Sunday, May 15, 2011
Trainer of trainers and Chairman Dr.Athiqul H. Laskar, M .Sc.(USA), Ph.D. (USA),
38 years, Author of International repute. Retired United States Army Officer, former NATO Commander, (Holland Sector). Trained over 20,000 students on soft skill and life skill around the world including India, USA, Canada, Europe, Middle East and Australia. Faculty of sports psychology and communication at Bergen County Community College, Paramus, New Jersey, USA., and Paterson Community college, New Jersey, USA. 1993-1996 Spoken Indian philosophy at Rosa L. Parks School of Fine and Performing Arts, Paterson, New Jersey, 1997, USA. Over 4000 lectures presented on professional and motivation, soft skills on communication in India, USA, Canada, Australia etc.
38 years, Author of International repute. Retired United States Army Officer, former NATO Commander, (Holland Sector). Trained over 20,000 students on soft skill and life skill around the world including India, USA, Canada, Europe, Middle East and Australia. Faculty of sports psychology and communication at Bergen County Community College, Paramus, New Jersey, USA., and Paterson Community college, New Jersey, USA. 1993-1996 Spoken Indian philosophy at Rosa L. Parks School of Fine and Performing Arts, Paterson, New Jersey, 1997, USA. Over 4000 lectures presented on professional and motivation, soft skills on communication in India, USA, Canada, Australia etc.
Scope of Conant Institute Trainer Services
More than 60 onsite training programs designed to address a host of common business, professional and your academic needs.
Customized curriculum development
Executive training
Leadership development
Full-service consulting
Onsite Training Programs
Most of Conant courses can be delivered in half-day, One-day and two-day formats. We can also present shorter lunch-and-learns extracted from our longer sessions. All programs and courses have preliminary participant questions that we can provide to the participants before the training session. Depending on the course, they are asked to submit responses to the course facilitator before the session or to answer the questions at the beginning of the course/program. These responses help Conant Institute determine what issues are most important to those attending the session and to confirm what we’ve been told by the project contract. To some extent all of Conant programs are customized in that we select focus areas based on the participants’ needs and your organization’s desired outcomes. If you need the entire course developed for your group, Conant Institute will customized the curriculum as per. However, many of Conant Institute programs focus on similar themes. If there is something that you see in one program and not in another, tell us, and most of the time we can incorporate it at no extra charge.
Conant Institute Programs can Work for you because you contacted us before, others recommended us, or you discovered us online. When you contact Secretary, Conant Institute, we ask what prompted your call to determine if Conant Programs might meet your requirements. Such as:
Conant Institute offers train-the-trainer instruction for derivatives of some of our programs. However, the cost and process for working this way is not encompassed in onsite training. At this point we do not sell our programs “off the shelf.”
More than 60 onsite training programs designed to address a host of common business, professional and your academic needs.
Customized curriculum development
Executive training
Leadership development
Full-service consulting
Onsite Training Programs
Most of Conant courses can be delivered in half-day, One-day and two-day formats. We can also present shorter lunch-and-learns extracted from our longer sessions. All programs and courses have preliminary participant questions that we can provide to the participants before the training session. Depending on the course, they are asked to submit responses to the course facilitator before the session or to answer the questions at the beginning of the course/program. These responses help Conant Institute determine what issues are most important to those attending the session and to confirm what we’ve been told by the project contract. To some extent all of Conant programs are customized in that we select focus areas based on the participants’ needs and your organization’s desired outcomes. If you need the entire course developed for your group, Conant Institute will customized the curriculum as per. However, many of Conant Institute programs focus on similar themes. If there is something that you see in one program and not in another, tell us, and most of the time we can incorporate it at no extra charge.
Conant Institute Programs can Work for you because you contacted us before, others recommended us, or you discovered us online. When you contact Secretary, Conant Institute, we ask what prompted your call to determine if Conant Programs might meet your requirements. Such as:
Conant Institute offers train-the-trainer instruction for derivatives of some of our programs. However, the cost and process for working this way is not encompassed in onsite training. At this point we do not sell our programs “off the shelf.”
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Helicopter Accidents in the North East
Helicopter Accidents in the North East
Dr.Athiqul H. Laskar
The bodies of Dorjee Khandu, the chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh state, and four others were found following an extensive search. Home Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram said parts of the helicopter and at least three bodies had been spotted in a mountainous and densely forested area of Arunachal Pradesh state. "The team has sighted the remains of the aircraft. After his helicopter went down several days ago in rough weather,
The single-engine helicopter carrying Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu, two pilots and two other passengers lost radio contact Saturday around 20 minutes after taking off from the Buddhist mountain retreat of Tawang en route to the state capital, Itanagar. Khandu, 56, is a former army intelligence official elected in 2007 as Arunachal Pradesh's top official.
The state-owned operator, Pawan Hans Helicopters Ltd., suffered another accident three weeks ago that killed 17 people when their helicopter crashed into a landing pad in the perilous 11,000-foot-high Tawang Valley area of Arunachal Pradesh bordering China. The civilian Mi17 chopper of state-owned Pawan Hans, manufactured in 1996, was on a regular flight to Tawang from the Lokopriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport in Guwahati, Pawan Hans’s sources said. It had valid certificate of airworthiness till August 28 this year.
Pawan Hans’s sources said the chopper caught fire, broke into pieces and crashed into a gorge close to the Tawang Civil helipad at around 1357 hours. The helicopter had taken off at 1245 hours, they said.
This is the second helicopter crash in Tawang district bordering China. An Indian Air Force (IAF) MI 17 chopper crashed minutes after take off on November 19 last year. An official in the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said that as per initial reports the chopper crash-landed "due to likely wind shear and down draft while landing and caught fire on impact to the ground".
The official said in New Delhi that a committee would be set up to investigate the accident and a high-level team of DGCA officers led by Director General E K Bharat Bhushan.
Pawan Hans Helicopters operates daily chopper services between Guwahati and Tawang and other remote locations in Arunachal Pradesh and the rest of the Northeast. Last November, an air force helicopter crashed minutes after take off, killing all the 12 passengers on board. The Mi-17 helicopter, belonging to Pawan Hans Company, was carrying passengers from the city of Guwahati in the neighbouring Assam state, to Tawang.
Last August, a crew member of a Mi-72 fell out of the helicopter while trying to close a door which had opened during flight. In February, a helicopter belonging to the Indian army crashed in the western state of Maharashtra, killing its two pilots.
Critics said many of the victims would have survived if fire engines and mandatory emergency equipment were readily available. Information compiled by the New Delhi-based Rotary Wing Society of India, a watchdog group, found that most of the nation's 60 helicopter accidents between 1990 and 2011 involved violations of standard operating procedure.
Helicopter flights aren't the only ones in the spotlight. In recent weeks, several commercial airline pilots have been discovered to have doctored licenses.
This followed a Jan. 11 accident in which Indigo Airlines Capt. Parminder Kaur Gulati landed her aircraft in the resort area of Goa on its nose wheel rather than its rear landing gear. Further investigation found she had submitted fake test results to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, India's aviation regulator, after failing her exam seven times.
Indigo Airlines is considered one of India's best domestic budget carriers. It soon turned out several other pilots had allegedly misrepresented their credentials as well, leading to the arrest of eight pilots.
All 40 of India's flying schools are under investigation — one closed in 2008 but was still certifying flying hours in 2010 — and police say they expect more pilot arrests in coming weeks.
The problem isn't India's civil aviation regulations, which are adequate, said Krishnaswami Sridharan, the Rotary Wing Society's president. At issue is enforcement and implementation. "If violations are found, no punitive action is taken," he said. "The fleet has grown rapidly, but the system has not kept abreast."
India's helicopter industry, which has a lower fatality rate than the U.S. because it doesn't handle fire fighting or other dangerous work, hasn't faced the fake-license problem seen with airlines because virtually all its pilots are from the military.
India has had just nine deadly accidents involving Indian crews since 1962. But some say it's been lucky given the number of warning signs. Fifty-seven pilots failed spot breathalyzer tests in the 2009-10 fiscal year, there have been several reported near-collisions and passengers watched a fistfight break out among crew members aboard an Air India flight in October 2009.
Air crashes are common in that area of the Himalayas, where dozens of American planes went down during World War II. Pilots have long referred to it as "The Hump," describing the large mountains separating India from Bhutan.
At various stages the Central government has recognized the need to pay special attention to infrastructure development in the North-East. A number of initiatives were taken in the 1990s. A committee was constituted in February 1990 under the chairmanship of L C Jain, Member of the Planning Commission. A high level commission was set up under the chairmanship of S P Shukla in 1997 to tackle the problem of backlog in basic minimum services and infrastructure needs of the North-East.
Air connectivity is vital for a modern economy. To develop tourism, it is a must. There were many World War II airstrips in the North-East which have been allowed to degrade. Under the package announced by the Prime Minister on October 27, 1996 at Guwahati a number of improvements have taken place. Guwahati’s Gopinath Bordoloi airport has been upgraded to international standards. International flight traffic needs to be developed now. There is, however, some progress as new airports are being built in the North-East and some old ones are being improved. Also central subsidy of 75 per cent is offered for helicopter services on some routes.
Under the package announced by Prime Minister Vajpayee at Shillong on January 22, 2000, fuel price and tax concession are offered to encourage internal air services within the North-East. Thus a significant improvement is likely. Still the recommendation of Shukla Commission to make Guwahati a regional hub is pending for implementation.
Airlines to ensure more timely regular flights to Kolkata are important. It should be possible to go to Kolkata and return the same evening. A long-term plan for air-connectivity of the North-East needs to be evolved.
The North East Division deals with the issues pertaining to internal security in the North-Eastern States, including matters relating to insurgency, talks with various extremist groups operating in that region, banning of Unlawful Associations and notifying the disturbed areas, etc. Apart from this, helicopter services in the North Eastern States, diplomatic initiatives pertaining to security related issues with Bangladesh and Myanmar are also handled by this Division.
HELICOPTER SERVICES IN THE NORTH EASTERN STATES
At present, the helicopter services are in operation in the States of Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura with subsidy from Ministry of Home Affairs. The subsidy portion is limited to 75% cost of operation of helicopter service minus recovery from passengers. The balance cost of operation of the helicopter service is met by concerned State Governments.
After a prolonged period of inexplicable slumber, the IAF has apparently got the ‘wake-up’ call and initiated a slew of measures to modernise and augment different categories of its helicopter fleets.
The much touted helicopter force of the IAF like its most other assets, however, is on the decline; having been hit by mass-scale obsolescence in a major portion of its helicopter fleets. The IAF currently operates 300+ helicopters in 28-30 units. But for the recently inducted Dhruv helicopters and some Mi-17 1Vs inducted during the past decade all other types are struggling with the problems of old age and inadequate spares/maintenance support. For example, its more than 100 strong Mi-8 fleet is in dire need of replacement including the VIP version operating in the IAF’s Communication Squadron. Some of the older versions of Mi-17s are also nearing the end of their service life and need to be replaced. The light utility helicopters Chetak and its lighter and more agile Cheetah version also need to be replaced by more modern and more capable helicopters to do justice to their assigned duties, especially in the high mountainous regions of Ladakh and the Northeast. The Attack helicopter fleets are faring no better and need replacement in a phased manner. But has the IAF taken any steps to rejuvenate its helicopter force to the desired levels of modernisation and capabilities?
Secretary General of NESO Gumjum Haider also highlighted the inadequate provisions of airports and helipads in the region."Northeast has been immensely neglected. There is not even one proper Airport in Arunachal Pradesh, neither is there any landing air force ground. Helipads are in a dilapidated condition. Also the fire safety devices aren't effective enough at the helipads and therefore precautionary measures need to be taken for the future," said Haider.
Dr.Athiqul H. Laskar
The bodies of Dorjee Khandu, the chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh state, and four others were found following an extensive search. Home Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram said parts of the helicopter and at least three bodies had been spotted in a mountainous and densely forested area of Arunachal Pradesh state. "The team has sighted the remains of the aircraft. After his helicopter went down several days ago in rough weather,
The single-engine helicopter carrying Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu, two pilots and two other passengers lost radio contact Saturday around 20 minutes after taking off from the Buddhist mountain retreat of Tawang en route to the state capital, Itanagar. Khandu, 56, is a former army intelligence official elected in 2007 as Arunachal Pradesh's top official.
