The Prince of India...Rahul gandhi

A young man with a vision and one of the India's new ray of hope in the world of Indian politics. He is Rahul Gandhi. Rahul Gandhi is the Congress General Secretary of the Indian National Congress. He is also a Member of Parliament representing the Amethi constituency.

Childhood and Study
Rahul Gandhi was born on 19 June 1970 in Delhi, the first amongst 2 children of Rajiv Gandhi, former Prime Minister of India and Sonia Gandhi, the present Congress President. His grandmother was former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and his great-grandfather was Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first Prime Minister.

He attended Modern School, New Delhi before entering the The Doon School. Starting university at Harvard, he got his B.A. from Rollins College, Florida in 1994 due to interruptions in his studies caused by security concerns after his father's assassination. He received an M.Phil. in Development Studies in 1995 from Trinity College, Cambridge. Rahul Gandhi, after graduating worked with management guru, Michael Porter's Management consulting firm, Monitor Group for three years. He returned to India in late 2002.

His vision
Rahul Gandhi’s vision of ‘Internal Democracy’ in the Congress party’s Youth and the Students’ wings has resulted in reforms and transformations never seen before. From open memberships to internal elections under impartial observers, the young Gandhi aims to infuse transparency and the concept of talent management and performance measurement in the organisation, a huge effort to herald a positive change in one of India’s oldest political parties.

Public life
He appeared with his mother and Congress President Sonia Gandhi at public events and Congress meetings. He also traveled to Pakistan on a goodwill visit to watch the first cricket series between the countries in 14 years in a One Day International with his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. As a matured politician he formulates his tactics very carefully.  In March 2004, he announced his entry into politics by contesting the May 2004 elections from Amethi in Uttar Pradesh for the Lok Sabha. In his first interview with media, he condemned "divisive" politics in India, saying that he would try to reduce caste and religious tensions. His candidacy was greeted with excitement by locals, who had a long standing affinity with the family's presence in the area. He won with a landslide majority, retaining the family stronghold with a margin of over 100,000 as the Congress unexpectedly defeated the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. His campaign was directed by his younger sister, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

In January 2006, at a convention of the Indian National Congress in Hyderabad, thousands of party members asked for Gandhi to take a more prominent leadership role in the party and demanded that he address the delegates. He said "I appreciate and I am grateful for your feelings and support. I assure you I will not let you down", but asked for patience and declined to immediately seek a high profile role.
Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra managed their mother's election campaign in Raebareli in 2006, which was won easily with a margin greater than 400,000 votes. He was a prominent figure in a high profile Congress campaign for the 2007 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.

As Congress General Secretary
Rahul Gandhi was appointed a General Secretary of the All India Congress Committee on 24 September 2007 in a reshuffle of the party secretariat. In the same reshuffle, he was also given charge of the Youth Congress and the National Students Union of India. Rahul Gandhi implemented some innovative methodologies in the process of choosing leadership in Youth Congress. Rahul Gandhi toured the country with a mission to strengthen the Youth Congress and NSUI. He held interaction sessions with the young buds in various colleges and universities. This new approach helped create a fresh enthusiasm among the young party workers and sympathizers. Rahul Gandhi always believed that unless the youth of this country become active in Indian politics and be a part in the process of development, India cannot prosper further.

Strengthening Youth Congress
It is a scene of a sea-change in the rank and file of the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) and the National Students Union of India (NSUI), the youth and students’ wings, respectively, of the Indian National Congress. The reason is the implementation of the vision of ‘Internal democratisation of Rahul Gandhi, current General Secretary of the All India Congress Committee (AICC).  Along with the strengthening of internal democracy in the youth and student’s wings of the party, Rahul Gandhi has not lost sight of the long term vision of political empowerment of youth of the country. In the Parliamentary and Assembly elections held recently, a large number of IYC and NSUI members were given opportunity to contest elections and a majority of them have been successful. This has ensured a two pronged rejuvenation and reformation in the IYC. By sending new talent into the parliament and State Assemblies Shri Rahul Gandhi has ensured that the young generation gets a firsthand exposure in the giant laboratory of Indian Democracy.

