Remembering 26/11

Today is the anniversary of 26/11 Mumbai attacks, where ten terrorists from Pakistan ventured into the shores of Mumbai and wreaked havoc. 172 people lost their lives and 293 got injured. The panic it created in the minds of Indians was beyond these numbers; but we as a nation responded courageously, the security forces swung into action and killed 9 terrorists and captured one alive. The assault lasted for long 72 hours, where the whole country was dreadfully watching the television to know the events as they unfolded.

The terrorists went on a killing spree at Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST), Cama Hospital, Leopold Café, the Nariman house, the Oberoi-Trident Hotel and the Taj Mahal Hotel. People from the security forces and laymen died in the attack, but only after giving a good fight back. The bravery shown by ordinary people, including the staff of the Taj and Oberoi hotels is part of the folklore now. Brave men in uniform, with scant regard for their own lives, went on to take on the terrorists and defeated them. Some of these brave men lost their lives while doing their duty and we salute them for their courage and bravery. The courage shown by ordinary Mumbaikars is in itself a matter that deserves huge accolades.

When we Indians are observing the first anniversary of the Mumbai terror attacks, the Pakistani anti-terror court has indicted seven men - Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi (the operations commander of Lashkar-e-Taiba, LeT), Abdul Wajid alias Zarar Shah, Hamad Amin Sadiq, Mazhar Iqbal alias Abu al Qama, Shahid Jamil Riaz, Jamil Ahmed and Younus – for the attack. All these men have pleaded not guilty for the crime. The court proceedings are expected to go on for some months, if not years. In the meantime, the court proceedings against Ajmal Kasab, the lone terrorist captured live by India is also moving on in a slow manner.

Though there were a lot of knee-jerk reactions from people in India, including some political parties, the Indian government showed restraint and didn’t go on for a war with Pakistan. It was a sensible thing to do because had India gone out for a war with Pakistan we would have done exactly what the terrorists wanted from the attack on Mumbai - the destabilising of the region. At the same time the Indian government has been on the offensive ever since using the diplomatic channels by pressurising Pakistan to bring to justice those responsible for the attack on Mumbai. As of now, no credible actions have been taken by the Pakistani government as is expected because of the overt and covert support that the Pakistani ISI has been giving to the terrorists to launch attacks against India.

Since the Mumbai attack last year, there have been no more attacks of that scale till now. But is this a matter for complacency or is it just a lull before the next major strike that the terrorists are planning, we don’t know. But what we know is that we have to beef up the security apparatus in the country. A step in the right place was immediately taken by the government by removing the incompetent minister Shivraj Patil from the Home Ministry and posting the ever-competent P Chidambaram to the post. The no-nonsense attitude of PC has already started to show some results and he is working over time for making sure that the security services in the country are ready to face another eventuality. But he has warned the country that we are still vulnerable to terrorist attacks and therefore has to work ever so faster to close all gaps that are there in the security system of the country. Not only the central government, but also the state governments, public and private organisations as well as ordinary citizens need to be alert and should do everything possible within their realm to increase the security systems in the country.

People in Mumbai were killed by the terrorists irrespective of their religion, race, caste, creed, nationality, gender or the states from which they were coming. Indians from different parts of the country came out in support of the Mumbaikars during their time of grief. NSG commandos from north India came to Mumbai and rescued the city from the clutches of the terrorist and the Mumbaikars gave a great reception to the NSG commandoes after the operation was over. This sense of strong nationality should have opened the eyes of regional chauvinists like the Shiv Sena of Bal Thackeray and the Maharashtra Nava Nirman Sena (MNS) of Raj Thackeray, but unfortunately it hasn’t. Instead they still go ahead with their narrow regionalism and it is up to the people of Mumbai and Maharshtra to teach them a lesson by voting both these parties out of reckoning.

Mumbai is not only the major trade centre in India but also a place that is an avenue for all those who pursue their personal and professional dreams. Mumbai has always been a resilient city and the resilience of the Mumbaikars was made all the more evident by the opening of the Leopold Café only after two days of the Mumbai attacks. And what more, people thronged Leopold Café in such large number to show their support on the opening day that the café had to be closed earlier than normal time on that day as it was not able to meet the demand of the large number of customers. With such show of solidarity the Mumbaikars were telling the terrorist that they may be able to shock them but can’t beat them. On this day, I join in the grief of the bereaved, salute those brave men who lost their lives saving the city and country’s pride and show solidarity with the people of Mumbai.

