5000 years old remains of ancient civilization found!!

http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/history-and-culture/rakhigarhi-the-biggest-harappan-site/article5840414.ece?homepage=true

Bigger than Mohenjo-daro, claims expert

The discovery of two more mounds in January at the Harappan site of Rakhigarhi in Hisar district, Haryana, has led to archaeologists establishing it as the biggest Harappan civilisation site. Until now, specialists in the Harappan civilisation had argued that Mohenjo-daro in Pakistan was the largest among the 2,000 Harappan sites known to exist in India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. The archaeological remains at Mohenjo-daro extend around 300 hectares. Mohenjo-daro, Harappa and Ganweriwala (all in Pakistan) and Rakhigarhi and Dholavira (both in India) are ranked as the first to the fifth biggest Harappan sites.

“With the discovery of two additional mounds, the total area of the Rakhigarhi site will be 350 hectares,” asserted Professor Vasant Shinde, Vice-Chancellor/Director, Deccan College Post-Graduate & Research Institute, a deemed-to-be university in Pune. The two mounds are in addition to the seven mounds already discovered at Rakhigarhi, about 160 km from New Delhi. The eighth and ninth mounds, spread over 25 hectares each, are situated to the east and west of the main site. Villagers have destroyed much of these two mounds for cultivation. A team of archaeology teachers and students of the Deccan College discovered them when they surveyed the site in January.

Dr. Shinde, a specialist in Harappan civilisation and Director of the current excavation at Rakhigarhi, called it “an important discovery.” He said: “Our discovery makes Rakhigarhi the biggest Harappan site, bigger than Mohenjo-daro. The two new mounds show that the Rakhigarhi site was quite extensive. They have the same material as the main site. So they are part of the main site. On the surface of mound nine, we noticed some burnt clay clots and circular furnaces, indicating this was the industrial area of the Harappan site of Rakhigarhi.”

Dr. Shinde had earlier led the excavations done by the Deccan College at the Harappan sites of Farmana, Girawad and Mitathal, all in Haryana.

On the surface of mound eight were found terracotta bangles, cakes, and pottery pieces, typical of the Harappan civilisation, said Nilesh P. Jadhav, Research Assistant, Department of Archaeology, Deccan College.

Artefacts found

From January 10, the Deccan College team has excavated five trenches on the slope of the mound four and another trench in the burial mound numbered seven. The excavation in mound four has yielded a cornucopia of artefacts, including a seal and a potsherd, both inscribed with the Harappan script; potsherds painted with concentric circles, fish-net designs, wavy patterns, floral designs and geometric designs; terracotta animal figurines, cakes, hopscotches and shell bangles, all belonging to the Mature Harappan phase of the civilisation. The five trenches have revealed residential rooms, a bathroom with a soak jar, drainages, a hearth, a platform etc … The residential rooms were built with mud bricks. The complex revealed different structural phases, said Kanti Pawar, assistant professor, Department of Archaeology, Deccan College.

Much of the Harappan site at Rakhigarhi lies buried under the present-day village, with several hundreds of houses built on the archaeological remains. The villagers’ main occupation is cultivation of wheat and mustard, and rearing of buffaloes.

Making cow dung cakes is a flourishing industry. There is rampant encroachment on all the mounds despite the Archaeological Survey of India fencing them. Amarendra Nath of the ASI had excavated the Rakhigarhi site from 1997 to 2000.

An important problem about the Harappan civilisation is the origin of its culture, Dr. Shinde said. The Harappan civilisation had three phases: the early Harappan from circa 3,500 BCE to circa 2,600 BCE, the mature Harappan which lasted from circa 2,600 BCE to circa 2000 BCE, and the late Harappan from circa 2000 BCE to 1,600 BCE.

Dr. Shinde said: “It was earlier thought that the origin of the early Harappan phase took place in Sind, in present-day Pakistan, because many sites had not been discovered then. In the last ten years, we have discovered many sites in this part [Haryana] and there are at least five Harappan sites such as Kunal, Bhirrana, Farmana, Girawad and Mitathal, which are producing early dates and where the early Harappan phase could go back to 5000 BCE. We want to confirm it. Rakhigarhi is an ideal candidate to believe that the beginning of the Harappan civilisation took place in the Ghaggar basin in Haryana and it gradually grew from here. If we get the confirmation, it will be interesting because the origin would have taken place in the Ghaggar basin in India and slowly moved to the Indus valley. That is one of the important aims of our current excavation at Rakhigarhi.”

Living on love and fresh air

Author(s): Aparna Pallavi 

http://www.downtoearth.org.in/node/3187

Mar 31, 2009 | From the print edition

A family that has little use for cash

The morning I went to meet her Anusuyabai Meshram did something she does not usually do--milk one of her cows. It was a special day the Meshrams were having guests. "We do not need milk on a daily basis," she explained cheerfully as she served us tea, "Because we drink our tea black."

There are many other things that Anusuyabai, 44, and her 47-year-old husband Pandurang Meshram do not need electricity, piped water, security, a weather-proof house, regular social contact, and for the most part, even money.

For the past eight years, this couple has been living by choice on their seven acre (2.8 hectare) ancestral farm outside village Wasriphode in Maharashra's Yavatmal district without these facilities. Their joy in living a simple life shows on their faces. "We live like this because we like to," Pandurang said. "Two years ago our only daughter, Manisha, was married.Now we are free of parental responsibilities," he added.

Before moving to Wasriphode, Pandurang had worked as a mechanic and driver and also in a fishery for a few years, but the couple was never happy. "We were always anxious about something or the other, especially money and rising prices. Finally we decided to move away here and grow our own food so that we could live without worries," he said.

Over the past eight years, the Meshrams have evolved a lifestyle that requires minimal money. They plant cotton on three of their seven acres, and food crops--jowar millets, a variety of legumes, vegetables, oilseeds and spices on the rest.

The cotton--an indigenious variety--earns them around Rs 40,000 annually, which is enough to buy wheat, rice, the occasional set of clothing and a few necessities; perform their duties on social occasions like weddings in the family, and save a little.

"We do not need money to spend on addictions like tobacco or alcohol, or on visits to doctors," Anusuyabai said.

For transport they have a bicycle, which, they claim is enough, because apart from a monthly pilgrimage to Mahur about 75 km away, they never need to travel more than 25-30 km. They get enough fuelwood from the trees on their land. They harvest food items according to their requirements, leaving the rest on the field for whoever needs them. The couple says that they have never run short of food, and hardly ever harvest more than half of the crops they grow.

Our animals don't let us feel lonely, Pandurang said

"This year we had an excellent okra crop," Pandurang said, pointing to a plant still standing amid a festoon of dried pods, "Each plant yielded more than 100 pods. I gathered baskets of them and heaped them on the roadside for whoever wanted them."

Has he never considered selling his excess produce for money? "Yes, butloche wadteel (it will only create complications)," he replied without missing a beat. This sentence appears to be a refrain with the couple. Why don't they get an electric connection that they can very well afford? Why don't they add to their income by selling the milk from their nine cows? Why don't they avail of government subsidies? Why don't they put their money in a bank? The answer is the same always.

It took some coaxing to get Pandurang to explain the nature of the complications "See, if we get electricity, we will have to earn extra to pay bills, and will be frustrated over power cuts. If we sell our extra produce, I will have to spend more time in the market than with my land and animals. Subsidy means bribing officials."

