Barbarian
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Presented by Narindar Chopra
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As per Webster Barbarians are
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(i) : of or relating to a land, culture, or people alien and usually believed to be inferior to another land, culture, or people
(ii) : lacking refinement, learning, or artistic or literary culture

1. The term "Barbarian" is Greek in origin. The Greeks originally levied it at any races who were not of Greek extraction; especially those who threatened Greek civilization and culture. Originally applied to the Persian invaders under Artaxerxes and Darius, the Greeks later referred to the invading peoples of Northern Europe as "barbarians." To the Greeks, the harsh barking sound of the newcomers' speech sounded to them like "bar-bar-bar." Since these strangers from the north did not understand classic Greek, the Greeks believed them to be "illiterate." .
A) Because most of these "strangers" regularly practiced raids upon these civilizations, the term "barbarian" gradually evolved into a pejorative term: a person who was sub-human, uncivilized, and regularly practiced the most vile and inhuman acts imaginable.
B) A glimpse of the dim view concerning the barbarians, taken by the cultural historian Herodotus of Greece, follows:
c) "Barbarians can neither think nor act rationally, theological controversies are Greek to them...Under the assault of their horrible songs the classic meter of the ancient poet goes to pieces...Barbarians are driven by evil spirits; "possessed by demons", who force them to commit the most terrible acts...incapable of living according to written laws and only reluctantly tolerating kings...Their lust for gold is immense, their love of drink boundless. Barbarians are without restraint...Although generally they are considered good-looking, they are given to gross personal hygiene...They run dirty and barefoot, even in the winter...They grease their blond hair with butter and care not that it smells rancid...Their reproductive energy is inexhaustible; the Northern climate of their native land, with its long winter nights favors their fantastic urge to procreate...If a barbarian people is driven back or destroyed, another already emerges from the marshes and forests of Germany...Indeed, there are no new barbarian peoples--descendents of the same tribes keep appearing."
D) Nothing could have been farther from the truth.
E) The life of the barbarian people was very hard; the climate rough. Resources were scarce (thus the need for minimal clothing; running barefoot was often a necessity.) Greasing the hair with butter was a strategic maneuver; an enemy would find it very difficult to grab hold of a barbarian's long luxuriant hair if it was thus oiled. As for the remarks concerning "evil spirits", this was a common tactic used then to produce fear in the hearts of the populace. As far as the barbarian's lust for gold and drink, it was no greater or less than that of the Greeks or Romans. Shall we mention the gluttonous banquets and orgies thrown by these same Grecian and Roman elite, not to mention the depths of depravity and sexual license incurred among such festivities? (These activities included bestiality, child molestation, sado-masochism; most acts of which were unheard of among the barbarian culture).
F) Other than their rather ferocious battle tactics, the barbarians of Iron-Age Northern Europe (N.E.) were fairly civilized--unlike the Huns and Allans--, the N.E. barbarians were pretty much content to keep to themselves and to their own. Raiding forays were made only in direst circumstances when climatic conditions or other natural disasters forced them to look for resources elsewhere. The northern part of Britain was inhabited by barbarians of both Celtic and Pictish origin, which make up the current race of the Scots. To the west were the Franks (later the French), a Germanic race, and the Gauls (also now the French), who were a subset of the Celtic race.
G) History has shown the barbarians to be civilized and far from the uncultured stereotype with which they have been saddled. History has also shown them to be strong family folks, who remained faithful to their mates for life. So how did they get such a bad reputation?
H) First of all, very few of the barbarians could read or write. Therefore, their histories were largely passed by word of mouth, from generation to generation. The Greeks and Romans, however, being very adept at the written record, are the ones who have given us much of the recorded history of the Iron Age. Obviously, they would not have spoken very well of those who helped bring about the fall of their empire!

I) It was, in fact, common practice during the latter parts of the Roman Empire, for Rome to actively recruit young barbarian males for duty in the Roman army, especially patrolling the outer borders.

2. Barbarian Families
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a) Courtship and Marriage
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The standard male-female relationship was the norm in this culture among most of the barbarian tribes.
b) Depending on the sophistication of the tribal culture and the class level of the couple, marriages were either arranged by the parents or were decided by the bride and groom themselves.
c) Monogamy as a marital structure was the norm among the western barbarian people.
d) Children:-
Regardless of class or level of sophistication, barbarians loved and cherished their offspring.
( Presenter is a deep thinker and learned senior.)
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Photography

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By Jagdish Sindhi
(In the above photo Jagdish Sindhi is seating fourth from left along with other members during one of the functions)

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Photography has been my hobby since long. For few years I have had lot of opportunity to put my hobby to extensive use in covering events, functions and also during my visits to various places. I do not claim to have any in depth knowledge, but I did gain some knowledge of the Photographic art out of experience. It may help you in getting pleasure out o this art-which is the aim of all immature photographers.

Photography can be divided into mainly 3 aspects technical, situational and experience/skill. Camera's main requirement for photography has been evolving through ages. From a simple box camera to-day it has come up to digital level. Films which is a carrier of images has the power to absorb light through the lens of camera. Film strength was measured in ASA units of 100, 200, 400, 800 as per their capacity to catch light reflected back from the subjects. But the higher power had tendency to reduce the quality and smoothness of the images. The addition of flash-both external and integral with camera has added to the range of the camera,quality of lens as well as shutter speed going right up to1/4000 of a second. It has helped in taking good picture of moving objects also.

In the old times most of cameras worked manually. The flash which was used as an external attachment needed batteries to run it. Those batteries would give poor results, if they are weak. Some time they were replaced even earlier then needed.

In case of digital camera, batteries are needed for all functions including flash. Many cameras now have chargeable batteries. The professional and even hobbyist like me need to have extra batteries specially if we have to take large no of pictures with frequent use if flash. The weak battery not only affects the quality of light thrown by the flash but also working of camera control like focusing-coordination between shutter speed, aperture opening, and poorer light condition in the area of photography. Therefore also effects the overall results.

