Unbridled Inflation Hits Below The Belt Of Poor Asians

From EDITOR's Desk

Growing Food Inflation Hits Asian Economy

The raging increase in food and fuel prices is building heavy toll on low earners in Asian countries, raising concern over inflation and effecting local livelihoods. In the recently concluded 44th Annual Meeting of Asia Development Bank held in Ha Noi, the key issue was soaring food and fuel prices in Asia. The meeting witnessed a record number of delegates around 4000 including finance ministers, policy-makers, business honchos, academics, civil representatives and media.

The exponential growth of essential commodities and fuel prices have already pushed million back below the $1.25 a day poverty line. Further, rising petroleum prices in Asia and Pacific is raising the concern over the region's carbon footprint. The poor condition of Asia's 3.3 billion people are further deteriorating by its economic and demographic issues. The food rise now a significant factor for the improvement of the livelihoods in the immediate and the longer term.

The rising food and fuel prices have raised eyebrows of economists and analysts, advising nations to involve in constructive discussions on the long-term structural adjustments and to secure food supplies. Analysts fear if the food prices aren't curbed, it will badly undermine the recent achievement in poverty minimization made in Asia. It is estimated that even 10% rise in domestic food prices in developing nations could be nudging 64 million people into ditch of poverty.

Asia-Pacific economy influence the international monetary system, as with rising poverty, assuming a larger role for global monetary and economic stability.

The situation of underdeveloped nations in Asia is worst than it is estimated. According to a report from Vientiane Industry and Commerce Department, the price of pork is recently accelerated from 33, 000 kip (about 4.10 U.S dollars) per kilogram to 38,000 (about 4. 72 U.S. dollars) kip per kilogram.

The world's two-thirds poor population, estimating 600 million resides in Asia, living on less than $1.25 a day. After 2008 global financial crisis and food crisis, the number stemmed from 555 million people to present state.

The spiraling inflation, especially in food prices since mid-2010, severely hit Asian nations because most of the families in developing Asia spend more than 60% of their income on food on the contrary to developed countries, which spend 10% of their income on food.

The record high price of crude oil has been one of the factors, which forces a tremendous upward spiral of Asian food. Diesel is essential for pumps in the irrigation systems, and petrochemicals are an essential part of fertilizers, therefore, increase of crude oil directly affects on food production process.

Analysts advise policy makers of Asian countries to emphasis on entire food systems from farm production, processing, retail and distribution. They ask for better land production, using scarce resources such as land, water and energy, especially for the big nations like China and India.

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Impact of Global Inflation on Essential Food Prices

Left Is No More Right

From EDITOR's Desk

Trinamool Congress party supporters celebrate

India wrapped up its biggest political capsize as the popular firebrand lady of Bengal clean swept the three decade old Communist government. Mamata Banerjee, leader of the Trinamool Congress Party struggled for 34 years to oust Left, winning more than 60 percent of the seats allied with the Congress party. She is a cabinet minister but certain to take the must obsessed post of chief minister.

The day result was declared, the capital Kolkata almost dressed in green clothes, triumphant supporters danced in front of Ms. Banerjee’s modest home. Trinamool chief in her emblematic attire – a simple handspun white cotton sari and plastic sandals stood in front of her house, smiling towards jubilant crowd. Didi or big sister as she referred to, declaring by a woman supporter that her party ultimately subjugated the Communists and started the “new day of independence” for the people of West Bengal.

The ejection of Left is a shameful end of an ideological political dynasty and rise of a fresh force that promised tons of things. Nonetheless, Ms. Banerjee who was always hold responsible for a party of goons, is now come with more sophisticated team, consisting of civil servants and more intellectuals. It’s believed that they will get the important ministries in the state and a few will go to her all time old minions. The win would also prove to be a factor in New Delhi as it might be a step for long lost Congress to step in Bengal.

Sitaram Yechury, a member of the Communist Party’s politburo said they accepted people’s verdict as people wanted change.