The Thackeray Brand of Regional Chauvinism

Sachin Tendulkar is perhaps the most loved and admired sports person in India and therefore no sane man in his wits would have the audacity to criticise the great man on his patriotism. And may be after the election reversals, the Shiv Sena Supremo, Bal Thackeray would be finding it difficult to keep a calm mind, otherwise how one can define his outburst against Sachin Tendulkar.

As a reply to a question Tendulkar said this: “Mumbai belongs to India, that’s how I look at it. And I am a Maharashtrian and I am extremely proud of that. But I am an Indian.” A statement any Indian should have been proud about hasn’t gone down well with the ageing leader of Shiv Sena. He criticised Tendulkar for making what he calls a ‘political statement’ and said that he has hurt the sentiments of the ‘Marathi Manoos.’Bal Thackeray has always been the self proclaimed ‘Neta’ of Marathi Manoos and he played the same sort of chauvinism all through his political career. The goons of the Sena have always threatened people and created a sort of ‘Goonda Raj’ in Maharashtra. As if one ‘Sena’ was not enough to create mayhem in the city, Mumbai has got another Sena these days, called the Maharashtra Nava Nirman Sena (MNS) headed by Bal Thackeray’s nephew Raj Thackeray. He created a party of his own when Bal Thackeray overlooked Raj and made his son Udhav the chief of the Shiv Sena.

The Shiv Sena activists resent people calling Bal Thackeray an old man. So I don’t want to tickle the resentful minds of Shiv Sainiks. So the “83 year young” leader of the Sena has been trying to find out an issue to reignite the subject of Marathi pride after the big electoral defeat they faced in Maharashtra. And he got a good subject when Sachin Tendulkar in an interview said India is for all Indians. The Sena chief happily jumped into the scene and criticised Tendulkar and said that Tendulkar has got “run out” in the “pitch of Marathi Manoos” by telling so. He was unaware that by telling so he has got himself out “hit wicket” in the minds of Indians and most importantly, the Marathis. Sachin Tendulkar is one of the greatest sons of Maharashtra and a jewel in Indian conscience. No person in India has ever got away unhurt by criticising Tendulkar personally. It would be a good thing for the Sena chief to remember it if he has some interest in regaining the lost respect of Marathis. As if the tirade was not enough, Samna, newspaper of Shiv Sena, has again come down hard on Tendulkar and said that he has not done any sacrifices for India and Maharashtra and he is not a great Maratha at all.

The goons and thugs of Shiv Sena have attacked the newscentre of CNN IBN in Mumbai and Pune recently. What is interesting is the proud way in which the Sena has taken responsibility of the attack. They have said in a statement that the attack was a natural response of the Shiv Sainiks for the alleged disrespect that the channel showed to Bal Thackeray. The media or the fourth estate is one of the most important pillars of democracy and any attack on the media should be condemned with earnest words and action. Instead, the Shiv Sena, which is a registered political party, has condoned it, which makes it all the more important to proscribe the party and ban it. But the political establishment of this country doesn’t seem to have the courage to do such a thing. So it is up to the common people to give a fitting reply to the Shiv Sena by voting against them in the coming elections as well. But the high number of votes that thuggish parties like Shiv Sena and MNS got in the recent elections should be a matter of worry for all those who believe in the values of democracy.

What people like Bal Thackeray and Raj Thackeray don’t understand is that respect is not earned by violence and brutality. Sachin Tendulkar, the most respected and loved sports person of this country, has earned it through his dedication and commitment to the nation’s cause. The man is widely respected because of his humility and modesty. People like Bal Thackeray are losing the respect they used have among people by such ridiculous utterances. The earlier they understand it, the better.