The digital photography has brought about revolutionary change in the concept of photography.The images which were collected by the emulsion on the film are now being transmitted electrically to media called memory in the shape of chips,cassette or DVD. the strength of the lens (capacity to take in details) is measured in mega pixels-points catching light in a given area.the carriers have 1mp, 3mp up to 10 mp capacity.

It may not make much difference in getting details on a small size prints of 3"x5"/4"x6" but when we wants to enlarge a print higher mp will help in getting better clarity of details. In case of ordinary pictures at house hold level maximum of 3mp strength is good enough for getting good results. The most of pictures are taken at 1mp only. The higher the mp lesser the number of images that memory media can take. The 128 size memory can take up to 150 images at 1mp but only 32 images at 5mp. However choice of mp depends on the situation and need of the moment.

The Another advantage of digital photography is the capacity the reuse of the memory by deleting or transferring all images already taken. I transfer up to 500 images on a CD and reuse the memory by deleting the images. This way we condense our picture on CD and go on using the same memory again and again.

The zooming an image from a distance in another features of photography. It helps in taking good pictures of children,birds mountains etc without disturbing the subject. The optical zoom is more reliable though digital zoom, though helpful in increasing the zoom range, is less reliable. Therefore when buying a camera look for optical zoom. In the film camera zoom was measured in multiples of 35like 35/90,35/200/ 35/300.The wide angle lens though only as a special features was more common on film cameras rather than on digital cameras.The SLR camera are supposed to catch images through the lens directly and supposed to be more accurate but costly. The canon,Sony,Nikon and Olympus are are some of the famous makers but prices are now very similar due to competition. besides that Fiji,Vivita, Samsung and HP brands are also available.

In second aspect of photography is situational. In case of taking picture of an individual inside room or outside is very different than taking picture of a child or pet moving about. Besides that in a function where people make different movements, or the stage dancer, or the prize distributions or going out for natural scenes (i.e. In sunny or cloudy weather) etc offers different situations. The fastness of response has a great role to play in such situations. Once upon a time I took 400 pictures in five hours in one marriage ceremonies. I took photographs covering all events. Therein my imaginations and experience of photography were tasted.

However I ma point out that reduction in the size of the camera was made possible in digital system. You must have seen that key chain and cell phone camera along with pocket size camera are becoming craze of time. The 1/2"thick and 5" square cameras with 5mp/3x optical zoom are common but are expensive.

However competition has made it possible to get cheap cameras which are manufactured from plastic.

(writer is a freelance photographer and one of the respectable seniors.It is remarkable that he has acquired very high skill in photography at very old age.)
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ARTICLES
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By Dr. N. Srinivasan
1)Senior Health Care

