Letters-72: "Politicisation"

1. It is unfortunate that the Sri Lankan Tamils issue is occupying centre stage in Tamil Nadu politics. Every party is trying to outdo the other in portraying itself as the champion of the Tamils' cause. The ruling DMK is resorting to flipflops to ensure that even while it remains part of the UPA, it is not compelled to yield ground to other parties. The real issue has been obfuscated and the plight of the Sri Lankan Tamils has become secondary in comparison with the LTTE, which is getting undue coverage and misplaced sympathy. - G.Gokul Kishore, New Delhi.

2. Our leaders do not seem to have genuine concern for the innocent Tamils caught in the crossfire between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan army. They seem to be more worried about the LTTE and its chief Prabakaran. They are engaged in a war of statements. Have they taken any step other than going on strikes, organising human chains and writing to the Centre on the issue? - D.Asokan, Tiruvarur.

3. Thousands of innocent Sri Lankan Tamils are caught between the LTTE and the armed forces. Both sides are militant in achieving their goals and the poor people have become pawns in their game. Their misery is a godsend to our politicians. It helps them remain in the limelight and divert people's attention from price rise, misrule, unemployment, power shortage etc. - A.K.Chari, New Delhi.

4. Colombo is fighting a dreaded terrorist outfit. I fail to understand how anybody can demand that Sri Lanka should stop the war against the LTTE, which is holding the civilians as a human shield. It is the LTTE which should be persuaded to release the people. - P.Senthil Kumar, Gurgaon.

5. The strike called by Mr.Karunanidhi to protest against the killing of Sri Lankan Tamils is unwarranted. We have had enough of strikes, bandhs, fasts, etc. on the issue. It is quite apparent that the move is the result of political compulsions. - N.Nagesh, Chennai.

6. It is frustrating to see bandhs and strikes being organised for some reason or the other. The DMK government should understand the pulse of the common man, who is burdened with day-to-day problems in view of the recession. It should not thrust its outdated ideas on the people to get political mileage in the coming election. - S.Balasubramanian, Chennai.

7. Why are not our politicians talking about development issues? When will we see the end of hartals, strikes, etc., which make the life of the common man a nightmare for no fault of his? - A.C.Krishnan, Chennai.

8. How will a general strike here help the Tamils suffering in Sri Lanka? Instead of observing a strike, the political parties can jointly bring pressure on the Centre to request Colombo to ensure the safety of the Tamils. The Prabakaran question can be discussed later. - Chambath Gopalakrishanan, Palakkad.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, April 23, 2009 ('Letters to the Editor').

Grateful thanks to M/s.G.Gokul Kishore, D.Asokan, A.K.Chari, P.Senthil Kumar, N.Nagesh, S.Balasubramanian, Chambath Gopalakrishnan and The Hindu, India's National Newspaper.

Letters-71: "LTTE and Terrorism"

1. The world must allow the Sri Lankan government, which has come so close to eliminating the LTTE menace, to do everything it can to complete the task. By any logic, the military can only limit the extent of civilian damage. Any pause in the current offensive will allow the LTTE to regroup. Once the LTTE is finished, India and the rest of the world can apply pressure on Colombo to address the genuine issues of the Tamils. - V.Govindarajan, Singapore.

2. According to the Oxford Dictionary, a terrorist "is a person using especially organised violence to secure political ends." In the context of Prabakaran and the LTTE, the word should redefined to read as "a sadist who wants to see human blood flow in his relentless pursuit of imaginary ends." - S.Ramakrishnasayee, Ranipet.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, April 23, 2009.

Grateful thanks to M/s.V.Govindarajan, S.Ramakrishnasayee and The Hindu, India's National Newspaper.

Self-Improvement-51: "Promises to Keep"

Promise Yourself ....

1. To be strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
2. To talk Health, Happiness and Prosperity to everyone you meet.
3. To make all your friends feel that there is something of value in them.
4. To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come through.
5. To think only the best, to work only for the best and to expect the best.
6. To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.
7. To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.
8. To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticise others.