Tendulkar @ 20 – A Committed Fan’s Heartfelt Tribute

Today, 15 November 2009, its 20 long years since Sachin Tendulkar, the God for a billion people to whom cricket is nothing but a religion, has been wielding a willow and making tons of runs and bringing victories to team India. He was a man destined to win battles single-handedly and bring enormous pleasure to the fans of the game. People rejoiced when he hit the cricket ball to different parts of the ground; they celebrated when he cut and pulled shot balls, when he drove on the rise, when he leaned on to drive the ball through the covers, when he straight drove down the ground, when he swept and reverse swept, when he punched off the backfoot, he flicked through the on side, guided the cricket ball to the third man and when he danced down the track and lofted the bowler down the ground.

The aura of Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar is far beyond the runs he has scored or the wins he gave to the team. It is about the emotion that he brings to the billion people, the expectation, the motivation and the hope. Till he is there in the middle, cricket fans believe that everything is possible, the moment he gets out, the hopes get blown out and people switches off the television sets or move out of cricket grounds. For many of my generation, Cricket has been Sachin Tendulkar, nothing more, nothing less. He has been a role model for a lot of people – not only cricketers but people in all fields and professional backgrounds. He taught us how to fight alone when things are tough and when the circumstances are nothing but favourable. He taught us how to face criticisms and how to behave when things go wrong. He taught us the worth of concentration and values of humility. He taught a generation of Indians the importance of being aggressive yet humble. He never chased milestones; milestones begged him to chase them.

On this occasion of Sachin Tendulkar celebrating his twenty years in International cricket, I dedicate this tribute to the man who is perhaps the greatest icon of my generation. Inarguably, my greatest hero. I salute the great man for his tenacity, his humility, his hard work and his genius and I hope that he will continue for some more years bringing Indians a sense of great achievement through his willow.

CPI (M) Faces Unprecedented Downfall

The by-elections made one thing clear beyond any significant doubt – the CPI (M) is facing an unprecedented downfall in India. People have given a clear mandate against the politics played by the CPI (M); it is another matter whether they will accept the defeat or not. Biman Bose, West Bengal State Secretary accepted it; CPI (M) leader and Kerala Chief Minister, VS Achuthanandan did not.

A strong anti-left wind is blowing in West Bengal owing to the governance failure of the government there and the emergence of the Maoists who are committed in bringing violence in the state. Trinamool Congress Chief Mamata Banerjee is effectively utilising the anti-left wave to her advantage and is not leaving any stone unturned to make sure that the left is losing its hold in the state. Of the 10 assembly seats that went to poll on 7 November, the left front was able to win only in 1 seat, where Forward Bloc won. The major party in the left front, CPI (M), lost in all 5 seats that they contested. They got their greatest blow when they lost in East Belgachia, a seat hold for many years by late Subhas Chakravarty, which was contested this time by his wife. The losses have made the left front more vulnerable than ever before, where some ministers and party leaders have already asked for dissolving the assembly and go for early polls. One of the coalition partners in the Left Front, Socialist party, raised the issue through their leader and Fisheries Minister Kironmoy Nanda. Other coalition partners like CPI, RSP and Forward Bloc said that the issue will be discussed in the next meeting of the left front.

Land struggles in Nandigram and Singur have had a great impact in the imminent fall of the 33 year old edifice of Communist government in West Bengal. The chaos over Tata’s Singur plant had been instrumental in bringing an anti-government feeling in the state. It was very skilfully exploited by Mamata Banerjee and her TMC. The Maoists who are spread over various states in the Country, known as the “red corridor”, have been very active in the state of West Bengal. Though only in three districts do the Maoists have strong hold, they are violently active in the state and have been instrumental in creating a strong anti-government sentiment in the state. The left government in WB is caught in a predicament between controlling the Maoists and containing anti-government sentiment among the public.

