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*April-August 2011
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
On day three, alternative road in Sikkim opened
by Sushanta Talukdar
The Hindu
PTI
On the third day after a devastating quake hit the northeast, including Sikkim, the 95-km-long alternative road from Gangtok to Mangan, the headquarters of North District of the State, was opened for vehicular traffic on Tuesday.
While almost all the buildings in the town have developed cracks due to the impact of the high intensity earthquake on Sunday (6.8 magnitude), the worst-hit Chungthang, about 28 km from here, and other areas such as Bay, Saffo, Pegong, still remain inaccessible.
The death toll in the State, according to official figures, has gone up to 50.
District Medical Superintendent P.K. Basnett told The Hindu that the so far bodies of 15 victims had been brought to the hospital. “I have received official intimation that a large number of bodies, which have been recovered from places like Chungthang and other worst hit areas, would be brought or post-mortem. I don't know how we are going to handle such a huge number,” she added.
News is doing the rounds among the local residents of Managan, that many bodies are still buried under the debris of a tunnel of a hydel power project that collapsed under construction at Chungthang on river Teetsa. However, Collector S.K. Pradhan and Senior Superintendent of Police B.K. Tamang are camping in Chungthang to oversee the rescue operations being conducted by 200 specially-trained personnel of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the Army troops. Hence, they could not be contacted for confirmation.
The entire town presents a horrifying picture of collapsed buildings or houses showing dangerous cracks. Most men, women, children, still haunted by the nightmarish quake, sleep outside their houses, some in the open spaces of the town. The Ringhim monastery and the Ambithang Church collapsed, killing one person.
Another rescue team of the NDRF that arrived in the evening in the town is scheduled to begin search and rescue operations in the worst-affected areas.
by Sushanta Talukdar
The Hindu
PTI
On the third day after a devastating quake hit the northeast, including Sikkim, the 95-km-long alternative road from Gangtok to Mangan, the headquarters of North District of the State, was opened for vehicular traffic on Tuesday.
While almost all the buildings in the town have developed cracks due to the impact of the high intensity earthquake on Sunday (6.8 magnitude), the worst-hit Chungthang, about 28 km from here, and other areas such as Bay, Saffo, Pegong, still remain inaccessible.
The death toll in the State, according to official figures, has gone up to 50.
District Medical Superintendent P.K. Basnett told The Hindu that the so far bodies of 15 victims had been brought to the hospital. “I have received official intimation that a large number of bodies, which have been recovered from places like Chungthang and other worst hit areas, would be brought or post-mortem. I don't know how we are going to handle such a huge number,” she added.
News is doing the rounds among the local residents of Managan, that many bodies are still buried under the debris of a tunnel of a hydel power project that collapsed under construction at Chungthang on river Teetsa. However, Collector S.K. Pradhan and Senior Superintendent of Police B.K. Tamang are camping in Chungthang to oversee the rescue operations being conducted by 200 specially-trained personnel of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the Army troops. Hence, they could not be contacted for confirmation.
The entire town presents a horrifying picture of collapsed buildings or houses showing dangerous cracks. Most men, women, children, still haunted by the nightmarish quake, sleep outside their houses, some in the open spaces of the town. The Ringhim monastery and the Ambithang Church collapsed, killing one person.
Another rescue team of the NDRF that arrived in the evening in the town is scheduled to begin search and rescue operations in the worst-affected areas.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Sikkim Quack: Toll reaches 90, massive relieve rescue operation on
Sep 20, 7:23 PM
Massive relief and rescue operations are on in the Quake affected States of Sikkim, Bihar and West Bengal. The death toll in Sunday's earthquake in the country has gone up to 90 with fifty eight deaths in Sikkim, 20 in Bihar and 12 in West Bengal.
Talking to reporters in New Delhi, the Union Home secretary R K Singh on Tuesday said five team of National Disaster Response Force, NDRF, have reached Mangan. Mr Singh said communication network has been restored in the state. He said roads from Gangtok to Mangan have also been opened.
The National Disaster Management Authority, NDMA’s Joint Advisor, Operation, Colonel Shashi Bhusan told AIR correspondent that out of ten NDRF teams sent to Sikkim, five are already working in the interior areas of northern part of the state and the remaining five NDRF teams are on stand by at Bagdogra and will be sent to the field if needed.
AIR correspondent reports,over 5,000 troops, six transport aircraft and a total of 15 helicopters have been deployed by the armed forces in Sikkim to carry out relief operations.
In Sikkim, the death toll in the massive earthquake, that rocked Sikkim on Sunday, has now risen to fifty eight. The death figures in the worst affected North Sikkim district have increased to forty one. Twelve deaths have been reported from the East district and four from West district. One death has been reported from the South district.
In West Bengal, relief and restoration works are on at quake affected Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar and North Dinajpur district. The State Disaster Management Minister, Mr.Javed Khan told newspersons in Kolkata on Tuesday evening that over two lakhs five thousand people have been affected in four districts. More than 63 thousand houses were damaged by the tremor. The State Government has sent a special team at Lachung in Sikkim to rescue 68 stranded tourists. Twelve persons have died in quake related incidents in the state so far.
In Bihar, relief and rescue operations are in full swing in earthquake affected areas of the state. With 12 more persons succumbing to their injuries in Darbhanga, Madhubani, Samastipur, Begusarai, Araria and Sitamarhi districts, the death toll due to the earthquake in the state has reached 20. The state government has instructed officials to assess the damage caused due to the quake. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday reviewed the situation with officials of Disaster Management Department and instructed the district authorities to provide all possible help to the victims.
Sep 20, 7:23 PM
Massive relief and rescue operations are on in the Quake affected States of Sikkim, Bihar and West Bengal. The death toll in Sunday's earthquake in the country has gone up to 90 with fifty eight deaths in Sikkim, 20 in Bihar and 12 in West Bengal.
Talking to reporters in New Delhi, the Union Home secretary R K Singh on Tuesday said five team of National Disaster Response Force, NDRF, have reached Mangan. Mr Singh said communication network has been restored in the state. He said roads from Gangtok to Mangan have also been opened.
The National Disaster Management Authority, NDMA’s Joint Advisor, Operation, Colonel Shashi Bhusan told AIR correspondent that out of ten NDRF teams sent to Sikkim, five are already working in the interior areas of northern part of the state and the remaining five NDRF teams are on stand by at Bagdogra and will be sent to the field if needed.
AIR correspondent reports,over 5,000 troops, six transport aircraft and a total of 15 helicopters have been deployed by the armed forces in Sikkim to carry out relief operations.
In Sikkim, the death toll in the massive earthquake, that rocked Sikkim on Sunday, has now risen to fifty eight. The death figures in the worst affected North Sikkim district have increased to forty one. Twelve deaths have been reported from the East district and four from West district. One death has been reported from the South district.
In West Bengal, relief and restoration works are on at quake affected Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar and North Dinajpur district. The State Disaster Management Minister, Mr.Javed Khan told newspersons in Kolkata on Tuesday evening that over two lakhs five thousand people have been affected in four districts. More than 63 thousand houses were damaged by the tremor. The State Government has sent a special team at Lachung in Sikkim to rescue 68 stranded tourists. Twelve persons have died in quake related incidents in the state so far.
In Bihar, relief and rescue operations are in full swing in earthquake affected areas of the state. With 12 more persons succumbing to their injuries in Darbhanga, Madhubani, Samastipur, Begusarai, Araria and Sitamarhi districts, the death toll due to the earthquake in the state has reached 20. The state government has instructed officials to assess the damage caused due to the quake. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday reviewed the situation with officials of Disaster Management Department and instructed the district authorities to provide all possible help to the victims.
Over 3,000 people in Sikkim rescued
The Hindu Army and ITBP personnel are engaged in road clearance work in Bitu village, 10 km away from Gangtok town on Tuesday. Rescue and relief operations are on in full swing for the third consecutive day in the areas of Sikkim. Photo: Ritu Raj Konwar
Reports said Vijay Kumar (52), Junior Engineer, Civil of Junior Reserve Engineering Force, an engineering team under Army died on Sunday in a landslide. The Army personnel hailing from Uttarakhand rushed for the rescue operations, after the earthquake struck Sikkim.
IAF has airlifted more than 500 troops there, including the medical and engineering teams and is conducting sorties of heavy lift transport aircraft and choppers from Delhi, Chandigarh, Kolkata and Bagdogra to ferry troops and ensure supply of medicines and food.
“There are eight to 13 helicopters which have been pressed into service in conjunction with the Air Force. 35 heavy engineering plant equipments have been deployed to restore roads and communication lines,” Deputy Director General of Military Operations Brigadier Ranbir Singh said on Tuesday.
Rescue efforts covering 62 villages and 20 medical centres have been set wherein over 370 people have been treated and 8 relief centres have been established where over 2700 people have been provided shelter, Mr. Singh said.
On rescue efforts in Mangan -- epicentre of the quake which hit Sikkim on Sunday, he said, “281 troops have reached Mangan, including four medical and two engineering teams. A relief camp has been established there and communication teams are working to establish telephone lines.”
The aircraft deployed includes two newly inducted heavyweight C-130 J which airlifted more than 200 personnel of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to Kolkata.
Twenty medical centres have been set up in the quake-affected areas in Sikkim and 11 cook houses to provide relief.
“The air bases around Delhi and Bagdogra were activated within few hours of the tragedy. The first flight of C-130 J with about 100 NDRF personnel and five tonnes of equipment took off at around midnight and landed in Bagdogra at 0200 hours on Monday,” Principal Director Operation (Transport and Helicopters) Air Commodore A. Raghvendra said here.
The IL-76 heavy lift transport aircraft took off from Chandigarh to Kolkata and airlifted about 100 personnel with equipments and on 19th four Mi-17 and two Cheetah helicopters were activated for casualty evacuations, he said.
IAF has also flown sorties of AN-32 aircraft from Jorhat and Delhi to ferry medicines and have airlifted around 4.5 tonnes of medicines.
