Degradation of Urban biodiversity
Urban biodiversity; the term seems like a misnomer for many of us. However, a closer look reveals that India’s rapidly developing towns and cities actually are home to a number of habitats ranging from city forests to lakes to estuaries. Many cities are a treasure house of ecosystems. However with rapid urbanisation, these ecosystems are facing a slow but inevitable death.
Chennai has varied biodiversity- Rivers, sea front, hills, lakes, swamps, backwaters and an estuary. Unfortunately, Chennai has squandered its ecological wealth to replace it with concrete wealth. The Adyar estuary located in the heart of the city of Chennai is one such example. An estuary, where the fresh water of the river meets the brackish water of the sea, is a unique and fragile ecosystem, representing a habitat between the land and the sea. It is never static. The important feature of this environment is the constant change of mixture of salt and fresh-water. It is not just a bird refuge; it is an open space for an increasingly breathless city, a wetland that helps maintain the water table apart from being a unique geographical feature. The Adyar estuary is part of the identity of the city.
The degradation of this beautiful creek began when the Chennai Corporation decided to dredge it to facilitate boating. This was followed by the proposal by the government to set up an Ambedkar Mandapam. The islets and creeks on Thiru Vi Ka’s bridge were cleared. The Adyar estuary once extended upto Foreshare Estate and included Quibble Island at Santhome. The Quibble Island doesn’t exist anymore and has vanished owing to the illegal constructions that sprouted around the estuary. The creek, originating near the Chettinad Palace, and then meandering through Foreshore Estate and ending at Mandavelipakkam, has today been reduced to half its original size - 100 acres. At the Karpagam Avenue one notices garbage being dumped.
The proposed restoration plan designed by the Pitchikundalam Forest Consultants, funded by the Tamil Nadu Urban Infrastructure Financial Services Ltd (TNUIFSL) aims at creating an Eco-park to conserve the estuary. However a look at the plan has one asking many questions. The plan talks about restoring only part of the estuary and doesn’t consider the other part. The restoration plan has been designed only for 58 acres leaving the remaining 300 acres in a lurch. However, NGO’s and activists groups like the Consumer Action Group (CAG) are not convinced by this restoration plan and finds flaw with the basic idea of having an eco park. Says Rajesh Rangarajan of CAG “If the government really wants to restore this estuary, then it would decrease human intervention and not facilitate it. Any ecosystem can restore itself if it is left to its own devices.” After the draft plan was drawn up, CAG had gone to the court. Later, the court passed the revised plan with the changes as suggested by CAG. The plan shows storm water outlets which are but sewage outlets. A closer look shows that all the storm water outlets are connected directly to the police quarters, Sreenivasapuram and Santhome. Sewage has been drained into the Adyar river and Cooum river since decades causing their slow death. The plan has come up with a concept of satellite ponds. Satellite ponds are nothing but man made ponds which traps freshwater and according to Joss Brooks, the lead consultant of the Pitchikundalam Forest Consultants, “Satellite ponds serve as a new habitat and we can integrate other aquatic life in these ponds.” However, integrating new aquatic life into another habitat is a problem in itself. Previous attempt to integrate aquatic life that doesn’t belong in a particular habitat has proven that often such organisms become parasitic by nature.
Whether or not the restoration plan with its proposals of eco-park, urban pathway, satellite ponds would actually help the estuary, one can only wait and see. However, the restoration plan is going to have other impact. The plan says “Opportunity for investment for infrastructure and beautifying the water front”. The plan has asked for eviction of the Sreenivasapuram residents as a part of this beautification process. Also the fate of 70 fishing families has now become uncertain. “I fail to understand why one requires 100 crores to restore an ecosystem? There is a strong real estate lobby involved in this plan”, argues Amritha of CAG.
The Pallinkaranai swamp, a wetland is another example of abuse of urban biodiversity. Many Chennaites identify Pallinkaranai as a dump yard and not many know that this swamp was once home to a different kind of ecosystem. The swamp had been abused mostly by government agencies, leading to its fragmentation. The swamp is currently only tenth of its original size owing to mindless encroachments and illegal construction. It is also an example of the government’s inability to understand the importance of the environmental consequences of such actions. The government had allocated these 273 acres of the marshland to various departments. Urban marshes suffer abuses of varied kinds most common being dumping of garbage and leaving untreated sewage into the marsh. Most distressing is the use of the marsh as an outlet of untreated sewage and as a dump for garbage that is not entirely biodegradable. The overall change in the extent and orientation of the Marsh has led to stagnation of polluted water that emits foul smell. This marsh is an identified as an internationally important bird area. Most distressing is the use of the marsh as an outlet of untreated sewage and as a dump for garbage that is not entirely biodegradable. The overall change in the extent and orientation of the Marsh has led to stagnation of polluted water that emits foul smell. According to Jayashree Venkateshan of Care Earth an NGO, “
Degradation of urban biodiversity is not just a matter of visual loss. These habitats provide fresh air and act as sponges for air and water pollution. They are also buffers against the noise pollution and are a haven on hot summers. If one were to measure these benefits they would run into thousands of crores of rupees. Money can be earned but a destroyed ecosystem cannot be restored.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Nuetrino Experiment
We are all made up of atoms. A statement one hears often. But then what are atoms made of? Atoms consist of a nucleus made of subatomic particles. These subatomic particles are protons, electrons and neutrons. Protons have a positive charge, electrons negative and neutrons are neutral. When the neutrons undergo a nuclear reaction, they transform into protons and emit a different kind of subatomic particle. This subatomic particle is known as a neutrino and is charge less. They are elementary particles formed produced by decay of radioactive elements.
These particles are very tiny and are of three types referred to as electron, muon and tau. They are hard to detect and often pass through solid matter without detection. They don’t collide with any other molecules. Muons are charged particles released by the neutrino when the neutrino collides into a mass without passing right through it. What makes neutrinos unique is their ability to remain unaffected by nature’s forces and they are not absorbed as they travel light years between their point of origin and us. However, it also this nature of the neutrinos which makes them extremely difficult to detect and requires complex instruments to trace them.
When muons travel through a transparent, they emit a blue light, said Dr. Vijaya Swaminath, an astrophysicst and once winter-over at the South Pole. As these muons travel in the same direction as that of the neutrino it helps the scientists to trace their origin.
Ice cube experiment- the name doesn’t sound familiar and for many of us its unheard of. Not many know that there are over 60 winter-overs staying at the South Pole trying to find neutrinos and consequently trying to find the origin of stars- something that might sound incomprehensible and even unimportant to us. What is one supposed to do by finding out the origin of a star or even earth? Right?
These 60 winter-overs working for the IceCube Experiment are spending months in the world’s coldest and driest regions. IceCube is an international project sponsored and conducted by the United States and several non-U.S. countries and funding agencies. It is an international neutrino observatory for astrophysics that was installed for Astral summers for a period of over six years.