In Kerala, the situation is entirely different where the heavy loss faced by the Left Front in the Parliament election and the by-polls is mainly because of the inability of the government in providing good governance in the state. Adding to their woes is the general arrogance displayed by the various leaders of the party. By their diatribes against Bishops of the Catholic Church, the CPI (M) leaders, headed by State Secretary Pinarayi Vijayan, have distanced the Christian community from them. The general governance in the state is dismal, the law and order situation is pathetic and the development efforts are in a moribund state. Another feature of the CPI (M) in Kerala is their inability to accept that they have faulted in various fields. Instead they are still going on criticising the media and threatening the individual voices that have raised genuine concerns. (In this regard it would be sensible to note the life threatening mail that I recently got from one of the anonymous cadres of the CPI (M) – someone with an email id priyaprem90@gmail.com for criticising the party policies)

Some left front leaders in the state have made pledges that they will bring about a big change in the style of governance in the state in the next 15 months. They feel that, by doing so, they can resurrect their ailing fortune before the general assembly election that is due in 2011. The state committee of CPI (M) is meeting now in Trivandrum where they are supposed to discuss the rectification document made by the Polit Bureau that is intended to overcome shortcomings within the party and to remove the “wrongs” at all levels of the party.

It is imperative for the party, in the national level and state level, to change the status quo and bring back communist norms and values to the party leaders and cadres, if they have to have some realistic chances of regaining lost ground in the country. They should also accept the fact that the political strategies initiated by their leaders like Prakash Karat at the national level and Pinarayi Vijayan and Budhadev Bhattacharjee in the state level, have all resulted in fiasco. It would also be good, if the party discuss the reasons why they are not able to become a strong force in the various states of the country, other than West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura, in all these decades, where as certain parties with less historical backgrounds have become forces to reckon with. In this regard, the CPI (M) would do good to study the growth of BJP as a national party within two decades of its formation.

I Take a Bow to the Little Master for Crossing 17,000 in ODIs

I take a bow and congratulate the Little Master, Sachin Tendulkar, for crossing the landmark of 17,000 One Day International runs, first ever in the history of International Cricket. His epic innings of 141 balls 175 (19x4, 4x6) against his most favourite rivals, the Aussies, was a treat to watch. By tragic twist of fate he was not able to convert his record making innings into a match winning innings, as the all too familiar saga of Tendulkar single-handedly fighting the battle for India on a cricket field ended up in a failure. But whatever the outcome of the match, the legend of Sachin Tendulkar moves on and on. Keep going Sachin, even after 20 long years, we are not done with seeing your genius wielding a willow and letting opponents do the leather chase.

(Photo courtesy: AFP)

Afghanistan’s Election Drama Comes to an End

As Abdullah Abdullah has withdrawn from the Presidential election runoff that was set for November 7, we can safely presume that Afghanistan’s election drama is finally coming to an end. Abdullah quitted the runoff in protest over, what he believes, the ‘biased attitude’ of the Independent Election Commission (IEC). It is widely believed that the IEC appointed by Mr. Hamid Karzai had been instrumental in the election rigging that put Karzai ahead of Abdullah in the Presidential election held in August.

The NATO, particularly the United States, was hoping to bring in a legitimate President in Afghanistan to gain some advantage in the losing battle there with the Taliban and other insurgents. But the Presidency that Hamid Karzai got after an election fraud by IEC, which was corroborated by U.N.-supported Election Complaint Commission (ECC), can hardly bring in any legitimacy. Karzai also has the dubious distinction of being a President who has two Vice- Presidents who are said to be a drug baron and a war criminal respectively. The withdrawal of Abdullah from the runoff is widely seen as another US attempt to convince the world that Afghanistan has got an elected government. In Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai is seen is a person with no support base and a person more close to the Americans than to fellow Afghans.

It is highly probable that Abdullah has withdrawn from the Presidential runoff under the behest of the United States. By doing so the US would be counting on Abdullah as a future candidate for Afghan Presidency, if things fail to work out with Karzai as expected. The United States is in such a quagmire and dire confusion, both politically and militarily, that they are not sure about the right strategies that they need to follow in Afghanistan. In the domestic political scene, things are getting difficult for Barack Obama and the Democrats. The Republicans are asking for a very high surge in US military presence in Afghanistan, which Obama doesn’t believe in. At the same time he is mulling over increasing the US military presence in Afghanistan by 15,000. With the electoral victory of Governorship by their candidates in Virginia and New Jersey, the Republicans would become more assertive than before. So it has become imperative for Barack Obama to take some steps to increase his popularity.