The state-owned operator, Pawan Hans Helicopters Ltd., suffered another accident three weeks ago that killed 17 people when their helicopter crashed into a landing pad in the perilous 11,000-foot-high Tawang Valley area of Arunachal Pradesh bordering China. The civilian Mi17 chopper of state-owned Pawan Hans, manufactured in 1996, was on a regular flight to Tawang from the Lokopriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport in Guwahati, Pawan Hans’s sources said. It had valid certificate of airworthiness till August 28 this year.
Pawan Hans’s sources said the chopper caught fire, broke into pieces and crashed into a gorge close to the Tawang Civil helipad at around 1357 hours. The helicopter had taken off at 1245 hours, they said.
This is the second helicopter crash in Tawang district bordering China. An Indian Air Force (IAF) MI 17 chopper crashed minutes after take off on November 19 last year. An official in the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said that as per initial reports the chopper crash-landed "due to likely wind shear and down draft while landing and caught fire on impact to the ground".
The official said in New Delhi that a committee would be set up to investigate the accident and a high-level team of DGCA officers led by Director General E K Bharat Bhushan.
Pawan Hans Helicopters operates daily chopper services between Guwahati and Tawang and other remote locations in Arunachal Pradesh and the rest of the Northeast. Last November, an air force helicopter crashed minutes after take off, killing all the 12 passengers on board. The Mi-17 helicopter, belonging to Pawan Hans Company, was carrying passengers from the city of Guwahati in the neighbouring Assam state, to Tawang.
Last August, a crew member of a Mi-72 fell out of the helicopter while trying to close a door which had opened during flight. In February, a helicopter belonging to the Indian army crashed in the western state of Maharashtra, killing its two pilots.
Critics said many of the victims would have survived if fire engines and mandatory emergency equipment were readily available. Information compiled by the New Delhi-based Rotary Wing Society of India, a watchdog group, found that most of the nation's 60 helicopter accidents between 1990 and 2011 involved violations of standard operating procedure.
Helicopter flights aren't the only ones in the spotlight. In recent weeks, several commercial airline pilots have been discovered to have doctored licenses.
This followed a Jan. 11 accident in which Indigo Airlines Capt. Parminder Kaur Gulati landed her aircraft in the resort area of Goa on its nose wheel rather than its rear landing gear. Further investigation found she had submitted fake test results to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, India's aviation regulator, after failing her exam seven times.
Indigo Airlines is considered one of India's best domestic budget carriers. It soon turned out several other pilots had allegedly misrepresented their credentials as well, leading to the arrest of eight pilots.
All 40 of India's flying schools are under investigation — one closed in 2008 but was still certifying flying hours in 2010 — and police say they expect more pilot arrests in coming weeks.
The problem isn't India's civil aviation regulations, which are adequate, said Krishnaswami Sridharan, the Rotary Wing Society's president. At issue is enforcement and implementation. "If violations are found, no punitive action is taken," he said. "The fleet has grown rapidly, but the system has not kept abreast."
India's helicopter industry, which has a lower fatality rate than the U.S. because it doesn't handle fire fighting or other dangerous work, hasn't faced the fake-license problem seen with airlines because virtually all its pilots are from the military.
India has had just nine deadly accidents involving Indian crews since 1962. But some say it's been lucky given the number of warning signs. Fifty-seven pilots failed spot breathalyzer tests in the 2009-10 fiscal year, there have been several reported near-collisions and passengers watched a fistfight break out among crew members aboard an Air India flight in October 2009.
Air crashes are common in that area of the Himalayas, where dozens of American planes went down during World War II. Pilots have long referred to it as "The Hump," describing the large mountains separating India from Bhutan.
At various stages the Central government has recognized the need to pay special attention to infrastructure development in the North-East. A number of initiatives were taken in the 1990s. A committee was constituted in February 1990 under the chairmanship of L C Jain, Member of the Planning Commission. A high level commission was set up under the chairmanship of S P Shukla in 1997 to tackle the problem of backlog in basic minimum services and infrastructure needs of the North-East.
Air connectivity is vital for a modern economy. To develop tourism, it is a must. There were many World War II airstrips in the North-East which have been allowed to degrade. Under the package announced by the Prime Minister on October 27, 1996 at Guwahati a number of improvements have taken place. Guwahati’s Gopinath Bordoloi airport has been upgraded to international standards. International flight traffic needs to be developed now. There is, however, some progress as new airports are being built in the North-East and some old ones are being improved. Also central subsidy of 75 per cent is offered for helicopter services on some routes.
Under the package announced by Prime Minister Vajpayee at Shillong on January 22, 2000, fuel price and tax concession are offered to encourage internal air services within the North-East. Thus a significant improvement is likely. Still the recommendation of Shukla Commission to make Guwahati a regional hub is pending for implementation.
Airlines to ensure more timely regular flights to Kolkata are important. It should be possible to go to Kolkata and return the same evening. A long-term plan for air-connectivity of the North-East needs to be evolved.
The North East Division deals with the issues pertaining to internal security in the North-Eastern States, including matters relating to insurgency, talks with various extremist groups operating in that region, banning of Unlawful Associations and notifying the disturbed areas, etc. Apart from this, helicopter services in the North Eastern States, diplomatic initiatives pertaining to security related issues with Bangladesh and Myanmar are also handled by this Division.
HELICOPTER SERVICES IN THE NORTH EASTERN STATES
At present, the helicopter services are in operation in the States of Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura with subsidy from Ministry of Home Affairs. The subsidy portion is limited to 75% cost of operation of helicopter service minus recovery from passengers. The balance cost of operation of the helicopter service is met by concerned State Governments.
After a prolonged period of inexplicable slumber, the IAF has apparently got the ‘wake-up’ call and initiated a slew of measures to modernise and augment different categories of its helicopter fleets.
The much touted helicopter force of the IAF like its most other assets, however, is on the decline; having been hit by mass-scale obsolescence in a major portion of its helicopter fleets. The IAF currently operates 300+ helicopters in 28-30 units. But for the recently inducted Dhruv helicopters and some Mi-17 1Vs inducted during the past decade all other types are struggling with the problems of old age and inadequate spares/maintenance support. For example, its more than 100 strong Mi-8 fleet is in dire need of replacement including the VIP version operating in the IAF’s Communication Squadron. Some of the older versions of Mi-17s are also nearing the end of their service life and need to be replaced. The light utility helicopters Chetak and its lighter and more agile Cheetah version also need to be replaced by more modern and more capable helicopters to do justice to their assigned duties, especially in the high mountainous regions of Ladakh and the Northeast. The Attack helicopter fleets are faring no better and need replacement in a phased manner. But has the IAF taken any steps to rejuvenate its helicopter force to the desired levels of modernisation and capabilities?
Secretary General of NESO Gumjum Haider also highlighted the inadequate provisions of airports and helipads in the region."Northeast has been immensely neglected. There is not even one proper Airport in Arunachal Pradesh, neither is there any landing air force ground. Helipads are in a dilapidated condition. Also the fire safety devices aren't effective enough at the helipads and therefore precautionary measures need to be taken for the future," said Haider.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Emerging Youth and Unemployment
Emerging Youth and Unemployment
By: Dr.Athiqul H. Laskar
Poverty and unemployment go hand in hand. Unemployment broadly refers to a state where a person is unable to find sufficient income-generating means in spite of having the physical ability and mental willingness to do so. This article examines the extent of unemployment, and under-employment in India and its effects on the psyche of the Indian youth.
The NSSO has defined ‘work’ or ‘gainful’ activity as the activity pursued for pay, profit or family gain or in other words, the activity which adds value to the national product. While complete unemployment means no job at all, under-employment means, lack of insufficient work that is barely enough to make ends meet. The Government of India has certainly taken up a lot of measures to combat the menace of unemployment. For e.g. the Prime Minister Rozgar Yojana (PMRY) Scheme for Educated Unemployed Youth. This scheme has been designed to create employment for over a million people by the setting up of 7 lakh micro enterprises by the educated unemployed. Special focus was given by the government for the employment of the rural youth. The IRDP or the Integrated Rural Development Programme was meant to help farmers and the rural artisans below the poverty line to learn advanced skills necessary for converting their skills into income. The TRYSEM (Training of Rural youth for self-employment) was launched in 1979. Its major aim was to empower the rural youth by giving them technical training so that they could be self-employed along with the payment of a stipend during training. However in 1999, IRDP, TRYSEM and other such programmes were combined into one holistic programme known as Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana wherein 10% of the financial allocation is set up for the training of the ‘Swarozgaris’. However, what is worth studying is the actual amount that is utilized. Research has time and again demonstrated that in many such government schemes, the allocated money is either lost the maze of corruption or lies unused until the government decides to launch another scheme after the failure of the previous one.
The issue of unorganized nature of work creating insecurity among the workers is not new. The poor income groups cannot afford higher education for their children and thus their chances of employment in the organized sector are scarce. The unorganized or the ‘casual’ sector of work is highly exploitative and the workers in such industries work for low wages and many times in sub-human working conditions. Indian farmers, who form a major bulk of the rural workforce, work in the unorganized sector. The Urban workforce in the unorganized sector consists of contract based workers and those people who migrates from villages to the city in search of work and end up working as manual laborers or other such unorganized form of work. According to the CIA World Fact book, (Central Intelligence Agency-United States of America), in India in 2009 unemployment was growing at a rate of almost 10.7%. These are the official figures and may not include under-employment. Thus, actual rate of unemployment can only be higher than this figure.
Liberalization means more industries, more industries mean more jobs. How can unemployment figures rise in spite of liberalization? The answer is- liberalization demands a large scale, mass based mode of production. So heavy machinery replaces human resource and this is the major cause of post-liberalization unemployment. Machines beat man as far as mass production is concerned. Hence, while liberalization does create more jobs, an equal or in fact, an increasing number of jobs are lost every day. The downfall of the trademark Mumbai ‘Mill Culture’ illustrates this phenomenon. An example of how industrialization does not necessarily mean more jobs can be seen from the Washington based Institute of Policy Studies (IPS). According to this study, “the combined sales of the world’s top 200 MNCs is now greater than the combined GDP of all but the world’s nine largest economies. Yet the total direct employment generated by these multi-nationals is a mere 18.8 millions –one-hundredth of one percent of the global workforce.” (indiaonestop.com). Unemployment means no income for the individual and his family and hence the vicious circle of poverty-unemployment-poverty exists in our society. However poverty is not the only reason for unemployment in India. One of the most important reasons for unemployment is the colossal growth in the population. “India's labour force is growing at a rate of 2.5 per cent annually, but employment is growing at only 2.3 per cent. Thus, the country is faced with the challenge of not only absorbing new entrants to the job market (estimated at seven million people every year), but also clearing the backlog.” (indiaonestop.com). As a result of population explosion, the number of jobs created has always been less than the number of candidates qualifying for a post, thus increasing competition for one post. “In 1971, 2, 88,487 degree holders and technical personnel were unemployed or seeking jobs.” (G.D Sharma, 1976). In fact an analytical study conducted in 2004 by S Ray and Rattan Chand concluded that unemployment was the highest for the ‘graduate and above’ category. (Chand, 2004) Why is it that even after completing graduation some people could not get the desired job? On one hand there is increased competition and on the other, the present education system is highly unequipped to arm the students with industry-oriented skills. So, only those students who can convert the theory-oriented learning into practical skills stand a chance to secure a job in the organized sector. Other candidates inspire of completing graduation and other higher studies cannot secure high-profile jobs. After so much of education, settling down for a mediocre job may get on to their nerves and thus fill them with a sense of frustration. Some of these unemployed graduates might eventually be successful in getting part-time jobs or may start small businesses, but that might not be exactly what they had aspired for.
However a vast majority of these unemployed graduates who do not have the resources or the skill to start their own business may end up suffering from depression and many other similar problems in days to come. (Writer is a retired US Army Officer and former NATO Commander in Holland sector, athiqul16@yahoo.co.in)
By: Dr.Athiqul H. Laskar
Poverty and unemployment go hand in hand. Unemployment broadly refers to a state where a person is unable to find sufficient income-generating means in spite of having the physical ability and mental willingness to do so. This article examines the extent of unemployment, and under-employment in India and its effects on the psyche of the Indian youth.
