According to a newspaper report, our Executive Director to the World Bank Mr. Pulok Chatterjee, at an internal meeting of the World Bank in Washington DC on the 12th February, which was attended by Executive Director China - Mr. Shaolin Yang, World Bank General Counsel (legal) and Vice President South Asia Division, had verbally conveyed to the Bank, that no Arunachal Pradesh specific projects would be posed to it for financing.
“I also took the liberty to say that the names of the individual states would not be mentioned anywhere in the project document, and that the Government of India would not be posing any Arunachal Pradesh specific project to World Bank.” Mr. Chatterjee informed the Finance Secretary Mr. Ashok Chawla, in a letter written soon after the World Bank meeting. This letter is reportedly in the possession of that newspaper.
Quite expectedly, Mr. Shaolin Yang wanted operationalisation of this statement.
According to our Minister for External Affairs - Mr. S.M. Krishna, while defending the decision not to seek World Bank assistance for projects in Arunachal Pradesh, stated that “necessity arises when we are starved of funds for technical projects in our Country, which is inclusive of Arunachal Pradesh. As of now, for every project in Arunachal Pradesh, we have been able to tie up internal resources.”
But on its part, the Finance Ministry said that India had not made any commitment to the World Bank that it would not pose any Arunachal Pradesh specific projects. “ No such discussion or dialogue can be termed as a conclusive official stand or commitment till it has been formally approved by the government,” a statement from the Finance Ministry said.
Assuming the authenticity of these facts as reported in the newspaper, one wonders:
1. Who gave Mr. Chatterjee the authority or directive to give such kind of a verbal commitment to the World Bank officials, by specifically mentioning Arunachal Pradesh, and that too in the presence of Executive Director China - Mr. Shaolin Yang who later pressed for the operationalisation of this verbal statement ?
2. If Mr. Krishna’s defense of this decision by Mr. Chatterjee is to be accepted, then one wonders if stating such obvious facts was really called for ? Have other countries made similar kind of statements verbally or otherwise in such forums of the World Bank?
3. Would Mr. Krishna be kind enough to clarify if, as of now, are we funding all the technical projects in our country, from our own internal resources, or it is just confined to Arunachal Pradesh?
4. If we are indeed funding all the technical projects in our country as of now from our own internal resources (which would be truly amazing), then do we not reserve the right to approach the World Bank any time in the future, for funding requirements of any technical projects in any integral part of our country, including Arunachal Pradesh as well?
5. If we do reserve the right to approach the World Bank in the future, for funding requirements of technical projects in Arunachal Pradesh as well, besides others, then the verbal commitment given by Mr. Chatterjee, as accepted by him in his letter to the Finance Secretary Mr. Chawla, falls flat on his face, and should he be allowed to continue being our representative in the World Bank? and
6. If only the technical projects in Arunachal Pradesh are being and would be funded through our internal resources, then what reservations do we have in operationalising this statement of Mr. Chatterjee, as demanded by Mr.Yang?
The assertion of the Finance Ministry, that no such discussion or dialogue can be termed conclusive official stand or commitment, till it has been formally approved by the government, contradicts the stand taken by Mr. S.M. Krishna, and also puts a question mark on the credibility of Mr,. Pulok Chatterjee, who is after all a representative of the Indian Government at the World Bank.
The Ministry of External Affairs and the Finance Ministry seem to be contradicting each other in such a serious matter, which concerns the very integrity of our country. Assuming the authenticity of the above statement of the Finance Ministry, what if the Government of India overrules the verbal statement of Mr. Chatterjee, then would it not imply losing confidence in him besides contradicting our Minister of External Affairs Mr. Krishna as well?
With the Sharm El Shaikh disaster still fresh in our minds, this yet another possible faux pax concerning a troubled spot in our bilateral relationship with China, would be too much for us to bear.
While verbal denials , twisting of the words, playing upon the various possible interpretations, as is done usually by the spokespersons, might come in plenty, yet nothing short of rolling at least one head, should be the right action to send across a message, that when it comes to our territorial integrity, there can be and will be no compromise.
