Indians are good at multitasking

Sathya Saran
Saturday, February 13, 2010 23:01 IST
Sathya Saran

I am always amazed at the way we Indians multitask. I mean there is work of course, increasinglytaking up our waking hours as double income families chase their dreams, then there arethe kids and their needs, dreams, targets (notnecessarily in that order) to take into account.

And then there is allthe rest of one’s life. I met three people within the space of two days, and they brought home to me, that here in this country, the urban Indian runs not just on one treadmill, but on many, alternately.

Like this man who has just become a father. Not just that, his home was filled with the joy of twin boys, born a bit ahead of their time. So, double the care, double the concerns, and to quote a Laurel and Hardy film title, when things go wrong, Double Trouble!

He admitted to an hour or two of continuous sleep every night; the babies were hearty sleepers through the day and decided the witching hour was playtime… and also time to be walked about!

They were 50 days old, so there was no way to explain to them that papa worked hard all day and needed his shut eye. Then there was the fact that not so long ago, his father had had a brain operation, to combat the ratherdistressing symptoms of Parkinsons’ disease.

Theelectrodes that they had introduced into the brain of the elderly gentleman had indeed changed the tenorof his life and he was active and alert and man about town again… but the weeks before and after the surgerymust have meant some jugglery to a man holdinga full time job.

Then there was the case of the other friend… whose mother, for the second time in as many years, was rushed into ICU. It took a lot of running about andconnecting with doctors, and finally fighting down the need for complex procedures that seemed quite
unnecessary under the circumstances, and now the lady is home safe and sound. But again, it was a juggling act of intricate skill that was called into play.

It happens in most families, the old and the very young, demand sudden, intense attention. And luckily, we are still a nation that works to tending our own.

However, when we look at the larger picture, itis changing, and not really for the better, always. My cousin was telling me, this same week, the horror story of the time when her father, an otherwise active man of 80 plus, took ill. It was a Sunday and she called one doctor after another, as the family doctor was out
of town.

It was frustrating to hear excuses, from being occupied with personal events to being so busy that the first appointment would be only available on Wednesday the coming week.

Finally her long retired cousin’s husband had to beconsulted and the wheels were set into motion to gether father admitted into hospital, from where he was taken into ICCU.

Look around, and chances are almost everyone we know, and often we ourselves, are in the face ofsuch dilemmas. It is of course never a clear black and white picture.

And the niggling worry that there are some medical institutions that look more at profit than care, makes the picture even more grey!
Doctors are after all humans too, and family people, whose own concerns must also be immediate and demanding, but a life is a life and there is theresponsibility on them of being caretaker, once they have taken on the profession.

It is a thought that needs to be reinforced and needs to be understood by every parent who urges a child to take up medicine asa career; by every young person who dreams of wearing a white coat and walking the wards as they do in films.

Medicine is after all, much more than a lucrative career. It is a full-time vocation, and another treadmill that one cannot get off, whatever one’s personal contingencies.

'Indians are born conspiracy theorists'

'Indians are born conspiracy theorists'



Sheela Bhatt in New Delhi

Jairam Ramesh, Minister of State for Environment and Forests, says that India will go to Copenhagen Meet on Climate Change with a positive frame of mind and will be flexible.

In the first part of this interview, Ramesh had spoken about how India can be prosperous without being polluting. In this the second and concluding part of an interview with rediff.com, Jairam Ramesh discusses issues related to the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference, which will be kicked off on December 7, and on what should India's stance be with regard to curbs on carbon emissions. Excerpts:

You have been saying that the Kyoto Protocol is non-negotiable. Right?

Yes, absolutely non-negotiable! There is an Annex I list and non-Annex list.

There are developed countries that take on emission reduction target and there are developing countries who are obligated to report nationally appropriate mitigation targets.

We should have 'common but differentiated' historic responsibility. These issues are non-negotiable.