The NSSO has defined ‘work’ or ‘gainful’ activity as the activity pursued for pay, profit or family gain or in other words, the activity which adds value to the national product. While complete unemployment means no job at all, under-employment means, lack of insufficient work that is barely enough to make ends meet. The Government of India has certainly taken up a lot of measures to combat the menace of unemployment. For e.g. the Prime Minister Rozgar Yojana (PMRY) Scheme for Educated Unemployed Youth. This scheme has been designed to create employment for over a million people by the setting up of 7 lakh micro enterprises by the educated unemployed. Special focus was given by the government for the employment of the rural youth. The IRDP or the Integrated Rural Development Programme was meant to help farmers and the rural artisans below the poverty line to learn advanced skills necessary for converting their skills into income. The TRYSEM (Training of Rural youth for self-employment) was launched in 1979. Its major aim was to empower the rural youth by giving them technical training so that they could be self-employed along with the payment of a stipend during training. However in 1999, IRDP, TRYSEM and other such programmes were combined into one holistic programme known as Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana wherein 10% of the financial allocation is set up for the training of the ‘Swarozgaris’. However, what is worth studying is the actual amount that is utilized. Research has time and again demonstrated that in many such government schemes, the allocated money is either lost the maze of corruption or lies unused until the government decides to launch another scheme after the failure of the previous one.
The issue of unorganized nature of work creating insecurity among the workers is not new. The poor income groups cannot afford higher education for their children and thus their chances of employment in the organized sector are scarce. The unorganized or the ‘casual’ sector of work is highly exploitative and the workers in such industries work for low wages and many times in sub-human working conditions. Indian farmers, who form a major bulk of the rural workforce, work in the unorganized sector. The Urban workforce in the unorganized sector consists of contract based workers and those people who migrates from villages to the city in search of work and end up working as manual laborers or other such unorganized form of work. According to the CIA World Fact book, (Central Intelligence Agency-United States of America), in India in 2009 unemployment was growing at a rate of almost 10.7%. These are the official figures and may not include under-employment. Thus, actual rate of unemployment can only be higher than this figure.
Liberalization means more industries, more industries mean more jobs. How can unemployment figures rise in spite of liberalization? The answer is- liberalization demands a large scale, mass based mode of production. So heavy machinery replaces human resource and this is the major cause of post-liberalization unemployment. Machines beat man as far as mass production is concerned. Hence, while liberalization does create more jobs, an equal or in fact, an increasing number of jobs are lost every day. The downfall of the trademark Mumbai ‘Mill Culture’ illustrates this phenomenon. An example of how industrialization does not necessarily mean more jobs can be seen from the Washington based Institute of Policy Studies (IPS). According to this study, “the combined sales of the world’s top 200 MNCs is now greater than the combined GDP of all but the world’s nine largest economies. Yet the total direct employment generated by these multi-nationals is a mere 18.8 millions –one-hundredth of one percent of the global workforce.” (indiaonestop.com). Unemployment means no income for the individual and his family and hence the vicious circle of poverty-unemployment-poverty exists in our society. However poverty is not the only reason for unemployment in India. One of the most important reasons for unemployment is the colossal growth in the population. “India's labour force is growing at a rate of 2.5 per cent annually, but employment is growing at only 2.3 per cent. Thus, the country is faced with the challenge of not only absorbing new entrants to the job market (estimated at seven million people every year), but also clearing the backlog.” (indiaonestop.com). As a result of population explosion, the number of jobs created has always been less than the number of candidates qualifying for a post, thus increasing competition for one post. “In 1971, 2, 88,487 degree holders and technical personnel were unemployed or seeking jobs.” (G.D Sharma, 1976). In fact an analytical study conducted in 2004 by S Ray and Rattan Chand concluded that unemployment was the highest for the ‘graduate and above’ category. (Chand, 2004) Why is it that even after completing graduation some people could not get the desired job? On one hand there is increased competition and on the other, the present education system is highly unequipped to arm the students with industry-oriented skills. So, only those students who can convert the theory-oriented learning into practical skills stand a chance to secure a job in the organized sector. Other candidates inspire of completing graduation and other higher studies cannot secure high-profile jobs. After so much of education, settling down for a mediocre job may get on to their nerves and thus fill them with a sense of frustration. Some of these unemployed graduates might eventually be successful in getting part-time jobs or may start small businesses, but that might not be exactly what they had aspired for.
However a vast majority of these unemployed graduates who do not have the resources or the skill to start their own business may end up suffering from depression and many other similar problems in days to come. (Writer is a retired US Army Officer and former NATO Commander in Holland sector, athiqul16@yahoo.co.in)
Issues and concerns of youth
Dr.Athiqul H Laskar
Environment Of all the planets known to science and mankind, the most beautiful is the earth, we comfortably live on. The earth was created with perfect ecological balance. The primitive man did no harm to destroy the environment. There is a long distance from the primitive man’s era to the modern era of the twenty first century. When man became more civilized, he began to exploit nature. Exploitation in due course took the form of destruction to a great extent. Injuries inflicted by series of wars are scars on the earth. The earth is being damaged by man. Ozon layer is dangerously damaged. Water bodies are widely polluted. Disposal of nuclear waste is posing threat to health of human beings and the whole nature. Environmental protection is a subject of top priority of international organizations now.
While looking at the emerging world and the issues and concerns wrapping it, one can not be very optimistic and should not be pessimistic. Pessimism is a crime. Looking at the gloomy side of things is necessary for evaluation. But skipping the sunny side makes the onlooker a pessimist or negative character. Let us look at things with possible neutrality and least partiality.
Poverty:
The biggest concern of our times is gross poverty in certain parts of the world Namibia is a glaring example. Countries with lot of natural resources are not able to utilize it for the well being of the people. Cruel and Corrupt rulers who go after amassing wealth and enjoying comforts create hell for the people. The rulers and their families prosper. No means of living, no earnings, nothing to eat, falling health and no health care measures are visible signs of the miseries. Poverty and diseases have claimed millions of lives. Infants become skeletal and succumb to death for want of food and nutrition. Parents can not even bury the bodies of their offspring due to lack of energy to stand up. When things become the worst, the rest of the world know about it and send food supplies, medicines, doctors etc. to the suffering people. U.N. aids and aids from the developed countries helped to tide over such situations by minimizing the death toll. The same situation repeats with no durable solution for that. Bad governance, wrong policies, incorrigible and graft oriented fiscal system etc. are the stones which construct foundation for such unfortunate predicament of the people who do not enjoy even the natural rights animals have in their habitat - forests.
Peace under threats:
Threat to peace is an issue annoying all subjects, rulers, world leaders and international organizations. Palestine is a bleeding wound on the global body. Mind set of the majority of Palestinians does not favour war. When they are being repeatedly harassed, they will retort. Israel has the most intelligent people. One can not but wonder why they do not love peace. The Jews had suffered a lot in the hands of Hilter and Russians. They were wandering with out a land of their own. When they settled in the new Israel, they forgot their unfortunate past and lost empathy and sympathy which are the noblest qualities human beings have. The need of the hour is not truce and it is certainly peace. Who will make peace?
Unexpected developments:
Scandinavia consists of Norway, Sweden and Denmark which are considered to be welfare states. With vast national resources and less population, Scandinavia is free of major problems. Politicians/public men are answerable before Ombudsman and for that reason corruption is not at all a topic to discuss. In the midst of such a serene atmosphere, a Danish news paper published a cartoon to defame Prophet Mohammed. It was cruel. Islam is the religion of peace. Born in the desert, Islam suffered so much to survive. The prophet had to fight wars lead by his own clan-quereshis. The prophet exhorted his followers to be good human beings. There are a lot of peace loving people among Muslims. Surprisingly, a large section does not follow the preaching of the prophet or contents of holy Quran. Modern civilization was not widely acceptable to Arabs/Muslims. Turkey was the only country which kept in pace with Europe. Turkey became ultra modern and less religious. They have problems created by that. Bare materialism solves no psychological problems or issues related to sentiments.
Iraq is in grief after the fall of Saddam Hussein. Was he a tyrant? Answers are different from different points of view. He was a strong ruler but failed to make an amicable settlement among different sects of Muslims in his country. Kurdhs were always aggrieved and they did not conceal their hostility towards Saddam. Clan rivalry was a major threat to his regime. Democratic principles were not followed as Saddam was a ruler in uniform. Saddam will always be remembered as a ruler of strength and esteem. The serious flaw of his administration was war against Kuwait. It was not indeed war. It was callous trespass into the territory of Kuwait to usurp valuable wealth of Kuwait. Iraq became poor after protracted war with Iran. Kuwait was rich and the war was an impulsive misdeed or mishap. Due to that Kuwait was in ruins for some time. This particular political situation invited the pressure and presence of U.S. military in the Middle East. U.S. has no policy of going back from such places even if the turmoil ends. War against Kuwait paved a path for U.S. to unlawfully enter Iraq and gradually fight a war to topple Saddam’s Government and installs a pro U.S. Government. The story narrated on possession of nuclear weapons by Iraq was only to scare the world and mobilize support against Iraq. Fall of Saddam has not solved the problem of Iraq. Iraq has no peace. People live in fear. Thousands of people die in Bomb blast daily. The media report only a part of it. Iraq is unstable. Saddam was hanged in his own soil by a foreign power or their native agents. How cruel?
Iran is another country facing problems. International fora should objectively consider problems giving due weightage to issues involved. Attempts to incriminate Iran and deny the sovereignty vested in the people of Iran will not be welcome by peace loving people all over the world. When Iranians say that they have a right to be independent, who can object to it? Even if there are objections, it should be based on true state of affairs and with a motive to maintain peace. No one has right to force decisions on Iran. Iranians traditionally are good people. Problems began when islamic clergy began to decide rulers and issue fathwas. That period has ended. War with Iraq for nine years is a nightmare even today for the people in both the countries. How much of wealth was destroyed by the war? How many men died in the war? How many war widows had to be maintained by the state. Iraq and Iran could not heal all wounds of that old war, even in the twenty first century. All these give a message on the need for peace, durable peace. Iran’s ambition to be a nuclear power has to be in conformity with the principles and norms approved by international organizations.
Gorbachev’s rule ended with the disintegration of Soviet Union. Hard and fast rules with no consideration of human feelings can not solve problems. Chechnia is the best example before the world. Chechnians are being tortured fighting a war against them by Russians. But they refuse to yield and dare to fight. War has a bad odor. It spreads fast. It reaches places far away from the battle field and disturbs the sleep of innocent people who have nothing to do with the war. Chechnya disturbs the minds of all peace lovers.
Tibet for a long time is not a state of free identity. It is according to China, a Chinese territory and the Tibetans are traitors to their mother land. Who will come to the rescue of Tibetans? The problems faced by a section of Chinese who embraced Islam continue to be unsolved. When feelings run high, stubborn approaches fail to yield results. The Chinese are very clever, industrious and successful. But they lack soft skills for developing friendly relations with different sections of their own people. Tibetans are living in a state of exile scattered all over the world. A small section of Tibetans is living in different parts of India also. Tibet is representing the nagging pain of a helpless community. Dalai Lama is their spiritual leader and ruler in spite of attempts to unseat him even in exile.
Srilankan leaders are under the impression that they could exterminate LTTE. LTTE chose its end with atrocities committed with out second thoughts. Tamilians living in Jaffna and other parts are not enjoying human rights rather they are denied human rights. They are in distress. Third degree methods of Army, Para Military forces and Police have not spared even wage earners among Tamilians. LTTE was formed to fight injustice towards Tamilians living in Srilanka for generations. Tamilians live in Srilanka or the old Ceylon for nearly two centuries. Tamilians have played an important role in building up modern Sri Lanka. Tamilians never got adequate representation in the Parliament or Local bodies. Linguistic discrimination made them angry as well. Tamilian are very fond and proud of their mother tongue, Tamil. Tamilians are from Tamil Nadu, India. Mother tongue of Sreelankans, Sinhalese has its roots in Sanskrit, the language of civilization and great source of knowledge. It can be certainly inferred that Sreelankans had remote relations with India linguistically literally and culturally. No one bothered to find areas for agreement and harmony. Each group competed to find areas of difference and points for promoting hatred. Sreelankan Administration is not successful in settling ethnic issues and solving the human rights problems faced by Srilankan Tamilians.
Refugees from Srilanka living in Indian Camps narrate stories which would shear hearts of listeners. Insurgency, if relapsed, can take dangerous dimensions. No regime can boast of destroying all enemies or disarming all opponents. Rise of fighters against injustice occurs as a decision of history. It is a recurring affair any where, any time. Tamilians of Sreelanka are deserving humanitarian consideration and fair deal. Economy of Sreelanka is greatly in debt to these people. It is easy to precipitate things when sagacity is absent. To sort out problems and find lasting solution, wisdom and will to compromise are essential. Let us hope that wisdom will prevail up on Sreelankan leaders and they will put an end to the sufferings of aggrieved Tamilians of Sreelanka.