Set up on a volume of over one cubic kilometer i.e close to the size of three soccer grounds, it is embedded in the purest ice found on earth to track neutrinos. It consists of a digital optical sphere which is a pressurized glass sphere which is the size of an inflated balloon. Now the question arises as to why this experiment is being conducted only in South Pole and not anywhere else. Well, if one notices an observatory, the telescope is pointed towards the sky. Here, the earth in itself acts a telescope. Owing to the high density of ice any neutrino that hits the ice sheet will result in the production of muons. According to estimates there are close to thousand such collisions that occur in the IceCube detector.
However, finding these minute subatomic particles is not a joke and for the scientists living there it is not just a passion but often entails lot of sacrifices. According to Ethan Dicks, one of the 60 winter overs currently staying at the South pole “I miss home a lot, I miss my family and I miss 24 hours internet!” The winter overs have access to internet for just 4 hours in a day. “Earlier the access was just for 2 hours, thankfully it is now 4 hours”, said Edgar Nielsen another winter over.
Life at South Pole is no bed of roses and initially they are affected by the altitude and temperature. “Because of high altitude, the air pressure is very low and it takes time for us to adjust” said Ethan. “Exercises are a complete no-no here because of elevated heart beat and any kind of exercise affects the heart”, he said. Also because of lower air pressure, the water from the body evaporates faster leading to dehydration. “We have to keep ourselves constantly hydrated”, said Edgar.
However, once they are acclimatized to the weather and get past their initial hiccups, they do make the most of their experience. “There have been times when I wondered what I was doing here, but I have learnt a lot here. It’s a completely different environment that we work in and we do what the normal human beings around the world don’t do!” said Ethan. They do try to keep make their life in the observatory as normal as possible. “We have events, clubs, festivals, barbecues nights” he said.
Because of the freezing cold there, they have to make sure that the machinery doesn’t freeze. “We have to keep our snow mobiles switched on when we are out on the snow. If we switch them off, it would take ages for the ignition to work”, Edgar said. To drill holes into the ice for the sensors to be embedded it takes close to 57 hours and around 4800 gallons of fuel.
“We get a completely different perspective of life here. And when we are back home, even small things like going to a grocery store seems exciting!” said Ethan. Food is not a problem as supplies are flown in bulk twice in a year. “When the cargo flight unloads, we load it with the garbage that has piled up here,” he said.
Whether or not the IceCube experiment might benefit us or whether or not we will ever know its benefits, time will only tell. But these experiments involving these brave young men and women enlighten us about the hidden matter in the space and help us understand the evolution of earth.
These particles are very tiny and are of three types referred to as electron, muon and tau. They are hard to detect and often pass through solid matter without detection. They don’t collide with any other molecules. Muons are charged particles released by the neutrino when the neutrino collides into a mass without passing right through it. What makes neutrinos unique is their ability to remain unaffected by nature’s forces and they are not absorbed as they travel light years between their point of origin and us. However, it also this nature of the neutrinos which makes them extremely difficult to detect and requires complex instruments to trace them.
When muons travel through a transparent, they emit a blue light, said Dr. Vijaya Swaminath, an astrophysicst and once winter-over at the South Pole. As these muons travel in the same direction as that of the neutrino it helps the scientists to trace their origin.
Ice cube experiment- the name doesn’t sound familiar and for many of us its unheard of. Not many know that there are over 60 winter-overs staying at the South Pole trying to find neutrinos and consequently trying to find the origin of stars- something that might sound incomprehensible and even unimportant to us. What is one supposed to do by finding out the origin of a star or even earth? Right?
These 60 winter-overs working for the IceCube Experiment are spending months in the world’s coldest and driest regions. IceCube is an international project sponsored and conducted by the United States and several non-U.S. countries and funding agencies. It is an international neutrino observatory for astrophysics that was installed for Astral summers for a period of over six years.
Set up on a volume of over one cubic kilometer i.e close to the size of three soccer grounds, it is embedded in the purest ice found on earth to track neutrinos. It consists of a digital optical sphere which is a pressurized glass sphere which is the size of an inflated balloon. Now the question arises as to why this experiment is being conducted only in South Pole and not anywhere else. Well, if one notices an observatory, the telescope is pointed towards the sky. Here, the earth in itself acts a telescope. Owing to the high density of ice any neutrino that hits the ice sheet will result in the production of muons. According to estimates there are close to thousand such collisions that occur in the IceCube detector.
However, finding these minute subatomic particles is not a joke and for the scientists living there it is not just a passion but often entails lot of sacrifices. According to Ethan Dicks, one of the 60 winter overs currently staying at the South pole “I miss home a lot, I miss my family and I miss 24 hours internet!” The winter overs have access to internet for just 4 hours in a day. “Earlier the access was just for 2 hours, thankfully it is now 4 hours”, said Edgar Nielsen another winter over.
Life at South Pole is no bed of roses and initially they are affected by the altitude and temperature. “Because of high altitude, the air pressure is very low and it takes time for us to adjust” said Ethan. “Exercises are a complete no-no here because of elevated heart beat and any kind of exercise affects the heart”, he said. Also because of lower air pressure, the water from the body evaporates faster leading to dehydration. “We have to keep ourselves constantly hydrated”, said Edgar.
However, once they are acclimatized to the weather and get past their initial hiccups, they do make the most of their experience. “There have been times when I wondered what I was doing here, but I have learnt a lot here. It’s a completely different environment that we work in and we do what the normal human beings around the world don’t do!” said Ethan. They do try to keep make their life in the observatory as normal as possible. “We have events, clubs, festivals, barbecues nights” he said.
Because of the freezing cold there, they have to make sure that the machinery doesn’t freeze. “We have to keep our snow mobiles switched on when we are out on the snow. If we switch them off, it would take ages for the ignition to work”, Edgar said. To drill holes into the ice for the sensors to be embedded it takes close to 57 hours and around 4800 gallons of fuel.
“We get a completely different perspective of life here. And when we are back home, even small things like going to a grocery store seems exciting!” said Ethan. Food is not a problem as supplies are flown in bulk twice in a year. “When the cargo flight unloads, we load it with the garbage that has piled up here,” he said.
Whether or not the IceCube experiment might benefit us or whether or not we will ever know its benefits, time will only tell. But these experiments involving these brave young men and women enlighten us about the hidden matter in the space and help us understand the evolution of earth.
Need for Agro-bio security system
Responding to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s call to the scientific community to have a knowledge based intervention in agriculture, the Indian Science Congress (ISC), one of the most powerful scientific lobbies in the nation, has presented a set of recommendations. The proposal includes setting up an agro-bio security system. In lieu of the recent bird flu outbreak, the Science Congress has felt the urgent need to set up a mechanism to minimise the impact of such disasters. The ISC has demanded Rs 100 crore in the upcoming budget for technological development. Apart from this they have also called for setting up a National Biotechnology Regulatory Authority to regulate the use of biotechnology in agriculture.
