Five years in, tobacco treaty is saving lives, continues to be stymied by industry, U.S. still absent

Representatives from the 168 ratifying countries of the global tobacco treaty gathered to celebrate the landmark treaty's fifth anniversary. As part of the convening, the World Health Organization (WHO) released a comprehensive report on the state of the treaty, assessing its successes to date and the challenges that remain. Read more

The civil society organizations, like U.S.-based Corporate Accountability International, responsible for mobilizing global grassroots support for the treaty were also on hand to discuss the persistent and primary threat to the treaty's full implementation: interference by the tobacco industry.

"These countries deserve a lot of credit. Each has overcome significant industry opposition and pressure to advance the lifesaving measures of this treaty," said Gigi Kellett, Challenging Big Tobacco campaign director for Corporate Accountability International. "The threat from Big Tobacco is still eminent. And still there is reason for great optimism, given the success of the treaty to date."

The treaty aims to reverse the leading preventable cause of death and disease. Each year tobacco kills 5.4 million people each year. The death toll will reach more than 8 million over the next two decades, with the majority of lives lost in developing countries. The WHO projects that strong worldwide enforcement and broad implementation of the treaty could save 200 million lives by the year 2050.

The global tobacco treaty, formally called the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, is the world's first public health and corporate accountability treaty - and the most rapidly embraced treaty on record. It today protects 86% of the world's population.

The WHO finds that since the treaty entered into force in 2005, Parties are implementing national tobacco control coordinating mechanisms, prohibiting the sales of tobacco products to minors, and are taking measures to protect public health policies from commercial and other vested interests of the tobacco industry.

There are significant challenges to overcome. Corporate Accountability International and its allies worked with governments to secure strong treaty guidelines, insulating the treaty against corporate interference. Big Tobacco has since disregarded and worked to undermine this core component of the treaty which establishes the tobacco industry's fundamental and irreconcilable conflict of interest with public health.

Governments are standing up to tobacco lobbyists. Colombia's federal legislators barred the tobacco industry from participating in congressional negotiations of a national tobacco control law. Their exclusion accelerated this process, which led to the establishment of strong legislation with provisions in line with the global tobacco treaty.

In July 2009, during an international protocol negotiating session, Parties kicked Big Tobacco lobbyists out of the process - a move made possible by Article 5.3. Parties safeguarded the negotiations against the tobacco industry's fundamental and irreconcilable conflict of interest, sending a strong message to the industry.

Notably absent from the treaty, is the U.S., the country that has been at the heart of global tobacco trade since its beginnings. Though former President George W. Bush took a step toward enacting the treaty and signed it in 2004, he never submitted it to the Senate for a vote. While in the Senate, President Obama twice sent official correspondence to the White House calling for the treaty's submission.

Further, the President signed a law this summer giving the FDA regulatory authority over tobacco. This bill positions the U.S. to meet its obligations under the treaty were it to sign.

"It's time for the United States to join the global community and reclaim a leadership role in taking on the tobacco epidemic," said Kellett. "This treaty will outlast all of us, setting not only a strong standard for tobacco control but also a powerful precedent for safeguarding democracies against the interference and abuses of powerful industries."

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Canal work is subject to Expert Committee approval: Supreme Court

Supreme Court conditionally permits Narmada canal construction work on Indira Sagar and Omkareshwar canals subject to scrutiny and approval by Experts Committee and Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF). The case of Narmada canals came up for hearing in the Supreme Court recently, wherein the issues related to the displacement, rehabilitation and environmental impacts and mitigative measures, especially command area development were raised by Narmada Bachao Andolan before the High Court of Madhya Pradesh. The High Court had stayed the land acquisition and excavation in the Indira Sagar and Omkareshwar Projects, through its well-considered judgment dated 11-11-2009. Read more



The appeal against the High Court judgement filed by the Government of Madhya Pradesh was heard today by the Bench of Hon’ble Chief Justice Shri K.G. Balakrishnan, Justice J.M. Panchal and Justice B.S Chouhan. Narmada Bachao Andolan, the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) and the Narmada Control Authority (NCA) are the Respondents in the case.

On behalf of Narmada Bachao Andolan, Advocate Sanjay Parikh and Medha Patkar, appearing as petitioner in person and on behalf of the thousands of canal affected adivasis and farmers, it was pleaded that the Court should not permit land acquisition and construction without the necessary planning of social and environmental measures, which are the statutory conditions and pre-requisites
as per the environmental clearance and rehabilitation policy. NBA put forth all official documents, correspondence as well as data and proved that comprehensive CAD plans as required by law and clearance were not submitted in time to the Ministry. It was only in October 2009 towards the fag end of the case that Draft/Interim Plans were submitted to the MoEF the same is yet to be scrutinized and approved by the Experts Committee and MoEF.

The Chief Justice Bench heard the parties on the environmental issues, but not yet on the rehabilitation aspect. After hearing NBA and MoEF today, who submitted their response to the GoMP’s arguments against the High Court’s Judgement, the Bench passed an interim order conditionally permitting the canal work, making it clear to the State of Madhya Pradesh that this will be subject to approval by the Dr. Devendra Pandey Committee of Experts for environmental assessment of Sardar Sraovar, Indira Sagar and Omkareshwar Projects. The Court ordered that the Expert Committee shall give its assessment of the CAD plans within six weeks from today and the MoEF shall take a decision, thereupon within the next four weeks.