Bangladesh was created with great sacrifice of Indian Forces. Indian army fought with the Mukthi Bahini (Liberation Army) of Bangladesh to defeat Pak Army. Surrender of Pak Army was instrumental for the rise of Bangladesh. The family of Mujibur Rahiman, father of Bangladesh acknowledges the role of India in winning the war and creating their free nation. But majority of the people are not willing to accept this fact.
Hostility towards India is promoted by negligible groups who have vested interests. Flaws in the intelligence administration are giving room for terrorists to enter Bangladesh in disguise. In spite of lot of foreign aids, Bangladesh has not achieved the progress it should have achieved. Bangladesh has border with India on three sides. Poverty stricken people from Bangladesh cross the border and find a domicile in India illegally. It is not easy to identify all such trespassers because they speak Bengali in the same accent as people of West Bengal in India speak.
Pakistan was part of British India. Religion had no great relevance in British India. People from Calcutta to Peshawar and Kashmir to Kanyakumari lived under the oppressive colony rule of Britain; Religion had least importance in social affairs except the freedom to follow any religion. When freedom was on the threshold of India, Muslim leaders from the Sind region wanted a separate Muslim state. Against the will of Mahatma Gandhi, India was divided into India and Pakistan. Territories with vast majority of Muslim population formed the new state of Pakistan. Urdu speaking West Pakistan and Bengali speaking East Pakistan continued in disharmony till separation of East Pakistan and formation of Bangladesh.
Pakistan is in dispute with India on the issue of Kashmir. Recurring wars divided Kashmir into three parts, Jammu Kashmir in India, Pak occupied Kashmir and Azad Kashmir. The issue is not resolved. Pakistan’s logic is not true to facts. They feel that Kashmir has Muslim majority and therefore it should be part of Pakistan. History of the last century denies it. It is true that Kashmir has Muslim majority. It had a Hindu King till independence. The King did no harm to Kashmir and Muslims lived a peaceful life there. State of Hyderabad had Hindu majority. The state had a Muslim King called ‘Nizam’. There was no harm to Hindus. There are many other examples also. This is history and India has the largest Muslim population in the world. Pakistan encouraged terrorism and harboured terrorists. The commons of Pakistan have no peace. The internal situation is always tense. Bombs can blast any time and any where. Any one can be its victim. Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhuto died in a bomb blast or sabotage. Pakistan and India spent a huge part of the revenue for war or defense. If there was no war or threats, both the countries would have progressed tremendously. India has a democratic government. Pakistan government is, I am afraid, subordinate to its armed forces. How far is peace from India and Pakistan? Maoists are gaining strength in the Indian states of West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh. It has disturbed the internal security of India. Maoists are functioning as outlaws. But the issues raised by them in respect of the needs of the have nots leading poor lives in the tribal areas and remote villages are very relevant. Forces or weapons can not solve their problems. Maoists can not be easily subdued by the man hunt operations of Police or Army.
Afghanistan is another example for the cold war between big powers. Afghanistan had a government supported and patronized by Russians. With its fall, clergy lead Taliban came to the helm of affairs. Defeat of Taliban brought in a new social atmosphere and Government. But Taliban would not accept the democratic government of Afghanistan. According to Taliban, Afghan government is a puppet government with U.S. behind the curtain. With out the presence of U.S. forces in Afghan, Taliban would have made it more bloody. Taliban claim to be fundamental Muslims who resists compromise with any kind of religious revisionism. Prophet Mohammed loved peace for the well being of his people and followers. He fought war when it was forced upon him. He never attacked any one. He only lead defence operations. He could have retreated. He knew that if he retreated, he would retreat to the sea shore and drown in Arabian Sea. That is why he had to fight. He was not a conqueror. He was a holy prophet deserving all reverence and honour. Let us hope that the life and messages of the prophet will throw light into the minds of people who are bent up on breaking peace.
Australia was a peaceful country. Now there are attacks against Indian Students by young Australians. Seats in Australian Universities are not filled by Australians. Only the elite among Australians are interested in education. Others are jealous to students from other countries who study and do part time work for financial support to meet the cost. Indians with the backing of their educational and professional background get good jobs and salary. This fact can not be digested by Australians in the lower strata. They wage war against foreign students especially Indians considering them to be enemies.
In Myanmar, peace is alien. Democratic forces continue to fail there. Any one who does not subscribe to the views of the regime has to stay home under house arrest or stay in a Prison. Things do not change notably well.
Thailand was doing well producing and exporting good rice and marketing Tourism. Of late, we are hearing the frightening sounds of gun fire and seeing blood stains in places including Bangkok. Peace is so much endangered and serenity becomes a dream.
Racism has not ended at all. Blacks suffer discrimination for traditional reasons and reasons of cultural gap. Obama’s elevation to the White House is a land mark in the social and political history. Even then the blacks are many years behind the whites in all walks of life. In African Countries also, the rich leads and the common black is far behind in the social race. In the U.S also majority of blacks are not a class with ambitions in life. They create a world of their own with all kinds of illegal and criminal tendencies.
North Korea and South Korea have started their fights again. A ship of South Korea was destroyed by a submarine of North Korea. U.S has promised its support to South Korea as usual. Asia has now more pockets of unrest than ever in the past.
Global Economic Crisis
Recession is the latest global concern. Economic crisis did not occur all of a sudden. Bad policies and executive idiocy lead big Corporations to grave yard. It started more than ten years back. The sudden fall of Enron Corporation was incredible. A company considered to be strong and wealthy with huge income collapsed to the surprise of the Corporate world. It was a warning to other corporations and banks. It appears that no one learned any lesson from the fall of Enron.
Management as a separate discipline was introduced after Peter Drucker. Before Peter Drucker also there were mentors of management. The conventional business man followed a very simple formula in business. Any business should earn more than it spends or spend less than it earns. If money is borrowed for business, it should be employed in such a way that there is sufficient returns to repay the loan and maintain the business with profit. This was a natural theory developed from the experience of businessmen of the sixteenth century. There were no text books available then to study techniques of management. Banks and big companies collapsed in U.S. The collapse can be attributed to sheer mismanagement. There is a principle that the net worth of a company can be calculated exactly only at its closure or collapse. A running company can create bad impression. Such impressions will not last. When the company is unable to pay dividents to the share holders, it means that it is the beginning of its end. Most of the companies which collapsed had a large staff structure with fat salary. It can be seen that no one assessed the income expenditure ratio. In zero based budgeting every expenditure should have a corresponding benefit. If there was no benefit, how did those companies incurred expenditure? The recession which began to show its teeth and nails in U.S, suddenly spread to other countries also. Thousands of people lost jobs. New opportunities were rare. People who lost jobs had to subsist with social security money paid an account of unemployment. There are countries like India where there is no system of paying social security money.
Gulf countries were forced to reduce workers and cut wages. All these created discomfort and alarm to workers and executives in the Gulf region. Any downward trend in the gulf region will reflect in India especially Kerala. Thousands of people from Kerala work in the gulf countries. Recession cuts jobs and wages. It leads to reduce confidence of work force and their dependents. The world is slowly recovering from the clutches of recession.
Injustice social, political and cultural invites resistance from the affected groups. Insurgency is a product of oppressive state measures and unbearable sufferings. Atrocities of the state open war fronts against it. Fair deal to all section of the society is an accepted principle of fair governance. The difference between capitalism and socialism has become negligibly thin. Capitalism cannot move with anti-labor policies and unending war with the working class. Similarly, socialism can not create a flat society with no difference in the life style of various groups. Life style is not dependant on income alone. Culture is the foundation on which life style is built.’
The greatest threat to mankind at present is terrorism. Difference in names or labels does not make terrorists superior or inferior. Terrorism is plaguing the global society. A large section of terrorist groups claim to be “jihadis”. Killing innocent people can not be called jihad. It is called massacre in the unkindest form. Cold blooded callous men’s fraternity for destruction and killing can not be any holy act. The so called jihadis are unholy sinners who do not get pardon. Attack on the world Trade Centre was indeed an invasion on the ego and esteem of U.S. U.S. is the only country with the strictest visa regulations. X ray of Chest, Neck, and Head are taken for close scrutiny to prevent impersonation by all means. Visa papers go through bottle necks for long period. There was no such lengthy procedures for student visas. Rich men or well funded persons could make holes in the iron curtain of U.S. by managing entry into U.S. in disguise. U.S. is more cautious now and has widened the net of intelligence direct or indirect in forms one can not easily imagine. Turning the World Trade Centre into Zero Ground was one of the cruellest acts the world has ever seen. Intelligence failure was the major cause. U.S. was always probing what happens in other countries. They saw developments in distant places and did not see what was happening around their feet, under their eyes. U.S. had a wild confidence that U.S. was not vulnerable and under perfect protection against any threat or fear. Failure in intelligence, failure in screening students of flying clubs, failure in airport security, failure in standards of Air Traffic Control etc. individually and jointly defeated the calculation of U.S. Enemies were inside the ship for long time. The Captain or his Adjutants never knew this. They knew the fact only after the ship sank to the sea bed.
Attack on the Indian Parliament Building and Mumbai, the industrial and economic hub of India, happened in the recent past. Terrorists are well founded, well funded and trained to work as suicide invaders with no fear for life. U.S. Embassies and Consulates all over the world are under threat. Allies of U.S. are also facing threats and risks. How to alleviate threats and fight terrorism is a big question before the world.
Somalian pirates are hijacking ships for ransom It is shameful that the big powers with powerful army, air force and navy are not able to check this. Are their Satellites blind? Disposal of nuclear waste is a boiling issue. Nuclear waste and solid waste from developed countries are shipped into poor countries. That does not solve the problem. Contamination has high speed. It can spread in seconds and reach distant destinations in minutes. It is necessary to find fair scientific ways to dispose nuclear waste.
The global community should gain strength to stand united to resolve the issues of poverty, hunger, diseases, covert fights, terrorism and threats posed by nuclear reactors/weapons. What is done here is only cataloguing issues and concerns. It should be debated widely with mass participation. The winners of losers are the people who are inhabitants of this beautiful plant “the earth”. Let us dream of a world with out terror and war. At present we are breaking the home we live in and cutting the branch we sit on. Let us hope that every one holds a branch of olive above his head and fly pigeons of peace to mark the opening a new era with less issues and serious concerns.
Environment Of all the planets known to science and mankind, the most beautiful is the earth, we comfortably live on. The earth was created with perfect ecological balance. The primitive man did no harm to destroy the environment. There is a long distance from the primitive man’s era to the modern era of the twenty first century. When man became more civilized, he began to exploit nature. Exploitation in due course took the form of destruction to a great extent. Injuries inflicted by series of wars are scars on the earth. The earth is being damaged by man. Ozon layer is dangerously damaged. Water bodies are widely polluted. Disposal of nuclear waste is posing threat to health of human beings and the whole nature. Environmental protection is a subject of top priority of international organizations now.
While looking at the emerging world and the issues and concerns wrapping it, one can not be very optimistic and should not be pessimistic. Pessimism is a crime. Looking at the gloomy side of things is necessary for evaluation. But skipping the sunny side makes the onlooker a pessimist or negative character. Let us look at things with possible neutrality and least partiality.
Poverty:
The biggest concern of our times is gross poverty in certain parts of the world Namibia is a glaring example. Countries with lot of natural resources are not able to utilize it for the well being of the people. Cruel and Corrupt rulers who go after amassing wealth and enjoying comforts create hell for the people. The rulers and their families prosper. No means of living, no earnings, nothing to eat, falling health and no health care measures are visible signs of the miseries. Poverty and diseases have claimed millions of lives. Infants become skeletal and succumb to death for want of food and nutrition. Parents can not even bury the bodies of their offspring due to lack of energy to stand up. When things become the worst, the rest of the world know about it and send food supplies, medicines, doctors etc. to the suffering people. U.N. aids and aids from the developed countries helped to tide over such situations by minimizing the death toll. The same situation repeats with no durable solution for that. Bad governance, wrong policies, incorrigible and graft oriented fiscal system etc. are the stones which construct foundation for such unfortunate predicament of the people who do not enjoy even the natural rights animals have in their habitat - forests.
Peace under threats:
Threat to peace is an issue annoying all subjects, rulers, world leaders and international organizations. Palestine is a bleeding wound on the global body. Mind set of the majority of Palestinians does not favour war. When they are being repeatedly harassed, they will retort. Israel has the most intelligent people. One can not but wonder why they do not love peace. The Jews had suffered a lot in the hands of Hilter and Russians. They were wandering with out a land of their own. When they settled in the new Israel, they forgot their unfortunate past and lost empathy and sympathy which are the noblest qualities human beings have. The need of the hour is not truce and it is certainly peace. Who will make peace?
