Friday, May 26, 2017

Carbon footprints

Carbon footprints 

On the occasion of the 2017 Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank Group, Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina, the President of the AfDB Group invited the delegates to the closing luncheon in honour of the Governors at Hayatt Regency, Ahmedabad, yesterday. 

During the meetings at Mahatma Mandir Gandhinagar, the delegates were served with the vegetarian lunch. Dr. Adesina was explaining that when the lunch was served to him on the first day,  somebody asked his people whether he will like it or not. His people said no, but they served him the lunch and with utmost surprise to his staff he ate all the items of the plate and enjoyed the vegetarian meal. You people are cooking many varieties of tasty dishes of vegetarian food, his wife immediately remarked. In fact when he saw the location of Gujarat for the meetings on map, looking at it's position surrounded by the sea, he presumed that his delegates would enjoy plenty of sea food during the meetings. Therefore, to ease out the desires of the delegates he kept a menu of non veg dishes in the lunch yesterday. Dr. Adesina explained.

You have mentioned that Climate Change is an important issue for the development of Africa in your Annual Review Report 2017, I started the dialogue with the base line. He immediately replied, yes. Then do you know that the non vegetarian people are one of the reasons of Climate Change? I add on a sentence to his curiosity. How? Please elaborate, he became curious. Red meat contains more carbon, therefore, those eat non veg food, emit more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. And therefore, they are one of the reasons of climate change on earth, I argued with the support of Carbon footprint statistics. He and his wife were so much convinced that he mentioned our conversations in his closing speech at the luncheon and assured that he will add vegetarianism as one of the objectives of the AfDB programmes. 

Sun has a family of 9 children (planets) and three four more, yet to be included. But all of them are the sons except one daughter, that is our mother, Mother Earth. She has delivered lives on Earth. What a creation of the Almighty, that the gases Nitrogen, Oxygen, Carbon Dioxide, Hydrogen, etc, are placed so well in proportion that life exists on earth. And the Almighty has created a greenhouse rooftop to keep us alive in the warmth. The most abundant greenhouse gases responsible for the greenhouse effect in the atmosphere are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone. CO2 is the major player, the roof of the greenhouse. If there was no greenhouse effect, the planet would be uninhabitably cold – more than 30C. During the day, the Sun shines through the atmosphere. Earth's surface warms up in the sunlight. At night, Earth's surface cools, releasing the heat back into the air. But some of the heat is trapped by the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Clouds are over cooling agents holds some of the heats and their bright surface reflect some of the Sunlight back to space.  It has created the warm womb of Mother Earth that has delivered and sustained the creatures on Earth. 

Greenhouse keeps our Earth a warm and cozy 59 degrees Fahrenheit, on average. But if the greenhouse effect is too strong, the earth becomes warmer and warmer. That is what we the humans have done in the in the name of development. We are changing the strength of the greenhouse effect by increasing the proportion of greenhouse gases in the air. Industrial revolution started from 1850 marched a long way by burning natural resources emitted CO2 a lot in the atmosphere. Population increase (the CO2 producer machines) and reduction of the green cover (trees are the consumer of CO2) of the earth (to feed human population) have worsen the situation. The warmth of the earth is increasing day by day. It has made the water of Ocean more acidic. 

18% of global emission results from the livestock. Food system emissions could account for as much as quarter of all human emissions. That is 12% from agricultural production, another 9% from farming induced deforestation, and a further 3% from things like refrigeration and freight. Red meat (beef) is the most carbon intensive way to get food energy, followed by dairy, and chicken. Cereals, oils and snacks are the least carbon intensive. These factors are the reason why foodprints gets smaller as less red meat, dairy and chicken are consumed. Shifting some of  our diet away from these foods towards cereals or in-season fruit and vegetables is a very effective way to shrink individual carbon footprint. Our ancestors might have kept away beef from our dishes to reduce our carbon footprints. 

Grow more oxygen cylinders (trees), reduce consumption of luxury of life to reduce demands of products so that production of CO2 reduced, and reduce carbon footprint by turning vegan or vegetarian. It is good for longevity of life and health as it keeps the Alzheimer away. Gujaratis are peace loving and non violent people. Is it not because of their food habits and the culture?