The digging of canals after invoking urgency clause was objected to by the MoEF. The further digging of canals will only add to the problem and perpetuation of illegality. NBA feels that during the period the CAD plans were under consideration by the MoEF, no excavation should have been allowed. In case the MoEF refuses to grant approval or finds that the canal excavation done so far will lead to water logging/salanization and other environmental problems, not only will it be a great loss to the environment but a huge loss to the public money besides casing suffering and displacement to the farmers.

The environmental clearances are granted under the Environment Protection Act, 1986 and if there is violation of any condition, the MoEF has the statutory authority to vey cry halt to the project.

It is now time for the MoEF to take firm action in accordance with law keeping in view violation of environmental clearance by the State of M.P, including the CAD. This would only be in pursuance of the findings and recommendations of the Pandey Committee (February 2009) which has already concluded grave and serious non-compliance on many environmental aspects including the command area development for the SSP and ISP.

It will be a great disaster if the river valley projects are allowed to go ahead in an arbitrary manner without the plans being approved. NBA regrets this Interim Order which has cleared the excavation, even if for a limited period and in a conditional manner. This Order would re-open the canal construction in the fertile and irrigated black cotton soil and irrigated lands, which can cause irreversible impacts while even the basic planning and execution is pending, and serious irreversible impacts on the land, flora and fauna, agriculture, health can occur. Many farmers from the affected villages who are already affected by the Sradar Sarovar and Maheshwar Projects were also present in the Court today and feared that the project work would further deepen displacement in the valley, while the delay in the project work for 15-20 years after clearance is due the sheer negligence of the state government.

While Medha Patkar and Av. Sanjay Parikh appear for the petitioners, senior Counsel Mr. Mari Arputham pleaded the case of MoEF and senior counsel Andyarjuna pleaded for the Government of Madhya Pradesh. The next date of hearing has been fixed for the 25th March when the issues of the rehabilitation is also to come up before the Court.

Medha Patkar

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Winds Of Change

‘The old order changes, yielding place to new; and God fulfills Himself in many ways’.
As a national daily has rightly pointed out, the great churning process of our moribund education system has begun, thanks to several new steps being initiated by the HRD Ministry. Every day new ideas seem to be cropping up. But it is imperative to tread carefully if one has to sift the grain from the chaff in this stupendous task. Read more

Mr Kapil Sibal’s stance that children should not be allowed to attend pre-school if they are less than four years old is a laudable one. Formal schooling should begin at the age of six. At present even two years old are going to preschool, and many get traumatised with the competitive environment in the school. Cases of stammering, bed wetting and other stress symptoms are not uncommon in them. Recently the father of a three year old proudly claimed in a party that his daughter was topping her class. As if this were not enough, many parents are sending their kids for private tuitions, in order to prepare them for entrance tests in formal schools. Thus the formative years of a child’s life are becoming too burdensome instead of enjoyable.
The decision to have at least a uniform syllabus (if not a uniform board) throughout the country at the plus 2 level, makes a lot of sense. This will at least end the fight for supremacy amongst the various examining bodies. A single entrance examination for different specialised courses after class XII will also go a long way in mitigating the sufferings and trauma of students.

Yet all that glitters is not always gold. Certain methods look wonderful on paper but very often they may not deliver the goods. One such area is the over hype created about examination stress and the novel administrative ideas to reduce it. Of course, it is always the CBSE which leads the way, and the others follow meekly. Everything is being done in the name of making the system more student friendly in the short term sense. Students of CBSE and ICSE/ISC (I am not aware if this followed by other state boards) are given 15 minutes of reading time, in addition to the writing duration of an exam paper. This is done to ease their pre exam tensions. But as an invigilator, I have always found most of the examinees squirming in their seats, their pens itching to start writing, in those first fifteen minutes. My personal experience says that this does not relax their nerves in any way. Some of them even start writing on the sly and get offended if checked. A better way could be to make a shorter question paper, which can be solved by an average student in two hours, to be answered in two hours and a half. It should be then left to the individual student to divide this time between reading and writing the paper.

 The latest directive of CBSE allows students of class IX, flexible timings to answer the question paper. This may vary from 3 to three and a half hours. According to news paper reports, educationists and students are happy with this move. But aren’t students to be geared to manage their time efficiently, rather than be encouraged to treat it frivolously? We, Indians, are notorious to have a very lackadaisical attitude towards time management. It is rare indeed to find any official/social function begin on time. In fact it seems to have become fashionable for a function (especially wedding receptions) to begin three to four hours later than the time printed on the invitation card. And our senses are so dulled that nobody seems to mind it. Is this what we are trying to instil in our students also? It is good to lead a carefree life but not a careless life.
Time management is the need of the hour in today’s galloping world, and we need to help our students to do so. Their skills should be honed to finish a given task in the allotted time, rather than get into the habit of stretching it. Some students have the tendency to write till the last second, irrespective of the time allotted to them. Time needs to be respected and not frittered away.