The incumbent President of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai will have his task cut out in his second consecutive term in the office. The rising corruption and lack of effective governance are the two most important factors that he has to worry about. But to make amends in both these areas, he has to make some changes in his current administration. Moreover, his political rival, Abdullah would be breathing down his neck, which was made evident by Abdullah’s speech on 4th November, where he said that he is determined to continue his struggle for the betterment of the people of Afghanistan. Hamid Karzai would be looking forward to a reconcilement with Abdullah by stitching a coalition with Abdullah’s party. But with the high moral standing that Abdullah has acquired, by his protest against vote rigging by Karzai, he would not be thinking about it.

It would be interesting to watch how things turn out in the political drama in Afghanistan in the coming days. India, which is having a high stake in the stability of Afghanistan, along with Pakistan, Iran, China and Russia, would be watching things closely. So would be the NATO and particularly the United States.

I Mourn the Sad Demise of David Shepherd

David Shepherd, one of the most loved umpires in International Cricket, passed away after a long battle with cancer, at the age of 68. The English man officiated in 92 tests and 172 ODIs, including three consecutive World Cup Finals - 1996, 1999, 2003. Known for his dislike for Nelson figures, (111, 222,333 etc.) where he used to hop between deliveries when the Nelson figure came as the score, ‘Shep’, as he was widely known, was a congenial umpire who always had a smile on his face. He played first class cricket for Gloucestershire from 1965 to 1979 and made 10,672 runs. His final test as an umpire was the test between Pakistan and West Indies in 2005 in Jamaica. May his soul rest in peace.

Worsening India-China Relationship

For last couple of decades the trade relationship between India and China is on the rise and now China is India’s biggest trade partner. But since the Sino-Indian war of 1962, the relationship between the governments of the two countries is far from being cordial. The relationship has been marked by a superficial engagement with an underlying sense of mutual distrust and suspicion. Chinese government’s recent protest on Indian Prime Minister’s visit to Arunachal Pradesh has worsened the relationship between the two countries.

China has been adamant in not acknowledging the de facto boundary between India and China demarcated by the British and claims that the entirety of Arunachal Pradesh is part of China and calls it South Tibet. The refuge provided by India to the Tibetan religious leader Dalai Lama and his ‘Government in exile’ has always been a thorn in the relationship between the two countries. Yet in the recent years there had been a sort of softening of rhetoric from the Chinese side on the border issue; but suddenly they have come up with an official stand against India’s long held position on the issue of Arunachal Pradesh being a part of the Indian republic. Analysts believe that the sudden change in the China’s attitude towards India is perhaps because of their increasing military and economic prowess vis-à-vis India.

It is not only the Arunachal Pradesh issue that is causing damage to the Sino-India relationship. India is also miffed at China’s offer to Pakistan on building a dam in the Pakistan occupied Kashmir territory. Last month, Pakistan and China signed a memorandum of understanding to build the US $ 12.6 billion Diamir-Bhasha dam on the Indus river in Pak occupied Kashmir, PoK. China has been a great ally of Pakistan and has been supplying investment and technology know-how to Pakistan including missile technology and weapons. Since the 1962 Sino-Indian war, China has been aligning themselves more and more to Pakistan in a bid to confront their ‘common enemy’, India.

It is not only to Pakistan that China is expanding their influence, but also to Nepal. China and Nepal find common ground in being nations leaning towards Communism. But India can passively watch growing influence of China in Nepal only at its on peril. The outrageous geopolitical ambition that China has on India’s neighbours should be countered effectively otherwise there is every chance that India would lose its position as a major economic power in the Indian subcontinent. Growing Chinese influence on Nepal would be a security threat to India in the long run.

India needs to aggressively pursue its foreign policy if it has to sustain any ambition of becoming one of the major economic power houses of the world. It must be noted that such an aggressive pursuance of foreign policy looks bleak from the present Indian Foreign Minister, SM Krishna. He is rather reactive than proactive, a characteristic feature not desirable for a Foreign Minister. As of now, it seems that the Indian foreign affairs machinery is rather obsessed with its relationship with the United States. There is less importance given to other countries, especially our neighbours like Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Myanmar and China. Pakistan is enhancing its foothold on Sri Lanka and is leaving no stone unturned to improve their traditional relationship with China. India has almost forgotten Nepal and Myanmar and its engagement in Afghanistan is only because of the US interest in having India’s involvement in that country. These are all ominous signs for a country of India’s stature.