Brigadier Singh said that for next few days the operations would concentrate on opening other major roads in the state including Nathu La and in Gangtok which have been affected by landslides.
“So far we have conducted 16 sorties of transport aircraft, 18 helicopter sorties and have airlifted 23 tonnes of load and 500 personnel to Bagdogra,” Air Commodore Raghvendra Said.
Negative list approach may boost service tax collections 20-25%
Hindubusinessline
Business Line :The Chairman, Central Board of Excise and Customs, Mr. S. Dutt Majumder (right), with Past President of CII, Mr Sunil Kant Munjal, at an interactive session on "Negative list of services". in the Capital on Monday. – Ramesh Sharma
New Delhi, Sept 19:
The Finance Ministry expects revenue mop up from service tax to increase by 20-25 percent if and when the concept of negative list is implemented for taxation of services.
There is no decision yet on whether negative list should be adopted or positive list approach should be continued, the CBEC Chairman, Mr S Dutt Majumder said here on Monday.
“The debate is still open. We have not yet decided whether we should go with the concept of negative list. There is also possibility of continuing with the current positive list approach. Only after a decision on this can one look at whether to introduce negative list along with GST or not”, Mr Majumder told reporters on the sidelines of a Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) event here.
Mr Majumder noted that an overwhelming majority in industry are in favour of ‘negative list’ approach to services taxation. Under this concept, except for the mentioned services in the negative list, all other services will be subjected to service tax. Currently, India is adopting a positive list approach—a set of 117 specified services are subjected to service tax.
The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) is in favour of a negative list approach, but wants this concept to be introduced only with the proposed dual goods and services tax (GST) system. However, there is thinking within the Finance Ministry that the concept of negative list could be tried without waiting for the GST system to be put in place. The final call on this matter will be taken by the Finance Minister, Mr Pranab Mukherjee.
The Finance Ministry had recently released a concept paper on negative list for services taxation. This paper is only on the limited question of whether there should be a negative list or positive list and if negative list what should be the contours.
Aided by point of taxation rules, services tax collections have recorded strong growth in the last two months. India’s indirect tax collections grew 23.9 percent in April-August this fiscal.
Heavy monsoon in east hits quake relief operations
SIKKIM BATTERED
Meanwhile, the continued heavy rain is feared to add the agony of those suffering from the damaging impact of the very strong earthquake that jolted Sikkim on Sunday evening as well as hamper relief operations in the striken area.
A special forecast for the east and north-east said that the analysis of meteorological conditions and inputs from satellite and numerical weather models suggest rainfall to continue at many places over Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim, Bihar, Jharkhand, Assam, Meghalaya and Gangetic West Bengal.
MORE TO COME
Heavy to very heavy rainfall would also occur at isolated places mainly over sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim and Bihar on Tuesday.
Sikkim quake unusual, say geologists
But what makes it different is its "unusually greater magnitude".
These earthquakes are different in the sense they are along the somewhat north-south structures trending transverse to the east-west Himalayan axis, Rajendran said. They are different from the usual Himalayan thrust earthquakes that are caused by the collision of the Indian plate with the Eurasian plate.
Vineet Gahaulat at the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) in Hyderabad said: "The (Sikkim) earthquake highlights the presence of the role of transverse features in the Himalayas."
"This is what we generally do not expect in the Himalayas," Gahaulat told IANS. "We expect large magnitude earthquakes on the detachment having thrust motion on gently dipping planes - like the 1999 Chamoli and 1991 Uttarkashi earthquakes."
Gahaulat said the role of transverse features in segmenting the Himalayan arc and accommodating some of the convergence of the India-Eurasia plates have been talked about earlier.
"But this one (Sikkim quake) makes it clearer as this is possibly the largest magnitude earthquake of this type in the Himalayas."
According to Gahaulat, "we need to be careful" if, in the coming days, the aftershocks occur southeast of the main shock epicentre - the way two aftershocks have occurred.
"The region where the main shock occurred has very low population density, but further southeast, population density is higher," he cautioned.
"The occurrence of this earthquake does not lower down the threat from the great earthquake which we expect in the Himalayas," the NGRI scientist warned.
"We need to treat each and every earthquake in a special way, you just need to turn it around and it will tell a somewhat different story."
Rajendran, however, does not think this particular event in Sikkim can be treated as a precursory signal to any major earthquake that may occur in future along the Himalayan arc.
"Having said that, the fact remains that some historically earthquake-deficient parts of the Himalayas has the potential to generate large earthquakes any time, irrespective of the present earthquake," he cautioned
source:MSN.com
SIKKIM Earthquake Update as at 1:00 P.M. Today
Earthquake Update as at 1:00 P.M. Today
The road from Gangtok to Mangan is open.
The road from Mangan to Chungthan is yet to be opened. The damage to the road is reported to be heavy.
Two Rescue Teams of 30 personnel each from Jat Regiment were airdropped at Mangan and Chungthan yesterday for search and rescue. The team has started work.
A team of 10 doctors from Delhi has reached Chungthan.
The number of deaths as reported by the State Govt. of Sikkim is 50. This may increase further as rescue and relief teams reach into the interiors – The break-up is as follows: East Sikkim-12 (Rangpo – 1, Singtam – 2, Chubakola – 5, 15th Mile – 2, Sang – 1, Makha – 1); North District -33 (Mangan/Lachan – 10, Toong – 4, Chungthan – 10, Salimpokyel – 9) West District -4 (Mangalbaria -2, Geyzing -1, Kalukh-1); South District -1 (jorethang -1).
The number of deaths in West Bengal (Darjeelling – 8, Jalpaigudi – 1, North West Dinajpur – 3) and Bihar (Nawada – 1, Nalanda – 1, Darbhanga -1, Shivhar -1 and Samastipur -2) are reported to be 12 and 6, respectively.
5 teams of NDRF were placed at Gangtok yesterday. One team has left for Mangan at 7.15 a.m. today. Arrangements are being made to airlift another NDRF team to Chungthan.
Two choppers are being pressed into service with the officials of NDRF and State Govt. for aerial surveillance of affected areas and to ascertain the damage and casualties.
Food packets have been airdropped in the Northern areas of North District this morning.
The State Govt. have informed that they have opened relief camps in each district.
Senior Secretaries of the State Govt. have been deputed in each district.
One Joint Secretary from MHA has been deputed to Sikkim to coordinate the relief operations.
*****
OK/KS
(Release ID :76098)
The road from Gangtok to Mangan is open.
The road from Mangan to Chungthan is yet to be opened. The damage to the road is reported to be heavy.
Two Rescue Teams of 30 personnel each from Jat Regiment were airdropped at Mangan and Chungthan yesterday for search and rescue. The team has started work.
A team of 10 doctors from Delhi has reached Chungthan.
The number of deaths as reported by the State Govt. of Sikkim is 50. This may increase further as rescue and relief teams reach into the interiors – The break-up is as follows: East Sikkim-12 (Rangpo – 1, Singtam – 2, Chubakola – 5, 15th Mile – 2, Sang – 1, Makha – 1); North District -33 (Mangan/Lachan – 10, Toong – 4, Chungthan – 10, Salimpokyel – 9) West District -4 (Mangalbaria -2, Geyzing -1, Kalukh-1); South District -1 (jorethang -1).
The number of deaths in West Bengal (Darjeelling – 8, Jalpaigudi – 1, North West Dinajpur – 3) and Bihar (Nawada – 1, Nalanda – 1, Darbhanga -1, Shivhar -1 and Samastipur -2) are reported to be 12 and 6, respectively.
5 teams of NDRF were placed at Gangtok yesterday. One team has left for Mangan at 7.15 a.m. today. Arrangements are being made to airlift another NDRF team to Chungthan.
Two choppers are being pressed into service with the officials of NDRF and State Govt. for aerial surveillance of affected areas and to ascertain the damage and casualties.
Food packets have been airdropped in the Northern areas of North District this morning.
The State Govt. have informed that they have opened relief camps in each district.
Senior Secretaries of the State Govt. have been deputed in each district.
One Joint Secretary from MHA has been deputed to Sikkim to coordinate the relief operations.
*****
OK/KS
(Release ID :76098)
Alternative road to quake-hit Mangan opened
Source: The Hindu
THE HINDU A woman helps the Army and General Reserve Engineer Force personnel to clear the road leading to Mangan at Bitu village, 10 km away from Gangtok town, on Tuesday. Photo: Ritu Raj Konwar
Even as the 67-km long Gangtok-Mangan road that leads to Mangan, the headquarters of North Sikkim district, the epi-centre of Sunday's devastating earthquake, has still remained blocked for the third consecutive day, the Army and Border Roads Organisations have opened an alternative road via Singtam and Dikchu to reach out to the worst hit people and areas of the state.
Sikkim Director General of Police told The Hindu that National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams were on their way to Mangan via this alternative route. The death toll in Sikkim in the earthquake has gone up to 50, he said.
The Army and GREF personnel are working round-the-clock to clear huge rocks and debris that blocked the access to Mangan via Sikkim-Mangan road at Bitu village point, about 10 km from Gangtok town. Explosives were used to blast rocks and excavators deployed to clear the debris. The road is expected to be cleared by Tuesday evening. People trying to access Mangan through this road got stuck up and are now awaiting the road to open. For the anxious residents of Mangan, who have not been able to speak to their relatives and hence not aware of the extent of damage that might have occurred, the day only seemed to be much longer.
Cracks have appeared at several locations along the National Highway 31 A, the lifeline of Sikkim, on which all the vehicles to and fro Gangtok ply. The Army and GREF personnel could be seen clearing blockades at several locations of this busy road. The blockades added to the traffic snarl on the highway since morning. Cracks could also be seen in several buildings along the national highway.
In Gangtok town, the state government employees reached the State Secretariat, the seat of power, but most of them did not enter the buildings which have cracked during the earthquake. Some temporary repairing works have begun but a number of senior officials of the Public Works Department present there expressed apprehension about the safety of the present building and suggested constructing a new one.