Making the Class X Board exams optional is a step fraught with dangers. It will only create another divide between the ‘have passed’ and ‘have not appeared’, with the former always having an upper edge over the latter. Too much of flexibility is as bad as too much of rigidity. Either retain the exams for all, or simply take them away. It is better to give more options in the choice of subjects, which is already there.
Some stress at the appropriate age is always conducive to a child’s growth. Only if over ambitious parents would not force their unrealistic expectations upon their children, and only if the media does not over dramatize the situation, things would not be as bad as they appear to be.

Another alarming directive is about the private schools being free to fix their own fees, but under no obligation to pay teachers a minimum fixed salary. This amounts to allowing the education mafia having the cake as well as the icing. I agree that simply raising the salaries of teachers cannot ensure quality teaching. But a decent salary, coupled with work accountability, will go a long way in overhauling a decadent system. It is pathetic to see the generally low quality of teaching in government/aided institutions, with teachers drawing a fat salary; whereas their private school counterparts struggling with measly salaries do a comparatively better job.

Let us hope that this churning or ‘manthan’ of great ideas will bring forth the gems hidden in the psyche of the education fraternity and succeed in separating the nectar from the poison.
Tamso Ma Jyotirgamay – let us move from darkness to light.

Shobha Shukla
(The author is the Editor of Citizen News Service (CNS), has worked earlier with State Planning Institute, UP, and teaches Physics at India's prestigious Loreto Convent. Email: shobha@citizen-news.org, website: www.citizen-news.org)

See Green And Not Red!!!

A female doctor working at a reputed Medical College in Vellore in India, is reportedly berated by the Head of Institute (and slapped by her parent when the complaint reached her home) for indulging in the immoral (?) activity of being active on the ‘Facebook’. She is told that this is not expected of a woman coming from a good family. Read more

A top Egyptian cleric, (who is a noted Sunni scholar connected with the famous Al Azhar University of Cairo) recently issues a fatwa against the use of social networking sites, like ‘Facebook. He blames these sites for the rising incidence of marital discords and divorces in Egypt , and calls it ‘anti Islamic’ for a spouse to chat with others. According to him, Muslims using such cyber platforms must be considered "sinners".

Turkish newspaper Hurriyet reports on its website that a 16 year old Turkish girl was recently buried alive in a two metre hole, dug under a chicken pen outside her home, by her father and grandfather, in an ‘Honour’ killing, carried out as a punishment for talking to boys. Official figures have indicated that more than 200 such killings take place each year, particularly in the impoverished south east, accounting for around half of all murders in Turkey.

Newspaper reports of ‘honour’ killings of adult men and women in different parts of India (especially the rich rural belt of Haryana and West U.P.), rarely raise an eyebrow, let alone debate the issue. Almost all these occur to save the so called family name when one marries outside one’s caste.

Mumbai, the industrial capital of India, is subjected, with alarming frequency, to the devious arm twisting and violence wielding tactics of the Shiv Sena and Nav Nirman Sena, who revel in holding the entire city to ransom, for no sensible reason.

Come Valentine’s Day, and the religious police/ fanatic groups in many mid-east countries gear up for a crack down on anything alluding to the celebrations of love.

As the world shrinks into the space of a laptop screen, our minds also seem to become narrower and pedantic and intolerant. We blame the youngsters of today to be a confused lot – rudderless and adrift on the choppy seas of an overload of technological advancements. Yet we fail to admit our own shortcomings. Perhaps we are intimidated by the onset of social and technological changes sweeping the world society. Rather than try to understand and keep pace with the upheaval, it is more convenient for us to shut our minds and issue fatwas against anything which goes against our own beliefs.

I wish we could appreciate the use of social networking sites as a tremendous communication tool. This was evident during the recent quake which devastated Haiti. As all communication channels collapsed, survivors could send the initial SOS through ‘facebook’ and ‘twitter’ only. Those who love their spouses, surely cannot be distracted to cause infidelity just by networking sites. Social interaction sites can work wonders in disaster management -- both mental and physical.

Yes, destructive and frivolous use of anything needs to be condemned. The scalpel can be used by a surgeon to heal, as well as by a murderer to kill. Sugar is so essential for the human body, yet excess of it can be fatal.

I wish fatwas were raised against those who blow up human beings and usurp the fundamental rights of others. I wish we saw honour in being honest and tolerant families rather than being ‘bride burners’ and murderers. I wish we banned the spilling of red human blood, rather than ban the sale of red roses, red balloons and gifts wrapped in red paper.

Let not our warped thinking turn the good into bad; the beautiful into ugly. Let us learn to love and respect human life.

Shobha Shukla
(The author is the Editor of Citizen News Service (CNS), has worked earlier with State Planning Institute, UP, and teaches Physics at India's prestigious Loreto Convent. Email: shobha@citizen-news.org, website: www.citizen-news.org)

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When rains ravaged North Karnataka

Incessant downpour in drought prone and poverty stricken northern Karnataka.

Aftermath: 5000 villages in 12 districts inundated. 225 lives lost in a day. Worst in 60 years. Estimated total loss - 18000 crores.