This demand by the scientists is a welcome in today’s scenario where there is no national body to regulate the upcoming bio-technology companies and new scientific advances. Although India has a Genetic Engineering Approval Committee, it has failed in carrying out its duty. GEAC should emphasise on biological risk assessment. GEAC should regulate genetic technology like the US Recombinant Advisory Committee (RCA) does for genetically engineered drugs. RCA makes it mandatory for companies to provide a list of negative and harmful impacts and minimises that impact before approving for commercial sale. As a result, the approval process takes 25 years. Unfortunately, GM research in India is not being made to evaluate potential harm to human health and environment. In fact the GEAC is known to bend backwards to facilitate the smooth functioning of multinational companies.
The setting up of an agro-bio security system would be a turning point for research in India as it would not just serve as the apex body for regulation but also would help focus on some pressing matters like food production, water conservation, energy generation and building sustainable technologies. Also currently India has no provisions to check on the entry of alien species which can cause disasters. Thanks to the entry of the genetically modified plants and India’s inability to protect their indigenous plants, Indian agriculture has suffered greatly. Close to 1,50,000 plant seeds have been collected by the U.S department of agriculture and this was neither stopped by the Indian government nor by the GEAC. The recent Agricultural Knowledge Initiative signed between India and the U.S also makes traditional agricultural knowledge accessible to the American companies. Further, Trade-related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs) allows patents on genes and cell lines, thereby blocking India’s agricultural research leading to what can be termed as scientific discrimination against the developing countries.
If the Indian government accepts this proposal, it certainly would be a turning point. This department would bring under its umbrella other functions like inspecting food grains, animals and other agri-bio related products that enter the Indian market. It would help prevent the outbreak of epidemics like SARS, bird flu which are a direct result of unchecked entry of bird species from other nations. Unlike the developed nations which control the outbreaks at the first instance itself, nations like India, Thailand need to still learn from their mistakes. The economic loss involved in such a large scale outbreak is immense to the nation and avoidable. According to a recent report, the bird flu outbreak cost the poultry sector close to $ 5,84000 in Bangladesh. The mass culling of chickens in West Bengal, which neighbours Bangladesh, is a direct proof of the lack of scrutinising agency.
However, considering India’s economic policies which have always favored the multinational companies, by giving subsidies, tax exemptions or by helping set up Special Economic Zones (often at a heavy human cost), letting mining companies raze through forests and other such instances, the chances of the proper functioning of any such body will remain doubtful and questionable.
This demand by the scientists is a welcome in today’s scenario where there is no national body to regulate the upcoming bio-technology companies and new scientific advances. Although India has a Genetic Engineering Approval Committee, it has failed in carrying out its duty. GEAC should emphasise on biological risk assessment. GEAC should regulate genetic technology like the US Recombinant Advisory Committee (RCA) does for genetically engineered drugs. RCA makes it mandatory for companies to provide a list of negative and harmful impacts and minimises that impact before approving for commercial sale. As a result, the approval process takes 25 years. Unfortunately, GM research in India is not being made to evaluate potential harm to human health and environment. In fact the GEAC is known to bend backwards to facilitate the smooth functioning of multinational companies.
The setting up of an agro-bio security system would be a turning point for research in India as it would not just serve as the apex body for regulation but also would help focus on some pressing matters like food production, water conservation, energy generation and building sustainable technologies. Also currently India has no provisions to check on the entry of alien species which can cause disasters. Thanks to the entry of the genetically modified plants and India’s inability to protect their indigenous plants, Indian agriculture has suffered greatly. Close to 1,50,000 plant seeds have been collected by the U.S department of agriculture and this was neither stopped by the Indian government nor by the GEAC. The recent Agricultural Knowledge Initiative signed between India and the U.S also makes traditional agricultural knowledge accessible to the American companies. Further, Trade-related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs) allows patents on genes and cell lines, thereby blocking India’s agricultural research leading to what can be termed as scientific discrimination against the developing countries.
If the Indian government accepts this proposal, it certainly would be a turning point. This department would bring under its umbrella other functions like inspecting food grains, animals and other agri-bio related products that enter the Indian market. It would help prevent the outbreak of epidemics like SARS, bird flu which are a direct result of unchecked entry of bird species from other nations. Unlike the developed nations which control the outbreaks at the first instance itself, nations like India, Thailand need to still learn from their mistakes. The economic loss involved in such a large scale outbreak is immense to the nation and avoidable. According to a recent report, the bird flu outbreak cost the poultry sector close to $ 5,84000 in Bangladesh. The mass culling of chickens in West Bengal, which neighbours Bangladesh, is a direct proof of the lack of scrutinising agency.
However, considering India’s economic policies which have always favored the multinational companies, by giving subsidies, tax exemptions or by helping set up Special Economic Zones (often at a heavy human cost), letting mining companies raze through forests and other such instances, the chances of the proper functioning of any such body will remain doubtful and questionable.
Tiger Census- an Op-ed
More than 50 per cent of India’s tiger population was lost in the past five years with the numbers dwindling to 1,411 from 3,642 in 2001-02, according to the latest tiger census report. The report titled “Status of Tigers, Co-predators and Prey in India” estimates that there are just 1411 tigers in six landscapes across the country.
With this recent census report, it is but obvious that the Project Tiger has again taken two steps backward except in the state of Tamil Nadu. This much touted project too was slammed by the Comptroller and Auditor General for just about sustaining the population in the designated areas.
Extensive poaching, destruction of the tiger habitat along with a decrease in the prey has effected the tiger population across the country in various states especially in the North and North-Eastern states. An ill fitted and ill equipped forest officials apart from the indifferent bureaucracy is also an inescapable fact of the Indian Forest Department.
Indian bureaucracy still suffers from a colonial hangover with a very apparent ‘babu’ attitude. There is no coordination between the local tribes within a forest area or reserve and the forest officials.
There is an urgent need to create zones or reserves which are free from human presence. Last year, 270 villages were identified in core areas of these tiger sanctuaries which need to immediate relocation. Just a few weeks before the census, the government had cleared funds for tiger conservation and designated eight new reserves for inclusion under Project Tiger for the 11th plan. Much of the funds are to be used for relocating the displaced people from the core areas. The focus of considerable attention still remains the human-tiger conflict and there is but an urgent need to resolve this tug-of-war.
Any attempt to conserve the tiger without the involvement of all the stake holders is going to be a failure. There is no coordination between the local tribes within a forest area or reserve and the forest officials. Forest officials need to coordinate with the local tribes (who again are on their way to win their land rights), local communities, researchers and scientists apart from passionate tiger conservationists apart from the common man.
Apart from the poachers, there is a need to control the armed insurgency in the Eastern Ghats and parts of central India. Tiger reserves in areas with heavy Naxalite presence and influence are the country’s worst, according to the Wildlife Institute of India’s latest tiger census report that has recorded a sharp fall in tiger population. Forest officials in the three states of Orissa, Jharkhand and Chattisgarh have almost acceded control of the tiger reserves to the rebels. The Tiger Conservation Authority should also ensure that the unsustainable resource extraction apart from indiscriminate killing of the tiger’s prey be stopped.
