Peaceful nuclear hazards are bad enough

Peaceful nuclear hazards are bad enough
By SHOBHA SHUKLA
CITIZEN NEWS SERVICE

[Published in The Japan Times, Tokyo, Japan: Sunday, 3 May 2009]

LUCKNOW, India — In the early hours of April 26, 1986, the world experienced one of its worst nuclear disasters. Reactor No. 4 of Chernobyl power station, near Pripyat in Ukraine, exploded. Two explosions blew the dome-shaped roof off the reactor, causing its contents to erupt out.

As air was sucked into the shattered reactor, it ignited carbon monoxide, resulting in a fire that raged for nine days. As the reactor was not housed in a reinforced concrete shield, large amounts of debris escaped into the atmosphere.

The accident released at least 100 times more radiation than the atom bombs dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Much of the fallout was deposited close to Chernobyl, in parts of Belarus, Ukraine and Russia, where measurable health effects were observed. But traces of radioactive debris were found in nearly every country in the Northern Hemisphere.

Thirty-two people died in the accident. Another 38 died of acute radiation sickness in the months that followed. In just 36 hours, 59,430 people had to be evacuated from Pripyat. This human tragedy resulted in large-scale displacement of more than 200,000 people, contamination of vast areas of land and loss of livelihoods. Since then, there have been 1,800 reported thyroid cancer cases in children who were as old as 14 at the time of the tragedy.

A conservative estimate prepared by Chernobyl Forum in 2005 acknowledged 4,000 extra cancer deaths among the 600,000 most highly exposed people. But Dr. John Gofman, a renowned nuclear chemist, predicted that Chernobyl would eventually cause a million cancers and 475,000 deaths. The total cost of the disaster was estimated at $200 billion.

No scale can properly measure the trauma suffered by survivors. The affected people were confronted with situations they could not understand and against which they had no defense. Many turned to drinking and to suicide.

Apart from the Chernobyl tragedy, there have been other nuclear power plant disasters in the past. The first one occurred at the Chalk River Facility in Canada on Dec. 12, 1952, after an employee accidentally opened four valves that regulated pressure in the system. The lid of the reactor was blown off and a large amount of cooling water, contaminated with radioactive waste, leaked out.

The second disaster took place in the Mayak Plutonium Facility in the south Ural Mountain region of Russia on Sept. 29, 1957. This is considered to have been worse than Chernobyl. The cooling equipment broke down and overheated nuclear waste exploded. Up to 270,000 people and 36,000 square kilometers were exposed to radiation hazards. Even today, radiation levels in the region are extremely high and natural water resources are contaminated with radioactive waste.

The Wind Scale Nuclear Power Plant accident in England caused a radiation leak that spread over 500 square kilometers, resulting in wide spread contamination.

Safety systems of the Lubmin Nuclear Plant in Germany failed on Dec. 7, 1975. Luckily, a nuclear meltdown was avoided due to release of coolant in the facility.

The Three Mile Island disaster in Pennsylvania on March 28, 1979, resulted from a cooling system malfunction. Although nearby residents were eventually evacuated, there have been increased cases of cancer and thyroid problems and a sharp rise in the infant mortality rate.

The Tokaimura accident in Japan occurred in 1999 when excess uranium was mistakenly mixed with nitric acid for making nuclear fuel — 35 pounds instead of 5.2 pounds. The nuclear fission explosion lasted for 20 hours. Forty-two employees were exposed to measurable levels of radiations, including three high-level exposures. Two of them died.

Proponents of nuclear power plants not withstanding, it is impossible to have 100 percent safe nuclear power plants, even with the strictest of safety measures.

Radiation exposure can have very long-term effects and are often difficult to quantify. In the no-nonsense words of Gofman (the "father of the antinuclear movement"): "There cannot be a safe dose of radiation. There is no safe threshold. If this is known, then any permitted radiation is a permit to commit murder."

In 1996, Gofman estimated that most cancer cases in the United States were caused by medical radiation. Although his claims were refuted by the U.S. government, one must remember that, since the Three Mile Island disaster in 1979, not a single power plant has been built in that country.