Indo-Bangla business ties for the better
Sea change in Indo-Bangla business ties
by Nisha Taneja & Neetika Kaushal
Dhaka has created investment opportunities for India, while New Delhi has agreed to removing entry barriers on Bangladeshi textiles.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Dhaka on September 6-7 has changed the course of Indo-Bangladesh economic relations. To be sure, there were disappointments, such as the delay in arriving at a water sharing accord on the Teesta river due to resistance from the Indian side, and backtracking by Bangladesh on its offer of transit to India through its territory. However, the initiative taken to promote greater investment and trade between the two countries was very promising.
INVESTMENT PACT
In order to enhance investments, the Prime Ministers of both countries issued a joint statement on completion of the talks, paving the way for a bilateral investment promotion and protection agreement. Such an agreement would grant investments made by one country in the other a number of guarantees, which typically include fair and equitable treatment, protection from expropriation, free transfer of means and full protection and security.
It is expected that with the signing of this agreement, there will be a substantial increase in investment flows, which so far have been insignificant. Cumulative Indian investments in Bangladesh until 2009 were only US$ 248 million, with only 26 per cent of it having taken place up till 2007. Along with the investment agreement, the announcement regarding establishment of a special economic zone for Indian investments is a complementary measure, which is expected to facilitate Indian investments further.
On the trade front, the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, announced the the Government of India's decision to remove 61 items, including 46 from textiles, from India's negative list for LDCs. This implies that Bangladesh products will now be allowed to enter Indian territory through any port, without paying duty.
TRADE CONCESSIONS
These tariff lines are a part of the list of 164 apparel items in which India allowed duty-free access to Bangladesh up to a limit of eight million pieces in April 2008, and recently raised the limit to 10 million pieces in April 2011.
Bangladesh is India's largest trading partner in South Asia, accounting for 28 per cent of India's total trade with the region. In 2009-10, India's exports were $ 2,434 million; imports were $255 million and its trade surplus with Bangladesh was $2,179 million. For several years, Bangladesh's concern has been its burgeoning trade deficit with India.
Therefore, increased market access has been a core concern for Bangladesh in all its trade negotiations with India, both bilaterally and regionally under the South Asian Free Trade Area. Perhaps, what is of significance is the approach that India has followed in offering these concessions. Instead of negotiating with Bangladesh on the reduction of items in the sensitive list, India requested Bangladesh to send a list of items on which the latter wanted zero duties. Bangladesh requested India to allow duty-free access in the case of 61 items.
Clearly, this novel approach left no room for dissatisfaction on the Bangladeshi side. This unique method has been adopted by India for Bangladesh alone. Such an approach has not been followed by India in any other bilateral FTA.
IMPACT ON TEXTILES
It is not difficult to understand why Bangladesh had problems with India's market access policies. Apparel is a major item of export accounting for about 70 per cent of Bangladesh's total exports.
These items were on India's sensitive list, restricting market access in a category that was of crucial importance to Bangladesh's economy. Now with the agreement in place, Bangladeshi local manufactures, particularly those from the medium and small sectors, expect considerable gains through increased market access to the Indian market. While Indian textile manufacturers may express disappointment because of the fear of influx of Bangladeshi garments, the positive impact of these measures will unfold in the next few years as they will help both countries integrate their textile sectors with global supply chains.
Recent evidence indicates that Indian investments are moving into Bangladesh. This trend is likely to intensify, following the investment measures that have been announced. Since the domestic market in Bangladesh is small, Indian investors in Bangladesh will be targeting export markets. Indian investors will benefit on two counts. First, they will be able to avail the GSP benefits accruing to Bangladesh from the European Union countries.
Second, Indian investors can enter into collaborative ventures to manufacture higher value-added items, in which Bangladeshi firms have developed capabilities in recent years.
Clearly, the trade and investment measures, among several others, will lead to tangible outcomes for both countries. The measures related to duty-free access for Bangladeshi items, increased investment in Bangladesh and setting up of export processing zones seem like a win-win for both countries.
(The authors are with the Indian Council for Research in International Economic Relations. The views are personal.)
(This article was published on September 20, 2011)
by Nisha Taneja & Neetika Kaushal
Dhaka has created investment opportunities for India, while New Delhi has agreed to removing entry barriers on Bangladeshi textiles.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Dhaka on September 6-7 has changed the course of Indo-Bangladesh economic relations. To be sure, there were disappointments, such as the delay in arriving at a water sharing accord on the Teesta river due to resistance from the Indian side, and backtracking by Bangladesh on its offer of transit to India through its territory. However, the initiative taken to promote greater investment and trade between the two countries was very promising.
INVESTMENT PACT
In order to enhance investments, the Prime Ministers of both countries issued a joint statement on completion of the talks, paving the way for a bilateral investment promotion and protection agreement. Such an agreement would grant investments made by one country in the other a number of guarantees, which typically include fair and equitable treatment, protection from expropriation, free transfer of means and full protection and security.
It is expected that with the signing of this agreement, there will be a substantial increase in investment flows, which so far have been insignificant. Cumulative Indian investments in Bangladesh until 2009 were only US$ 248 million, with only 26 per cent of it having taken place up till 2007. Along with the investment agreement, the announcement regarding establishment of a special economic zone for Indian investments is a complementary measure, which is expected to facilitate Indian investments further.
On the trade front, the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, announced the the Government of India's decision to remove 61 items, including 46 from textiles, from India's negative list for LDCs. This implies that Bangladesh products will now be allowed to enter Indian territory through any port, without paying duty.
TRADE CONCESSIONS
These tariff lines are a part of the list of 164 apparel items in which India allowed duty-free access to Bangladesh up to a limit of eight million pieces in April 2008, and recently raised the limit to 10 million pieces in April 2011.
Bangladesh is India's largest trading partner in South Asia, accounting for 28 per cent of India's total trade with the region. In 2009-10, India's exports were $ 2,434 million; imports were $255 million and its trade surplus with Bangladesh was $2,179 million. For several years, Bangladesh's concern has been its burgeoning trade deficit with India.
Therefore, increased market access has been a core concern for Bangladesh in all its trade negotiations with India, both bilaterally and regionally under the South Asian Free Trade Area. Perhaps, what is of significance is the approach that India has followed in offering these concessions. Instead of negotiating with Bangladesh on the reduction of items in the sensitive list, India requested Bangladesh to send a list of items on which the latter wanted zero duties. Bangladesh requested India to allow duty-free access in the case of 61 items.
Clearly, this novel approach left no room for dissatisfaction on the Bangladeshi side. This unique method has been adopted by India for Bangladesh alone. Such an approach has not been followed by India in any other bilateral FTA.
IMPACT ON TEXTILES
It is not difficult to understand why Bangladesh had problems with India's market access policies. Apparel is a major item of export accounting for about 70 per cent of Bangladesh's total exports.
These items were on India's sensitive list, restricting market access in a category that was of crucial importance to Bangladesh's economy. Now with the agreement in place, Bangladeshi local manufactures, particularly those from the medium and small sectors, expect considerable gains through increased market access to the Indian market. While Indian textile manufacturers may express disappointment because of the fear of influx of Bangladeshi garments, the positive impact of these measures will unfold in the next few years as they will help both countries integrate their textile sectors with global supply chains.
Recent evidence indicates that Indian investments are moving into Bangladesh. This trend is likely to intensify, following the investment measures that have been announced. Since the domestic market in Bangladesh is small, Indian investors in Bangladesh will be targeting export markets. Indian investors will benefit on two counts. First, they will be able to avail the GSP benefits accruing to Bangladesh from the European Union countries.
Second, Indian investors can enter into collaborative ventures to manufacture higher value-added items, in which Bangladeshi firms have developed capabilities in recent years.
Clearly, the trade and investment measures, among several others, will lead to tangible outcomes for both countries. The measures related to duty-free access for Bangladeshi items, increased investment in Bangladesh and setting up of export processing zones seem like a win-win for both countries.
(The authors are with the Indian Council for Research in International Economic Relations. The views are personal.)
(This article was published on September 20, 2011)
Living through earthquakes
Living through earthquakes
source: The Hindu
Comment (5) · print · T+ As a natural calamity, powerful earthquakes are in a class of their own, able to strike without warning and capable of creating widespread devastation. So it was with the magnitude 6.8 temblor that struck near the Sikkim-Nepal border on Sunday evening. At least 66 people have been killed and many more injured in India as well as in neighbouring Nepal and Tibet, China. Buildings and roads in Sikkim have been badly damaged. Reports from Tibet speak of landslides disrupting traffic, power, and water supplies. Rain and landslides have hampered relief efforts, and the central government has sent in military and paramilitary units, along with aircraft and helicopters, to help the civilian authorities. Tremors from the quake, which could be felt hundreds of kilometres away, caused panic in many cities, including Kolkata, Patna, and Lucknow. In Delhi, which experienced a magnitude 4.2 earthquake near the Haryana border earlier this month, the latest episode left many with jangled nerves.
This quake should serve as a wake-up call. Earthquakes don't kill people, buildings do, goes the old adage. But human-made structures — buildings, bridges, power plants and so forth — can be designed and constructed to withstand the sort of quakes that might hit a place. An earthquake quickly exposes failures in construction. Valuable infrastructure is destroyed and falling masonry can crush people to death. “In recent earthquakes, buildings have acted as weapons of mass destruction,” remarked one leading seismologist after the calamitous quake that hit the Caribbean island of Haiti in January 2010, killing tens of thousands of people. Poor quality construction on the island made the earthquake twice as lethal as any previous magnitude 7.0 event. As the crustal plate bearing India steadily pushes against the Eurasian plate, some experts fear that enough stress might have accumulated to unleash a great earthquake in parts of the Himalayas. Such a quake could have disastrous consequences across the highly populated Gangetic plain. Nor are places away from the plate boundary necessarily safe. The powerful quake at Bhuj in January 2001, for instance, claimed thousands of lives and caused havoc across a considerable area in Gujarat. Safety lies in ensuring quake-resistant construction. The Bureau of Indian Standards has laid out earthquake engineering codes for various structures. In addition, the Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) and the Union Government's Building Materials & Technology Promotion Council have published guidelines and brochures on quake-safe construction. Turning a blind eye to such safety requirements will extract a heavy toll when an earthquake strikes.