The constant demand for the tiger skin and other related products in the international market is putting immense pressure on the already declining tiger population. It is a question of simple economics caught in the midst of a complex environmental problem. If the demand comes down, so will the supply. With widespread international support to save the tiger, what this conservation agenda most needs is a dedicated political will.
With this recent census report, it is but obvious that the Project Tiger has again taken two steps backward except in the state of Tamil Nadu. This much touted project too was slammed by the Comptroller and Auditor General for just about sustaining the population in the designated areas.
Extensive poaching, destruction of the tiger habitat along with a decrease in the prey has effected the tiger population across the country in various states especially in the North and North-Eastern states. An ill fitted and ill equipped forest officials apart from the indifferent bureaucracy is also an inescapable fact of the Indian Forest Department.
Indian bureaucracy still suffers from a colonial hangover with a very apparent ‘babu’ attitude. There is no coordination between the local tribes within a forest area or reserve and the forest officials.
There is an urgent need to create zones or reserves which are free from human presence. Last year, 270 villages were identified in core areas of these tiger sanctuaries which need to immediate relocation. Just a few weeks before the census, the government had cleared funds for tiger conservation and designated eight new reserves for inclusion under Project Tiger for the 11th plan. Much of the funds are to be used for relocating the displaced people from the core areas. The focus of considerable attention still remains the human-tiger conflict and there is but an urgent need to resolve this tug-of-war.
Any attempt to conserve the tiger without the involvement of all the stake holders is going to be a failure. There is no coordination between the local tribes within a forest area or reserve and the forest officials. Forest officials need to coordinate with the local tribes (who again are on their way to win their land rights), local communities, researchers and scientists apart from passionate tiger conservationists apart from the common man.
Apart from the poachers, there is a need to control the armed insurgency in the Eastern Ghats and parts of central India. Tiger reserves in areas with heavy Naxalite presence and influence are the country’s worst, according to the Wildlife Institute of India’s latest tiger census report that has recorded a sharp fall in tiger population. Forest officials in the three states of Orissa, Jharkhand and Chattisgarh have almost acceded control of the tiger reserves to the rebels. The Tiger Conservation Authority should also ensure that the unsustainable resource extraction apart from indiscriminate killing of the tiger’s prey be stopped.
The constant demand for the tiger skin and other related products in the international market is putting immense pressure on the already declining tiger population. It is a question of simple economics caught in the midst of a complex environmental problem. If the demand comes down, so will the supply. With widespread international support to save the tiger, what this conservation agenda most needs is a dedicated political will.
Idolising the 'idols'
In 2001, Kannagi’s statue was removed by the reigning Jayalalitha government from its original pedestal on the Marina drive as it was believed that this statue would be the reason for Jayalalitha’s defeat in the then upcoming elections. Kannagi, a symbol of chastity and devotion was standing on the Marina drive since 1968. It was re-instated in the year 2006 by the DMK government. This is, but just one example of the numerous incidents involving statues and the politics that revolves around it.
Statues and idols are integral parts of any Indian city’s architectural heritage. Urban spaces are defined and flanked by statues of different personalities. The city of Chennai is no different. There is a story behind every statue… and each statue has a set of incidents associated to it. It is very interesting to note how the political movements within a city trigger off idols to be ‘idolised’.
What started off as a glorification of the colonial kings, went on to become a tussle between political parties and caste. In the early 19th century, statues of King Edward, King George and Queen Victoria were set up in this city of many firsts. The late 60’s saw the revival of a politicised Dravidian movement by Anna Durai. In 1969, the Tamil conference was held after which 13 statues of various personalities including those of the Tamil saints were inaugurated near the Marina beach.
According to Mr. Satyanaryana, Architect, statues in Chennai are politico-caste statements. The aftermath of the Tamil conference was the beginning of the statue politics in the cityscape. One thing that is to be noticed is the fact that most of the statues figured in Chennai are not of national leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Nehru or Indira Gandhi, but are those from the Dravidian movement. The DMK made use of architecture and iconic figures to put across its party ideology of “Tamil Renaissance”. The 13 statues along the Marina were tools for the DMK to express their unique Tamil identity and they did this by exploiting public spaces. According to a research paper written by Dr.A.Srivatsan titled Politics, popular icons and urban space in Tamil Nadu, “Icons had become an important honorific gesture. Their numbers and location in the city space were constructed to be directly proportionate to the importance of the leader or the party.”
Political parties influenced the psyche of the people by cashing in on their sentiments through iconography and dotted the city with numerous statues. Statues of Mahatma Gandhi flourished during the pre-DMK era when Tamil Nadu was under the Congress rule followed by Periyar statues under the DMK rule.
AIADMK too didn’t lose out in this mad race. While DMK’s icons reflected strong Tamil bonds, AIADMK’s icons were a reflection of the caste politics within the city. 1991-’96 saw Jayalalitha inaugurating numerous statues, often making a casteist political statements. She unveiled the statue of Pasuman, who was the leader of the Devai community near the Nandanam Signal. Statues in Chennai are given more importance than sometimes even the common man, who has to wait for four hours in the mindless trafficSimilarly, she saw the unveiling of the statue of Azhagamuthu, who was the king of the Yadava community near the Egmore station. By doing so, she was ensuring that she captured the vote banks of these particular communities.
Chennai has been the centre of many battles over statues rather for statues. So much so, that there has been Public Interest Litigations (PIL) filed against the State government’s exploitation of space near the Marina drive, after which the State government assured the people that no more statues would come up near Marina. However, the assurance was not implemented and the State government went ahead and instated a statue of the late Shivaji Ganeshan on the Marina drive, thereby going against the court orders. Another controversial icon is that of the Dalit leader B.R.Ambedkar. The most recent controversy being, over an Ambedkar statue in Koyambedu this was removed as there was work that was to be completed on a grade separator. The Ambedkar supporters, as expected, were out on the streets protesting the statues removal.
Irrespective of the party in power, statues are here to stay, getting equal importance and sometimes more importance than the person who has been idolised itself. They are given police protection, sometimes barricaded, sometimes even caged!! DMK and AIADMK support their need for statues with many reasons, livelihood for artisans being one of them. But one does wonder, how many artisans are really benefited from this? Also there is the issue of using statues to woo voters by using them as point of contention in the election manifesto, like the DMK who promised the voters to reinstate Kannagi’s statue if they were brought back to power. Icons are no more mere symbols or reminders for the people, but rather act as political statements. Defacing and removal of a particular statue anywhere in the world can be viewed as a symbolic act of defying a certain ideology or that person. The best example for this is the demolition of Saddam Hussein’s numerous statues in Iraq which was viewed as the end of dictatorship.
Statues and idols are integral parts of any Indian city’s architectural heritage. Urban spaces are defined and flanked by statues of different personalities. The city of Chennai is no different. There is a story behind every statue… and each statue has a set of incidents associated to it. It is very interesting to note how the political movements within a city trigger off idols to be ‘idolised’.