When the so-called peaceful use of nuclear energy can result in such long-term hazards, one shudders to think of the devastation that could be brought about by nuclear weapons of mass destruction. Their presence is the greatest single threat to humanity. There are currently 26,000 nuclear warheads in the world (96 percent of them controlled by the U.S. and Russia). They have the potential to unleash the power of 70,000 Hiroshimas in just a few minutes and destroy our planet many times over. The idea of a deliberate nuclear war may seem almost anachronistic, but the potential nightmare of an accidental nuclear exchange is all too real.

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, global military expenditures in 2007 exceeded $1.3 trillion. Another study conducted 10 years ago estimated the total cost of U.S. nuclear weapons at over $5.8 trillion. These are huge investments that could be put to better and productive uses.

It is worth mentioning that U.S. President Barack Obama recently announced his desire to eliminate nuclear weapons from the earth. This bold gesture has won him plaudits, but is he merely finessing the long-standing trick of the nuclear-armed countries that merely preach, and not practice, nonproliferation? The world wants positive action — not more rhetoric.

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon also recognizes the need to "promote global public goods and remedies to challenges that do not respect borders." He strongly believes that "a world free of nuclear weapons is a global public good of the highest order." He is also candid enough to admit that despite a long-standing taboo against using nuclear weapons, disarmament remains only an aspiration. A taboo is not enough.

Global and human security cannot be obtained through military superiority. We must remember that disarmament actually means the absence of violence and wars. It means peaceful coexistence, respect for human rights and a better environmental protection.

Shobha Shukla writes extensively in English and Hindi media. She serves as editor for Citizen News Service (CNS).

[Published in The Japan Times, Tokyo, Japan: Sunday, 3 May 2009]

Peaceful nuclear hazards are bad enough

Peaceful nuclear hazards are bad enough
By SHOBHA SHUKLA
CITIZEN NEWS SERVICE

[Published in The Japan Times, Tokyo, Japan: Sunday, 3 May 2009]

LUCKNOW, India — In the early hours of April 26, 1986, the world experienced one of its worst nuclear disasters. Reactor No. 4 of Chernobyl power station, near Pripyat in Ukraine, exploded. Two explosions blew the dome-shaped roof off the reactor, causing its contents to erupt out.

As air was sucked into the shattered reactor, it ignited carbon monoxide, resulting in a fire that raged for nine days. As the reactor was not housed in a reinforced concrete shield, large amounts of debris escaped into the atmosphere.

The accident released at least 100 times more radiation than the atom bombs dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Much of the fallout was deposited close to Chernobyl, in parts of Belarus, Ukraine and Russia, where measurable health effects were observed. But traces of radioactive debris were found in nearly every country in the Northern Hemisphere.

Thirty-two people died in the accident. Another 38 died of acute radiation sickness in the months that followed. In just 36 hours, 59,430 people had to be evacuated from Pripyat. This human tragedy resulted in large-scale displacement of more than 200,000 people, contamination of vast areas of land and loss of livelihoods. Since then, there have been 1,800 reported thyroid cancer cases in children who were as old as 14 at the time of the tragedy.

A conservative estimate prepared by Chernobyl Forum in 2005 acknowledged 4,000 extra cancer deaths among the 600,000 most highly exposed people. But Dr. John Gofman, a renowned nuclear chemist, predicted that Chernobyl would eventually cause a million cancers and 475,000 deaths. The total cost of the disaster was estimated at $200 billion.

No scale can properly measure the trauma suffered by survivors. The affected people were confronted with situations they could not understand and against which they had no defense. Many turned to drinking and to suicide.

Apart from the Chernobyl tragedy, there have been other nuclear power plant disasters in the past. The first one occurred at the Chalk River Facility in Canada on Dec. 12, 1952, after an employee accidentally opened four valves that regulated pressure in the system. The lid of the reactor was blown off and a large amount of cooling water, contaminated with radioactive waste, leaked out.