I have never at any point of time said anything else. It was mischievous reporting by one newspaper of my letter. It was just an idea. I have advocated this distinction between developed and developing countries responsibilities as suggested in Kyoto Protocol.

I have never advocated India taking on internationally legally binding targets. All I have been advocating is that let us see the issue independently of Copenhagen. We must have an aggressive, pro-active domestic strategy. And then negotiate from position of strengthen.

Today, we are negotiating from a relatively defensive position. 'We are not doing this', 'we won't do this. . .' that's not correct thing to do. I would like India to be aggressive. As the Chinese have recognized, we can emerge as the leader in the field.

There is no reason why Indian companies could not be the world leaders in solar and nuclear technology, and in clean coal technology.
Do you see any possibility of a deal in Denmark?

I think intrinsically there is a consensus that there won't be any treaty in Denmark (the interview was conducted in mid-November). There will be some sort of a political statement.

As of now, my feedback is that we will not have legally binding comprehensive climate change treaty. There are too many loose ends. I think the inability of Americans to deliver is also an issue. They are unable to deliver meaningful reduction targets by 2020.

I think that's one very important reason for not having any big deal in Copenhagen. What we will have is the statement of political ambition, a kind of political vision. I think political leaders will give a mandate for future negotiations.

But that's not enough.

It's a start. It's a start. Something is better than nothing.

We don't see people's participation in government's climate change policies.

I agree that ultimately it's all about people and livelihood-security. I have been going to villages. I have been to Himalayas and the North-East. I have gone to coastal communities. Let me tell you, the public is aware of these issues. People know why rains come like this and why floods are so horrific.

You don't have to educate people of India. People are feeling the changes in the climate. I have started coastal zone management. I had public consultation in Goa, Chennai and Mumbai. I will have it in Puri and Kochi. I had public consultations on the Himalayan ecosystem in Shimla and Dehradun.
Some experts think that your ministry is blindly approving Clean Development Mechanism project. (CDM is an arrangement under the Kyoto Protocol where rich countries can invest in projects in developing countries that are able to reduce carbon emissions). You haven't been rejecting many. Are these projects genuine?

We have approved 1,400 projects under CDM. If all of them are implemented then by 2012 we will get $6 billon worth of FDI (foreign direct investment).

About 9 per cent to 10 per cent of India's greenhouse gases will be neutralised through these CDMs.

It is wrong to say that CDMs are not benefiting. It is advantageous to the country. What you are doubting is whether it is benefiting local communities.

It's too early to say. There are some CDMs in forestry that would benefit the communities as well. Before people, the country should benefit. I don't draw distinction between country and people as media and NGOS draw. Country's benefit is people's benefit.

A lot of the approved CDMs are in area of renewable energy. There is a thermal power plant in Kolkata that has got carbon credit because of the efficiency improvement they have achieved. The Bhakara-Beas management board too has got carbon credits.

My job is not to find fault. My job is to support the new ventures. We have asked some of them to redo their proposals.

All over the world the refrain is that only China and India have benefited. It is called China Development Mechanism! PointCross, a Washington-based think-tank, has ranked India as number one in implementation of CDMs.
If you are sticking to the 'common but differentiated' responsibility of rich nations as explained in Kyoto Protocol, then why are you not applying same the principle within India? Why poor suffer more on issue of carbon reduction?

I agree. We need to address issue of domestic inequality. But we should not use poor or poverty as an excuse.

We need to improve access of community to electricity. That is the single most important step that we can take. Give people equal access to electricity. You know, 35 per cent to 40 per cent of India doesn't have access to electricity.

It's a ridiculous situation where 40 per cent of India doesn't have reliable electricity. It's important to have equality within India, but it has nothing to do with Copenhagen.

Why can't rich Indians be asked to pay more than the poor?

Answer to domestic inequality is not to ask people to consume less but to ensure that those who are not consuming should end up consuming more.

We will have to increase the size of the cake by having growth.
People also suspect the figures of levels of emission in India.