Dr. Adesina has agreed to reduce his carbon footprint. Are you ready to do so? Do it fast😀

Punamchand
26 May 2017

Thursday, May 25, 2017

High Five

High Five

Give me five, High five and Up five are the gestures popular in the world for greetings. It is a better form of touching because it spreads fewer germs than handshakes. It might had originated from the play grounds but it becomes a mantra of the development of African Nations. 

The five days (22-26 May 2017) 52nd Annual Meetings of African Development Bank Group, first time held in India, inaugurated by Honourable Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi at Mahatma Mandir Gandhinagar is working with its 2800 delegates and many Gujarat based business executives on its "High Five" strategy of development. AfDB Group is a multilateral development bank whose shareholders include 54 African and 26 non African countries. India became member of AfDB in 1983. 

The Bank has identified five priority areas of development: light up and power Africa, Feed Africa, Industrialise Africa, Integrate Africa and Improve life of people. It has MapAfrica, with geotagging to focus of five critical areas of the ten years strategy that guides the Bank's investment. 

The theme of the meeting is Transforming Africa unlocking agriculture potential. It's continent with the most available arable land that can feed the world but they feed their population with the support of food imports. It has hindered nutrition and food security. Over 211 million people are hungry or malnourished. 24% of children under five years old are stunted. Populations increase, cities expand and middle class development has increase the demand of food imports led to negative agricultural trade balance. With recurrent droughts it is in need of water management and irrigation projects to improve productivity of agriculture to generate domestic, inclusive and sustainable growth. The Bank's investments in agriculture over the last five years have benefited 5.6 million people with focus on use of technology, inputs and access to finance, water management, research and extension. 

It's a continent that can generate electricity from the hydro and solar projects but large area of it is living in darkness. 645 million people cannot yet access electricity. Only 45% of people are connected to electricity. Agriculture Sector needs energy for irrigation, storage and processing. Women need clean cooking solutions and girls need to spend more time of productive work to attend school. The Bank installed 540 MW of total power capacity and 41 MW of renewable power capacity with improved power and distribution lines over the last five years. 

It's a continent rich in natural resources but unable to industrialise because of poor infrastructure. Only 43% of population have access to finance. The Bank provided financial services to 150 thousand small businesses over the last five years. It has provided better access to transport services to 7 million people. It has realised the importance of making roads sustainable. 

To increase in competitiveness, trade and economic growth that are needed to reduce poverty, the continent needs to progress more on its integration agenda. However, intra-African trade is just 15% of Africa's total trade. Cross border roads, regional transport corridors, regional power pools, investments on infrastructure including commercial agriculture, soft infrastructure, trade support facilitation, etc, have been aimed at. The Bank constructed 540 kms cross border roads over last five years. It has financed infrastructure projects, constructed cross border transmission lines and finance workshops and studies to develop consensus on regional development needs. It has a large and youthful workforce but it is in need of more entrepreneurs. It imports more than it's exports. Unless the continent produce high values quality goods and services, the trade deficit will continue. 

4 in 10 Africans live in poverty. Only 61% of appropriate age population are enrolled in education. 71% of people have access to improved drinking water. Only 39% of them have access to improved sanitation services. Better nutrition is fundamental to reduce deaths of children under five, preventing stunting and promoting quality of life. Population increasing but the economic growth rate is barely increasing. 200 million Africans between the age of 15 and 29, youth unemployment and underemployment are high. They are in need of technical and vocational education. Better health, education, water and sanitation services are instrumental to improve quality of life. The Bank delivered 1.6 million jobs and trained 652,000 people. It has provided access to water and sanitation to over 3.73 million people. It has funded irrigation projects. Their education projects benefited 477,200 people of whom 269,600 were women. 

They have used traffic light symbols of Green, Yellow and Red to measure the performance. Green traffic light for those who achieved the target. Yellow Light for those who are close to meeting the target and Red Light for those who fell short of their target. The High 5 strategy of the Bank is a clear road map for accelerating their support in priority areas of agriculture transformation, universal access to energy, tripling industrial GDP, a more integrated Africa, a healthy, educated and trained workforce will work together with a transformed agriculture sector to deliver inclusive and green growth, eliminating poverty in Africa. 

Expanding middle class, increase trade and investments, sound public financial management to fund infrastructure maintenance, stronger institutions for managing reforms, good governance, fragility, climate change, renewable energy and gender are the fundamental issues of any government of the developing nation to address for achieving sustained development. 

