The New Nation - Internet Edition

Lessons of Ekushey Book Fair

The month long 'Amar Ekushey Boi Mela (Book Fair) 2008' concluded in Dhaka the other day. The book fair has been successful in all respects: the number of visitors, publication of books and volume of sales. The number of books published during the month-long fair totaled 2,578 with 76 on the concluding day against 1,929 published last year. Sales amounted to Tk 20 crore whereas it was only two crore in the previous year.

The fair could have been a greater success if all the aspiring and deserving publishers could have been allotted stalls. Some publishers who claimed to have published and displayed quality books for years alleged that this time they got no stalls. With the passage of time the demand for books and the number of publishers have increased. So the organisers should make arrangements to accommodate a greater number of publishers. The short visiting hours of the fair did not give the buyers sufficient time and space to select books at ease. Some book lovers have opined that the Bangla Academy should organise the fair by earmarking move space for the same. Rush for the purchase of books during the Ekushey Fair has been turning into a tradition. It deserves to be nurtured.

Most of the books published during the month were of quality. But alongside them, many other books were allegedly pirated. Display and sale of such books tarnished the image of the fair. The organisers must be vigilant against such practices. Quality publications help upgrade the nation intellectually. The concerned authorities should ensure the publication of books rich in form and content. Publication of books containing pirated materials, wrong and biased information, faulty interpretation, distorted and sub-standard ideas that contradict hopes, aspirations and ideals of the nation should be discouraged.

Gas and power crises

POWER generation in the country is substantially dependent on gas as the power plants are mostly gas-fired. Shortage of gas is, thus, hampering power production which in turn has also created a power crisis. Power Development Board (PDB) sources reportedly said, poor gas supply has meant the complete shutdown of two power plants while power generation in eight more units dwindled to more than half of their normal capacity. But the present declining generation of power with little prospects of improvement, is creating deep worry about a severe power crunch in the coming summer months when demand for power will soar but meeting the demand would be difficult.

Many industries in the Tongi-Gazipur industrial belt around Dhaka are under-producing as these are gas-based and the poor supply of gas to the industries is seriously hindering their production activities. The industries in most cases are export-oriented and their failure to produce enough is not only denying them earnings but also posing a threat to their goodwill abroad.

Gas is also used in large volumes to produce fertiliser. But production in the fertiliser factories has fallen drastically in view of the gas crisis. The Council of Advisers' recent approval to allow the import of over 0.1 million tonnes of fertiliser is indicative of the situation.

There was a record investment in new industrial enterprises in recent years. The operation and viability of many of them have become uncertain in the face of inadequate availability of energy. Thus, from any angle one looks at it, the economy is facing a grave situation as a consequence of the shrunken supply of gas. Thus, government needs to work on an emergency footing to boost the generation of gas from the existing reserves, supply the same in adequate quantities to users, specially the power plants. Development of new reserves and urgent import from Myanmar should also be ensured, if need be.

Killing innocent people is not friendly act

M. Mizanur Rahman

Bangladesh got India as the most dependable friend and ally during its Liberation War in 1971. Many Indian soldiers laid down their valued lives as sacred sacrifice for Bangladesh. We very gratefully appreciate and acknowledge their heroic deeds. This is really unforgettable. In the same perspective we expect India to remain ever bound in the bond of friendship with Bangladesh unconditionally like those of our liberation days in the hours of our sorrow and suffering. We always believe that a friend in need is a friend in deed. We must have that reciprocity. It is our good government that maintains good relations with all countries, especially the neighbouring friendly countries in all respect.

Since Farakka Barrage was constructed in India, Bangladesh is suffering being a lower riparian country bordering India. As a result, agro-economy of Bangladesh has since been seriously affected. Due to some intransient policy of the Indian government the problem is yet to be settled. The people of Bangladesh has been forbearing this inhuman act of India due to its inalienable friendship with India for ages immemorial to history. Meanwhile Bangladesh is sharing interests, more or less, with India being bound in the comity of the SAARC nations. In spite of a very heavy trade imbalance between India and Bangladesh it has been keeping dependable space in its trades and commercial enterprises. A railway link between these two countries is going to be set aright soon.

Moreover, we expect, if the visa system between the SAARC countries is withdrawn, the interaction between the people of these poor countries would be progressing further in all respect towards alleviating poverty. Not only physical communication but also moral and psychological communication would have to be prioritised by the governments and the people of these concerned countries. This is the matter of intelligence and sagacity of the leaders of these nations.

