TIAN AN MEN , BEIJING, CHINA

AUM

COMMUNIST CHINA COMPLETES SIXTY

By Brigadier Chitranjan Sawant,VSM

The Tian An Men square – that is where all roads in Beijing lead to today. The place is all decked up. An impressive portrait of Mao Dzdong, the great political and military thinker and a founder leader of the present regime of China, is the only decoration piece on the ancient royal rostrum where the present leadership will assemble to see the military might and people’s power this morning. It is 1^st October 2009. Exactly sixty years ago, on 1^st October 1949, right here had stood the then top brass of the Communist party of China to herald the birth of the new China. They had won the country by their blood, sweat and tears, sacrificing their loved ones in battles fought with the nationalist forces of General Chiang kai-shek until winning the final great push and banishing the adversary to Formosa, now Taiwan. It was a long fought civil war where no quarters were asked for and none given. Chairman Mao had personally declared the founding of a new China, the People’s Republic of China that day.

GIANT STRIDES FORWARD

The China of today is so different from the China of 1949 that it sets friends and philosophers thinking about what brought about the total makeover. To my mind the greatest asset of the Chinese nation is their capability of loving their past, enjoying the present and working for a future. This mental make-up of the Chinese people is the outcome of an amalgamation of the Confucian, Buddhist and Tao philosophy of life. The Chinese history of many thousand years lets us have an inkling into their trials and tribulations, numerous founding of dynasties, their rise and fall, foreign invasions where the conquerors like the Mongols were culturally conquered by the Chinese and finally their spirit of adventure and inventions. The thread of continuity is discernible throughout and a hidden hatred for the “foreign devil” is unmistakable.

Mobilisation of Manpower for the common good has been one of the greatest assets of the Chinese people. The Great Wall of China bears testimony to this national asset. The Great Wall was built over centuries by different kingdoms but the continuity and will to complete it remained unshaken. Many acts of human cruelty on forced labour, their separation from their loved ones, surviving on meagre meals and lying buried under the foundation of the Wall are just a few of heart-rending facts of history. The aim was, however, achieved and the wall was made. It could not stop the invaders, though. The hordes of Mongols under the great Khans who were sky worshippers and not Muslims as the mistaken perception is, conquered and ruled China for a century. Eventually they were absorbed by the Chinese people and became as one of the native Chinese. The Chinese nation continued marching forward.

LINGUISTIC UNITY

A big country like China cannot but have many dialects and different pronunciations of the same word. Mandarin or Putung Hua is now the official language and is spoken throughout China including Tibet and Xinjiang. Thanks to the first emperor, Chhín Shih Huang Di, the script was unified. Thus the character for water is the same, go east or west, north or south. If one knows how to write one will not go hungry or thirsty. Indeed the script unified China in a great way as nothing else did. Of course, people in the southern Guangdong province still insist on conversing in Cantonese and give Putung Hua a go by. They love to watch the Hong Kong TV as the language is common, the Cantonese.

After the Communist takeover of the country, attention was paid to the common man. Education, next to bread and butter, was an important subject of govt’s attention. The communist regime simplified the ancient characters but did not change the basic look. The Chinese continuity remained and the simplified characters were easy to read and write by the peasants and workers who sustained the new regime. The top leadership of the communist party was genuinely interested in helping the common man make progress. They dressed like them. The blue closed collar tunic was the unisexual dress for male and female Chinese to unify the people like the language and the script. It was not until the death of Chairman Mao and advent of Dung Xiao-ping as a resurrected leader that women were allowed to be fashionable and wear makeup.

PATH OF PROGRESS

The prosperous China of today was born when Deng Xiao-ping brought China out of Mao’s shadow of hard line communism. He added the Chinese characteristics to Marx’s communism. When he was criticized for this dilution, he retorted ”how does it matter if a cat is black or white as long as it catches mice”. Deng set the pace of progress too and China did not have to look back. Progress and progress – that has been the story in all fields, civil or military. A word must be said about the economic disparity between the coastal areas of the East and the mountainous areas of the North-West that has caused avoidable migration of population and social tensions. It has also given rise to unpleasant law and order problems. China has taken them in the normal stride of life.