India has a long tradition of South-South co-operation and is expanding its partnership with Africa. India-Africa trade is expected to reach US $100 billion by 2018. Africa was a land of making of Mahatma Gandhi. Many Gujaratis and Indians have settled and prospered in Africa. Our PM has rightly concluded his opening ceremony speech with the words: "In the sports arena India can not compete with Africa in long distance running but I can assure you that India will always stand with you shoulder to shoulder supporting you in the long and difficult race for better future". 

Let us greet Africa with "High 5"

Punamchand
25 May 2017

Monday, May 22, 2017

We are the living waves

We are the living waves.

What it light?

It is difficult to categorise light as either substance or a process, but it is an energy, a quanta of electromagnetic field. Light may be the smallest form of the substance visible as waves. (man made eye/microscope define the smallest particle of the universe, may be some wavelengths are unseen). There are many waves: AM waves, FM waves (radio), microwaves (ovens), infrared (heat), EM waves (visible light), ultraviolet, X rays, alpha rays, beta rays and finally gamma rays. Gamma is produced in nuclear reactions, have the smallest wavelengths and the most energy of any other wave in the electromagnetic spectrum. They can kill living cells including cancerous cells and can change/ break the DNA molecules of the seeds/eggs of plants and creatures through mutation. Scientist have started applying gamma in creating productive seeds. Natural sources of gamma rays may be one of the reasons for evolution of life on Earth.

The rays-light is immortal waves, created by many stars are traveling in the universe for millions of years and making the drama of the creator complex.

Hold on for a moment. 

Not only light, but all the substances are waves including the creatures on Earth!

How wise the Creative Nature is! It has created light-form waves and given us eyes to see it. It has created sound waves and gave us ears to listen it. It has created touch waves and gave us skin to feel it. It has created taste waves and gave us tongue to taste it. It has created smell waves and gave us nose to smell it. Five elements and five sensory organs. It has created emotional waves and gave us heart to feel it. It has created thought waves and gave us mind to catch and analyse it. The arishadvarga lust, anger, greed, attachment, pride, jealousy are nothing but the waves that control our mind and lead us into action. Nature has added colours into it to see the visible world with different emotions. The same picture will carry different emotions if seen in three different colours Red, Yellow and Blue. 

Each atom has a centre nucleus with positive charge and orbiting electron with negative charge. The lightest atom Hydrogen has only 1 proton in the nucleus (no neutron) and 1 orbiting electron. Other atoms have proton/s and neutron/s in the nucleus and 1 or more electrons orbiting around the centre in one or more energy levels (shells) in different angular momentum. 

118 elements have been discovered; 98 are found in nature and others are synthesised by man. 80 elements have one staple isotope and other 38 exist as radioactive isotopes. Hydrogen of Sun turns into Helium (from 1 electron element to two electron element) through the fusion by sacrificing it's 4 atoms releasing two Sun Rays. Each element is identified with it's atom number (electrons). Carbon has 6 electrons (2 in shell one and 4 in shell two), Nitrogen has 7 electrons (2 in shell one and 5 in shell two) and Oxygen has 8 electrons (2 in shell one and 6 in shell 2). All the elements have been classified in 7 groups as per their orbiting ranges of the electrons in seven shells. More the electrons, more the energy, more reactive. One element short of one electron or have extra electron, it becomes very reactive. Others in between are less than perfectly stable, they react with each other to various degrees. These are the basic male and female (couple) forces of the cosmos vibrating in search of their missing partner and making compounds. Heart beats. Some with their electrons spinning in same directions create magnetic fields and some with opposite spin cancel the fields.

Each atom has the centre (the Sun) and the orbiting electrons (like planets). A family head is a centre of his family with orbiting family members. A leader is a centre with positive charge having negative charges party members orbiting around him/her. A Guru is a positive charge centre for his negative charges followers. The husband-wife, love couple, etc are nothing but the positive and negative charge waves meeting to fill up their deficiencies. Look upon Earth, all living objects feel themselves incomplete and are in search of the elements without which they feel incompleteness. And when they found the match, start pairing and then generate new atoms, new compounds, new substance, new world of their desires.

