by
Aparajita Mehta.
The
Indian kaleidoscope has charmed
and awestruck the world
for centuries. A land, whose
variety and contrasts never
fail to astonish visitors.
This
huge land mass offers just about everything for the traveller.
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Architecture,
temples, mosques, carvings
- a heritage of one of
the
world's oldest
cultures -
religious cermonies, music
festivals, Lama
dances in Ladakh, the
carnivals at Goa, street
markets, floating
vendors of Kashmir, fire
eaters, snake
charmers and saddhus. Beautiful
hill stations to alive
cities. A
casual flick of the wrist
however conjures up contrasting
and startlingly images.
From Maharajahs to the
new millionaires; from
snake-charmers to poor
farmers; from
beauty pagents to
bride burning and from Honda's
to bullock carts.
Apart from feasting senses
from the
dazzling colours of
Diwali's thousand flickering
lamps and Dyas to the ever-present
perfume of sandalwood,
jasmine and mangoes.
From the slivery
tinkle of ladies anklets
to the magical
sound of the
flute, marking
the cow-dust hour, the visitor
can certainly look forward
to
a wonderful journey. Beauty
to deprivation. India has
it all.
Amazing
India...
India
is home to the world's tenth
largest economy and has the second
largest population...and both
are growing. India has, like other industrializing
and developing countries, experienced
hazardous and alarming levels of
pollution
in its towns and cities. Heavy use
of wood as fuel, mainly for
cooking and warmth, contributes
to the high levels of pollution and
is instrumental in depletion of forest
cover and eco hazards.
Another factor is the Hindu
custom
of cremation using wood.
Women and the poor are the most exposed
to occupational hazards. Surprisingly,
India has more women professionals
than
most
world countries and awareness
and education is on the rise, yet
we still have
bride buring, dowry deaths,
abortion
of girl babies and female infanticides.
In most parts of the country, women
still live in utterly feudal and
dangerous conditions.
Pesticide and pollution is another
problem. Besides
the direct effect on people,
wide pesticide use has endangered
wildlife.
Plant species and habitats have
been threatened by forest cutting
throughout the country. This is
driven by the growing demand for
fuel and the undermining of traditional
rules for forest use by the colonial
legacy of state claims of forest
ownership. Population growth and
distribution is
perhaps the number one fundamental
problem for India. "India
appears to be in the midst
of a fundamental
transition to lower fertility
and mortality.
Beyond lowering fertility, the status of women is also crucial for improved
health in broader terms. Women bear the brunt of the worsening fuel crisis,
as they are forced to walk further to collect firewood for cooking. The added
work makes for chronic fatigue and anemia among women, and thus may also affect
the health of newborn children.
While the new year 2005 will be ushered in with champagne and caviar
by the rich and the famous, the poor will continue to freeze and die
of cold in winter, heatstroke in summer, and by hunger, floods and drought
in India’s vulnerable states – Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa
and Uttar Pradesh.
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