No prizes for guessing, whose head that should be.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Getting Our Priorities Right
The sustained campaign by the entire media including the digital, print, and online, for Shahrukh Khan and his film ‘My Name is Khan’ till just a few days ago, kind courtesy the questionable tactics employed by messers Shiv Sena, has been totally unprecedented.
While there was certainly some merit in opposing the public stand and tactics employed by messers Shiv Sena to oppose Shahrukh Khan and his film, yet the virtual monopolization of the entire media made one wonder, “ Was it akin to a national catastrophe or a question of our very survival, that the entire media literally went head over heels in such a sustained campaign, while relatively disregarding other events, which could have grave implications for our national integrity and security?”
The tragic killing of a Kashmiri teenager Zahid Farooq Sheikh by a BSF constable , near the Dal Lake on the 5th of February this year , is one such incident, which was a casuality in the media caught in the frenzy of SRK and MNIK. No doubt there was a mention of the same, but the news was soon overshadowed by the SRK and MNIK wave.
This tragic killing triggered off a wave of protest throughout the valley, so much so that the picture of a Kashmiri teenager aiming a stone at the security forces which was flashed in a leading newspaper, spoke volumes of the kind of deep embedded hatred in the psyche of an average Kashmiri against a very important symbol of the Indian state. Surprizingly and amazingly indeed, that photograph failed to capture the imagination of the media for obvious reasons as mentioned above.
The accused BSF constable has been arrested, and the law would take its own course, but then one question which should haunt our consciousness is, “ Are we really serious about retaining our side of Kashmir, not a yet another piece of land, but as a well integrated part of the Indian Republic?”
Twenty years have passed since the uprising in Kashmir began, thanks to the rigged elections of 1987, which gave Pakistan an opportunity to forment trouble and put the ‘K’ word on the center stage vis a vis India. Even though much water has flown since then, and countless lives have been lost unnecessarily, notwithstanding the psychological damage suffered by the Kashmiris who have had to pay a heavy price both in terms of bereavement, and having to live each day in fear and threat, we seem to be caught in an endless challenge, where Kashmir is concerned.
We seem to be nowhere to a permanent solution to this menance which reared its ugly head twenty years ago. To be fair to the security forces too, it must be admitted that due to the intense pressures on duty including the omnipresent threat of being shot by a terrorist’s bullet, some of them are indeed prone to taking leave of their senses and committing such disastrous acts like the tragic killing of Zahid Farooq Sheikh.
Such acts only serve to further alienate the Kashmiri population from the Indian state, which in turn would provide an excellent fodder to Pakistan to up their ante against India.
If we are indeed serious about retaining Kashmir as a well integrated part of the Indian Republic, then its high time that we the people of India , ably assisted by our media and online communities, moved heaven and earth to sensitize our political leadership and opinion makers of the need for drastic measures required to address this issue once in for all before it is too late. Specifically, apart from the appropriate confidence building measures in the valley, we need to equip our intelligence and security forces with state of art equipment to enable them foil all attempts to create mayhem both from across the LoC and within the valley.
It is here that the media can unleash a sustained campaign to ensure that it is done.
And finally, it would not be out of place to mention here that the blast at German Bakery in Pune, is yet another reminder of the fact that we still need to get our act together. This was one of the spots recced by David Headley, a fact known to all since quite some time.
The statement by the Chief Minister of Maharashtra , Shri Ashok Chavan, “ I will find out why no adequate steps and security was taken, “ when asked why the state had failed to react in advance to the security warnings issued by the Union Home Ministry says it all.
Initiatives like 'Aman Ki Asha' and a sustained campaign for issues like MNIK may have their own merits and are welcome. But however, they look out of place when our very existence and integrity is under threat, chiefly because of the sustained initiatives from across the border.
While there was certainly some merit in opposing the public stand and tactics employed by messers Shiv Sena to oppose Shahrukh Khan and his film, yet the virtual monopolization of the entire media made one wonder, “ Was it akin to a national catastrophe or a question of our very survival, that the entire media literally went head over heels in such a sustained campaign, while relatively disregarding other events, which could have grave implications for our national integrity and security?”
