दृष्टिकोण – Indra's Viewpoint

Shah Jahan’s TajMahal is already doing a hot round in media to get the votes to be in the list of ‘new seven wonders’ through SMSs and e-mails. The news of another masterpiece from Shah Jahan was exhilarating. Perhaps, He was one emperor who had a passion to create something unique for the posterity to become immortal. Taj Mahal, Lal Killa (Red Fort), Jama Masjid, and many other things such as the lost Takhat-e- toush and Kohinoor through which the people will keep on remembering Shah Jahan for years to come even today.

As per a media report, Emperor Shah Jahan got created another masterpiece, a 1.1 kg coin as large as a quarter plate, made of solid gold. It is now the property of the University of Mumbai courtesy stockbroker Dinesh Mody. Mody is donating this coin and 25,000 other heritage coins, currency notes, seals and medals from countries all over the world to the university for use in its new master’s degree in numismatics and archaeology.

The Shah Jahan coin dates back to the era between 1628 and 1658. In the 1980s, it was auctioned in London, when Mody bought it for a small fortune. But it carries a fascinating tale.

According to the story, the massive coin was issued to placate the Khalifa, the head of the Muslim sect. Islamic kings were forbidden from issuing coins with Kalima (aayat from the Koran) or images of humans or other living beings. However, Akbar, Jahangir and Shah Jahan frequently issued coins engraved with birds, animals and their own visages. When the Khalifa, who migrated from Baghdad to Morocco, learnt of this practice, he sent out a stern warning to Shah Jahan that if he continued in this vainglorious manner, he would be excommunicated.

Dilip Rajgor, a scholar and the author of several books on numismatics, says ”He (Shah Jahan) not eat for a day and then one of his advisors came up with a solution, which was to mint a large coin from pure gold and call it Shahenshah.” The coin was sent to the Khalifa with a message that read, ”the Shahenshah (Emperor) is at your feet asking for forgiveness”. On it was inscribed in Persian, ”There is only one God, and he is Allah, and Mohammed is his Prophet.”

The Khalifa’s daughter, who married an Afghan prince, took this coin with her. The couple’s daughter married the prince of Bahawalpur and the coin was sent with her as dowry.

Will the diamonds possessed by Mayawati be one day a similar object of history for the posterity?

I was watching the award giving function to the winners of CNBC-TV18 ‘Emerging India Awards 2007‘ initiated by ICICI Bank and CNBC TV18. I was amazed to learn that the winners were selected from about 1,25,378 SMEs that made entry. KV Kamath, managing director & CEO of ICICI Bank too hoped the number of entries to reach 5 lakh next year that started with 5,000 in 2005.The winner SMEs had a maximum net worth of Rs 50 crore. The winners are:
IndoAsian Fusegear Limited (auto, ancillaries and engineering), Venus Remedies Limited (pharma & chemicals), Freshtrop Fruits Limited (FMCG, Food & Agri-Business), Kama Jewellery (gems & jewellery), Indus Fila (textiles & apparel), Value Labs (IT, communications and entertainment (ICE), ITES), Techpro Systems Limited (Infrastructure), Diana Hotels Limited (travel & tourism), Today’s Writing Products (retail trade). Speck Systems Limited (non retail), Mother’s Pride Education Persona Private Limited, and S Jhaveri & Co.

And one can see such enthusiastic entrepreneurs in all part of the country. Each story is unique and exciting. The story of SELCO is of one such entrepreneur. Harish Hande 37, an IIT Kharagpur alumnus founded SELCO, India 12 years ago. This solar energy company has recently won the prestigious ‘Green Oscar’ for the second time. And a report in this Sunday Times of India tells how the company is transforming the lives of ordinary people making an auto driver an entrepreneur:

The solar panel installed above R Vijaya Kumar’s small house on the outskirts of Bangalore made the difference. Every day at 4 pm, Vijay Kumar drives to the Bomanahalli market on the outskirts of Bangalore with 50 batteries that he hires out to street vendors for Rs 15 per battery per night. He returns at 11 pm to take them back, having made thrice what he could earn as an auto driver. It gets Kumar enough money to repay the loan he took to buy the SELCO’s solar panels with which he recharges the batteries everyday.’ In Gujarat, SELCO has helped midwives to deliver children with the aid of a solar lighting kits, and in Karnataka, SELCO has given rose-pickers outside Bangalore solar-powered headlamps so that they can work in the pre-dawn darkness with their hands free. This customized design has made the difference. But Harish went step further and convinced banks to come out with a product for the poor. Initially, it was still difficult to convince the poor to shell out anywhere between Rs 18,000 and Rs 20,000 for a standard 40-watt solar light system that can light several 7-watt bulbs and charge batteries which can be used after dark. For daily wagers, that’s a stiff financial commitment. It is possible through micro finance. Initially most banks were reluctant to lend money to those who earned less than Rs 100 pm. Harish suggested the innovative financing. ”While some found repaying Rs 300 a month difficult, they found it easy to put away Rs 10 a day.” The answer lay in ensuring a collection mechanism that would work on a daily rather than monthly basis.

