Going to town - Chinese Experience

Over half of China's people now live in urban areas

For a nation whose culture and society have been shaped over millennia by its rice-farming traditions, and whose ruling party rose to power in 1949 by mobilizing its traditional peasantry, China has just passed a remarkable milestone: its city-dwellers now outnumber its rural residents. New data from the National Bureau of Statistics show that of China’s 1.35 billion people, 51.3% lived in urban areas at the end of 2011. In 1980 less than a fifth of China’s population lived in cities, a smaller proportion than in India. What a transformation?

Over the next ten years the government remained wary of free movement, even as it made its peace with free enterprise. Touting a policy of “leaving the land but not the villages, entering the factories but not cities”, it sought industrialization without urbanization, only to discover it could not have one without the other. Even now, its ratio of city-dwellers is, if anything, low for an economy at its stage of development. America reached the 50% mark before 1920. Britain passed it in the 19th century. Go further back, however, and China’s cities dazzled the world. It is likely that one thousand years ago, the Song Dynasty capital of Kaifeng was the world’s most populous city. Marco Polo, who visited China in the 13th century, claimed that Hangzhou was “the most splendid city in the world” with 13,000 bridges—although later estimates suggest the true number was 347. In other words it could mean the report was either based on hearsay or wild guess. How Kaifeng could be the most splendid city unless the writer-traveler had personally seen at least a dozen of similar cities in the world. It could be an exaggerated statement on seeing a tolerably well built and populated city unlike the ones he had seen earlier to this.

The point to be noted here is the fact that China is growing faster on the same lines than other players on the globe and mesmerizing one and all undoubtedly.

A matter of deep satisfaction is that the state of Tamil Nadu has achieved 51% urban population as per 2011 Census. Urbanisation has its own disadvantages in Indian context at the moment.

(Jan 18th 2012, 15:09 by The Economist online)

Jubilee Celebration of Madras University Library

We are glad to know that the central library of Madras University is celebrating its jubilee after serving the academic community and others for more than 100 years of its existence. With a good collection of books and journals it is a fertile ground for increase in productivity of mind and intellectual property to those who seek after knowledge and skill.

The undersigned who took his Masters in Economics in the year 1970 from the University of Madras pursued his advanced study in a couple of subjects needed for the competitive exams in UPSC. Besides others, Madras University Library provided the solid base for preparations that enabled him to compete successfully both in the written as well as personal interview. For about three months in the beginning of the calendar year 1970, I was the first one to enter the library at 8.00 AM and the last one to leave it in the evening at 8.00 PM. Old records can prove this point if necessary.

Kudos for its service to the literary and scientific world and wish all success on its march to another centenary year.

Shortage of man-power in Sub-stations of T.N.E.B

M.Mark Nelson reports in Dinamani (Thursday, August 23, 2012) that about 800 sub-stations from T.N.Electricity Production and Distribution Company are being transfered to the T.N.Power Holding Company with 80 % shortage of man-power in them already. The E.B engineers are apprehensive of major disruption and deterioration in power supply to the consumers in the state of Tamil Nadu in the days to come.

Who is to look into this aspect and do the needful without any loss of time? Power sector beng so important Herculian efforts are literally needed to maintain the supply. Inadequate production coupled with faulty distribution, transmission losses and thefts, one is sure to confront a very bad situation in the state soon. 

Social Justice by Supreme Court

Slur on Indian Governance:

The Supreme Court of India on Friday (August 3, 2012) ended the age-old indifference and neglect of these hapless widows by asking the Uttar Pradesh government and Mathura authorities to provide proper food, medical facility and clean toilets at four government-run shelter homes at Vrindavan, which house more than 1700 women.

The author had witnessed the scene personally some seven years ago. It is really inhuman to watch and keep quiet. After all the state government and its agencies could have taken the steps ordered by the Court now. Is it the fate of Indian citizens to keep waiting for the directions to agencies from the court for every activity of theirs? As a former civil servant I feel ashamed of having been forced to live in such a situation.

Another judgment passed on the same date was in regard to a hapless citizen named Azam in Chhattisgarh State who has been awarded a compensation of Rs 5 lakhs for the inhuman treatment meted out to him by police men. The government has been asked to recover the sum from those very police men who forced the victim to pose for a photograph with a placard on his chest declaring himself to be a thief, fraud, cheat and rascal and getting the same published. The protectors were at work as usual. Who is to check these uniformed devils!

Water Bodies in Doldrums

The lake in Ooty, a major tourist attraction, now emits a foul odour , thanks to untreated sewage getting into it, now partly covered with water hyacinths. Garbage is also dumped on its bund. The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) has made a study according to which the Ooty lake is one of the most polluted water bodies in the state. The study indicates that the presence of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) in the Ooty lake has exceeded prescribed standards, at 11 milligram per litre (mg/l) as against the tolerance limit of 3 mg/l. Similarly data analysis of the water bodies in Poondi, Porur and Red Hills which serve as sources of drinking water supply to Chennai city reveal that they too are contaminated. The tests show the presence of coliform bacteria in samples of untreated water.

I am forced to put one question to the Board and get the names of at least some lakes and rivers in the state which are not polluted at all. One is indeed pained to see the status of rivers and lakes in the state. It seems to be nobody’s concern and everybody adjusts to such a situation. When are we going to use our resources and ensure planning for proper maintenance and beautification of lakes and rivers as we find in developed countries?

Fire accident in Tamil Nadu Express

32 deaths in fire accident two days ago on bogie No.S-11 of Tamil Nadu Express near Nellore station on the way to Chennai in the early morning at 4-15 A.M created a sense of fear and anger against the railway establishment. Cause of fire is reported to be short-circuit in electrical installation inside the bogie.

As a frequent traveler in trains I was only wondering as to how we were lucky so far we haven’t had such accidents frequently in the past. The callousness and indifference exhibited by the railway staff needs several volumes to write about. What the hell they are doing for the pay and perks they derive from the railways department? Dereliction of duty to the core? No supervision, no inspection whatsoever……….?