Sunday, April 08, 2007
Of news and views....
The order issued by the Allahabad High Court judge a few days ago, which deemed that Muslims in Uttar Pradesh were no longer entitled to be recognized as a religious minority seemed to have created a storm, especially in the political circles. Muslims constitute roughly 18.5 % of the population of Uttar Pradesh. Now, can 18.5% of a population be considered a minority? And more so if it happens to be 18.5% of a population of about 170 million !!!
Well, if 18.5% is indeed a minority, then I am sure one would agree unanimously that a group constituting 13% of the population indeed has to be deemed a minority, and hence be entitled to 'special' benefits. Unfortunately, that does not appear to be the case if the 13% happens to be a certain community called 'forward caste' in Tamil Nadu. Absurd logic !!
While our politicians were squabbling over minorities, reservations etc., a meeting was conveyed in Brussels to discuss something which was a little more profound. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate change published its report on the dramatic effects of climate change. However, getting an agreement on each and every word that went into the final report was apparently not the easiest of tasks. Several scientists objected to the editing of the final draft by government negotiators (from 120 countries) . At the end of it some scientists, vowed never to take part in the process again. Governments world over seem to have their own agenda, which sadly is never in line with the agenda of the people they govern.
But the real breaking news of them all was.....any/all news, official and unofficial, emananting from the two day BCCI meeting in Mumbai. Never in the recent past have I seen a event so undeserved gaining so much needless media attention. Most of the news being reported was actually via "media leaks". Wonder how many of them went into the meeting with the sole intention of divulging its details, well not that the discussion was one of military or strategic importance to demand such a shroud of secrecy in the first place.
Well, if 18.5% is indeed a minority, then I am sure one would agree unanimously that a group constituting 13% of the population indeed has to be deemed a minority, and hence be entitled to 'special' benefits. Unfortunately, that does not appear to be the case if the 13% happens to be a certain community called 'forward caste' in Tamil Nadu. Absurd logic !!
While our politicians were squabbling over minorities, reservations etc., a meeting was conveyed in Brussels to discuss something which was a little more profound. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate change published its report on the dramatic effects of climate change. However, getting an agreement on each and every word that went into the final report was apparently not the easiest of tasks. Several scientists objected to the editing of the final draft by government negotiators (from 120 countries) . At the end of it some scientists, vowed never to take part in the process again. Governments world over seem to have their own agenda, which sadly is never in line with the agenda of the people they govern.
But the real breaking news of them all was.....any/all news, official and unofficial, emananting from the two day BCCI meeting in Mumbai. Never in the recent past have I seen a event so undeserved gaining so much needless media attention. Most of the news being reported was actually via "media leaks". Wonder how many of them went into the meeting with the sole intention of divulging its details, well not that the discussion was one of military or strategic importance to demand such a shroud of secrecy in the first place.