We are sometimes frustrated to go through the media that many of our innocent farmers, small traders like cattle traders or peddlers or common people or wanderers bordering India are often being shot down and killed or wounded or kidnapped from within our sovereign area by the Indian Border Security Force personnel without provocation.

Can anybody expect such inhuman conduct from any friendly neighbour? There is hardly any remedial measure that has ever been taken by the government of India except some flag meetings between the BSF and BDR officials.

This can never be termed friendliness. This sort of hostility must be stopped forever.

No common people in Bangladesh would entertain such cruelty from Indian side easily. The human grievances that culminate enmity are inherent.

The Indian government should take care of it immediately and arrange to stop killing our Bangladeshi innocent people inhumanly by the BSF personnel. They must also be ordered not to cross the no-man's land. The killed and wounded people should be compensated and the culprits be punished after proper investigation.

It is obviously true that incursion of Indian and Bangladeshi borders by the people of both the areas are evident now and then. Because the division of Bengal in 1947 as per Radcliffe Award was so half hazard and irrelevant that the common people of both the countries fail to understand the demarcation lines while this border areas are vast and horizontally long.

Only there are some key posts for the security personnel of both the countries to keep on watching trespass or illegal incursion. It does not mean that the Border Security Force personnel without any judgment should give the innocent or ignorant people death penalties for trespassing or illegal incursions, if there is any. What legal authority has been bestowed upon the security personal by the constitution of their respective countries to execute such capital punishment by gun shooting to their alien or own people?

We in Bangladesh are shocked on hearing the killings of people at Satkhira and Thakurgaon borders, by the Indian Border Security Force personnel who trespassed inside Bangladesh.

No free and democratic country on earth can allow such an untoward occurrence time and again. It is regrettable to say that our innocent people of the independent and democratic free country had been the prey or victim of the senseless gun-shooters of another friendly democratic country. How can it be possible? Would government of India rein the killers of its own establishment? It should be, the sooner the better.

Bird Flu: Avoid unwanted panic

Md. Sazedul Islam

People should not be worried about the outbreak of bird flu, which was first detected near the capital in March last year and has since spread mostly to northern districts though there have been no cases of human infection.

Many of our poultry farm businessmen would face financial trouble if people being unnecessarily panicked stop eating poultry birds or eggs. People should not also spread panic unnecessarily for the interest of the country.

As per the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestocks, till February 23, some nine lakh chickens in 44 districts has been culled since H5 virus has been detected in 177 poultry farms of the country.

The government said there is no reason for any panic or concern and has advised the public that "poultry birds and eggs can be consumed as usual through normal cooking".

Asking the people not to panic, government officials said they should be more aware of the disease and should take cautionary measures like refraining from buying sick chickens or other sick fowls, washing their hands properly with detergent after touching fowls and eggs, and putting a stop to mixed fowls farming as ducks are sometimes the carriers of the virus, spreading it to other fowls.

The government took tough measures by banning the importation of poultry from dozens of countries. Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) was directed to check illegal entry of poultry and eggs from India as in West Bengal the outbreak is currently at a severe level. The already infected farms in the country are under continuous monitoring and the city corporations were directed to improve their waste management to contain the spread of the virus

Although no human being has been infected with bird flu virus yet, the government is nonetheless prepared to face any such infection, said the officials.

The situation in Bangladesh now with regard to bird flu is far better than the situation in the adjoining Indian state of West Bengal, said officials of the Department of Livestocks.

People concerned should be made conscious of the need for correct waste management, particularly of poultry faeces which need to be buried deep into the soil instead of being thrown into open dustbins. 'The government already has enforced a countrywide poultry farms inspection programme involving all field level livestock officials and Ansar and VDP. Squads of veterinarians and animal health workers have been deployed at eleven border points for anti-viral drug sprays and their services will be made available for farms, which are already affected or exposed to attacks. Anti-viral drugs are also being given to farm owners and employees, who come in close contacts with farm birds.

The government emphasised the need for raising public awareness about safe dumping and management of poultry waste at the wet market places and also in the household.

To prevent the spread of bird flu disease into humans, public health officials have been ordered to conduct laboratory test of suspected cases, health officials said.

The H5N1 strain was first detected in humans in 1997 and has killed 60 people in Southeast Asia in 2003. Bird flu has hit poultry flocks across the world and killed more than 175 people since late 2003, most of them in Southeast Asia, according to the World Health Organisation. Wild migratory birds have been blamed for the global spread of the disease.

