Mail Bag
Timely warning
“A wake-up call” (Magazine, November 9) was a timely warning for people with pre-diabetic symptoms to at least postpone getting into the stranglehold of Diabetes. I speak from personal experience. Hailing from a family with a strong history of the dreaded disease, I was cautioned by doctors to be meticulous regarding diet exercise and girth control. My father and all my siblings acquired the disease when they were in the early forties. Their children too are diabetics, not to speak of a juvenile diabetic granddaughter.
I am past 77 and was taking GT (Glucose Tolerance) tests periodically and followed a controlled lifestyle. I relaxed the scrupulously-followed regimen for a mere six months and doctors have now branded me as a diabetic and put me on drugs for the rest of my life .As prevention is better than cure, I call upon pre-diabetics not only to sit up and notice, but also to stand up and start the course of diet and exercise
R. Ramachandra Rao,
Hyderabad
This is in response to the article “You can say no to diabetes” (November 9). Diabetes is assuming epidemic proportions throughout the world and the very fact that it is affecting children and young people demands greater attention. It is time to seriously consider the issue and take necessary steps. Parents must encourage children to develop a regimen physical activity and must also keep a check on their eating habits. Furthermore, the amount of time spent in TV viewing and playing of video games must be minimised. These habits, well inculcated, will help in warding off other lifestyle-related diseases as well.
Tarun Girdhar
Chandigarh
Staggering achievement
In a country that coined the term “lynching” for extrajudicial murder of blacks and poor whites, Barack Hussein Obama made history when he became the first African-American to have been elected president of the U.S. Putting a coloured man in the White House is a staggering achievement for America where millions of voters chose this year to look at the person, not his race. The world awaits how America will reposition itself — or not.
Megha M.
Bradford, U.K.
While the President-elect, Mr. Barack Hussein Obama, has made all the right noises about the India-United States strategic partnership, some aspects of his campaign rhetoric have been disturbing. He has spoken of fiscal disincentives to curb outsourcing. More ominously, he has spoken of appointing an American special envoy to resolve the so-called “Kashmir question”. For a decade now, since the Kargil War, the Kashmir issue has ceased to bother Washington. In seeking to resurrect it, Mr. Obama is doing nobody a favour. He has been elected to solve America’s problems. Let that remain his primary focus.
J.S. Acharya,
Department of Biophysics,
National Institute of Nutrition,
Hyderabad
Whiff of fresh air
Valson Thampu’s article (“Give ahimsa a chance”, November 9), underscoring the need to adopt peace and non-violence as effective weapons to counter terrorism comes as a whip of fresh air. Our experience shows that the “measure for measure” approach is counter-productive. It only hardens the mind of the terrorist to go for the kill — target innocent people with no compunction. Violence breeds violence. And there can be no love out of hatred. So give peace a chance. Address the roots of terrorism by inviting the architects of terror to the negotiating table. Ahimsa marg can do — win hearts and minds — what force cannot do. Take a cue from Gandhiji who was able to dismantle the infrastructure of foreign rule, with truth and non-violence.
B.H. Shanmukhappa
Davanagere
Community participation
This is with reference to the articles “The water crisis: Needed, a paradigm shift” (October 26) and “Global water crisis: Partnerships for the future”(November 2). Democratisation, as referred by the authors, is the best way for the management of natural resources and more specifically for water resources management, taking in to consideration an inclusive development agenda. It is good to know that a group of technocrats turned social engineers from Tamil Nadu are leading the way and that their efforts are getting noticed at a larger level. Infusing a change in the attitude of the service “providers” can work considerably towards bringing in a paradigm shift as envisaged by the authors in the water management. The hardcore technocrat turning in to a social engineer may not be possible without a spell of real passion for it within him/her. Nevertheless, the process can be simplified, and the change be made easily and in a sustainable manner, if the community also is capacitated to participate in it simultaneously. Ultimately it is the result and how fast it can be reached that matters and the need of the hour is, no doubt, democratisation and not forging ahead with privatisation in managing the rapidly deteriorating natural resource, water.
Dr. Rema S.,
Institute of Sustainable Development
Chennai
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