The second disaster took place in the Mayak Plutonium Facility in the south Ural Mountain region of Russia on Sept. 29, 1957. This is considered to have been worse than Chernobyl. The cooling equipment broke down and overheated nuclear waste exploded. Up to 270,000 people and 36,000 square kilometers were exposed to radiation hazards. Even today, radiation levels in the region are extremely high and natural water resources are contaminated with radioactive waste.

The Wind Scale Nuclear Power Plant accident in England caused a radiation leak that spread over 500 square kilometers, resulting in wide spread contamination.

Safety systems of the Lubmin Nuclear Plant in Germany failed on Dec. 7, 1975. Luckily, a nuclear meltdown was avoided due to release of coolant in the facility.

The Three Mile Island disaster in Pennsylvania on March 28, 1979, resulted from a cooling system malfunction. Although nearby residents were eventually evacuated, there have been increased cases of cancer and thyroid problems and a sharp rise in the infant mortality rate.

The Tokaimura accident in Japan occurred in 1999 when excess uranium was mistakenly mixed with nitric acid for making nuclear fuel — 35 pounds instead of 5.2 pounds. The nuclear fission explosion lasted for 20 hours. Forty-two employees were exposed to measurable levels of radiations, including three high-level exposures. Two of them died.

Proponents of nuclear power plants not withstanding, it is impossible to have 100 percent safe nuclear power plants, even with the strictest of safety measures.

Radiation exposure can have very long-term effects and are often difficult to quantify. In the no-nonsense words of Gofman (the "father of the antinuclear movement"): "There cannot be a safe dose of radiation. There is no safe threshold. If this is known, then any permitted radiation is a permit to commit murder."

In 1996, Gofman estimated that most cancer cases in the United States were caused by medical radiation. Although his claims were refuted by the U.S. government, one must remember that, since the Three Mile Island disaster in 1979, not a single power plant has been built in that country.

When the so-called peaceful use of nuclear energy can result in such long-term hazards, one shudders to think of the devastation that could be brought about by nuclear weapons of mass destruction. Their presence is the greatest single threat to humanity. There are currently 26,000 nuclear warheads in the world (96 percent of them controlled by the U.S. and Russia). They have the potential to unleash the power of 70,000 Hiroshimas in just a few minutes and destroy our planet many times over. The idea of a deliberate nuclear war may seem almost anachronistic, but the potential nightmare of an accidental nuclear exchange is all too real.

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, global military expenditures in 2007 exceeded $1.3 trillion. Another study conducted 10 years ago estimated the total cost of U.S. nuclear weapons at over $5.8 trillion. These are huge investments that could be put to better and productive uses.

It is worth mentioning that U.S. President Barack Obama recently announced his desire to eliminate nuclear weapons from the earth. This bold gesture has won him plaudits, but is he merely finessing the long-standing trick of the nuclear-armed countries that merely preach, and not practice, nonproliferation? The world wants positive action — not more rhetoric.

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon also recognizes the need to "promote global public goods and remedies to challenges that do not respect borders." He strongly believes that "a world free of nuclear weapons is a global public good of the highest order." He is also candid enough to admit that despite a long-standing taboo against using nuclear weapons, disarmament remains only an aspiration. A taboo is not enough.

Global and human security cannot be obtained through military superiority. We must remember that disarmament actually means the absence of violence and wars. It means peaceful coexistence, respect for human rights and a better environmental protection.

Shobha Shukla writes extensively in English and Hindi media. She serves as editor for Citizen News Service (CNS).