• AGING – External Changes
• ======================
• Skin becomes dry and looses it luster
• Wrinkles appear
• Loss of hair – Temperature regulation is altered due to loss of hair. They become susceptible to cold and shivering is common to preserve heat.
• Gray hair
• Postural changes and gait
• Impaired vision – Cataract related to aging. Clouding of the lens affects vision.
• Loss of hearing
• Loss of teeth
• Nervous System-Internal changes
• ==========================
• Brain – Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive disease appearing after 50 years. Symptoms are dementia, depression and loss of memory. This leads to incoherent speech, difficulty in simple mathematical calculations and loss of memory for recent events. No treatment exists
• Parkinsonism – Tremor and shuffling gait. Progressive disorder. Treatment is anti-Parkinson drugs.
• Senile dementia and senile tremor due to loss of blood supply to parts of the brain.
• Sleep disorders such as insomnia, disordered breathing, snoring and sleep apnea.
• Circulatory System
• -------------------------
• Disorders of the Heart – Heart attack due to obstruction of the coronary artery.
• Hypertension due to thickening of the arterial walls – Normal blood pressure is 120/80 (Systolic/diastolic). Ranges up to 140/90
• Blood pressure changes throughout the day. Lowest while sleeping and rises on excitement. Blood pressure affects the heart (heart attack or stroke), kidney (Kidney failure) and brain (stroke)
• Metabolic Disorders
• ------------------------
• Diabetes – Type 1 is juvenile and insulin dependent. Type 2 normally in old age due to obesity (non-insulin dependent)
• Arthritis
• Degenerative disorder and calcium deficiency prone to fractures
• COPD
• ---------
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
• Caused due to heavy smoking and repeated infection like bronchitis,
• Shortness of breath while exercising – wheezing and tightness of chest
• Digestive System
• ----------------------
• Constipation, diarrhea
• Reflex oesophagitis
• Exercise and healthy eating. Exercises – Strength, balance, stretching and endurance
• Strength exercise –
• ==============
• Build muscle. Small increase in muscle causes a big difference in physical ability. Increases your metabolism. Maintains weight and blood sugar. Studies suggest that strength exercises may prevent bone destruction. Examples are weight lifting
• Balance Exercises –
• ===============
• Helps prevent common problem of falls in older adults. Falls are the major cause of broken hips and other injuries. Some balance exercises build up your leg muscle. Examples are standing on one leg to balance
• Stretching Exercise –
• =================
• Hold your body structure in place. Physical therapist recommend certain stretching exercise to help patients recover from injury and prevent injuries.
• Endurance Exercise –
• =================
• Increases breathing and heart rate. Improves your heart, lungs and circulatory system. It can also improve stamina to do things on your own i.e. climbing stairs, grocery shopping. Endurance exercise may also delay or prevent many diseases associated with aging such as diabetes, colon cancer, heart diseases and strokes
• Moderate Exercises –
• =================
• Swimming, bicycling, gardening, walking briskly on level surface, mopping or scrubbing the floor.
• Vigorous exercises –
• ================
• Shoveling snow, brisk uphill bicycling, tennis singles, cross country skiing, jogging and hiking
• Adopting healthy behavior such as eating nutritious foods, being physically active and avoiding tobacco can prevent or control the devastating effects of many of the leading causes of death regardless of one’s age.
FOR FOOD HABITS PLEASE REFER BELOW GIVEN WEB PAGE =================================================
• http://nutrition.tufts.edu/pdf/pyramid.pd
2)Parkinson Disease (PD)
=======================
Causes
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Excessive muscle contraction
Insufficient Dopamine secretion
Idiopathic (Obscure or Unknown Cause)
Toxicity of drugs
Genetic mutations (Hereditary)
Head trauma
Other medical diseases
Symptoms
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Degenerative disorder of the CNS affects
Motor skills
Non-motor skills e.g. speech
Motor Symptoms
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Tremor - esp. when limb is at rest
Rigidity - stiffness; increased muscle tone; Slowness or absence of movement
Postural instability - failure of postural reflexes
Gait and posture disturbances – Stoop, Shuffling, freezing, abnormal sustained painful movement
Non-Motor Symptoms
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Hypophonia - soft speech
Excessively rapid, poorly-intelligible spe ech
Dysphagia- impaired ability toswallow
Decreased verbal fluency
Mood disturbances – Depression
Sleep disturbance, Pain
Impaired vision
Other symptoms, fatigue,masked faces
micrographia,difficulty in rolling on bed
Diagnosis
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Medical history and neurological examination
Observation of the person for presence of consistent symptoms
Difficult to diagnose accurately
Treatment
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Drug Treatment e.g. L-dopa, Bromocriptine, Pergolide
Speech therapy
Physical Exercise
Surgical treatment for advanced PD
Methods undergoing Evaluation
Gene therapy
Neuro-protective treatments
Neural transplants
Nutrients
Additional Information
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Famous people with PD
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Mohammad Ali (Boxer), Michael J Fox (Actor), Pope John Paul II
Recommended film
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“Awakenings” (True Story) Cast: Robin Williams and Robert Deniro
Recommended book
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– “Tuesdays with Morrie”
An old man, a young man and a life’s greatest lesson by Mitch Albom
Story of a professor who deals with ALS written by his student Mitch Albom
(Doctor is very learned person)
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TRIP TO ALASKA
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BY PREMA SANTHANAM
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It was a great opportunity to travel the distance in the luxurious Celebrity cruise. I want to share with you my wonderful experience. We left SFO by United Airlines on 19th Sept, reached Vancouver at 10:30 PM. The guide took us to Executive hotels and Resorts . We were 52 and were accommodated in their rooms. Next day morning the British Columbia cruise took us to the Vancouver Island via Georgia straits. After 90 minutes ferry drive we reached the world famous Butchart Gardens, planted over 100 years ago and the garden has blossomed into a wonderful display of 5000 kinds of flowers. We enjoyed the scenic drive with vistas of the Juan de Fuca straits, the Olympic mountains, Landmark Fairmont express hotel, Parliament building ,Beacon hill park, and the world’s longest freeway, 8,ooo miles, the starting point mile ‘0’ plague can be seen. Besides cable cars, there were few improvised cycle rickshaws. Next day began the half a day tour of Victoria the capital city. We visited the Thunder bird park, Authentic Totem poles, displaying the unique carving styles of first nation’s people around British Columbia and the steam clock in Gas town. Both the days we had lunch at Taj India, and the Gateway of India restaurants. The food was delicious.
We went to Canada port to take the luxurious Cruise to start the 7days cheerful voyage in the sea .At the entrance we were given a warm welcome by the crew members with wine glasses. We reached our cabins. There was a lot of demand for ocean view cabins .Our attendant Arun from Goa was very helpful. There were huge elevators to take you to all the levels up to 11. On Monday afternoon at 3-30 pm as the ship moved closer, the majesty and grandeur of the Habbard glacier was awe inspiring . It was the magical moment we were waiting for. It was a mountain of ice in the midst of ocean. The cameras began to click. It was a freezing cold weather . We were watching from the level 11. Few people watched from the open deck despite the weather to get a better view. In the night the captain of the ship introduced the crew members and the chief chefs in the celebrity theatre. They were from Germany, Ireland, Sweden and all over the world. Two were from India, one of whom from Chennai. That night the captain hosted the dinner. It was attended by all in their best dresses, the Americans dazzling in their party outfits.
I must mention that the food served for the dinner and lunch was exceptionally good. At our request, the vegetarian dishes consisted of poories, channa. Chapathies, Kurma, dosa sambar and even papad by rotation. There were ice creams and deserts. Even soups were served without garlic and onion. There were few birthday parties. The buffet breakfast was in level 11. It was a huge hall, either side big glass windows with the ocean view. The buffet breakfast starts from 7-30 am onwards. There were varieties of bread, burgers, breadsticks, omelets, scrambled eggs and varieties of freshly cut fruits including honey soaked prunes. All drinks were there including decaffeinated coffee. Room service can also be ordered free of cost. In the afternoon we can have all varieties of pizzas, cookies and pastries.
On Tuesday we reached Juneau, named after Joe Juneau where they discovered gold. It is the capital of Alaska , area is 3,108 sq miles, population is only 30,000 people depending mainly on tourism, and fishing. Main catch is salmon fish. From the observatory we saw the Mendenhall glacier which is 200 ft high and 1 mile wide. We also witnessed the 30 minutes documentary depicting the fragmentation of the glacier iceberg with a thud.

On Thursday we were taken to Ketchikan port by motor boat, since there were already two ships anchored. We went round the town by double decker bus. There were few coaches each driven by four horses and a wolf dog sitting docile by the side of the driver. In the gift shops few Russian dolls and curios were available. The next two days the ship was heading towards SFO.