In Kolkata, which is distinctively named as the cultural capital of India, Ms. Banerjee was perceived as a madcap among elite or intellectual society. Famous for her wearing unkempt flip-flops, involving in street brawls, publicly humiliating ministers, and a few unparliamentarily gestures, her two year tenure as a railway minister also witnessed many ups and downs. She renamed railway stations to gain political mileage, skipped most of the cabinet ministry meetings, and banned red color at events as a token gesture of her hatred for the Communist government. However, She is also the poorest Member of Parliament because she’s seen as incorruptible, even by her fiercest enemy, and that’s a rarity in Indian politics.

The most literate state in India, Kerala also witnessed topple of power in this election. The ruling Left Democratic Front was narrowly defeated by Congress-led opposition.

Surprisingly the beleaguered Congress Party who suffered from tarnished image after series of corruption charges had a mixed performance. It again come to the power in Northeastern Assam but suffered a mighty lose in Tamil Nadu, where Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam party, or D.M.K. a key ally battered by the biggest corruption scandal in Indian history, bluntly shown the exit door.

Undoubtedly, the biggest bombshell of this election is the end of the supremacy of party, which proudly proclaimed itself as a cohort of Karl Marx and Josef Stalin and put their portraits on office walls, and called each other “comrade”.

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Corruption Cost India $462 Billion

Lobsang Sangay, How Good He Will Be As Dalai Lama’s Replacement

From EDITOR’s Desk
Saturday, April 30, 2011

Lobsang Sangay - The new political leader of Tibet

Grew up in a Tibetan settlement, studied law in India and earned Doctorate in Law from Harvard Law School, the first Tibetan to receive the degree and his dissertation, Lobsang Sangay is the first prime minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile. His education and foreign background certainly demand respect from people but the question is how much he would be capable of replace the Dalai Lama’s political role.

On Wednesday, April 27, Central Tibetian Administration announced the next Prime Minister in Dharamshala. At the Lhakpa Tsering Memorial Hall of the Department of Information and International Relations (DIIR), in a press conference, the results of 15th general election have been disclosed. Sangay won the election with 55% votes, the best among two other candidates. Supporters of Tenzin Tethong casted 37% votes whereas the second runner up Tashi Wangdi received 6.5% approximately.

The front runner for Kalon Tripa, or prime minister, Lobsang Sangay is an India born, US-based Tibetan Scholar who is expected to bring the new approach in dealing with china. The 43 year old emphasized to “reach out to the Chinese government, to have a dialogue, to resolve the issue peacefully and non-violently.”

The packed audience of Tibetan, Indian, and foreign journalists also witnessed election commission announcing the 47 newly elected Tibetan Parliament Members. The members' list follows as 30 Members for U-Tsang, Do-tod and Do-med having ten members each and 4 selected by the traditional Bon religion and Tibetan Buddhism.

Undoubtedly, the Dalai Lama draws more respect from people for his spiritual insights but in a political scenario, the 43 year-old lawyer seems more incisive in global diplomacy. An expert on International Law, Democratic Constitutionalism, and Conflict Resolution, Mr. Sangay has earned considerably well repute for his seminar around the world.

According to a news report published by Reuter, the Dalai Lama also expressed his happiness over the election, especially a proactive participation from the Tibetan people. It is believed that he aims to make China’s attempt to select the next Dalai Lama, as now the Tibetans have their own leader who is technically outside China and beyond the control of the Communist Party’s control.

However, analysts say, Mr. Sangay now has an overwhelming work to complete because as of now everyone knows about the Dalai Lama and his task is now to keep the issue of Tibet alive while the man who spent whole of his life struggle for Tibetan people gradually lose color from the global eyeballs.


Dalai Lama as he always introduce himself as a ‘humble monk’ perhaps a definition that seems statesman as a ‘weak’ or a ‘timid’ person who always got humiliation from the Chinese government. But the irony is, China has been struggling with this ‘humble monk’ since he was the teenage ruler of handful of Tibetan refugees. The fact is China has never realized the face value of the man and despite armed with a potent military force and bulging economy, the ‘humble monk’ always create a prickly irritation to the Chinese government. Even with the new political leader and the Dalai Lama position apparently reduced to religious leader of Tibetans, his voice will be a significant echo to the world’s political fraternity.

Now, the biggest challenge of Harvard doctorate is to understand people’s faith and long-lasting struggle for independence and create a face value nearer to the Dalai Lama.