DISPLAY OF MILITARY MIGHT

Sixty years after its inception the Communist China, hardly communist now, aspires to be a world power. In due course of time she may challenge the United States of America for global supremacy. With a view to achieving that, it is necessary that China becomes militarily strong to show her flag all over the world and go unchallenged. It is a kind of ASHWAMEDHA YAJNA of today. The king’s white horse is running wherever it pleases to run and returns unchallenged to make the owner king a Chakravarti Samrat, a world power in today’s parlance. Now the opportunity is there for China to showcase her military might on the sixtieth anniversary of its founding. Let us have a preview.

The People’s Liberation Army started its military offensive in a major way with a five million strong land army. By the way, the military is PLA irrespective of it being navy or air force or army. To distinguish the force, after PLA the respective service word is added. Now, at this point of time the military thinking has undergone a tremendous change. The strength of the army is being cut down numerically and its battle effectiveness is being enhanced by adding modern fire power and advanced technology. The cut down figure may be anything around 700,000 officers and soldiers. Xu Guangyu, who is privy to policy making, says that a lean and mean army with improved weapon system and a lesser number of troops will achieve the aim. Reclaiming Taiwan by force is an avowed policy of China. The display of military might will set the American policy planners and Admirals thinking about their revising defence plan of Taiwan.

The Navy and the Air Force are now the centre of thought and action of the top brass of the party and the military. Indeed the old dictum of Chairman Mao holds good today too. He said “power comes out of the barrel of a gun and it is the party that controls the gun”. The Communist party and President Hu Jintao have made up their mind to make the Chinese navy a real blue water navy that may sail the seven seas unchallenged. To start with they will test their strength in the Indian Ocean that beckons them. Their acquisition of aircraft carriers and nuclear powered submarines point to the direction of their domination of the Indian Ocean. Is New Delhi listening?

The Air Force will display its latest jet fighter in the sky over Tian An Men square. It is designed, developed and made in China without help from a foreign country. The latest jet fighter is so much wrapped in secrecy that the Chinese air Force chose not to fly it on the rehearsal fly past. It will make a debut on the grand occasion. Right now they have 2,000 battle worthy aircraft and 4,000 air force personnel.

The Army gunners, however, control the missiles with nuclear warheads. The Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles will be the mainstay of the regiment of artillery. Hundreds of thousands of service personnel are proud of their service and strive to achieve the aim. All eyes will focus on them when they march the goose step on the big day. It is expected that 200,000 military men and women will participate in the biggest ever parade held in the Tian An Men square.

The Chinese Navy is the blue eyed boy of the leadership, especially President Hu Jintao who is taking personal interest in various projects of modernisation. He has learnt from history that the union Jack of the British was carried all over the world by their Royal Navy, including capture of Hong Kong and meddling with Beijing. Again it is the US Navy that has made Americans command respect all over the world. The US Navy is defending Taiwan. So, to be a world power, China must have a world class navy. The display on the sixtieth anniversary will let the world know where the Chinese Navy floats today in the blue water oceans. Models of the latest ships, made in China, will float in Tian An Men to please the people of China and put the fear of God in the heart of adversaries.

UPVAN, 609, Sector 29, NOIDA – 201303, INDIA 0091-9811173590.

Email : sawantg.chitranjan@gmail.com or upvanom@yahoo.com

Tian An Men Beijing, China Calling

AUM

COMMUNIST CHINA COMPLETES SIXTY

By Brigadier Chitranjan Sawant,VSM

The Tian An Men square – that is where all roads in Beijing lead to today. The place is all decked up. An impressive portrait of Mao Dzdong, the great political and military thinker and a founder leader of the present regime of China, is the only decoration piece on the ancient royal rostrum where the present leadership will assemble to see the military might and people’s power this morning. It is 1^st October 2009. Exactly sixty years ago, on 1^st October 1949, right here had stood the then top brass of the Communist party of China to herald the birth of the new China. They had won the country by their blood, sweat and tears, sacrificing their loved ones in battles fought with the nationalist forces of General Chiang kai-shek until winning the final great push and banishing the adversary to Formosa, now Taiwan. It was a long fought civil war where no quarters were asked for and none given. Chairman Mao had personally declared the founding of a new China, the People’s Republic of China that day.

