|
-------------------------------------------------------------------- A monthly Review of clippings on Critical Issues & Concerns for NGOs, Activists and others concerned with Justice & Social Change -------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| July 2008 |
Pathways to
the Future
On 1st July, 4.29 crore farmers
ended
their debt burden - due to loans taken to meet the expensive inputs
necessary
to sustain modern agriculture - as the loan waiver scheme comes into
affect, it
is time to give a serious thought to modern agricultural and its deadly
consequences.
| Food &Agriculture | Abstract of below articles >>> |
- Back to the future, Down to Ear.th Magazine, 01 Jul 2008
- Farm differently by Archita Bhatia, Down to Earth Magazine, 01 Jul 2008
- Save our Rice by Anitha Pailoor, The Deccan Herald, Bangalore, 01 Jul 2008
- June 10 and 12 by Deepa Kozhisseri, Savvy Soumya Misra, Down to Earth Magazine, 01 Jul 2008
- Strategies to help the poor, The Hindu, Chennai, 12 Jul 2008
- Banks to take Rs 11,000 crore hit in farm loan waiver scheme, The Business Standard, Mumbai, 02 Jul 2008
- Duties and duties by Sreelatha Menon, The Business Standard, Mumbai, 13 Jul 2008
- Exit policy for farmers by Devinder Sharma, The Deccan Herald, Bangalore, 06 Jul 2008
- Planet Burns While G8 Fiddles by Ramesh Jaura, 10 July, 2008 Inter Press Service
- A new paradigm for farming by Dickson Despommier, MINT, Mumbai, 03 Jul 2008
- What a waste by Ravleen Kaur, Down To Earth Magazine, 23 Jul 2008
To GM or Not
The problem is that if you are among those who have reservations about GM food, you will never know if it's the natural or the GM variety that you are eating.
| GMOs | Abstract of below articles >>> |
- Gaping holes in regulation of GM crops by Latha John, The Business Standard, Mumbai, 05 Jul 2008
- Genetically modified crops: The risk factor by Rashme Sehgal, InfoChange India News & Features, 01 Jul 2008
- Monsanto has to Accept Full Responsibility for Genetic Contamination, Globalresearch, 03 Jul 2008
- Experts against founding of national biotech authority as glitches increase by Ashok B Sharma, The Financial Express, 30 June 2008
- GM field trials: leaving no room for assessment by R. Prasad, The Hindu, Chennai, 03 Jul 2008
The Supreme Court has asked trial courts and High Courts to deal with rape cases with the utmost sensitivity and responsibility. The punishment cannot depend upon the social status of the victim or the accused.
| Gender | Abstract of below articles >>> |
- Court: ignore minor flaws in victim’s evidence in rape case, The Hindu, Chennai, 18 Jul 2008
- BONANZA FOR THE 'OTHER WOMAN' by Shabina Akhtar, The Telegraph, Calcutta, 23 Jul 2008
- Bridging the gaps in the silence, The Hindustan Times, New Delhi, 19 Jul 2008
Waste Mismanagement
It is common knowledge that cities generate a lot of waste every single day. Yet, the issue did not raise a stink a couple of decades ago.
| Urbanisation | Abstract of below articles >>> |
- WASTE MIS-MANAGEMENT: TICKING STINK BOMB, The Deccan Herald, Bangalore, 11 Jul 2008
- Commerce Over The Commons by Shruthi Jagannath, Tehelka Magazine, 12 Jul 2008
- Collapse of affordable housing by A. Srivathsan, The Hindu, Chennai, 14 Jul 2008
- Who dares trash them? by Bharati Chaturvedi, Down To Earth Magazine, 16 Jul 2008
- Journey to the streets by Harsh Mander, The Hindu, Chennai, 13 Jul 2008
Growing Intolerance
The Supreme Court expresses anger at the growing intolerance over freedom of expression and its serous concern over the way in such cases are handled.
| Communalism | Abstract of below articles >>> |
- Hate and abuse by V. Venkatesan, Frontline Magazine, 01 Aug 2008
- 'The middle class wants development backed by authoritarianism', Tusha Mittal, Tehelka Magazine, 05 Jul 2008
- Enemy next door by Dnyanesh Jathar, The Week Magazine, 06 Jul 2008
- Communal colour, The Deccan Herald, Bangalore, 19Jul 2008
Potential for mobilisation ?
Somehow, political organisations and social movements are yet to seize the vast potential for collective action around NREGA
| Employment | Abstract of below articles >>> |
- Activists rally against Lalit's murder in Ranchi by Paryinder Singh, Civil Society Magazine, 01 Jul 2008
- WHO'S AFRAID OF THE NREGS?, Tehelka Magazine, 19 Jul 2008
More on the meal
The Prime Minister had to intervene to ensure that the mid-day meal scheme under the ICDS continues with freshly cooked meals.
| Child | Abstract of below articles >>> |
- A lot cooking, but still hungry by Rema Nagarajan, The Times of India, Mumbai, 20 Jul 2008
- Meal For Thought by Anuradha Raman, Outlook, Magazine, 28 Jul 2008
Rights Activists under Attack
The human rights situation in the country has been deteriorating rapidly. The killings of rights activists take place in a context characterised by a fast-growing economy that is accelerated by government policies.
