The New Nation - Internet Edition

Distribution of diesel subsidy

THE government has decided to distribute Taka 540 crore as diesel subsidy among farmers in order to reduce the pressure of increased diesel price. Under a similar programme, subsidies of about Tk.250 crore were distributed during the last Boro season among some 66 lakh farmers. The Ministry of Agriculture is preparing a list of farmers who use diesel-fuelled irrigation pumps for Boro cultivation for this season.

The subsidy distribution last time was reportedly marked by irregularities and corruption. Experiences of last year should be utilised to plug in the loopholes. There should be a built-in mechanism to minimise the scope of errors in the distribution system. The previous list allegedly included names of ineligible farmers. Another serious shortcoming was that the farmers were given subsidies after the irrigation period was over. This time, the government has decided to complete the work before mid-December. Timely distribution of the subsidy is the key to achieving the target of 1.8 crore tonnes of boro rice.

Boro cultivation accounts for almost 50 percent of the country's annual foodgrain production. During the last Boro season the production of foodgrains surpassed the target of 1.5 crore tonnes. Without subsidy it would not have been possible for the farmers seriously affected by repeated floods and a super cyclone to invest properly in the Boro crop. This reinforced the notion that the state has an obligation to intervene to address crises. Governments of different countries have given huge subsidies not only to bail out financial institutions but also to protect farmers. Timely distribution of subsidy alongside supply of other inputs including fertiliser to farmers is vital for achieving food production targets. The nation cannot afford to take chances in dealing with the production of foodgrains, which are increasingly becoming scarce in international markets.

The 'massacre’ game

AS reported from London, British Muslims condemned as deeply offensive a computer game called 'Muslim Massacre', which trumpets itself as a 'game of modern religious genocide.' The computer game which can be downloaded for free on the Internet, urges players to 'wipe out the Muslim race with an arsenal of the world's most destructive weapons.' The makers of this 'game' and the Internet service providers who are hosting it should be quite ashamed of themselves,' the Muslim Council of Britain spokesperson remarked as quoted by the news report. Anti-Muslim prejudice is already on the increase and needs to be challenged and not reinforced through tasteless stunts like this.

Players in the game - the aim of which is to ensure that no Muslim man or woman is left alive - control an 'American Hero' wielding a machine gun and a rocket launcher parachuted into the Middle East. The computer game maker, known as Sigvatr, described it as 'fun and funny' that crossed all limits. Writing on the 'SomethingAwful.com' discussion forum website that carried a front-page ad - 'Don't be a liberal pussy! Download this game now!' The Ramadhan Foundation, a British Muslim youth organization, accused it of 'glorifying the massacre or killing of Muslims in the Middle East.' If it was the other way round, with a game featuring Muslims killing others, there would be uproar and rightly so.

In fact, certain elements in some European countries carry out the anti-Islam and anti-Muslim campaigns in an orchestrated way, as if, as part of their hidden agenda in line with Huntington's 'Clash of Civilisations' taking advantage of the religious tolerance of the world's fastest growing faith - Islam. By indulging in such nefarious activities scopes of a broad-based understanding with the followers of Islamic faith for peace are being undermined.

Controlling import of adulterated food items

Zakir Hossain Khan and Farzana Zaman

Dreams turn into nightmare when the poison engulfs, even, the milk that keeps my baby survive. The adulteration in baby food, with high content of melamine, is a new addition in the realm of crimes. A group of dishonest business entities (inside and outside the country) have been doing these sorts of crimes in collusion with the concern government and the private officials. People, usually, believed to have the presence of impure foods in their daily intake, but the extent of the adulteration was first noticed slightly by the ant-adulteration drive in the recent past time. Ultimately, this anti-adulteration drive brought the golden-scope for the traders to earn abnormal profit by importing outdated and adulterated foods along with the so-called highly nutrient baby foods. The traders attracted the several mothers through mind-blowing advertisements and many mothers shifted to milk powder and have already dependent unconsciously on the imported death-trap. Around 42,583.46 metric ton milk power was imported in last FY 2007-08,and its market price is around Tk.1500 crore; on the other hand, the rough estimate of the economic benefit of breast feed is around Tk.2,000 crore. If the government has been more active to create awareness, we could have saved not only Tk.1,500 crore also the cost of illness includes the treatment and other associated costs.