The Flamboyant "Rawalpindi Express" Chooses Not To Stir Anymore

Shoaib Akhtar

From EDITOR's desk

It's not an outstanding career but undeniably a fascinating roller coaster ride for 35-year-old Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, best known amongst fans as the "Rawalpindi Express", who has announced to retire from international cricket after the ongoing World Cup.

Shoaib Akhtar made his international debut in 1997 and soon became a figure in cricketing world by his record fastest delivery and lethal Yorkers and quick bouncers. He is probably best remembering as a “glamour boy” in Pakistan team who had been always disheveled in some sort of controversy. Despite his effort to be ‘Mr Clean’, he has never been able to brushed off the numerous controversies hovered around him during his cricketing tenure. In the recent disciplinary breach of conduct, Shoaib was fined $2,000 last week for venting his anger at wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal during the match against New Zealand.

"With this announcement it feels like it's my first death," he said.

The sentiment oozed out certainly shows the deep love for the sport in the heart of Shoaib, but it also shows that the world fastest delivery man has taken the decision after much thought.

Shoaib Akhtar has been involved in controversies during his whole career. He is blamed for not being a team player and involved in conflicts with team members. In the year 2003 he was banned for ball tampering. In the same year he was again banned for abusing South African spin bowler Paul Adams.

His career is best remembered for his consistent injuries and indiscipline conducts. In 2006, Akhtar and Mohammad Asif were banned for failed drug tests and suspended for two and one years respectively. However, both of which were lifted on appeal. The continuous fitness setbacks compelled him to sit back in the 2007 World Cup. He was fined and banned for 13 ODI after he hit Asif with a bat. Akhtar also threatened to sue the Pakistan Cricket Board when he was diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease (genital warts) and subsequently dropped from the 2009 world Twenty20 squad.

He is always been a controversial figures in and outside of ground, but people still love him because of exceptionally blunt force and flamboyancy. Rana Bhagwandas, a highly respected name of the Pakistani judiciary stated once that, “Akhtar is a legend of Pakistan cricket.” Ricky Ponting appreciated Shoaib, saying Pakistani paceman was the fastest bowler he has ever faced.

In the press conference he said that there were bad moments in everybody’s life and needed to take just a part of life. Through this process everyone grew out of it, and at last when turned 35 one became mature.

It seems the journey of speed machine in the ground is over, but at 35, the golden boy of Rawalpindi is still to understand what is “just a part of life” means.

Global Hunger Index Reflects A Bleak Picture of South Asia

From EDITOR's desk

The 2010 Global Hunger Index report prepared by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) shows an alarming situation of South Asia and Sub Saharan Africa where some 29 countries in this region paints a gloomy picture, revealing the alarming hunger level, children mortality rate and large amount of undernourished people in the country. The unfortunate part is governments largely overlooked the perils of ground reality.

Different international bodies like Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have submitted reports on various developments in some particular regions. The report also highlighted some dominant developing countries into the hunger prone countries such as India stood 67 rank lower than Pakistan (52). It is reported that one of the fastest growing economies of the Asia, India has the highest prevalence of underweight children, at around 40 per cent, in Asia.

The report asked interventions; using evidence based and locally appropriate approaches are required from the conception stage up to the age of two in order to bring down hunger levels. There are methods of giving appropriate nutrition to pregnant and lactating women, educate sound infant nursing techniques, emphasis on hygiene and providing appropriate vitamin supplements. The report also suggested corporate bodies to take initiation but gave impetus to government enthusiasm to put this into political agenda.

Most of the cases of hunger related death or malnutrition is because of helplessness of the people to combat hunger in the absence of resources. The report suggested governments to being proactive on policies focusing underlying causes of hunger and malnutrition. Specifically a country like India where hunger is chiefly a man-made phenomenon and people suffer because of inadequacy of proper functioning of local bodies and corruption, the government proactive participation will prove to be effective against unwarranted deaths and undernourished people.

