estimated 500 million youth who will be seeking work over the next ten
years.
The global market for environmental products and services is
projected to double from the present 1370 billion dollars per year to 2740
billion dollars by 2020, according to this study. Half of this market is in the
energy efficiency sector and the balance in sustainable transport, water
supply, sanitation and waste management, the study pointed out.
It said further that the sectors that will be particularly
important in terms of their environmental economic and employment impact are
energy supply, in particular renewable energy, buildings and construction,
transportation, basic industry, agriculture and forestry. The study suggested
that 2.3 million people have in the recent years found employment in the
renewable energy sector alone. Employment in alternative energies may rise to
2.1 million in wind power and 6.3 million in solar energy in 2030.
Renewable energy generates more jobs than employment in
fossil fuels. Projected investments of 630 billion dollars by 2030 will
translate into at least 20 million
additional jobs in the renewable energy sector.
Creating an environmentally sustainable economy has already
generated 14 million jobs worldwide, with the promise of millions more in the
21st century, says a new study by the Worldwatch Institute, a
research organization based in Washington.
Many new opportunities for job creation are emerging,
ranging from recycling and re-manufacturing of goods to greater energy and
materials efficiency and development of renewable sources of energy, the study
is confident.
“Jobs are more likely to be at risk where environmental standards
are low and where innovation in favour of cleaner technologies is lagging. Our
research shows that a huge potential to create jobs outside the extractive
industries exists. The challenge to society is to provide a just transition for
workers who will lose jobs in industries like fossil fuels and mining.”
Although there will be fewer jobs in resource extraction
industries and manufacturing products when goods do not wear out rapidly, there
will be greater job opportunities in repairing, upgrading, refurbishing and
recycling products. Remanufacturing products when their life cycle would
otherwise come to end typically allows 85% or more of the value added the
labour, energy and materials embodied in the product – to be recaptured.
Boosting the efficiency with which resources are used means
that business and households save a large portion of the hundreds of billions
of dollars that would otherwise go into purchasing fuel and materials, investing
the money from these avoided costs in more environmentally benign sectors of
the economy will generate more jobs than investing in source industries.
The WWI study went on to say that the industries that
extract and process energy and raw materials are among the most polluting of
human activities but provide only a small and declining number of jobs.
The study pointed out further that job creation is
particularly important in the developing world, where almost all of the growth
in population will take place in the coming decades. “The trouble is that human
labour appears too expensive while energy and raw materials inputs appear
cheaper.”
It further noted: “fiscal policy can be a powerful tool to
increase the productivity of energy and materials. Current tax system encourage
high resource use and discourage job creation. An ecologically driven reform of
tax policy would reduce payroll taxes while simultaneously raising taxes on
resource use and pollution.”
The study also underlined what could be an important
correlation between the labour unions and environmentalists. It states that the
labour unions and environmentalists could work together to build a stronger
political base for these policy changes “Environmental issues often translate
into health and safety issues at the workplace. Unions have a role to play ---
from struggles for improved occupational health and safety to demand for workers’
right to know clauses, eco-audits and other environmental provisions in
agreements”.
A just transition policy invokes setting up a fund to
provide income and benefits for displaced workers seeking a new career, tuition
support to pay for vocational and other training programmes, career counseling and
placement services, aid in relocating to find
new jobs and measures to help communities and regions diversity their economic
base, said the study. ---INFA
(Copyright,
India News and Feature Alliance)
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More...
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Patil’s China Visit:IN SEARCH OF CONVERGING INTERESTS, by Monish Tourangbam,1 June 2010
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Rajya Sabha Poll:NEW DEALS & HECTIC LOBBYING, by Insaf, 3 June, 2010
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Euro ‘Bush Fire’:INDIA MAY NOT GO UNSCATHED, by Shivaji Sarkar, 29 May 2010
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Selling To The Poor:FROM POVERTY TO PROSPERITY, by Dharmendra Nath (IAS, Retd.),26 May 2010
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