Keywords: earthquake, natural calamity
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Comments:
It is no denying fact that earthquakes are not solely responsible for life and property destruction, but tells what lacked in the safety of various contructions whether it is a house or a bridge. What the BIS is doing is to set up certain construction norms which could hold the constructions during earthquakes and also there are initiatives from the government in this direction but the emphasis should be given from the common man while they construct houses in areas specifically that are in the chances of being hit by tremors. So we should take some resposibility on our own because our mistakes will affect not only us but our surroundings. Its a task ahead for engineers to take up the need of the hour and build strong and sustainable structures.
from: Md Nadeem
Posted on: Sep 20, 2011 at 01:32 IST
Everyone endures for safety and they rightly feel so in their home, but in reality we are not safe anywhere, anytime. Every natural calamity exposes we are at the mercy of the real indisputable, unconquered, invisible messiah. Be honest to yourself and to your countrymen, he is alongside you to shield you from every untoward incident. Every now and then it strike with such brutal force that every human achievements, science advancement, technology developed till date looks derisory. Nothing can be done to tame the unleashing havoc once the imaginary pious vessel is brimming with sin, it goanna spill mayhem some or other day like the previous day. But we optimistic humans will start afresh, cautious enough not to repeat the same mistake and will think they can withstand the calamitous force next time but we mortal tends to forget one thing. "To err is human".
from: kush
Posted on: Sep 20, 2011 at 01:47 IST
Earthquakes examine our tendency and immediate reaction to natural calamities.Since man is the son of mother nature, he seems to be puny when she is angry.Since quakes can't be prevented artificially , the only way out is spreading awareness regarding disaster management about earthquakes at district,state and national levels.
from: Saurabh Shubham
Posted on: Sep 20, 2011 at 07:10 IST
People don't follow guidelines because of two reasons: 1) Lack of proper auditing on the high rise buildings, Even if there are auditors they get bribed and they don't do their job properly. 2) The additional cost factor of the materials needed to make earthquake resistant buildings. The first one can be handled if we make stronger laws to punish those who indulge in these activities. The second factor can be overcome if there is more competition in the market leading to a drop in prices.
from: Arun
Posted on: Sep 20, 2011 at 07:20 IST
It's the need of the hour to understand the powerful nature.and make sure that what ever infrastructure we develop it must be kept in find about earth quake and tsunami
from: Gopal shah
Posted on: Sep 20, 2011 at 08:16 IST
source: The Hindu
Comment (5) · print · T+ As a natural calamity, powerful earthquakes are in a class of their own, able to strike without warning and capable of creating widespread devastation. So it was with the magnitude 6.8 temblor that struck near the Sikkim-Nepal border on Sunday evening. At least 66 people have been killed and many more injured in India as well as in neighbouring Nepal and Tibet, China. Buildings and roads in Sikkim have been badly damaged. Reports from Tibet speak of landslides disrupting traffic, power, and water supplies. Rain and landslides have hampered relief efforts, and the central government has sent in military and paramilitary units, along with aircraft and helicopters, to help the civilian authorities. Tremors from the quake, which could be felt hundreds of kilometres away, caused panic in many cities, including Kolkata, Patna, and Lucknow. In Delhi, which experienced a magnitude 4.2 earthquake near the Haryana border earlier this month, the latest episode left many with jangled nerves.
This quake should serve as a wake-up call. Earthquakes don't kill people, buildings do, goes the old adage. But human-made structures — buildings, bridges, power plants and so forth — can be designed and constructed to withstand the sort of quakes that might hit a place. An earthquake quickly exposes failures in construction. Valuable infrastructure is destroyed and falling masonry can crush people to death. “In recent earthquakes, buildings have acted as weapons of mass destruction,” remarked one leading seismologist after the calamitous quake that hit the Caribbean island of Haiti in January 2010, killing tens of thousands of people. Poor quality construction on the island made the earthquake twice as lethal as any previous magnitude 7.0 event. As the crustal plate bearing India steadily pushes against the Eurasian plate, some experts fear that enough stress might have accumulated to unleash a great earthquake in parts of the Himalayas. Such a quake could have disastrous consequences across the highly populated Gangetic plain. Nor are places away from the plate boundary necessarily safe. The powerful quake at Bhuj in January 2001, for instance, claimed thousands of lives and caused havoc across a considerable area in Gujarat. Safety lies in ensuring quake-resistant construction. The Bureau of Indian Standards has laid out earthquake engineering codes for various structures. In addition, the Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) and the Union Government's Building Materials & Technology Promotion Council have published guidelines and brochures on quake-safe construction. Turning a blind eye to such safety requirements will extract a heavy toll when an earthquake strikes.
Keywords: earthquake, natural calamity
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Coffee Making Machines
Italy's favourite coffee machines & capsules in India. Know more now!
Fresh-Honest.com
Related
TOPICS
natural disasters
earthquake
Comments:
It is no denying fact that earthquakes are not solely responsible for life and property destruction, but tells what lacked in the safety of various contructions whether it is a house or a bridge. What the BIS is doing is to set up certain construction norms which could hold the constructions during earthquakes and also there are initiatives from the government in this direction but the emphasis should be given from the common man while they construct houses in areas specifically that are in the chances of being hit by tremors. So we should take some resposibility on our own because our mistakes will affect not only us but our surroundings. Its a task ahead for engineers to take up the need of the hour and build strong and sustainable structures.
from: Md Nadeem
Posted on: Sep 20, 2011 at 01:32 IST
Everyone endures for safety and they rightly feel so in their home, but in reality we are not safe anywhere, anytime. Every natural calamity exposes we are at the mercy of the real indisputable, unconquered, invisible messiah. Be honest to yourself and to your countrymen, he is alongside you to shield you from every untoward incident. Every now and then it strike with such brutal force that every human achievements, science advancement, technology developed till date looks derisory. Nothing can be done to tame the unleashing havoc once the imaginary pious vessel is brimming with sin, it goanna spill mayhem some or other day like the previous day. But we optimistic humans will start afresh, cautious enough not to repeat the same mistake and will think they can withstand the calamitous force next time but we mortal tends to forget one thing. "To err is human".
from: kush
Posted on: Sep 20, 2011 at 01:47 IST
Earthquakes examine our tendency and immediate reaction to natural calamities.Since man is the son of mother nature, he seems to be puny when she is angry.Since quakes can't be prevented artificially , the only way out is spreading awareness regarding disaster management about earthquakes at district,state and national levels.
from: Saurabh Shubham
Posted on: Sep 20, 2011 at 07:10 IST
People don't follow guidelines because of two reasons: 1) Lack of proper auditing on the high rise buildings, Even if there are auditors they get bribed and they don't do their job properly. 2) The additional cost factor of the materials needed to make earthquake resistant buildings. The first one can be handled if we make stronger laws to punish those who indulge in these activities. The second factor can be overcome if there is more competition in the market leading to a drop in prices.
from: Arun
Posted on: Sep 20, 2011 at 07:20 IST
It's the need of the hour to understand the powerful nature.and make sure that what ever infrastructure we develop it must be kept in find about earth quake and tsunami
from: Gopal shah
Posted on: Sep 20, 2011 at 08:16 IST
COPING WITH GRIEF
COPING WITH GRIEF
BY Swami Avdhutananda
Ex Acharya, Chinmaya Mission-Sikkim
Nobody born in this world is immuned from negative experiences—failures, sorrows, miseries, old age, disease and death. From poorna avataar to the most lowly one, everyone has to go through some or the other negative experiences.
The entire existence sustains on the pairs of opposites. Actually the so called pairs of opposites such as: joys and sorrows, birth and death, success and failures, positive and negative, creation and destruction etc. are like the two inseparable sides of the same coin or the two polar ends of the same battery cell. It cannot function in isolation. Can a battery cell function with just a polar end either positive or negative? No! It needs both the diametrically opposite ends to function. So also there cannot be birth without death, pleasure without pain, joys without sorrows etc. They follow each other. If we chose one, the other will automatically follow. There is no way it can be prevented. The entire creation is a play of these pairs of opposites. Birth is followed by death and then again death is followed by birth. Had there been only births and no deaths, there would not have been enough space to even stand on our toes on this planet. Lord Krshna says, “These pairs of opposites come and go, forbear them O Arjuna”. We cannot attain eternal, infinite bliss unless we transcend these pairs of opposites.
Death is a subject which is of the deepest interest to everyone. One day or the other all must die. All are terribly afraid of death. No one wants to die. The terror of death overshadows the lives of all human beings. Most people are so afraid to die that, from their efforts to avoid death, they never live. Even intellectual people who have grasped the idea that the Self is immortal and is distinct from the body are also overwhelmingly scared of death. We may read the whole of Yoga Vashishtha / Bhagavad Geetaa / Vedaanta etc. but if an accident takes place in our family, we are bound to feel it, because the scriptural readings have not brought about a fundamental transformation in the realm of awareness. It has only enlarged the scope of our intellect. At the most we may say, ‘Oh, life is temporary’, but still we will be struck with the disaster. It brings unnecessary sorrow, suffering and anxiety to the survivors who are anxious to know about death, the life, if any, after death and the fate of the departed individuals.
Death is the price we pay for the gift of the body. Once we have the body, death is inevitable. But death is not for us. It is for the body and it starts from the moment, the body comes into manifestation. Therefore celebrating birth is ignorance; celebrating death is understanding. The moment a person is “born”, he starts his journey towards “death” from the very next moment and on the day of his “death” he completes his journey. Every completion of a journey needs to be celebrated and not mourned, since it indicates progress.