Kearala’s Biotech and Karnataka’s SKG Sangha also won the ‘Green Oscar’ awards. Biotech won it for developing and installing biogas plants in Kerala that use food waste to generate gas for cooking. SKG Sangha has bagged the second prize for improving the lives of rural communities in the state by supplying them with both dung-based biogas plants for cooking and a specially-designed unit that turns the slurry from the biogas plant into high quality fertiliser.Why can’t the states such as Bihar and Orissa emulate it?

And what has it meant. The vendors give up their polluting lamps for a cleaner and cheaper energy alternative. A few extra hours of work after sundown, less fumes from lamps and more study time for kids – it’s all these things that make a difference to people hampered by electricity outages and the reliance on a few expensive litres of kerosene. Many entrepreneurs can take some lessons from the stories above. And this can be the only way to win the race with China that many think we should not even dream because of our democratic system and corrupt politicians and bureaucrats.

Some months ago, Mr. Arora had taken me to this bird sanctuary on the Noida side of Yamuna- ‘Okhala Pakshi Vihar’. I loved the water body, but I could not realize its significance. However, with news of various constructions to facilitate the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi and NCR appearing in newspapers almost everyday, this bird sanctuary could have become a great attraction for the visitors from far and near. And this can become a pride of Noida, if Noida Authority and Delhi Government promote it well.

The UP government notified the area on its side in 1990 as a sanctuary and perhaps Delhi government will also do that very soon for the area falling under it. However, it will need combined efforts of many agencies such as DDA, PWD, forest and environment department, and other land owning agencies, to make the place worth its importance.

Okhla Bird Sanctuary, with a spread over 4 sq km, might have come into existence in 1960s or 1950s with the construction of the Okhla Barrage and play host to over 300 bird species. However with continued long neglect by the agencies managing the area over the years, some 50 species had stopped coming. Between September and March the place is really alive with the arrival of the birds from central Asia, north Europe, northeast and the Himalayas.

Frequent visitors are: Bitterns from the northeast and Bangladesh, Eurasian Golden Oriole, various duck varieties like pochards, gadwalls. Tufted ducks and coots, black and brown headed gulls from Central Asia, White-throated kingfisher, Pled kingfisher, rose ringed parakeet, Black kite, and the Great Egret as well as Hume’s Warbler, Great Flamingo, Painted Stork, Green Bee-eater, Spotbilled duck

Agencies concerned must pull all its strength and will to develop both the sides of Yamuna, the river revered by all Indians between ITO bridge to Okhala Barrage and make it a world class water body that can attract birds and so tourists from far and near to watch and enjoy them. Perhaps, the Commonwealth Games 2010 will be the best reason to do that.

I came to know through media that Anand Arya who lives in Noida, is a keen bird watcher. Surprisingly I came to know of Anand because of a marriage function at my Noida residence in which he visited our residence in Noida. His white hair locks were unique and reminded me of Dr.Satyen Bose, the famous scientist in my Presidency College days. Many like him under ‘Delhi Bird’ have taken up the cause of Noida Bird Sanctuary. I wish it came up as a class one.

Within a fortnight from now, the voting for a new list of the ‘seven wonders of the world’ will close. It is going to be the people’s choice this time. However, the voters can be only those who are interested lot and who can use cells for SMS or Internet for e-voting. The results will be known in Lisbon on July 7 in perhaps a grand function.

The Taj Mahal in Agra was among the 21 monuments short-listed last year for the global poll. The poll is organised by The ‘New Seven Wonders Foundation‘, a privately funded Switzerland-based organisation.

The inclusion of Taj depends if somehow a lot of SMSs and e-voting in its favour can be managed to reach the organising agency. This may be a test of the nation-based preference of those in the country and abroad with an access to mobile-phone connections and Internet. Why is it not coming? Is it because either they don’t know about Taj, or about this voting or don’t care to vote? SMS voters, incidentally, can vote as many times as they like. Should some with zeal make it a mission and get into sending continuously SMSs in favour of Taj? Unfortunately, those voting on the Net can register their vote only once, and so I can’t help Taj in unscrupulous way. I Media Corp Ltd is trying to galvanise public support for the Taj. And that may be reason that on all the TV channels and print media, you can see the appeal.

At long last, Ambika Soni, the tourism minister has today appealed for vote for the monument. However, it is only some private or NGOs endeavour that too, soon enough and intense one can make Taj win a place. Some nations have taken it as real serious task. While some consider it a disgrace to make its monument compete for a place.