In this article, are some revealing images from "The Deluge and After", a homage to the victims and survivors by Esha and ActionAid. Read more

Captured by Esha (short for Eshwarappa, a photographer, activist and ActionAid fellow) and ActionAid's committed workers over three months in the five worst affected districts of Davangere, Gadag, Bagalkot, Badami and Bijapur, these pictures formed part of an interactive exhibition across various venues in Bangalore in January 2010. They poignantly depicted the realities of the traditionally marginalized people facing new challenges from the untimely floods.

According to ActionAid (which has been actively involved in providing ground level aid along with other community groups) and Esha, landless and marginal farmers, children and women, especially from Dalit and Muslim families are dying to find a way to rebuild their lives in the midst of minimal support from the state. The government's laxity in providing relief and rehabilitation has resulted in deaths even after the waters receded. Apart from collapsed houses, and destroyed belongings, agricultural fields, their only source of livelihood for generations have become uncultivable.

Padiyamma, a 50 year old farm labourer from Kyada village in Bagalkot district was among the three victims who visited Bangalore to share their current experiences in braving the impact of the floods on their families and immediate communities. Having survived after standing in chest-deep water for 7 days said, "We are still awaiting the government's assistance promised after the 2007 floods. We received hakku patras (land titles) and Rs. 5000 but no land then and barely anything now!"

Pushpa Achanta
(The author is a freelance writer, a Fellow of Citizen News Service (CNS) Writers' Bureau, and a community volunteer based in Bangalore, India)

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In Memory of Dr. Radium Bhattacharya

With sorrow, we report that Dr. Radium Bhattacharya, the founder-president of Indian Network of NGOs on HIV/AIDS (INN) passed away on 20 December 2009. Dr. Radium was one of the first to step forward in the 1980s to mount India’s response to HIV/AIDS. She was a scientist, an organizer and a relentless advocate for over two decades and will be sorely missed by her colleagues in India and around the world. Read more

Working tirelessly to increase partnerships and civil society representation in India’s AIDS response, she most notably founded INN in 1994 and nurtured its growth over the last 16 years, engaging a vibrant network of more than 500 non-governmental organizations.

Under her leadership, INN raised awareness about the need to increase HIV prevention options for women, spotlighting the role of microbicides and female condoms at its 2001 National Convention. Dr. Radium’s efforts led to the establishment of India’s National Working Group on Microbicides as well as a range of high-profile events and dialogue that connected over a thousand people across the Indian sub-continent.

The Global Campaign for Microbicides (GCM) Director Yasmin Halima commented on Dr. Radium’s role as an ally and advisor to the Global Campaign’s work in India. “We stand on the shoulders of giants – and in the field of microbicides, Dr. Radium’s work deserves to be recognized as such. Without the tireless effort of those who dedicate their lives for the right of women to protect themselves against HIV, our work would not be possible. She shared our conviction that civil society must be equal partners in the search for effective microbicides,” she added.

Published in: GC News, Issue 118

"Three Idiots" give society words of wisdom

It is a great satire on the education system and the attitude of society. It tells us rote learning can be very harmful. That knowledge is to ‘know’ and not just in the name of educating ourselves memorise whatever comes our way. Learning without understanding can prove to be very dangerous. Unfortunately we have been patrons of such system from time immemorial. Read more

Rote learning used to be important during the ancient times when education was being monopolized by a section of society, while rest of the masses remained illiterate. No doubt in spite of their educational exclusion, they had more knowledge than the so-called literates of the society. Even without getting the benefits of formal education, they understood their work and transmitted it generations after generations with utmost efficiency and dexterity. The cobbler, the agriculturalist, the blacksmith knew their work and carried it out very well and transmitted it also, without any compulsions of memorizing any kind of written text. Their knowledge was useful for every section of society and their service so important for the progress and development of the country.

On the other hand, so called ‘formal education’ was the monopoly of a particular section to maintain status quo. It was of help to no one but its patron alone. It was constantly meant to remind their coming generations that their caste was born to subordinate a large section of society. That the masses below them have to be denigrated to the extent that they easily give in and without any resistance believe in the superiority of the few above them and in their own inferiority. Anyone indulging in physical work has to be looked down upon and regarded as illiterate and uncivilized. But the question that comes in one’s mind is that, who is to be considered more literate and more civilized. A caste using its skills in the service of others from generations together is to be considered more civilized or a caste making rules for others, cleverly putting ones name at the top and the rest below them are strictly instructed to serve?

But generally, the serving caste without some amount of knowledge and skill couldn’t possibly move an inch, be it growing wheat for the nation, or making tools for industrial or any other purposes, or fixing a wall even. Every work requires skill and intelligence, and one needs a large heart to build houses for others and themselves stay in shambles. The servile castes have been doing this ‘godly gesture’ for ages together, no wonder Gandhiji used the word ‘Harijan’ to address them. They have exhibited remarkable amount of tolerance and willpower. Their stomach might remain hungry but not for a day they would take leave to take rest but continue to work in unison to achieve the target. Their children might be ill or injured but not for a moment they stop their work. They grow our crops, they make our tools, and they build our hospitals, but seldom are allowed to get proper treatment there. They build our schools but without any grudge, accept it as their fate of remaining unlettered and allow us to get literate.