Courtesy: "Imaya Geetam", Tamil Monthly, April 2009.
Grateful thanks to "Imaya Geetam".

Letters-70: "Code of Conduct"

1. Much of the Election Commission's resources have gone into disciplining and pulling up candidates and political parties for their behaviour during the election campaign ("Honouring the code in the breach," The Hindu, April 16) so far. The erring candidates have received excellent help from the electronic media which relayed and analysed every act threadbare and provided hour-after-hour of publicity to them. The campaigning was generally distasteful. What ought to have been issue-based - there is no dearth of local, regional and national issues - became an acrimonious exercise. The voter had an overdose of rallies devoid of intellectual content, with parties releasing meaningless manifestos. - R.Swarnalatha, New Delhi.

2. The editorial, it appears, has been written more in sorrow than in anger at the dismal state of affairs in the largest democracy of the world. As pointed out, increased public awareness is the only solution to prevent further decay. - K.N.Bhagavan, Bangalore.

3. Since it has no statutory backing, the model of code of conduct is like a balloon without air. the campaigning for the first stage of the election was characterized by irresponsible remarks by many leaders. What we need are reforms to make the parties more responsible and the Election Commission more powerful. - Ankit Kumar, Ghaziabad.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, April 17, 2009

Grateful thanks to M/s.R.Swarnalatha, K.N.Bhagavan, Ankit Kumar and The Hindu, India's National Newspaper.

Letters-69: "Election Manifestos"

1. In our country, political parties can promise anything during elections because they know nothing will happen if they do not honour them. The congress has promised a law on food security, under which families living below the poverty line will get rice or wheat for Rs.3 a kg, knowing full well that this and its other promises involve huge financial implications and the funds earmarked for other projects may have to be diverted to turn the promises into reality. We do not have a mechanism to evaluate the performance of a party on the basis of its election manifesto. Till we evolve one, political parties will continue to take us for a ride - Mudgal Venkatesh, Gulbarga

2. Parties announce freebies to woo voters because these will be paid for by the taxpayers. No party has talked about raising agricultural production without which the assurance to give rice at Rs.2 or 3 a kg will remain a mere promise; industrial development to generate employment, and measures to alleviate poverty. - A.K.Rao, Hyderabad.

3. Election manifestos are forgotten once the polls are over. Accountability in public life is an abstract proposition. If one analyses the poll manifestos of political parties over a period of time, it will become clear that very few promises have changed. It seems the parties pull out their old manifestos, decorate them with new covers and make a few modifications. The parties in power should come out with a statement on how much of their promises they delivered on during their tenure, and what they propose to do about the promises they could not fulfil. This calls for high integrity. Slogans like "India shining" and "Jai ho" convey nothing - Samiron Phukan, Hyderabad.

Grateful thanks to M/s.Mudgal Venkatesh, A.K.Rao, Samiron Phukan and The Hindu, India's National Newspaper.

Facts & Figures-56: "Australians, Most Propserous"

Good health, freedom of choice, political liberty, civil rights - these, along with high income, make Australians the most prosperous people, says a study.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, March 23, 2009.

Grateful thanks to The Hindu, India's National Newspaper.

Health News-23: "Green Tea for Healthy Gums"

A cup of green tea a day may keep gum disease at bay. Researchers found that among middle-aged Japanese, the odds of having gum disease declined as the men's intake of tea rose.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, March 23, 2009.

Grateful thanks to The Hindu, India's National Newspaper.

TED Talk-2: "Future of Renewable Energy" by Saul Griffith

Letters-68: "Right direction"

1. The Election Commission's direction to the Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer to file criminal cases against Varun Gandhi, BJP's Lok Sabha candidate from Pilibhit, for allegedly making anti-Muslim speeches at a meeting is a step in the right direction. The communal overtones in the speech attributed to him have vitiated the atmosphere. He should be stopped from contesting the election. - Shahid Jamal, New Delhi.