There are three forces working in the Drama of Creation; positive charge, negative charge and neutral element; active energy, inactive energy and catalyst. Starting from the Cosmic Womb (Hiranya Garbha) to mother's Womb, the objective world has been created with the mix and remix of these three elements. Particles-anti particles, quarks-antiquarks, with positive-negative electrical charge, electromagnetic waves form many combinations. Atoms to amino acids to proteins to a cell are the building blocks of our live of organic world. It's a journey from incompleteness to completeness. Like the objects of Solar system trying to become Sun, Sun is trying to become the centre of the Milky Way. And the Milky way to become the Universe; atoms, objects, creatures, human, gandharva, yaksh, gandharva, nagas, spirits, devas, yoginis, etc; are the waves in the Ocean of the Brahman, the Almighty. All are waves dot to dot in a journey to Completeness.

Punamchand
22 May 2017

Sunday, May 14, 2017

Lifetime 

Whatever is born will die. It is a cycle of GOD, generation, operation and destruction. It is a dance of Natraja, a Drama of the Almighty that passes through the emotions of joy of birth, struggle of lifetime and sorrow of death. Birth is not the beginning and death is not the end, therefore those who understand the cycle, enjoy the drama of the almighty while playing his/her role. Few become the master of their destiny. 

An Electron has a lifetime of 1/1500 seconds, a Molecule has lifetime of 18 seconds and a blood cell has lifetime of 6 days. Man has average 76Y lifetime that is equal to one day life of the Nature. Nature lifetime is 2.25 million years. 18 years of a man life is a minute life of the Earth. Within 4 minutes of earth life a man completes his lifetime. Earth's hour life is 1075 years, Day life is 25800 years, week life is 187,000 years, month life is 750,000 years, Year life of earth is 9.25 million years and total life time (habitable zone) is 7.5 billion years of which 4.5 billion years have been passed. A lifetime of a man is a moment of recognition of Sun. Sun's day life is 200 million years and lifetime is 10 billion years. And the mother of all the Milky Way is 13.4 billion years old (Big Bang), one day will merge with another nearby galaxy M31 in the constellation of Andromeda and finally will be swallowed up by the Black Hole. The Milky Way is 1 million light years in diameter (our Solar system is 26000 light years from the centre of the galaxy). It takes 250 million years for the Sun and it's family to complete a rotation around the Milky Way. There are 100 billion Galaxies in the Universe identified through telescope technology at present. With the improvement in the technology, the numbers may go up. And nobody knows how many Universes are there? And Hinduism imagine that all the universes stay on the tip of a hair of the Almighty. How big is the God Almighty? Omnipotent. Omnipresent. Omniscient. He is all-powerful, all-present, and all-knowing.

We may be living in present moment but in fact are living in the past of the star lights. Light travels in a year at about 186,000 miles per second. As Moon is just 250,000 miles away, the Moonlight takes 1.3 seconds to reach to us. It takes Sunlight an average of 8 minutes and 20 seconds to reach to earth. The light traveling from nearest star Proxima Centauri takes  about 4 years and Bernard's stars light takes 6 years to reach here. North Star light takes 680 years to reach here. The light we see with naked eyes are 2000 years old. We can see light from 2000 years to 10-15 billion with the help of telescope. Therefore, what we see is not the Universe of today but the mixture of different light images of past reached to the earth at this moment. It is a Universe of illusion. Many events already happened in the universe has not known to us. If somebody manage to travel faster than the light, he can see the future events of the Earth (provided he has the eyes to see from there). One may argue that everything is destined. We may feel like a dog running the cart but actually the bulls not visible to the dog are running the cart. However, Human mind can travel faster than the light, has a capacity to see future events. 

The seven sounds in order (सा रे ग म प ध नी सा) (do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, si, do) are the basis of musical progression. From below upward, it is called ascending (आरोह); and from above downwards called descending (अवरोह). The expanding universe after the Big Bang is in ascending mode of the music of the Almighty, and one day it will descend. Just a breath out and in. Our Earth is like a dust size in the Universe and we are the dust particles, running after other dust particles. Everybody is playing their role in the Drama of the Almighty. 

Look at the 9th question of Yaksha to Yudhisthira: What is the greatest wonder? Day after day countless people die, yet the living wish is to live forever. And what is the news? "The Sun is fire, the days and nights are fuel. The months and the seasons constitute the wooden ladle. Time is the cook that is cooking all creatures in that pan. This is the news". Yudhisthira replied.