His mission to promote youth
Rahul Gandhi focussed on the twin systems of open membership and internal elections as the major drivers of this organisational transformation. His method of open membership ensures that people interested in becoming members are inducted directly into the organisation. The aim is to increase the cadre-base and to empower the youth of the country by helping them enter the political sphere. As a pilot, a month-long membership drive was undertaken in Punjab in August-December 2008. The result saw memberships exceed 350,000, a ten-fold increase vis-à-vis the previous membership drive which yielded approximately 30,000 memberships.

A greater arduous task that has been driven by Rahul Gandhi is the process of conducting elections within the organisation, across the country. This was a step never before undertaken in the organisation, and is seen as a bold and decisive move to bring in transparency across the ranks and to give a fair chance to all members. The membership drive in the states was followed by elections at block, district and state levels in the organisation. The election also ensures that all sections of society are adequately represented within a committee. The result, according to the party, has been a younger, fresh lot of people from all sections of society, many amongst them, first-timers in politics. Rahul Gandhi’s drive and vision has, according to the party, succeeded in its primary mission of opening the doors of politics to all who are interested, and ushering in organisational democracy, setting a benchmark across all political organisations.

As a Congress campaigner
In the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, he retained his Amethi constutuency by a victory margin of over 333,000 votes. Rahul Gandhi also played a pivatol role in reviving Congress in U.P during this election by winning 21 out of the total 80 Lok Sabha seats. He spoke at 125 rallies across the country in six weeks. Rahul Gandhi, at present concentrates mainly on constituency issues and the politics of Uttar Pradesh.

"If the country is to be changed, it cannot be changed from the top, it can be changed from the ground level. Policies can be from the top, ideas can come from the top, thoughts can come from the top, but their implementation has to be at the level of municipalities, panchayats and wards".  These words of Rahul Gandhi prove that he understands the actual value and strength of democracy and also underlines the importance of a visionary young leader like him.

Future leader
It is the future which will prove the effectiveness of the endeavour of the young Congress leader. But his push at reforms, addressing rallies, conferences and meetings and interaction with young people of varied professions and socio-economic backgrounds across states to spread the awareness of his organisational reforms is an indication of his seriousness to bring in and to establish a direct contact with the grassroots, an endeavour to inject vital life into the party and the youth of this country.

Cow slaughter : Crime or business?

Firdaus Khan

Certainly, India is a land of striking contrasts and paradoxes. While Indians ostensibly worship cows, they also butcher over 30,000 of them daily, usually in unsanitised, ill-managed torturous chambers euphemistically called abattoirs. There have been several protests against the evil practice of cow slaughter.

Unfortunately, it didn’t lead to any significant result.

Perhaps, the biggest lacuna was lack of a mass movement. Al Kabir slaughter house is one such place, where thousands of cows are slaughtered on a daily basis. Few years ago, Hindutva organistations stood against it. But soon the issue lost its significance as they got to know that the owner of the house is a non-Muslim.

Obtrusively, cow slaughtering is practiced on major level. Prominently for flesh and its remains that are of huge profit. Cows are even smuggled to neighboring countries for their meat. In essence, there are 16 crore dairy cattle. According to the department of livestock, in Uttar Pradesh alone there are 314 abattoirs.

Every year lakhs of cattle are butchered. Despite the demands to abandon this atrocious practice, it still continues. During the reign of Muslims, cow slaughtering was strictly banned. Interestingly, there were no differences among Hindus and Muslims.

In the 1700’s such practice was not prevalent. Hindus considered cow pious and in Islam pigs were considered as dirty animal. On the other hand, British were in need of flesh of both these animals. Besides, they also wanted to establish their rule in India. It was them who provoked Muslims by claiming that it is nowhere mentioned in Quran that slaughtering a cow is immoral. So this practice took a spur in 18th century, creating a rift among Hindus and Muslims.

The largest benefit in the business does go to non- Muslims. The government needs to take immediate steps before it is too late.