So why do they bother to grow more than they need? "So we have something to give," he said with touching humility, "Villagers regularly take vegetables and lentils from our farm. Everyone trusts us and we trust everyone."

Love and trust. That appears to be the dominant philosophy of the couple.
Dogs, cats and cattle live in harmony on the farm, and injured wild animals find their way there too. "I have seen a peacock, a deer and a hare in their farm at different times," says Sucheta Ingole of Dharamitra, a non-profit which works in the area of organic farming.

"It is because of these animals that we don't get lonely," explained Anusuyabai, "We have them for love, not for making money."

But what about the investment involved in growing those extra crops and keeping the livestock? "What investment?" asked Pandurang.

This brings us to one of the most important achievements of the Meshrams zero-budget farming. The Meshrams have switched completely to organic farming. They preserve indigenous seeds (and give freely to whoever needs them) of a wide variety of crops they grow. Mulching and contour bunding have enriched the land and reduced the need for irrigation, and have no need for pest control. All other farming techniques have been simplified to a point where the need for labour is minimal.

"We do all the work and in any case our farm does not require more than three hours of work a day," Anusuya-bai said.

"Initially, we taught them techniques for making vermicompost, vermiwash, organic pesticide. But after a year or two, they simply took to tying their animals under some neem trees on the farm. The falling leaves, animal dung, urine and fodder waste accumulating under the trees combined into the best fertilizer-cum-pest repellant you ever saw. I have never heard of crop failure or a pest attack on their farm," Ingole said.

The same simplicity characterizes their financial transactions. The Meshrams keep their money with a trusted money-lender, refusing to bank, but most of their savings are spent in helping relatives.

Indigeneous seeds, the secret of good harvests

For the last two years they have been planning to rebuild their mud-and-tile house, which is sagging, but never got around to doing it because they gave away their money to relatives who were in need. "It does not matter," said a cheerful, sunburnt Ansuyabai, "We are used to living in the open with our animals. We will build the house when people repay us."

They do keep a nest-egg for an emergency though, but neither of them knows exactly how much they have. "I have everything written down," says Pandurang, who has an education up to the fourth grade, with a careless wave of his hand, "And anyway, the man is trustworthy."

The Meshrams have inspired Tarak Kate, agricultural scientist and founder of Dharamitra. A year ago Kate, 60, retired from the non-profit and started living on his own one hectare.

The Meshrams have no doubts nor fear about sustaining their unique self-sufficient lifestyle till the end of their lives. "When you love the land, it yields in abundance. When you love trees and animals, they love you in return. What else do you need to live?"

What else, indeed.

Cow dung on your walls!

Here are some customs which are followed in India from ancient time and people are following them because their ancestors asked them to do so. It may sound disgusting to many but people in Indian villages implant cow-dung in their homes.

Cow is considered very sacred in Hinduism and it is called Gow Maata (Cow, The mother). Cow dung and cow urine is considered holy in India. 

Applying Cow Dung is part of cleaning process in Indian villages. In festivals also, after cleaning their houses, rural people implant cow-dung paste on walls and floors for making their houses pure just like urban people make their houses painted for getting the festive feel. 
 
 

Benefits Of Applying Cow Dung

The recent researches have proved that Cow dung has the power to kill bacteria which are harmful for humans. Cow Dung is considered good for health. It is very rich in minerals and a great factor of anti-bacterial. It prevents people from various diseases and health issues. 

Small insects like scorpions, centipedes etc don't come near to the places which are coated with the paste of Cow dung. 

Cow Dung acts as a natural mosquito repellent. Mosquitoes stay away from such places. 

The floor which is coated with cow Dung remains warm in winters and cold in summers. 

In rural areas, people apply cow-dung on outer walls of their homes and let them dry. Villagers use these dry cow dung cakes as fuel. 
 
Even in many parts of the developing world, and in the past in mountain regions of Europe, caked and dried cow dung is used as fuel. 
 
Cow-dung is also used as raw material for bio-gas plant. 

It is said that if we follow vedic techniques and live vedic way then our lives can be disease-free. - See more at: http://experiencehinduism.com/scientific-facts/gobar-cow-dung-walls-floors#sthash.dAuxgUdl.dpuf

Chappan bhog

1 ) Ukhuda ( Sugar coated puffed rice)

2 ) Nadia kora(Coconut ladu)
3 ) Khua (condensed milk)
4 ) Dahi (Yoghurt)
5 ) Pachila kadali (Ripe Banana)
6 ) Kanika (Flavoured Rice)
7 ) Tata  Khechudi (Dry Khechudi)
8 ) Mendha Mundia (A kind of cake)
9 ) Bada Kanti (Fried Cake)
10) Matha Puli (A kind of Pan cake)
11) Hamsa Keli (Sweet cake)
12) Jhili  ( Thin pan cake like Dosa)
13) Enduri ( Idli)
14) Adapachedi (Ginger Paste)
15) Saga Bhaja (Fried spinach)
16) Kadali Bhaja (Fried Plantain)
17) Maric Ladu (Chilli Ladu)
18) San Pitha ( Small size Cake)
19) Bara/Vada (Donalds)
20) Arisha (Sweet fried cake made by rice flour)
21) Bundia ( Sweet granules made of Chick pea flour)
22) Pakhal oriya(Water rice)
23) Khiri (Milk Rice)
24) Kadamba( A kind of sweet)
25) Pat Manohar (Name of a sweet)
26) Takuaa(Sweets shaped like tongue)
27) Bhaga Pitha (A kind of cake )
28) Gotai(A kind of salty cake)
29) Dalma(Dal with vegetables)
30) Bada Kakara(Large Fried sweet cake)
31) Luni Khuruma (Salty Biscuits)
32) Amalu ( Malpua, Sweet Puri)
33) Suar Pitha (Poda Pitha, Baked Cake)
34) Biri Buha(Black gram cake )
35) Jhadai Nadaa(a cluster of small ball shaped cakes)
36) Khasta Puri(Strong fried cakes)
37) Kadali Bara(Fried Plantain)
38) Sana Arisha (Small fried cakes)
39) Sakar(Chatni)
40) Podo Pitha(Panned Cake)
41) Kanji(Sour Rice)
42) Dahi Pakhal(Curd rice )
43) Bada Arisha(Large size Fried cake)
44) Tipuri(Three stage fillings)
45) Sakara(Sugar candy)
46) Suji Khir(Milk with samolina)
47) Muga Sijha(Boiled green gram)
48) Manohar(a kind of sweet)
49) Magaja Ladu(A kind of sweet like simply wonderful)
50) Pana(Sweet Drink)
51) Anna(Rice)
53) Ghia Anna(Ghee rice)
54) Sweet Dal
55) Besar(Curry)
56) Sag(Spinach)

Indraprastha discovered!

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/the-discovery-of-indraprastha/article5772895.ece?homepage=true

If the ASI is successful in finding painted grey wares from the Mahabharata period, it will prove the existence of the city of Pandavas

The Archaeological Survey of India is on an expedition to discover painted grey wares of the Mahabharat period, which will conclusively prove the existence of Indraprastha.

The ongoing excavation at the Purana Quila site might lead to discovery of concrete evidence that will help in studying the culture and art patronised by the Pandavas. It is also expected to give a fillip to tourism.

In the first excavation in 1954, mounted under the supervision of renowned archaeologist B.B. Lal, who retired as ASI Director General, painted grey wares were discovered.