[Published in The Japan Times, Tokyo, Japan: Sunday, 3 May 2009]

CBI- Closed Bureau of Investigation

CBI- Closed Bureau of Investigation

Two of the recent actions of the CBI have helped it reach the lowest level of its credibility. The first of these is the Sikh rioting case of 1984 and the second the most recent one is the equally infamous Bofors. So much so that they have added much credence to the words of voluble Amar Singh when he calls the CBI as the Congress Bureau of Investigation. Thankfully, even the Congress Party does not do much to dispel this notion when one of its senior leaders, Digvijay Singh, who has remained the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh for two consecutive terms comes out in open to threaten another Chief Minister by showing the deadly fangs of this Institution, in almost the same tone and tenor that Shashi Kapoor's words had when he had delivered those famous lines in Deewar- "Mere paas Maa hai" (I have mother with me). Thus while the police inspector in that film had his mother to shield him, the Congress (or for that matter any ruling establishment) seems to have the CBI as their last refuse.

Let us first look at what the CBI did in the 1984 rioting case. Everyone knows that Sajjan Kumar and Jagdish Tytler along with the now deceased H K L Bhagat went openly out not only to assist the rioters, but to initiate and propagate the entire event, which was no less a state-orchestrated pogrom than the Gujarat riots. The purpose of these people were two-fold. The first was to use the situation to produce a Hindu-Sikh divide and to use this voter's polarization to their advantage in the coming Lok sabha elections. successfully. But more important was to gain some brownie points in the eyes of Rajiv Gandhi whose infamous statement about the little tremors as a result of a falling Banyan tree had already made his preference clear. This triumvirate, along with several other lesser minions played havoc for days in the most dirty and dastardly fashion. Yet, it takes the CBI more than 25 years to come to any conclusion. And what results do they arrive at- that there is not enough evidence again Kumar and Tytler. This too again at a time when the General elections are in process and the Government is not sure of its retuning back. Could there be a more blatant example of the clear-cut misuse of the powers of the CBI? This entire act was managed so secretly that it could have simply passed unnoticed. It took a shoe to be thrown at the Home Minister for the Nation to know of this chicanery. The CBI is still speaking in double tones as regards the case, to much so that no one knows where exactly it stands on this issue. If this is what the CBI has brought its stature and reputation to, it has no one except itself to blame.

The second case is no less more glaring. Bofors is a chapter that the Gandhi-Nehru family would never like to remember. Yet, this weapon has the inbuilt capability of bouncing back. The latest in this series of headlines in the long list of deliberate mishandling is the act of the CBI of asking the Interpol to drop the name of Ottavio Quatroccchi from the list of the most wanted persons. How could the CBI do this to our Nation? in a case that has become the byword for corruption at the highest level, in which even the then Prime Minister himself was accused and even implicated in the earlier stage of investigation, and where it is common knowledge that Quatrocchi played the chief facilitator of this sleaze, does it suit the CBI to act as a benefactor to the same person who owes so much explanation to us? Again, here, as in many other cases in which CBI plays the hide and seek game in its two-forked manner, while clearing the name from Interpol list, the CBI goes to the Court and asks for two months time to decide on the further course of action. What is this? What right do the officers of this investigative agency have to reduce it to a farce?

The CBI's performance in all the cases of political nature has been very poor, at least in the last few years. Whether it is the Mulayam Singh Yadav disproportionate assets case or Mayawati's Taj corridor and DA case, the CBI has been seen to be shifting its stand as per the political weather. When the person is out of favour with the Central government, the agency suddenly acquires wings and starts playing the prosecutor with the highest sense of urgency and alacrity. But the moment the same person becomes inevitable for the government, with the power of influencing its policy decisions, the CBI starts playing a radically different tune. Is this what is expected from a body like the CBI? Is this anything less than being shameful?

These are the questions the CBI will have to think over and will have to answer, not only to itself but to the entire country. And it shall never expect the Government of the day to come to its assistance in this regards. this is because every government would always love to use the CBI to achieve its political goals and would never hesitate to dictate it as long the organization is willing to oblige.

But had the CBI officers joined this premier organization to enjoy its privileges, perks and prestige only to pawn their conscience before these hankering and hovering politicians?