We don't cry because of emotions, but because of confusion, ignorance and a non-acceptance of facts. Crying does not alter the fact that the dead have gone and the dying do not require our tears. If we ourselves are dying, then too crying is useless. Why then, this sorrow? Sorrow is born of confusion (aviveka). What is subject to change will change. Why then sit and say, “They are changing. They are changing. Changing is changing.” Everything changes except the law of change.
The Padma Puraana (one of the texts of Sanaatana Dharma) says that the fate of five things in one's life is already decided at the time of one's conception in the womb—education, one's occupation, the aggregate wealth one will acquire, lifespan, and when, where and how one’s body will drop or disintegrate, or in more common parlance “die”. Happenings associated with these five are preordained and will come to pass, no matter what, and can be termed one's destiny. One's character, molded by one's samskara-s, will then make one act in such a manner that events play out as destined.
All of us come in each other’s contact due to karma bandhana—debts from the past life. We come in contact with each other as relatives, friends, neighbours, colleagues, teachers etc. Debts may be financial, material, that of service (sevaa), emotional, that of knowledge or that of being a guide or being guided on the spiritual path. We need to clear our debts to the best of our abilities so that we are relieved of the karma bandhana. While we are clearing our debts brought forward from past several lives, we tend to get attached to things and beings and end up making the existing karma bandhana-s even stronger as well as forge new karma bandhana-s.
The biggest cause of all our problems in life is our desires and our attachment to things and beings that are essentially impermanent. Attachment is such a funny thing that the very thing that we are attached to becomes the cause of our extreme sorrows and miseries—be it close family members, property, money etc. Even though we are fully aware that death will eventually take away everything from us we still continue to cling to things and beings and therefore suffer.
One is said to be born when the subtle body, that is a bunch of samskaara-s and vaasanaa-s (impressions and tendencies) enters the gross body and begins functioning. When it packs up and departs, it is one’s death. Hence the phrase ‘dead and gone’. It thereafter goes to another body, depending on its past vaasanaa-s. This process of unpacking, packing up and transfer is known as birth, death and transmigration. The gross body appears sentient when in association with the subtle body and insentient when it disassociates. The gross body lasts until it finishes its full quota of experiences that it has to undergo. Some may have a smaller quota of experiences for this life and therefore, have a shorter life span, while others may have a bigger quota of experiences, and therefore have a longer life span.
We suffer because we want our beloved ones and ourselves to be immortal in the mortal body. It is like someone seeking a permanent job in a temporary department. One can never be immortal in an ever-perishing body. We go through great grief, sorrow and depression simply because we refuse to come to terms with this simple fact.
HAVE THE COURAGE TO CHANGE WHAT YOU CAN, SERENITY TO ACCEPT WHAT YOU CANNOT CHANGE AND THE WISDOM TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE. COMMON SENSE IN AN UNCOMMON DEGREE IS WISDOM.
The Self (aatmaa) is unborn and immortal. It is of the nature of Existence-Consciousness-Bliss. It lends sentiency to all inert matter. The subtle body too does not die. It continues its journey in another body. Hence, neither should be mourned upon death. The gross body is inert and ever perishing. Even during our lifetime, our body cells are constantly being replaced by new ones. Every moment 15 million cells die and 15 million cells are born. We gain a totally new body every seven years. One cannot, therefore, mourn over an already perishing body. Mourning is something where an already perished body is wept upon by one or more continuously perishing bodies!! Like green leaves mourning over a fallen leaf, where leaves keep falling off the tree all the time. The embodied never dies. Mourning is like weeping for someone over the dress discarded by him. The one who has discarded the dress is now wearing a new dress, which we are unable to recognize. Knowing this, we should remove all false notions of grief from our minds about disease, decay and death.
The dead are free from bondage. Mourning is the chain forged by the mind to bind itself to the dead.
When we are consumed with remorse over the dead past and with sorrow concerning the unborn future, let us visualize Shri Krshna saying to us, “You are worrying unnecessarily”.
When an event is past, do not nurse its memory. Cremate it and forget it. Otherwise it will decompose in the mind and stink.
We can overcome pain and sorrow, if we know the meaning of sorrow, pain, suffering and death. Death is the most common phenomenon in nature and yet the least understood fact. The phenomenon of death sets the human mind to think deeply. Man does not want to die. He wants to live forever. This is the starting point of philosophy. All philosophy springs from the phenomenon of death. Philosophy, in fact, is the study of death. The highest philosophy in India starts with the subject of death. Scriptural texts such as Bhagavad Geetaa, Chhaandogya Upanishad and Kathopanishad deal, especially, with the subject of death. It is one of the most difficult problems of philosophy, because there is no direct evidence usually available as to what really happens in and after death. Death is a call to reflect and to seek the goal of the Absolute Truth, the eternal, pure Self. Philosophy enquires and investigates the phenomenon of death, which is referred in the scriptures as the ‘Principle of Change’.
The enlightened Masters clearly describe their experiences at ‘death’ and state that they are relieved of a great burden of this physical body along with its aches, pains and afflictions, and that they enjoy perfect composure at the time of separation from the physical body. Similar is the description of those who have gone through ‘near death experiences’ (NDE).
The question is who should mourn whom? Lord Krshna calls this body as “dukkhaayatana”—a counter or an abode where pain and sorrow is experienced. At death one gets rid of this “dukkhaayatana” and along with it its aches, pain and afflictions. Should we mourn for such a one or should such a one mourn for those who are still saddled with their “dukkhaayatana” along with its aches and afflictions?
Knowledge of this science will rob death of all its terror and sorrow and enable us to see it in the proper light and to understand its place in the scheme of our evolution. It will certainly inspire us to find out suitable methods to conquer death and attain immortality. It will urge us to take to the study of Brahma-Vidyaa in right earnest. We have suffered very much simply out of ignorance and superstition concerning this most important matter. With the right knowledge the veil of ignorance will be removed. We will be freed from the horrors of death.
Death is separation of the jeeva (finite ego, finite self or individual self) from the physical body. Death becomes the starting point of a new and better life. Death merely opens the door to a higher form of life; it is only the gateway to a fuller life.
Birth and death are two illusory scenes in the drama of our life and that of this world, projected by the jugglery of maayaa (divine Hypnosis). He who is born begins to die. He who dies begins to live. Life is death and death is life. Birth and death are merely doors of entry and exit on the stage of this world.
Just as we move from one house to another house, the jeeva passes from one body to another to gain experience. Just as a man casting off worn-out garments takes new ones, so the dweller in this body, casting off worn-out bodies, when it becomes unfit for further activities and use, enters into others that are new. Death is only a change of form. All change is only change of environment and embodiment. In scriptural language death is called the law of change. Death is only separation of astral body from the physical body.
Death is not the end of life. Life is one continuous never-ending process. Death is only a passing and necessary phenomenon, which every jeeva has to pass to gain experience for its further evolution. Jeeva continuously gets purged and perfected in order to attain the final bliss. This takes place through myriads of births.
Death is like sleep. Birth is like waking up. Birth follows death just as waking follows sleep. Death brings promotion to a new and better life. One will again resume the work that was left off in one’s previous life. Therefore, there is no reason to be afraid of death. A man of discrimination and wisdom is not afraid of death. He knows that death is the gateway to life.
Infinite, Pure Self is a circle without a circumference, where every point in the infinity is the centre. There is no difference between the individual self and the Infinite Self, except ignorance. This individual self is also a circle without a circumference, but its centre appears to be in the body. Death for the individual self means the change of this centre from body to body. Why, then, should we be afraid of death and even mourn death?
Man is ever in the jaws of death—right from the birth of the body he proceeds every moment towards its death. Death overtakes him suddenly when he is least prepared for it. He thinks that he will escape death or even if he believes in death to be certain he expects it only at a very distant date.
The game of birth and death takes place every second in our body. About 15 million blood cells are produced and destroyed in the human body every second. Every minute, 40,000 dead skin cells fall from our body. Seventy percent of the dust in our homes consists of shed human skin. There are more living organisms on the skin of one human being than there are human beings on earth.
The jeeva moves between this and the next world as between waking and the dream states. It moves from birth to death and again birth. The body lasts until all the praarabdha karma-s (fructified karma-s or destiny) have been exhausted by experiencing it. Some people’s praarabdha karma-s take a long time to exhaust, so they drop the body in the ripe old age. Others may have limited praarabdha karma-s to exhaust so they may drop their body in middle age or prime of youth or even in childhood or infancy. While in birth it associates itself with the physical body, in death it dissociates with them. The self that is identified with the subtle body completely detaches himself from the body. Just as he detaches himself from the gross body and enters deep sleep, similarly he detaches himself from this body during death and attaches himself to another. As frequently as man moves from the dreaming to the waking, from the waking to the dream and then to deep sleep, so also, as frequently he transmigrates from one body to another. He has transmigrated from many such bodies in the past and will continue to do so in the future as well.
Death is not the end of life. It is merely cessation of an important individuality. Life flows on to achieve its conquest of the universal; life flows on till it merges in the eternal.
Lord Krshna speaks about rebirth several times in Bhagavad Geeta. For example in ch. 2 v. 12: “na tvevaaham jaatu naasam na tvam neme janaadhipaah / na chaiva na bhavishyaamah sarve vayamatah param” (“It is not that at any time (in the past) indeed, was I not, nor were you, nor these rulers of men. Nor, verily, shall we ever cease to be hereafter”). Ch. 4, v. 5: “bahuni may vyatitaani janmaani tava chaarjuna / taanyaham veda sarvaani na tvam vettha parantapa” (“Many “births” of Mine have passed as well as yours, O Arjuna; I know them all but you know them not, O Parantapa [scorcher of foes]”).
