Swaminathan warns of grain shortage
Eminent agriculture scientist and Rajya Sabha MP, Prof. M.S. Swaminathan, on Wednesday raised concern about droughts and shortage of grain following the abnormal monsoon this year.
Launching a certification course in environmental stewardship and carbon management, conducted by Greenovation Eco Ventures, Prof. Swaminathan said India had an abnormal monsoon this year though it seemed normal. Parts of Vidarbha, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu have several problems due to this, he said.
“We (Tamil Nadu) have a problem in kuruvai crop cultivation because Cauvery water has to come and if there is no rain in the upper catchment area, then there is a problem downstream,” he explained.
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School team meets girl, parents
PARWEZ HAFEEZ
Kolkata, July 11
In a damage control exercise, a three-member team of Visvabharati led by Patha Bhavan principal Bodhirupa Sinha called on the Class 5 student who was forced to drink her own urine as a punishment for bed-wetting and her parents. Ms Sinha was accompanied by registrar of the university, Manimukut Mitra, and a Patha Bhavan teacher, Nilanjana Sen. They repeatedly urged Punita Mistry to return to school. They assured her parents Manoj and Poonam Mistry that she would not face any problem in the hostel in future.
However, the 10-year-old girl is yet to recover from the trauma and is reluctant to return. “They asked me to send my daughter to school but I told them that she is not willing to go and we cannot force her,” Mr Mistry said.
He said that when his daughter secured admission to Patha Bhavan it was a dream come true. “I know if she does not return to Patha Bhavan it will be a great loss but I am not a heartless father. My daughter is terrified of going back to the school. It will be entirely her decision,” he added.
After the meeting with Punita and her parents, the Visvabharati team said it urged her to return to school. “We came here to find out about the health of the girl. She is our student and we told her parents that the sooner she returned to the school the better for her. If she returns to her old friends and teachers, she will be able to recover from the nightmare sooner,” Ms Sinha said.
Sources said she also assured the Mistrys that warden Uma Poddar would not be allowed to work in the Karabi Hostel again.
Despite so many assurance, the Visvabharati team failed to persuade her to return.
The Mistrys are unhappy with the behaviour and attitude of the Visvabharati authorities. They feel that the team visited them merely as a formality and not out of any genuine concern for Punita and remorse over the incident.
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