The tragic killing of a Kashmiri teenager Zahid Farooq Sheikh by a BSF constable , near the Dal Lake on the 5th of February this year , is one such incident, which was a casuality in the media caught in the frenzy of SRK and MNIK. No doubt there was a mention of the same, but the news was soon overshadowed by the SRK and MNIK wave.
This tragic killing triggered off a wave of protest throughout the valley, so much so that the picture of a Kashmiri teenager aiming a stone at the security forces which was flashed in a leading newspaper, spoke volumes of the kind of deep embedded hatred in the psyche of an average Kashmiri against a very important symbol of the Indian state. Surprizingly and amazingly indeed, that photograph failed to capture the imagination of the media for obvious reasons as mentioned above.
The accused BSF constable has been arrested, and the law would take its own course, but then one question which should haunt our consciousness is, “ Are we really serious about retaining our side of Kashmir, not a yet another piece of land, but as a well integrated part of the Indian Republic?”
Twenty years have passed since the uprising in Kashmir began, thanks to the rigged elections of 1987, which gave Pakistan an opportunity to forment trouble and put the ‘K’ word on the center stage vis a vis India. Even though much water has flown since then, and countless lives have been lost unnecessarily, notwithstanding the psychological damage suffered by the Kashmiris who have had to pay a heavy price both in terms of bereavement, and having to live each day in fear and threat, we seem to be caught in an endless challenge, where Kashmir is concerned.
We seem to be nowhere to a permanent solution to this menance which reared its ugly head twenty years ago. To be fair to the security forces too, it must be admitted that due to the intense pressures on duty including the omnipresent threat of being shot by a terrorist’s bullet, some of them are indeed prone to taking leave of their senses and committing such disastrous acts like the tragic killing of Zahid Farooq Sheikh.
Such acts only serve to further alienate the Kashmiri population from the Indian state, which in turn would provide an excellent fodder to Pakistan to up their ante against India.
If we are indeed serious about retaining Kashmir as a well integrated part of the Indian Republic, then its high time that we the people of India , ably assisted by our media and online communities, moved heaven and earth to sensitize our political leadership and opinion makers of the need for drastic measures required to address this issue once in for all before it is too late. Specifically, apart from the appropriate confidence building measures in the valley, we need to equip our intelligence and security forces with state of art equipment to enable them foil all attempts to create mayhem both from across the LoC and within the valley.
It is here that the media can unleash a sustained campaign to ensure that it is done.
And finally, it would not be out of place to mention here that the blast at German Bakery in Pune, is yet another reminder of the fact that we still need to get our act together. This was one of the spots recced by David Headley, a fact known to all since quite some time.
The statement by the Chief Minister of Maharashtra , Shri Ashok Chavan, “ I will find out why no adequate steps and security was taken, “ when asked why the state had failed to react in advance to the security warnings issued by the Union Home Ministry says it all.
Initiatives like 'Aman Ki Asha' and a sustained campaign for issues like MNIK may have their own merits and are welcome. But however, they look out of place when our very existence and integrity is under threat, chiefly because of the sustained initiatives from across the border.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Saath Saal Ab Hua Hai Saara...
A poem dedicated to our Republic on completing Sixty Years!!!!
"Saath saal ab hua hai saara,
Yeh pyaara gantantra Hindustan hamaara.
Hamein garv hai apni iis kamayabi par,
Jiski khabar hai ab duniya ke har kone kone par.
Rajpath par sajavat hai aaj kai jhalkiyon ki,
Hamare vibhinn pranton (various regions) ki,
Hamare kamayabi ki, khubsoorti ki,
Aur hamare taakat ke kai pehluon ki.
Jise' dekh rahe' hein aaj anginat log,
Yahaan bhi, aur duniya ke har kone par bhi."
Yeh Hindustan hai hamaara,
Dekhkar phir samajh rahe hein aaj hum bhi,
Aur duniya ke yeh anginat log sabhi."
Jai Ho !!!!
"Saath saal ab hua hai saara,
Yeh pyaara gantantra Hindustan hamaara.