Unexpected developments:
Scandinavia consists of Norway, Sweden and Denmark which are considered to be welfare states. With vast national resources and less population, Scandinavia is free of major problems. Politicians/public men are answerable before Ombudsman and for that reason corruption is not at all a topic to discuss. In the midst of such a serene atmosphere, a Danish news paper published a cartoon to defame Prophet Mohammed. It was cruel. Islam is the religion of peace. Born in the desert, Islam suffered so much to survive. The prophet had to fight wars lead by his own clan-quereshis. The prophet exhorted his followers to be good human beings. There are a lot of peace loving people among Muslims. Surprisingly, a large section does not follow the preaching of the prophet or contents of holy Quran. Modern civilization was not widely acceptable to Arabs/Muslims. Turkey was the only country which kept in pace with Europe. Turkey became ultra modern and less religious. They have problems created by that. Bare materialism solves no psychological problems or issues related to sentiments.
Iraq is in grief after the fall of Saddam Hussein. Was he a tyrant? Answers are different from different points of view. He was a strong ruler but failed to make an amicable settlement among different sects of Muslims in his country. Kurdhs were always aggrieved and they did not conceal their hostility towards Saddam. Clan rivalry was a major threat to his regime. Democratic principles were not followed as Saddam was a ruler in uniform. Saddam will always be remembered as a ruler of strength and esteem. The serious flaw of his administration was war against Kuwait. It was not indeed war. It was callous trespass into the territory of Kuwait to usurp valuable wealth of Kuwait. Iraq became poor after protracted war with Iran. Kuwait was rich and the war was an impulsive misdeed or mishap. Due to that Kuwait was in ruins for some time. This particular political situation invited the pressure and presence of U.S. military in the Middle East. U.S. has no policy of going back from such places even if the turmoil ends. War against Kuwait paved a path for U.S. to unlawfully enter Iraq and gradually fight a war to topple Saddam’s Government and installs a pro U.S. Government. The story narrated on possession of nuclear weapons by Iraq was only to scare the world and mobilize support against Iraq. Fall of Saddam has not solved the problem of Iraq. Iraq has no peace. People live in fear. Thousands of people die in Bomb blast daily. The media report only a part of it. Iraq is unstable. Saddam was hanged in his own soil by a foreign power or their native agents. How cruel?
Iran is another country facing problems. International fora should objectively consider problems giving due weightage to issues involved. Attempts to incriminate Iran and deny the sovereignty vested in the people of Iran will not be welcome by peace loving people all over the world. When Iranians say that they have a right to be independent, who can object to it? Even if there are objections, it should be based on true state of affairs and with a motive to maintain peace. No one has right to force decisions on Iran. Iranians traditionally are good people. Problems began when islamic clergy began to decide rulers and issue fathwas. That period has ended. War with Iraq for nine years is a nightmare even today for the people in both the countries. How much of wealth was destroyed by the war? How many men died in the war? How many war widows had to be maintained by the state. Iraq and Iran could not heal all wounds of that old war, even in the twenty first century. All these give a message on the need for peace, durable peace. Iran’s ambition to be a nuclear power has to be in conformity with the principles and norms approved by international organizations.
Gorbachev’s rule ended with the disintegration of Soviet Union. Hard and fast rules with no consideration of human feelings can not solve problems. Chechnia is the best example before the world. Chechnians are being tortured fighting a war against them by Russians. But they refuse to yield and dare to fight. War has a bad odor. It spreads fast. It reaches places far away from the battle field and disturbs the sleep of innocent people who have nothing to do with the war. Chechnya disturbs the minds of all peace lovers.
Tibet for a long time is not a state of free identity. It is according to China, a Chinese territory and the Tibetans are traitors to their mother land. Who will come to the rescue of Tibetans? The problems faced by a section of Chinese who embraced Islam continue to be unsolved. When feelings run high, stubborn approaches fail to yield results. The Chinese are very clever, industrious and successful. But they lack soft skills for developing friendly relations with different sections of their own people. Tibetans are living in a state of exile scattered all over the world. A small section of Tibetans is living in different parts of India also. Tibet is representing the nagging pain of a helpless community. Dalai Lama is their spiritual leader and ruler in spite of attempts to unseat him even in exile.
Srilankan leaders are under the impression that they could exterminate LTTE. LTTE chose its end with atrocities committed with out second thoughts. Tamilians living in Jaffna and other parts are not enjoying human rights rather they are denied human rights. They are in distress. Third degree methods of Army, Para Military forces and Police have not spared even wage earners among Tamilians. LTTE was formed to fight injustice towards Tamilians living in Srilanka for generations. Tamilians live in Srilanka or the old Ceylon for nearly two centuries. Tamilians have played an important role in building up modern Sri Lanka. Tamilians never got adequate representation in the Parliament or Local bodies. Linguistic discrimination made them angry as well. Tamilian are very fond and proud of their mother tongue, Tamil. Tamilians are from Tamil Nadu, India. Mother tongue of Sreelankans, Sinhalese has its roots in Sanskrit, the language of civilization and great source of knowledge. It can be certainly inferred that Sreelankans had remote relations with India linguistically literally and culturally. No one bothered to find areas for agreement and harmony. Each group competed to find areas of difference and points for promoting hatred. Sreelankan Administration is not successful in settling ethnic issues and solving the human rights problems faced by Srilankan Tamilians.
Refugees from Srilanka living in Indian Camps narrate stories which would shear hearts of listeners. Insurgency, if relapsed, can take dangerous dimensions. No regime can boast of destroying all enemies or disarming all opponents. Rise of fighters against injustice occurs as a decision of history. It is a recurring affair any where, any time. Tamilians of Sreelanka are deserving humanitarian consideration and fair deal. Economy of Sreelanka is greatly in debt to these people. It is easy to precipitate things when sagacity is absent. To sort out problems and find lasting solution, wisdom and will to compromise are essential. Let us hope that wisdom will prevail up on Sreelankan leaders and they will put an end to the sufferings of aggrieved Tamilians of Sreelanka.
Bangladesh was created with great sacrifice of Indian Forces. Indian army fought with the Mukthi Bahini (Liberation Army) of Bangladesh to defeat Pak Army. Surrender of Pak Army was instrumental for the rise of Bangladesh. The family of Mujibur Rahiman, father of Bangladesh acknowledges the role of India in winning the war and creating their free nation. But majority of the people are not willing to accept this fact.
Hostility towards India is promoted by negligible groups who have vested interests. Flaws in the intelligence administration are giving room for terrorists to enter Bangladesh in disguise. In spite of lot of foreign aids, Bangladesh has not achieved the progress it should have achieved. Bangladesh has border with India on three sides. Poverty stricken people from Bangladesh cross the border and find a domicile in India illegally. It is not easy to identify all such trespassers because they speak Bengali in the same accent as people of West Bengal in India speak.
Pakistan was part of British India. Religion had no great relevance in British India. People from Calcutta to Peshawar and Kashmir to Kanyakumari lived under the oppressive colony rule of Britain; Religion had least importance in social affairs except the freedom to follow any religion. When freedom was on the threshold of India, Muslim leaders from the Sind region wanted a separate Muslim state. Against the will of Mahatma Gandhi, India was divided into India and Pakistan. Territories with vast majority of Muslim population formed the new state of Pakistan. Urdu speaking West Pakistan and Bengali speaking East Pakistan continued in disharmony till separation of East Pakistan and formation of Bangladesh.
Pakistan is in dispute with India on the issue of Kashmir. Recurring wars divided Kashmir into three parts, Jammu Kashmir in India, Pak occupied Kashmir and Azad Kashmir. The issue is not resolved. Pakistan’s logic is not true to facts. They feel that Kashmir has Muslim majority and therefore it should be part of Pakistan. History of the last century denies it. It is true that Kashmir has Muslim majority. It had a Hindu King till independence. The King did no harm to Kashmir and Muslims lived a peaceful life there. State of Hyderabad had Hindu majority. The state had a Muslim King called ‘Nizam’. There was no harm to Hindus. There are many other examples also. This is history and India has the largest Muslim population in the world. Pakistan encouraged terrorism and harboured terrorists. The commons of Pakistan have no peace. The internal situation is always tense. Bombs can blast any time and any where. Any one can be its victim. Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhuto died in a bomb blast or sabotage. Pakistan and India spent a huge part of the revenue for war or defense. If there was no war or threats, both the countries would have progressed tremendously. India has a democratic government. Pakistan government is, I am afraid, subordinate to its armed forces. How far is peace from India and Pakistan? Maoists are gaining strength in the Indian states of West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh. It has disturbed the internal security of India. Maoists are functioning as outlaws. But the issues raised by them in respect of the needs of the have nots leading poor lives in the tribal areas and remote villages are very relevant. Forces or weapons can not solve their problems. Maoists can not be easily subdued by the man hunt operations of Police or Army.
Afghanistan is another example for the cold war between big powers. Afghanistan had a government supported and patronized by Russians. With its fall, clergy lead Taliban came to the helm of affairs. Defeat of Taliban brought in a new social atmosphere and Government. But Taliban would not accept the democratic government of Afghanistan. According to Taliban, Afghan government is a puppet government with U.S. behind the curtain. With out the presence of U.S. forces in Afghan, Taliban would have made it more bloody. Taliban claim to be fundamental Muslims who resists compromise with any kind of religious revisionism. Prophet Mohammed loved peace for the well being of his people and followers. He fought war when it was forced upon him. He never attacked any one. He only lead defence operations. He could have retreated. He knew that if he retreated, he would retreat to the sea shore and drown in Arabian Sea. That is why he had to fight. He was not a conqueror. He was a holy prophet deserving all reverence and honour. Let us hope that the life and messages of the prophet will throw light into the minds of people who are bent up on breaking peace.
Australia was a peaceful country. Now there are attacks against Indian Students by young Australians. Seats in Australian Universities are not filled by Australians. Only the elite among Australians are interested in education. Others are jealous to students from other countries who study and do part time work for financial support to meet the cost. Indians with the backing of their educational and professional background get good jobs and salary. This fact can not be digested by Australians in the lower strata. They wage war against foreign students especially Indians considering them to be enemies.
In Myanmar, peace is alien. Democratic forces continue to fail there. Any one who does not subscribe to the views of the regime has to stay home under house arrest or stay in a Prison. Things do not change notably well.
Thailand was doing well producing and exporting good rice and marketing Tourism. Of late, we are hearing the frightening sounds of gun fire and seeing blood stains in places including Bangkok. Peace is so much endangered and serenity becomes a dream.
Racism has not ended at all. Blacks suffer discrimination for traditional reasons and reasons of cultural gap. Obama’s elevation to the White House is a land mark in the social and political history. Even then the blacks are many years behind the whites in all walks of life. In African Countries also, the rich leads and the common black is far behind in the social race. In the U.S also majority of blacks are not a class with ambitions in life. They create a world of their own with all kinds of illegal and criminal tendencies.
North Korea and South Korea have started their fights again. A ship of South Korea was destroyed by a submarine of North Korea. U.S has promised its support to South Korea as usual. Asia has now more pockets of unrest than ever in the past.
Global Economic Crisis
Recession is the latest global concern. Economic crisis did not occur all of a sudden. Bad policies and executive idiocy lead big Corporations to grave yard. It started more than ten years back. The sudden fall of Enron Corporation was incredible. A company considered to be strong and wealthy with huge income collapsed to the surprise of the Corporate world. It was a warning to other corporations and banks. It appears that no one learned any lesson from the fall of Enron.
Management as a separate discipline was introduced after Peter Drucker. Before Peter Drucker also there were mentors of management. The conventional business man followed a very simple formula in business. Any business should earn more than it spends or spend less than it earns. If money is borrowed for business, it should be employed in such a way that there is sufficient returns to repay the loan and maintain the business with profit. This was a natural theory developed from the experience of businessmen of the sixteenth century. There were no text books available then to study techniques of management. Banks and big companies collapsed in U.S. The collapse can be attributed to sheer mismanagement. There is a principle that the net worth of a company can be calculated exactly only at its closure or collapse. A running company can create bad impression. Such impressions will not last. When the company is unable to pay dividents to the share holders, it means that it is the beginning of its end. Most of the companies which collapsed had a large staff structure with fat salary. It can be seen that no one assessed the income expenditure ratio. In zero based budgeting every expenditure should have a corresponding benefit. If there was no benefit, how did those companies incurred expenditure? The recession which began to show its teeth and nails in U.S, suddenly spread to other countries also. Thousands of people lost jobs. New opportunities were rare. People who lost jobs had to subsist with social security money paid an account of unemployment. There are countries like India where there is no system of paying social security money.