It is interesting to know that we are made from the objects of the universe, and being a member of the Solar Family, we are governed by the Sun family. Somebody observed that: Sun governs Thymus (growth); Moon governs Pancreas (lymphatic system: digestion, assimilation of food); Mercury governs Thyroid (pulmonary system: respiration, combustion of air); Venus governs Para-thyroids (arterial and connective tissue: blood circulation, tissue building); Mars governs the Adrenals (cerebro-spinal and voluntary muscle: exterior motion, fight and flight); Jupiter governs Posterior Pituitary (sympathetic and involuntary muscle: inner reflexes, physical sensation); Saturn governs Anterior Pituitary (cerebral cortex and skeleton: mind and reason, bone structure); Uranus governs Gonads (genital, vagus: reproduction, creation, higher emotion) and Neptune governs the Pineal. 

We may feel proud of human evolution from primates to modern civilised man, but we have been governed by the electromagnetic cycles of Sun and it's family and are highly connected with Sun family. Our world is a creation of our mind, will expand till the musical progression of ascending cycle reach to नी-सा (si-do) and will revert with descending cycle reaching रे-सा (re-do).

Our lifeline is too short compared to the life of Earth, Sun, Galaxy and the Universe. Just a moment. Therefore, leave the worries and hear Yudhisthira. The Yaksha asked, "What is that which, when renounced, makes one lovable? What is that which is renounced makes happy and wealthy"? Yudhishthira replied, "Pride, if renounced makes one lovable, renouncing desire one becomes wealthy and to renounce avarice is to obtain happiness".

Enjoy the lifetime. Life is light, the Gift of the Almighty.

Punamchand
14 May 2017
www.punamchand.com

Wednesday, May 10, 2017

3 hours milky shower in Moonlight

Tonight, when Chaudavi ka Chand is in romance with his 15th wife Swati (su+ati means very good); Gandhinagar, the capital city of Gujarat has shower bath of Chandni for three hours. All street lights were off to salute the only light of full moon up in the sky. Chand and it's Chandni are moving into the sky spraying milky shower over the sky and on the earth. There was no option but to gauge the romance of the moon couple as the atmosphere is very hot where the wind also stopped blowing in surprise of the act of the administration. But suddenly at 00 midnight, the street lights lit up, and punctured the screen of the nature. Moon has just moved 1.31 degrees from 11.11 to 12.41, and didn't reach above the head, and the night lit up with LED street lights spreading the artificial bright white light in the streets turning electricity into light. The current starts and the bill of the corporation starts up. The administration continues with the experiment for two more nights. If they follow the moon calendar and adjust the light clock accordingly, they will get more hours of moon light to live with the nature of nights. Children have forgotten Chanda Mama and his songs, the 3 hours experiment to live under the moonlight is a step to bring back the townies to a simpler life more in touch with nature.

All cities must adjust their street light hours with moon light. It will save more electricity over and above the use of LED.

Punamchand
10 May 2017 midnight

Sunday, May 7, 2017

Ram Singh, the Hawker of India

Ram Singh, the Hawker of India

I met Ram Singh, an old man in his 60s. He is a hawker, selling chana chatpati (crispy chickpeas) in Ahmedabad city for last 25 years. He lives at Saraspur in a room paying ₹3000/month. When he came in 1990, the room rent was only ₹100/month. 

Are you selling chana chatpati for last 25 years? Ha Sahab. Children who ate my chatpati became doctors, engineers and when they meet ask the same question, chacha, are you still selling the chatpati ? 

How could you sustain with only one activity of hawking chickpeas for 25 years? When I asked further, he explained his life story. He belongs to a village of Bharatpur District of Rajashthan. He hails from a poor Brahmin family, doesn't have land for cultivation. His wife and three children are living in the village in Rajashthan. His elder daughter did BA and got married, the middle son is in the last year of BTech in Jaipur, and the younger son is in Std 10. His wife rears two cows and manage the household expenditure. He earns ₹250-300/day, pay rent, spend some money on food and rest the savings, send home for his family. He makes the chatpati himself and manages his family for 25 years. 

When I knew that he is a Brahmin, I asked one more question. You could have earn more from rituals of marriages etc, being a Brahmin, I tried to explore his avenues. Na  ji, I am illiterate as my father didn't give me education. I don't know hymns etc. Me and my chatpati are okay for my family needs. He replied. 