2. Varun's speech as telecast in a few television channels was undoubtedly anti-Muslim. He has not only violated the model code of conduct but also gone beyond the limits of moral ethics. His puerile and immature speech makes one wonder whether he belongs to the same class of political leaders as Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi. - R.M.Manoharan, Chennai.

3. The statements attributed to Varun are disturbing. That such heightened frenzy against the people of a community is being created in the election battlefield is difficult to digest. Although the BJP adopts a public posture of being committed to nationalism, it has been proved time adn again that it carries a heavy and dangerous agenda of divisiveness and hatred. - N.Sekar, Salem.

4. Actually what Varun Gandhi said is nothing new. His elders in the BJP such as Praveen Togadia, Narendra Modi and L.K.Advani have been saying the same kind of things for years. The question is: are such people fit to be our representatives? In our country, politicians think they are rulers, not representatives. Until that perception changes, other changes are difficult to contemplate. - M.Yawar Baig, Hyderabad.

5. It is a matter of shame that a young politician like Varun Gandhi on whom the nation has great hopes should be exploiting religion for votes. Like any other politician, he looks at the electorate as Hindus and Muslims, not Indians. - Arjun Bagvath, Chennai.

6. Varun's speech has become the focus of attention because he is Indira Gandhi's grandson. Otherwise, inflammatory speeches by politicians in public meetings are common. Leaders permit their party workers to use foul language against a community and political opponents. If it leads to trouble, they respond in an elusive manner or distance themselves from the comments and the speakers. It is time for political parties to control their cadre. - R.Prathaban, Kancheepuram.

7. Why find fault with Varun for his hate speech when every institution has been communalised? Communal elements have penetrated government bodies, business houses and even educational institutions. They are sustained and reared by political parties which want to consolidate their vote-banks. The people should reject such forces and help to defeat the communal, divisive, fascist and anti- national elements in the coming election. - Asra Kamal, Hyderabad.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, March 19, 2009.

Grateful thanks to M/s.Shahid Jamal, R.M.Manoharan, N.Sekar, M.Yawar Baig, Arjun Bagvath, R.Prathaban, Asra Kamal and The Hindu, India's National Newspaper.

Letters-67: "Action Against Police"

1. The High Court makes no mention of the unruly behaviour some lawyers indulged in on February 19. There is no doubt that the police resorted to excessive force. But the trouble started after the advocates went on the rampage. They even set fire to a police station on the court premises. The Justice Srikrishna report has clearly dealt with the sequence of events that took place that day. Taking action against the police alone is not fair. - S.Kannan, chennai.

2. Now that action has been recommended against two police officers, what is proposed to be done with regard to the erring lawyers? Will the lawyers who attacked Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy in the court hall and those who burnt down the police station on the court premises made accountable for their acts? One hopes senior lawyers will strive for enforcing equality before law. - K.Ramasami, Coimbatore.

3. Are rotten eggs permitted inside the court? What action has been recommended against the lawyers who assaulted another lawyer in front of judges? Since police officials face suspension for taking steps to tackle a violent situation, can they be told how they are expected to act in the event of mob violence in future? What is the fate of the Srikrishna report? How can there be two different findings on the same issue? - K.Dhandapani, Coimbatore.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, March 20, 2009 ("Letters to the Editor").

Grateful thanks to M/s.S.Kannan, K.Ramasami, K.Dhandapani and The Hindu, India's National Newspaper.

Eyecatchers-136: " Made-to-order magazine to let readers choose"

Time is experimenting with a customised magazine that combines rader-selected sections from eight publications as it tries to mimic in printed form the personalised news feeds that have become popular on the Internet.

Called "mine", the five-issue, 10-week experiment also aligns readers with the branding message that its sole advertising partner, Toyota, has for its new Lexus 2010 rX sport utility vehicle: It is as customisable as the magazine carrying its advertisements.

The magazine is free, but the print edition is limited to the first 31,000 respondents, while an online version is available for another 200,000. Sign-ups are available at http://www.timeinc.com/mine. The first issue is to be mailed in early April, and then every two weeks. Online subscribers will get digital editions that look just like the printed version, but in a special format that allows virtual page turns with clicks. A promotional push for the magazine kicks off on Friday. - AP

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, March 19, 2009.