Dr Nutan Thakur
IRDS, Lucknow

CBI- Closed Bureau of Investigation

CBI- Closed Bureau of Investigation

Two of the recent actions of the CBI have helped it reach the lowest level of its credibility. The first of these is the Sikh rioting case of 1984 and the second the most recent one is the equally infamous Bofors. So much so that they have added much credence to the words of voluble Amar Singh when he calls the CBI as the Congress Bureau of Investigation. Thankfully, even the Congress Party does not do much to dispel this notion when one of its senior leaders, Digvijay Singh, who has remained the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh for two consecutive terms comes out in open to threaten another Chief Minister by showing the deadly fangs of this Institution, in almost the same tone and tenor that Shashi Kapoor's words had when he had delivered those famous lines in Deewar- "Mere paas Maa hai" (I have mother with me). Thus while the police inspector in that film had his mother to shield him, the Congress (or for that matter any ruling establishment) seems to have the CBI as their last refuse.

Let us first look at what the CBI did in the 1984 rioting case. Everyone knows that Sajjan Kumar and Jagdish Tytler along with the now deceased H K L Bhagat went openly out not only to assist the rioters, but to initiate and propagate the entire event, which was no less a state-orchestrated pogrom than the Gujarat riots. The purpose of these people were two-fold. The first was to use the situation to produce a Hindu-Sikh divide and to use this voter's polarization to their advantage in the coming Lok sabha elections. successfully. But more important was to gain some brownie points in the eyes of Rajiv Gandhi whose infamous statement about the little tremors as a result of a falling Banyan tree had already made his preference clear. This triumvirate, along with several other lesser minions played havoc for days in the most dirty and dastardly fashion. Yet, it takes the CBI more than 25 years to come to any conclusion. And what results do they arrive at- that there is not enough evidence again Kumar and Tytler. This too again at a time when the General elections are in process and the Government is not sure of its retuning back. Could there be a more blatant example of the clear-cut misuse of the powers of the CBI? This entire act was managed so secretly that it could have simply passed unnoticed. It took a shoe to be thrown at the Home Minister for the Nation to know of this chicanery. The CBI is still speaking in double tones as regards the case, to much so that no one knows where exactly it stands on this issue. If this is what the CBI has brought its stature and reputation to, it has no one except itself to blame.

The second case is no less more glaring. Bofors is a chapter that the Gandhi-Nehru family would never like to remember. Yet, this weapon has the inbuilt capability of bouncing back. The latest in this series of headlines in the long list of deliberate mishandling is the act of the CBI of asking the Interpol to drop the name of Ottavio Quatroccchi from the list of the most wanted persons. How could the CBI do this to our Nation? in a case that has become the byword for corruption at the highest level, in which even the then Prime Minister himself was accused and even implicated in the earlier stage of investigation, and where it is common knowledge that Quatrocchi played the chief facilitator of this sleaze, does it suit the CBI to act as a benefactor to the same person who owes so much explanation to us? Again, here, as in many other cases in which CBI plays the hide and seek game in its two-forked manner, while clearing the name from Interpol list, the CBI goes to the Court and asks for two months time to decide on the further course of action. What is this? What right do the officers of this investigative agency have to reduce it to a farce?

The CBI's performance in all the cases of political nature has been very poor, at least in the last few years. Whether it is the Mulayam Singh Yadav disproportionate assets case or Mayawati's Taj corridor and DA case, the CBI has been seen to be shifting its stand as per the political weather. When the person is out of favour with the Central government, the agency suddenly acquires wings and starts playing the prosecutor with the highest sense of urgency and alacrity. But the moment the same person becomes inevitable for the government, with the power of influencing its policy decisions, the CBI starts playing a radically different tune. Is this what is expected from a body like the CBI? Is this anything less than being shameful?

These are the questions the CBI will have to think over and will have to answer, not only to itself but to the entire country. And it shall never expect the Government of the day to come to its assistance in this regards. this is because every government would always love to use the CBI to achieve its political goals and would never hesitate to dictate it as long the organization is willing to oblige.

But had the CBI officers joined this premier organization to enjoy its privileges, perks and prestige only to pawn their conscience before these hankering and hovering politicians?