You are Brahmin and your name is Ram Singh, it doesn't match. I asked him a logical question. He couldn't reply just said it is a tradition in their family to write Singh after the first name. When somebody lives in a place away from home, in another state, name itself gives basic security writing Singh as suffix, I presume.

There are thousands of families in India, may not be earning $2 day day for each of their family members. Nearly 90% India lives in informal sector. Children of rich families born with a silver spoon in their mouth, can do whatever they like as their parents spend handsome money after their education, comforts and development. But for the poor, survival is the basic need. And within that constraint, if somebody like Ram Singh educate his son in BTech or graduate his daughter, it is a big success story of life. And that has been achieved following utmost honesty and maintaining the culture of India. Where does the Indian culture and honesty live? It lives in the heart of the common people, the informal sector of India. 

US developed with the model of Spending Economy. They earn and they spend. India is growing with savings economy. We earn and increase our bank balances. If people start spending on the products and services of the informal sector, it is not only an activity of buying goods or services but a contribution to the development of the families living in Informal India.

If you are passing by the Bata Shoe Store, opposite of Sales India, Ashram Road Ahmedabad, stop for a minute, don't miss the chance to enjoy the chickpeas chatpati of Ram Singh, the hawker of India.

Salute Ram Singh

Punamchand
7 May 2017

Wednesday, May 3, 2017

Save the Parrot

Save the Parrot 

British Medical Journal paper has declared very interesting conclusion on CHD that "Saturated fat doesn't clog the arteries. Coronary heart disease is a chronic inflammatory condition, the risk of which can be effectively reduced from healthy lifestyle interventions".

The major problem of human health is the inflammation or the edema of the organs, whether the arteries, the brain, the spine or the joints. There are major four reasons of the edema: the food, the age, the socio work culture and individual nature. The hunger of better quality of life has put the people in the race of resource generation. With the increase in population, more and more chemicals are used in cereals, vegetables and fruits. Our resistance to the people, situation and circumstances causes injuries to the internal organs. All these results into the inflammatory condition of the arteries (arteriosclerosis) that disturbed the easy flow of oxygenated blood and glucose to the cells. The disturbed or injured cell further worsen the inflationary condition of the arteries, finally end up in the coronary heart disease. Many suffer from obesity and type2 diabetes.

Therefore, modern world is busy in reading Lipid profiles; named the repairer of the injuries in the arteries the LDL cholesterol, a villain. Statins (chemical salt) are used to remove the fats-cholesterol from the body that downsize the functions of brain, liver and kidneys in long run. Instead of treating the cause of inflammation and the injurious reasons to the arteries, we are trying to remove cholesterol. 

It is an interesting observation that not the dietary saturated fat but the poly saturated fat is the culprit, clogging the pipes. The refined carbohydrates, polyunsaturated fat, trans fatty acids intake are associated with greater progression of arteriosclerosis. This is the stuff of most cheap commercially produced pastries, bread, and other low-fat foods. For the non vegetarians, the food their animals/birds eat matters! Heat processed oils generate fatty acids. Therefore, processed food and fried food are dangerous. Imagine how dangerous are the French fried, potato chips, aloo pakora, and other carbohydrate fried items.

Our ancestors were very wise. They had finalised the recipes after experimenting them for many years. Look at all the carbohydrates diets: the rice, roti, potato, etc, are not fried, either boiled or roasted. All the Gujarati fried dishes are frying the proteins. However, for better health, healthy food, good nature and health socio work culture are necessary. The sensitivity of individual hurts his/her life line.

It is also interesting to note that blood always in need of calcium. If we fail in supplying the required quality through diet, it takes away from the bones and create osteoporosis as well as plaque in the arteries. Excessive intake of calcium may also create problems.

Heart is the Parrot where our life lives. And brain is the commander that disrupts the parrot. We shall accept the findings that Coronary artery disease is a chronic inflammatory disease and it can be reduced effectively by walking 22 minutes a day and eating real food.

Save the "PARROT"
Punamchand
3 May 2017

Tuesday, May 2, 2017

Common friends

Common friends

Surprisingly, the three are the most matching communities, nationally and internationally. They live and work together in many countries and carry respect for each other. Whether South Africa or Burma, they live, work and fight together for the common cause.