On Friday and Saturday we stayed in the cruise which is a mini city by itself .There were entertainments such as casino, bingo, Jacuzzi, swimming pool, movie theater Ball room dance. Even the elderly people were dancing to the music, as Americans enjoy wining and dancing. There were library, gym, and beauty parlor. Lectures were conducted on skin care, waist reduction etc. There were demonstrations of snow carving such as bear, eagle, dolphin etc and vegetable carving e.g. bunny rabbit, human figures flower basket, house etc. All these were displayed in the last day Farewell dinner party. In the evening we saw Broadway shows , music, dancing comedy and magic shows They were enchanting The ballet dancers performed with elegance and perfection despite the rocking of the ship on the wavy ocean. Equally funny to watch these shows with a slight swing in our seats.

At the restaurant after dinner, the farewell party is incredible. The lights went off for a second Then the waiters and their assistants appeared with the famous Alaskan baked ice-cream, each with a candle in the middle, marching, singing and waving as they passed by us and went down the stairs. It was a memorable display. The buffet dinner was a delight to watch, the galaxy of lights and the innumerable dishes.

In the morning we could watch the Golden gate bridge lights through the glass windows in the restaurant while taking our breakfast. At 8-30 we reached the pier 38 at SFO We were exhausted but after an exhilarating experience. The trip to Alaska is a must and is well worth a second time IF you have money to spare and health to care.
( Writer is a deep thinker and very much interested in touring)
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A parable for our times
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(In the above photo Bollywood star, Sabana Azmi and her writer/Poet Husband Akhtar Javed)
Presented by Satish Gadagkar
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OLD VERSION
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The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long building his
house and laying up supplies for the winter. The grasshopper thinks the ant's a fool and laughs & dances & plays the summer away. Come winter, the ant is warm and well fed. The grasshopper has no food or shelter so he dies out in the cold.

MODERN VERSION
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The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long,
building his house and laying up supplies for the winter. The grasshopper thinks the ant's a fool and laughs & dances & plays the summer away. Come winter, the shivering grasshopper calls a press conference and demands to know why the ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed while others are cold and starving.

NDTV, BBC, CNN show up to provide pictures of the shivering grasshopper next to a video of the ant in his comfortable home with a table filled with food.

The World is stunned by the sharp contrast. How can this be that this poor grasshopper is allowed to suffer so?

Arundhati Roy stages a demonstration in front of the ant's house.

Medha Patkar goes on a fast alongwith other grasshoppers demanding that grasshoppers be relocated to warmer climates during winter.

Amnesty International and Koffi Annan criticizes the Indian Government for not upholding the fundamental rights of the grasshopper.

The Internet is flooded with online petitions seeking support to the grasshopper (many promising Heaven and Everlasting Peace for prompt support as against the wrath of God for non-compliance).

Opposition MP's stage a walkout.

Left parties call for "Bharat Bandh" in West Bengal and Kerala demanding a Judicial Enquiry.

CPM in Kerala immediately passes a law preventing Ants from working hard in the heat so as to bring about equality of poverty among ants and grasshoppers.

Lalu Prasad allocates one free coach to Grasshoppers on all Indian Railway Trains, aptly named as the 'Grasshopper Rath'.

Finally, the Judicial Committee drafts the Prevention of Terrorism Against Grasshoppers Act [POTAGA] , with effect from the beginning of the winter.

The ant is fined for failing to comply with POTAGA and, having nothing left to pay his retroactive taxes, his home is confiscated by the Government and handed over to the grasshopper in a ceremony covered by NDTV.

Arundhati Roy calls it "a triumph of justice". Lalu calls it 'Socialistic Justice'. CPM calls it the 'revolutionary resurgence of the downtrodden'

Koffi Annan invites the grasshopper to address the UN General Assembly.

Many years later...
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The ant has since migrated to the US and set up a multi billion dollar company in silicon valley 100s of grasshoppers die of starvation somewhere in India...
(The presenter is a musician and very good Violin player)
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Can common drugs be made Cheaper?
BY KSHITISH J DIVATIA
=====================
1)I am very glad to learn about an initiative taken by Governor Shwarzeneger in California MEDICAL CARE FOR ALL
He has suggested measures to reduce cost of hospital care and Doctor’s fees. Another area where cost reduction is possible is THE COST OF COMMON DRUGS.
The drugs commonly prescribed by doctors and available at the Pharmacy as well at hospital dispensing counters can be categorized as follows :
Patent and Proprietary drugs which are patented, Generic drugs which are now patent expired., and Over – the –counter drugs which are available without a prescription
More than 50 % of the drugs used for common ailments are now off the patent and are available as generic drugs. These drugs are now manufactured by a number of manufacturers and are available at cheaper prices due to competition..
Except for a few highly specialized new products, most of the patented drugs can also be substituted by generic drugs. All doctors and Hospitals should be asked to prescribe these generic drugs wherever possible.
Proprietary drugs are actively promoted to the doctors and hospitals, as they give a much higher margin of profit to the manufacturer. A National Formulary of equivalent generic drugs should be made available to the medical profession to enable them to prescribe them as far as possible. In USA Price Control at the national level is difficult to implement for generic drugs. However if prescriptions are generated with generic drugs, more manufacturers will be interested in manufacturing or importing them. The efficacy of generic drugs can well be controlled by FDA. With competition amongst manufacturers and pharmacists the prices can be considerably reduced and the patients will benefit by it.. Insurance companies and Government agencies engaged in healthcare will also welcome this move.
Over-the- counter drugs cost can also be considerably minimized by reducing unnecessary advertisements and promoting them directly to pharmacies.
These are some suggestions worth considering and recommending them to Governor Schwarzeneger fo implementation in California.
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2)Mind and Matter
=================