Within Asia, the graph of lowering underweight children is mercurial. The rate of reduction of undernourished children in India has been slower than other countries. The report highlighted the reduction rate of malnutrition in China from 1990 to 2002, showing a drastic reduction from 25 per cent to 8 per cent. In Malaysia, the proportion of children who were underweight decreased from 22 per cent in 1990 to 7 per cent in 2005, owing to its exponential economic growth and education among women and children. The report emphasized on structured policy regarding child nutrition, food security among below poverty citizens, dissipation of education among mothers, proper health services, water and sanitation.

Thailand has a little different story where government didn’t take measures just as a welfare factor but as a whole development factor. As a result invested heavily in health, sanitation and education in 1980s and the success showed in the way of drastic reduction child malnutrition in less than a decade.

The shocking report of IFPRI seems doesn’t stir governments and in 2011 the situation remain same to an agricultural worker in Bangladesh or to an anganwadi worker in India. The issue is same but with different dimensions and differences.

Development Wins In Development V/S Caste Politics

Victory Of Development | Rahul Magic Failed | Rabri Lost Both Seats | Kingmakers Lalu-Paswan Swings Down

Supporters of Nitish Kumar Celebrated In Ahmedabad

By ONE Liners Agency

India News - Nitish Kumar, the man much credited for awakening India's poorest state, reverberating his name across India's political map for more than just a clean sweep in Bihar election this year. Like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar also trade marked as a political gimmickry of casteism, but this year the election has turned out be a major political metamorphosis from casteism to development. The landslide victory of Janata Dal (United) on Wednesday clearly gives an indication of changing political scenario in the country.

Mr. Kumar has undergone a litmus test of abolish caste politics that have held sway in much northern India for decades. Though it is hard for political party to ignore caste in election, especially in the states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, however, unlike most of the political parties, he did not make it a mandate for the election, rather played the cards of development, record of cleaning crimes and elevating education in the state.

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Battle for Bihar

JDU + BJP – 206 seats (swing – 63 up)
RJD + LJP – 25 seats (swing – 39 down)
Cong – 4 seats (swing – 5 down)
Other – 8 seats (swing – 19 down)
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Nitish Kumar brought an end to the 15-year rule of the Lalu Prasad Yadav led Rashtriya Janata Dal. In his five year tenure he more emphasized on development issues where education was also a big factor to elevate the poor state in the country. Even he converted dilapidated schools into permanent structures with computers made necessary to all of them. New health schemes were made where remote villages were provided with medical officers and appropriate facilities. Apart from sweeping crimes and development of women in the society, Mr. Kumar emphasized on infrastructure and common problems of people. These all major steps had major impact on Bihar's society as voters endorsed his pro-development platform and returned his government to power.

“This is a victory of the people of Bihar,” Mr. Kumar declared during a victory speech on national television.

He further added that people of Bihar chose to move forward and decided not look the darkness they left behind. he promised to work even harder in next five years and announced the victory as a victory of development.

With more than 90 million people, Bihar is one of the most populated states in the country and an important region in Indian politics.

The election has also caused a serious setback for Indian National Congress Party, which is ruling in the center and trying hard to grip in northern India.

Pakistan Flood Coverage Lingers

By ETHAN Markoff

Some of the natural disasters shock the whole humanity, intensifying the belief system that there is something beyond the reach of mankind. A man is blissfully helpless when it comes to head-to-head with nature, yet all the development of mankind depends on struggle against the nature. The queer permutation combination of man and nature sometimes leave dreadful impression that haunts people for long.

The Pakistan flood is yet another example of natural disaster that has thrown hundreds of thousand people into adverse condition and finally caused a million people's death. The worst-ever flood in the South East Asia occurred about two months back, and still capturing attention of the whole world.

In the last five years, there had been other similar disasters like the earthquake in Kashmir in 2005, the 2006 Asian tsunami or Haiti's crisis in 2010. However, most of the stories went into the oblivion within a few days or week. The media attention moved from the disaster to the different humanitarian angles. But the current Pakistan flood disaster can't get out of the disaster coverage;every single day some new developments make the wound green.

Thousands of people are solely depended on the aircraft-supplied ration, as the roads and bridges to those areas have been washed away. The media coverage seems still lingering on the first stage, which covers the ongoing disaster and plights of the people.