But our studying in Convent or a great University abroad doesn’t teach us to be as sacrificing, tolerant and selfless as the so called illiterate, serving castes. The aim of the literates is to get high marks by hook and crook, to prove themselves in the rat race, through a false degree or anyhow get into a prestigious college later on by any means, give a ‘religious babu’ some amount of bribe so that he can also take his family to a trip to Vaishno Devi in the coming summer vacation of his siblings. But in the rat race of getting high marks human values ‘go down the drain’. It is evident that in the so called prestigious centres of higher education the same ‘high grader’ shows he can be a great villain for real and in ragging the junior students he puts to shame even the worst of criminals. Where from he got those lessons one fails to understand?

Convent education, public school education, high caste well preserved 'sanskars' given at home takes a backseat and the hidden “goonda” comes out. The mantra that time is, tradition has to be followed without questioning it! We were not spared we will not spare others! In the modern times there are so many other ways of entertainment but they still insist on going for sadistic pleasures! Is higher education so simple that allows students to indulge in such luxuries of wasting time? What is ultimately derived out of it, has the so called high graders, given a thought to it? It is here that is reflected that how dangerous rote learning can be. It kills inquisitiveness, reasoning, rationality and worst of all creativity. Like a dodo we fail to respond in an appropriate manner to the crisis situation, serial train accidents, children falling in borewell or students committing suicides under psychological pressures day in and day out! Our senses remain numbed to the utmost, failing to react till another mishap occurs. Everybody waits for a miracle to happen or someone else to do the job for them! Their marked indifference reflected in their attitude.

Sitting on high pedestals not for a moment they give thought to the idea what example they are setting before the society. Lalu Prasad ji was right when he said recently “we are totally devoid of civic sense.” For the same reason we still need ‘proper toilet training’ and other mannerisms while travelling in VIP trains atleast! Most importantly an attitude of concern for others has to be developed alongwith a feeling of belonging to a nation, which is like a plant that is to be nurtured unitedly. Right from nursery class we have learnt by heart patriotic songs we still might remember some lines here and there but spirit still remains lacking in our character. That's the reason on slightest pretext we are ready and more than happy to move to other country, braving ‘racism’, waiting for years together to get hold of a green card or a more permanent citizenship right. But would certainly object in our own country if a person of other state tries to get a job in our state.

We have learnt by heart ‘Saare Jahan se Accha Hindustan Hamara’, or our National Anthem but still cannot clearly understand what it is to be like living unitedly as one, in a nation and contributing to its development. If only we would have tried to understand before blindly memorizing our lessons! There is a rule that when we understand something it takes less effort to remember it! That is what is reflected in the movie 'Three Idiots' and that being knowledgeable doesn't end at achieving high marks alone, but there should be an effort on our part to know, understand and most importantly be concerned about the welfare of others and 'treat others the way we would like to be treated by others'. Three Idiots have certainly given society words of wisdom.

Dr Shura Darapuri

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In Remembrance Of The Mahatma And Of Mary Ward

30th January happens to be the death anniversary of two great personalities, who were very different from each other and yet had so much in common – Mahatma Gandhi and Mary Ward. One was a devout Hindu who spread the doctrines of truth and ahimsa and helped India to gain freedom from British subjugation. The other was Mary Ward, a Catholic ‘woman beyond compare’ of England, who worked for the rights of women. 300 years of tumultuous history separated them. One rightly earned the title of ‘The Mahatma’ and laid the foundations of a free India; while the other was the foundress of the Loreto Order, who had proclaimed 400 years ago that ‘women in time to come will do much’. Both gave up their lives fighting for integrity, justice, peace and freedom. Read more

This year the Loreto Family at Lucknow commemorated this special day in a very special manner. The bright sunny Saturday morning of 30th January saw the gates of Loreto Convent thrown open to its ‘not so privileged’ special guests, from the slums of Haidar Canal, Pipraghat and Sadar. More than 100 women, and as many children, accepted the school’s invitation and thronged the Assembly Hall for a meaningful interaction.

The programme began with a short prayer service wherein the students sang a beautiful bhajan (hymn) exhorting everyone not to divide human beings on the basis of caste and social status. This was followed by an interesting power point presentation on ‘General Hygiene and Sanitation’ by Dr Jyotsna Agarwal of CSM Medical University. She stressed the importance of ‘head to toe’ cleanliness, with special emphasis on washing hands, keeping finger/toe nails small and clean, not spitting in public places and keeping the surroundings unlittered. The audience (which included the school children also) were asked to prefer ‘roti’ (chapaati) over ‘dabal roti’ ( bread) and home cooked food over potato chips and chocolates, and to shun tobacco.

A free dental and general medical check up was done by a team of doctors. Most of the women folk were found to be anaemic and suffering from calcium deficiency related diseases, mainly due to poor nutrition and frequent child bearing. A majority of them consumed tobacco and gutkha. Dr Mohit Seth advised them to chew tulsi leaves instead of tobacco. He also asked them to use neem sticks (daatun) to clean their teeth in place of the expensive tooth pastes. Vitamin/calcium tablets and other medicines were also distributed.