Hamein garv hai apni iis kamayabi par,
Jiski khabar hai ab duniya ke har kone kone par.
Rajpath par sajavat hai aaj kai jhalkiyon ki,
Hamare vibhinn pranton (various regions) ki,
Hamare kamayabi ki, khubsoorti ki,
Aur hamare taakat ke kai pehluon ki.
Jise' dekh rahe' hein aaj anginat log,
Yahaan bhi, aur duniya ke har kone par bhi."
Yeh Hindustan hai hamaara,
Dekhkar phir samajh rahe hein aaj hum bhi,
Aur duniya ke yeh anginat log sabhi."
Jai Ho !!!!
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Are We So Insensitive and Selfish?
The TV visuals of a decorated cop R. Vetrivel - a member of the team that gunned down Verrappan in 2004, bleeding profusely and crying for help, before succumbing to his injuries, should stir the conscious of every individual of this country.
What is really disgusting is the fact that two ministers and their covoy who were a witness to this tragedy, did not have that much of sense to rush him immediately to a nearby hospital, where he might have been saved.
To have expected such a maganimity from our political class is like expecting the moon, but then what holds us back from such moral obligations of ours ?? The convoy had some other individuals as well, who could have acted in time and made that critical effort, which might have made all the difference.
We are the ones to expect the world out of our valiant fellow citizens, who have joined the security forces, as and when our lives and property are threatened, but then how many amongst us even have that much of virtue in us to reciprocate our moral obligations to these very fellow citizens of ours, when they need our help???
The late R. Vetrivel was no one of ours, so let him fade into oblivion while we get going with our respective lives, and keeping our hopes and expectations high as ever from these very fellow citizens of ours.
But then dear friends, just pause to reflect, what would be our feelings if one of our own loved one, faces the same tragic end as Vetrivel, all due to the fact that no one even bothered to have made that critical effort to save him ???
I shudder to even think about it.
What is really disgusting is the fact that two ministers and their covoy who were a witness to this tragedy, did not have that much of sense to rush him immediately to a nearby hospital, where he might have been saved.
To have expected such a maganimity from our political class is like expecting the moon, but then what holds us back from such moral obligations of ours ?? The convoy had some other individuals as well, who could have acted in time and made that critical effort, which might have made all the difference.
We are the ones to expect the world out of our valiant fellow citizens, who have joined the security forces, as and when our lives and property are threatened, but then how many amongst us even have that much of virtue in us to reciprocate our moral obligations to these very fellow citizens of ours, when they need our help???
The late R. Vetrivel was no one of ours, so let him fade into oblivion while we get going with our respective lives, and keeping our hopes and expectations high as ever from these very fellow citizens of ours.
But then dear friends, just pause to reflect, what would be our feelings if one of our own loved one, faces the same tragic end as Vetrivel, all due to the fact that no one even bothered to have made that critical effort to save him ???
I shudder to even think about it.
Monday, December 28, 2009
A Poem Dedicated to the Memory of Ruchika Girotra
Uspar zulm hua tha barson pehle,
Magar woh meri kuch nahi thi.
Uspar musibaton ka pahar toot pada tha barson pehle,
Magar woh meri kuch nahi thi.
Woh jujhti rahi oos zulm and oon musibaton ke beech,
Magar woh meri kuch nahi thi.
Ek din iis bereham zindagi se chutkara paakar,
Usne oos zulm aur oon musibaton se bhi chutkara paa liya,
Magar woh meri kuch nahi thi.
Achanak aaj barson baad,
Uspar huye woh zulm aur oon tamam musibaton ko lekar,
Mujhe kisi darinde par nafrat hone lagi hai,
Aur oos nafrat ki junoon mujhmein ek baghavat jagane lagi hai,
Magar woh meri kuch nahi thi.
Kaash! Barson pehle mein uske oos jung mein,
Ek jaanbaaz ki tarah sharik hua hota,
Aur kaash! Woh oos darinde par fateh paakar,
Aaj hum sab ke beech hoti.
Yeh chaahat ab mujhe satane lagi hai,
Mahar woh meri kuch nahi thi.