Gulf countries were forced to reduce workers and cut wages. All these created discomfort and alarm to workers and executives in the Gulf region. Any downward trend in the gulf region will reflect in India especially Kerala. Thousands of people from Kerala work in the gulf countries. Recession cuts jobs and wages. It leads to reduce confidence of work force and their dependents. The world is slowly recovering from the clutches of recession.
Injustice social, political and cultural invites resistance from the affected groups. Insurgency is a product of oppressive state measures and unbearable sufferings. Atrocities of the state open war fronts against it. Fair deal to all section of the society is an accepted principle of fair governance. The difference between capitalism and socialism has become negligibly thin. Capitalism cannot move with anti-labor policies and unending war with the working class. Similarly, socialism can not create a flat society with no difference in the life style of various groups. Life style is not dependant on income alone. Culture is the foundation on which life style is built.’
The greatest threat to mankind at present is terrorism. Difference in names or labels does not make terrorists superior or inferior. Terrorism is plaguing the global society. A large section of terrorist groups claim to be “jihadis”. Killing innocent people can not be called jihad. It is called massacre in the unkindest form. Cold blooded callous men’s fraternity for destruction and killing can not be any holy act. The so called jihadis are unholy sinners who do not get pardon. Attack on the world Trade Centre was indeed an invasion on the ego and esteem of U.S. U.S. is the only country with the strictest visa regulations. X ray of Chest, Neck, and Head are taken for close scrutiny to prevent impersonation by all means. Visa papers go through bottle necks for long period. There was no such lengthy procedures for student visas. Rich men or well funded persons could make holes in the iron curtain of U.S. by managing entry into U.S. in disguise. U.S. is more cautious now and has widened the net of intelligence direct or indirect in forms one can not easily imagine. Turning the World Trade Centre into Zero Ground was one of the cruellest acts the world has ever seen. Intelligence failure was the major cause. U.S. was always probing what happens in other countries. They saw developments in distant places and did not see what was happening around their feet, under their eyes. U.S. had a wild confidence that U.S. was not vulnerable and under perfect protection against any threat or fear. Failure in intelligence, failure in screening students of flying clubs, failure in airport security, failure in standards of Air Traffic Control etc. individually and jointly defeated the calculation of U.S. Enemies were inside the ship for long time. The Captain or his Adjutants never knew this. They knew the fact only after the ship sank to the sea bed.
Attack on the Indian Parliament Building and Mumbai, the industrial and economic hub of India, happened in the recent past. Terrorists are well founded, well funded and trained to work as suicide invaders with no fear for life. U.S. Embassies and Consulates all over the world are under threat. Allies of U.S. are also facing threats and risks. How to alleviate threats and fight terrorism is a big question before the world.
Somalian pirates are hijacking ships for ransom It is shameful that the big powers with powerful army, air force and navy are not able to check this. Are their Satellites blind? Disposal of nuclear waste is a boiling issue. Nuclear waste and solid waste from developed countries are shipped into poor countries. That does not solve the problem. Contamination has high speed. It can spread in seconds and reach distant destinations in minutes. It is necessary to find fair scientific ways to dispose nuclear waste.
The global community should gain strength to stand united to resolve the issues of poverty, hunger, diseases, covert fights, terrorism and threats posed by nuclear reactors/weapons. What is done here is only cataloguing issues and concerns. It should be debated widely with mass participation. The winners of losers are the people who are inhabitants of this beautiful plant “the earth”. Let us dream of a world with out terror and war. At present we are breaking the home we live in and cutting the branch we sit on. Let us hope that every one holds a branch of olive above his head and fly pigeons of peace to mark the opening a new era with less issues and serious concerns.
SEMESTER SYSTEM: IS IT A CHOICE OF COLLEGES AND STUDENTS IN NORTHEAST INDIA?
SEMESTER SYSTEM: IS IT A CHOICE OF COLLEGES AND STUDENTS IN NORTHEAST INDIA?
By: Dr. Athiqul H. Laskar
Since decades, the Indian education system has been under constant scrutiny by academicians, parents and students. Schools and colleges in India typically follow two systems for an academic year – the quarter system and the semester system. Both systems have their own set of pros and cons and it is at times up to the individual to decide which one to choose. In the following paragraphs, we shall explore the benefits and drawbacks of each system separately and analyze them in perspective of the education system currently followed in northeast India.
How does the semester system work? In the semester system, the academic year is divided into two large phases called ‘semesters’. Each semester is close to 15 weeks long with an extra week for finals. In this way, the academic year spans over 32 weeks. A student takes approximately 5 classes each semester and therefore, about 10 classes in a year. Students receive a set of permanent grades at the end of each semester and the two semesters in every academic year are separated by a summer and winter break, one of which is longer than the other.
Since a semester is lengthier than a quarter, students have more time to grasp their coursework. Classes are relatively slow-paced and this offers students ample opportunities to pursue extra-curricular activities and other interests if they wish to. This system works favorably for individuals who tend to procrastinate or prefer to study at an easy pace. However, if a student happens to dislike a particular class, he or she cannot change it till the end of the semester.
How does the quarter system work? The quarter system is far more fast-paced than the semester system as it comprises of an academic year divided into four quarters namely – fall, winter, spring and summer. Summer classes are usually optional and therefore, each academic year effectively constitutes of three quarters. Each quarter is about 10 weeks long with an extra week added for finals which means that the academic year is 33 weeks long (about as long as with the semester system). Students typically take three to four classes in each quarter which adds up to about 12 classes each year. The only advantage is that if a student does not like a class, he or she does not have to suffer with it for too long as classes finish earlier.
Since quarters are shorter in duration, classes are significantly compact and a lot of syllabus is covered in each meeting. This eventually means that a student is expected to grasp a lot of coursework in a short while and work harder to keep abreast with class work. Missing a class could cause a student to lag behind and face difficulties in coping up. Therefore, quarter system is quite challenging and demanding as compared to semester system. It virtually leaves the student with no extra time for extra-curricular and recreational activities.
The importance of making the right choice: When students make a switch from semester system to quarter system or vice-versa, they may experience difficulties in adjusting to the new pace of coursework and examination patterns. Choosing the right system for a student essentially depends upon individual personality traits and study habits. For instance, people who can deliver goods only under stress and pressure may find the semester system too laidback and may feel at their productive best in a quarter system. On the other hand, students who like to study for fewer hours in a day and involve themselves in other activities may find the quarter system to stressful. Here, a semester system would be the thing of choice. In this way, the choice of system greatly affects the productivity and output of a student.
Which system is recommended for NE India? In view of the current situation in northeast India, colleges would benefit immensely from the semester system. As we have already seen, the semester system allows for suitable proportioning of coursework so that students have the flexibility and freedom to modify their workload based on individual needs. Since continuous assessment is an important component of the semester system, students are motivated to work systematically and deliver consistent results. Students are able to achieve their academic goals in a better way and at the same time, learn to be self-reliant and disciplined. Professor Helmand Kumar Baruah, Senior Lecturer at Tangla College, Assam is strongly in favor of adopting the semester system for all colleges in the region. According to him, “Continuous internal assessment with more emphasis on abilities that are not vested by a semester examination forms an integral part of the system. It is, therefore, necessary to keep internal assessment and external semester examination marks/grades separate. Students have the opportunity to discuss their answers in all accepted tools of internal evaluation which adds to reliability. Periodical tests prepare students continuously for the final examination, thereby eliminating the fear of the unknown”.
Moreover, semester system is far more lenient with attendance requirements so that students have the freedom and opportunity to channelize their energy to subjects and classes that require more attention. The quality of communication between teachers and students is higher in a semester system as there is a lot of interaction on a one-on-one basis.
With the semester system however, care must be taken to distribute course content in accordance with the teaching and evaluation methods. Students must gradually be introduced to complex topics and testing their abilities must also follow an order starting from basic to advance.
According to Sweta Sharma, a lecturer at Commerce College in Kokrajhar, Assam, “As a matter of fact, introduction of semester system at undergraduate level will be a great remedy to a lot many problems. Apart from maintaining regularities in study patterns, semester system will go a long way in making the study of commerce a real success on part of the students”. With the semester system, students and teachers will be able to manage their time more effectively between academics and other activities. Students will be able to study each subject in detail and have time to gain diversified knowledge through various mediums such as seminars, debates, group discussions, case studies, independent studies, practical visits and project preparations.
The potential barriers: Like with any other major systematic change, making a switch from quarter system to semester system in academic institutions of northeast comes with its own set of barriers and problems. With inadequate infrastructure and faculty in some colleges, it is practically not viable to implement a new system. There is an acute shortage of competent lecturers and examiners and most faculty members are overburdened with multiple tasks. The teacher-student ratio is seriously skewed (it is currently 56:1 as opposed to the ideal 25:1) and this hampers healthy interaction between the two. “No doubt, semester system of examination is better but the crux of the problem lies in the implementation of the new system. Hence it looks difficult and we naturally apprehend certain practical difficulties” – says Professor A N Shankar of Mizoram University, Aizawl. He however insists that semester system can be introduced and rather, should be introduced for increased uniformity. The efforts can be backed up by appointing new teachers and improving infrastructure along with academic facilities.
Benefits of semester system for colleges in northeast India: On an average, students have to attend seven classes daily – needless to say, this can be quite monotonous and tiring. It is often seen that students are unable to concentrate after about five classes and eagerly wait for the classes to end. With a semester system, students will have to attend four classes which will keep their minds fresh and hence more receptive to what is being taught.
Manik Lal Kalwar, a lecturer at Guwahati Commerce College says - “Since the Assam government (of NE region in particular) has already decided to separate higher secondary classes from colleges and shift them to the higher secondary schools, colleges will have classroom facilities readily available for other purposes. Classroom facilities are always lacking in most schools in NE India. These available classrooms could be fruitfully used. I don’t see any problem in introducing the semester system”. Manik further adds, “In another scenario colleges or academic institutions can have a double shift system – one class from 8 am to 12 noon, and the second starting from 1 pm to 5 pm. The classrooms can even be used for community vocational classes at night for general public”. Vocational classes like handicrafts, carpentry, music and dance are immensely beneficial for the growth of a society as a whole and will also increase employment opportunities for locals.
The semester system provides for enough time in-between classes that students can use to perform part-time jobs to pay for their tuition and academic expenses. There are various campus jobs like assistant lectureship, library jobs, accounting and reception jobs that can help students gain independence and exposure. Opportunities like this will motivate more students to complete their college education, especially those who hold back due to financial constraints. It will also solve the problem of youth employment to a certain extent.
Conclusion: In keeping with several aspects, it is obvious that semester system would be ideal for students, teachers and the society in northeast India. Although indirectly, it would open up a sea of development and employment opportunities and lessen the burden that students have to face today in terms of finance and academic stress. There may be some initial difficulty in implementing this change but in the long run, it will certainly be worth the effort. Decentralization and privatization of institutions can go a long way in improving the quality of infrastructure, educational facilities and staff. (Writer is an ex-professor of US College and NATO Commander of Holland sector)
By: Dr. Athiqul H. Laskar
Since decades, the Indian education system has been under constant scrutiny by academicians, parents and students. Schools and colleges in India typically follow two systems for an academic year – the quarter system and the semester system. Both systems have their own set of pros and cons and it is at times up to the individual to decide which one to choose. In the following paragraphs, we shall explore the benefits and drawbacks of each system separately and analyze them in perspective of the education system currently followed in northeast India.
How does the semester system work? In the semester system, the academic year is divided into two large phases called ‘semesters’. Each semester is close to 15 weeks long with an extra week for finals. In this way, the academic year spans over 32 weeks. A student takes approximately 5 classes each semester and therefore, about 10 classes in a year. Students receive a set of permanent grades at the end of each semester and the two semesters in every academic year are separated by a summer and winter break, one of which is longer than the other.
Since a semester is lengthier than a quarter, students have more time to grasp their coursework. Classes are relatively slow-paced and this offers students ample opportunities to pursue extra-curricular activities and other interests if they wish to. This system works favorably for individuals who tend to procrastinate or prefer to study at an easy pace. However, if a student happens to dislike a particular class, he or she cannot change it till the end of the semester.
