Nature Remembers You...

Nature Remembers You...
Imaginations..Questions..Solutions

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Insensitive Governance and Development

The governments in India have been repeateadly ignoring the plight of the citizens, whether its Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra or Gujarat. Each state is promoting state endorsed development packages targeted towards private corporates - Indian as well as MNC. In the effect loosing the prime land, settlement and forest areas. The uncontrolled mining activities promoted through the state initiatives have not only violated the environmental concerns but also displaced numerous people.

The spate of urban activities have increased and demand for the prime properties have triggered quick actions on the part of the local bodies to overthrow the current occupent by force. Right to shelter and livelihood is at stake in most of the metropolitan cities. Cities like Surat, on the verge of modernising the city have virtually kicked out the slum dwellers from the city areas. Yes they have been awarded for their effort in acheiving the 'Slum Free city' targets under the government of India scheme.

Ministers, and officials of state have been in the helm of affairs in getting their work done by any means, mixing land capturing, mining, and extortions with their politics. None of leading parties would come clean in the present circumstances. Then who says, the politics is neglected by the young India. What they are expected to do in present circumstances? Given the criminal behaviour of leading stalwarts of the states, with massive accumulation of money by the way of corruption would never lead India to greater heights.
The system has detoriated beyond repair when one of the leading party presidents, confuses sympathisers of poor and down trodden with supporters of Maoist (who are engaged in war with government). Do they want this to extend to the rest of country? The mind set of the governments as well as those in opposition are not condusive to the development objective of the nation.
We would never have the situation like what happened in emergence period in 1970s since most of our younger lots have been taken away from the politics of development. The tokenism of government succeded in bringing down the threat from the people. Intellectuals and professionals are dealing with government and opposition are not questioning the methods adopted in present Indian system.

Who would smell the rot? The CVC, Election Commission, Supreme Court, CAG, CBI, etc has been shown their path by the clever and intellegent politicians. They all know how to get out of these mess incase they get caught. Its the common citizens who are killed, maimed, terrorised and supressed in the present insensitive governance.

Only time would tell us, how do we go ahead? Till then...count your fingers...!!

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

MDG Time to be serious about it






India needs to be serious about the MDG goals set for the 2015. We have miles to go...
The goals needs attention from the people working in areas mentioned here..
Please go through the mentioned site regularly for an update...

http://www.mdgmonitor.org/country_progress.cfm?c=IND&cd=356


The images are presented here to popularise the goals...which most of people in general are not aware...
We request all our readers to be aware of the situation...
























Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Media and Raising Urban Issues..


Most of us have more knowledge about what is happening in Delhi and Mumbai than our own cities. The electronic media beaming the national events, news and stories is totally hacked by the two cities known for its politicians and corporate whos who. Rest of the cities escape the media attention, a little water logging in Delhi and Mumbai is the story of the day with whole nation glued on it or made to increase the visibility of the TV channels. Even the state capitals of the nations do not receive the attention the people would like to know. Since the news and views along with the opinion makers are from Delhi or Mumbai we get to know water tarriff, flooding, crime, dharna or rally etc giving pity lip services on seeking the opinion polls.

Similarly, the national mood on the issues of civic concerns are limited to what is happening in these two cities, may be seggregation of cities by powerful global factors dominate the urban debates. What happens in rest of 2000 cities of the country is nobodys concern. Our national planners are busy in planning schemes for the rural India, from employment guarentee to minority related issues, but urban India gets partial treatment. This makes aparent is the miniscule amount of expenditure done under the JnNURM, UIDSSMT, IHSDP or other achemes is not sufficient enough to boost the quality of life in these cities. More needs to be done, but who would raise the voice for these cities, Delhi would have gained..huge investment after it started planning and investing for the Common Wealth Games 2010. But this has not gone down well with other cities at the cost of Delhi. Similarly, Mumbai takes the largest peice of cake, related to urban development funds.

Media, has least stories to tell about the cities since they have not been trained to report the cities as they may not be willing to travel outside the large metropolitan cities to the small and medium towns. What would happen if, media continously gives urban India a total miss during last decade? The local media is often limited itself to side stories not more than one or two pages restricted to cities, rest galores more about the issues concerning a huge range of subjects.

The information officers in the urban centres are either not available or not interested in giving news of their own cities. The cities are core to the economic growth which are poised to help the states to generate employment and income to acheive a high growth targets. The neglect of the cities in terms of planning or urban information or reporting new infrastructure would lead the people to have negative opinion about their own city. They keep on dreaming in order to get out of this place and look for greener pasture in larger cities or media hyped one.