Bhagavad Geetaa, ch. 2, v. 13: “dehino ’smin yathaa dayhay kaumaaram yauvanam jaraa / tathaa dehaantara-praaptih dhiras tatra na muhyati” (“Just as in this body the embodied (ego / soul) passes into childhood, youth and old age, so also does he pass into another body; the firm man does not grieve at it”). We do not mourn at the death of childhood following which alone can we come to experience youth; we are confident in our knowledge that by entering the age of youth, though the childhood has ended, there is a continuity of the existence of the one in the child into the one in the youth. So too, at the moment of death, there is no extinction of the individual, but the embodied ego of the dead body leaves its previous structure and, according to the vaasanaa-s (impressions or tendencies) that it had developed during its embodiment, gets itself identified with a physical equipment where it can express itself completely and seek its perfect fulfillment.
Bhagavad Geetaa, ch. 2 v. 22: “vaasaansi jirnaani yathaa vihaaya navaani grhnaati naro paraani / tathaa sharirani vihaaya jirnaani anyaani sanyaati navaani dehi” (“Just as a man casts off his worn-out clothes and puts on new ones, so also the embodied Self casts of its worn-out bodies and enters others which are new.”).
According to the concept of natural causation, nothing is unconditioned; the existence of everything depends on some conditions. Therefore there must be something because of which our forms come into existence. Despair, grief, old-age, disease, death etc. are
there because there is birth. If a man were not born he would not have been subject to these miserable states. Birth also has its condition. It is the will to become, the force of the blind tendency or predisposition to be born, which causes our birth. But what is the cause of this tendency? Our mental clinging to or grasping the objects of the world is the condition responsible for our desire to be born. This clinging again is due to our thirst or craving to enjoy objects and beings.
From where does this desire originate? We would not have any desire for objects had we not tasted or experienced them before. Previous sense-experience, tinged with some pleasant feelings, is therefore the cause of our craving. But sense-experience could not arise but for contact of sense organs with objects. This contact would not arise had there not been the six organs of cognition—the 5 senses and the mind. These six again depend for their existence on the mind-body organism, which constitutes the perceptible being of man. But this organism could not develop in the mother's womb and come into existence if it were dead or devoid of consciousness. The consciousness that descends into the embryo in the mother's womb is only the effect of the impressions (samskaara / vaasanaa) of our past existence. The last state of the past life, contains in a concentrated manner the impressions or effects of all our past deeds. The impressions that cause rebirth are due to ignorance about Truth. If the transitory, painful nature of the worldly existence was comprehended and the Pure Self perfectly realized, there would not arise in us any karma resulting in rebirth. Ignorance of our True nature or Real Self, therefore, is the root cause of impressions or tendencies that cause rebirth.
Briefly speaking, suffering in life is due to birth, which is due to the will to be born, which is due to our mental clinging to objects. Clinging is due to desire for objects. This is due to sense-experience, which is due to sense object contact, which is again due to the six organs of cognition. These organs dependent on the embryonic organism (body-mind-intellect) could not develop without some initial consciousness, which hails from the impressions of the experience of past life, which lastly are due to ignorance of Absolute Truth.
Thus we have 12 links in the chain of causation.
According to Vedaanta, birth, death and rebirth are apparent only from the standpoint of the finite ego, which is strongly identified with the constantly composing, decomposing and recomposing gross body and is therefore subject to transmigration. No one has ever experienced his own non-existence. We have memories of only those events and experiences that have actually occurred. No one has any memory about one’s own birth or death simply because they have never occurred as far as the Real Self is concerned. Hence from the standpoint of the ever-existent Pure Self, which is our real nature, there is no birth and therefore no death and obviously the question of rebirth doesn’t arise. In fact, finite ego identified with the gross body is a superimposition on the Pure Self and this finite ego alone appears to transmigrate from one body to another.
On this subject Lord Krshna says in Bhagavad Geeta, ch. 2, v. 20: “na jaayatay mriyatay vaa kadaachid naayam bhutvaa bhavitaa vaa na bhooyah / ajo nityah shaavato yam puraano na hanyatay hanyamaanay shareeray /” (“He is not born, nor does He ever die; after having been, He again ceases not to be; Unborn, Eternal, Changeless and Ancient, He is not killed when the body is killed”).
We cannot die, because we were never born. We are the beginningless and eternal Self. Birth, death and rebirth are false scenes in the unreal drama of maayaa. They concern the gross, inert physical body only, an entity with apparent or relative reality, formed by the combination of the five elements. The ideas of birth, death and rebirth are mere illusion, a product of ignorance.
No one has the experience of his non-existence. No one can say ‘I do not exist’. Everybody feels ‘I exist’, ‘I am’. This itself proves the existence of an eternal, Supreme Self. In deep sleep we rest in Pure Self. There is no world for us. We enjoy pure bliss. This proves that the absolute, non-dual Self exists and its essential nature is pure bliss. Since our essential nature is that of Pure existence, knowledge and bliss, the notions of death, deception and dejection are unacceptable to us as they are unnatural to our real being.
Once a Master said, “Nobody is dead; men feign themselves dead and endure mock funerals and there they stand looking out of the windows hale and hearty in some new and strange disguise.”
Insecurity is the basic fact of life and we must recognize it. We must come to terms with the uncertain nature of our existence. Spirituality teaches us not to identify with the external, not to try to anchor ourselves in the things we own, nor in other people. The inner loneliness can only be transmuted by the experience of the eternal and unshakable within ourselves and spirituality provides us with the practical means to foster that experience.
That which death can snatch from us is not important. Money then is useful but not important; so also power, prestige, relatives etc. That which death can never snatch from us is important.
Losses do occur in life, but it is not what life takes away from us that count. It's what we make of what is left with us.
Life is neither lived in the tomb of the dead moments of the past nor in the womb of the unborn moments of the future. Life is not a continuous procession of past regrets and future anxieties. Life is lived in the dynamic present. The present moment is all that we have at our disposal. These living, dynamic present moments are the only fields to be hammered at, wherein are all the glories of life, all the gains in existence.
Constructive thought is the first step to contemplation and eventual cessation of divisible thinking. It is made possible only when the inner awareness is freed from past (which exists but as memory) and future (which exists but as worry, a mixture of fear and hope). Only the present is. It is a present from God.
May He grant you the strength, courage and UNDERSTANDING to face the facts and overcome the grief.
BY Swami Avdhutananda
Ex Acharya, Chinmaya Mission-Sikkim
Nobody born in this world is immuned from negative experiences—failures, sorrows, miseries, old age, disease and death. From poorna avataar to the most lowly one, everyone has to go through some or the other negative experiences.
The entire existence sustains on the pairs of opposites. Actually the so called pairs of opposites such as: joys and sorrows, birth and death, success and failures, positive and negative, creation and destruction etc. are like the two inseparable sides of the same coin or the two polar ends of the same battery cell. It cannot function in isolation. Can a battery cell function with just a polar end either positive or negative? No! It needs both the diametrically opposite ends to function. So also there cannot be birth without death, pleasure without pain, joys without sorrows etc. They follow each other. If we chose one, the other will automatically follow. There is no way it can be prevented. The entire creation is a play of these pairs of opposites. Birth is followed by death and then again death is followed by birth. Had there been only births and no deaths, there would not have been enough space to even stand on our toes on this planet. Lord Krshna says, “These pairs of opposites come and go, forbear them O Arjuna”. We cannot attain eternal, infinite bliss unless we transcend these pairs of opposites.
Death is a subject which is of the deepest interest to everyone. One day or the other all must die. All are terribly afraid of death. No one wants to die. The terror of death overshadows the lives of all human beings. Most people are so afraid to die that, from their efforts to avoid death, they never live. Even intellectual people who have grasped the idea that the Self is immortal and is distinct from the body are also overwhelmingly scared of death. We may read the whole of Yoga Vashishtha / Bhagavad Geetaa / Vedaanta etc. but if an accident takes place in our family, we are bound to feel it, because the scriptural readings have not brought about a fundamental transformation in the realm of awareness. It has only enlarged the scope of our intellect. At the most we may say, ‘Oh, life is temporary’, but still we will be struck with the disaster. It brings unnecessary sorrow, suffering and anxiety to the survivors who are anxious to know about death, the life, if any, after death and the fate of the departed individuals.
Death is the price we pay for the gift of the body. Once we have the body, death is inevitable. But death is not for us. It is for the body and it starts from the moment, the body comes into manifestation. Therefore celebrating birth is ignorance; celebrating death is understanding. The moment a person is “born”, he starts his journey towards “death” from the very next moment and on the day of his “death” he completes his journey. Every completion of a journey needs to be celebrated and not mourned, since it indicates progress.
We don't cry because of emotions, but because of confusion, ignorance and a non-acceptance of facts. Crying does not alter the fact that the dead have gone and the dying do not require our tears. If we ourselves are dying, then too crying is useless. Why then, this sorrow? Sorrow is born of confusion (aviveka). What is subject to change will change. Why then sit and say, “They are changing. They are changing. Changing is changing.” Everything changes except the law of change.
The Padma Puraana (one of the texts of Sanaatana Dharma) says that the fate of five things in one's life is already decided at the time of one's conception in the womb—education, one's occupation, the aggregate wealth one will acquire, lifespan, and when, where and how one’s body will drop or disintegrate, or in more common parlance “die”. Happenings associated with these five are preordained and will come to pass, no matter what, and can be termed one's destiny. One's character, molded by one's samskara-s, will then make one act in such a manner that events play out as destined.
All of us come in each other’s contact due to karma bandhana—debts from the past life. We come in contact with each other as relatives, friends, neighbours, colleagues, teachers etc. Debts may be financial, material, that of service (sevaa), emotional, that of knowledge or that of being a guide or being guided on the spiritual path. We need to clear our debts to the best of our abilities so that we are relieved of the karma bandhana. While we are clearing our debts brought forward from past several lives, we tend to get attached to things and beings and end up making the existing karma bandhana-s even stronger as well as forge new karma bandhana-s.
The biggest cause of all our problems in life is our desires and our attachment to things and beings that are essentially impermanent. Attachment is such a funny thing that the very thing that we are attached to becomes the cause of our extreme sorrows and miseries—be it close family members, property, money etc. Even though we are fully aware that death will eventually take away everything from us we still continue to cling to things and beings and therefore suffer.