The guests were then treated to a simple feast of ‘aloo poori’ with the kids enjoying an additional treat of a bottle each of ‘flavoured milk’. Each head of the family was also gifted some food grains and clothes in paper bags.

Many of these underprivileged women showed a keen desire to get their children admitted in ‘Jagriti’, a parallel school being run in the college premises. They were either not happy with the schools where their wards were studying, or were unable to educate them due to abject poverty. Most of the womenfolk had the same pathetic story to narrate --- a drunkard husband, many mouths to feed and no wherewithal to supplement the family income. Some of them wanted to join the Tailoring and Embroidery classes being run in the college premises with a view to empower the economically disabled women. They have now been asked to visit Loreto once again next week; to get the admission formalities completed for their children, and for themselves, in order to look forward to a brighter future.

This is but a small step in the direction of cherishing the most deprived of God’s people and to enable them to take their place in society with dignity among others. This was the vision of Mary Ward and also of Mahatma Gandhi who rightly believed that ‘Happiness consists not in what you can get, but in what you can give’.

Shobha Shukla
(The author is the Editor of Citizen News Service (CNS), has worked earlier with State Planning Institute, UP, and teaches Physics at India's prestigious Loreto Convent. Email: shobha@citizen-news.org, website: www.citizen-news.org)

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Remembering Pundit PK Shankhdhar 'Babooji'

My first impressionable memory of Pundit Pradyumna Kishore Shankhdhar, whom we respectfully called 'Babooji', was of him in his UNICEF office. He used to cycle down to the office everyday - which stood starkly in contrast to the world's finest limousines parked in this office, to which he was possibly entitled to use. The attitude to save every penny possible, sacrifice all material comforts and live frugally, and invest all possible resources in order to give a better tomorrow for his family was a mission for Babooji. "It's easier to fill books on philosophy than it is to bring one principle in practice" had said Lev Tolstoi. Babooji lived up to this principle in his life. Read more

By God's grace, it took about two generations to get to see the fruits of Babooji's efforts. If the vision and courage of Babooji wasn't rock solid, it would have been impossible to even imagine an enviable future for a man who was then settled in a backward village of Badaun in UP. As a matter of fact, what Babooji could make happen is a daunting challenge for many of us settled in metropolitan cities! It is not an exaggeration to refer to the wise words "a coward is dead in life, a hero is alive in death" when I remember Babooji today. He breathed his last on 5 February 1996.

Babooji's fortitude and infinite patience to wait for that morning when his dreams will bear fruits, complemented by boundless support from his wife, Bhabbhi (she passed away on 21 December 2006); another relative whom we all respectfully refer to as 'Mausiji'; and the persistent perseverance of his children who were motivated enough to not only dare-to-dream but also to chase their dreams with dedication, diligence and seemingly infinite persistence, were indeed phenomenal in bringing in the desired change. Not only Babooji, Bhabbhi and Mausiji sacrificed their personal and material aspirations, but also the childhood and probably the youth of their children slipped away while they were toiling hard, as hard as possible, to breathe life into the dreams they had the courage to dream together in that small hamlet in Allahabad. Instilling human values and an overwhelming sense of responsibility in the defining years of his children was a foremost priority for Babooji.

My association with Babooji grew when Pooja and I got our cycle - and he cycled 5-7 kilometres to come to our place and take that cycle to his most-trusted cycle repair shop underneath the Nishatganj-IT college flyover regularly. After retiring from UNICEF, he volunteered to help strengthen healthcare services at his son's place - and it is impossible to imagine and put it in words how humbly, passionately and simply he could play his role. To reflect back 20 years later, I guess he had redefined his life, his role and his identity. His role was not of a boss, which he was with due respect and authority, but that of a mentor - to everyone - from the security guard to the head of the institution. He also subtly gave an unforgettable message not to cling in life, because when we cling, we suffer in pain. After retiring from UNICEF, he didn't cling rather found more relevant roles and responsibilities to take care of.

Babooji would be content to see how his children and grandchildren have taken the mantle forward in providing healthcare in top-notch institutions in India - from CSM Medical University (erstwhile King George's Medical College) and Sanjay Gandhi Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS) to Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai. With a series of International and national awards and accolades in Babooji's family, the manner in which this ordinary man lived his life in an extraordinary way stands out more vividly.

This is certainly not an obituary, it can never be. Whenever we serve in the true spirit of Babooji, he comes to life again. It is our responsibility to keep the values he personified, alive, so do I believe.

- one of Babooji's grandchildren

Tobacco control is most cost-effective way to prevent cancer

- Special on World Cancer Day: 4 February 2010

Most public health programmes of the Government of India are directed towards communicable diseases such as malaria, filaria, polio, tuberculosis and leprosy etc. The occurrence of certain diseases due to lifestyle changes like diabetes, respiratory/cardiac diseases, tobacco related disease and cancer, has now been recognized, and public health programmes are also being initiated against them. But these are few and far between. Life style diseases have a peculiar “follow others” ingredient which becomes still more complicated due to ignorance, especially in families where the elders have addictions and wrong eating habits, and the youngsters are exposed to the “role model” phenomenon. In many situations elders tell children that tobacco is bad for children and the latter are confused as to how it is bad for them and good for others. This ambiguity, coupled with peer pressure proves to be disastrous for the youth. Read more

Most important part of all this is that the diseases and death caused by these life style aberrations are preventable.
Smoking And Tobacco Related Cancers

Lung Cancer
Lung cancer is one fatal but preventable life-style disease. Smoking causes 90% of lung cancer. Non-smokers who breathe in other peoples’ tobacco smoke, known as second-hand smoke, are also at an increased risk of lung cancer. Children and teenagers exposed to second hand smoke may be particularly at risk of lung cancer later in life as well as an increased risk of asthma and other respiratory problems.

