The sum of all things

Letters@tribuneindia.com 

To 

The Editor

Tribune

Sector 29

Chandigarh 160030

Sub:BT Brinjal editorial Article 23 Jan 2010

Dear Editor,

I am very glad that hope in media is re instilled when citizens open the pages of a newspaper such as yours,which has not only heeded to the common man’s voice but also added a well researched article to its editorial arm.Being a well-read citizen and a concerned consumer,I had started growing vegetables for my own family a while back.But regardless of the amount of urban-farming,once the Genetically Modified vegetables are sown,it could lead to a chain reaction,which would be unstoppable in the face of blowing winds and bees busy pollinating without any knowledge of the poisonous contaminations they leave in their wake.Hence,now more than ever,we need to stand in arms against this GM-Food and prevent a second invasion of the country albeit  a slow one but a sure one by GM Giant;Monsanto.

I applaud your initiative in this respect.Keep up the good work.

regards,

Moonstar Kaur Doad

  23/01/2010

Growing UP

The first saplings were planted on the first Sunday on this year,so these are exactly 3 weeks old tomorrow. Watching life grow ,is very humbling and instills hope all the same,there will be growth,yet.

 When I related the story of Pak-choi (chinese salad) planting to my yoga teacher,he remarked,"What future do we have,when China is increasing its hold on us.Now even the salad is  'Made in China'."

Newsworthy Heritage

Spare a thought for heritage 
 Neha Walia

Ignored, alienated, desperate and waiting to be rescued. That's not the summary of another episode of Desperate Housewives, but the pulse of 'city beautiful', which with all its glory and glamour is being pushed towards a forced makeover in the name of development.
How proud did we feel with the possibility of 'Heritage City' tag? So much so that we stopped caring about its heritage!
If small things make a big difference, its time for an attempt to re-discover, revive and see Chandigarh that once was.
"Participation is the shortest and simplest solution. We need to develop a sense of involvement and set an example by taking proactive steps. Once we volunteer, the activism follows," says Gaurav Chabra, director, Humlog.
And his campaign to preserve the heritage sites of the city did make a difference to an ignored and hidden structure in Sector 34.
As many as 20 youngsters from varied backgrounds joined hands to clean up the area around the concrete structure, which is the foundation stone of Sector 34. "On a Sunday morning, I felt a deep sense of commitment. I took a small step of cleaning up the entire area along with others. We will now be converting a lost site into a culturally alive space,' shares Moonstar Kaur Doad, a sustainability activist who participated in the drive.
And it's not about cleaning up places and preaching activism only, but just taking note of the little things that we are losing out on with each passing day. Such as reclaiming our open spaces, using alternative methods to let the city take a break from increasing traffic and just lending a hand to those who take that first step forward!
MN Sharma, the first Indian chief architect of the city, says, "Historians and research scholars from all over the world come to study the most modern city designed by Le Corbusier who had once remarked 'citizens are the guardians of the city'. If people here were more civic conscious, the city would have retained its original character. Even now it's possible if the growth is monitored properly, otherwise we will be like any other town. We need to be vigilant."
A similar attempt was made at the 'open hand' monument. But there is still something missing when it comes to owning the responsibility. "The most convenient way to come out of your own lack of commitment is by asking what can we do? I say, just brainstorm, and then go ahead and do it," says Moonstar.
"On various structures all over the city there are motifs ranging from indigenous animals to abstract figures. All of them represent the culture, spirit and vision of Chandigarh. However not many people are aware of this," she adds.
Talk about Gorilla farming, ownership of open spaces by people, making travel through public transport fashionable and activism a 'cool' thing … maybe we hit it right!
"A lot of interest has been shown by the Le Corbusier Foundation, Paris, for the cause of Chandigarh. In the context of Unesco's heritage status, we should leave for future generations a link to our common culture," says Sharma.
As for the rest, remember what Gandhi said: Be the Change.
nehawalia@tribunemail.com

BT Brinjal-"To protest or Not to Protest"