GIANT STRIDES FORWARD

The China of today is so different from the China of 1949 that it sets friends and philosophers thinking about what brought about the total makeover. To my mind the greatest asset of the Chinese nation is their capability of loving their past, enjoying the present and working for a future. This mental make-up of the Chinese people is the outcome of an amalgamation of the Confucian, Buddhist and Tao philosophy of life. The Chinese history of many thousand years lets us have an inkling into their trials and tribulations, numerous founding of dynasties, their rise and fall, foreign invasions where the conquerors like the Mongols were culturally conquered by the Chinese and finally their spirit of adventure and inventions. The thread of continuity is discernible throughout and a hidden hatred for the “foreign devil” is unmistakable.

Mobilisation of Manpower for the common good has been one of the greatest assets of the Chinese people. The Great Wall of China bears testimony to this national asset. The Great Wall was built over centuries by different kingdoms but the continuity and will to complete it remained unshaken. Many acts of human cruelty on forced labour, their separation from their loved ones, surviving on meagre meals and lying buried under the foundation of the Wall are just a few of heart-rending facts of history. The aim was, however, achieved and the wall was made. It could not stop the invaders, though. The hordes of Mongols under the great Khans who were sky worshippers and not Muslims as the mistaken perception is, conquered and ruled China for a century. Eventually they were absorbed by the Chinese people and became as one of the native Chinese. The Chinese nation continued marching forward.

LINGUISTIC UNITY

A big country like China cannot but have many dialects and different pronunciations of the same word. Mandarin or Putung Hua is now the official language and is spoken throughout China including Tibet and Xinjiang. Thanks to the first emperor, Chhín Shih Huang Di, the script was unified. Thus the character for water is the same, go east or west, north or south. If one knows how to write one will not go hungry or thirsty. Indeed the script unified China in a great way as nothing else did. Of course, people in the southern Guangdong province still insist on conversing in Cantonese and give Putung Hua a go by. They love to watch the Hong Kong TV as the language is common, the Cantonese.

After the Communist takeover of the country, attention was paid to the common man. Education, next to bread and butter, was an important subject of govt’s attention. The communist regime simplified the ancient characters but did not change the basic look. The Chinese continuity remained and the simplified characters were easy to read and write by the peasants and workers who sustained the new regime. The top leadership of the communist party was genuinely interested in helping the common man make progress. They dressed like them. The blue closed collar tunic was the unisexual dress for male and female Chinese to unify the people like the language and the script. It was not until the death of Chairman Mao and advent of Dung Xiao-ping as a resurrected leader that women were allowed to be fashionable and wear makeup.

PATH OF PROGRESS

The prosperous China of today was born when Deng Xiao-ping brought China out of Mao’s shadow of hard line communism. He added the Chinese characteristics to Marx’s communism. When he was criticized for this dilution, he retorted ”how does it matter if a cat is black or white as long as it catches mice”. Deng set the pace of progress too and China did not have to look back. Progress and progress – that has been the story in all fields, civil or military. A word must be said about the economic disparity between the coastal areas of the East and the mountainous areas of the North-West that has caused avoidable migration of population and social tensions. It has also given rise to unpleasant law and order problems. China has taken them in the normal stride of life.

DISPLAY OF MILITARY MIGHT

Sixty years after its inception the Communist China, hardly communist now, aspires to be a world power. In due course of time she may challenge the United States of America for global supremacy. With a view to achieving that, it is necessary that China becomes militarily strong to show her flag all over the world and go unchallenged. It is a kind of ASHWAMEDHA YAJNA of today. The king’s white horse is running wherever it pleases to run and returns unchallenged to make the owner king a Chakravarti Samrat, a world power in today’s parlance. Now the opportunity is there for China to showcase her military might on the sixtieth anniversary of its founding. Let us have a preview.

The People’s Liberation Army started its military offensive in a major way with a five million strong land army. By the way, the military is PLA irrespective of it being navy or air force or army. To distinguish the force, after PLA the respective service word is added. Now, at this point of time the military thinking has undergone a tremendous change. The strength of the army is being cut down numerically and its battle effectiveness is being enhanced by adding modern fire power and advanced technology. The cut down figure may be anything around 700,000 officers and soldiers. Xu Guangyu, who is privy to policy making, says that a lean and mean army with improved weapon system and a lesser number of troops will achieve the aim. Reclaiming Taiwan by force is an avowed policy of China. The display of military might will set the American policy planners and Admirals thinking about their revising defence plan of Taiwan.