Dr Nutan Thakur
IRDS, Lucknow

Fixed Tenure for Legislatures

Fixed Tenure for Legislatures

While casting his vote at Ahmedabad during the third phase of the elections, L K Advani raised a few fundamental issues which need to be taken seriously. He asked the political parties and the Election Commission to think over changing the Constitution for a fixed tenure for Lok Sabha and the Assemblies. He said that the same went on for the first four General elections but this has been completely delinked since 1971 pre-mature dissolution of the Parliament. He also spoke of voting being made compulsory and to take place in the month of February.

It is true that Advani is being liked and disliked in equal measures by people on both side of the divide. There is a perceptibly large number of people who are in no way among the admirer of the person but despite this fact each of his words as narrated above need to be taken seriously. There is no doubt that despite our country voting for a new Parliament to be followed by a new government, two important factors are there for everyone to see. The first of these is the low voter turn out which goes down as low as 25% in a state like Jammu & Kashmir and in general falls around 50%. While one of the important reasons for such a situation might be the voter's apathy and complete disinterest towards these political persons whom they have seen long to get completely disenchanted and averse, yet a sizeable percentage of low voting can easily be attributed to the weather where the simmering heat around the country is making people stay in their homes instead of moving out to vote. Thus, if in an urban constituency like Lucknow or Kanpur , the voting is as low as 39% or 42%, then it is time for all of us to sit down and to ponder.

Since the democracy, by its very genesis, is the kind of government which relates itself to people (i.e. the voters) and gains all its strength and authority from this very fact, hence if more than half the voting population does not come out to cast its most potent weapon, then the entire exercise automatically becomes meaningless. Can any one cherish the fact that the winning candidate from many of the Constituencies shall be representing it with hardly 10-15% of the voting population having okayed his candidature? This is a serious question that we need to answer. For this some kind of compulsion as regards casting one's vote might be enforced. And it will not be a dictatorial order, it will more be a facilitator for this great cause. But to enforce this compulsory voting status, the State needs to take a very large number of measures which could guarantee this mandatory voting provision. This would include all the possible use of innovative technological and managerial ideas and their pooling together to come up with a solution which provides every voter such a condition where casting the vote does not come as a distraction or disturbance or nuisance to them. Changing the voting season to February seems to a brilliant idea because this is the month which has the least amount of distractions, disturbances and diversions.

Even more important is the issue raise by him where he has suggested a fixed tenure for all the State Assemblies along with the National Parliament. If only such a thing could actually happen ! It would not only solve many of our problems but would also reduce the costs and trouble in the entire exercise to a massive scale. There are two different issues involved here. The first one is as regards the fixed tenure of these Legislative bodies. Their need is increasingly being felt. With the kind of "hung" legislative bodies where the people's verdict is completely fractured, the fear of a deadlock where none of the groups or formations is able to form a government is becoming the order of the day. We saw this at the National scale on so many occasions in the past. The same holds true for the States. The few recent examples where it happened in the most blatant and perverse manner are Bihar , Jharkhand and Karnataka. There can be many more examples.

Thus, more important than the elections, it is the post-poll scenario that has become much more relevant. With aspirations running high and the ambitions going sky-bound, each one of these groups and sub-groups lay their claim on the highest chair. The result is often visible in the form of a caricature of democracy where these legislators present the dirty dance before us which we as the helpless citizen are forced to watch. There is an immediate and the most urgent need to make some formulations in which the formation of a government and its continuity becomes almost an automatic and mechanical exercise, so that these greedy politicians do not have much discretion left to them in these matters. This is one such suggestion that India needs to adopt at all costs. Otherwise, things are going to turn for the worse in the days to come.

Again, the simultaneous elections for the National and State legislatures is a much desired goal. No doubt, its initiation would face some practical difficulties because over the years, the different State Assemblies have got spread over a very wide spectrum and hence many of them might try to show their disagreement as regards the date of dissolution for beginning this process. One suggestion in this regards could be to make a mathematical formulation for deciding this matter and to enforce it.