What started off as a glorification of the colonial kings, went on to become a tussle between political parties and caste. In the early 19th century, statues of King Edward, King George and Queen Victoria were set up in this city of many firsts. The late 60’s saw the revival of a politicised Dravidian movement by Anna Durai. In 1969, the Tamil conference was held after which 13 statues of various personalities including those of the Tamil saints were inaugurated near the Marina beach.
According to Mr. Satyanaryana, Architect, statues in Chennai are politico-caste statements. The aftermath of the Tamil conference was the beginning of the statue politics in the cityscape. One thing that is to be noticed is the fact that most of the statues figured in Chennai are not of national leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Nehru or Indira Gandhi, but are those from the Dravidian movement. The DMK made use of architecture and iconic figures to put across its party ideology of “Tamil Renaissance”. The 13 statues along the Marina were tools for the DMK to express their unique Tamil identity and they did this by exploiting public spaces. According to a research paper written by Dr.A.Srivatsan titled Politics, popular icons and urban space in Tamil Nadu, “Icons had become an important honorific gesture. Their numbers and location in the city space were constructed to be directly proportionate to the importance of the leader or the party.”
Political parties influenced the psyche of the people by cashing in on their sentiments through iconography and dotted the city with numerous statues. Statues of Mahatma Gandhi flourished during the pre-DMK era when Tamil Nadu was under the Congress rule followed by Periyar statues under the DMK rule.
AIADMK too didn’t lose out in this mad race. While DMK’s icons reflected strong Tamil bonds, AIADMK’s icons were a reflection of the caste politics within the city. 1991-’96 saw Jayalalitha inaugurating numerous statues, often making a casteist political statements. She unveiled the statue of Pasuman, who was the leader of the Devai community near the Nandanam Signal. Statues in Chennai are given more importance than sometimes even the common man, who has to wait for four hours in the mindless trafficSimilarly, she saw the unveiling of the statue of Azhagamuthu, who was the king of the Yadava community near the Egmore station. By doing so, she was ensuring that she captured the vote banks of these particular communities.
Chennai has been the centre of many battles over statues rather for statues. So much so, that there has been Public Interest Litigations (PIL) filed against the State government’s exploitation of space near the Marina drive, after which the State government assured the people that no more statues would come up near Marina. However, the assurance was not implemented and the State government went ahead and instated a statue of the late Shivaji Ganeshan on the Marina drive, thereby going against the court orders. Another controversial icon is that of the Dalit leader B.R.Ambedkar. The most recent controversy being, over an Ambedkar statue in Koyambedu this was removed as there was work that was to be completed on a grade separator. The Ambedkar supporters, as expected, were out on the streets protesting the statues removal.
Irrespective of the party in power, statues are here to stay, getting equal importance and sometimes more importance than the person who has been idolised itself. They are given police protection, sometimes barricaded, sometimes even caged!! DMK and AIADMK support their need for statues with many reasons, livelihood for artisans being one of them. But one does wonder, how many artisans are really benefited from this? Also there is the issue of using statues to woo voters by using them as point of contention in the election manifesto, like the DMK who promised the voters to reinstate Kannagi’s statue if they were brought back to power. Icons are no more mere symbols or reminders for the people, but rather act as political statements. Defacing and removal of a particular statue anywhere in the world can be viewed as a symbolic act of defying a certain ideology or that person. The best example for this is the demolition of Saddam Hussein’s numerous statues in Iraq which was viewed as the end of dictatorship.
Raw deal for Papad staff
Papad- The traditional crispy wafer without which any Indian meal is complete, specially a South Indian meal, is the basis for providing livelihood to thousands of women across the nation. Commonly referred to as papad, appalam and papadam across the country, the production of it, is the centre of many self help groups’ activities.
Tamil Nadu is the ‘Sambar Capital’ of the country, which boasts of perhaps some of the best South Indian food. In such a scenario, no kitchen can call itself complete without the presence of this delicious crunchy food item. It is a fact that not many spare a thought for the people who work hard day and night, irrespective of the season, to make them.
According to the President of the Appalam Co-operative society P.R.Chandra, there are more than 100 branded papad making units and over 1000 unbranded papap making units. Ninety per cent of this industry is composed of women and ten per cent are emerging entrepreneurs usually bachelors from Kerala. According to Mr Chandra, this unorganised sector employs more than one lakh people. Most of these unbranded appalams go to the district of Kancheepuram.
One very popular brand name in this industry, which every papad lover must have heard of is Lijjat Papad which is run and owned by women who make the papads. It is perhaps one of the most popular self help groups (SHG) where every woman who is a member of Shri Mahila Griha Udyog Lijjat Papad is the owner and beneficiary too. The Chennai branch of this popular SHG is based in Kilpauk and employs more than 250 women who earn anywhere between Rs 100 and Rs 150 per day. According to C.Pushpa, President of this SHG, these women take home the papad dough weighing anywhere between five to six kilograms and make close to 500 papads. Most of the women are from the low income group households often supplementing their jobs as domestic workers, maids etc with this profitable venture.
Though, papad production is a very enterprising venture, the fact remains that the conditions under which these women work are laborious and very demanding. They work for over 10 hours, kneading the flour and required ingredients into a dough, which then has to be flattened into circles and dried in the sun. All this is very time consuming and requires long hours of gruelling work which often affects the back and arms of the women. This is so especially in the case of the unbranded papad making units.
Take the case of Mr. Ashokan’s unit in Vadapalni. Mr Ashokan runs an unbranded papad making unit employing three families. There are a total of 4 women in this unit, each women making anywhere between 2000-2500 papads per day. They are paid per piece and on a weekly basis. These women work for over 12 hours per day making them. According to Sujatha (name changed), who works at this unit, the job is not a simple one and requires lot of patience and stamina. “ There are days when I wish I could just give up this job. It’s back breaking work and often at the end of the day I am very tired,” she says.
There is a sharp contrast in the working conditions of the women employed in SHG’s like the Lijjat papad and unregistered, unbranded units like the one run by Mr. Ashokan. According to C.Pushpa, if a member falls ill, she can always take leave and make up for it on another day. Since the profits are shared between the women, a member needn’t worry constantly about losing wages. Contrasting this is the situation of women in other units where missing one day means losing anywhere between 100-200 Rs.
Another local brand Majesty papad also employs 100 women. According to Mr. Ahmed, owner of the organisation, the women earn anywhere between Rs 50-180 per day and make around 3000 papads per day. The women here are not a disgruntled lot and are quite happy with their work. There are strict rules to be followed though. Maintaining hygiene is just one of them. Not many units make profits. Often these units break even. According to a Hindu report only 25 percent of this industry actually makes any profit.
To enhance its appeal a few changes have been made. “We made a few additions to enrich its taste and texture,” said Mr. Asokan, “We need more people to meet the demand,” he said. Some units use machines to mix the dough, but more often than not, the entire production of this food product is manual, as machines which work at high speed often destroy the texture of the appalams.
This sector has issues too, and would like the Government to address, for improved performance. They want the government to support them by providing financial support. Considering the fact that it is a low maintenance industry supporting women, it’s high time the government supports this industry. There is also a greater need to organize the women of this industry and ensure that their rights are protected.