“However, the wares were not found in stratified deposit. If they were found in stratified deposit, we could support that there were traces of the Mahabharat period,” said Vasant Swarnkar, superintending archaeologist of ASI’s Delhi Circle. Under his supervision, around 60 labourers have been working six days a week at the project site.

To make things easier for Dr. Swarnkar, nearly 20 post-graduate diploma students of archaeology from the Institute of Archaeology have been assisting him. They have been guiding the labour force where exactly to dig, how to unearth crucial discoveries without damaging them and how to carefully hand them over to the authorities to preserve the artefacts for posterity.

Emphasising the site’s significance, Dr. Swarnkar said: “ This site has had continuous cultural deposit from the Mauryan to the Mughal period. The discoveries over the past month have reiterated the fact that there has always been habitation here during the Gupta and Kushan period.”

On Monday, a couple of enterprising students from the Institute of Archaeology discovered a terracotta miniature bull.

“This bull is of the Gupta period, which was a glorious period as it saw patronisation of art,” said Dr. Swarnkar as he cleaned the mud-filled artefact with a brush.

Pottery of the Gupta and Kushan period, semi-precious stones, ear-stud made of terracotta, bowls, miniature pots and sprinklers were also discovered.

According to Neelima Vasudevan, one of the students working at the site, the excavation is part of her field training and it gives her satisfaction if after a hard day’s work some artefacts are discovered.

Hage Sonia, another student, was delicately arranging bones on a plate. “These bones certainly are not of animals but indicate left over meals. I have also discovered iron pieces. This exercise is teaching us the art of supervising digging and identifying the discoveries,” she said.

BJP may form ministry for cow protection in Rajasthan

http://www.livemint.com/Politics/BF9tT7SUT4sk7E0xqyKduK/BJP-may-form-ministry-for-cow-protection-in-Rajasthan.html

New Delhi: The new Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Rajasthan is likely sticking to its promise and creating a ministry for cow protection even as the party, ahead of the Congress in the race to form the next government in the Centre if opinion polls are to be believed, has decided that it will stress its bovine-friendly image in the Hindi belt during the campaign.

Cow protection will be a major issue in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in many parts of North India (Rajasthan, Haryana and some areas of western Uttar Pradesh), senior leaders of the BJP said.

The BJP’s prime ministerial candidate and Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi has already criticized the Union government for promoting India’s “pink revolution”—the export of meat.

“Vasundhara Raje (now the chief minister of the state) had promised people that the BJP would form a cow protection ministry (when elected); the state government has already started working on this plan,” said Prabhu Lal Saini, animal husbandry minister of Rajasthan. “There are 12.1 million heads of cattle in Rajasthan, the highest in the country. There are 1,304 cow sheds in Rajasthan and more than 500,000 cows are provided food in cow sheds. Some of the NGOs are also helping the government and working for protection of cows,” the minister added. Senior BJP leaders said the protection of cows—animals considered holy by most Hindus—is an issue close to the hearts of voters in parts of north India, and will be made an election issue in Rajasthan, Haryana and some areas of western Uttar Pradesh.

The three states are important for BJP’s bid to topple the ruling Congress in the general election because they account for 115 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha.

Western Uttar Pradesh constituencies being targeted by the BJP for its cow protection campaign include Agra, Mathura, Hathras, Aligarh, Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Amroha, Saharanpur, Rampur, Badaun, and Pilibhit.

“Even if the BJP doesn’t raise it during the election, people will make it an election issue this time because it is such a sensitive issue,” said Satpal Malik, the BJP vice-president who is a prominent leader from western Uttar Pradesh.

“I attended a public meeting of Narendra Modi in Surat in which he told the gathering that the state government was busy in green revolution and white revolution (milk), but the Union government was busy giving subsidy for a pink revolution. We asked Narendra Modi to raise the issue during his visits in western Uttar Pradesh,” he added.

Malik pointed out that BJP president Rajnath Singh had also worked for cow protection when he was chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. Malik alleged that there were several illegal abattoirs in western Uttar Pradesh where animals, stolen from farmers, are slaughtered.

BJP leaders from Haryana said the issue would resonate in their state, too.

“Most people in Haryana are vegetarians and people value cows as their mothers. But now we get to hear and read cases of theft and deaths of these animals. This will be major issue,” said Om Prakash Dhankar, convener of the farmers wing of the BJP and a prominent leader in the state.

Political analysts say the BJP will make a special effort to raise the twin issues of cow protection and Hindutva with voters and potential supporters in order to differentiate itself from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which has plans to field candidates against both the BJP and the Congress.

“There is a historical perspective also because the Bharatiya Jan Sangh (the BJP’s predecessor party) had led a major movement in 1950s and 1960s on cow protection. The BJP wants to be seen as different to the AAP and it wants to attract voters. These are issues which are close to people, so the BJP is trying to use it to win their support,” said Jai Mrug, Mumbai-based political analyst.

International miniature zebu association

http://www.imza.name/index.html

Interesting link. Of course most of the members are meat eaters. But,
devotees in US could source dwarf breed of cows through these links.

Cows grazing - solution to all climatic problems

http://www.ted.com/talks/allan_savory_how_to_green_the_world_s_deserts_and_r
everse_climate_change.html

"Desertification is a fancy word for land that is turning to desert," begins
Allan Savory in this quietly powerful talk. And it's happening to about
two-thirds of the world's grasslands, accelerating climate change and
causing traditional grazing societies to descend into social chaos. Savory
has devoted his life to stopping it. He now believes -- and his work so far
shows -- that a surprising factor can protect grasslands and even reclaim
degraded land that was once desert.

Allan Savory works to promote holistic management in the grasslands of the
world.

Muslims fight for cow protection in Gujarat

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-10-30/india/43526376_1_cow-slaughter-cow-protection-local-muslims

AHMEDABAD: Muslims have taken the onus of cow protection in Gujarat.
Following riots on Eid-ul-Adha over cow slaughter at Sansrod village in
Vadodara district, local Muslims have formed a cow protection group.

"We are going to convince butchers that they should give up slaughtering
cows. We are opposing cow
slaughter<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Slaughter>
as it is against the law," said Haji Dilawar Yakub, president of the newly
formed Gujarat Muslim Gau Hifazat Samiti in Bharuch.

He said that the decision to form such a committee was taken by
organizations after the alleged police torture of Sansrod villagers. These
organizations have planned a demonstration in Vadodara on Wednesday in this
regard.

The committee in Bharuch has 15 members and 150 volunteers who have begun
sensitizing Muslims on how cow slaughter has resulted in exploitation of
butchers and traders by animal protection activists in connivance with the
police.

"Muslims in four villages, including Vahalu and Hingala, have given an
undertaking that they will not indulge in cow slaughter," Dilawar said, and
added they plan to start propagating this idea across Gujarat.

Organizations like Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Hind, Gujarat, Bharat Bachao Andolan,
and Gujarat Muslim Development Council have supported the cause.

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Super Smog Hits Chinese City

Super Smog Hits Chinese City As Air Pollution Soars To 40 Times Higher Than
International Safety Standard

Super Smog Hits Chinese City As Air Pollution Soars To 40 Times Higher Than
International Safety Standard


BEIJING (AP) — Visibility shrank to less than half a football field and
small-particle pollution soared to a record 40 times higher than an
international safety standard in one northern Chinese city as the region
entered its high-smog season.