We have done a fairly good job. Since last 15 years I am following this debate. I don't think India can be faulted on methodology. We have done a series of surveys on it.

We have launched the Indian Network for Comprehensive Climate Change Assessment. It will provide inventory of greenhouse gas emissions. Our numbers can't be questioned.

At the level of community what are you doing?

We have to worry about the Himalayan ecosystem. What will happen to the glaciers, the water supply and the deforestation in upper catchment areas?

We have done surveys about livelihood insecurity in the Himalayan areas.

We are looking into eco-tourism in ecologically fragile areas of India.

In forests, we will have to provide cooking gas. We will have to make people partners in forest protection.

We are sensitized. We have sensitized chief ministers of Himalayan states. We are getting the State Action Plan on Climate Change ready. The Delhi government has already done it.

Your National Action plan reads fine but what about implementation?

We are always weak in implementation. We are trying to bring results. Please wait. The national action plan was released just last year and implementation is just picking up
Why are you not talking about consumption pattern of the West, one of the main culprits?

I agree. It is often said that developed countries' emissions are lifestyle emissions.

It is true that the consumption pattern of the West has led to this crisis of global warming.

For example, eating beef is the important cause of global warming. The driving of SUVs, the manner in which we use electricity, and in the profligate ways we use natural resources are causing troubles. These are issues embedded in lifestyle. . . that's why Americans are finding it very difficult to come to the negotiating table.

Climate change requires lots of sacrifice on the part of the developed countries in terms of their lifestyle.

What kind of targets you will give to people?

We will not have emission targets, but performance targets. We will introduce fuel efficiency standard by year 2012. We will keep 30 per cent of India under forest and green cover by 2030. We will decrease energy intensity by some per cent by 2020.

Don't you think as a developing country we should ask developed countries for compensation because due to global warming floods and rains have increased? We are the victims of their lifestyle.

We should keep asking. We can spend a lot of time in finger-pointing, but frankly we are not going to anywhere.
Many small island nations and developing countries think that your statement gives the impression that the primary responsibility of climate change is not of the developed countries.

No, no, no. The primary responsibility is of the developed countries only. Also, some of the small island states tend to dramatise the situation. Why 'primary'? In fact, the 'only'. . . the bulk of the responsibility of global warming is of developed countries.

There is historical evidence in front of you, but we have to move on because countries like India, Bangladesh or Maldives are more vulnerable than Denmark or America.

We are saying that countries like America and Denmark are responsible for global warming, but in whose interest is the agreement on climate change needed? For a country like India!

We need to understand that we need the agreement quickly, but we have to keep in mind that we don't give away on basic principles.

What's your priority?

Domestically, we need a sense of urgency. We have to move faster on solar, clean coal and other energy avenues. That is the crux.

We need scientific networks to monitor our sensitive areas. Copenhagen will take care of itself. What we need is an aggressive agenda at home and scientific agenda to measure, monitor and moderate impact of climate change.

Some people doubt that in your climate change strategy some kind of quid pro quo may creep in vis-a-vis US? Your letter suggesting that India may get UNSC seat, etc raises doubts. . .

Indians are born conspiracy theorists, okay? We live on conspiracy theories and we die as conspiracy theorists. Conspiring of theories is our karma!

The fact of the matter is that climate change is an important issue with a larger development impact. It is also a strategic issue. For us, India's interest is paramount. Nothing else matters.

proud to be an indian

PROUD TO BE AN INDIAN.

Let the world know what we stand for.

There are 3.22 Million Indians in America.
38% of Doctors in America are Indians.
12% of Scientists in America are Indians.
36% of NASA employees are Indians.
34% of MICROSOFT employees are Indians.
28% of IBM employees are Indians.
17% of INTEL employees are Indians.
13% of XEROX employees are Indians.
You may know some of these facts. These
facts were recently published in a German
Magazine, which deals with
WORLD HISTORY FACTS ABOUT INDIA.