How does the quarter system work? The quarter system is far more fast-paced than the semester system as it comprises of an academic year divided into four quarters namely – fall, winter, spring and summer. Summer classes are usually optional and therefore, each academic year effectively constitutes of three quarters. Each quarter is about 10 weeks long with an extra week added for finals which means that the academic year is 33 weeks long (about as long as with the semester system). Students typically take three to four classes in each quarter which adds up to about 12 classes each year. The only advantage is that if a student does not like a class, he or she does not have to suffer with it for too long as classes finish earlier.
Since quarters are shorter in duration, classes are significantly compact and a lot of syllabus is covered in each meeting. This eventually means that a student is expected to grasp a lot of coursework in a short while and work harder to keep abreast with class work. Missing a class could cause a student to lag behind and face difficulties in coping up. Therefore, quarter system is quite challenging and demanding as compared to semester system. It virtually leaves the student with no extra time for extra-curricular and recreational activities.
The importance of making the right choice: When students make a switch from semester system to quarter system or vice-versa, they may experience difficulties in adjusting to the new pace of coursework and examination patterns. Choosing the right system for a student essentially depends upon individual personality traits and study habits. For instance, people who can deliver goods only under stress and pressure may find the semester system too laidback and may feel at their productive best in a quarter system. On the other hand, students who like to study for fewer hours in a day and involve themselves in other activities may find the quarter system to stressful. Here, a semester system would be the thing of choice. In this way, the choice of system greatly affects the productivity and output of a student.
Which system is recommended for NE India? In view of the current situation in northeast India, colleges would benefit immensely from the semester system. As we have already seen, the semester system allows for suitable proportioning of coursework so that students have the flexibility and freedom to modify their workload based on individual needs. Since continuous assessment is an important component of the semester system, students are motivated to work systematically and deliver consistent results. Students are able to achieve their academic goals in a better way and at the same time, learn to be self-reliant and disciplined. Professor Helmand Kumar Baruah, Senior Lecturer at Tangla College, Assam is strongly in favor of adopting the semester system for all colleges in the region. According to him, “Continuous internal assessment with more emphasis on abilities that are not vested by a semester examination forms an integral part of the system. It is, therefore, necessary to keep internal assessment and external semester examination marks/grades separate. Students have the opportunity to discuss their answers in all accepted tools of internal evaluation which adds to reliability. Periodical tests prepare students continuously for the final examination, thereby eliminating the fear of the unknown”.
Moreover, semester system is far more lenient with attendance requirements so that students have the freedom and opportunity to channelize their energy to subjects and classes that require more attention. The quality of communication between teachers and students is higher in a semester system as there is a lot of interaction on a one-on-one basis.
With the semester system however, care must be taken to distribute course content in accordance with the teaching and evaluation methods. Students must gradually be introduced to complex topics and testing their abilities must also follow an order starting from basic to advance.
According to Sweta Sharma, a lecturer at Commerce College in Kokrajhar, Assam, “As a matter of fact, introduction of semester system at undergraduate level will be a great remedy to a lot many problems. Apart from maintaining regularities in study patterns, semester system will go a long way in making the study of commerce a real success on part of the students”. With the semester system, students and teachers will be able to manage their time more effectively between academics and other activities. Students will be able to study each subject in detail and have time to gain diversified knowledge through various mediums such as seminars, debates, group discussions, case studies, independent studies, practical visits and project preparations.
The potential barriers: Like with any other major systematic change, making a switch from quarter system to semester system in academic institutions of northeast comes with its own set of barriers and problems. With inadequate infrastructure and faculty in some colleges, it is practically not viable to implement a new system. There is an acute shortage of competent lecturers and examiners and most faculty members are overburdened with multiple tasks. The teacher-student ratio is seriously skewed (it is currently 56:1 as opposed to the ideal 25:1) and this hampers healthy interaction between the two. “No doubt, semester system of examination is better but the crux of the problem lies in the implementation of the new system. Hence it looks difficult and we naturally apprehend certain practical difficulties” – says Professor A N Shankar of Mizoram University, Aizawl. He however insists that semester system can be introduced and rather, should be introduced for increased uniformity. The efforts can be backed up by appointing new teachers and improving infrastructure along with academic facilities.
Benefits of semester system for colleges in northeast India: On an average, students have to attend seven classes daily – needless to say, this can be quite monotonous and tiring. It is often seen that students are unable to concentrate after about five classes and eagerly wait for the classes to end. With a semester system, students will have to attend four classes which will keep their minds fresh and hence more receptive to what is being taught.
Manik Lal Kalwar, a lecturer at Guwahati Commerce College says - “Since the Assam government (of NE region in particular) has already decided to separate higher secondary classes from colleges and shift them to the higher secondary schools, colleges will have classroom facilities readily available for other purposes. Classroom facilities are always lacking in most schools in NE India. These available classrooms could be fruitfully used. I don’t see any problem in introducing the semester system”. Manik further adds, “In another scenario colleges or academic institutions can have a double shift system – one class from 8 am to 12 noon, and the second starting from 1 pm to 5 pm. The classrooms can even be used for community vocational classes at night for general public”. Vocational classes like handicrafts, carpentry, music and dance are immensely beneficial for the growth of a society as a whole and will also increase employment opportunities for locals.
The semester system provides for enough time in-between classes that students can use to perform part-time jobs to pay for their tuition and academic expenses. There are various campus jobs like assistant lectureship, library jobs, accounting and reception jobs that can help students gain independence and exposure. Opportunities like this will motivate more students to complete their college education, especially those who hold back due to financial constraints. It will also solve the problem of youth employment to a certain extent.
Conclusion: In keeping with several aspects, it is obvious that semester system would be ideal for students, teachers and the society in northeast India. Although indirectly, it would open up a sea of development and employment opportunities and lessen the burden that students have to face today in terms of finance and academic stress. There may be some initial difficulty in implementing this change but in the long run, it will certainly be worth the effort. Decentralization and privatization of institutions can go a long way in improving the quality of infrastructure, educational facilities and staff. (Writer is an ex-professor of US College and NATO Commander of Holland sector)
The Land of Animals and Fables
The Land of Animals and Fables
By: Dr. Athiqul H. Laskar
You would be so excited to know all the beautiful the animals in Germany. During my military service to that country, I used my leisure time to travel around and went sightseeing. I've visited libraries, learning centers, animal reservations, zoos, wilderness, and recreation parks. Actually being there has done so much to change the way I perceive that part of the world. There is so much to see and learn.
I'm sure readers would love to know about the rear animals! Germany is home to several species of deer, and also to elk, bison, wolves, and bears. Unfortunately, lots of animals have either become extinct or migrated someplace else; but the ones I mentioned can be found in the wild state in significant numbers in northern Germany, Scandinavia, Russia, and the Balkan Peninsula, which is now the country of Yugoslav which I had also visited, of course, and some places I was not allowed to go being a member of NATO Forces Europe; but there are plenty of protected preserves where I went to see animals.
I was told that the people herd the Reindeers from northern parts of Europe. The other animals like Chamois (a sheep-like antelope) and ibex (a kind of sheep) are found in higher altitudes of the Pyrenees and Alps Mountains and the nearby areas. Probably some readers have never heard the names of these animals. I hadn't either, until my job took me there.
Germany is still the home of several types of tiny animals. There are weasels, ferrets, rabbits, hedgehogs, lemmings, foxes, and lots of squirrel. I see rabbits all the time. Sometimes I would just sit in my army battalion office (which is really an improvised tent) and watch them hop around. It is so beautiful there, and beauty really made me joyful.
Germany also has many varieties of wild birds like eagles, falcons, finches, nightingales, pigeons, sparrows, and thrush. There are also swans and, particularly in the southern part of Germany, storks. The German people believe that if a stork makes a nest on or near their house it brings good luck.
Fish are found in abundance. There are several kinds of salmon and also cod, mackerel, herring, and tuna. Fish called sturgeons are also found on Germany's coastline on the Caspian and Black Sea. Fishing is a big industry in Germany today.
One popular hobby in Germany is the taming of eagles. It is really in fashion for people to have them in their back yards. They looked beautiful!
While in Germany, I hear so much about German people. It is the nature of the German people to work very hard. I read that they were the first people to live in Europe. It is thought that they may have migrated here from Asia Minor. People were probably living in Europe by 4000 BC.
Early on, the people of different regions were very isolated from each other, because the places where they lived were separated by thick forests infested with wild animals, and very large mountain ranges. However, as time went on, people traveled more and some married into other clans. Soon people started moving a lot.
So now we know that Germany has always been a great country. It was the cause of two great world wars, and it produced that evil madman Hitler; but it has also made great contributions to the development of medical science and technology.
It is the home of famous alternative system of homeopathic medicine which we have today. Some might not have heard of homeopathy mostly among today’s’ younger generation, because it isn't very popular in British dominated countries in past centuries, but it is much more so here in India. It was developed in the early 19th century and is based on the interesting idea that disease can be cured when a patient is treated with minute quantities of the same substance that caused the disease in the first place. The same thing that will make a healthy person sick can make a sick person well. It seems to be that strange? This amazing thing was discovered in 1796 by a man named Samuel Hahnemann. People in the USA and other western countries have known about homeopathic medicine since 1825, but in India, it is considered an "alternative" form of medicine for babies.
Germany is also famous for its wonderful fables and children's stories. One can remember the story about the Pied Piper of Hamlin? That's a German story, and I actually visited that town. And, I felt like I was in a wonderland. There is a really nice park there and lots of people come to visit it from around the globe round the year.
So much wonderful folklore was written down by German writers. One probably never heard of Karl Haupt, and Anton Altrichter, but I bet some may know about the Grimm Brothers. They brought us Cinderella, The Bremen Town Musicians, Hansel and Gretel, Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood, Rumpelstiltskin, The Brave Little Tailor, and so many more stories. Most of these fable stories are story-telling reading materials one act-play for some junior convent schools in India.
Animals of Germany
______________________________________________________________
By: Dr. Athiqul H. Laskar
You would be so excited to know all the beautiful the animals in Germany. During my military service to that country, I used my leisure time to travel around and went sightseeing. I've visited libraries, learning centers, animal reservations, zoos, wilderness, and recreation parks. Actually being there has done so much to change the way I perceive that part of the world. There is so much to see and learn.
I'm sure readers would love to know about the rear animals! Germany is home to several species of deer, and also to elk, bison, wolves, and bears. Unfortunately, lots of animals have either become extinct or migrated someplace else; but the ones I mentioned can be found in the wild state in significant numbers in northern Germany, Scandinavia, Russia, and the Balkan Peninsula, which is now the country of Yugoslav which I had also visited, of course, and some places I was not allowed to go being a member of NATO Forces Europe; but there are plenty of protected preserves where I went to see animals.
I was told that the people herd the Reindeers from northern parts of Europe. The other animals like Chamois (a sheep-like antelope) and ibex (a kind of sheep) are found in higher altitudes of the Pyrenees and Alps Mountains and the nearby areas. Probably some readers have never heard the names of these animals. I hadn't either, until my job took me there.
Germany is still the home of several types of tiny animals. There are weasels, ferrets, rabbits, hedgehogs, lemmings, foxes, and lots of squirrel. I see rabbits all the time. Sometimes I would just sit in my army battalion office (which is really an improvised tent) and watch them hop around. It is so beautiful there, and beauty really made me joyful.
Germany also has many varieties of wild birds like eagles, falcons, finches, nightingales, pigeons, sparrows, and thrush. There are also swans and, particularly in the southern part of Germany, storks. The German people believe that if a stork makes a nest on or near their house it brings good luck.
Fish are found in abundance. There are several kinds of salmon and also cod, mackerel, herring, and tuna. Fish called sturgeons are also found on Germany's coastline on the Caspian and Black Sea. Fishing is a big industry in Germany today.
One popular hobby in Germany is the taming of eagles. It is really in fashion for people to have them in their back yards. They looked beautiful!
While in Germany, I hear so much about German people. It is the nature of the German people to work very hard. I read that they were the first people to live in Europe. It is thought that they may have migrated here from Asia Minor. People were probably living in Europe by 4000 BC.
Early on, the people of different regions were very isolated from each other, because the places where they lived were separated by thick forests infested with wild animals, and very large mountain ranges. However, as time went on, people traveled more and some married into other clans. Soon people started moving a lot.
So now we know that Germany has always been a great country. It was the cause of two great world wars, and it produced that evil madman Hitler; but it has also made great contributions to the development of medical science and technology.