The manager for U.S. jazz singer Patti Austin, meanwhile, said the singer
had canceled a concert in Beijing because of an asthma attack likely linked
to pollution.

Winter typically brings the worst air pollution to northern China because of
a combination of weather conditions and an increase in the burning of coal
for homes and municipal heating systems, which usually starts on a specific
date. For the large northern city of Harbin, the city's heating systems
kicked in on Sunday, and on Monday visibility there was less than 50 meters
(yards), according to state media.

"I couldn't see anything outside the window of my apartment, and I thought
it was snowing," Wu Kai, 33, a housewife and mother of a baby boy, said in a
telephone interview from Harbin. "Then I realized it wasn't snow. I have not
seen the sun for a long time."

She said her husband went to work in a mask, that he could barely see a few
meters (yards) ahead of him and that his usual bus had stopped running.

"It's scary, too dangerous. How could people drive or walk on such a day?"

The density of fine particulate matter, PM2.5, used as an indicator of air
quality was well above 600 micrograms per cubic meter — including several
readings of exactly 1,000 — for several monitoring stations in Harbin,
according to figures posted on the website of China's environmental
protection agency. They were the first known readings of 1,000 since China
began releasing figures on PM2.5 in January 2012, and it was not immediately
clear if the devices used for monitoring could give readings higher than
that.

A safe level under WHO guidelines is 25 micrograms per cubic meter.

Primary and middle schools and some highways were closed, said authorities
in the city, which is in China's northernmost province bordering Russia. At
least 40 flights to destinations in southern China and Beijing among others
were canceled or postponed at Harbin's Taiping International Airport on
Monday morning.

Austin's management team said the 63-year-old singer had been treated in a
hospital Friday morning for an asthma attack in combination with a
respiratory infection. She returned to her hotel later Friday to rest, but
was unable to perform at her Beijing concert scheduled for Friday evening.
Her Saturday night concert in Shanghai went ahead.

Her manager, Barry Orms, said Monday that Austin, as an asthma sufferer,
would have been "affected by the amount of pollution." He said that it
wasn't their goal to place blame, and that "Patti has expressed our belief
that the Chinese government can be a leader in this very important issue."

On the morning ahead of her concert Friday, Beijing's air was visibly
polluted, with the city's environmental monitoring center warning children,
the elderly and those with respiratory illnesses to reduce outdoor activity.

China's major cities have some of the world's worst smog. The government was
long indifferent to the environment as it pursued economic development, but
has begun launching some anti-pollution initiatives after mounting public
frustration.

Last month, China's Cabinet released an action plan that aims to make a
small reduction in the country's heavy reliance on coal to below 65 percent
of total energy usage by 2017. According to Chinese government statistics,
coal consumption accounted for 68.4 percent of total energy use in 2011.

Article on traditional housing

http://www.thehindu.com/features/homes-and-gardens/handmade-homes/article514
9514.ece#.Uj0h3IktQv4.email

Sugar addiction!

http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/the-hidden-truth/article5029228.e
ce?homepage=true

*Forget coffee and desserts. Even breads and granola bars come loaded with
sugar these days, and we get addicted to it unwittingly. Shonali Muthalaly
talks to experts who insist that the addiction must be fought. Thankfully,
it can be!*


How much sugar do you have in a day? Two spoons with coffee? Three spoons,
if you count dessert. So five in total?

Not really. Even if you're a health nut. Actually, especially if you're
health nut. Your healthy breakfast cereal contains sugar. So do your
virtuous digestive biscuits. And your righteous granola bars. Replacing
aerated sodas with energy drinks? Well, that's merely swapping ten
teaspoons of sugar for 6.

Raj Ganpath, co-founder and coach at The Quad, a Chennai-based boot camp,
which promotes optimal fitness and sustainable wholesome nutrition, warns
his clients that what's considered 'normal' today is far from healthy.
"Today's normal amount is in reality excessive and today's occasional is in
reality frequent," he says, adding, "The one teaspoon of sugar in your
coffee is not going to kill you." It's your daily choices that make you
unhealthy.

Even as sugar is being hidden better and better in processed food, Ganpath
says we are getting "dumber and dumber about what we eat". He says, "We
choose to believe the marketing because it's convenient. It's convenient to
pour out cereal and milk out of the bowl and believe you are giving your
children a nutritious breakfast. Even though it is the equivalent of
handing them a chocolate bar and a multivitamin."

As food manufacturers have discovered, back, sugar makes everything taste
better. "A lot of what we eat today is made in a lab, not a kitchen. It's
engineered, and there is a lot of research going into it. Manufacturers
find ways to layer sugar, salt and fat to make it difficult to resist,"
says Ganpath, adding "And they have discovered that sugar makes everything
taste better. Ten years ago, things never used to be so sweet. We don't
realise this because the changes have been gradual. Bread used to be flour,
yeast, water, salt. Now it has 30 to 40 ingredients, including sugar.
Apples used to be tart. Over the last 120 years, we have selectively bred
them to make them sweet. Today everything is homogenised with a sugar-bias.
Even nachos have sugar."

"If it has a label, it stays off my table," says Jill Escher, author of
*Farewell,
Club Perma-Chub: A Sugar Addict's Guide to Easy Weight Loss*. Jill, who
moved from a size 12 to a size six 6 dress size in four months after giving
up sugar runs the 'End Sugar Addiction' blog, which explains to people just
how addictive sugar can be. "Processed food tends to be replete with sugars
in various forms. If a food didn't come from fairly directly from a plant
or animal, it does not belong in your diet."

Dr Sheela Nambiar, obstetrician and gynaecologist, who runs a fitness
programme called 'Training For Life' in Chennai and Udhagamandalam,
explains why you should, in particular, watch out for 'fat-free' food. The
author of the recently launched book *Get Sizewise*, she says, "When
manufacturers take out the fat, the taste goes down. So they add a lot of
sugar to compensate." Start reading labels, and you'll notice hidden sugar
everywhere. "It's in sauces and mixes. In ketchup. In packaged yoghurt."

"Sugar is intoxicating — it floods users with a mild euphoria that, for
reasons of both brain chemistry and hormonal actions, is highly addictive,"
says Escher. "Willpower is a myth, a very destructive myth because it
places the blame on the victim and not the perpetrator. Sugar urges stem
from an abnormally altered biochemistry. To overcome sugar addiction and
create the foundation for healthy eating, we need to reclaim our innate
biochemistry from the invading forces of processed food, sugar, and grains.
A normal biochemistry, based on eating real, unprocessed food, has no need
for refined sugars."

She adds, "The idea of sugar as a staple food is a modern construct and our
distorted bodies show the scars of this relentless assault." Ganpath says,
"It's not normal to eat dessert every day. But any meal at a restaurant now
comes with dessert. Coffee is served with cookies. It's hard to imagine
being addicted to sugar, but picture a world with no sugar and try to fit
anything you do into it, and you'll see how it makes sense."

When Escher gave up sugar three years ago, it wasn't easy. I was 45 years
old, and at only five feet tall, packed on about 30 excess pounds. I knew
deep inside I had become addicted to sugar, and that it was making me fat,
sluggish, and foggy-headed." She adds, "My problem wasn't too many calories
or insufficient willpower, but a nearly lifelong chemical dependence on
refined sugars which had sickened by body and hijacked my brain." Although
the first few weeks were challenging, she says, "I started feeling better
after just a few days. My cravings began to lift, and I began to feel more
nourished with my new way of eating. Weight loss happened fast—almost two
pounds a week. The benefits went far beyond anything I could have imagined:
going from size 12 to size 6 in clothing; clear, glowing skin; a more
focused mind; better sleep; receding arthritis in my spine; better vision;
great cholesterol numbers (even though I ate plenty of dietary fats); and
more energy and zest for work, family, life, and projects.