It seems that BT Brinjal is well on its way to setting anchor on Indian Shores.
BT is a short for Genetically Modified or Engineered seed by BIO-Technology giant "Monsanto" which is resistant to the Boll Guard Spray used against Boll-Worms.
The Hindu report (14-01-2010) on the Kolkata public consultation on Bt Brinjal.  One paragraph indirectly mentions 30 metres as the prescribed Isolation Distance to prevent contamination between Bt brinjal and traditional varieties. 
Deepika Kundaji, an expert on seed production for small-scale gardeners and farmers,working in her own organic farm; Aurobrindavan; Auroville, Tamil Nadu was very vocal in her views against such propaganda,spread with the sole aim to get clearance of BT Brinjal production in INDIA without running proper tests to check the safety of the same.She further added,"Bees are a major cross pollinator of Brinjal. I have first hand experience and evidence of this.Most bee species have a foraging range of 0 to 3 km. and possibly even further in times of shortage.If BT Brinjal is grown anywhere within this range(up to 3km,possibly even more) The risk of contamination of traditional varieties is very high.It is not even a risk,it is SURE TO Happen."

The same was re-iterated by Dr.Pushpa Mittra Bhargava(Ex-director National Knowledge Commission and Head of the Committe formed to oversee the original committee formed by the Govt. to decipher the safety of Genetically engineered Brinjal & other crops in India ).Dr.Bhargava went on to cite a report where the minimum impact of cross pollination & winds causing Contamination of Traditional Varieties at 100 Miles radius,at a Seminar in Chandigarh's Institue of Development & Communication,Sector 38,"BT Brinjal- Prospects & Concerns".

"If Bt brinjal is introduced, it is the end of all traditional brinjal varieties.  And the loss of traditional varieties is the end of traditional farming.  If Bt brinjal is not scrapped along with all other GM crops, it means that the government, PER SE, WANTS TO DESTROY whatever little is left of traditional farming." Deepika Kundaji 
Now what remains to be seen is whether the government,of the people,from the people and for the people,turns "against" the people or retains its founding vows.

Always in the shades but never in the shadow

Philosophical En-Core

The relevance of this two day National Seminar at a time when science and scientist's are aiming to solve all Human Problems of relying on Climate to meet their basic human needs like food,the case of GMO is an example in point; ironically creating another crisis in its wake,namely the ecological crisis,as a by-product of this scientific age,was immediately obvious. 

I have never come across the ceremonious observation of our national anthem,Jana Gana Mana,and it was heart rendering to partake in this action of solidarity at the end of the 2 Day "Relevance of Philosophy in the era of Science & Technology" seminar.Inspite of the academic setting,the sing along observation of the National Anthem proved to be a common binding ground to the heated debates between the two sides ,the Scientists & the Philosophers,each claiming, "It's my Way or the Highway!"

Gur-Mukhi

Prof.Joginder Singh Kairon on 4th january enlightened a few choice brave audience who fought with the fog to attend his hypo-thesis presentation of how the gurmukhi letters can be viewed as formed of the binary digits "0" & "1".He likened 0 to night and 1 to day, 0 to evil and 1 to good, and 0 to death and 1 to life.Typical as an Indian audience,questions arose ,"All this is fine,but what is the use of this discovery to society?"
When cautioned that the very roots of Gurmukhi,੧ਉ ,contain the deep philosophical meanings of life and death within its very "rachna" conception.So one can only philosophise how far reaching an impact such a thought process will delve...each and every new thought process needs to be carefully evaluated before being rejected,others present,including Surjit Pattar,observed.

He presented his hypothesis by theorising how the ੳ,ਅ of gurmukhi is made up of the internet binary digits "0" & "1",aesthetically speaking.For e.g.ੳ can be understood as made up of three zeroes arranged vertically "੦ ੦ ੦".The ramifications of such "thought process" in any language are far-reaching and in context of Gurmukhi,even more so as it lends a few colours to the rich heritage we were handed over.If the very first two letters can be viewed philosophically to embody the entirety of life through symbolism of ੧ being "1"(life) & ੳ being "0"(death),then any further thought that emanates from this discussion will only serve to add more juice to this already ripe fruit of our linguistic heritage.

The great Surjit Pattar spoke of his life long friendship with Prof.Joginder Singh Kairon and reiterated the importance of new thought in context of our common cultural heritage..and true to his poetic lineage recited a beautiful poem.