As reported, Brazil’s President Lula de Silva used a radio address to tell people how to vote for Rio’s statue of Christ the Redeemer. The government of Peru has opened computer terminals in public plazas to encourage people to vote for Machu Pichu.

If the Taj gets the ”seven wonder” tag, Taj will get publicity without making any investment. The Taj, as on today, is competing with Greece’s Acropolis, Mexico’s Chichen Itza pyramid, Paris’ Eiffel Tower, Brazil’s Statue of Christ The Redeemer and Jordan’s Petra.

The Great Pyramids of Giza is the only surviving structures from the original seven wonders of the ancient world, and are assured of keeping their status in addition to the new seven. Now, the race is open for all the seven spots with 20 contenders.

07/07/07 decides whether Taj keeps its date with history. And so, why not vote for Taj, if you have not.

I have done that, and wish that all like me should do it (Please SMS or use the link). It’s after all a good cause.

When global warming threat is so much a reality, the lead must come from India Inc. And it is coming. All that is done to reduce the global warming does also reduce cost as bonus in many cases.
Better energy efficiency (BEE) has become the top priority particularly in energy-intensive industries such as steel, cement, paper and fertilizer. BEE is a cost reduction step, as the electricity bill is 20-40 per cent of production costs of the sectors. According to the Bureau of Energy Efficiency, corporate India’s savings in this area run into crores of rupees every year:

1. Rashtriya Chemicals & Fertilisers has reduced its power consumption by 60 per cent in the past decade using new technologies.
2. With energy comprising 80 per cent of costs, Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative (IFFCO) reduced consumption by 6-14 per cent, with a Rs 8.3-crore upgradation of its Phulpur urea and ammonia plant helping the company save Rs 1.2 crore every year.
3. Jindal Stainless Ltd (JSL) saved nearly Rs 4 crore through waste reduction in 2005.
4. Chemfab Alkalis invested Rs 36.75 lakh to upgrade and replace inefficient pumps and compressors, and initiated other steps, which led to savings of Rs 82.75 lakh in the last three years.
5. Jubilant Organosys’ energy expenses, as a percentage of total costs, came down from 34.5 per cent in 1997-98 to 21.9 percent last year.

Cement kilns have shifted from wet to dry process; the automobile industry is recycling wastewater and re-using the sedimented heavy metals used in electroplating. Textiles firms are adopting cost-effective technologies. Pulp and paper majors like ITC and Ballarpur Industries have cut water usage by half.

The desire to become a global manufacturing hub has impelled auto majors to reduce pollution. Hero Honda has already switched over to asbestos-free brakes in its motorcycles.

Institutions such as Shriram Institute for Industrial Research (SIIR) and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) have started offering sector-specific solutions.
The concept of green buildings that result in huge reductions in power (30-50 per cent) and water (30-50 per cent) usage are getting acceptance among many corporate that have decided to build only green buildings. From just over 50 green buildings now, the number may double by end-2007.

CII-Godrej GBC has also been able to start a voluntary programme, in which corporate members agree to reduce annual consumption of energy by 2-6 per cent, water by 5-10 per cent, and material by 2-6 per cent, and emissions by 2-6 per cent. Inspiration, perhaps, came from China, which, in 2005, asked its top 1,000 enterprises to reduce emissions by 20 per cent by 2015.

In interesting news, two Indian firms Bangalore-based SELCO (Solar Electric light Company) India and Kerala’s Biotech won the Outstanding Achievement category of the Ashden International Awards, more popularly known as ‘Green Oscars’. SELCO has brought reliable, affordable, and environmentally sustainable electricity to 55,000 homes and plans to reach an additional 200,000 customers by 2010. Biotech has till now, built and installed 12,000 domestic, 220 institutional and 17 municipal biogas plants to generate power from waste.

Lighting consumes a fair amount of energy. About 40 per cent of electric energy consumed globally goes for lighting. In India, it is about 17 per cent. A switch over to the fluorescent lamps from the 100-year-old technology of incandescent bulbs will save a huge lot of energy. It was interesting to hear the new CM of UP announcing a plan of the switch over to CFL in all government buildings. LED will be the next target for lighting for energy saving. Unfortunately, I have myself not done 100%, whereas my friend Sirohi has carried out the exercise. Even the household appliances such as refrigerators and airconditioners have got a mandatory standard about the power consumption. India faces a peak hour deficit of 14%. And the switch over to solar lights and CFLs can change India from deficit to surplus even without any additional generation.

It doesn’t, however, mean that India should not expand and expedite its generation capacity. But it is the responsibility of every person as a global citizen of mother earth to save energy and water.