Goody-goody things about democracy and India apart, let us first see what Indian democracy is. It is important because the Indian constitution is a paradise of ‘lawyers’, it is poetry – a long poem, an artwork of great beauty, a wishful thinking of idealist minds and the like. It allows for almost anything and everything and therefore, it has been amended so frequently. It allows for every irregularity, every injustice and every sort of justice. It allows for a complete ‘soft state.’ It allows for freedom to speak so much so that recently a political leader equated the Governor with a dog and like any good news it flashed and was dissolved into the black body of party politics. The Governor was cool about it; the Court (that could take up such things suo motu) was cool about it. Why? Calling a Governor a dog is praising him for his loyalty! It is difficult to suggest the measures to be taken to improve the Indian democracy; yet, I am giving some odd suggestions.
Review on Advanced Animal Diseases Diagnosis and Management Consortium held at ICAR
The Third Annual Review meet on the Advanced Animal Diseases Diagnosis and Management Consortium (ADMaC) was held at ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region Umiam today (13th June 2018). The event was attended by Dr A Chakraborty Project Co-ordinator, Dr S. N Das Senior Consultant, Dr Lal Krishna Senior Consultant, Dr Md Aslam Advisor DBT, Dr K.M Bujarbaruah VC AAU, and Dr. Narendra Prakash, Director, ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Umiam. The scientist and the technical staff of the institute also participated in the daylong event.
The objective of the meeting was to review the progress made and to plan the strategy for further development of the region. Partners from all the eight North Eastern states participated in the review meet. The institute is located in a strategic position; the international borders are open which leads to a cross border transmission of animals and diseases. A study and preparedness is required to handle any outbreak of exotic diseases. In the review meet models of development were formulated. Piggery off late is an integral part of the region needs special attention. The meat sector has grown in the course of time and the meat requirement of the region is fulfilled. The meeting is of tactical importance as the input from the ground zero level is sorted and unique programmes designed for the expansion of the sector.
The event also witnessed a series of book and manual releases to name a few Connect NER Vets was launced the address book includes addresses, contact numbers, e mail IDs of Veterinary institutes, KVKs, State Veterinary Departments, Veterinary Scientists, Vety Officers of NER, Partners of ADMaC and Referal Veterinary Disease Diagnosis Laboratories distributed in India for exchange of information and easy communication. ADMaC Mobile application was also launched the App provides firsthand information on clinical and gross changes of important infectious diseases of livestock and poultry. It helps the Farmers, Field Assistants, Field Veterinary Doctors to tentatively diagnose, the ailment and enables them to take appropriate measures to contain the disease namelyDuck Plague, Brucellosis, CSF, Anthrax, ORF, Swine Pox, Procinecirco virus, PPR and Listeriosis. In addition disease forewarning is also included for the top 5 livestock diseases (CSF, FMD, BQ, HS and Fascioliasis) reported in NER. In-house Indirect ELISA for detection of CSFV antibodies in serum and plasma from pigs using RK 13 adapted cell cultured viral antigen (IPR being applied) Number of kits of indigenous origin is available in the country for the zero-screening of CSF in India. The currently used kits are imported and are very expensive in terms of cost. The work has been carried out during 2014-17 and utilizes a novel rabbit kidney 13 cell line adapted virus. The Kits were handed over to all the eight NER State Disease Investigation Labs for second ring validation. The other manuals launched during the programme were Biennial Progress report, 2016-18, Standard Diagnostic Protocol, Booklet on Sampling plan for surveillance of Livestock diseases in North East Region, a CD was also entitled Database of Indian Classical Swine Fever Virus Sequences.
The new Khasi Hills District Council Chief, H. S. Shylla has announced parting of ways with Adelbert Nongrum, accusing that Nongrum turned up late during the day of the election, and that Nongrum had failed to honour an agreement, that he would support Shylla. In the meantime Adelbert Nongrum of the Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Party (KHNAM), who is also a member of the Legislative has resigned as member of KHNAM, being the lone member of the party in the assembly. Nongrum had declared that he would neither support the treachery bench nor the opposition, unless certain conditions are spelled out, including the approach for efficiency of the District Council employees, and a commitment not to mine uranium in the state.
The shocking revelation by estimation is that every year there is a loss of tropical forest, “the powerhouse of evolution” from earth is more than 150,000 square kilometer. Being at the mercy of human race future of forest is at stake. The irony is, we the most intelligent beings are spelling our own doom by decimating forests. Unbeknown to ourselves, we are digging our own grave by our insensitive exploitation of resources. A host of Environmental legislation going by the unabated destruction has failed to curb the menace. Offshoots are the rise of earth’s temperature, drought, flood, piling of pollutants and man-animal conflict etc. So alarming the pace of deforestation drive in our mother earth is that 54 countries are reported to have lost about 90 percent forest. In a developing country like India, forests have to bear the brunt of development such as the expansion of both human settlement and road network.
The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) has made it clear that the protest against the allotment of land in New Shillong Township for construction of Nagaland Medical Lodge is against the Government of Meghalaya not Government of Nagaland by saying that the government of Meghalaya should relocate the proposed Nagaland Guest House to another area not far from the North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS).
KSU general secretary, Donald Thabah asserted that the plot of land allotted to the Nagaland government should be used for the benefits of the domiciles of the state and the state government should construct a medical lodge or a boarding house for the benefit of the local people especially those coming from the rural areas instead of giving it away.
He added that a government lodge should have been constructed in this area, providing all the facilities at government rate for our people particularly those coming from far-flung areas like Jaintia Hills and Garo Hills.
Goody-goody things about democracy and India apart, let us first see what Indian democracy is. It is important because the Indian constitution is a paradise of ‘lawyers’, it is poetry – a long poem, an artwork of great beauty, a wishful thinking of idealist minds and the like. It allows for almost anything and everything and therefore, it has been amended so frequently. It allows for every irregularity, every injustice and every sort of justice. It allows for a complete ‘soft state.’ It allows for freedom to speak so much so that recently a political leader equated the Governor with a dog and like any good news it flashed and was dissolved into the black body of party politics. The Governor was cool about it; the Court (that could take up such things suo motu) was cool about it. Why? Calling a Governor a dog is praising him for his loyalty! It is difficult to suggest the measures to be taken to improve the Indian democracy; yet, I am giving some odd suggestions.