Mouth and Throat cancer
Oral cancer is the most common cancer in India. Smoking is a major cause of cancers of the oral cavity (tongue, lips, gums) oesophagus and larynx.

Majority of oral cancers occur because of chewing Tobacco, gutka etc.
According to Dr Geoff Craig "People are dying of oral cancer because of ignorance". There are about 7,00,000 new cases of cancers every year in India out of which tobacco related cancers are about 3,00,000. Cost of treatment of one oral cancer patient is about Rs 3.5 lacs. This can be completely prevented by simple changes in lifestyle and regular screening. About 2000 deaths a day in India are tobacco related.

Cancer of the pancreas, stomach and kidney
Smoking is also, at least a contributory and, may be, a causal factor in the development of cancer of the pancreas and of the kidney. When you inhale cigarette smoke, you will always swallow some of it , Consequently, the risk of developing stomach cancer is higher among smokers.

Cancer of uterus, cervix, colon and bladder
Apart from these, smoking has been found to increase the risk of uterine cancer, cancer of the cervix, cancer of the colon and bladder.

Other health hazards attributed to tobacco use
Smokers and tobacco chewers are also at an increased risk of developing myeloid leukaemia., especially oral sub mucous fibrosis.

This condition is characterized by limited opening of mouth and burning sensation on eating of spicy food. This is a progressive lesion in which the opening of the mouth becomes progressively limited, and later on even normal eating becomes difficult. It occurs almost exclusively in India and Indian communities living abroad. Tobacco when kept in mouth leaches out potent carcinogens. Habit of smoking is also equally dangerous. Treatment is surgery, and in advanced cases surgery followed by radiation therapy. 70% of the cases after treatment comeback with relapse and the ultimate result is death. The cost of the treatment is Rs.3.5 lacs on an average and in spite of this high cost there is no guarantee of total cure.

Therefore the most important aspect is PREVENTION. Use of tobacco in smoking or chewing or any other form must be stopped immediately.

The Government of the State of Maharashtra, India, had initiated a campaign against smok­ing in 1986. The first reaction of smokers, mostly from urban upper-middle classes, was "We smoke because we like it. It is none of your concern. After all, it is we who would suffer, not you". Indian Society against smoking in UP and also state of Maharashtra initiated anti tobacco programs in public gatherings etc. WHO came forward to help people by introducing aggressive anti tobacco campaigns through establishment of Tobacco cessation clinics in several states.

Tobacco-related deaths outnumber those caused by AIDS, car accidents, alcohol, homicides, illegal drugs, suicides, and fires, combined.. Fortunately, the past decade has been one in which data concerning predictors of tobacco use initiation and approaches to tobacco use prevention have been accumulating.

Factors that influence the onset of smoking are complex and numerous, and a better understanding of these factors is needed to reduce the rate of smoking. Younger individuals with less fortunate socio economic backgrounds and from single-parent homes are at higher risk of initiating smoking and experimenting with cigarettes and smokeless tobacco. On the other hand, adolescents who have friends and parents who smoke are significantly more likely to initiate smoking themselves. Moreover, several psychological factors, including higher rates of depression and sociability, have been linked with a higher probability that an adolescent will start smoking. Lastly, the impact of the tobacco industry’s targeting of adolescents with aggressive advertising, marketing, promotional campaigns, and sponsorships on youth smoking initiation rates should not be overlooked. Women, minorities, blue-collar workers, adolescents, and even children are bombarded by clever and often insidious marketing and advertising gimmicks. In fact, a strong correlation between smoking rates among adolescents and sales promotion expenditures by tobacco companies has been documented.

Prevention initiatives need to have two thrusts: (1) school-based programs, and (2) community-wide approaches.

School-based programs encourage students who have yet to experiment with tobacco to abstain from use through (1) enforcement of anti tobacco policies (e.g., prohibitions against tobacco use and tobacco advertising on campus); (2) education about the adverse health and social consequences of tobacco use (e.g., cancer risk, exacerbation of asthma, stained teeth and foul-smelling breath and clothing, and ostracism by non smoking peers); (3) education regarding the reasons that adolescents smoke (e.g., peer acceptance, stress management) and about alternative methods for attaining such goals; (4) education concerning the social influences on smoking, such as media, adults, and peers, and strategies for resisting such influences (e.g., refusal skills, assertiveness); (5) the use of teachers and peer leaders as health counselors; and (6) support for students who abstain from smoking as well as for those students who have quit. A meta-analysis of school-based prevention studies showed that programs involving peer and social elements can reduce adolescent smoking rates by as much as 30%.