India never invaded any country in her last
100000 years of history.
India invented the Number System.
Aryabhatta invented zero.
The World's first university was established in
Takshila in 700BC.More than 10,500 students from
all over the world studied more than 60 subjects. The
University of Nalanda built in the 4th century BC
was one of the greatest achievements of ancient India
in the field of education.
Sanskrit is the mother of all the European
languages. Sanskrit is the most suitable language
for computer software reported in Forbes magazine,
July 1987.

Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine
known to humans. Charaka, the father of medicine
consolidated Ayurveda 2500 years ago. Today
Ayurveda is fast regaining its rightful place
in our civilization.
Although modern images of India often show
poverty and lack of development, India was the
richest country on earth until the time of
British invasion in the early 17th Century.
The art of Navigation was born in the river
Sindh 6000 years ago.
The very word Navigation is derived from
the Sanskrit word NAVGATIH.
The Word navy is also derived from Sanskrit 'Nou'.

Bhaskaracharya calculated the time taken by the
earth to orbit the sun hundreds of years before the
astronomer Smart.; Time taken by earth to orbit
the sun: (5th century) 365.258756484 days.
Budhayana first calculated the value of pi, and
he explained the concept of what is known as the
Pythagorean Theorem. He discovered this in the
6th century long before the European mathematicians
Algebra, trigonometry and calculus came from
India; Quadratic equations were by Sridharacharya in the
11th century ; The largest numbers the
Greeks and the Romans
used were 10 6(10 to the power of 6) whereas
Hindus Used numbers as big as 1053 (10 to the
power of 53) with specific names as Early as 5000 BCE
during the Vedic period. Even today, the largest
used number is Tera 1012(10 to the power of 12).

According to the Gemological Institute of
America, up until 1896,India was the only source for
diamonds to the world.
USA based IEEE has proved what has been a
century-old suspicion in the world scientifi
community that the pioneer of Wireless
communication was Prof. Jagdeesh Bose and not Marconi.

The earliest reservoir and dam for irrigation was
built in Saurashtra. According to Saka King
rudradaman I of 150 CE a beautiful lake
called 'Sudarshana'
was constructed on the hills of Raivataka during
Chandragupta Maurya's time.

Chess (Shataranja or AshtaPada) was invented in India.

Sushruta is the father of surgery. 2600
years ago he and health scientists of his time
conducted complicated surgeries like cesareans,
cataract, artificial limbs, fractures, urinary
stones and even plastic surgery and brain surgery. Usage
of anesthesia was well known in ancient India.
Over 125 surgical equipment were used. Deep
knowledge of anatomy, etiology, embryology, digestion,
metabolism, genetics and immunity is also found
in many texts.

When many cultures were only nomadic forest
dwellers over 5000 years ago, Indians
established Harappan culture in Sindhu
Valley (Indus Valley Civilization)
The place value system, the decimal system
was developed in India in 100 BC.

QUOTES ABOUT INDIA:

Albert Einstein said: We owe a lot to the
Indians, who taught us how to count, without
which no worthwhile scientific discovery could
have been made.
Mark Twain said: India is the cradle of the
human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother
of history, the grandmother of legend, and the great
grand mother of tradition. Our most valuable and most
structive materials in the history of man are treasured
up in India only.
French scholar Romain Rolland said: If there is
one place on the face of earth where all
the dreams of living men have found a home from
the very earliest days when man began the dream
of existence, it is India.
Hu Shih, former Ambassador of China to USA said:
India conquered And dominated China culturally
for 20 centuries without ever having to send a single
soldier across her border.
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All the above is just the TIP of the iceberg, the
list could be endless. BUT, if we don't see even a
glimpse of that great India in the India That we see
today, it
clearly means that we are not working up to our
Potential and that if we do, we could once
again; be an ever shining and Inspiring country
setting a bright path for rest of the world to follow.
I Hope you enjoyed it and work towards the welfare
of INDIA. PROUD to be an INDIAN.
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