[Tamil poet from Pre-Christian Sangham era]
Monsoon
- Translated By Eelam Tamil Scholar Rev Fr. Xavier Thaninayagam
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Restore Tamil Rights
At the Demecratic National Convention
In repudiating extremism we need to recommit ourselves to a few common-sense
principles that should transcend partisan differences. First, we cannot enhance our
own security if we place in jeopardy what is most precious to us, namely, the
centrality of human rights in our daily lives and in global affairs. Second, we cannot
maintain our historic self-confidence as a people if we generate public panic. Third, we
cannot do our duty as citizens and patriots if we pursue an agenda that polarizes and
divides our country. Next, we cannot be true to ourselves if we mistreat others. And
finally, in the world at large we cannot lead if our leaders mislead. [Full Text]
Gentler Globalization
[Yale Global]
The new government
wants to show it can take
care of the neediest while
promoting investment and
exports.
Tuvalu long way
[News.com.au]
IT TOOK just a bit of
alphabet and a jot of
punctuation to pave this
island's lone road, to light
the village lanes at night,
to pay the rent on an
office suite and a UN seat
in far-off New York.
Ever since two little
letters, "tv", were plucked
from the alphabet soup of
the internet and assigned
to tiny Tuvalu, its 9,000
Pacific islanders have
been making the most of
it. Or have they?
Eight years ago, Alan Colman and his team of geneticists stunned the world when they
cloned a sheep. Dolly became a household name, and Colman found himself in the
spotlight. He made appearances on NBC, CNN, and the BBC, and landed more than a
hundred invitations to lecture in front of audiences around the globe: Islamic scholars in
Dubai, philosophers at Oxford University, biotech conferences in Delhi and Bangalore.
Suddenly Colman, who was working in Edinburgh, had his pick of prestigious
academic posts and private research labs across the Western world. He turned them all
down.
Instead, he packed up his life and moved to the Southeast Asian city-state of
Singapore, where he is now sitting, explaining his next big project over a tuna
sandwich. The 55-year-old scientist hopes to create insulin-producing stem cells,
which he'll use to treat diabetics, freeing tens of millions of people from a lifetime of
needles and glucose monitoring. Before Colman came to Singapore in 2002, his plan
was just a lofty goal in need of funding. Then Singapore dangled a $6 million grant if
he'd agree to relocate. "I met with venture capitalists in the US and the UK and realized
that it would be very difficult to fund the work I wanted to do," he explains. "But
Singapore was prepared to put money into it. They're not just interested in conventional
returns on investment; they're taking a long-term view. It really wasn't a difficult
decision."
political reform [BBC
News]
Reform has become one
of the most controversial
words in India's political
vocabulary. I know two
economists who no
longer speak to each
other because of
differences over reforms.
Their wives have fallen
out too.
Reform has become
something of a mantra, a
panacea to make India an
"Economic Superpower".
For others, it means
classical not
compassionate capitalism.
The science and technology dimensions of the problems leading to suicides among
farmers need concurrent attention along with the socio-economic and political aspects.
THE ONSET of the South West Monsoon usually signals the beginning of floods in the
Brahmaputra and Barak Valleys and in North Bihar. In the other parts of the country,
the normality of the monsoon is usually measured by the quantity of rainfall received
and not by the quality of its distribution. However, it is inter-spell duration that
determines the destiny of crops and not just total rainfall. The chronically drought
prone areas of our country have been mapped. In several parts of the country, there
may be drought in the early part of the monsoon period and floods later. As a result,
the visit of Central drought relief teams is followed by the visit of flood relief teams to
the same area.
Globalization was termed as modern capitalism which made the rich richer, Emeritus
Professor of Medicine Dr. Carlo Fonseka said at a seminar on 'Globalization and
Human Rights' held at Marga Institute, Colombo. This was the first in a series of four
seminars organised by the Centre for Policy Alternatives which was presided by its
Director, Dr. P. Saravanamuthu.
Indian weddings [BBC News]
Western couples are
getting married in India in
increasing numbers,
believing the sacred rites
will make their marriages
last longer.
Economic growth has been a hot topic for the last two to three decades. Our leaders
and intellectuals representing them have tried to convince us that our development is on
an upward trend. Statistics showing an increasing GDP growth rate, low budget
deficit, stability of the currency etc. during the past two years and mainly the changes
in share market indices have been flaunted to substantiate this. We talked more about
the unemployment rate and less about the suffering individual or group of people
unemployed or sacked from jobs. We talked more about the inflation rates and less
about those in starvation.
Sri Lanka is to become the latest destination for British companies outsourcing their
operations overseas.
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