Any sickness is related to the productivity loss and Medicare costs; if any disaster is held in public health that will push the government to divert the allocation for development activities to mitigate the crisis. We are better informed that several African countries have been bound to spend the lion-share of their national budget for mitigating the diseases like AIDS, Malaria and other risky diseases. Bangladesh is also at risk of facing this cost burden as the rate of contaminated diseases and cancers have been increasing alarmingly. Taking these threats into the mind, several specialists, including public health experts, have been warning frequently about the future health related risks and upcoming disaster that would be caused by the irresponsible as well as ignorance of the concern government agencies; unfortunately, no mentionable move from government is observed yet. We think this is the last time to do adopt the precautionary measures and invest in safeguard measures to avoid any unbearable future costs for Medicare costs and loss of productivity of future generation. As our problems get momentum, it is the high time to adopt significant following steps. To control any crisis creates from the food related public health concern the Government should adopt the following steps as immediate measures.

To confirm the purity of the consumed foods including the presence of melamine in baby milk Govt. should declare either BCSIR or Dept. of Chemistry of DU or ICDDRB or any research institute as only recognized testing center to avoid any confusion and giving right signal to the producers, traders, and consumers. We have to recall that we have already experienced the formalin, arsenic and latest melamine in the foods, no one know what is in the next. Regarding reliability of the testing centers, the institutions must be examined ensuring adequate equipments and staff and conducting any tests.

Govt. should make the campaign about the health cost of not breast feeding and for increasing the exercise of the breast feeding and localized food products, exemplary punishments of the adulterers and regular mobile courts,

Instant test of the suspected food products at customs clearance points through recognized several testing institute and giving importance on the safety or sanitary issues both the goods exported and consumed locally.

Not only in case of the food poisoning at all sectors the major lack is inaccuracy or absent of right information to the citizens or consumers. In that case, under the leadership of nationally famous media personal a campaign program should be started soon with the regular advertisements about the safe foods and legal provision into electronic and print media and engagement of the popular professional to motivate the general people. A region-wise focal point can work to bring the efficiency in the campaign.

In case of any adulteration in foods, especially in the presence of the melamine or other chemicals in powder milk or other baby foods, thousands of kids will face unexpected sickness which may cause temporary or permanent damage of their body organ along with the cost of treatments and future risks of failure to maintain the normal life. In that case, the concern citizen, in favor consumers, should file case against the adulterers based on the estimate of the cost of illness.

Since 1860 around 18 laws/acts have been introduced to deal the cases related to food safety and protecting adulterations (Dr.T.Afrooz, Sep'08), but the major drawbacks of those laws/acts are- i) absence of unique and complexity free law; ii) not equitable (in CPA 2008, in case of the adulteration the alleged business man would get sentence not more than three years or 2 lac Tk) in case of penalty for all types of adulteration; iii) complexity and time-consuming specially in case of getting compensation; iv) people have to heavily dependent on the advocate to choose the law and its provisions; v) absence of regulating the local re-packing (as per Institute of Public Health and Nutrition, around fifty percent food products including local and imported are found adulterated). Besides, unfortunately, the Consumers Protection Act 2008 has to bring changes in several clauses especially the member lists of the council and legal provision in case of the adulteration or business of impure foods.

Food safety in Bangladesh is now the cross departmental issue and 16 departments or ministries play role in food related matters. At all respects, including effectiveness of the policy and easiness of implementations point of view, this current form of food safety management is not compatible with the several developed countries.

It is urgency of creating a central food and drug authority with empowering the appointed food safety related experts (ensuring not to create another bureaucrat-rich burdensome commission) to ensure the quality and safety ness of the product at international standard with adequate facility of testing of all products, framing efficient, equitable and dynamic law/act, SRO/ordinance, accreditation and certification (both system and product), inspection/monitoring and enforcement of the law and overall food safety related policy formulation and guiding public and private sectors. This authority will only be accountable to the parliament. CAB or other citizens group, working to ensure the consumers' rights, should work coordinated way to research and disseminate information to the consumers and Govt. should provide regular fund to the programs of these organizations.