The Navy and the Air Force are now the centre of thought and action of the top brass of the party and the military. Indeed the old dictum of Chairman Mao holds good today too. He said “power comes out of the barrel of a gun and it is the party that controls the gun”. The Communist party and President Hu Jintao have made up their mind to make the Chinese navy a real blue water navy that may sail the seven seas unchallenged. To start with they will test their strength in the Indian Ocean that beckons them. Their acquisition of aircraft carriers and nuclear powered submarines point to the direction of their domination of the Indian Ocean. Is New Delhi listening?

The Air Force will display its latest jet fighter in the sky over Tian An Men square. It is designed, developed and made in China without help from a foreign country. The latest jet fighter is so much wrapped in secrecy that the Chinese air Force chose not to fly it on the rehearsal fly past. It will make a debut on the grand occasion. Right now they have 2,000 battle worthy aircraft and 4,000 air force personnel.

The Army gunners, however, control the missiles with nuclear warheads. The Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles will be the mainstay of the regiment of artillery. Hundreds of thousands of service personnel are proud of their service and strive to achieve the aim. All eyes will focus on them when they march the goose step on the big day. It is expected that 200,000 military men and women will participate in the biggest ever parade held in the Tian An Men square.

The Chinese Navy is the blue eyed boy of the leadership, especially President Hu Jintao who is taking personal interest in various projects of modernisation. He has learnt from history that the union Jack of the British was carried all over the world by their Royal Navy, including capture of Hong Kong and meddling with Beijing. Again it is the US Navy that has made Americans command respect all over the world. The US Navy is defending Taiwan. So, to be a world power, China must have a world class navy. The display on the sixtieth anniversary will let the world know where the Chinese Navy floats today in the blue water oceans. Models of the latest ships, made in China, will float in Tian An Men to please the people of China and put the fear of God in the heart of adversaries.

UPVAN, 609, Sector 29, NOIDA – 201303, INDIA 0091-9811173590.