Finally, I would like to add that while Advani is absolutely correct when he asks for such changes. But he certainly goes off tangent when he finds a place for the Election Commission in this process. May be, this is the hangover of the Election Commission's overriding powers that it has usurped over the years. It is because the Election Commission is nothing more than a regulatory and implementing body, albeit deriving some authority through the Constitution but it does not have a role in the Policy formations of basic and fundamental nature. This is the work that will have to be done only the political parties themselves, with the aid and assistance of the academicians, legal luminaries and other enlightened citizen.

Though it may sound a bit too unrealistic but I am sure the real compulsions of our democratic system will sooner or later force us to move in this direction.

Dr Nutan Thakur
IRDS, Lucknow

Fixed Tenure for Legislatures

Fixed Tenure for Legislatures

While casting his vote at Ahmedabad during the third phase of the elections, L K Advani raised a few fundamental issues which need to be taken seriously. He asked the political parties and the Election Commission to think over changing the Constitution for a fixed tenure for Lok Sabha and the Assemblies. He said that the same went on for the first four General elections but this has been completely delinked since 1971 pre-mature dissolution of the Parliament. He also spoke of voting being made compulsory and to take place in the month of February.

It is true that Advani is being liked and disliked in equal measures by people on both side of the divide. There is a perceptibly large number of people who are in no way among the admirer of the person but despite this fact each of his words as narrated above need to be taken seriously. There is no doubt that despite our country voting for a new Parliament to be followed by a new government, two important factors are there for everyone to see. The first of these is the low voter turn out which goes down as low as 25% in a state like Jammu & Kashmir and in general falls around 50%. While one of the important reasons for such a situation might be the voter's apathy and complete disinterest towards these political persons whom they have seen long to get completely disenchanted and averse, yet a sizeable percentage of low voting can easily be attributed to the weather where the simmering heat around the country is making people stay in their homes instead of moving out to vote. Thus, if in an urban constituency like Lucknow or Kanpur , the voting is as low as 39% or 42%, then it is time for all of us to sit down and to ponder.

Since the democracy, by its very genesis, is the kind of government which relates itself to people (i.e. the voters) and gains all its strength and authority from this very fact, hence if more than half the voting population does not come out to cast its most potent weapon, then the entire exercise automatically becomes meaningless. Can any one cherish the fact that the winning candidate from many of the Constituencies shall be representing it with hardly 10-15% of the voting population having okayed his candidature? This is a serious question that we need to answer. For this some kind of compulsion as regards casting one's vote might be enforced. And it will not be a dictatorial order, it will more be a facilitator for this great cause. But to enforce this compulsory voting status, the State needs to take a very large number of measures which could guarantee this mandatory voting provision. This would include all the possible use of innovative technological and managerial ideas and their pooling together to come up with a solution which provides every voter such a condition where casting the vote does not come as a distraction or disturbance or nuisance to them. Changing the voting season to February seems to a brilliant idea because this is the month which has the least amount of distractions, disturbances and diversions.

Even more important is the issue raise by him where he has suggested a fixed tenure for all the State Assemblies along with the National Parliament. If only such a thing could actually happen ! It would not only solve many of our problems but would also reduce the costs and trouble in the entire exercise to a massive scale. There are two different issues involved here. The first one is as regards the fixed tenure of these Legislative bodies. Their need is increasingly being felt. With the kind of "hung" legislative bodies where the people's verdict is completely fractured, the fear of a deadlock where none of the groups or formations is able to form a government is becoming the order of the day. We saw this at the National scale on so many occasions in the past. The same holds true for the States. The few recent examples where it happened in the most blatant and perverse manner are Bihar , Jharkhand and Karnataka. There can be many more examples.

Thus, more important than the elections, it is the post-poll scenario that has become much more relevant. With aspirations running high and the ambitions going sky-bound, each one of these groups and sub-groups lay their claim on the highest chair. The result is often visible in the form of a caricature of democracy where these legislators present the dirty dance before us which we as the helpless citizen are forced to watch. There is an immediate and the most urgent need to make some formulations in which the formation of a government and its continuity becomes almost an automatic and mechanical exercise, so that these greedy politicians do not have much discretion left to them in these matters. This is one such suggestion that India needs to adopt at all costs. Otherwise, things are going to turn for the worse in the days to come.