Courtesy : Afternoon

Alcohol : benefits vs risk

Firdaus Khan

There is consensus that non drinkers should not start and the ones who drink can continue provided they do so in moderation and in absence of contraindications, said Dr. KK Aggarwal, President, Heart Care Foundation of India. People tend to consume more alcohol in winter and near the New Year.

Persons who have been lifelong abstainers cannot be easily compared with moderate or even rare drinkers. Recommending alcohol intake to them even if they would agree to drink is not justified. The diseases that moderate alcohol use prevents (such as coronary heart disease, ischemic stroke, and diabetes) are most prevalent in the elderly, men, and people with coronary heart disease risk factors. For these groups, moderate alcohol use is associated with a substantial mortality benefit relative to abstention or rare drinking.

For young to middle-aged adults, especially women, moderate alcohol use increases the risk of the most common causes of death (such as trauma and breast cancer). Women who drink alcohol should take supplemental folate to help decrease the risk of breast cancer. Men under the age of 45 may also experience more harm than benefit from alcohol consumption. In this age group, moderate alcohol use is unlikely to provide any mortality benefit, but consumption of less than one drink daily appears to be safe if temporally removed from operation of dangerous equipment. For individuals with established contraindications to alcohol use, even this level of alcohol use is dangerous.

Men can tolerate more alcohol than women. The ideal therapeutic dose of alcohol is around 6 grams per day. Medically safe limits are 10 grams in one hour, 20 grams in a day and 70 grams in a week.

Beware of winter drinking

Winter is the month of high alcohol intake. Moderation is the key provided we understand what moderation is, said Dr. KK Aggarwal, President, Heart Care Foundation of India. He was interacting with the public at the Heart Care Foundation of India stall being put up at the ongoing India International Trade Fair, Pragati Maidan in the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare pavilion.

Healthy middle-aged women can have up to one and men up to two drinks a day without increasing the risk of the abnormal heartbeat called atrial fibrillation. More than three drinks increase the risk. Atrial fibrillation is a common disease of today. It occurs in about 1 percent of people up to the age of 80 and it can cause significant symptoms in those who have it. In atrial fibrillation, the two upper chambers of the heart (atria) beat irregularly and faster than they should. Blood can pool in the atria, leading to formation of clots that can block a major artery to the brain, causing a stroke.

Higher intakes of alcohol can cause elevation in the risk for atrial fibrillation. In a Harvard study of 35,000 women, all above 45 years, none had atrial fibrillation or any other heart condition at the start of the study. Over an average follow-up period of 12.4 years, 1.9 percent of the women who had one drink or less a day developed atrial fibrillation, compared to 1.8 percent of those having one to two drinks a day and 2.9 percent of those having two or more drinks a day. There is a 40 to 50 percent increase in the incidence of atrial fibrillation at about three drinks a day. Drinking more than six drinks in a day can precipitate sudden death. Drinking more than 5 drinks in one hour can precipitate sudden death or a heart attack.

Avoid unnecessary injections : World AIDS DAY

HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C can all be transmitted through blood and blood products and or by sexual route. Keeping in mind World AIDS Day KK Aggarwal, President, Heart Care Foundation of India cautioned that getting injections from unqualified health care workers can spread HIV / AIDS. The spread of HIV in India is primarily restricted to the southern and north eastern regions of the country. In India, the main factors which have contributed to its large HIV infected population are extensive labor migration, low literacy level in certain rural areas resulting in lack of awareness and gender disparity. According to Dr. KK Aggarwal, President, Heart Care Foundation of India :

Transmission

In order to pass HIV from one person to another, HIV-infected internal fluid from one person needs to get into the bloodstream of another person. HIV is usually transmitted through: Sharing needles, unprotected anal, vaginal, and sometimes oral sex, and from mother to infant before or during delivery and while breast-feeding.

HIV can spread through unprotected sexual contact with multiple partners, blood products, mother to baby (before or during, or through breast milk) and sexual intercourse (vaginal and anal). In the genitals and the rectum, HIV may infect the mucous membranes directly or enter through cuts and sores caused during intercourse (many of which would be unnoticed). Vaginal and anal intercourse is a high-risk practice.