One is said to be born when the subtle body, that is a bunch of samskaara-s and vaasanaa-s (impressions and tendencies) enters the gross body and begins functioning. When it packs up and departs, it is one’s death. Hence the phrase ‘dead and gone’. It thereafter goes to another body, depending on its past vaasanaa-s. This process of unpacking, packing up and transfer is known as birth, death and transmigration. The gross body appears sentient when in association with the subtle body and insentient when it disassociates. The gross body lasts until it finishes its full quota of experiences that it has to undergo. Some may have a smaller quota of experiences for this life and therefore, have a shorter life span, while others may have a bigger quota of experiences, and therefore have a longer life span.
We suffer because we want our beloved ones and ourselves to be immortal in the mortal body. It is like someone seeking a permanent job in a temporary department. One can never be immortal in an ever-perishing body. We go through great grief, sorrow and depression simply because we refuse to come to terms with this simple fact.
HAVE THE COURAGE TO CHANGE WHAT YOU CAN, SERENITY TO ACCEPT WHAT YOU CANNOT CHANGE AND THE WISDOM TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE. COMMON SENSE IN AN UNCOMMON DEGREE IS WISDOM.
The Self (aatmaa) is unborn and immortal. It is of the nature of Existence-Consciousness-Bliss. It lends sentiency to all inert matter. The subtle body too does not die. It continues its journey in another body. Hence, neither should be mourned upon death. The gross body is inert and ever perishing. Even during our lifetime, our body cells are constantly being replaced by new ones. Every moment 15 million cells die and 15 million cells are born. We gain a totally new body every seven years. One cannot, therefore, mourn over an already perishing body. Mourning is something where an already perished body is wept upon by one or more continuously perishing bodies!! Like green leaves mourning over a fallen leaf, where leaves keep falling off the tree all the time. The embodied never dies. Mourning is like weeping for someone over the dress discarded by him. The one who has discarded the dress is now wearing a new dress, which we are unable to recognize. Knowing this, we should remove all false notions of grief from our minds about disease, decay and death.
The dead are free from bondage. Mourning is the chain forged by the mind to bind itself to the dead.
When we are consumed with remorse over the dead past and with sorrow concerning the unborn future, let us visualize Shri Krshna saying to us, “You are worrying unnecessarily”.
When an event is past, do not nurse its memory. Cremate it and forget it. Otherwise it will decompose in the mind and stink.
We can overcome pain and sorrow, if we know the meaning of sorrow, pain, suffering and death. Death is the most common phenomenon in nature and yet the least understood fact. The phenomenon of death sets the human mind to think deeply. Man does not want to die. He wants to live forever. This is the starting point of philosophy. All philosophy springs from the phenomenon of death. Philosophy, in fact, is the study of death. The highest philosophy in India starts with the subject of death. Scriptural texts such as Bhagavad Geetaa, Chhaandogya Upanishad and Kathopanishad deal, especially, with the subject of death. It is one of the most difficult problems of philosophy, because there is no direct evidence usually available as to what really happens in and after death. Death is a call to reflect and to seek the goal of the Absolute Truth, the eternal, pure Self. Philosophy enquires and investigates the phenomenon of death, which is referred in the scriptures as the ‘Principle of Change’.
The enlightened Masters clearly describe their experiences at ‘death’ and state that they are relieved of a great burden of this physical body along with its aches, pains and afflictions, and that they enjoy perfect composure at the time of separation from the physical body. Similar is the description of those who have gone through ‘near death experiences’ (NDE).
The question is who should mourn whom? Lord Krshna calls this body as “dukkhaayatana”—a counter or an abode where pain and sorrow is experienced. At death one gets rid of this “dukkhaayatana” and along with it its aches, pain and afflictions. Should we mourn for such a one or should such a one mourn for those who are still saddled with their “dukkhaayatana” along with its aches and afflictions?
Knowledge of this science will rob death of all its terror and sorrow and enable us to see it in the proper light and to understand its place in the scheme of our evolution. It will certainly inspire us to find out suitable methods to conquer death and attain immortality. It will urge us to take to the study of Brahma-Vidyaa in right earnest. We have suffered very much simply out of ignorance and superstition concerning this most important matter. With the right knowledge the veil of ignorance will be removed. We will be freed from the horrors of death.
Death is separation of the jeeva (finite ego, finite self or individual self) from the physical body. Death becomes the starting point of a new and better life. Death merely opens the door to a higher form of life; it is only the gateway to a fuller life.
Birth and death are two illusory scenes in the drama of our life and that of this world, projected by the jugglery of maayaa (divine Hypnosis). He who is born begins to die. He who dies begins to live. Life is death and death is life. Birth and death are merely doors of entry and exit on the stage of this world.
Just as we move from one house to another house, the jeeva passes from one body to another to gain experience. Just as a man casting off worn-out garments takes new ones, so the dweller in this body, casting off worn-out bodies, when it becomes unfit for further activities and use, enters into others that are new. Death is only a change of form. All change is only change of environment and embodiment. In scriptural language death is called the law of change. Death is only separation of astral body from the physical body.
Death is not the end of life. Life is one continuous never-ending process. Death is only a passing and necessary phenomenon, which every jeeva has to pass to gain experience for its further evolution. Jeeva continuously gets purged and perfected in order to attain the final bliss. This takes place through myriads of births.
Death is like sleep. Birth is like waking up. Birth follows death just as waking follows sleep. Death brings promotion to a new and better life. One will again resume the work that was left off in one’s previous life. Therefore, there is no reason to be afraid of death. A man of discrimination and wisdom is not afraid of death. He knows that death is the gateway to life.
Infinite, Pure Self is a circle without a circumference, where every point in the infinity is the centre. There is no difference between the individual self and the Infinite Self, except ignorance. This individual self is also a circle without a circumference, but its centre appears to be in the body. Death for the individual self means the change of this centre from body to body. Why, then, should we be afraid of death and even mourn death?
Man is ever in the jaws of death—right from the birth of the body he proceeds every moment towards its death. Death overtakes him suddenly when he is least prepared for it. He thinks that he will escape death or even if he believes in death to be certain he expects it only at a very distant date.
The game of birth and death takes place every second in our body. About 15 million blood cells are produced and destroyed in the human body every second. Every minute, 40,000 dead skin cells fall from our body. Seventy percent of the dust in our homes consists of shed human skin. There are more living organisms on the skin of one human being than there are human beings on earth.
The jeeva moves between this and the next world as between waking and the dream states. It moves from birth to death and again birth. The body lasts until all the praarabdha karma-s (fructified karma-s or destiny) have been exhausted by experiencing it. Some people’s praarabdha karma-s take a long time to exhaust, so they drop the body in the ripe old age. Others may have limited praarabdha karma-s to exhaust so they may drop their body in middle age or prime of youth or even in childhood or infancy. While in birth it associates itself with the physical body, in death it dissociates with them. The self that is identified with the subtle body completely detaches himself from the body. Just as he detaches himself from the gross body and enters deep sleep, similarly he detaches himself from this body during death and attaches himself to another. As frequently as man moves from the dreaming to the waking, from the waking to the dream and then to deep sleep, so also, as frequently he transmigrates from one body to another. He has transmigrated from many such bodies in the past and will continue to do so in the future as well.
Death is not the end of life. It is merely cessation of an important individuality. Life flows on to achieve its conquest of the universal; life flows on till it merges in the eternal.
Lord Krshna speaks about rebirth several times in Bhagavad Geeta. For example in ch. 2 v. 12: “na tvevaaham jaatu naasam na tvam neme janaadhipaah / na chaiva na bhavishyaamah sarve vayamatah param” (“It is not that at any time (in the past) indeed, was I not, nor were you, nor these rulers of men. Nor, verily, shall we ever cease to be hereafter”). Ch. 4, v. 5: “bahuni may vyatitaani janmaani tava chaarjuna / taanyaham veda sarvaani na tvam vettha parantapa” (“Many “births” of Mine have passed as well as yours, O Arjuna; I know them all but you know them not, O Parantapa [scorcher of foes]”).
Bhagavad Geetaa, ch. 2, v. 13: “dehino ’smin yathaa dayhay kaumaaram yauvanam jaraa / tathaa dehaantara-praaptih dhiras tatra na muhyati” (“Just as in this body the embodied (ego / soul) passes into childhood, youth and old age, so also does he pass into another body; the firm man does not grieve at it”). We do not mourn at the death of childhood following which alone can we come to experience youth; we are confident in our knowledge that by entering the age of youth, though the childhood has ended, there is a continuity of the existence of the one in the child into the one in the youth. So too, at the moment of death, there is no extinction of the individual, but the embodied ego of the dead body leaves its previous structure and, according to the vaasanaa-s (impressions or tendencies) that it had developed during its embodiment, gets itself identified with a physical equipment where it can express itself completely and seek its perfect fulfillment.
Bhagavad Geetaa, ch. 2 v. 22: “vaasaansi jirnaani yathaa vihaaya navaani grhnaati naro paraani / tathaa sharirani vihaaya jirnaani anyaani sanyaati navaani dehi” (“Just as a man casts off his worn-out clothes and puts on new ones, so also the embodied Self casts of its worn-out bodies and enters others which are new.”).
According to the concept of natural causation, nothing is unconditioned; the existence of everything depends on some conditions. Therefore there must be something because of which our forms come into existence. Despair, grief, old-age, disease, death etc. are
there because there is birth. If a man were not born he would not have been subject to these miserable states. Birth also has its condition. It is the will to become, the force of the blind tendency or predisposition to be born, which causes our birth. But what is the cause of this tendency? Our mental clinging to or grasping the objects of the world is the condition responsible for our desire to be born. This clinging again is due to our thirst or craving to enjoy objects and beings.