They will educate the consumers about the current and upcoming health risks through radio and TV channels and print media can be used to pass the information at the cost effective way. The Govt. should ban all advertisements of the foods which are not supported by the scientific proofs.

Govt. should engage experts to introduce the market based environmental tools such as green tax, subsidy to organic food producers, ambient permits and other tariff to the marketing of not expecting food and drugs. Apart from this, non-tariff barriers should be practiced to ban the suspected food and drug items at import stage.

A single window administration can only take any action promptly and the decision making process becomes easier. Dynamic law and its right enforcement, precautionary measures and right standardisation can ensure the expected safeness of foods.

Above all, the mass awareness about the adulteration and change of the perception about foreign food and beverage can only protect any food related health risks beyond attainable. We can only say that consciousness begets consciousness.

(Writers: M. Zakir Hossain Khan, Researcher in economics and governance; and Farzana Zaman, Lecturer of MIU)

Who wants Arab money?

Aijaz Zaka Syed

At the height of the Asian financial crisis and meltdown of Russia in 1990s, a pundit said that Boris Yeltsin went to bed drunk and Brazil woke up with a hangover.

The Asian crisis was little more than a patch of rough weather, compared to the current financial catastrophe. This may be the biggest financial crisis the world has ever seen, even bigger than the 1929 Crash. The Depression was confined to the US and the world was not as globalized as it is today.

For once one finds oneself agreeing with Tom Friedman. The world is indeed flat. Which is why from Asian tigers to India and China, and from the old Europe to Latin America, no one has emerged unscathed from the Wall Street carnage.

Although the Gulf states have taken some drubbing, the region has largely managed to insulate itself against the total collapse as the US, Europe and other economies have experienced.

Of course, this is not thanks to some clever thinking on the part of Arabs. It's because of the simple fact that the region isn't still fully integrated into the global financial system.

Which is how you have the Arabs patting themselves for managing to hold on to their assets and investments. The value of Arab investments in the US and Europe may have shrunken after the crisis but they will survive. The Arabs have been saved by investments in their own countries and elsewhere and of course the recent windfall of oil revenues.

So it's rather gratifying to see British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and other movers and shakers queuing up for Arab money. Many a pundit including yours truly has been prophesying for some time about the shift of wealth and economic clout from West to the East. One did not anticipate the change to come so early and so swiftly though.

Brown's visit to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf emirates is particularly sobering considering the fact the empire on which the sun never set till recently ruled the world and practically controlled the region. What an amazing turn of fortunes!

Well, I don't have anything against Brown. In fact, one should thank him for ridding us all of the misery of watching his predecessor's antics. He may not have the gift of the gab of a Tony Blair. But look how efficiently he has responded to the Wall Street crisis. Compare this with the bumbling disaster across the Atlantic and you realize what real leadership is all about.

And now Brown wants Arab states to rescue Europe and the world economy with their money and direct contribution to the IMF.

So what should the Arabs do? They should do all they can to help of course. But all financial aid comes with conditions. Ask the Bretton Woods twins. The Arab aid should be extended with strings attached too.

The Arabs need to tell the West they will part with their money only if it puts an end to the continuing injustice and exploitation in the region.

If you want Arab money, then act to end the suffering of the Palestinians and persuade Israel to return what belongs to them.

For far too long, the West has protected and 'palled around' with Israel -- as Sarah Palin would put it -- while it has made a proud and independent people prisoners in their own land.

Revisit the UN history and see how many resolutions urging mercy for the Palestinians have been trashed by Israel over the past six decades.

Also, note how many times the US has vetoed the UN resolutions censuring Israel for its crimes against a helpless, defenseless people. Israel's friends in high places haven't even allowed a perfunctory UN warning asking the Zionists to behave.

It was cold fury and helplessness in the face of Israeli aggression and the contemptuous indifference of Western powers that forced the late King Faisal of Saudi Arabia, Shaikh Zayed of the UAE -- God bless them -- and other Arab states to resort to the Oil embargo during the 1973 Arab-Israel war.