The border issue is not the only subject on which China has shown its inclination towards countering India. In colluding with Pakistan, China has been lodging its protest against the India-US nuclear deal, especially after Barack Obama came to power in the US. Moreover China has been working against India’s bid to become a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). China also tried to block the Asian Development Bank loan to build a dam in Arunachal Pradesh. What has agitated India recently was China’s act of providing visa to people from Kashmir in a separated sheet of paper, saying that Kashmir is a disputed territory. China recently denied providing visa to people from Arunachal Pradesh and said that those people don’t need visa to come to China as they are Chinese.

Media on both sides of the border has got a great say in the present condition of India-China relationship. The media in the Chinese side, particularly the official media, has been highly critical of India. In one of the recent articles in Chinese Communist party’s official newspaper, People’s Daily, there had been an article criticising India and its global ambitions. (Find that article here at http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90780/91343/6783357.html) There is a sort of diatribe against India, its colonial past and its alleged ambition to become a super power thwarting the aspirations of its other neighbours. At the same time, when Indian media alleged that China has increased its incursions in the eastern border of India, the Indian government accused the media of blowing things out of proportion and warned legal actions against the media. The official governmental stance was that there had been no “significant increase” in the Chinese incursions as reported by the media. That would certainly mean that the government is accepting that there have been continuous Chinese incursions along the eastern border of India all these years.

One of the most remarkable things about the recent India-China spat was the absence of any remarks from any of the CPI (M) leaders in India. Normally known for their rhetoric on any thing related to Indian foreign policy, may it be the Indo-US nuclear deal, the ASEAN pact or the climate change policy, they have been conspicuous with their absence in making remarks. And again that is not a surprise because the CPI (M) in India has always been a self-proclaimed supporter of Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese government. Even the split in the Communist Party of India in 1964 was basically because of the party’s support for China during the Sino-Indian war of 1962. (Find more about Indian Communist Party's controversial stand on India-China war of 1962 at Wikipedia)

It is in the common interest of both India and China to bridge the divide as soon as possible. Both countries have to find areas where they can work together and try to solve all outstanding issues, including border disputes, through dialogue and abstain from making outrageous remarks that would further worsen the already diminished cordial relationship between the two countries.

Nobel Prize for Peace, Literature and Economics

Nobel Prize for Peace for the year of 2009 has been conferred to the President of the United States, Barack Obama. He is the third incumbent US President after Theodore Roosevelt in 1906 and Woodrow Wilson in 1919 to bag the Nobel Peace Prize. (Former US President Jimmy Carter won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002) According to the Norwegian Nobel Committee the prize has been given to him for his "extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.” The Nobel Committee gave great importance to his nuclear weapons free world view. He was honoured for his role in creating a new climate for international politics where conflict resolution is predominantly expected to be done using dialogues and negotiations. The Nobel Committee also lauded Obama’s initiatives towards climate change whereby the United States has vowed to take more active steps towards reducing green house gas emissions. The audacity of hope that Obama brings to the world has been instrumental in him gaining the most coveted prize for peace. Obama’s famous speech at Cairo, made to jettison the lack of faith that the Muslim world has for the intentions and actions of the United States, was also counted. Nobel Committee’s decision to award Barack Obama the peace prize should be seen as a call to action and an encouragement for his activities in the realm of international diplomacy.

Romanian-born, German novelist, essayist and poet Herta Muller bagged the Noble Prize for Literature. According to the Nobel Committee, the prize is given to Muller “who, with the concentration of poetry and the frankness of prose, depicts the landscape of the dispossessed." Her writings depicted the harsh living conditions of Communist Romania under the tyrannical Nicolae Ceauşescu regime. She faced death threats at her native Romania as she refused to cooperate and become an informant to the Romanian secret police when she was working as a teacher. Muller immigrated to Germany in 1987 and since then has been involved in the international literary field. Her novel Der Fuchs war damals schon der Jäger, published in English as The Passport, has been a runaway success and has received great critical acclaim. She is also a recipient of Germany's most prestigious, the Kleist prize.