Grateful thanks to AP and The Hindu.

Letters-66: "On Ragging-2"

1. The Supreme Court's observation that the time has come for cutting off financial aid to institutions that do not comply with its directions to put down ragging is sure to act as a deterrent. The college managements, it is hoped, will comply with the directions at least for fear of losing financial aid. - N.Vivekananda Rao, Hyderabad.

2. Ragging has become the worst manner of interaction between new entrants and seniors. The death of Aman Kachroo and the suicide attempt by a student in Andhra Pradesh are condemnable. They expose the indifference of the college authorities. But cutting off financial aid alone will not have the desired effect. Colleges which fail to curb ragging should be closed down. - Suman Kukal, Chandigarh.

3. Over time, ragging has evolved into some sort of organised crime. it is time to conclusively do away with the practice. Aman's death should serve as a wake-up call to society. Besides enacting a Central law banning ragging, a social movement against the practice should be launched. - Rakesh Chourasia, New Delhi.

4. The only way to end this menace is stringent punishment for not only the offenders but also those at the helm of affairs in the college. Parents can also do a lot to prevent ragging. If their children are good enough to get into professional colleges, they should understand that juniors are also human. Parent should impress this idea upon their wards. - Rebecca Thomas, Mylapra.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, March 20, 2009 ("Letters to the Editor")

Grateful thanks to M/s.N.Vivekananda Rao, Suman Kukal, Rakesh Chaurasia, Rebecca Thomas and The Hindu.

TED Talk-1: "A Meditation on Hope" by Sherwin Nuland (An Audio & Visual Presentation from TED: Ideas Worth Spreading)

Health News-22: "Himalayan Herbs can control Type 2 Diabetes"

A Belfast-based scientist has claimed that a herb found in the Himalayan region could be effective in controlling Type 2 Diabetes. Dr.Yasser Abdel-Wahab, a senior lecturer in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Ulster, and his team discovered that the roots of a cucumber-like vegetable - a herb found in the forests of India - and extracts from the bark of a Himalayan plant, all showed positive results in test cases.

Dr Abdel-Wahab said that following early laboratory work carried out on the Northern Ireland-based campus, researchers discovered the bark of Swertia chirayita, a plant traditionally grown in the Himalayas and also known as chirette, indicated that some compounds extracted from the bark appeared to stimulate insulin production and improve its action.

"Natural anti-diabetic drug discovery is a key area of research that is attracting a lot of interest. More research is needed to establish definitively how and if our findings could be translated into new therapeutic agents for treatments for people with Type 2 diabetes, but we are hopeful that this will one day be the case," he said. Scientists have been investigating complementary therapies that have the potential to help treat Type 2 diabetes. - PTI.

Courtesy: The Hindu, March 16, 2009.

Detailed Wikipedia articles on "Diabetes Mellitus Type 2" and "Diabetic Diet":
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetes_type_2

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetic_diet

Grateful thanks to The Hindu, India's National Newspaper and Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Letters-65: "On Ragging"

1. The death of Aman Kachroo, a first year student of the Dr.Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, Kangra, allegedly at the hands of his seniors, has shaken the faith of those who are for the effective implementation of anti-ragging measures in educational institutions, especially professional colleges. The time has come to discard the term "ragging" an d substitute it with the word "torture". "Ragging" does not seem to convey the ominous consequences to which it can lead. It is still considered by many as some form of camaraderie, necessary for juniors to get to know their seniors. The law should leave no scope for doubt in the mind of the torturers about the nature of their actions. - Subhash Chander Gupta, Rohtak.

2. Aman's death makes one wonder what led his fellow students to behave in the manner they did. Who is to blame for the barbaric mentality in youngsters? Their acts of violence reflect the slackening of moral values among the younger generation. The resignation of the principal or the suspension of a few will not help to end ragging in colleges. The attitude and outlook of the youth should change. And for this to happen, they should be educated on human values. - Sruthi Appu, Bangalore.