Ever since Man started thinking, there was a deep desire to solve the mystery of the mind. Before the advent of modern science there was a clear demarcation between Mind and Brain. When we talk of the body, mind and soul, we consider body as a physical entity and Soul as spiritual. The nature of mind remains undefined. When a person dies obviously the body and all its functions die. But the mind, as a part of the subtle body, is assumed to be carrying the individual’s impressions of life with it. The scientific community generally prefers to think that mind may not exist as a separate entity as there is no definite sensory proof for the existence of mind.
Western philosophers believe that the mind is non-material and does not belong to the physical body.. The mind is considered to be part and parcel of the soul and it definitely has a non-material existence. If that is so, how can the mind that is non-material control the body without having any physical connection.. It is beleved that mind can control the body through the brain and once the brain becomes nonfunctional the mind should get disconnected with the body.
The Brain can very well be compared with a Computer, which can process information, analyse and store information. Mind can control both brain and the computer. If Mind is not physical how can it control both physical instruments – Brain and the Computer ?
If mind is non-material, how can it function ?
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Another extreme position taken by empirical scientists is that mind is just a function of the brain and dies with death of the body and brain.
Vedantic thinkers do not subscribe to this view as mental functions include intelligence and Ego which Computers cannot have. If brain can be compared to a computer as Computer scientists do including artificial intelligence, does it also have an ego ?
This is a dilemma which scientists have not yet been able to resolve.Mind is also said to be a reservoir of “samskaras”, a technical term for inherent tendencies, which define human character and fate or destiny. According to Vedanta, only Self is real – As Shankaracharya says – “ Brahma satyam Jagat mithya” Hence, mind which is not Self or Soul, is also made of matter – however subtle it may be.
The brain is made of gross matter and is a part of the body – this is the real difference between brain and mind. Just as a computer needs energy input, the brain gets its energy input from the mind which in turn derives its energy from the soul. Thus mind can be considered as a subtle form of matter which controls and also gives energy to the human brain and body.
( Writer is a former Chief Executive of 'Sarabhai Chemichals', Baroda, India. He had also worked as a consultant in the pharmaceutical industries. He is also deep thinker.)

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1)INDIA - INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENTS
BY S. V. R. PARANGUSAM
(Abovo Photo of Bhakara Dam)
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Infrastructure - broadly means the basic facilities that are needed for the building up
of an Organization or a system – here, it refers to the country India and their lives, as
a whole - it reflects on India’s GDP - Economy, Standard of Living, Prosperity etc.

Infrastructure – mainly covers the following :


1. Irrigation – Dams and Canals (Agriculture)

2. Power - Thermal / Hydro- Electric / Nuclear

3. Transportation – Railways / Roads / Ports / Shipping / Civil Aviation

4. Information and Broadcasting – Radio / Television / News Media

5. Communications – Posts / Telegraphs / Telephones


‘ Better Infrastructure means Better Life ‘


1. Irrigation – Dams and Canals (Agriculture)
---------------------------------------------


Irrigation is a vital infrastructure for Agriculture - Dams are essential for it.
India is one of the major dam building countries – with about 4, 300 Dams.
They submerge about 37, 500 Sq.Km. and displaced over 42 Million people.

Some of the Major Dams across Major Rivers are :
1. Bhakra Nangal (Punjab/HP) 2. Hirakud (Orissa)
3. Nagarjuna Sagar (AP) 4. Mettur (Tamil Nadu)
5. Krishna Raja Sagar (Karnataka) 6. Koyna (Maharashtra)
7. Idukki (Kerala) 8. Sardar Sarovar (Gujarat)

Total Crop Area - 173 MHa (including Double Crop Area - 37 MHa).

The ultimate potential of major/medium projects is 58.46 MHa.
The cumulative potential of the minor projects is 81.43 MHa.
Surface Water Irrigation Schemes - 17. 38 MHa.
Ground Water Irrigation Schemes - 64. 05 MHa.

In 2000 - the total demand of water was 634 BCM.
By 2010 - the likely increased demand - 813 BCM.
By 2025 . the projected total demand - 1093 BCM.


Bhakra Dam : Across Sutlej River – Border of Punjab / Himachal Pradesh

Started - 1948 ; Completed - 1963. Cost - Rs. 240 Crores.
Creates Gobindsagar Reservoir - 166 Sq. Km.
Irrigates 10 M Acres ( 16, 000 Sq. Km. - 4 M Ha).
One of the highest Gravity Arch Dams; Steel Used - 100, 000 Tons.
Two Power Houses : Total Capacity – 1,000 MW.

Length at Top - 1700 ft. ; Widths at Top / Bottom - 30 / 625 ft.
Height - 741 ft . ( Hoover Dam (US) – 732 ft.) Ht. above river bed - 560 ft.
Elevation at Top - 1700 ft. above MSL.


2. Power - Thermal / Hydro – Electric / Nuclear.
---------------------------------------------------


Power is one of the prime movers of economic development. The level of availability
and accessibility of affordable and quality power is one of the main determinants of
the quality of life.

The Generation Capacity of our Power at Independence was -only 1, 300 MW.
At Present -over 105. 000 MW.

Transmission and Distribution (TD) – Along with the tremendous growth in the
Generation Capacity, there has been a phenomenal increase in the TD Capacity.
However, despite these achievements, the Power sector has not kept pace with
the growth in Demand – with the result that the country has always faced energy
and peaking shortages.

During the 9th Five year Plan - against the target addition of - 40, 425 MW,
(1997 – 2002) the Capacity Addition was only - 19, 015 MW.

Thermal - 13, 597 MW.
Hydro – Electric - 4, 538 MW.
Nuclear - 880 MW.

The main reasons for the shortfall in capacity were – due to uneconomic Tariffs for Agriculture, lower slabs of Domestic Consumption, high TD Losses - often disguise
of large scale thefts, Billing and Collection deficiencies etc.