It is the home of famous alternative system of homeopathic medicine which we have today. Some might not have heard of homeopathy mostly among today’s’ younger generation, because it isn't very popular in British dominated countries in past centuries, but it is much more so here in India. It was developed in the early 19th century and is based on the interesting idea that disease can be cured when a patient is treated with minute quantities of the same substance that caused the disease in the first place. The same thing that will make a healthy person sick can make a sick person well. It seems to be that strange? This amazing thing was discovered in 1796 by a man named Samuel Hahnemann. People in the USA and other western countries have known about homeopathic medicine since 1825, but in India, it is considered an "alternative" form of medicine for babies.
Germany is also famous for its wonderful fables and children's stories. One can remember the story about the Pied Piper of Hamlin? That's a German story, and I actually visited that town. And, I felt like I was in a wonderland. There is a really nice park there and lots of people come to visit it from around the globe round the year.
So much wonderful folklore was written down by German writers. One probably never heard of Karl Haupt, and Anton Altrichter, but I bet some may know about the Grimm Brothers. They brought us Cinderella, The Bremen Town Musicians, Hansel and Gretel, Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood, Rumpelstiltskin, The Brave Little Tailor, and so many more stories. Most of these fable stories are story-telling reading materials one act-play for some junior convent schools in India.
Animals of Germany
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The Experience of Costly Freedom
The Experience of Costly Freedom
By: Dr. Athiqul H. Laskar
Freedom is costly. Most of the countries that can claim it achieved their independence for a price. Great country like America or India is no exception. It had to fight Wars of Independence and freedom movements against the British Raj. For America, to expand the boundaries of freedom there was a costly Civil War. Once gained, freedom must be defended, and there were more wars -- in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
During my army service as an American Army Officer, I had undergone hard-core field training exercises with NATO forces in Europe. I had to get up very early in the morning, do a lot of pushups, and spend a lot of time running around and jumping into deep holes while other fellow officers, men and women pretend to shoot at me. At one time my army unit in Europe returned from the tank training area somewhere in deep terrain of Europe. It is called Hohenfeld, and Adolph Hitler built it during Second World War to train his soldiers to drive tanks. I and my group dug into mud trenches, attempting to hide both ourselves and our heavy-duty metal tanks (A1 Abraham) as we conducted mock war games. It's just make-believe, but like in a real combat situation, we had no time for proper rest and not a lot to eat. (What I did would cause any one of us in India to wrinkle his or her nose and say "Oh Yuck!") Day in, and day out, we train and train hard. It's no picnic, that's for sure. Such NATO military exercises are carried out off and on so that when some country needs us to help to protect their freedom, we will be ready. .
Sometimes I got so tired that I just conk out. The Army is lots of hard work with little time for play. Some would probably say that it "sucks," but, I actually liked being in the US Army although being very much an Indian with my heart and soul, and take my responsibility very seriously in defending freedom the country that I served. When I joined the US Army, I made a commitment to the United States Government, and I had to fulfill it – as true to my culture where I come from, and I had to live up to my responsibility . I was not in a great war during my time, except a minor invasion to Grenada Island in South Caribbean Island during November of 1983, and 1991 Iraq war. Not long ago, over 60 thousand Americans (as well as millions of others) lost their lives in World War II. This was all because of one mad man -- Adolph Hitler. Today all are enjoying precious freedom - American or India, tomorrow it may crumble; so its citizens of India or America must protect it by keeping its armies strong and ready. In another word, India and America both have enemies. That is why we must be alert at all times, no matter what it takes to do so. Perhaps, because we must realize what an important thing our freedom is.
Apart from America - Indian, a country of non-aligned is one of the leaders of democracy and world peace and by non-interfering with others countries to stay free. India does not approve of tyranny, nor do we tolerate it. Sometimes some stronger countries try to bully weaker countries. India does not!
If we turn the pages of history, the Second World War where all the European countries and several Asian nations were involved including America and British rule India too. Many Indian lives were lost all around the world like Corsica Island in Italy and other places only to achieve freedom as promised by British rule, and so are all Indians free today. Why do people fight wars? The answer is simple. They fight to achieve and protect freedom. Everyone wants to be free, but sometimes people come along who want to control others because they are greedy or afraid of losing their power. Such countries do awful things. Now we can understand why freedom is costly. One could not imagine the suffering and misery the people of Europe and Asia had to undergo during the Second World War. Millions of people died in concentration camps just because they were Jewish or were Gypsies. Hitler wanted to rule the whole world, and, for a while, he did take over many countries, like Poland, Austria, and France. The American Army was called in to their rescue their friend Great Britain. Finally war was won and India got its freedom from Great Britain and we are enjoying our freedom today. Whether India or America, we are so lucky to live in a society where free to learn about anything we want; to earn money -- to start your own business even; to say what is on your mind, even if other people don't agree with it; and to practice any religion you want. Did we forget that there have been societies where people couldn't own anything? Where people have no say at all in what goes on?
The name for our form of government, India and America is democracy. Democracy means of the people, for the people, and by the people. And lots of people -- brave men and women -- gave their lives for their freedom. We must think about them always and especially on our Independence Day. They deserve to be remembered.
America achieved its independence from Great Britain. From 1775 to 1783, which at the time was 13 English colonies, fought for the right to be an independent nation. England was ruled by a king, but America created a republican form of government where the power remained with American people. Like any other war, the Revolution cost many lives, and a lot of people had to make a lot of sacrifices. Do we keep an account of this loss? I'm afraid, that sometime we do not even remember we sacrificed many lives to protect our freedom in wars from 1948 to Kargil - across our borders. India achieved its independence from Great Britain too in the midnight hours of 15th august 1947 which is today.
While training at NATO camps in Europe, I was in midst of NATO's mock war zone during my active army duty, all I could think of was how any day this "pretend war" could turn into a real one where people pay the real price of freedom. We take freedom for granted, because most of us have never seen anything else, but someone had to pay for it. So many brave war veterans like Bhagat Singh, Netaji Subhase Bose, and many others sacrificed for India’s freedom, and the likewise in America too, so the citizen of both countries could be free. So many soldiers and freedom fighters had laid down their lives. Some of them just disappeared. They were probably killed, but their bodies were never found. We refer to them as Missing in Action (MIA) in America and in India sometime it is unaccounted for. Some of these American heroes are buried in war memorial graveyards in different countries around the world. There are such graveyards in England, Holland, India (Nagaland), and many other countries. India’s fallen heroes are in the hearts of every Indian. On the other hand, some of the remains of American brave veterans’ heroes are turning into fossils in the remote terrain of Vietnam. Do we realize this? Who keeps an account of them? They sacrificed their lives to put down the madness of dictators and treacherous, racist leaders. So even though being an army officer is hard work, after considering all these facts of history, I don't feel at all sad to have been in the army to defend a country that I served. Rather, I feel proud to be a retired American army officer today enjoying freedom. We should be willing to give our last drop of blood for freedom at all time safe guarding from enemies. That's how much our freedom should mean to all of us. (Writer is a retired US Army Officer and Ex-NATO commander of NATO forces (Holland Sector)
By: Dr. Athiqul H. Laskar
Freedom is costly. Most of the countries that can claim it achieved their independence for a price. Great country like America or India is no exception. It had to fight Wars of Independence and freedom movements against the British Raj. For America, to expand the boundaries of freedom there was a costly Civil War. Once gained, freedom must be defended, and there were more wars -- in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
During my army service as an American Army Officer, I had undergone hard-core field training exercises with NATO forces in Europe. I had to get up very early in the morning, do a lot of pushups, and spend a lot of time running around and jumping into deep holes while other fellow officers, men and women pretend to shoot at me. At one time my army unit in Europe returned from the tank training area somewhere in deep terrain of Europe. It is called Hohenfeld, and Adolph Hitler built it during Second World War to train his soldiers to drive tanks. I and my group dug into mud trenches, attempting to hide both ourselves and our heavy-duty metal tanks (A1 Abraham) as we conducted mock war games. It's just make-believe, but like in a real combat situation, we had no time for proper rest and not a lot to eat. (What I did would cause any one of us in India to wrinkle his or her nose and say "Oh Yuck!") Day in, and day out, we train and train hard. It's no picnic, that's for sure. Such NATO military exercises are carried out off and on so that when some country needs us to help to protect their freedom, we will be ready. .
Sometimes I got so tired that I just conk out. The Army is lots of hard work with little time for play. Some would probably say that it "sucks," but, I actually liked being in the US Army although being very much an Indian with my heart and soul, and take my responsibility very seriously in defending freedom the country that I served. When I joined the US Army, I made a commitment to the United States Government, and I had to fulfill it – as true to my culture where I come from, and I had to live up to my responsibility . I was not in a great war during my time, except a minor invasion to Grenada Island in South Caribbean Island during November of 1983, and 1991 Iraq war. Not long ago, over 60 thousand Americans (as well as millions of others) lost their lives in World War II. This was all because of one mad man -- Adolph Hitler. Today all are enjoying precious freedom - American or India, tomorrow it may crumble; so its citizens of India or America must protect it by keeping its armies strong and ready. In another word, India and America both have enemies. That is why we must be alert at all times, no matter what it takes to do so. Perhaps, because we must realize what an important thing our freedom is.
Apart from America - Indian, a country of non-aligned is one of the leaders of democracy and world peace and by non-interfering with others countries to stay free. India does not approve of tyranny, nor do we tolerate it. Sometimes some stronger countries try to bully weaker countries. India does not!
If we turn the pages of history, the Second World War where all the European countries and several Asian nations were involved including America and British rule India too. Many Indian lives were lost all around the world like Corsica Island in Italy and other places only to achieve freedom as promised by British rule, and so are all Indians free today. Why do people fight wars? The answer is simple. They fight to achieve and protect freedom. Everyone wants to be free, but sometimes people come along who want to control others because they are greedy or afraid of losing their power. Such countries do awful things. Now we can understand why freedom is costly. One could not imagine the suffering and misery the people of Europe and Asia had to undergo during the Second World War. Millions of people died in concentration camps just because they were Jewish or were Gypsies. Hitler wanted to rule the whole world, and, for a while, he did take over many countries, like Poland, Austria, and France. The American Army was called in to their rescue their friend Great Britain. Finally war was won and India got its freedom from Great Britain and we are enjoying our freedom today. Whether India or America, we are so lucky to live in a society where free to learn about anything we want; to earn money -- to start your own business even; to say what is on your mind, even if other people don't agree with it; and to practice any religion you want. Did we forget that there have been societies where people couldn't own anything? Where people have no say at all in what goes on?
The name for our form of government, India and America is democracy. Democracy means of the people, for the people, and by the people. And lots of people -- brave men and women -- gave their lives for their freedom. We must think about them always and especially on our Independence Day. They deserve to be remembered.
America achieved its independence from Great Britain. From 1775 to 1783, which at the time was 13 English colonies, fought for the right to be an independent nation. England was ruled by a king, but America created a republican form of government where the power remained with American people. Like any other war, the Revolution cost many lives, and a lot of people had to make a lot of sacrifices. Do we keep an account of this loss? I'm afraid, that sometime we do not even remember we sacrificed many lives to protect our freedom in wars from 1948 to Kargil - across our borders. India achieved its independence from Great Britain too in the midnight hours of 15th august 1947 which is today.
While training at NATO camps in Europe, I was in midst of NATO's mock war zone during my active army duty, all I could think of was how any day this "pretend war" could turn into a real one where people pay the real price of freedom. We take freedom for granted, because most of us have never seen anything else, but someone had to pay for it. So many brave war veterans like Bhagat Singh, Netaji Subhase Bose, and many others sacrificed for India’s freedom, and the likewise in America too, so the citizen of both countries could be free. So many soldiers and freedom fighters had laid down their lives. Some of them just disappeared. They were probably killed, but their bodies were never found. We refer to them as Missing in Action (MIA) in America and in India sometime it is unaccounted for. Some of these American heroes are buried in war memorial graveyards in different countries around the world. There are such graveyards in England, Holland, India (Nagaland), and many other countries. India’s fallen heroes are in the hearts of every Indian. On the other hand, some of the remains of American brave veterans’ heroes are turning into fossils in the remote terrain of Vietnam. Do we realize this? Who keeps an account of them? They sacrificed their lives to put down the madness of dictators and treacherous, racist leaders. So even though being an army officer is hard work, after considering all these facts of history, I don't feel at all sad to have been in the army to defend a country that I served. Rather, I feel proud to be a retired American army officer today enjoying freedom. We should be willing to give our last drop of blood for freedom at all time safe guarding from enemies. That's how much our freedom should mean to all of us. (Writer is a retired US Army Officer and Ex-NATO commander of NATO forces (Holland Sector)
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