3. The arrest and expulsion of the four students who allegedly beat Aman to death are welcome. But the legal procedure may take some time and the torture undergone by Aman will soon be forgotten. The trial should be swift and the guilty brought to book soon. The Kangra incident should serve as an eye-opener to all collgees. Instead of waiting for students or parents to complain of incidents of ragging, the college authorities should be proactive in preventing ragging on campus. Even the so-called light ragging - lime making students sing or dance - should be dealt with firmly as it eventually leads to serious ragging. - Jayanthi Viswanathan, Palakkad.

4. It is shocking to learn that ragging continues unabated despite a ban on it and the Supreme Court's direction to educational institutions to curb it. It is not the seniors alone who are to blame for what happened to Aman. The college authorities are equally to blame. Colleges in which such instances take place should be derecognised. The fear of de-recognition may be more effective in curbing the menace of ragging. - Amit Kumar, Patna.

5. Aman's death is not an isolated incident. Serious cases of ragging are suppressed by college authorities. Deaths are dubbed as suicide. In spite of the Supreme Court's orders, the mental and physical torture of freshers continues in almost all professional colleges across the country. All rational people should raise their voice against the despicable practice. A toll-free helpline should be created for the victims of ragging. - U.Kaur, New Delhi.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, March 14, 2009 ("Letters to the Editor").

Grateful thanks to M/s.Subhash Chander Gupta, Sruthi Appu, Jayanthi Viswanathan, Amit Kumar, U.Kaur and The Hindu.

Letters-64: "Unacceptable and Shocking!"

It was indeed shocking to read that advocates attached to various Bar Associations of Tamil Nadu burnt not only copies of the Justice B.N.Srikrishna report but also an effigy of the retired Supreme Court judge who probed the violence in the Madras High Court. The behaviour of lawyers has already attracted criticism from many quarters. A few members of the legal fraternity think they are above the law and can therefore indulge in despicable acts. They have tarnished the fair name of their noble profession. Before things go from bad to worse, the lawyers should resume work. - G.Ramalingam, Chennai.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, March 11, 2009 ("Letters to the Editor")

Grateful thanks to Mr.G.Ramalingam and The Hindu, India's National Newspaper.

S&T Watch-54: "Wheel obeys Mental Signals!"

A wheelchair that obeys mental signals sent to a computer has been designed. The user, linked to a computer with electrodes on his scalp, sends a signal by focusing on the name of the destination displayed on a screen.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, March 12, 2009 ("Snapshots")

Grateful thanks to The Hindu, India's National Newspaper.

Health News-21: "Bionic eye gives blind man sight "

Ron who has not been able to see for the past 30 years is able to see now, thanks to 'bionic eye'. He is 73! The 'bionic eye' is still in experiment and may soon become available to all. For more details (video presentation from BBC, UK):

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7920600.stm

Grateful thanks to BBC.

Facts & Figures-55: "India's Power Requirements"

India's power requirements will be of the order of 3 lakh megawatts by 2020.

Source: Education Plus, Supplement to The Hindu, March 9, 2009.

Grateful thanks to The Hindu, India's National Newspaper.

Letters-63: "Epicentre of Terror"

1. The daring terror attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team confirms that Pakistan is a sanctuary for terrorists. The Frankenstein monster created by it to destroy others is now taking its toll. Unfortunately, the government is continuing to turn a blind eye to the reality and collaborating with fundamentalist forces such as the Taliban to buy peace. As a neighbouring state, India has to do a lot more to insulate itself from the lawlessness spreading in Pakistan. - Satwant Kaur, Mahilpur.

2. Pakistan is fast becoming the epicentre of terrorism. It produces and exports terrorism. It poses a grave threat to not only India but also the entire world. All countries should join hands to pressure Pakistan into dismantling the terror infrastructure on its soil. - G.Gandhi Raja, Chennai.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, March 5, 2009 ("Letters to the Editor")

Grateful thanks to M/s.Satwant Kaur, G.Gandhi Raja and The Hindu.