The others were – delays in Land Acquisition (LA), and Environmental Problems, Resettlement and Rehabilitation (R&R) problems, Law and Order problems, etc.

In 10th Five Year Plan (2002-07), the Capacity Addition planned - 47, 000 MW.

The States leading in Power Reforms Path are - Delhi, UP and Haryana , Orissa,
Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka.


US - 12, 187 KWH /Per Capita/Year. India - 481 KWH/Per Capita/Year.


3. Transportation –
Railways, Roads, Ports, Shipping, Civil Aviation.
-------------------------------------------------------


An efficient Transport system is a pre-requisite for sustained economic developments. It’s not only a key infrastructure for the growth but also
plays a significant role in promoting National Integration – particularly
important for a large country - India. Though there has been tremendous
growths in the Transportation sector, the Network system has not been
able to keep pace with the overall developments and considerable inputs
are needed to overcome the shortfalls.

3.1. Railways.
==============

The total length of Rail network is – 79, 600 Km.( US – 230, 000 Km)
Broad Gauge – 61,000 Km. Meter Gauge – 15, 000 Km. Narrow – 3, 600 Km.

9th Plan (1997 – 2002) :
New lines added were - 662 Km.
Gauge(BG) Conversions - 2, 100 Km
Wagons - 65, 000. Elec. Locos – 343. Diesel Locos - 444.

Total: Wagons – 216, 717 ; Coaches - 39, 936 ; Locos – 7, 339.
Freight - 489 MT ( Target - 625 MT) - 30 % of Total.
Passengers - 5, 000 M ( Target – 6, 000 M) - 15 % of Total.
Trains - 14, 244 /daily ; Passenger Trains - 8, 702 / daily.

10th Plan (2002 – 2007) :
New lines proposed - 1, 310 Km. (Total - 21, 300 Km)
Gauge(BG) Conversions - 2, 365 Km. (Total - 10, 500 Km)
Doubling of Tracks - 1, 500 Km. (Total - 3, 900 Km)
Renewals:
BG - 20, 000 Km. MG - 7, 820 Km. Narrow - 1, 140 Km.
During the Renewals, the tracks on Golden Quadrilateral (GQ)
would be upgraded for moving of Freight Trains at 100 Km/hr.

Safety : Accidents Rate per Million Trains has dropped from 5.50 in 1960 – 61
to 0.65 only by 1999 – 2000 .

3.2 Roads.
============

Roads are the key to the development of Economy. Good Road Network
constitutes the basic infrastructure propelling the development - Connectivity
and opening of all the regions – Urban and Rural – for Trade and Commerce.
In addition, they play an important role in promoting National Integration.

The Categories of Indian Roads are :
National Highways - 58, 112 Km.
State Highways and
Major District Roads - 1, 24, 300 KM.
Rural Roads – Other District
Roads / Village Roads - 30, 00, 000 KM. (App)

However, there are many deficiencies : Poor Riding Quality / Pot Holes
Geometrics / Drainages etc. – because of the lack of proper Maintenance -
Mainly due to the paucity of adequate funds.
Carriageways – Mostly Single Lanes ; Paved Roads – About 20% only.
Four Lanes – About 13, 000 Km . Two Lanes - About 1,00, 000 Km only.

National Highways Authority of India :
Important project taken up is the National Highways Development Program –
Four laning of the Golden Quadrilateral (GQ) – NHs connecting Delhi /
Mumbai / Chennai / Kolkatta – 5,846 Km. and North – South , East – West
Corridors – 7, 300 Km. In addition, Four laning of Ports Connections and
Important Links – 1, 000 Km. - costing about Rs. 4, 000 Crores.
Total Cost – Over Rs. 55, 000 Crores.

Costs of Improvements (Rs. Crores)

1. Construction of Expressways 2, 000 KM 16, 000
2. Improvements to DL
a) Widening to 4 lanes 22, 000 KM 88, 000
b) Strengthening 19, 250 KM 14, 450
3. Widening – SL to DL 22, 522 KM 28, 150

4. Construction of Access
Controlled Bypasses 1, 200 KM 9, 000
5. Construction of Bridges 210 Nos. 425
6. Rehab. of Bridges 425 Nos. 320
7. Miscellaneous LS 8, 000

Total -- 1, 64, 345 ( 1, 65, 000)

Accidents : Death Toll - Over 80, 000 per year - About 21/10,000 vehicles.
(1 to 2 per 10, 000 Cars only in Advanced Countries)
3.3. Ports.

There are 12 Major and 184 Minor Ports on the 5, 560 Km. coastlines.
The Major Ports are :
West – Kandla, Mumbai, Nava Sheve, Marmagao, New Mangalore, Cochin.
East - Kolkatta Haldia, Paradip,Vizag, Chennai, Ennore, Tuticorin.

Traffic - Major Ports handle - 75% ; Minor Ports - 25 %.
9th Plan : Plan Outlay – Rs. 9,428 Crores.
Projected Traffic - 429 MT. ; Major Ports – 300 MT.
10th Plan : Plan projection – at a growth rate of 6% per annum.
Major Ports – 415 MT ; Others - 150 MT.
Plan Outlay – Rs. 5, 418 Crores.

US : 360 Commercial Ports – 2 BT Domestic/International Freights.


3.4. Shipping
==============

Shipping plays a major role in providing international trade and overall economic developments; India has 102 Shipping Companies and owns a fleet of 562 vessels with Gross Tonnage of 6.91 MT (as on 31. 3. 2002).

The Shipping Corporation of India – India’s largest carrier – owns 97 ships accounting for 2.64 MT ( 40% of Total).

Overseas Trade – Shipping covers 90% of volume and 68% of value of totals.

10th Plan outlay – Rs. 6,273 Crores.