The mouth is an inhospitable environment for HIV (in semen, vaginal fluid or blood), meaning the risk of HIV transmission through the throat, gums, and oral membranes is lower than through vaginal or anal membranes. There are however, documented cases where HIV was transmitted orally, so it cannot be stated that getting HIV-infected semen, vaginal fluid or blood in the mouth is without risk. However, oral sex is considered a low risk practice.

An injection needle can pass blood directly from one person's bloodstream to another. It is a very efficient way to transmit a blood-borne virus. Sharing needles is considered a high-risk practice.

It is possible for an HIV-infected mother to pass the virus directly before or during birth, or through breast milk. Breast milk contains HIV, and while small amounts of breast milk do not pose significant threat of infection to adults, it is a viable means of transmission to infants.

Effective strategy to prevent HIV

Becoming educated about HIV and understanding the facts about transmission are the first, and perhaps most important way to prevent the spread of HIV.

Abstaining from sex particularly with multiple sexual partners and needle sharing is the most effective way for people to protect themselves from HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. However, when abstinence is not an option for people, using barrier protection such as latex condoms (male or female) is the next best thing.

Three stages of prevention

Firstly, everyone should take steps to avoid contracting the infection,

Secondly, an infected person who does not know that he is infected should be made aware of his condition through symptoms or thorough examination and

Finally, the already infected persons should be made aware of the need for prevention of other diseases and be aware that he can infect others.

The most effective ways to prevent HIV Infection

Not having sex – whether vaginal, anal, or oral

• Sex only between two mutually monogamous, uninfected partners who do not share needles or syringes with anyone.

• Not injecting non prescribed drugs

• Not sharing needles or syringes for any reason (when injected illegal drugs, medications, vitamins, or steroid; tattooing; or body piercing)

• Not engaging in activities that involve exchange of blood, semen, vaginal fluids, or breast milk.

Ways to reduce the risk of HIV Infection

Using a latex condom the right way every time during vaginal, anal, or oral sex.

• Not using drugs or alcohol, which can impair judgment.

• Cleaning needles and syringes with chlorine bleach and water if more effective prevention is not available.

• Using barrier protection (e.g. latex gloves) when coming into contact with blood.

A new weapon of war, HIV kanya, HIV blood transfusions after kidnapping, HIV positive syringes for extraction of money.

On Saturday, April 4, 09, 52 year old Johnson Aziga was found guilty of murder by a Montreal jury for not sharing his HIV status with sexual partners, two of whom later died from AIDS-related illnesses. According to prosecutors, this marks the first case in Canada, and possibly the world, where an HIV-positive individual has been convicted of murder for failing to inform partners of his status.

Aziga, a former government research analyst from Uganda, was found guilty. He infected seven women; four other partners did not contract the virus. The Crown argued that Aziga infected the women with “‘slow-acting poison’ that destroyed their immune systems … leading to their cancers and to their deaths.” The sex was not considered consensual because the women were not aware he was HIV positive.

Needle stick injury

The average risk of seroconversion after a needle stick injury is about 3 per 1000 with no prophylaxis. It is estimated that this risk is reduced at least 80 percent when post exposure prophylaxis (started within 3 hours) is administered in a timely fashion. Infection is high with hollow needle, high bore needle and if the needle is inserted in the artery or the vein.

Prior to the widespread use of hepatitis B vaccine among health care workers, the prevalence of hepatitis B virus markers was higher among health care workers than the general public. In 1991 the guidelines came that all health care workers be offered hepatitis B vaccine. Recent studies suggest that this strategy has been highly successful in reducing hepatitis B virus infection among health care workers with a 95 percent decline in the incidence of hepatitis B infection among them.

Hepatitis B virus is the most infectious of the three blood borne viruses. It gets transmitted by percutaneous and mucosal exposures and human bites. It has also been transmitted by fomites such as finger stick devices used to obtain blood for glucose measurements, multi dose medication vials, jet gun injectors, and endoscopes. The virus can survive on counter tops for seven days and remain capable of causing infection.