Email : sawantg.chitranjan@gmail.com or upvanom@yahoo.com

MERI DHOTI MERI CHHAVI

ओ3म्
मेरी धोती, मेरी छवि
ब्रिगेडियर चितरंजन सावंत, वी.एस.एम
तिब्बत की राजधानी ल्हासा में शाम के समय ऐसे ही घूम रहा था । बड़ी बड़ी दुकानो के साथ पटरी बाज़ार पर सजाई हुई चीज़ो को देख कर न खरीदने की इच्छा होते हुए भी मोल भाव कर रहा था। एक मार्के की बात यह सामने आई कि पीतल और तांबे की अधिकांश वस्तुए और कुछ चमकीले रंग बिरंगे छोटे छोटे पत्थर के टुकड़े तिब्बती व्यापारी भारत के ही बाज़ारो से लाए थे। एक व्यापारी ने तो मेरी वेष भूषा और रंग रुप देख कर कहा कि यह सब चीज़े तो आपको अपने ही देश मे सस्ती मिलेंगी। मुझे यह भी देख और सुन कर सुखद आश्चर्य हुआ कि भारतीय वस्तुओ को वहां बेचने वाले तिब्बती पुरुष, महिलाएं और बच्चे काम चलाऊ हिंदी जानते हैं। फिर भी वो मुझसे खुल कर बात करने से कतराते रहे और बाद में एक व्यक्ति ने बताया कि जब वो विदेशियों से बात करते हैं तो चीन की पुलिस उन पर निगाह रखती है।
बाज़ार से ज़रा हट कर, दलाई लामा के पुराने महल और कार्यालय, पोताला पैलेस की ओर जा रहा था तो एक तिब्बती व्यक्ति मेरे निकट आया और मेरी धोती का एक छोर खींचने लगा। मैने चीनी भाषा मे उससे कहा कि मेरे भाई तुम यह क्या कर रहे हो। उसने भी चीनी भाषा मे ही उत्तर दिया कि श्रीमान मै यह जानना चाहता हूं कि यह कपड़ा जो आप लपेटे हुए हैं इसकी लंबाई कितनी है। यह भी कि इसका नाम क्या है। मैने उत्तर देकर उसे संतुष्ट किया कि इसे धोती कहते हैं और इसकी लंबाई लगभग पांच मीटर है। यूं मेरी वेषभूषा यानि धोती और कुर्ता भी विदेशो मे विदेशो मे आकर्षण का केंद्र रहते हैं। इससे मेरी एक अलग पहचान बन जाती है और भारतीय वस्त्रो का एक तरह से हल्का सा प्रचार भी हो जाता है।
धोती वाले ब्रिगेडियर साहब
भारतीय जन मानस में एक सैन्य अधिकारी की छवि अंग्रेज़ो की छवि से भिन्न नही रही है। आम आदमी यह समझता है कि सेना के ब्रिगेडियर जैसे उच्च अधिकारी सदैव सूटेड बूटेड रहते हैं उनकी बड़ी बड़ी मूछे होती हैं – हाथ मे हल्का का केन (डंडा) रहता है और बोलते केवल अंग्रेज़ी हैं। यद्यपि मैने स्वयं तीन दशको से अधिक का समय सैन्य सेवा मे बिताया किंतु अंग्रेज़ो की छवि पाने की कभी कोई अभिलाषा मेरे मन में नहीं उभरी। इसका मुख्य कारण यह रहा है कि आर्य समाज की पृष्ट भूमि और हिंदी से प्रेम होने की वजह से मैने कभी अंग्रेज़ियत को अपने जीवन मे पास नही फटकने दिया। अपने वेषभूषा और भाषा के कारण कभी कभी अपरिचित लोग यह समझ ही नही पाते कि मैं एक वरिष्ठ सैन्य अधिकारी रहा हूं और सेवानिवृत होने के बाद देश विदेश की यात्रा मे धोती कुर्ता ही पहनता रहा हूं। इससे कभी कभी हल्की सी कठिनाई भी हुई किंतु हर कठिनाई और समस्या का समाधान स्वत: मिलता भी रहा ।
जब हॉंग कॉंग को ब्रिटेश शासन चीन शासन को हस्तांतरित करने वाला था तो मुझे आमंत्रित किया गया कि मैं हॉंग कॉंग जाकर वहां की वस्तुस्थिति पर एक टी वी डॉक्युमैंट्री बनाऊं । हॉंग कॉंग के हवाई अड्डे पर जैसे ही मैं बाहर आया तो अपनी अगवानी के लिए किसी को भी नही पाया। हालांकि मैं चीनी भाषा (मैंडरिन) बोल लेता हूं किंतु हॉंग कॉंग कि अधिकांश निवासी कैंटनीज़ भाषा बोलते हैं। फिर उच्चारण का भेद भी हो ही जाता है। समस्या विकट थी। अपने सामान के साथ निकास द्वार के सामने जब मैने चार पांच चक्कर लगाए तब एक चीन के अधिकारी मेरे पास आए और बोले क्या आप हीं ब्रिगेडियर सावंत हैं जो टी वी डॉक्यूमैंट्री बनाने आएं हैं। मैने कहा जी हां। उन्होने क्षमा याचना की और कहा कि थोड़ी देर से वो मुझे देख रहे थे लेकिन तय नही कर पा रहे थे कि मेरी वेषभूषा और सामान्य सैन्य अधिकारी की वेषभूषा मे तालमेल क्यो नहीं है।मैने उन्हे इतिहास बताया तो वो संतुष्ट हुए। मैने इश्वर को भी धन्यवाद दिया कि दुरित दूर हुआ।