Bird flu - avian influenza - is caused by an influenza type virus that mainly affects wild and domestic birds particularly domestic poultry and waterfoul such as chicken and ducks. It can spread rapidly between birds causing sickness and high death rates, especially in poultry farms and live bird markets where birds are kept close together.

Symptoms in humans are fever, headache, cough, muscle pain, eye infections, pneumonia, and severe respiratory diseases such as acute respiratory distress.

Those who have become infected have had close direct contact with infected birds. Human infection with avian influenza viruses usually causes mild conditions such as conjunctivitis (eye infection) and mild flu-like symptoms, with one notable exception, the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus. More severe infection can lead to pneumonia, acute respiratory distress, viral pneumonia, and other severe and life-threatening complications.

Experts advised people to be aware while buying fowls because if fowls seem sick, then it has to be avoided. They also asked people not to buy prepared fowls from shop. They said people should not approach the guest birds and not allow our poultry birds to mix with guest birds.

Local people have been asked to inform respective live stock office or ward member if any wild bird or guest bird show unnatural behaviour or die. People have also been asked not to buy and eat guest birds and refrain from its business.

The government advised, "Avoid Touching the bird with your bare hands. If possible, wear disposable protective gloves when picking up and handling. Place the dead bird in a suitable plastic bag, preferably leak proof. Care should be taken not to contaminate the outside of the bag. Tie the bag and place it in a second plastic bag. Remove the gloves by turning them inside out and then place them in the second plastic bag. Tie the bag and dispose of in the normal household refuse bin. Hands should then be washed thoroughly with soap and water ".

If disposable gloves are not available, a plastic bag can be used as a make-shift glove. When the dead bird has been picked up, the bag can be turned back on itself and tied. It should then be placed in a second plastic bag, tied and disposed of in the normal household waste.

Alternatively, the dead bird can be buried, but not in a plastic bag. Any clothing that has been in contact with the dead bird should be washed using ordinary washing detergent at the temperature normally used for washing the clothing. Any contaminated indoor surfaces should be thoroughly cleaned with normal household cleaner.

Awareness about bird flu could combat the disease.

(PID-Feature)

Indian budget 2008-09: A crude joke for the poor

Hem Raj Jain

The Paragraph 38. 'Flagship Programmes' of Indian budget 2008-09 reads "[National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) will be rolled out to all 596 rural districts in India. Initially, we will provide Rs. 16,000 Crore (160 Billion). Let there be no apprehension in any one's mind; as demand rises, more money will be provided to meet the legal guarantee of employment]".

This is a cruel & crude joke as given below on the most deprived (rural unemployed / underemployed) and mute section of fully civilian democratic India (which in this budget gave liberal benefits, in view of coming elections, to every vocal section of society including loan waiver of Rs. 60,000 Crore to farmers, income tax benefits to affluent service class, customs, CST, & excise duty cuts to businessmen & industrialists etc.) and which justifies diarchal democracy in Pakistan if it assumes additional martial jurisdiction of human rights (including basic human right of livelihood) with the Center in addition to its traditional jurisdictions of defense, internal security, assent to legislation etc in tandem with civil jurisdiction with elected State politicians: -

(1)- No sensible person in India including Governments of India (GOI) and its States believe that 8-10 % consistent GDP growth rate (which, as presently will always benefit only a small segment of Indian population and that too is now uncertain in the backdrop of US recession) will automatically solve the problem of large scale unemployment / underemployment of India due to trickle down effect. What to talk of short term, even after a decade or more (which India does not have politically) of such GDP growth, it will not percolate to a grass root level where burning unemployment / underemployment problem of India can have any respite worth the name.

(2)- Hence NREGS started from Feb 2006 in 200 districts. For financial year 2006-2007 budgetary support for NREGA was Rs. 11,300 Crore. Last year this scheme was in 330 districts of India and for 100 days for one spouse. But as per contingent provisions of NREG Act and assurance given in Parliament it is going to be for 300 working days by 2010 for both the spouses.

(3)- But as per media, the recent report by Comptroller & Auditor General of India found that only 18 days of employment was available as against a target of 100 days while only 3.2 percent of all registered households could avail of this scheme.

(4)- By granting merely 16,000 Crore this year in budget, Government of India (GOI) has increased only 4,700 Crore over 11,300 Crore. That means neither 100 days work is expected be given to job seekers in enhanced number of districts nor GOI wants all 100 % registered households to avail of this scheme.