Translated:
She was tormented long ago,
But she was no one of mine.
Mountains of trouble were heaped upon her,
But she was no one of mine.
She valiantly battled all the brutalisation and all the troubles,
But she was no one of mine.
One fine day, by relieving herself from this merciless life of hers,
She got a relief from all that brutalisation and all those troubles,
But she was no one of mine.
Suddenly now, after so long,
With all that brutalisation and troubles earlier heaped upon her,
I have developed a deep hatred towards a wretched person,
And this deep hatred in me is compelling me to revolt,
But she was no one of mine.
How I wish! Long ago in that valiant battle of hers,
I too had participated like a braveheart,
And how I wish! Today after vanquishing that wretched person ,
She was amongst all of us.
This desire is now really bothering me,
But she was no one of mine.
Magar woh meri kuch nahi thi.
Uspar musibaton ka pahar toot pada tha barson pehle,
Magar woh meri kuch nahi thi.
Woh jujhti rahi oos zulm and oon musibaton ke beech,
Magar woh meri kuch nahi thi.
Ek din iis bereham zindagi se chutkara paakar,
Usne oos zulm aur oon musibaton se bhi chutkara paa liya,
Magar woh meri kuch nahi thi.
Achanak aaj barson baad,
Uspar huye woh zulm aur oon tamam musibaton ko lekar,
Mujhe kisi darinde par nafrat hone lagi hai,
Aur oos nafrat ki junoon mujhmein ek baghavat jagane lagi hai,
Magar woh meri kuch nahi thi.
Kaash! Barson pehle mein uske oos jung mein,
Ek jaanbaaz ki tarah sharik hua hota,
Aur kaash! Woh oos darinde par fateh paakar,
Aaj hum sab ke beech hoti.
Yeh chaahat ab mujhe satane lagi hai,
Mahar woh meri kuch nahi thi.
Translated:
She was tormented long ago,
But she was no one of mine.
Mountains of trouble were heaped upon her,
But she was no one of mine.
She valiantly battled all the brutalisation and all the troubles,
But she was no one of mine.
One fine day, by relieving herself from this merciless life of hers,
She got a relief from all that brutalisation and all those troubles,
But she was no one of mine.
Suddenly now, after so long,
With all that brutalisation and troubles earlier heaped upon her,
I have developed a deep hatred towards a wretched person,
And this deep hatred in me is compelling me to revolt,
But she was no one of mine.
How I wish! Long ago in that valiant battle of hers,
I too had participated like a braveheart,
And how I wish! Today after vanquishing that wretched person ,
She was amongst all of us.
This desire is now really bothering me,
But she was no one of mine.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Taking off from Copenhagen...
The basic issue at Copenhagen was whether an adequate global response to climate change should be achieved, through enhanced implementation by all countries of their commitments under the existing agreements, or whether a new agreement should be negotiated to reduce the commitments of the developed nations, by shifting a large share of their responsibilities to the shoulders of the developing nations. The developed nations were pressing for replacing the Kyoto Protocol with a new agreement, designed to impose new legally binding commitments on developing nations.
The two existing international agreements on climate change - the Framework Convention and the Kyoto Protocol, are said to be based on concepts of equity and environmental justice. Developed nations are said to be primarily responsible for causing climate change, and moreover, they have a much greater financial and technological capability to respond to respond to climate change. It is thus attributed to them that, in accordance with the principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities”, they are required to implement time bound emission reduction commitments, and contribute financial and technological support, to the developing nations to enable them address climate change.
Developing nations, as per some section of the opinion, should have no legally binding commitments. Their mitigation actions should be of a voluntary nature and should be conditional on receipt of adequate financial support to cover incremental costs. And of course, since these actions are of a voluntary nature, they should not be subject o any form of review or verification.
