Independent Musings

This bio attack on India will pass by. Damage will be done, lessons will be learnt and we will carry on with resilience. The following suggestions will help the country to come out of the lockdown in a better manner. 1) Continue with Community Kitchens The lockdown has showed that the lower economic strata struggles when it comes to basic essentials and food. What the middle and upper economic strata take for granted, is a daily fight for those from the lower economic strata. Post lockdown NGOs, civil society groups, companies should carry on with their lockdown activities of providing ready to eat meals to all those in need. This should be done for at least six months, which will give the people in the needy strata enough time to bring back their lives to normal. After six months, we can review the benefits and costs of these community kitchens during and post lockdown. The Govt can provide grains direct from FCI godowns to those organisations pro...

Nature provides us with both challenges and the solutions to those challenges. It is up to us humans to learn from both aspects and live a harmonious life in tune with nature. Currently we use a plethora of chemicals to sanitise and protect ourselves and our environment from pathogens and other undesirables. This while being effective at the beginning, is a path of diminishing returns with the effectiveness of the method or chemicals decreasing with time. This in turn prompts us to over use the chemicals or go in for even more intensive chemical applications. Instead of following the downward spiral, it would be simpler to follow and use what nature has provided us. Sunlight is said to be the best disinfectant and cleaner. The ultra violet (UV) component in the sun rays are known to be a destroyer of bacteria, viruses and many other pathogens. The heat component of rays are known to make it uncomfortable for insects to exist in areas where sunlight is direct. UV light UV lig...