Gandhiji was most respected by them. Who are these three? Gujarati, Bihari and Tamil.

Gandhi rose as Satyagrahi from Champaran (Bihar) Satyagraha of 1917. Gandhiji's son Devdas married to Lakshmi, the daughter of Rajaji. Ladies in Bihar didn't know how independence will come by spinning the wheel (Rantio) but they were spinning wheels because 'Gandhi baba has told'. Irrespective of castes or creed, thousands of them run the rantio. The population living idle for 9 months (excluding agriculture season of monsoon) suddenly became active and connected with Gandhi. His messages were reaching to their hearts without the help of TV, Mobile and other IT support.

Who were bothered for the freedom? Kings were happy with the gun Salutes. Elite class was settled with the administration. They were the common Indians, the peasants, the labourers, the females, the Satyagrahi, who following the path of non-violence brought freedom for us.

100 years of Champaran (indigo farmers) Satyagrah of Gandhi just completed on 10th of April this year. Bihar is celebrating the 100th anniversary because the event on 10th April 1917, when Gandhiji set foot on Bihar land at Patna Station, changed the course of history of the nation. A train with 11 days package (costing ₹10,500) tour to Champaran-Gaya will start from Sabarmati this week. Hope there are buyers of the package tour!

All Indians are brothers and sisters but there is special brotherhood amongst the three: the Gujarati, the Bihari and the Tamil.

Long live independence.

Punamchand
2 May 2017

B Morarji & Company Burma

B Morarji & Company Burma 

Burma was colonised and annexed by the British East India Company by fighting three Anglo-Burmese wars in 19th century. Like India, Lord Dalhousie pioneered to remove Kingship from Burma. Lower Burma was annexed in 1852 and the rest in 1885. Indian Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar was expelled to Rangoon in 1858 and Burma Emperor Thibaw of Konbaung Dynasty was expelled to India in 1885. While the British took Bahadurshah Zafar to Burma and buried him there, they brought the Burmese king and family to Madras for about two years and kept them in a small building which is still there. From here,they were moved to Ratnagiri in Maharashtra. He died there in December 1916.

Burma became part of British India. After enactment of Government of India Act 1935, British made Burma a colony administrated separately from 1 April 1937. Ba Maw became the first PM, opposed Burma's participation in WW-II, resigned and was arrested. Aung San formed Burma Independence Army (BIA). Japan formally entered the Second World War. Burma was devastated, Japanese troops took over Rangoon. Burmese executive administration was established under Ba Maw in 1942. Initially the BIA and Arakan Army fought with Japanese for 3 years, later switched towards Allied side. Aung San became Dy Chairman of Executive Council of Burma in 1947. AFPFL won the April 1947 elections, Aung Sang was set to be the first PM of Burma but he and his 6 cabinet ministers were assassinated on 19 July 1947. Union of Burma became independent from Britain on 4 January 1948. U Nu the cofounder of AFPFL (Anti Facist People's Freedom League) became it's first PM. Ne Win became the Chief of Armed Forces from 31 January 1949. Following split in AFPFL, he became caretaker PM (58-60) and then seized power in coup d'état in 1962. Ne Win became the President of Burma (1962-1988). Following riots in Rangoon University (he was expelled from the University in 1929, failing Biology exam), in July 1962, his 5 minutes radio speech at 8 PM concluded with a famous statement, "if these disturbances were made to challenge us, I have to declare that we will fight sword with sword and spear with spear". All universities were closed for two years (1962-64). One party rule of Burma Socialist Program Party was established. Between 1962-65, important laws were adopted including the nationalisation of the economy and persuaded the policy of autarky. He declared 50 and 100 kyat ceased to be legal tender overnight to curbed the hoarding of black money. People lost their savings overnight. (He demonetises large notes again in 1987, issued denominations of 45, 90; following an advise is an astrologer to follow lucky number 9!).

There were many Tamils, the Chettiars and Muslims were in trade there. For Tam Brahmins, it was like going to the US now. The father in law of Shri G. Sundaram, IAS Rtd, Gujarat was a Professor of Chemistry in Burma and Aung SAN was his student. He overtly supported the Burmese Independence movement. When war broke out, he sent his family by the last ship. He came back walking. Out of five lakh people who walked, one lakh died on the way. There was no news of them for 4-5 months. His affection for Burma was such that he named his house in Madras as "Burma House".