Leaving the merits/demerits of the above for the time being, certain facts which merit or immediate attention of every nation in the world cutting across categorizations/blocs are :
a) When the climate change ultimately threatens the very survival of millions in both the developing and the developed nations, notwithstanding the fact that the latter are relatively better positioned as of now, to meet such challenges, is it worthwhile and wise now to waste more time by insisting upon shifting the burden and responsibilities mainly on the developed nations, to undertake the necessary mitigation actions, irrespective of the merits/demerits of the case ? None of the developed nations have really absolved themselves of their own share of responsibilities to meet the challenge of climate change, and
b) Have all the nations across the world including the developing ones undertaken such basic steps within their limited resources and capabilities, such as developing super critical technologies to drastically reduce emissions from thermal power plants and other highly polluting industries, enactment and strict compliance of laws to keep over polluting vehicles off the roads, due encouragements to the private sector to innovate environment friendly technologies and products, strict ban on the use of plastics and other environmentally hazardous materials ( where ever feasible as of now), extensive use of algae and other bio organisms to prevent waterbodies from getting polluted, due encouragement to the use of non conventional sources of energy, increasing the green cover by making it mandatory for every residential and commercial unit to have ‘X ‘number of trees/plantations per unit of open space available , and last but not the least making appropriate rainwater harvesting structures mandatory and non negotiable at each and every building etc etc ?
Such measures do not call for any significant financial and technological support, and the developing nations especially, can do the needful on their own as part of their moral commitment to save our planet from unmitigated disasters. And all this without in any way jeopardising their overall growth prospects. Needless to add, the same apples to the developed nations as well.
These critical minimum efforts taken voluntarily by nations across the world , including the developed ones, would be that first Giant Milestone in ensuring sustainable development , besides of course significantly reducing the threats posed to mankind due to climate change, and environmental degradation.
Once such a Giant Milestone is reached by every nation which considers its moral obligation to do its best to save our planet, without in any way compromising on its growth prospects and sovereignty, could the debate on legally biding emission targets, financial and technological assistance, from the developed nations merit any significance.
This may sound utopian, but its practical too given the kind of nerve wrecking deliberations which took place at Copenhagen.
In this context, the suggestion by the US at Copenhagen that all countries should take domestic actions as they like, and then pledge them together, in an international accord, and have a common level of international scrutiny of their work on mitigation assumes significance and relevance.
And of course, the Copenhagen accord which has agreed to cuts in emissions and hold increase in global temperature below 2 degree celcius, doing away with any binding commitments on emissions reduction, making it incumbent upon the emerging economies to monitor their efforts and report the results to the United Nations every two years with some international checks to meet the transparency concerns of the West, but ensuring the national sovereignty is respected, is adequate and appropriate as of now.
But in the interests of mutual trust and confidence between the nations, let this applicable to all the nations cutting across categorization and blocs.
Once this stage is reached, perhaps it would be time to reflect upon the need to fix emission targets, as well as determining the extent of financial and technological support required to reach the next Giant Milestone, which is bringing the global temperatures back to what existed in the pre industrialization era.
Till then, its time now for each nation to set its house in order, and do its best within its capabilities and resources, to save our planet and millions of our fellow citizens of the world, from unmitigated disasters.
The two existing international agreements on climate change - the Framework Convention and the Kyoto Protocol, are said to be based on concepts of equity and environmental justice. Developed nations are said to be primarily responsible for causing climate change, and moreover, they have a much greater financial and technological capability to respond to respond to climate change. It is thus attributed to them that, in accordance with the principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities”, they are required to implement time bound emission reduction commitments, and contribute financial and technological support, to the developing nations to enable them address climate change.
Developing nations, as per some section of the opinion, should have no legally binding commitments. Their mitigation actions should be of a voluntary nature and should be conditional on receipt of adequate financial support to cover incremental costs. And of course, since these actions are of a voluntary nature, they should not be subject o any form of review or verification.