Some predict that the flood is the most horrible natural disaster in this century. It is reported that almost half of the country has been submerged and about eight million people have been affected. The different relief organizations, namely the United Nations, Red Cross, Oxfam and other international organizations are trying their best but still the aid is not channelized properly into the right areas. The disaster has undoubtedly quivered the country's economy from the hinges. Relief Web has frequently updated the pages with maps, data, and reports on Pakistan's flood.

In a recent news, it is reported that a few more towns in the country are threatened by the rising water level in Lake Manchar. The lake is the biggest source of freshwater in the country and can inflict more people in the Southern Pakistan. People are moving from the towns of Bhon, Jhingira and other adjacent towns, which are situated near the lake.

The crisis leaves million people helpless and has strained the nerve of the government. However, the rising anger among the victims has made the situation worse. The sufferers complain that the aid is not reaching them quickly enough. Some analysts say the flood is more disastrous than the Haiti earthquake, the tsunami or the Pakistan earthquake.

''It looks like the number of people affected in this crisis is higher than the Haiti earthquake, the tsunami or the Pakistan earthquake, and if the toll is as high as the one given by the government, it's higher than the three of them combined,'' Maurizio Giuliano, spokesman for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, told to reporters.

The increasing number of towns affected by rising water level also invites media to play an active part rather than just focusing  on the stories. A few has taken the initiative - The BBC World Service Trust has started a humanitarian information service or "Infoasaid" for the victims. They are also planning to carry broadcast in Pashtu as the Pashtu speaking people are mostly resided in the north-western part of the country.

Most of the media coverage is focused on the ongoing devastation as well as trying to pull up the affected people from the adverse position but as soon as the acute phase is over and enter into the rebuilding phase, the media coverage might be swerved into different shapes.
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Pakistan Flood: Facts And Figures Of Aids

The Aid For Pakistan Flood Helps To Keep Terrorists At Bay: Qureshi
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India's Own Conservative Incest Story

Incest Story In Haryana

Just a few days back India gloriously celebrated its 64th Independence Day but the oxymoron of Indian freedom runs in Indian villages. Nowadays one of the most noted sarcasms is quite in style in national news channels. The noise is quite audible, and annoyance level is also comfortably high. The subject is the most tempting one to mankind – sex.

Haryana, a state in India known for flourishing industrialism and affluent farmers, seems living in the medieval period. The self-proclaimed Haryana’s Khaps are the sham ‘kings’ of the villages. Their “moral judgments” can even make shy to the epitomes of immorality. They do all sort of things – to solve personal problems of family, to give judgment of any conflict, and above all their profound knowledge in ancient gotras, caste system etc. is mind-boggling. A recent example is about a law graduate and resident of Karora village Seema whose brother had been killed for marrying a woman from the same gotra. This is not a new development, but the inside story is more overwhelming. The brave girl revealed another shameful reality of Haryana villages – incest.

"Khaps should look into their homes before passing fatwas on lovers and crying hoarse about honor. Incest is rampant in the state and virtually every home is affected. Where is the honor anyway?" she screamed.

A recent tragedy was about a pregnant girl who brutally murdered by her parents and dumped outskirt of village. Her crime – she had an affair with her brother-in-law.

There are other embarrassing cases found in papers but many lost in oblivion of conservative village shell. The freedom of moral judgment by people is running into license. In yet another gruesome incident that had created much noise in local and national newspapers occurred in Sonepat where two minor girls (12 and 14 years) were murdered for having an “illicit affair” with their cousin. Their bodies flung in a canal by their uncles and grandmother. In Yamunagar, a girl lodged in local police station that her father-in-law had raped her.

The examples of embarrassing incidents and courageous lawlessness go on. In the Kaital district a farmer was alleged for having a sexual relation with his 30 year old daughter-in-law. When the matter went into the ears of village panchayat, they ordered them to separate immediately.

These are not isolated incidents: incest is reportedly a real part of life in rural Haryana.

"It's a menace nobody wants to talk about. Even the elders are setting a bad example, “says D R Chaudhary, member of the Haryana Administrative Reforms Commission.

Some believed that incest is a traditional practice and quite a conditioned phenomenon in rural as well as urban society. However, nowadays due to influence of communication and media nosiness in personal affairs, skeletons are plummeting out of family cupboards. Sociologists, in turn, say that the ethnic history of the region is full of such instances.

