“Be safe, not sorry” says Times of India. Not Sorry. Who is sorry anyway, in today’s world? These news papers? The TV channels? These NGOs? The public who blindly believe them?
Be Sorry! At least be sorry! No one’s going to act, no one’s going to correct. But at least be sorry, at least look at the wrong and definitely be sorry.
We see it in movies and may be hear things flying around in the air about the power of media. We may perhaps even believe it. But do we comprehend it fully, this "power"? And if we do, what can we do about it? Who knows what’s right and what’s wrong? Who can decide that? Whom do we believe in and trust? And why should we believe them?
Who owns Times of India and who owns NDTV and all the news mediums at large? Who funds the NGOs? Learn to question!
28th April 2011, Times of India, Mumbai, page number 16, “Calls intensify for a national ban on pesticide endosulfan” Do read this article. Be sorry!
Kerela’s chief minister. Educated up till standard 8, worked in a village tailoring shop and later took up a job of meshing coir to make ropes at a coir factory (Didn’t have to go further than wikipedia). Does he have the right to comment on the structure of a chemical or what causes the health problems in Kasargod?
Who are the others commenting on this pesticide, according to this article? – Church representatives, movie stars, poets and civil society activists. If you cannot even feel sorry then laugh! Laugh also when you notice how much of this article is based on facts and scientific evidences. According to one study… Laugh, laugh!
“…84 countries, including America, Australia and EU members have banned the pesticide, India refuses to do so, stating it needs evidence across the nation. This reason is baffling.” Baffling!! That we can even expect ourselves to be a rational, thinking country.
Whatever this rubbish has been so far, but to say that it adversely impacts honeybee populations! (FYI honeybees are responsible for the pollination of fruits and vegetables.) This impact appears after 50 years of usage of endosulfan? And this America of yours who has so proudly banned endosulfan, lets look at their honeybee populations since the holy ban. Over 50% of honeybees wiped out!! (Vanishing of the Bees. Oh wait! Who’s responsible for this? Neonicotinoids? EU!?!!) Endosulfan is the ONLY existing pesticide in the world! that is soft on honeybees. Get your facts right. And by the way, this here, is India, the world’s second largest population. If such a catastrophe as in America were to happen here, imagine the impact on food and food prices, imagine the impact on the poor.
And then to say that the “government must show it values citizens’ lives and well-being”? Luckily, it is showing (Apart from Mr. Achuthanandan). Now citizens, we must ask the media to show it values citizins' lives, well-being and their right to correct, unbiased, unadulterated information. We must ask the media to do what it exists for, inform responsibly!
Luckily also, in this article the media has printed a counterview. Read that and understand it.
1. Proper use of the pesticide. Like all shampoo bottles and all medical strips have directions for usage and dosages, so of course do pesticides. Agreed, pesticides have ill-effects, just as a medicine has side effects. If you are one who takes herbal medications and practices yoga daily to keep healthy and fit, then go ahead and ban endo and treat your crops in the same way, organic farming, that is fantastic! But if you pop a crocin every time you have a headache, how the hell do you have the right to stop the crops from taking their medicines?
2. Cost-effective. We are not Brazil, our farmers are the poor populations, who own little pieces of land. You come up with cost-effective alternatives that are as safe as endo, sure, stop using it. But you have no right to support the ban if you do not have a solution.
3. And believe it or not, these “idol” western countries of ours, they are not here to guide us through our problems! What makes you think they are interested in banning this product in our country because they are concerned about the health problems of the poor populations of Kasargod? You think they have no vested interests? Oh laugh again then!
So you know what, its too late to do anything anyway, but BE SORRY!
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