Website to track dropouts launched
Chennai,Nov.14:Krishnagiri
district could soon be 'out-ofschool
child free', said
Santosh Babu, Collector,
Krishnagiri district in a phone
interview.
The district has launched
an innovative programme
under which profiles of 8600
schoolgoing children from various
panchayats have been
uploaded in a website.
The programme revolves
around the Sarva Siksha
Abhiyan (SSA) and other educational
missions which are
being conducted in this district
with partial funding from the
United National Children’s
Fund.
UNICEF has played a vital
role by providing funds for the
implementation of this programme.
UNICEF provided Rs
50,000 and another Rs
50,000 come from the SSA
fund. The tracking and monitoring
software looks at elimination
of child labour menace
and thereby preventing dropouts.
According to Babu, there
are constant updates and follow-
ups of each child and
his/her family.It took them
eight to 10 months to compile
the data. According to district
officials, more then 7000 children
are back school. A
School Volunteer Force (SVF)
consisting of five boys and five
girls in each school will be
trained on various issues that
confront children. The SVF
will act like the ambassadors
of the Collector.
Talking about the basic
problems being faced, the
Collector pointed out that
migration was one of the
biggest problems in this district
bordering Karnataka. He
also said that there is extreme
poverty in the tribal pockets. A
drive to eradicate child labour
has been launched
district could soon be 'out-ofschool
child free', said
Santosh Babu, Collector,
Krishnagiri district in a phone
interview.
The district has launched
an innovative programme
under which profiles of 8600
schoolgoing children from various
panchayats have been
uploaded in a website.
The programme revolves
around the Sarva Siksha
Abhiyan (SSA) and other educational
missions which are
being conducted in this district
with partial funding from the
United National Children’s
Fund.
UNICEF has played a vital
role by providing funds for the
implementation of this programme.
UNICEF provided Rs
50,000 and another Rs
50,000 come from the SSA
fund. The tracking and monitoring
software looks at elimination
of child labour menace
and thereby preventing dropouts.
According to Babu, there
are constant updates and follow-
ups of each child and
his/her family.It took them
eight to 10 months to compile
the data. According to district
officials, more then 7000 children
are back school. A
School Volunteer Force (SVF)
consisting of five boys and five
girls in each school will be
trained on various issues that
confront children. The SVF
will act like the ambassadors
of the Collector.
Talking about the basic
problems being faced, the
Collector pointed out that
migration was one of the
biggest problems in this district
bordering Karnataka. He
also said that there is extreme
poverty in the tribal pockets. A
drive to eradicate child labour
has been launched
Knowledge or Business Initiative??
India and the United States have agreed to intensify efforts
to develop a climate supportive of trade and investment.
With the goal of doubling bilateral trade in three years,
both have agreed on a wide area of “cooperation” and in the
farm sector this is purportedly to be achieved through the
Knowledge Initiative on Agriculture with a three-year financial
commitment to link universities, technical institutions
and businesses to support education, joint research, and
capacity building including in the area of biotechnology.
The Government of India, under the auspices of the
Indian Council of Agricultural Research, had set apart
around Rs 10,000 million, with New Delhi approving the concept
of “Knowledge Society.” This is apart from the amount
set aside for this agreement i.e the Indo-US knowledge agreement.
Surely, these initiatives could provide some impetus to
Indian agriculture and trade but it would be naïve to believe
that Indian agriculture would quickly undergo a major transformation.
The policy makers have to exercise caution especially
in matters of tariff reduction and market access. The
deal allows USA to have unhindered access to the indigenous
gene pool of India thereby increasing chances of bio-piracy.
Considering the slow domestic output growth and demand
surge, it is highly unlikely that India would be a major
exporter of agricultural produce to the United States or for
that matter to any other country. What seems to have missed
most people is the fact that over two-thirds of US farm produce
is intended for overseas export and this makes India a
target market.
It is very important for India to ensure that domestic
interests are given priority over market access. Furthermore
the US government on behalf of the multi-national companies
(MNCs) is trying to push patented biotechnology products in
India. All the agro-biotech products must be tested and evaluated
for its appropriateness for Indian conditions. The debacle
of the Bt Cotton seeds produced by Monsanto in Andhra
Pradesh and other states is a testament to this.
This may sound ironical in an era where the theft of
genetic resources by Western MNCs enables them to make
huge profits over patented genetic mutations of the same
materials which belong to the poor. If this arrangement goes
astray into un-chartered territory, it might lead to what is
called as "official bio-piracy".The India-US “Knowledge
Initiative” in agricultural research with the prime focus on
genetically modified crops research has to be critically examined
in this light.
to develop a climate supportive of trade and investment.
With the goal of doubling bilateral trade in three years,
both have agreed on a wide area of “cooperation” and in the
farm sector this is purportedly to be achieved through the
Knowledge Initiative on Agriculture with a three-year financial
commitment to link universities, technical institutions
and businesses to support education, joint research, and
capacity building including in the area of biotechnology.
The Government of India, under the auspices of the
Indian Council of Agricultural Research, had set apart
around Rs 10,000 million, with New Delhi approving the concept
of “Knowledge Society.” This is apart from the amount
set aside for this agreement i.e the Indo-US knowledge agreement.
Surely, these initiatives could provide some impetus to
Indian agriculture and trade but it would be naïve to believe
that Indian agriculture would quickly undergo a major transformation.
The policy makers have to exercise caution especially
in matters of tariff reduction and market access. The
deal allows USA to have unhindered access to the indigenous
gene pool of India thereby increasing chances of bio-piracy.
Considering the slow domestic output growth and demand
surge, it is highly unlikely that India would be a major
exporter of agricultural produce to the United States or for
that matter to any other country. What seems to have missed
most people is the fact that over two-thirds of US farm produce
is intended for overseas export and this makes India a
target market.
It is very important for India to ensure that domestic
interests are given priority over market access. Furthermore
the US government on behalf of the multi-national companies
(MNCs) is trying to push patented biotechnology products in
India. All the agro-biotech products must be tested and evaluated
for its appropriateness for Indian conditions. The debacle
of the Bt Cotton seeds produced by Monsanto in Andhra
Pradesh and other states is a testament to this.
This may sound ironical in an era where the theft of
genetic resources by Western MNCs enables them to make
huge profits over patented genetic mutations of the same
materials which belong to the poor. If this arrangement goes
astray into un-chartered territory, it might lead to what is
called as "official bio-piracy".The India-US “Knowledge
Initiative” in agricultural research with the prime focus on
genetically modified crops research has to be critically examined
in this light.
Rape Drugs on a rise
It’s a Thursday night and the girls are getting dressed to go pub-hopping as it is Ladies night, their chance to let their hair down and dance away the blues. Chennai and partying don’t really seem to be in-sync with each other unlike the other metros where partying and pubbing are a part and parcel of the cosmopolitan culture. Chennai is a much more conservative city compared to its other southern counterparts Hyderabad and Bangalore.
