Caution Is Not Complacency

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR, The Economic Times, Mumbai.

I am worried about the third issue taken up by Arvind Panagariya in the editorial ... Indian Growth Miracle Faces Threat, published in The Eco Times, Thu 25th Feb 2010, Mumbai, page-16. (see attached pdf file).

In his warning on the 'complacency factor' which has entered the policy levels, he mentions three issues, of which the third is about GM-foods. He feels that these would be of great benefit to the farmers of India and could be the second green revolution we are all looking for. No doubt there is a evidence to support 'gene splicing' for food, most of it supported by the creators. Yet one must not forget that all this is hardly one generation old, the author mentions ten year usage. Human memory is not so weak as to forget that all such inventions have a tendency to show problems after forty or more years. Can India afford to risk its farms, seeds and bio-diversity for this? I think not. Caution is the only key when we deal with a billion plus citizens, most of who will never be well-informed to make a meaningful choice, if such is left by the creators of GM-foods.

The American Academy of Environmental Medicine has warned that the public should avoid genetically modified (GM) foods, stating, "There is more than a casual association between GM foods and adverse health effects. There is causation." One cannot forget that the gene-modifiation is primarily done to improve yield and reduce pest attacks. This technic pre-supposes that the human metabolism and complex systems will rapidly adapt to the changes in the plant DNA. Currently, even the use of microwaves is being questioned since it causes damage to food DNA which are then likely to be treated as alien by the human metabolic system. Human and animal processes that evolved over hundreds of millenia are supposed to adapt in a human-generation. I think this goes against common sense. One needs to think this over carefully and not look for passing swallows hoping spring has come.

Praful Vora, Mumbai.

Raj – Dharma (originally written on 02nd Dec 2006 for "The Juhu Citizen" a JCWG publication at Mumbai, India.

There is a book by Kulapati K.M. Munshi (Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Mumbai, 1988), about a great ancient thinker and leader. This is a mythological story about BHAGAWAN PARASHURAM ... (RAMA of the AXE). He is supposed to have lived a rather long ascetic life in the Vedic times, he predates Krishna and Ram. He is supposed to have trained the leaders and kshatriyas in those days in the art and practice of war and weaponry ... becoming his pupil was considered the highest of glory ... same as IITs, IIMs, etc. of modern times. Because of this he knew the attitudes of his pupils and tried to mould these future leaders to lead their small countries to dharma (right conduct).

The Kshatriya class were the rajanyas at that time and ruled small areas often warring with each other and keeping the people poor and in a constant state of conflict. When he found that the rajanyas (that is the ruling class and kings) were not working for the welfare of the citizens and society, he would arrive with his ruthless army of Bhrighus and put every one of them to death. He is believed to have destroyed the kshatriyas twelve times 'from the face of the earth' since he found that military power made them a-dharmic ... they would forget raj-dharma.

I am struck by this ancient practice, which may be adapted even today. Nothing has changed since that time; we are having the same mind sets and same poor leadership, where welfare of citizens is last on the agenda of all rajanyas across the world. They meet in the UNO and spend tax payer’s monies and have all the royal perks, but deliver little. In their own countries they practice duplicity and some have democratic elections pretending to have advanced since the ancient days of kings and dictators. But the effective outcome for the citizens is worse than in the past. This is true of USA, India and also of Burkina-Faso. Over five thousand years and humans have not progressed to a better living standard for even ten percent of the human race. The class system (known as caste system) is more and more entrenched. We need a modern Parashuram ... he will be the sasvat-dharma-gopta, the protector of eternal dharma, who will root out the wicked and re-establish dharma.

Citizens of Juhu have made a beginning by adopting a plan known as VOTE WARD-63. They wish to bring democracy to grass roots level by selecting a Citizens Consensus Candidate and Area Sabha Representatives for the forthcoming Municipal Elections in Mumbai. This agenda and plan will soon be ‘notified’ by the Govt. of Maharashtra, since it is in line with the 74^th Amendment to the Indian Constitution. It will bring a new wave in political practice and hopefully new leaders will emerge who will be devoted to selfless service for the citizens of Great-India. It will put an end to the rent seeking criminalized political class of today. Please give your whole hearted support to this experiment by spreading the word and casting your precious vote. Let us opt for evolution and not revolution.

Places related to Rama of Ramayana

Here is a historic map of Bharata-India showing places reported to have been visited by Rama during the historic times of Bhagawan Rama.