Community-wide smoking prevention programs involve approaches that include counter advertising (e.g., antismoking billboard ads) and anti tobacco policies (i.e., restricting access, raising taxes, instituting bans). Evaluations of the benefits of counter advertising media campaigns suggest that this approach can effectively reduce smoking initiation rates.

The past few years have witnessed a burgeoning of anti tobacco legislation. Initiatives to restrict access to tobacco among children and adolescents are being strengthened. Evaluations of the effects of work-site and hospital smoking bans indicate that cigarette consumption is significantly reduced by such policies, with the rate of second-hand smoke exposure completely eliminated. Although studies have yet to evaluate the impact on cessation rates of restaurant and bar smoking bans, such policies undoubtedly eliminate exposure to second-hand smoke for others sitting there.

Over the past decade, the growing national commitment to reducing the prevalence of tobacco use has resulted in a substantial growth in the scientific literature and availability of clinical interventions concerning the promotion of smoking cessation and prevention. Never before has there been a more hospitable climate for conducting empirical research into the determinants and treatment of tobacco addiction and for the implementation of cessation and prevention programs. Today, the commitment to support tobacco control research and initiatives from federal and state government agencies and from private granting institutes has never been stronger

Yet, despite many advances in treating tobacco addiction and preventing initiation of tobacco use, the rate of decline in smoking among adults has slowed down, and the prevalence of tobacco use has actually increased, especially chewing tobacco. More research and wider availability of cessation and prevention initiatives are necessary if there is any hope of eradicating tobacco use among our population. Specifically, the psychosocial and socio demographic determinants of smoking initiation must be systematically identified. Further, additional research concerning genetic and gene-environment interaction determinants of tobacco addiction is essential. Finally, since current data indicate that optimal cessation programs can produce modest 20 to 40% cessation rates at best, a greater emphasis on evaluating more comprehensive, multi-component cessation interventions could greatly improve upon current efficacy. Counselling by clinical psychologists, of those addicted to tobacco along with pharmacotherapy can assist in this difficult task.

Professor (Dr) Rama Kant
(The author is Professor and Head of Department of Surgery, CSM Medical University (CSMMU - upgraded King George's Medical College - KGMC) and International Awardee of World Health Organization (WHO) for the year 2005. He is the Director of Tobacco Control Resource Centre. Email: ramakant@ramakant.org, web: www.ramakant.org )


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"Foundation of commercial RFID industry is credited to Sanjay Sarma"

One can't believe my sense of joy and pride when during a Management Information System presentation on Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Lucknow, one of the groups told us that the foundation of commercial RFID industry is credited to Sri Sanjay Sarma from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), when in 1999 Auto-ID center at MIT developed it. This is because I am privileged to have been a batch-mate of Sri Sanjay Sarma at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur. Read more

Just imagine the kind of feeling one has when one realizes that one of his old friends has done something remarkable in the field of Science and Technology. The same happened when Mr Sanjay Sarma's name came in the class as inventor of commercial RFID. The entire class at IIM-L clapped with recognition when I told them with a proud voice that I was a batch-mate of Sarma at IIT-K. They became even more engrossed and clapped further when I told them that his wife Geetanjali (again an IIT-K alumnus) is no less talented and among the most good-looking girls IIT Kanpur ever had.

It was at this time that I also realized how much important and long-lasting the scientific contributions are compared to many of the short-term (and often shortsighted) achievements we in police and administration seem to boast of. Again, how much more is its reach? Just think, this person is suiting in America. He did something way back in 1999. But 11 years later students at IIM Lucknow are remembering his name with respect and awe.

Yes, I am feely really happy to have been a friend and acquaintance of Sanjay.

Amitabh Thakur
(The author is an officer with Indian Police Service (IPS), an alumnus of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, and presently doing his higher studies at the premier management institute - Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Lucknow).

4 February 2010: World Cancer Day

Cancer is a leading cause of death around the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 84 million people will die of cancer between 2005 and 2015 without intervention. The theme of World Cancer Day (4 February 2010) is: "Cancer can be prevented too", which focusses on simple measures to prevent cancer such as:
- no tobacco use
- a healthy diet and regular exercise
- limited alcohol use
- protection against cancer-causing infections Read more



"Enforcing health policies like the tobacco control legislations in India, can have enormous public health benefits for people" said Professor (Dr) Rama Kant, who is a World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General's Awardee for tobacco control (2005). More than 5 million people die of causes that are attributed to tobacco use, said Prof Rama Kant.


Each year on 4 February, WHO supports International Union Against Cancer (UICC) to promote ways to ease the global burden of cancer. Preventing cancer and raising quality of life for cancer patients are recurring themes.

In 2005, 7.6 million people died of cancer. More than 70% of those deaths occured in low and middle income countries. WHO has developed a series of six modules that provides practical advice for programme managers and policy-makers on how to advocate, plan and implement effective cancer control programmes, particularly in low and middle income countries.The WHO guide is a response to the World Health Assembly resolution on cancer prevention and control (WHA58.22), adopted in May 2005, which calls on Member States to intensify action against cancer by developing and reinforcing cancer control programmes. For more information click here

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