According to the report *India's Sugar policy and the World Sugar
Economy*submitted at the FAO International Sugar Conference, Fiji 2012, the
consumption in India is growing rapidly. While per capita consumption of
sugar in India is at 20.2 kg, which is that's lower than the global average
of 24.8 kg, it's a steep increase from 4.9 kg in 1963. (The global average
on the other hand shows an increase from 17.3 kg in 1963.)

The fact that we're now eating more refined sugars, including high fructose
corn syrup, makes it additionally worrying. "These are the products of
complex, highly mechanised chemical and physical processes of extraction.
Our bodies were not designed to metabolise these foreign substances," says
Escher. "The problem is not just calories," says Dr Nambiar. "Your insulin
spikes as soon as you consume it." This in turn triggers low blood sugar,
which exhausts you and triggers more sugar cravings. "Artificial sweeteners
aren't much better," says Dr. Nambiar. "The jury is out on aspartame.
Stevia is the safest as as it's natural. But ideally you should train your
palate to get used to less sugar."

"I never ask clients to quit sugar," says Ganpath. "They instantly stop
listening to me. Really, how long are you going to live free from sugar in
a world that celebrates sugar in everything from your morning coffee to
your bedtime antacid?" He adds, "But if you need chocolate to get through
the day, it's time you realised you're sugar-dependent. Your body doesn't
need sugar — it gives you nothing." What about those celebrated 'feel-good
hormones' released by sugary food? He counters, "You get that from patting
a dog."

*Jill Escher's list for sugar-addicts: *

1. Avoid the "white stuff," including refined sugar, flour, most starches
(easy on the rice and potatoes), and processed food, which invariably
contains blood sugar-spiking junk. Starches are nothing more than
long-chain sugars which convert to sugars during digestion. A bowl of pasta
is little more than a bowl of sugar.

2. Eat plenty of dietary fats, including butter, ghee, lard, avocados,
coconut oil, and olive oil.

3. Avoid vegetable oils, such as soybean oil, corn oil, safflower oil, and
canola oil. These highly refined oils cause inflammation.

4. Eat plenty of raw veggies – always have a bowl of sliced and yummy
veggies in your fridge to snack on (I tend to have cucumber, carrots, red
peppers, celery).

5. Don.t eat late at night. For example, try to eat dinner by 7pm, and then
go at least 12 hours without food, having breakfast no earlier than 7am.
When I say "weight loss happens in your sleep," I.m not kidding — you need
to give your digestion and hormones a break if you want the body to start
using fat stores for energy.

6. Drink water, preferably lemon water, throughout the day. Stay hydrated,
carry your water bottle around with you. If you need a bit of sweetness,
add a pinch of stevia.

Ghost towns of China

http://www.ndtv.com/article/world/empty-cities-emerging-in-china-warns-top-o
fficial-403956?pfrom=home-topstories


Press Trust of India | Updated: August 10, 2013 20:20 IST

'Empty cities' emerging in China, warns top official

Beijing: In a grim warning against rapid urbanisation in China, a top
development official has said that reckless expansion of cities has turned
many of them into ghost towns with no occupants in sight.

Qiao Runling, deputy director of the China Centre for Urban Development,
said local governments had relied on quick urbanisation to stimulate
economic growth and generate fiscal revenue.

"Nearly every big or medium-sized city across China has plans to erect a new
town," Qiao said.

New towns are usually bigger than old ones and thus many are left empty as a
result, he said at a forum on urban development in Jiangxi Province.

"China now has an oversupply of cities, given the number of new urban
districts that we have," Qiao said, adding that the excess of new urban
districts are especially serious in medium and small-sized cities in central
and western parts of the country.

State-run broadcaster CCTV recently carried a report showing two such "ghost
cities" with massive apartment and commercial complexes with no occupants,
leaving local governments in deep debts.

Official statistics showed that land used for urban construction rose by
83.41 per cent from 2000 to 2010, while the urban population saw an increase
of 45.12 per cent in the period, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

China, a predominantly rural society, has rapidly urbanised in the past
decades with urban people now forming over 50 per cent of the population.

Dioxins found in cow milk samples

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/dioxins-found-in-cow-milk-sample
s/article4996571.ece?homepage=true

In a study conducted by the Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences
University (TANUVAS) twenty samples of milk collected from cows contained
traces of dioxins. The cows had been brought to the veterinary hospital
after they developed gastroenterological problems, as a result of swallowing
large amounts of plastic waste. The professors behind the study say dioxins
can turn carcinogenic in some cases.

In recent cases, doctors at TANUVAS have had cases where cows had swallowed
more than 25 kg of plastic. The study on the impact of plastic on the cow
and its milk, however, ongoing and is expected to reveal interesting
details. According to estimates, 500 households in the city could be
dependent on milk from their milch cows and buffaloes.

"The toxication occurs when the plastic is stuck in the lumen of the cow for
a long time. Besides bringing down the appetite of the cow, it contaminates
the milk it produces as well. We are looking at how dangerous the impact is
for the cattle and for people who are dependent on the milk," said TANUVAS
Vice-Chancellor R. Prabhakaran.

On an average, every month, 10 per cent of the cows brought to TANUVAS
centres are diagnosed with excessive plastic consumption. "We get nearly
seven cases every month now, which is alarming," said a professor. The
affected cow is put through a long surgery because the plastic forms a mould
and gets stuck.

In a recent case of a cow that had swallowed over 20 kg of plastic, sharp
items such as hairpins, pointed threads, safety pins too were taken out.

"Such cows, instead of 5 litres milk a day, give just about 2 litres," he
added.

The increase in number of cows swallowing huge amount of plastic is also
because people are increasingly discarding their wastes in light garbage
bags which are less than 20 micron. Cattle cannot spit, which makes them
more vulnerable, said a professor.

Kankrej cows

Dear Prabhus/Matajis,

Dandavat Pranams, Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Jayatah

.We are on the look out for first class Kankrej cows for our Project in
Tamil Nadu.

We seek to be contacted by two types of people:


- .those
interested in selling
.best in class Kankrej cows/calves
- t
.hose.
interested in
..working with us to jointly
buy
. them from Gujarat
and transporting them to South India

For the the latter option we already have experts in place in Gujarat who
can pick the best. We are still to tie up with transporters and other
buyers as we need only 2 cows which is not a lot size.

We seek Iskcon temples,
communities
. .
or individuals interested in getting .Kankrej cows to South India
...

nandakumar108@gmail.com

+971559961086

OR

Savyasaachi Pr

backtovillage@gmail.com

+919500656554


Das,

Nanda kumar Das
... ..... ...
SB 1.7.10 purport - ittham-bhüta is "complete bliss." Transcendental bliss
in the realization of impersonal Brahman becomes *comparable to the scanty
water contained in the pit made by a cow's hoof. It is nothing compared
with the ocean of bliss of the vision of the Personality of Godhead*. The
personal form of Lord Çré Kåñëa is so attractive that it comprehends all
attraction, all bliss and all tastes (rasas).