While the Americans pretended to be friends with Arabs and enjoyed their oil at dirt-cheap prices, they provided military and logistical support to Israel against the Arabs in the '73 war. The Oil embargo brought the US and the Western powers to their knees illuminating the awesome power Nature has put at Arabs' disposal.

If necessary, the Arabs could use that option again with unimaginable consequences for the world economy. But they do not have to do that. There are other ways of making their voice heard today - and not just on the Palestine question.

This financial crisis offers the Arabs a rare opportunity to take charge of their destiny -- an opportunity that comes once in centuries.

Economics has never been my thing. But even a layman like me can see that what we are witnessing is an exponential change. And the Arabs are uniquely placed to be part of this amazing revolution, if not lead it.

They must make use of their resources investing them judiciously and strategically getting them real power and role on the world stage. Their time has come.

Speaking in Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, Brown held out the carrot of seats for Arab states at the high table in IMF for their contribution.

But why only IMF? What about the World Bank? What about the United Nations and other hallowed bodies that have been sitting in judgment on the fate of Arabs and Muslims? As any good banker would tell you, there are no free lunches in this world.

So why should the Arabs offer their money without being assured of substantial returns? Especially when until recently our American friends were not prepared to touch it with a barge pole. Remember the DP World fiasco and all the fuss they made about "the terrorists" taking over their ports? Suddenly, "the terrorists' money" is perfectly acceptable when it suits them.

The Arabs have to take advantage of this great opportunity. For far too long, they have been at the receiving end, playing pawns in the hands of big powers. It's time to end this dispossession and that of the rest of the world. History will not forgive the Arabs if they fail to do so.

Opinion: Racial slurs and human dignity

Chandra Muzaffar

The Selangor Education Department in Malaysia is taking some action against a secondary school teacher who had used racial slurs and verbally abused some students from a particular ethnic community. She is being transferred to another school in the same district and would undergo counseling.

This is not a solution. If the intention is to reform and to reeducate her, she should not be allowed to teach for a period of time. She might continue to hurl racial invectives at some of her students since she would not have been rehabilitated yet. Besides, some of her students in her new school may regard her with suspicion and may even be antagonistic towards her. It would be better if she is given a desk job - as an NGO, the Coalition of Indian Non-Governmental Organisations, has suggested - while she is undergoing counseling. If there is no marked improvement in her attitude towards the community in question and towards other communities, she should be dismissed from the teaching profession. A person who is capable of uttering such derogatory terms - as reported in an online newspaper - is not fit to be a teacher.

Racial and ethnic prejudices, stereotypes and misconceptions out of which emerge racial slurs abound in Malaysian society. Each and every Malaysian community is both a perpetrator and a victim of ethnic prejudices and stereotypes.

These stereotypes condition inter-ethnic relations, often without its perpetuators being aware of their impact. When a community lacks political or economic clout, it becomes even more vulnerable to ethnic stereotyping.

Among the prejudices and stereotypes that are seldom highlighted in our society are those related to 'colour'. (The teacher in the incident had allegedly made disparaging remarks about the skin 'colour' of the community concerned) Almost all Malaysian communities harbour a negative perception of 'dark' skin pigmentation and a positive view of 'light' skin colour.

The fact that such prejudiced notions of colour are openly expressed - and seldom challenged - suggests that there is very little awareness within Malaysian society of the malignant character of racially rooted attitudes.

This is why there has to be a concerted effort at all levels of society to convince Malaysians that racial prejudices and ethnic stereotypes are vicious and insidious and have no place in a civilized nation.

The family and the school, like the media and the community, have important roles to play in combating these destructive attitudes. Religion can also be a major resource in fighting racist thinking since all religions cherish the dignity of all human beings, regardless of colour or creed.

The Prophet Muhammad (may peace be upon him) for instance once admonished one of his closest companions for uttering a racial slur against Bilal, the dark skinned Abyssinian slave whom the Prophet literally and figuratively raised above all others by bestowing upon him the honour of proclaiming the azan ( the call for prayer). In his farewell address, the Prophet warned against feelings of racial and ethnic superiority as he proclaimed the equality and dignity of all human beings.

It is this message of the equality and dignity of all one's students - whatever their ethnic origin or religious affiliation - that the Malaysian teacher should imbibe and absorb into her outlook.