But, with increasing presence of Chennai on the I.T map, there is an increase in the ‘party animals’ and ‘watering holes’. The city has witnessed the emergence of many popular pubs in the past five years itself. This smoked out the hidden drug scene of this ultra-conservative city which prides itself for its coffee and Carnatic music. A few years back, smoking weed etc was restricted to the elites and the so called ‘intellectuals’ of the IIT, but with increasing urbanisation and job opportunities thanks to the I.T boom, more and more youth are willing to indulge in these habits.
Party drugs and rape drugs have managed to raise their ugly head in the country and have penetrated even the most conservative of cities. Rohypnol", which has a dubious 'date rape" reputation, is a sedative and a hypnotic drug and the city police have discovered that this drug is the rage at late night parties at pubs and discos. The only person who can make us realise the horrors of date rape is a victim herself. Shreya ( name changed) a 23 year old executive, drugged and raped by an acquaintance with whom she had gone to a very popular pub in the city. She recalls being offered a drink by her ‘friend’ and she found herself the next day in a hotel room bruised and raped. She did not report the matter to the police as she felt that the police was bound to blame her for whatever happened. These drugs render the victim physically powerless, unable to decline sex, create dis-orientation in time and space and even induce memory lapse. Being colorless and odorless, spiking a drink is simple and its strength is double that of many other drugs. Many times girls are raped not by strangers, but by persons they know who may be friends or boyfriends. The notion that a decent, educated person cannot be a rapist is continuously challenged in date rape cases. There are more than 20 drugs used for sexual assault, according to the Journal of American College Health. Three common drugs are: GHB (gamma- hydroxybutyric acid), Rohypnol (flunitrazepam) and Ketamine (ketamine hydrochloride).
According to Srikanth, a regular party-goer (name changed), the drug though banned is acquired through the internet by placing orders. The drug is then sent to them through couriers and parcels. He says that there is a strong network in the city for circulating the drugs to the elite and salaried. Hari, another regular party-goer says that rave parties, though not quite a rage happen quite regularly in Chennai but are a big hush-hush affair and for a select elite crowd. “Beach parties are quite a rage in Chennai” says Nikhil , an executive. And he says that drugs like marijuana, LSD’s, ecstasy are a popular at such parties. Another party goer Prerna (name changed), a student of Loyola college, says that in the past 2 years or so, the number of girls who are venturing into these indulgences has increased manifold. A woman is vulnerable to sexual assault when she is intoxicated and this trend is quite alarming. Shalini (name changed) another regular at these parties, says she started drinking because of peer pressure and to be ‘cool’. These drugs produce a sensation of floating or flying outside one’s own body, says Kiran (name changed) a DJ at a famous pub in the city. He says that drug abuse is rampant in these pubs. When asked how one finds these drug peddlers in a pub, he says that if you are keen on getting hold of a drug it’s easy to find the source. He says how the people who circulate the drugs are often college-going students who are looking for easy money.
Though parties here don’t go on till 3 am or 4 am like they do in other metros, because of a strict law and order mechanism, the fact remains that these so called crackdowns haven’t really curbed the abuse of these drugs. What remains to be seen is how far the conservative attitude of this city will protect it from falling prey to the ‘toxic’ party culture like in the other metros.
But, with increasing presence of Chennai on the I.T map, there is an increase in the ‘party animals’ and ‘watering holes’. The city has witnessed the emergence of many popular pubs in the past five years itself. This smoked out the hidden drug scene of this ultra-conservative city which prides itself for its coffee and Carnatic music. A few years back, smoking weed etc was restricted to the elites and the so called ‘intellectuals’ of the IIT, but with increasing urbanisation and job opportunities thanks to the I.T boom, more and more youth are willing to indulge in these habits.
Party drugs and rape drugs have managed to raise their ugly head in the country and have penetrated even the most conservative of cities. Rohypnol", which has a dubious 'date rape" reputation, is a sedative and a hypnotic drug and the city police have discovered that this drug is the rage at late night parties at pubs and discos. The only person who can make us realise the horrors of date rape is a victim herself. Shreya ( name changed) a 23 year old executive, drugged and raped by an acquaintance with whom she had gone to a very popular pub in the city. She recalls being offered a drink by her ‘friend’ and she found herself the next day in a hotel room bruised and raped. She did not report the matter to the police as she felt that the police was bound to blame her for whatever happened. These drugs render the victim physically powerless, unable to decline sex, create dis-orientation in time and space and even induce memory lapse. Being colorless and odorless, spiking a drink is simple and its strength is double that of many other drugs. Many times girls are raped not by strangers, but by persons they know who may be friends or boyfriends. The notion that a decent, educated person cannot be a rapist is continuously challenged in date rape cases. There are more than 20 drugs used for sexual assault, according to the Journal of American College Health. Three common drugs are: GHB (gamma- hydroxybutyric acid), Rohypnol (flunitrazepam) and Ketamine (ketamine hydrochloride).
According to Srikanth, a regular party-goer (name changed), the drug though banned is acquired through the internet by placing orders. The drug is then sent to them through couriers and parcels. He says that there is a strong network in the city for circulating the drugs to the elite and salaried. Hari, another regular party-goer says that rave parties, though not quite a rage happen quite regularly in Chennai but are a big hush-hush affair and for a select elite crowd. “Beach parties are quite a rage in Chennai” says Nikhil , an executive. And he says that drugs like marijuana, LSD’s, ecstasy are a popular at such parties. Another party goer Prerna (name changed), a student of Loyola college, says that in the past 2 years or so, the number of girls who are venturing into these indulgences has increased manifold. A woman is vulnerable to sexual assault when she is intoxicated and this trend is quite alarming. Shalini (name changed) another regular at these parties, says she started drinking because of peer pressure and to be ‘cool’. These drugs produce a sensation of floating or flying outside one’s own body, says Kiran (name changed) a DJ at a famous pub in the city. He says that drug abuse is rampant in these pubs. When asked how one finds these drug peddlers in a pub, he says that if you are keen on getting hold of a drug it’s easy to find the source. He says how the people who circulate the drugs are often college-going students who are looking for easy money.
Though parties here don’t go on till 3 am or 4 am like they do in other metros, because of a strict law and order mechanism, the fact remains that these so called crackdowns haven’t really curbed the abuse of these drugs. What remains to be seen is how far the conservative attitude of this city will protect it from falling prey to the ‘toxic’ party culture like in the other metros.
Snakes help Irulas survive
The Irula tribes of South India are considered as the first tribes of our country with links to the oldest African Negrito tribe. These tribes are an encyclopedia of knowledge and their survival was threatened after the introduction and implementation of the Wildlife Act in the late 1970’s when the export of snake skin was banned in lieu of the role snakes played as rodent predators. The Irulas, 'people from the dark' are the pre Dravidian inhabitants of the plains and scrub jungles of Chinglepet District, near Chennai. The Forest Protection Bill of 1976 ended the traditional livelihood of the Irulas, who sold firewood, wax, and honey collected from the forests.