There are several factors that make the problem murkier. The skewed sex ratio; 860 girls for 1,000 boys, the conservative society where boys and girls are not meant to speak openly in public, the homeliness of women and social stigma to love marriages are a few of the factors that cause the problem rampant.

As it seems Khap Panchayat keep shifting from the real problem and are more focused on love marriages, or marriages within gotras and villages. A marriage out of choice is not a crime, but incest can be a problem in the society. Khap Panchyat should be more concentrated on incest rather than bullying people who are in love.

NASA Creates A Big Black Hole In The Pockets Of The Americans

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Billions spent on million light years!!! The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, in short NASA, is a name quite familiar to the world for its incredible achievements to betray the mysteries of cosmos, though far away from the surreptitious of creation. Nevertheless, no one can deny the fantastic milestones reached by the executive branch agency of the United States government, responsible for nation’s civilian space program and aeronautics and aerospace research. But there is a flip side of the story, which is pushed underneath the feats of the organization.

NASA success can’t overlook the blunder it created in the past. NASA has spent a staggering $450 billion since the Apollo 11 Project of 1969, of which most has been sheer wastage. Werner von Braun, one of the renowned rocket developers and champions of space explorations during his times, did a extensive space program on Moon, including Mars landing and outer living creature research. The money spent in every mission was stupendous and the brunt had to bear by common American citizens.

To a common man NASA holds a picture quite similar to blockbuster Space Odyssey, but the expectation rather led to disappointment, to say at least. To begin with the constellation program, a complete failure by itself. The program, on which billions of dollars spent, was proved to be incorrect by the engineering and analysts. As a result US had to bear lots of unanticipated expenditure.

The project Cassini & the JPL mission called CRAF (Comet Rendezvous/Asteroid Flyby) are also classic examples of NASA’s spendthrift nature. The missions demanded a huge amount of money and were eventually sold to the Congress. The only use of these profligate projects was their capability of beautifying an exhibition, to sound the least scornful. The much publicized the Hubble Robot Repair Mission is yet another example of wastage of American tax paying common people money. This project started of with a budget of $600 million and rocketed to $2,200 million.

However, in the background politics play a bigger part than science. The government readily agrees with the whooping expenses, with much of common people money, is all part an intricate political game. The bottom-line is just that if NASA succeeds (which obviously is not a regular issue), then it reflects well upon the contemporary government.

Whether NASA has understood the secrets of black hole or not, is still in quandary. However, undoubtedly it’s no longer a secret of black hole in common citizen's pockets.

Lehman Sisters Would Have Never Faced Bankruptcy

Few months before someone was asking me about the strength of women in times of crisis. I just gave a soft smile to him and said in simple words, "If Lehman Brothers would have been Lehman Sisters, then the economic crisis of today's would have been totally different."

The answer may have seemed to be a witty saying to him but, of course, this is the way how I view things.

Over the years it has been seen that in delicate situations women are great pragmatism. They have sense of responsibility when called to action during turbulence times.

The Icelandic private equity fund Audur Capital is wholly managed by women and this was the only such fund that survived without a hitch in times of crisis. I remember one more related example worth mentioning here. The Icelanders, in February 2009 during the financial crisis of the country, chose a woman as prime minister. She was Johanna Sigurdardottir.

In 1976 when Muhammed Yunus, a Bangali banker and economist, started the revolutionary micro-lending in Bangladesh, he turned to women to promote. Today, 97 percent of his eight million borrowers are women. Yunus was confident that women would use the loan money to purchase tools for business or use it in advancing projects. Truly speaking, he was little wary about what men would do with the loans.

The list of women in responsible positions are long and it is growing daily. Women in power is also not an exception any more that proves the rule. It is high time to put efforts to turn the women's power into a shared reality in this tenuous situation of world economy and political power. Let us not restrict the top notch positions by gender parity, but let us judge women as men on the basis of their deeds. Surely, it is not an effort to erase the differences between the two genders, but to enhance individual talents.

Once Eleanor Roosevelt, the First Lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945, said: "A woman is like a tea bag - you never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water."