ऐसी ही एक घटना, स्वदेश में जालंधर रेलवे स्टेशन पर भी हुई। डी ए वी कॉलेज ने मुझे वेद प्रवचन के लिए आमंत्रित किया था और जब मैं शताब्दी से प्लेटफॉर्म पर उतरा तो वहां पर भी किसी ने मेरी अगवानी नही की। दो तीन मिनट बीत जाने के बाद मेरे कानो में आवाज़ आई, एक सूटेड बूटेड सज्जन किसी से मोबाईल पर कह रहे थे कि गाड़ी तो आ गई लेकिन ब्रिगेडियर साहब नही आए। तो मैने स्वंय उनसे पूछा कि क्या आप ब्रिगेडियर सावंत की राह देख रहे हैं। उनके हां कहने पर मैने अपना परिचय दिया और फिर वो एक बड़ी सी कार में उस होटल ले गए जहां मुझे ठहरना था। उन्होने मुझे बताया कि पंजाब मे धोती पहनने वालो को ढीला ढाला आदमी माना जाता है। मझे भी याद आया कि आर्य समाज के इतिहास में यह चर्चा आई है कि पंडित लेखराम जी जो पेशावर निवासी थी उन्होने महात्मा मुंशी राम (स्वामी श्रध्दानंद) से एक बार कहा – लाला जी आप यह धोती क्या पहनते हैं यह तो यू पी वाले ढीले ढाले लोग पहनते हैं हम पंजाबियो को नही पहनना चाहिए। इस टिप्पड़ी के बावजूद महात्मा मुंशीराम जी ने अपनी वेषभूषा नही बदली। इस घटना से मुझे भी मानसिक बल मिला कि मैं धोती पहनना जारी रखूं।
वेद प्रचार के सिलसिले में जब मैं इंगलैंड गया तो महाशय गोपाल चंद्र, जो मेरी अगवानी के लिए आए थे – ने मुझसे कहा कि मैं भाग्यशाली हूं। आखों ही आखों मे मैने प्रश्न किया कि क्यो तो उन्होने कहा कि आप धोती कुर्ता पहने हुए हैं और आज इक्कीसवीं शताब्दी इंगलैंड मे कोई अंग्रेज़ इस पर आपत्ति नही करेगा। लगभग चार दशक पहले की अपनी कथा उन्होने सुनाई कि उस समय बिना सूट बूट पहने कोई व्यक्ति सड़क पर चल नही सकता था। संभ्वत अंग्रेज़ो का यह मानना था कि अगर इंगलैंड में रहना है तो उन्ही की तरह की वेषभूषा होनी ज़रूरी है और उन्ही की भाषा बोलनी है। यह जानकर मुझे बड़ा संतोष हुआ कि अब वेषभूषा और भाषा पर कोई प्रतिबंध नही है और धोती पहनकर मैं पूरे इंगलैंड मे घूम सकता हूं। यूं मेरे पास ऐसे भी न सूट था न बूट ।
भारत के काले अंग्रेज़
यह विचित्र बात है कि इंगलैंड में तो मैं धोती कुर्ता पहन कर ब्रिटेश समराज्ञी क्वीन इलिज़ेबेथ द्वितिय के महल बकिंघम पैलेस में घूम आया किंतु अपने ही देश भारत में अनेक ऐसे संस्थान और क्लब हैं जहां धोती कुर्ता पहन कर जाने पर प्रतिबंध है। सशस्त्र सेनाओ के अफसर मैस और क्लब, जिमखाना क्लब और रॉयल यॉट क्लब आदि ऐसे भारत भूमि पर अग्रेज़ी संस्कृति के पोशक हैं जो सूट बूट और टाई के अलावा और कोई पहनावा पहचानते ही नहीं। यह सांसकृतिक विडंबना है। मेरे विचार में अब समय आ गया है कि जब अंग्रेज़ संस्कृति पोशक संस्थानो के विरुध्द अभियान चलाकर उन्हे भारत भूमि और भारतीय संस्कृति से प्रेम का पाठ पढ़ाना आवश्यक हो गया है। संभवत युवा वर्ग इस दिशा मे आगे आने के लिए प्रेरित किया जा सकता है। यदि उनके पाठ्यक्रम में स्वदेश प्रेम का पुट दिया जा सके।
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ब्रिगेडियर चितरंजन सावंत, वी एस एम
उपवन
609, सेक्टर 29
अरुण विहार, नोएडा - 201303. भारत
ईमेल : sawantg.chitranjan@gmail.com

GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE

AUM THE GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE By Brigadier Chitranjan Sawant,VSM
Man has made a tremendous progress in the last century. His lifestyle has changed. He lives comfortably and controls Nature in the vicinity for his own good. However, little does he realise that worldly comforts of today may spell global disaster for Mankind tomorrow.It is a known fact that when a nation wishes to make progress, it needs energy. Energy is the hallmark of both a developed nation and a developing nation.When energy is produced or consumed, there are emissions that cause global warming. Now the advanced nations are the root cause of this global warming in a big way. It is they who have to control emissions of green house gases to minimise global warming to save the world from deterioration and eventual destruction.
GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE
In the last decade or so the climate of the world has undergone a change. This change is affecting population of the entire world adversely. Sometimes there is no rainfall at all, sometimes the rainfall is so excessive that it causes destruction of houses and roads. Not only this,the same situation arises with snowfall too. moreover, the rainy season changes its time schedule and pattern and this affects sowing and harvesting of crops adversely. Thus the economy of the world is slowed down and it may cause economic recession too. The change in the weather pattern, change in the economic growth and change in the environment affecting health of human beings and animals as well as other living beings may cause physical, mental and emotional problems. The balance in all spheres is disturbed. The root cause is global warming and the resultant climate change.The excessive warmth in atmosphere causes the snow and ice sheet to melt. Melting of ice on a large scale means more water than the rivers can handle and this causes floods. It is seen that over a period of time even the water level of sea and ocean has risen. If the rise in water level goes on at a speed, some low lying islands are bound to disappear from map of the world. The sea will be eating the land and land area available to human beings and animals for habitation, agriculture, forests, minerals and so on will keep on reducing. Growth of population of human beings and animals coupled with reduction of land area available to them will cause social tension. A recurrent social tension leads to violence. When violence disturbs peace, prosperity takes a back seat. lack of food for self and fodder for the animals will cause disease and death. Thus the global climate change may endanger the existence of many species,including homo sapiens, on planet earth.In the name of economic progress, mankind encouraged industrialization. Industries consume energy. This leads to emissions. The green house gas emissions cause warming and global climate change that puts the existence of our planet into grave doubt. With a view to saving our mani-faceted life and even our planet Earth, it is in our interest to strike a happy balance between economic growth and ecological purity sans pollution. Many a nation expresses doubt about emission causing climate change or the end result being so disastrous. They realise the danger when it is explained that the economic growth based on industrialization in the last few decades has overtaken the rate of growth registered in the last few centuries. The rate of economic growth will accelarate more as the hunger for wealth grows unsatiated. The new developing nations naturally accelarate their economic and military growth faster to catch up with the developed nations. Thus this rat race causes more global warming and the resultant global climate change.
PLAN OF ACTION HEREAFTER
Do we allow nations like Maldives or metropolis like Mumbai or London or other low lying coastal areas to disappear from the face of Earth for ever? No, certainly not. A man has to help fellow man to live and prosper. So, where do we go from here? Now that we have identified the problem, namely Global Climate Change and the root cause, that is emission of green house gases, we have to identify nations that are causing maximum damage to our ecology and pollute our environment. Over a period of time international conferences have been held and proposed action also suggested but the end result was not encouraging. Nations met, debated, discussed in the midst of wining and dining but were back to square one. Let us go over some of the relevant points and assess the gravity of the situation once again so that we all are motivated to do the right thing at the right time. In the Vedic philosophy of life it is called KARMA - action and when we do KARMA we cannot but get the KARMAPHAL or the result of the action. What you sow, so must you reap - that is an age-old saying. On the question of global warming and global climate change Man was sitting idle and has suffered. To prevent further suffering, the time for ACTION is NOW.It is indeed international consensus that the two nations that cause maximum green house gas to disturb our ecology are the People's Republic of China and the United States of America. In China 70 per cent energy is coal based. It means the emissions are too high and unless controlled will cause maximum damage to ecology. Although the Americans are highly industrialised with modern technology, their volume of consumption of energy and resultant emissions are indeed high. Americans stand at number two place in emissions of green house gases. They have to come up with positive plans to undo the damage they have been causing so far. President Hu Jintao of China and President Obama of America will be discussing with one hundred world leaders from 22 Sep 09 0nwards in New York under the aegis of the United Nations how to save Mankind from sure disaster due to global climate change.The KYOTO Protocol of 28 articles signed on 11 December 1997 was the first formal agreement among nations to proceed in the right direction to curb emissions. However, the developed nations thought that their economic growth would be slowed down since the developing nations would just not do a thing to cut green house gas emissions in the name of protecting development of a developing country. As a tit for tat policy USA also did not do anything as China was most reluctant to slow down its production. A bill on the subject was passed by the House of Representatives of America but got stuck in the Senate. Now, a happy balance has to be arrived at. The latest pictures from the Arctic show that the way and the fast speed at which the ice sheet is melting due to global warming, the day of destruction is not far off. Ban Ki Moon, Secretary General of the UNO is himself hosting the present conference and consultations so that it does not get bogged down owing to procedural wrangles. The ecology watchers sitting in the wings are indeed hopeful of positive outcome of genuine effort to solve the vexatious problem.The North-East sea passage, the Arctic route linking the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean provides a direct route that is 4,000 nautical miles shorter than the southerly route via the Suez canal but it spells disaster for our ecology. The ice sheet is now a flowing river but it means global warming and a climate change that may spell disaster. Heat is changing the Arctic scenario and one shudders to think of the outcome. Indeed industrial growth is a triumph for Man but it may result in a disaster for Mankind and our Mother Earth. Let us all unite under the aegis of the United Nations to save planet Earth and usher in real prosperity that will not be suicidal._____________________________________________________________________