Until the 1970’s these aboriginal forest dwellers depended on the snake skin for their livelihood. The Act moved the sale of snake skin of certain species of snakes from schedule 4 to schedule 2 where in hunting and sale of snakes was awarded severe punishments. Not just this, The Irulas were no longer allowed to respond to calls for help in capturing cobras and other endangered snakes that wander into inhabited areas, leaving the serpents to the fate of being beaten to death by villagers, property owners or the police.
With the ban on the import of the snake skin, this tribe was virtually pushed to the brink of extinction in their natural habitat and they were forced to migrate from forests to the cities in search of a suitable livelihood. The recognition on Romulus Whitaker’s part, to use this inborn expertise of Irulas in handling snakes to profitably put to use helped establish the Irula Snake Catchers Industrial Co-op Society (ISCICS). Romulus Whitaker was then in the process of establishing the Chennai Crocodile Bank and with his help, the tribals procured a license of the establishment of a snake venom extraction center.
Functioning in pairs, often husband and wife teams, the Irulas spend hours and sometimes days looking for tell-tale signs. From a seemingly innocent faint scratch in the ground, they can identify the type of snake, the direction of movement and roughly how old the track is. Many of the commercially feasible snakes live in rat holes and have to be dug out - a procedure that, in the case of highly poisonous varieties, can take hours.
The Irula Extraction Cooperative Society integrated their proficiency in catching poisonous snakes with a project to make anti-venom serum. The cooperative has, since 1982, extracted, processed and dispatched venom from over one lakh snakes. The reptiles are milked for venom thrice during the three weeks that they are held captive. One notices a unique interaction between the man and snake since the snakes are not kept captive and are left in the wild after they are milked for their venom.
The Irulas are paid handsomely for their catch. According to Mr Dravida Mani, Secretary the project has helped rehabilitate over 250 Irula families. They are paid anywhere between Rs 200 to 1200 for every poisonous snake caught apart from bonuses. Thanks to this cooperation, the Irulas are promised a sustainable income of over 4000 Rs every month.
According to Mani, this application of tribal knowledge and technology to use wild snakes sustainably and generate income has encouraged the Irulas to expand this cooperation. He feels that a simple change in the law can drastically improve the lives of this tribe by ensuring financial security.
The process of extracting venom is a long and lengthy process involving lot of snakes, as only one to two drops of venom is extracted from each snake. For example, to produce one gram of cobra venom, 10 snakes are required and to produce the same amount of venom from viper, more than 750 snakes are required. The extracted venom is then purified and frozen and then freeze-dried and sold in the powder form to the laboratories across the country to produce anti-venom. The King Institute of Preventive Medicine located in Guindy is one such procurer of this raw form of venom which is then converted into anti venom. Every anti-venom vial is sold for around anything between Rs 440 to Rs 500.
The Wildlife Act has banned the export of snake venom to the international market. “If the ban is lifted, we can employ them all through the year”, says Mr Mani. He says that in foreign countries, the snake venom is used by the pharmaceutical companies not just for producing anti-venom but also for treatment of other diseases and the ban only hinders the economic development of the Irulas. A gram of snake venom fetches anywhere close to 6000 Rs abroad much higher than its worth in India.
The fact of the matter remains that what ever step the Indian Govt decides to take; the Irulas have already tasted success. Apart from helping the Irulas gain financial independence, the cooperation has helped serve as an important social center for them to meet regularly and discuss problems. Not only this, the cooperation serves as a model to help sustain the other tribes with similar knowledge. It is a source of pride and identity for these Irulas, a source of comfort in an age and time where tribal identities are constantly challenged.
Until the 1970’s these aboriginal forest dwellers depended on the snake skin for their livelihood. The Act moved the sale of snake skin of certain species of snakes from schedule 4 to schedule 2 where in hunting and sale of snakes was awarded severe punishments. Not just this, The Irulas were no longer allowed to respond to calls for help in capturing cobras and other endangered snakes that wander into inhabited areas, leaving the serpents to the fate of being beaten to death by villagers, property owners or the police.
With the ban on the import of the snake skin, this tribe was virtually pushed to the brink of extinction in their natural habitat and they were forced to migrate from forests to the cities in search of a suitable livelihood. The recognition on Romulus Whitaker’s part, to use this inborn expertise of Irulas in handling snakes to profitably put to use helped establish the Irula Snake Catchers Industrial Co-op Society (ISCICS). Romulus Whitaker was then in the process of establishing the Chennai Crocodile Bank and with his help, the tribals procured a license of the establishment of a snake venom extraction center.
Functioning in pairs, often husband and wife teams, the Irulas spend hours and sometimes days looking for tell-tale signs. From a seemingly innocent faint scratch in the ground, they can identify the type of snake, the direction of movement and roughly how old the track is. Many of the commercially feasible snakes live in rat holes and have to be dug out - a procedure that, in the case of highly poisonous varieties, can take hours.
The Irula Extraction Cooperative Society integrated their proficiency in catching poisonous snakes with a project to make anti-venom serum. The cooperative has, since 1982, extracted, processed and dispatched venom from over one lakh snakes. The reptiles are milked for venom thrice during the three weeks that they are held captive. One notices a unique interaction between the man and snake since the snakes are not kept captive and are left in the wild after they are milked for their venom.
The Irulas are paid handsomely for their catch. According to Mr Dravida Mani, Secretary the project has helped rehabilitate over 250 Irula families. They are paid anywhere between Rs 200 to 1200 for every poisonous snake caught apart from bonuses. Thanks to this cooperation, the Irulas are promised a sustainable income of over 4000 Rs every month.
According to Mani, this application of tribal knowledge and technology to use wild snakes sustainably and generate income has encouraged the Irulas to expand this cooperation. He feels that a simple change in the law can drastically improve the lives of this tribe by ensuring financial security.
The process of extracting venom is a long and lengthy process involving lot of snakes, as only one to two drops of venom is extracted from each snake. For example, to produce one gram of cobra venom, 10 snakes are required and to produce the same amount of venom from viper, more than 750 snakes are required. The extracted venom is then purified and frozen and then freeze-dried and sold in the powder form to the laboratories across the country to produce anti-venom. The King Institute of Preventive Medicine located in Guindy is one such procurer of this raw form of venom which is then converted into anti venom. Every anti-venom vial is sold for around anything between Rs 440 to Rs 500.
The Wildlife Act has banned the export of snake venom to the international market. “If the ban is lifted, we can employ them all through the year”, says Mr Mani. He says that in foreign countries, the snake venom is used by the pharmaceutical companies not just for producing anti-venom but also for treatment of other diseases and the ban only hinders the economic development of the Irulas. A gram of snake venom fetches anywhere close to 6000 Rs abroad much higher than its worth in India.
The fact of the matter remains that what ever step the Indian Govt decides to take; the Irulas have already tasted success. Apart from helping the Irulas gain financial independence, the cooperation has helped serve as an important social center for them to meet regularly and discuss problems. Not only this, the cooperation serves as a model to help sustain the other tribes with similar knowledge. It is a source of pride and identity for these Irulas, a source of comfort in an age and time where tribal identities are constantly challenged.
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