| Human Rights | Abstract of below articles >>> |
- How the Salwa Judum experiment went wrong by Krishnamurthy Ramasubbu, MINT, Mumbai, 10 Jul 2008
- PMO takes over the naxal war by Anil Anand, DNA, Mumbai, 16 Jul 2008
- Human Rights Watch: end government support for Salwa Judum by Aarti Dhar, The Hindu, Chennai 16 Jul 2008
Future of SEZs
The SEZ ‘s are indicative of the new mantra of growth and development in elite national discourse much in keeping with the global neo-liberal discourse
| Special Economic Zones | Abstract of below articles >>> |
- Sick of SEZs? Welcome to the GEZ by Joeanna Rebello, The Times of India, Mumbai, 13 Jul 2008
- Roll back SEZ by Nidhi Jamwal, Down to Earth Magazine, 01 Jul 2008
- Special Economic Zones in India by Preeti Sampat, The Economic & Political Weekly Magazine, 12 Jul 2008
- Demystifying SEZs by Vivek Mehra, The Business Standard, Mumbai, 25 Jul 2008
Land Degradation
A cause for major concern is the FAO’s observation that 24 per cent of the global land area has degraded is that the current phenomenon of degradation has more to do with land management, and less with the nature of the soil or terrain.
| Environment | Abstract of below articles >>> |
- Worrying phenomenon, The Hindu, Chennai, 18 Jul 2008
- Govt draft plan leaves coastal wetlands out of guideline purview, Padmaparna Ghosh, MINT, Mumbai, 18 Jul 2008
- Countries a 'Pace' up e-waste management, Government.in, 02 Jul 2008
- India to ban new ship-breaking yards, curb coastal construction by P. Manoj, MINT, Mumbai, 04 Jul 2008
- Mumbai to have exclusive site for dumping e-waste by The Business Standard, Mumbai, 21 Jul 2008
Indigenous Knowledge
Apart from a respect for indigenous and community knowledge, and collaborative research projects with them, a range of radical steps towards this are being discussed in various circles
| People & Forests | Abstract of below articles >>> |
- Displacing tribals by Pankaj Sekhsaria, The Deccan Herald, Bangalore, 18 Jul 2008
- State inaction by Savvy Soumya Misra, Down to Dearth Magazine, 01 Jul 2008
- Fresh tremor by Ranjan Panda, Down to Earth Magazine, 01 Jul 2008
Defining Charity
The 2008 Finance Bill, which has amended the definition of 'charitable purposes’, puts several voluntary organisations in a spot. So far, charity meant relief to the poor, education, medical relief.
| Civil Society | Abstract of below articles >>> |
- Trail of violence: rights activists at risk by Mukul Sharma,The Hindu, Chennai, 26 Jul 2008
- Charity under tax shadow by K Shivkumar, Civil Society Magazine, 01 Jul 2008
- Philanthropy, old and new by Rohini Nilekani, The Hindu, Chennai, 13 Jul 2008
No Place to Live
Three decades, farmers and forest dwellers, mostly scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, uprooted to make way for industry, are still waiting for compensation, jobs and rehabilitation
| Displacement | Abstract of below articles >>> |
- No big projects in tribal areas : GoM , Chetan Chauhan, The Hindustan Times, Mumbai, 08 Jul 2008
- Three Decades on, promise unfilfilled, Maitreyee Handique, Mint, Mumbai, 16 jul 2008
- MP set to expand rehabilitation package for Sasan villagers, Maitreyee Handique, Mint, Mumbai, 25 jul 2008
Many more Options
Cultivating paddy with less water, replacing conventional energy with solar and wind power – there are more options available than you can think of.
| Alternatives | Abstract of below articles >>> |
- Ride the wind to gain on power , Shwetaa Karnik, DNA, 08 Jul 2008
- More for less , T M Radha, The Deccan Herald, Bangalore, 22 Jul 2008
- Rhetoric & reality of solar electricity , N N Sachitanand, The Deccan Herald, Bangalore, 25 Jul 2008
Doomed Talks
The WTO framework is based on reciprocity. But in the present scenario, there is little prospect that industrial countries will be able to overcome their own defensive interests to deliver greater access to developing countries where they most seek it.
| WTO | Abstract of below articles >>> |
- Doha was designed to fail by Suparna Karmakar, The Business Standard, Mumbai, 31 Jul 2008
- The tortured history of the doha trade talks, MINT, Mumbai, 18 Jul 2008
Unending Tragedy
Why it has taken so long to deal with the disaster is an epic tale of the ineffectiveness and seeming apathy of governments and the political class.
| Bhopal | Abstract of below articles >>> |
- Decades Later, Toxic Sludge Torments Bhopal by Somini Sengupta, The New York Times, 07 Jul 2008
- Nine Bhopal victims end hunger strike, The Asian Age, Mumbai, 03 Jul 2008
- IIT-B alumni opposed to Dow's sponsorship, The Business Standard, Mumbai, 15 Jul 2008