3.5. Inland Water Transport
============================

India has navigable waterways of 14, 544 KM.;
National Waterways – 2,500 KM.; Major Rivers – 5, 200 KM.; Canals – 485 Km.

Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) & Central Inland Water Transport
Corporation (CIWTC ) (Principal Operator) are the two Central Agencies engaged
in the Development of Inland Water Transport.in India.

10th Plan outlay - Rs. 903 Crores.


3.6. Civil Aviation
=====================


Civil Aviation has played an important role in India’s economy. It provides a fast and reliable mode of transport – especially to the areas not well connected by rail or roads.

This infrastructure facility is provided by the Airports Authority of India. It covers
94 - Civil Airports ; 11 - International Airports : Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkatta, Chennai,
Hyderabad, Bangalore, Trivandrum, Ahmedabad, Goa, Amristar and Guwahati.

Indian Airlines and Air India are the country’s two major airlines. Indian Airlines flies
to 64 Domestic and 16 International destinations, carrying over 35,000 Passengers/day.
IA plans to introduce flights to Europe / USA soon.
AI has 12 Women Pilots and 5 Trainee Pilots.

IA Fleet : In Service - 68 Nos. Recently Ordered - 43 Nos.
4 - Air Bus A 300 B 4 19 - Air Bus A 319
47 - Air Bus A 319 4 - Air Bus A 320
11 - Boeing 737 – 200 20 - Air Bus A 321
2 - Dornier 228
4 - ATR 42

AI Fleet : In Service - 42 Nos. Orders Placed - 68 Nos.
19 - Air Bus A 310 8 - Boeing 777 – 200 LR Worldliners
15 - Boeing 747 15 - Boeing 777 – 300 ER
4 - Boeing 777 27 - Boeing 787 - 8 Dreamliners
4 - Boeing 737 18 - Boeing 727 – 800 W (AI Express)
Also A 380 / Boeing 747 – 800s

In 2000-01, 42 M Domestic and International Passengers and 846.42 TT of cargo were handled at the various airports. With increasing globalization, this sector will play even
a more significant role in integrating the country’s economy with the rest of the world.

The 9th Plan outlay was Rs. 11,112 Crores. Expenditure was Rs. 6, 600 Crores only.
The lower expenditure was due to certain constraints – National Airlines AI and IA –
did not go in for fleet augmentation, partly because of resource crunches and partly
due to proposed disinvestment of these Airlines.

However, in the 10th Plan, world class infrastructure facilities and efficient, safe and
reliable air services to meet the domestic/foreign trade /tourism are the main objectives.
The Plan outlay is about Rs. 13,000 Crores.

US : #1 Atlanta - 83.6 Millions.; #2 Chicago –75.3 M ; #21 San Francisco -33.5 M.


4. Information and Broadcasting , News Media
--------------------------------------------


Fast paced technological developments and innovative applications have resulted in
Information and Broadcasting services going to unprecedented reaches. Now, it is possible for India to deliver a big basket of services including Telephony, TV and
Internet thro’ a common delivery system.

The monopoly of DD has ended with the emergence of over 80 private channels
beaming thro’ Cable Networks – many of them continuously for 24 hrs. daily..

Radio Stations - over 3000
Radios - 116 Millions.
TVs - 63 Millions ( US – 230 M )
Internets - 5 Millions
News Papers - 188 (Many Languages)
- 3, 300 (in US)



The 9th Plan outlay was about Rs. 3,275 Crores.
The 10th Plan outlay is about Rs. 5,130 Crores.


5. Communications - Posts / Telegraphs / Telephones
----------------------------------------------------

5.1 Posts / Telegraphs :
========================
Indian Postal system is the largest in the world.
No. of Post Offices : 1, 54, 919 ; Employees - 6, 00, 000.


5.2. Telecommunications :
=========================

Telecom is one of the prime support services needed for the growth and modernization
of various sectors of economy. It has become especially important in recent years due
to the enormous growth of the Information Technology (IT) in India globally with its
significant impact on the rest of the economy. Keeping this in view, the focus has to be
on the provision of world class Telecom facilities at reasonable rates. The provision of
proper Telecom services in Rural Areas would be another thrust area to attain the goal
of accelerated economic development and social upliftment.

Telecom Network ( As on 31 .3. 2002)
Total Exchanges - 35, 023 Fixed Lines - 385.95 lakhs.
Rural Exchanges - 26, 953 Mobile Cells - 64.31 lakhs.
TAX Lines - 3, 42, 700 Total - 450.26 lakhs..
Village Public Tel . - 4, 68, 000 Tele Density - 4.40 / 100 persons
Internet Connections - 45, 00, 000


International Telecom Developments ( in lakhs)

No./ Country/ Fixed/ Mobile/ Total/ Tele Density Nos./100 persons

1./ USA/ 1900 .00/ 1270 .00/ 3170 .00/ 110.88
2./ UK/ 353 .26/ 270 .26/ 823 .52/ 137.02
3./ Australia/ 100 .60/ 111 .69/ 212 .29/ 109.99
4./ Japan/ 760 .00/ 748 .19/ 1508/19/ 118.45
5./ Brazil/ 374 .31/ 287 .46/ 661 .77/ 38.52
6./ Mexico/ 137 .73/ 217 .57/ 355 .30/ 35.39
7./ S. Africa/ 49 .69/ 91 .97/ 141 .66/ 32.36
8./ China/ 1790 .34/ 1448 .12/ 3238 .46/ 24.98
9./ Malaysia/ 47 .38/ 71 .28/ 118 .66/ 49.86
10./ Pakistan/ 34 .00/ 8 .00/ 42 .00/ 2.90
11./ India/ 385 .95/ 64 .31/ 450 .26/ 4.40

A/ Asia/ 3911 .79/ 3366 .14/ 7277 .93/ 20.17
B/ World/ 10460 .88/ 9462 .97/ 19923 .85/ 32.78


GDP / PPP - Overall Economy / Standard of Living
----------------------------------------------------

GDP – Gross Domestic Product - the value of all final goods and services produced
within a nation in a given year.
PPP - Purchasing Power Parity - is an estimate of the Exchange Rate required to
equalize the purchasing power of different countries, based on the prices of
goods and services in the countries concerned.