The prevalence of HCV infection among health care worker is similar to that of the general population. Testing of health care workers for hepatitis C virus HCV should be performed after needle sticks, sharp injuries, mucosal, or non intact exposure to hepatitis C virus positive blood. The average incidence of sero conversion to hepatitis C virus after unintentional needle sticks or sharps exposures from a hepatitis C virus positive source is 1.8 percent (range, 0-7 percent). Transmission of hepatitis C virus from blood splashes to the conjunctiva has been described. Hepatitis C virus has been demonstrated to survive on environmental surfaces for at least 16 hours but not four or seven days.

Infected blood with hepatitis C, hepatitis B and HIV together is the most deadly weapon ever possible.

Beware of candles

Firdaus Khan

Paraffin wax candles, used for light, fragrance and to create a romantic ambiance, can contribute to air pollution inside home. The candles, which are made from petroleum, are a source of known human carcinogens and indoor pollution, said Dr KK Aggarwal, President, Heart Care Foundation of India.

With Diwali approaching, one should be careful of candle pollution. Dr Aggarwal said that people visiting the Perfect Health Mela will also be educated about the harmful effects of candles. Candles made from beeswax or soy, although more expensive, apparently are safer because they do not release potentially harmful pollutants.

An occasional paraffin candle and its emissions does not harm but lighting many paraffin candles every day for years or lighting them frequently in an unventilated bathroom around a tub, may cause problems. Ventilation can help reduce the level of pollutants in closed rooms. Pollutants from burning candles can also cause respiratory irritation and allergy.

Panic and Rumors are contagious

Firdaus Khan

Both rumors and panic reactions are contagious. It just takes one percent of the population to create rumors. Most rumors are not facts. The best way to know whether it's a rumor or not, is to ask, "Who told you". The answer invariably will be ‘someone’. Unless somebody has heard it from the horses' mouth do not believe it. It is a human tendency to add to what one has heard from someone.

This was stated by Dr K K Aggarwal, President Heart Care Foundation of India. Rumors are scientific and are based on the 100th Monkey Phenomenon. Once the target population is sensitized, the rumor spreads like wild fire. In a gathering of 1000 people only 10 persons are required to spread the rumor, and the resultant panic. In a war-like situation, it is easy to spread rumors as the public is sensitized for the same and living in an unknown fear.

Panic attacks are an unexplained and unprovoked fight or flight response. The body suddenly has the physical reaction of a life-threatening situation. Panic attack is usually mistaken (by the sufferer) as a heart attack and can be very frightening. Anxiety can sometimes lead to panic attacks therefore a lot of people with anxiety disorder tend to unfortunately develop panic attacks.

Talking about anxiety, Dr. Aggarwal said that it is a feeling everyone suffers from at one time or other. It is an emotion most people experience when they feel they are in danger. The heart rate increases, the muscles tense up, one get a rush of adrenaline and one is ready to fight for the life. This is called the "Fight or Flight" reaction and it gives one the extra strength needed to overcome or escape a dangerous situation.

On the other hand, anxiety disorder is when you have the symptoms but the reason for feeling the "Fight or Flight" reaction is unclear.

A panic attack is a sudden surge of overwhelming fear that comes without warning and without any obvious reason. It is far more intense than the feeling of being 'stressed out' that most people experience. Symptoms of a panic attack include:

• Racing heartbeat

• Difficulty in breathing, feeling as though you 'can't get enough air'

• Terror that is almost paralyzing

• Trembling, sweating, shaking

• Choking, chest pains

• Hot flashes or sudden chills

• Tingling in fingers or toes ('pins and needles').

• Fear that you're going to go crazy or are about to die

In addition to the above symptoms, a panic attack is marked by the following conditions:

• It occurs suddenly, without any proportion to the actual situation; often, in fact, it's completely unrelated.

• It passes off in a few minutes; the body cannot sustain the 'fight or flight' response for longer than that. However, repeated attacks can continue to recur for hours.

A panic attack is not dangerous, but it can be terrifying, largely because it feels 'crazy' and 'out of control'. Panic disorder is frightening because of the panic attacks associated with it, and also because if often leads to other complications such as phobias, depression, substance abuse, medical complications, even suicide. Its effects can range from mild word or social impairment to a total inability to face the outside world.