Medieval England twice as well off as today's poorest nations

---------- Forwarded Message ----------
From: Samba (das) (Mayapur)
Subject: Medieval England twice as well off as today's poorest nations
------------------------------------------------------------
Please post where you think fit!

YS Samba das



More proof that the simple life of the past was much better than the so
called
progress of today.

Medieval England twice as well off as today's poorest nations

Research led by economists at the University of Warwick reveals that
medieval
England was not only far more prosperous than previously believed, it also
actually boasted an average income that would be more than double the
average
per capita income of the world's poorest nations today.


For full paper:

http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/economics/staff/academic/broadberry/wp/bri
tishgdplongrun8a.pdf

------- End of Forwarded Message ------

Nice article on CNN on the importance of small farms

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/07/05/world/can-family-farming-make-poverty-hist
ory/index.html?hpt=hp_c4

It's also inspiring to note that the UN has declared 2014 to be the year of
small farms:

http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/RES/66/222

Ys, MD

Determination by Murari sevaks

BY: GADI DAS


Jun 28, 2013 — MULBERRY, TENNESSEE, USA (SUN) — The marriage of James and
Olivia, June 8, 2013.

First and foremost, our goal at Murari's Kirtan Valley is the pursuit of the
pure chanting of the Holy Names. This is certainly enhanced with a lifestyle
conducive to gaining the cherished goal of pure kirtan.

No one receives a salary, not me nor anyonei no stipends, etci. everyone
here feels that to place oneself in this village with full dependence on
Krsna is the best starting point. Yes, starting point. If your devotion is
mixed with enhancements of this world, then you might wanna think about a
restart.

If you receive salary or stipend for your service, then your reward is there
in the money. This is going on, and it has been accepted, but it is outside
the lifestyle of pure devotional service and attitude.

So if you are feeling dissatisfied at heart with the present structure of
your devotional service, perhaps you should consider restructuring it free
from the desire for profiti.. and might as well throw in adoration and
distinction.

Murari's Kirtan Valley just had a wonderful wedding, The marriage of James
and Olivia. You can visit our website for pics and suchi
www.murarisevaka.com. You can also get a nice overview on our Facebook.

About 150 friends and relatives participated in the ceremony, where only the
Maha-Mantra was vibrated by all.

James and Olivia are visibly a very special match. The pictures tell all.
They have submitted themselves to the scientific process of surrender
designed by the great devotional scientists, more commonly called our
Acaryas. The Holy Name is everything for them, and full dependence on Krsna
is everything for them.

Murari's Kirtan Valley is becoming a sanctuary for the soft heartedi no
politics, no faultfinding, no agendas, no conspiracy theories, no etceteras
allowed, kicked out, not allowed.

Complete dependence on the cows, land, and of course Krsnai to sustain us.

Make a visit someday and enjoy a taste of the life that Srila Prabhupada has
really given usi"Make Vrindavan Villages" is the order, and we are following
that one and will complete it! Hare Krsna,
your insignificant servant on call at Murari's Kirtan Valley
Gadi das

Moving people off of the land

---------- Forwarded Message ----------
From:      Dhanesvara (das) (ACBSP) (Kiev - UA)
Date:      21-Jun-13 13:05 (15:05 +0200)
Subject:   Moving people off of the land
------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Friends and devotees,

This is important information for anyone attempting or even thinking of
doing something on the land. Under the name of sustainability there is a
widespread attempt to move peope OFF of the land and into cities, and it is
taking place in different ways in different countries. All of this is going
on to fulfill a UN Treaty signed by 178 nations 21 years ago at Rio de
Janeiro -- Agenda 21 -- all in the name of combating poverty and saving the
earth. You can download and read the treaty from here:
http://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/index.php?page=view&nr=23&type=400&menu
=35

According to some there is nothing on the face of this planet that will not
be impacted by this treaty.

In America and India the effort to clear people off of the land is going on
through a program to bankrupt farmers:
http://www.thecommonsenseshow.com/2013/06/19/the-forced-depopulation-of-amer
icas-rural-areas/

In China they are simply forcing people into 'ghost' cities that have been
previously built:

China's Great Uprooting: Moving 250 Million Into Cities
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/16/world/asia/chinas-great-uprooting-moving-2
50-million-into-cities.html?hp&_r=1&

and here:
http://www.marketplace.org/topics/business/land-grab-chinese-countryside
and here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forced_evictions_in_China

In Russia they are simply going to stop providing infrastructure to all but
21 urban centers, leaving anyone in that vast land to live without
electricity, gas, or piped water.  The proposal is to relocate people to
twenty giant agglomerations where Russia's main natural resources such as
oil and gas were located.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/8137816/Russia-consi
ders-biggest-population-redistribution-since-Stalin.html

For some of the bizarre concepts being considered, such as 'living units' as
small as 200 sq. ft.,  please see what Occupy Corporatism writes here:
http://www.occupycorporatism.com/eco-fascists-push-agenda-21-mega-cities-to-
replace-growing-cities-and-rural-areas/

Look at this map where 50% of the American land mass will be totally
off-limits to any human activity and ask yourself where the people that live
there are going to go:
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBZyIpLWoYyW_FQ8sFWK-PCT4CQqIEmQVb4eezNVizXaRgVhdhPnHTqRqK58XAPoBUBBOJsQQZahB_QrrMP0LixKbW6KKdTjc61xyh2jo6Zh0N-hWV-6WVFBKW67n-x7vUwgjM0sF5id5H//
600/Wildlands-Map.jpg

And recently the EU declared that it is unlawful to plant any seeds that are
not registered with (approved by) the government:
http://www.naturalnews.com/040214_seeds_European_Commission_registration.htm

Perhaps good if this is used to restrict GMO planting; perhaps bad if
intended against planting of heirloom seeds. Time will tell if is a threat
or protection.

Several years ago in Mayapura I gave a presentation on this subject. It
sound weird or 'conspiratorial' to say that this is being done to force
people to give up their independence on the land, but it is going on
nontheless. Don't expect the government to make an announcement that this is
what they are doing. Judge by the results.  It behooves anyone interested in
village/simple living to know about this as it will likely impact your
efforts in some way in the future. Go right to the source:
http://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/index.php?page=view&nr=23&type=400&menu
=35

All the more reason to seriously call on the holy names of the Lord to make
His appearance to rectify the anamolies of the age of Kali.

Dhanesvara Das
(Text PAMHO:25239672) --------------------------------------

------- End of Forwarded Message ------

Make Vrindavan Villages Film

http://youtu.be/Q4krjwQT9rg

His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder Acharya of International Society of Krishna Consciousness wanted that ISKCON establish ideal communities to show example to the troubled world. He instructed - Make Vrindavana Villages. The documentary shows a humble effort at Indonesia of such a community in working. Wonderful interviews of eminent personalities rich with their experience and good line up of the story engages the viewer to fully extract the essence of the mission.

Thanks to Sridhari Madhav Prabhu for the news.
_____________________________________________________________________________
An interesting report link sent.

Your humble servant,
Sridhari Madhav Das

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/337836/muslim-community-mathura-hold-anti.html
_____________________________________________________________________________

Muslim community in Mathura hold anti-cow slaughter convention

Mathura, June 10, 2013, PTI :

In a rare gesture, Muslim community in Mathura has taken a pledge that they would not allow cow slaughter in the district.

"The Muslims of Mathura are not in favour of cow slaughter. It is the handiwork of outsiders who kidnap cows from here at night and then slaughter them," said Abdul Zabbar, convener of the anti-cow slaughter convention held at Islamia Inter College here last evening.