The Nobel Prize for Economics for the year 2009 has been shared by Elinor Ostrom of Indiana University and Oliver E. Williamson of the University of California, Berkeley for their individual studies on economic governance. According to the Nobel Committee, Elinor Ostrom is awarded "for her analysis of economic governance, especially the commons" and Oliver Williamson "for his analysis of economic governance, especially the boundaries of the firm." Elinor Ostrom is the first lady to receive the Nobel Prize for Economics since the prize was established in 1969. Economics predominantly studies how economic transactions happen in market place. But economic activities happen in other place like associations, households, within firms etc. Though economic theories have always given great importance to virtues and vices of market places, they gave less importance to other institutional arrangements. The individual studies done by Ostrom and Williamson show that economic analysis can shed light on almost all social organisations. By awarding Elinor Ostrom and Oliver Williamson, the Nobel Committee seems to be placing forward the idea that economic theories and researches should go beyond the conventional studies on market mechanics and should try to answer more complex sociological questions of human life.

(Information courtesy: Press release available at www.nobelprize.org)

Nobel Prize 2009 for Science for People Who Worked for the Mankind

I have been away from blogging for some days as I was a bit pre-occupied with some domestic works. But what a great way it would be to mark a come back to blogging by writing about some great people who used science to the larger benefit of the mankind. Nobel Prizes for Medicine, Physics and Chemistry for the year 2009 have been announced and I would like to take a look at the works of those eminent scientists that earned them the Noble Prize.

Nobel Prize for Medicine has been shared by Drs. Elizabeth H. Blackburn of University of California, San Francisco, Carol W. Greider of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore and Jack W. Szostak of Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston. They received the Nobel for the study of chromosome; about how they are copied in a complete way and how they are protected against degradation. With their studies the Nobel Laureates have found out that the reason for the phenomenon can be found out at the ends of the chromosomes – telomeres and by an enzyme named telomerase that creates the telomeres. From their findings it was understood that when telomeres are shortened, the cells age and if the telomerase activity is high, telomere length is maintained and cell death will be delayed. The eternal life of cancer cells is because the telomerase activity is high and hence the cells keep on growing. At the same time, some inherited diseases are because of defected and shortened telomeres that result in damaging of cells. This discovery has major impact in the future studies on finding medicines for cancer treatment and on the treatment of some of the inherited diseases found in human beings.

Charles K. Kao of Chinese University of Hong Kong, Willard S. Boyle and George E. Smith, both of Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill, US have shared the Nobel Prize for Physics for their inventions that tapped the potential of light. Charles Kao was awarded for his studies of optical fibres that are now used in the field of communication. The digital age and the Internet owe a great deal to the invention of Charles Kao. According to the Kao a ray of light that is directed into a fibre, bounces against the glass walls and will move forward since the refractive index of glass is higher than that of the surrounding air. Today telephone and data communication flows through network of optical glass fibre all around the world that would account to about 1 billion km. The information revolution that we see around us is largely due to this contribution of Charles Kao in the field of Physics. Willard Boyle and George Smith are awarded for their invention of digital image sensor – the Charged Coupled Device or the CCD. It is the technology with which we use the digital cameras for capturing high quality images and in the digital transfer of images. This technology is widely used in images taken in the space using space telescopes and in the transfer of images from distant objects.

The Nobel Laureates for Chemistry include Ada E. Yonath of Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Thomas A. Steitz of Yale University, New Haven and Venkatraman Ramakrishnan of MRC Laboratory, Cambridge, and they are rewarded for mapping the ribosome, the cell’s own protein factory. Every living organism, from bacteria to human beings has ribosome in them and no living creature can live without them. Hence they are perfect targets for drugs and antibiotics mainly attack the ribosomes of bacteria and leave alone those of human beings. Therefore the studies of the Nobel Laureates, of mapping the ribosomes at the atomic level, will give a great impetus to the discovery of new drugs. Many bacteria have become resistant to antibiotics and this provides a great challenge to the medical field. The mapping of the ribosomes will therefore help in the creation of antibiotics that would surpass the resistance of the bacteria. The studies done by the Noble Laureates will go a long way in understanding how life’s core processes function and in finding new antibiotics against various diseases that afflict mankind.

(Information courtesy: Press release available at www.nobelprize.org)