Leaving the merits/demerits of the above for the time being, certain facts which merit or immediate attention of every nation in the world cutting across categorizations/blocs are :
a) When the climate change ultimately threatens the very survival of millions in both the developing and the developed nations, notwithstanding the fact that the latter are relatively better positioned as of now, to meet such challenges, is it worthwhile and wise now to waste more time by insisting upon shifting the burden and responsibilities mainly on the developed nations, to undertake the necessary mitigation actions, irrespective of the merits/demerits of the case ? None of the developed nations have really absolved themselves of their own share of responsibilities to meet the challenge of climate change, and
b) Have all the nations across the world including the developing ones undertaken such basic steps within their limited resources and capabilities, such as developing super critical technologies to drastically reduce emissions from thermal power plants and other highly polluting industries, enactment and strict compliance of laws to keep over polluting vehicles off the roads, due encouragements to the private sector to innovate environment friendly technologies and products, strict ban on the use of plastics and other environmentally hazardous materials ( where ever feasible as of now), extensive use of algae and other bio organisms to prevent waterbodies from getting polluted, due encouragement to the use of non conventional sources of energy, increasing the green cover by making it mandatory for every residential and commercial unit to have ‘X ‘number of trees/plantations per unit of open space available , and last but not the least making appropriate rainwater harvesting structures mandatory and non negotiable at each and every building etc etc ?
Such measures do not call for any significant financial and technological support, and the developing nations especially, can do the needful on their own as part of their moral commitment to save our planet from unmitigated disasters. And all this without in any way jeopardising their overall growth prospects. Needless to add, the same apples to the developed nations as well.
These critical minimum efforts taken voluntarily by nations across the world , including the developed ones, would be that first Giant Milestone in ensuring sustainable development , besides of course significantly reducing the threats posed to mankind due to climate change, and environmental degradation.
Once such a Giant Milestone is reached by every nation which considers its moral obligation to do its best to save our planet, without in any way compromising on its growth prospects and sovereignty, could the debate on legally biding emission targets, financial and technological assistance, from the developed nations merit any significance.
This may sound utopian, but its practical too given the kind of nerve wrecking deliberations which took place at Copenhagen.
In this context, the suggestion by the US at Copenhagen that all countries should take domestic actions as they like, and then pledge them together, in an international accord, and have a common level of international scrutiny of their work on mitigation assumes significance and relevance.
And of course, the Copenhagen accord which has agreed to cuts in emissions and hold increase in global temperature below 2 degree celcius, doing away with any binding commitments on emissions reduction, making it incumbent upon the emerging economies to monitor their efforts and report the results to the United Nations every two years with some international checks to meet the transparency concerns of the West, but ensuring the national sovereignty is respected, is adequate and appropriate as of now.
But in the interests of mutual trust and confidence between the nations, let this applicable to all the nations cutting across categorization and blocs.
Once this stage is reached, perhaps it would be time to reflect upon the need to fix emission targets, as well as determining the extent of financial and technological support required to reach the next Giant Milestone, which is bringing the global temperatures back to what existed in the pre industrialization era.
Till then, its time now for each nation to set its house in order, and do its best within its capabilities and resources, to save our planet and millions of our fellow citizens of the world, from unmitigated disasters.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
You came in my dreams....
According to a feedback, I am getting too serious where my posts to this blog are concerned. So I thought of breaking this monotony, and posting something lively.
This is my work again ( seriously again, no pun intended). No prizes for guessing when I wrote it.
Well, to those who are yet to figure that out, let me concede, this was when I was in college. How's that ???
Let me know what you feel about these (ex) feelings of mine. Cheers !!!
"You came in my dreams last night,
No issues, it's all right.
The weather was airy,
and you looked like a fairy.
I asked you for a dance,
You said ' forget it, no chance.'
But I could not resist the temptation,
I held your cheeks and kissed you,
Believe me, that was my salvation.
When I woke up, it was all over,
Yes, this is something, I'll always remember."
This is my work again ( seriously again, no pun intended). No prizes for guessing when I wrote it.
Well, to those who are yet to figure that out, let me concede, this was when I was in college. How's that ???
Let me know what you feel about these (ex) feelings of mine. Cheers !!!
"You came in my dreams last night,
No issues, it's all right.
The weather was airy,
and you looked like a fairy.
I asked you for a dance,
You said ' forget it, no chance.'
But I could not resist the temptation,
I held your cheeks and kissed you,
Believe me, that was my salvation.
When I woke up, it was all over,
Yes, this is something, I'll always remember."
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