Again, the simultaneous elections for the National and State legislatures is a much desired goal. No doubt, its initiation would face some practical difficulties because over the years, the different State Assemblies have got spread over a very wide spectrum and hence many of them might try to show their disagreement as regards the date of dissolution for beginning this process. One suggestion in this regards could be to make a mathematical formulation for deciding this matter and to enforce it.

Finally, I would like to add that while Advani is absolutely correct when he asks for such changes. But he certainly goes off tangent when he finds a place for the Election Commission in this process. May be, this is the hangover of the Election Commission's overriding powers that it has usurped over the years. It is because the Election Commission is nothing more than a regulatory and implementing body, albeit deriving some authority through the Constitution but it does not have a role in the Policy formations of basic and fundamental nature. This is the work that will have to be done only the political parties themselves, with the aid and assistance of the academicians, legal luminaries and other enlightened citizen.

Though it may sound a bit too unrealistic but I am sure the real compulsions of our democratic system will sooner or later force us to move in this direction.

Dr Nutan Thakur
IRDS, Lucknow

Asthma control is appalling in most countries

World Asthma Day (5 May 2009)
Asthma control is appalling in most countries

More than 300 million people around the world have asthma, and the disease imposes a heavy burden on individuals, families, and societies.

The Global Burden of Asthma Report, indicates that asthma control often falls short and there are many barriers to asthma control around the world. Proper long-term management of asthma will permit most patients to achieve good control of their disease. Yet in many regions around the world, this goal is often not met.

Poor asthma control is also seen in the lifestyle limitations experienced by some people with asthma. For example, in some regions, up to one in four children with asthma is unable to attend school regularly because of poor asthma control. Asthma deaths are the ultimate, tragic evidence of uncontrolled asthma.

According to the Global Burden of Asthma Report, the majority of asthma deaths in some regions of the world are preventable. The theme of World Asthma Day 2009, an awareness-raising event organized by the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA), is "You Can Control Your Asthma."

This theme emphasizes that effective asthma treatments exist and, with proper diagnosis, education, and treatment, the great majority of asthma patients can achieve and maintain good control of their disease. When asthma is under control, patients can live full and active lives.

According to the GINA Global Strategy for Asthma Management and Prevention (2007), asthma control means that a person with asthma has:

- No (or minimal) asthma symptoms - No waking at night due to asthma

- No (or minimal) need to use "reliever" medication

- The ability to do normal physical activity and exercise

- Normal (or near-normal) lung function test results

- No (or very infrequent) asthma attacks

Some people with asthma symptoms may never receive a diagnosis of asthma, and thus do not have the opportunity for good asthma treatment and control. Various factors such as poor access to medical care, under-recognition by health professionals, lack of awareness among patients, and overlap of asthma symptoms with those of other diseases contribute to under-diagnosis of asthma.

One of the major barriers to asthma control is the high cost of medicines. For example, the cost of medicines is often higher than average monthly salary of a nurse in developing countries.

Also the Asthma medications are not available in some areas with alarming levels of asthma, such as parts of the Middle East, Southern Asia, Central America, and North, West, and East Africa.

Treatment that is not consistent with evidence-based guidelines may hamper asthma control. There are wide variations in clinical management of asthma in different parts of the world, and even when cost is not a barrier under-treatment may still occur.

The under-use of inhaled gluco-corticosteroids for long-term management of asthma is a common problem. These medications diminish chronic inflammation in the lungs of asthma patients, and are a key to controlling the disease.

In many regions of the world, people with asthma may be exposed to conditions such as outdoor or indoor air pollution, cigarette smoke, or chemicals on the job that make their asthma worse. Avoiding risk factors that cause asthma symptoms is an important strategy for improving control.

- Bobby Ramakant

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