The First Woman Chancellor of Germany

AUM
ANGELA MERKEL – FIRST WOMAN GERMAN CHANCELLOR
By Brigadier Chitranjan Sawant,VSM

Angela Merkel is the name of the most powerful woman of Germany. The political pundits were surprised at her meteoric rise in the German political firmament. When she sent Helmut Kohl, the most powerful Chancellor in post-war Germany packing home, her political adversaries in her own party were overawed. The giant killer earned respect as a former provincial dowdy woman with a poor dress sense who made it to the top. Little did detractors realise that Angela Merkel, a childless divorcee who carried surname of her first husband, is out and out a pragmatist and knew which way the wind was blowing.

Born in Hamburg, the second largest city in Germany, her father moved the family to a small town in East Germany where he was appointed a Pastor in a Protestant church. Her family background helped her become the first Protestant Chancellor who broke the male monopoly of Roman Catholics from West Germany. She married a second time and her husband Joachim Sauer is a Chemistry Professor in Berlin. They have no children. She is a committed politician and a devoted housewife.

What is it that makes Angela Merkel so successful in the high brow male dominated political world. Well, it is her devotion to duty and determination to achieve the goal. She determines the AIM and maintains her aim so that she knows how to go about achieving the aim. Criticism of detractors does not bother her except that she doubles her effort to reach the goal surmounting hurdles on the way. It is not the dress or the facial makeover that matters to her, it is the ability to do for the country what her countrymen expect of her.

As a Chancellor of Germany elected to the office in 2005 with a wafer thin majority, Angela Merkel won the hearts and minds of her compatriots by her hard work and spectacular results in ameliorating the hardships of the common man. She successfully steered Germany out of the notorious economic recession and made the German economy the biggest in Europe leaving erstwhile economic giants way behind. In the European Union she came to be known as a high achiever and one who solved the vexatious problems in an amicable manner. When in trouble, other European nations looked up to her to lend a helping hand and find solutions to problems of gigantic nature.

Her critics say that she compromises her principles for political expediency. She does not contest this charge. When she came to power in 2005, she invited the opposition politicians , including her challenger to the high office, to join the coalition government and they did. This sagacious move gave political stability to her government and she did not have to waste time and energy in saving her government from opposition attacks every now and then. Indeed, as a Christian Democrat she had to make concessions to the Social democrats in the shape of fixing minimum wages and social welfare more akin to the communist philosophy than to her own. That is indeed the art of running a successful government for the sake of the country by making compromises. In India we call it the Coalition Dharma and the people get used to it.

Angela Merkel,54, had visited India in 2007 and had paid a visit to the Rajghat to lay a wreath at the Samadhi of Mahatma Gandhi. She studied the regional problems and ways to neutralise impact of Islamic terrorism. She maintains an independent foreign policy and overrides illogical opposition of other countries to her considered moves. Once she had decided to grant time to the Dalai Lama for a meeting with her, she went ahead with the pre-determined schedule, notwithstanding diplomatic opposition by the People’s Republic of China. Her will power and her resolve not to be cowed down makes her stand in line with Margaret Thatcher, the former Prime Minister of the United kingdom, also known as the Iron Lady. Apparently Angela Merkel enjoys such comparisons as these will ensure for her a place in the world history. As it is, she stands in the galaxy of most powerful women of the world and the US magazine, Forbes, ranked her there for three consecutive years. Indeed it was not without reason.

Come elections; come September – the balmy days that give comfort. It will be more than balmy for Angela Merkel as on 27 Sep 2009 in the national elections her party will be returned to power. Thereafter, there will be no stopping Chancellor Angela Merkel from being re-elected Chancellor of Germany to be in that august office for her second term. The people are with Angela Merkel and Angela Merkel is with the people. Together they will make Germany a super power and a global force to reckon with.
UPVAN 609, Sector 29, NOIDA – 201303 INDIA. Mobile : 0091-9811173590.
Email : sawantg.chitranjan@gmail.com

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