"Cow slaughtering was started by Britishers in order divide both the communities.    The country got independence owing to Hindu-Muslim unity," Sant Ramesh Baba, who was the first to start crusade against mining in hillocks of Barsana about two decades ago, said.

In order to protect the culture of Brij, unity in both the communities is a must, Sant Jai Kishan Das, National President of Yamuna Rakshak Dal said during the convention, which also addressed issues relating to pollution of river Yamuna.

"I am sure that none of the Muslim in Mathura is involved in cow slaughtering since 99 per cent of the Muslims here do not consume beef," claimed SP leader and social worker Ashok Agrawal.

Several Muslim leaders present during the convention jointly pledged that they would not allow cow slaughtering in the district and would start a crusade against it.

Hundreds learn Sanskrit

http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=235630


Hundreds learn Sanskrit

Rakesh Kumar
Saturday, June 01, 2013

Admita Kumar (middle) joins her aunts Hirdeshni Gautam (left) and Ashodra
Gautam in a Sanscrit reading during classes at the Flagstaff Ashram in Suva.
Picture: JONE LUVENITOGA + Enlarge this image

Admita Kumar (middle) joins her aunts Hirdeshni Gautam (left) and Ashodra
Gautam in a Sanscrit reading during classes at the Flagstaff Ashram in Suva.
Picture: JONE LUVENITOGA

HUNDREDS of people around the country are taking the time to learn Sanskrit
language in seven days.

The free online encyclopedia, Wikipedia, describes Sanskrit as a historical
Indo-Aryan language, the primary liturgical language of Hinduism and a
literary and scholarly language in Buddhism and Jainism.

Sanskrit is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India, and it is
an official language of the State of Uttarakhand. It also holds a prominent
position in Indo-European studies.

On the invitation of the Fiji Sevashram Sangha, world renowned Sanskrit
scholar Prof Gajendra Punda is now taking classes in Labasa before doing the
same in Lautoka.

Swamy Sanyukta Nanda of the Fiji Sevashram Sangha said classes in Suva were
well attended and participants numbers had to be restricted to 55.

"The group was organised into two smaller ones, one session being run by his
wife and one by Prof Punda. Participants were of all age groups and from all
walks of life such as academics, workers and retired senior teachers," Swamy
Nanda said.

"The way this course was run was easy to understand and it captured the
participants' interest and enthusiasm on the first day and they were
compelled to take time every evening for classes."

Participants who attended classes in Suva, agreed that the Fiji Sevashram
Sangha had provided an opportunity to get them to better understand and
learn conversational Sanskrit.

Many said they never imagined they would be able to speak a word of Sanskrit
in their life.

While closing the course, Swamy Nanda acknowledged Prof Punda's "selfless"
efforts to promote Sanskrit.

He thanked Mr Punda for travelling to Fiji at his own expense to provide
Fijians the opportunity to learn Sanskrit.

He reminded participants that every nation's progress was measured by its
sampati (wealth) and sanskriti (culture), saying "sadly people are
accumulating wealth but losing their culture".

Swami Nanda also said Sanskrit was the symbol of Hindu culture and heritage
and Hindus should revive it.

Classes are now being held in Labasa while the Lautoka session is scheduled
for June 3-10.

Farmers’ suicide rates soar above the rest

Opinion » Columns » Sainath

MUMBAI, May 18, 2013

http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/columns/sainath/farmers-suicide-rates-soar-a
bove-the-rest/article4725101.ece?homepage=true


Suicide rates among Indian farmers were a chilling 47 per cent higher than
they were for the rest of the population in 2011. In some of the States
worst hit by the agrarian crisis, they were well over 100 per cent higher.
The new Census 2011 data reveal a shrinking farmer population. And it is on
this reduced base that the farm suicides now occur.

Apply the new Census totals to the suicide data of the National Crime
Records Bureau (NCRB) and the results are grim. Sample: A farmer in Andhra
Pradesh is three times more likely to commit suicide than anyone else in the
country, excluding farmers. And twice as likely to do so when compared to
non-farmers in his own State. The odds are not much better in Maharashtra,
which remained the worst State for such suicides across a decade.

"The picture remains dismal," says Prof. K. Nagaraj, an economist at the
Asian College of Journalism, Chennai. Prof. Nagaraj's 2008 study on farm
suicides in India remains the most important one on the subject. "The
intensity of farm suicides shows no real decline," he says. "Nor do the
numbers show a major fall. They remain concentrated in the farming
heartlands of five key States. The crisis there continues. And the adjusted
farmers' suicide rate for 2011 is in fact slightly higher than it was in
2001." And that's after heavy data fudging at the State level.

Five States account for two-thirds of all farm suicides in the country, as
NCRB data show. These are Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya
Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. The share of these 'Big 5' in total farm suicides
was higher in 2011 than it was in 2001. At the same time, the new Census
data show that four of these States have far fewer farmers than they did a
decade ago. Only Maharashtra reports an increase in their numbers.

Nationwide, the farmers' suicide rate (FSR) was 16.3 per 100,000 farmers in
2011. That's a lot higher than 11.1, which is the rate for the rest of the
population. And slightly higher than the FSR of 15.8 in 2001.

In Maharashtra, for instance, the rate is 29.1 suicides per 100,000 farmers
('Main cultivators'). Which is over 160 per cent higher than that for all
Indians excluding farmers. Such gaps exist in other States, too. In as many
as 16 of 22 major States, the farm suicide rate was higher than the rate
among the rest of the population (RRP) in 2011.

The data for 2011 are badly skewed, with States like Chhattisgarh declaring
'zero' farm suicides that year. The same State reported an increase in total
suicides that same year. But claimed that not one of these was a farmer.
What happens if we take the average number of farm suicides reported by the
State in three years before 2011? Then Chhattisgarh's FSR is more than 350
per cent higher than the rate among the rest of the country's population.

In 1995, the 'Big 5' accounted for over half of all farm suicides in India.
In 2011, they logged over two-thirds of them. Given this concentration, even
the dismal all-India figures tend to make things seem less terrible than
they are.

Ten States show a higher farm suicide rate in 2011 than in 2001. That
includes the major farming zones of Punjab and Haryana. The average farm
suicide rate in the 'Big 5' is slightly up, despite a decline in Karnataka.
And also a fall in Maharashtra. The latter has the worst record of any
State. At least 53,818 farmers' suicides since 1995. So how come it shows a
lower FSR now?

Well, because Census 2011 tells us the State has added 1.2 million farmers
('main cultivators') since 2001. That's against a nationwide decline of 7.7
million in the same years. So Maharashtra's farm suicide rate shows a fall.
Yet, its farm suicide numbers have not gone down by much. And a farmer in
this State is two-and-a-half times more likely to kill himself than anyone
else in the country, other than farmers.

Karnataka, in 2011, saw a lot less of farm suicides than it did a decade
ago. And so, despite having fewer farmers than it did in 2001, the State
shows a lower FSR. Yet, even the 'lower' farm suicide rates in both
Maharashtra and Karnataka are way above the rate for the rest of the
country.

These figures are obtained by applying the new farm population totals of
Census 2011 to farm suicide numbers of the NCRB. The Census records
cultivators. The police count suicides. In listing suicides, the State
governments and police tend to count only those with a title to land as
farmers.