(5)- In view of CAG report, it is evident that GOI through inefficient implementation of NREGS is not meeting the demand of employment by job seekers. But GOI could issue such callous budget statement that "as demand rises, more money will be provided" without realizing that raised demand is already there. This tantamount taking excuse of its own inefficiency to deny seriousness & adequate funds to NREGS, hence deliberate denial of employment by GOI to large poor population of India.

(6)- Even with present offer, NREGS is going to employ about 90 million unskilled Indians (if present government data for only 330, districts available on the website of Ministry of Rural Development is any indication - Andhra Pradesh with 42 M.P. employed 3.8 Millions hence India with 543 M.P. ought to employ 50 Millions) and with 596 districts with even slight improvement in job availability 90 million job seekers are bound to be there.

(7)- For these 90 Million people the wages itself at Rs. 60 per day of statutory minimum wages for 100 working days will cost 54,000 Crore (540 Billion) - [If merely soil digging and filling is not to be carried out and assets are to be created in NREGS for giving boost to revenue generation then of course cost will go up tremendously].

(8)- There is a huge difference between Rs. 540 Billion and Rs. 160 Billion and which can not be bridged by such misleading budget statement that "as demand rises, more money will be provided". Therefore GOI should categorically make a budgetary provision of Rs. 540 Billion for NREGS so that not only financial implication of NREGS in its present form (and also in future form when NREGS will be implemented fully within another two years where it will employ both the spouses for 300 hundred working days) are realized by the people of India but also GOI becomes aware of its responsibility to ensure the efficient implementation of NREGS so that this scheme, as per the letter and spirit of the law, can ultimate provide guarantee of bare minimum sustenance to needy almost half of India.

(9)- This Rs. 540 Billion for NREGS (and future heavy expenditure) is not difficult to mobilize if GOI confine itself to its jurisdictions of defense, internal security, human rights of livelihood through NREGS etc and leaves all other jurisdiction (like agriculture, health, education, infrastructure - roads, power, etc.) which Center has unnecessarily usurped and is still trying to further usurp from the States in utter disregard to the principles of federalism and which has sapped the initiative & dynamism from the States.

(10)- Moreover GOI has to be further careful. Though through Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act, GOI is trying to give an impression that it is not resorting to impermissibly high fiscal deficits but GOI (and States) should know that their debts are in violation of Article 292 & 293 of The Constitution of India. Because GOI and States have incurred debts beyond the security (worth) of their consolidated funds as is evident from the heavy interest (revenue expenditure) they are paying on these debts. Therefore GOI should avoid being profligate as it has been during this budget by spending on usurped jurisdictions and by indulging in charity to farmers etc. and save its money for NREGS, which is its statutory responsibility.

[The way GOI has handled interest on loan (which once went even above 18 percent per year), has been nothing short of scandal. One need not be Islamite to realize the importance of low interest rates. Even up to fifties money was easily available to businessmen at Annas 6 (Rupee 1 = 16 Annas) against hundis (traditional promissory notes) which brings interest at Rs 4.50 per year. Therefore there is no reason why money should not be made available to every body and not merely to farmers at Rs. 4.50 per year by passing a suitable legislation unless GOI wants India to become a nation of high interest seekers (byajkhor)].

(11)- GOI should also desist from portraying farmers as weaker section of society. With NREGS in place, no body is weak in India. Under misconceptions about socialism, India tried to give & romanticize small land pieces to people which resulted in uneconomical land holdings and which is the main reason for the problems of most of these farmers. There is no reason why these small farmers cannot become the part of NREGS if they invariably find it difficult to pay back their loans.

(12)- If farmers (who are comparatively more powerful politically than most of the unskilled workers being engaged in NREGS) on finding their holdings economically untenable join NREGS in large numbers then NREGS will not remain merely a social welfare program for unskilled jobless workers (as is being taken by most, hence matter of neglect by GOI) but will be utilized for creating assets with the help of semiskilled / skilled workers and material needed for such assets and which will make it an integral and important part of Indian economy.

(13)- India since independence has been deriding Pakistan for being politically subservient to USA but now the way India is treating NREGS (which tantamount to India becoming 50% communist as GOI will sustain half of India through NREGS) it raises reasonable suspicion that India has become economically subservient to USA which will do every thing to ensure full capitalism in India especially with such huge foreign investment in India. In this exercise USA has rightly counted on hard-core capitalist economists like Manmohan, Chidambaram, Ahluwalia (Prime Minister, Finance Minister, Dy. Chairman Planning Commission).