He too is your brethren

Serengeti, Tanzania

Ani could see the vast patches of barren land in his eyes. There was nothing that his cattle could nibble on, Serengeti was experiencing a drought and he couldn’t withstand it, nor could he do away with the heat. Far beyond, he could see a few tourists enjoying themselves viewing the sights at Serengeti as part of their safari tour. Ani would often go to the resorts near Lake Victoria in search of water. It was like knocking the doors of paradise, but in vain. The once lush-green lands are now barren. The water from Lake Victoria has been diverted to the tourist hotspots. We get nothing. If it rains, well and good. If not, it’s disaster.

One last time, and that will be it, thought Ani. He went closer to the Ritz-Carlton near the lake. A tourist group was just entering the premises. Ah!What Luck! They will be showing some sympathy towards him, Ani can count on that. He begged them for water.

Ani couldn’t remember what happened next. He was thrown back by someone with strong hands. Opening his eyes, he saw himself surrounded by machine guns on all sides. Ani saw a stone nearby.

Another innocent life comes to an end due to the lack of water, in this 21^st century when the world is flourishing under its new foud image and vision.

Multi-Faceted Issue :Singur

Let’s face it, the car that would put much of the third world population on wheels, the Nano, which was scheduled to be released in October this year, might get a postponement from it’s manufacturers, Tata Motors.

The Nano, the brainchild of Mr. Ratan Tata, a man with visionary foresight who dreamt of creating a 100,000 rupee car. Initially, the plan was mocked upon not only by the Indian press, but the International press too. They said that the Nano would be nothing more than a “four-wheeled autorickshaw” or a “bullock-cart with a motorcycle engine and a roof”. But Ratan had everyone fall on his feet when he drove the classy Nano on the ramp at the Delhi Autoshow earlier this year. Sheer determination and perseverance, nothing else.

The Nano is nothing less than revolutionary. It had glued parts instead of welded ones. Ratan insisted on a single windshield wiper than two. It’s got more legroom than the Maruti Alto, it’s domestic competitor, or the Chery QQ, the international competitor. Both of them cost twice the price of a Nano. Pollution? No problem. The Nano easily passes Euro IV emission standards. Talking about safety, the Nano has received a four-star NCAP rating! The 600cc Nano engine has not been whisked away from a Pulsar or a Discover, or rather, a Harley-Davidson. The Americans would love the car to be imported to the United States. Talk about a disposable car, a car so cheap that you could buy a new one every year! Amazing, huh? Don’t forget this car is manufactured by the company that manufactures the world’s cheapest car(Tata Nano) and now, one of the most expensive cars in the world(Jaguar).

But a major issue the Tatas faced or still faces is the land acquisition at Singur, West Bengal. The acquisition of setting up a plant in 400 acres of land after displacing hundreds of farmers from the vicinity, proved disastrous for the Tatas. Even after offering jobs for them at the plant, nothing could stop the agitation of the farmers. Led by Mamta Bannerjee of the Trinamool Congress (who saw this as an excellent opportunity for toppling the Left government of West Bengal), the farmers protested day and night against the Tatas. Working in utmost fear, the Tatas felt that the ambience of the place would never remain the same if they continued work over there. They have, now left the plant incomplete, and waiting for a compromise between the government and the farmers. It seems that only 1500 of the five hundred thousand ordered nationwide would be available in October.

For Mamta Bannerjee, Phase 1 of her mission has been accomplished.