GDP/Per Capita - used for many purposes – mainly to compare the Standard of Living.


GDP /PPP Data - For 2005 ( in Million US $ )

No Country GDP PPP(IMF) PPP (WB)

World 44, 433, 002 61, 078, 260 55, 938, 191
European Unions 13, 446, 050 12, 427, 413 12, 020, 939
Asia 11, 046, 708

1, USA 12, 485, 725 12, 277, 583 11, 651, 110
2. Japan 4, 571, 314 3, 910, 728 3, 737, 289
3. Germany 2, 797, 343
4. China 2, 224, 811 9, 412, 361 7, 642, 283
5. UK 2, 201, 473
6. France 2, 105, 864
7. Italy 1, 766, 160
8. Canada 1, 130, 208
9. Spain 1, 126, 565
10. South Korea 793, 070
11. Brazil 792, 683
12. India 775, 410 3, 633, 441 3, 389, 670


Standard of Living - GDP(PPP) / Per Capita
=============================================

1. Luxembourg $ 69, 800 / year
2. Norway $ 42, 314 / year
3. US $ 41, 399 / year.

16. Japan $ 30, 615 / year.
18. UK $ 30, 470 / year
84. China $ 7, 204 / year.

122. India $ 3, 344 / year.
128. Pakistan $ 2, 628 / year
****************

2) INDIA - 11 th FIVE YEAR PLAN (2007 –12)
==========================================
India’s 11th 5 Year Plan (2007–12) for Rs36.44 Trillions ($ 910 Billions) was approved by Dr. Manmohan Singh, Chairman and Mr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, of the NDC (National Development Council) on 19th Dec 2007, with main promises to accelerate the growth and make it more inclusive.
Dr. Manmohan Singh, Hon’ble PM refers this Plan as the Education Plan with an Outlay of 19 % of the Total Plan Outlay – to increase Literacy.
The Plan envisages sustained high GDP growth momentum and to push it to 10 %. Towards faster and more inclusive growth are the main thrusts of this Plan and seeks to lower Poverty by 10 % and generate 70 Million new jobs -to reduce the Educated Unemployment to less than 5 %. Also to increase the
Agricultural GDP Growth to 4 % per year to target 8 % by the end of Plan.

Healthcare has been granted an Outlay of Rs 1360 Billions to reduce Total Fertility,Infant Mortality and Maternal Mortality Rates and Malnutrition.

Raising the Sex Ratio - Ensuring that at least 33 % of the direct / indirect beneficiaries of all government schemes are Women and Girls and also to
curtail Child Labo worthy.

Ensuring Electricity connection and round the clock Power to all villages.
Enhancing good Road connections – connecting all villages by Telephones and Broadband connectivity are envisaged.

Increasing Forest and Tree cover - attaining WHO Standards of Air Quality and to Treat all Urban Waste Water to clean river water are also proposed.

As many as 27 detailed National Targets from Enhancing Persons Incomes, Education, Literacy, Healthcare, Child Development and Reducing Poverty, Infant Mortality, Maternal Mortality are the highlights of this 5 Year Plan.
(Writer is a former Director General(Roads), Ministry of Transport, Govt. of India.)
***************

OUR NEIGHBOR

--------------

BY PREMLATA MAJMUNDAR

====================

Mary is our neighbor. Her 50Th anniversary was going to be celebrated at some lively and wonderful place. Her daughter requested us to write about the couple some memories that we had about them. It was ofcourse a surprise party celebration.

Mary is curious, caring and comfort giving neighbor. If we wait out side our gate for our 'Outreach' ride or for some friend's ride she would immediately notice it if if she is in her front yard. She would at once rush towards us and inquire the reason for our being outside at the gate. she would very affectionately offer us ride.

She would talk with our granddaughters and guide them with utmost care and confidence. The children also loved to talk and chat with her freely. She is very clever to deal with children. she would very affectionately explain their mistakes. she is very prompt to read their mind.

Once our artist niece visited us from India, unfortunately, she fell sick. we had to call 911. Van was at our door, and Mary rushed out of home. she was very much worried and concerned about the niece. she offered her help and comforted us all.

Her husband always cared for us with smiling face. He used to place our scattered newspapers very carefully, silently and neatly in our compound. He was on very high post in the 'Navy'. He worked during the world war second. He very heroically crossed some part of the big ocean. He is very tall and handsome person.

Once at the opposite side of our home some construction work was going on and laborer were constantly working on the site. My nephew gave us ride and we had to rush to the Bank. Unfortunately, my husband forgot his Sachel out side the car and it was stolen. Mary was very much worried. She immediately suggested to call the policeman.

Some day back my daughter had some medical trouble and we had to call 911. Mary and her daughter came to our compound. Her daughter accompanied my daughter to the Hospital. she was the great comfort to all of us.

Recently my husband is suffering from mild paralytic stroke. Mary noticed him from her second floor window, when he was entering the compound of our home. She noticed him little imbalanced and shaky. She rushed down from her home. However fortunately he could control himself at that time and walked safely to our cottage.

The affectionate couple generates a sense of confidence in the neighborhood. As their elastic and vigorous thoughts keep with the sun 'The day for them is a perpetual morning.'

We all know about the biblical story of the good Samaritan' who is your neighbor?' the answer is the person who helps you in your need irrespective of his residence and relationship and who is even stranger to you. Here in the case of Mary, she is our neighbor and a good Samaritan.

(She is a writer, poet and deep thinker.)

************