From where does this desire originate? We would not have any desire for objects had we not tasted or experienced them before. Previous sense-experience, tinged with some pleasant feelings, is therefore the cause of our craving. But sense-experience could not arise but for contact of sense organs with objects. This contact would not arise had there not been the six organs of cognition—the 5 senses and the mind. These six again depend for their existence on the mind-body organism, which constitutes the perceptible being of man. But this organism could not develop in the mother's womb and come into existence if it were dead or devoid of consciousness. The consciousness that descends into the embryo in the mother's womb is only the effect of the impressions (samskaara / vaasanaa) of our past existence. The last state of the past life, contains in a concentrated manner the impressions or effects of all our past deeds. The impressions that cause rebirth are due to ignorance about Truth. If the transitory, painful nature of the worldly existence was comprehended and the Pure Self perfectly realized, there would not arise in us any karma resulting in rebirth. Ignorance of our True nature or Real Self, therefore, is the root cause of impressions or tendencies that cause rebirth.
Briefly speaking, suffering in life is due to birth, which is due to the will to be born, which is due to our mental clinging to objects. Clinging is due to desire for objects. This is due to sense-experience, which is due to sense object contact, which is again due to the six organs of cognition. These organs dependent on the embryonic organism (body-mind-intellect) could not develop without some initial consciousness, which hails from the impressions of the experience of past life, which lastly are due to ignorance of Absolute Truth.
Thus we have 12 links in the chain of causation.
According to Vedaanta, birth, death and rebirth are apparent only from the standpoint of the finite ego, which is strongly identified with the constantly composing, decomposing and recomposing gross body and is therefore subject to transmigration. No one has ever experienced his own non-existence. We have memories of only those events and experiences that have actually occurred. No one has any memory about one’s own birth or death simply because they have never occurred as far as the Real Self is concerned. Hence from the standpoint of the ever-existent Pure Self, which is our real nature, there is no birth and therefore no death and obviously the question of rebirth doesn’t arise. In fact, finite ego identified with the gross body is a superimposition on the Pure Self and this finite ego alone appears to transmigrate from one body to another.
On this subject Lord Krshna says in Bhagavad Geeta, ch. 2, v. 20: “na jaayatay mriyatay vaa kadaachid naayam bhutvaa bhavitaa vaa na bhooyah / ajo nityah shaavato yam puraano na hanyatay hanyamaanay shareeray /” (“He is not born, nor does He ever die; after having been, He again ceases not to be; Unborn, Eternal, Changeless and Ancient, He is not killed when the body is killed”).
We cannot die, because we were never born. We are the beginningless and eternal Self. Birth, death and rebirth are false scenes in the unreal drama of maayaa. They concern the gross, inert physical body only, an entity with apparent or relative reality, formed by the combination of the five elements. The ideas of birth, death and rebirth are mere illusion, a product of ignorance.
No one has the experience of his non-existence. No one can say ‘I do not exist’. Everybody feels ‘I exist’, ‘I am’. This itself proves the existence of an eternal, Supreme Self. In deep sleep we rest in Pure Self. There is no world for us. We enjoy pure bliss. This proves that the absolute, non-dual Self exists and its essential nature is pure bliss. Since our essential nature is that of Pure existence, knowledge and bliss, the notions of death, deception and dejection are unacceptable to us as they are unnatural to our real being.
Once a Master said, “Nobody is dead; men feign themselves dead and endure mock funerals and there they stand looking out of the windows hale and hearty in some new and strange disguise.”
Insecurity is the basic fact of life and we must recognize it. We must come to terms with the uncertain nature of our existence. Spirituality teaches us not to identify with the external, not to try to anchor ourselves in the things we own, nor in other people. The inner loneliness can only be transmuted by the experience of the eternal and unshakable within ourselves and spirituality provides us with the practical means to foster that experience.
That which death can snatch from us is not important. Money then is useful but not important; so also power, prestige, relatives etc. That which death can never snatch from us is important.
Losses do occur in life, but it is not what life takes away from us that count. It's what we make of what is left with us.
Life is neither lived in the tomb of the dead moments of the past nor in the womb of the unborn moments of the future. Life is not a continuous procession of past regrets and future anxieties. Life is lived in the dynamic present. The present moment is all that we have at our disposal. These living, dynamic present moments are the only fields to be hammered at, wherein are all the glories of life, all the gains in existence.
Constructive thought is the first step to contemplation and eventual cessation of divisible thinking. It is made possible only when the inner awareness is freed from past (which exists but as memory) and future (which exists but as worry, a mixture of fear and hope). Only the present is. It is a present from God.
May He grant you the strength, courage and UNDERSTANDING to face the facts and overcome the grief.
Sikkim’s Vulnerable and Vital Roads
By HEATHER TIMMONS AND SRUTHI GOTTIPATI
SOURCE: nytimes
National Highway 31-A, connecting West Bengal with Sikkim, blocked due to a landslide in July 2011.The very remoteness that makes the misty, mountain-locked Indian state of Sikkim a growing draw for tourists has made it difficult to provide relief to victims of the earthquake this Sunday, which has claimed at least 22 lives in the state so far.
Highway 31, which climbs and falls from Bihar to Assam through the area’s mountains and valleys, is the main transportation artery connecting the northeast with the rest of India. Natural disasters like the floods in September 2008 routinely cut this already culturally and economically isolated region from the rest of India. The highway’s very necessity also makes it a popular target of protest groups.
Serpentine Highway 31-A, the offshoot that leads to Gangtok, Sikkim’s capital, follows the Teesta River, sometimes as a single-lane road hugging a hillside. In recent years, a growing number of trucks full of construction materials, the offshoot of a building boom in Sikkim, traverse the highway, and it has been a regular target for protestors who want to establish an independent state in India called Gorkhaland.
On Monday morning, teams of emergency personnel were waiting in West Bengal, in the city of Bagdogra, four hours away from the Sikkim capital of Gangtok, because the roads were impassable. A clear estimate wasn’t available about the state of the roads, the state government said then, but one road official had counted 16 landslides in a stretch of about 6 miles.
By Monday afternoon, the Ministry of Home Affairs reported there had been landslides in “over 21 places” on Highway 31-A, but said the road was open for traffic to Gangtok by 4:00 P.M. The road that leads north from Gangtok to Nathula showed “severe damage,” with 12 landslides in the first 21 kilometers (about 10 miles) and the North Sikkim Highway suffered 16 landslides, the ministry said.
Local and national government and foreign development agencies, including the Asian Development Bank, have regularly noted that the northeast’s citizens are at the mercy of unreliable roads, and millions of dollars in road improvement projects are underway in the area.
One such project, which plans to widen Highway 31-A into two lanes, may have had the unintentional impact of making the area even more cut-off after the earthquake, citizens say.
‘‘There are big earth-moving equipment, which are continuously working at various places along the road,’’ said Praful Rao, a former wing commander with the Indian Air Force who now runs a Darjeeling-based not-for-profit dedicated to preventing landslides. ‘‘Where many landslides are taking place is where the work has not been completed.’’
While a natural disaster like an earthquake can’t be planned for, Mr. Rao said that completing more of the highway work outside of the monsoon season would have helped. ‘‘Firstly, you take advantage of the dry season. It is not a time to relax,’’ he said.
The earthquake lasted for just 20 seconds or so, he noted, but if it was a minute or longer ‘‘we would have had casualties on an immense scale,’’ he said.
By HEATHER TIMMONS AND SRUTHI GOTTIPATI
SOURCE: nytimes
National Highway 31-A, connecting West Bengal with Sikkim, blocked due to a landslide in July 2011.The very remoteness that makes the misty, mountain-locked Indian state of Sikkim a growing draw for tourists has made it difficult to provide relief to victims of the earthquake this Sunday, which has claimed at least 22 lives in the state so far.
Highway 31, which climbs and falls from Bihar to Assam through the area’s mountains and valleys, is the main transportation artery connecting the northeast with the rest of India. Natural disasters like the floods in September 2008 routinely cut this already culturally and economically isolated region from the rest of India. The highway’s very necessity also makes it a popular target of protest groups.
Serpentine Highway 31-A, the offshoot that leads to Gangtok, Sikkim’s capital, follows the Teesta River, sometimes as a single-lane road hugging a hillside. In recent years, a growing number of trucks full of construction materials, the offshoot of a building boom in Sikkim, traverse the highway, and it has been a regular target for protestors who want to establish an independent state in India called Gorkhaland.
On Monday morning, teams of emergency personnel were waiting in West Bengal, in the city of Bagdogra, four hours away from the Sikkim capital of Gangtok, because the roads were impassable. A clear estimate wasn’t available about the state of the roads, the state government said then, but one road official had counted 16 landslides in a stretch of about 6 miles.
By Monday afternoon, the Ministry of Home Affairs reported there had been landslides in “over 21 places” on Highway 31-A, but said the road was open for traffic to Gangtok by 4:00 P.M. The road that leads north from Gangtok to Nathula showed “severe damage,” with 12 landslides in the first 21 kilometers (about 10 miles) and the North Sikkim Highway suffered 16 landslides, the ministry said.
Local and national government and foreign development agencies, including the Asian Development Bank, have regularly noted that the northeast’s citizens are at the mercy of unreliable roads, and millions of dollars in road improvement projects are underway in the area.
One such project, which plans to widen Highway 31-A into two lanes, may have had the unintentional impact of making the area even more cut-off after the earthquake, citizens say.
‘‘There are big earth-moving equipment, which are continuously working at various places along the road,’’ said Praful Rao, a former wing commander with the Indian Air Force who now runs a Darjeeling-based not-for-profit dedicated to preventing landslides. ‘‘Where many landslides are taking place is where the work has not been completed.’’
While a natural disaster like an earthquake can’t be planned for, Mr. Rao said that completing more of the highway work outside of the monsoon season would have helped. ‘‘Firstly, you take advantage of the dry season. It is not a time to relax,’’ he said.
The earthquake lasted for just 20 seconds or so, he noted, but if it was a minute or longer ‘‘we would have had casualties on an immense scale,’’ he said.
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