There were many Gujaratis and Indians living in Burma. Ethnic Indians formed the backbone of the government and economy serving as soldiers, civil servants, merchants and moneylenders. Anti indian riots started in 1930, followed by migration in 1945 when Japanese troops took over Burma and lastly the forced expulsion in 1962 reduced the role of Indians in Burma.

Gujaratis in Burma were in trading business, mainly running rice mills or timber marts. B Morarji was a company formed in Burma by Morarji Desai of Amadpur village of Navsari District of Gujarat. B stands for his elder brother name Bhimji. They were six brothers (Bhimji, Morarji, Khandubhai, Ranchodji, Bhagvanji, Dahyabhai), of whom, three (Morarji, Bhimji and Bhagvanji) were settled in Rangoon leaving agriculture land at native village. They owned rice mills and holding forests to run timber business. Later Chotubhai, the nephew of Morarji joined them and became a political figure, became President of All India Burma Congress. Following the coup d'état in 1962, all their properties were nationalised. They were advised to leave the country in 1964-65. They held British Passports and some of their Mistris moved to US but they decided to return to home village in India. Government of India had arranged for the shipments for their easy return of Indians at home. Morarji Desai and his brothers left Burma with their families. On the second day of their reaching to Calcutta, Morarji died of heart attack. Other brothers then returned Amadpur in Navsari, where they had enough land to survive. Each brother received the share of 100 bigha land. One of the brothers Chotubhai Desai, received 100 bigha land. He had to sold 30 bigha land for family needs. His son Rameshbhai Desai received 70 bigha in heirship. He became the Sarpanch of the village but he had to sell 30 bigha land for his family needs. Their farmers were the Dublas (tribal). The productivity was less. There is a proverb, " Dubla vave ne Dubla khay" (the weak cultivate and the weak eat). The owner had to sell their land to attend marriages and other responsibilities. 

Rameshbhai's successor son Mukesh Desai (the Sarpanch of previous term, whom I met) received 40 bigha land in heirship. He is able to add 15 bigha and now hold 45 bigha land after a very hard work of two decades. The prices of lands in Gujarat are going up. The crops may not give that much return on investments but the price rise of the land makes the investment on land profitable. 

At home, in 1956, another Morarji Ranchodji Desai, being a  Chief Minister holding Revenue portfolio, modified the Tenancy Act and notified the rules made the tillers the owner of the land  ("land to the tillers") w.e.f. 1st April 1957. Desais in South Gujarat were the land owners of huge lands, had lost many lands to the tillers due to the Land Reforms. When Morarjibhai Desai contested the election from the Gandevi Assembly Constituency in the general elections of 1957, he lost it due to the land reforms. Morarjibhai then moved to national politics, joined Nehru Cabinet in 1957. 105 demonstrators shot dead at flora fountain (Hutatma Chawk) at Mumbai on 21/11/1955 and death of 5-8 students at Lal Darvaja, Ahmedabad on 8/8/1956 during his tenure as CM of Bombay State added fuel into fire of the Samyukta Maharashtra and Mahagujarat movement resulted into formation of two States: Maharastra and Gujarat on 1st May 1960. Dangs was given to Gujarat in lieu of Bombay. Abu was lost from Gujarat because the State was not formed in the first round on 1956. Gujaratis are happy with Abu in the North and Daman in the South to spend their leisure time! Over the years, with the industrious nature of the people, great political leadership, entrepreneurs' adventures and bureaucrats excellence, etc, have place the State in the list of one of the most developed States of the Country. Gujarat become Growth Engine of India. How important Gujarat was during Mughals that Emperor Akbar built Buland Darwaja in 1601 AD to commemorate his victory over Gujarat. Aurangzeb rebelled against his father Emperor Shahjahan on his transfer from Ahmedabad to Aurangabad. British established their first factory and Presidency Office at Surat. Parsi landed to this land in 8th century and Vasco da Gama, the first Portuguese explorer to reach India (Calicut) by Sea on 20 May 1498, with the help of a Gujarati.

Today is Gujarat Birth Day. Glorious Gujarat is now 57 years old. Burma history is linked with Gujarat today because the present CM of Gujarat was born in Yangon (Rangoon) Myanmar (Burma) on 2nd August 1956.

Happy Birthday Gujarat.

Punamchand
1st May 2017
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