"Large numbers of farm suicides still occur," says Prof. Nagaraj. "Only that
seems not to be recognised, officially and politically. Is the 'conspiracy
of silence' back in action?" A disturbing trend has gained ground with
Chhattisgarh's declaration of 'zero' farm suicides. (That's despite having
had 4,700 in 36 months before the 'zero' declaration). Puducherry has
followed suit. Others will doubtless do the same. Punjab and Haryana have in
several years claimed 'zero' women farmers' suicides. (Though media and
study reports in the same years suggest otherwise). This trend must at some
point fatally corrupt the data.

At least 270,940 Indian farmers have taken their lives since 1995, NCRB
records show. This occurred at an annual average of 14,462 in six years,
from 1995 to 2000. And at a yearly average of 16,743 in 11 years between
2001 and 2011. That is around 46 farmers' suicides each day, on average. Or
nearly one every half-hour since 2001.

Over 2,000 fewer farmers every day

http://goo.gl/lDJUl


The Hindu

Over 2,000 fewer farmers every day

The mistaken notion that the 53 per cent of India's population 'dependent on
agriculture' are all 'farmers' leads many to dismiss the massive farmers'
suicides as trivial.

There are nearly 15 million farmers ('Main' cultivators) fewer than there
were in 1991. Over 7.7 million less since 2001, as the latest Census data
show. On average, that's about 2,035 farmers losing 'Main Cultivator' status
every single day for the last 20 years. And in a time of jobless growth,
they've had few places to go beyond the lowest, menial ends of the service
sector.

A December 2012 report of the Institute of Applied Manpower Research (IAMR)
— a part of the Planning Commission — puts it this way: "employment in total
and in non-agricultural sectors has not been growing. This jobless growth in
recent years has been accompanied by growth in casualization and
informalization." It speaks of an "an absolute shift in workers from
agriculture of 15 million to services and industry." But many within the
sector also likely moved from farmer to agricultural labourer status.
Swelling the agrarian underclass.

So how many farmers do we have?

Census 2011 tells us we now have 95.8 million cultivators for whom farming
is their main occupation. That's less than 8 per cent of the population.
(Down from 103 million in 2001 and 110 million in 1991). Include all
marginal cultivators (22.8 million) and that is still less than 10 per cent
of the population.

Even if you count together all cultivators and agricultural labourers, the
number would be around 263 million or 22 per cent of the population.
(Interestingly, this reduced figure comes after a few big states have
actually reported a rise in the total number of cultivators. Since 85 per
cent of all marginal workers reported more than a 100 days work, this could
possibly reflect the reverse pull of MNREGA, among other factors).

Between 1981 and 1991, the number of cultivators (main workers), actually
went up from 92 million to 110 million. So the huge decline comes post-1991.

Hold on: aren't 53 per cent of the population farmers?

No. That's a common fallacy. The over 600 million Indians dependent on
agriculture are not all farmers. They are deployed in an array of related
activities — including fisheries. This confusion is widespread and innocent.

Yet, there are also a few whose colossal ignorance leads them to dismiss the
country's massive farmers' suicides as trivial. For instance: "at least half
of the Indian workforce is engaged in farming. This fact points to a much
lower suicide rate per 100,000 individuals for farmers than in the general
population." Note how easily those 'engaged in farming' become 'farmers!'

As a notion it borders on the whacko. It goes: After all, 53 out of every
100 Indians are farmers. So our 270,940 farm suicides since 1995 are a low
number on a population base of over 600 million. So low that we should be
agitated over how the suicide rate in the general population can be brought
"down to the levels prevailing amongst farmers."

Never mind for now the appalling moral position that a quarter of a million
human beings taking their lives is hardly alarming. The Bhopal gas tragedy,
the worst industrial disaster in human terms, claimed over 20,000 lives. But
in this perverse logic, since that was less than 0.003 per cent of the then
population, it is rendered meaningless. That position says more about its
authors than about the suicides. It shows they are clueless about who a
farmer is — and about what the data show.

It shows even greater ignorance of who defines and counts a 'farmer
suicide.' The Census records cultivators. The police count suicides. The
police do not read the Census. Not for definitions, anyway.

The Census groups the population into workers and non-workers. The latter
would be infants, children, students, housewives, unemployed, aged and
retired people. Farmers, or cultivators come under 'Workers' — a huge
category covering many varied groups. Now rural workers account for close to
70 per cent of all workers. And rural workers consist of farmers,
agricultural labourers and non-farm workers.

Cultivators (main workers) in the Census are barely eight per cent of the
population as a whole. (That's after a two-decade secular decline in this
group). The ongoing farm suicides — 184,169 of them since 2001 according to
the National Crime Records Bureau — are taking place on a smaller and
shrinking base. Their intensity has hardly diminished. In most of the States
accounting for two-thirds of all farm suicides, the intensity has likely
risen.

Of course distress affects a much wider population dependent on agriculture.
(Farmer bankruptcies crush the village carpenter, and even play a role in
weaver suicides). The sufferings of others are as real. It is not as if the
agricultural labourer or non-farm worker is having a great time. Both
sections have seen distress migrations — and suicides. (For that matter the
owner of a small industrial unit in an urban city could be distress-hit).
Their suicides are no less tragic. But it is vital to know who officially
gets counted as a farmer. And who gets listed in the 'farmers' suicides. For
that tells us more about the ongoing tragedy and gives us a sense of its
awful scale.

Everybody who works in the film industry is not an actor. Everyone in the
educational system is not a student. And all those in the 53 per cent of the
population related to the farming sector are not farmers. Even among those
who are, only a limited group gets counted as such when police and
governments make farmers' suicide lists. Cultivators are counted by the
Census. Suicides are recorded by police stations across the country. The
numbers collated by State governments. Very different approaches are
involved.

The Census considers someone a cultivator if he or she operates a piece of
land — which they may or may not own; State governments and police count
only those with a title to land as farmers. The Census records two kinds of
cultivators: 'Main workers' and 'marginal workers.' The latter are more like
agricultural labourers or non-farm workers since farming is not their main
activity. A 'Main worker' in cultivation is someone for whom that is the
major occupation for at least half the year. That group makes barely eight
per cent of the population as a whole.

Suicides among the others in the agrarian world (within that "53 per cent")
won't be recorded as 'farmer suicides.' Try getting State governments and
their police to do that! Even within the 'recognised' eight per cent, those
whose title to land is not clear will not be listed as farmers' suicides,
should they take their own lives. For instance, women and tenant farmers are
routinely excluded. Even eldest sons running the farms — with the land still
in the names of their aged fathers — would also be omitted.

Police and State governments run the suicide lists, not the Census. Nor does
the NCRB, which has neither the vested interest nor the ability to fiddle
that data. It merely collates what the State Crime Record Bureaus submit to
it. Hence, the Chhattisgarh government could brazenly declare a 'zero farm
suicides' figure in 2011. That after the State saw over 7,500 of them (by
its own admission) between 2006-10. With all the fiddles in the data, the
numbers and intensity remain appalling.

Maharashtra revels in such fraud. With close to 54,000 since 1995, the State
has been the worst in farm suicides for over a decade. And even those
numbers conceal major exclusions. They've invented categories like 'Farmer's
relatives suicides,' or "non-genuine" suicides, in order to further trim the
numbers. So the State governments and their police, have immense power in
re-defining who a farmer is. Watch out for more and more States doing 'a
Chhattisgarh' and declaring 'zero' farm suicides in coming months and years.