Window Seat | Mrinal Chatterjee
16.5.21
Stop black marketing of Oxygen cylinders
Experts
have said that the major reasons of the shortage of oxygen was not dearth of
production or production facilities but failure in demand-mapping, supply chain
management and taking the oxygen cylinders to the last mile- to the patients.
The
crisis was aggravated at some places like Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad which had
high demand by hoarding and black-marketing of oxygen cylinders by unscrupulous
persons. The police and administration was probably too stretched to look into
this or simply did not care.
But
it created panic like situation which had a ripple effect across the country.
As a result in oxygen surplus states like Odisha too there were reports of
shortage as people started hoarding and holding on to the oxygen cylinders.
There was zero- scarcity of medical oxygen gas but the cylinders were scarce.
As people started hoarding and holding on to the cylinders- others could not
get oxygen. Hospitals were not prepared for the unprecedented spike in demand
for oxygen that the second wave of Corona caused.
The government must take steps to stop black marketing of oxygen cylinders and ensure adequate oxygen supply to the hospitals. Now that more number of cryogenic tankers has been pressed into transporting liquid oxygen, steps have been taken to fast track delivery of oxygen and turn-around time of the tankers and oxygen concentrators have been imported- the supply side will improve. Stop black marketing that thrives on manufactured artificial scarcity and things will normalize.
Raghunath Mahapatra
Eminent
sculptor of traditional idols and architect of Kalinga style temples Raghunath
Mahapatra, who had been bestowed with Padmashree and Padma Bhushan succumbed to
Covid on Sunday, 9 May.
Anne
Frank had written: Dead people receive more flowers than the living ones,
because regret is stronger than gratitude. So
true in case of Raghunath Mahapatra, the master sculptor, who wanted to build
the second Konark. We did not allow him to do that. He faced criticism for his
‘audacity’ to build a replica of the 13 century monument.
It could have showed to the world what the artists of Odisha
could do. Besides bringing world attention to the artistry of the present day
sculptors it could have showcased the
image of the State. Alas, we were so short sighted that we failed to see the
possibilities.
Rest
in peace, Raghunath Babu. You had the ability to put life in a piece of stone,
but did not have the ability to sow reason into the minds of some bigots.
In Photo: The Konark Horse - state emblem of
Odisha, replica sculpted by Padma Vibhusana Raghunath Mohapatra and installed
at Master Canteen square of Bhubaneswar in 1980.
The Feast on Eid
Eid
is considered to be a festival of joy and piety. But every year from my
childhood what I look forward to is the grand meal that follows. This year, of
course the Corona pandemic would deprive me from partaking the grand meal,
especially the delicious mutton preparations and sweet dishes.
Jawahar
Sarkar, former culture secretary, a widely travelled man has recently written
about the special dishes Muslims across the world prepare on this occasion.
Different
countries have their specialties and Russian Muslims carry on the national
fondness for all things in dumpling form — by gorging on Manti, a meat-filled
momo during Eid. In China, You Xiang (flour, water and yeast patties fried in
oil) are either given as a gift or eaten as part of the Eid feast.
But
Corona can hardly prevent Eid from its sweet sugary feast. It is time for
chocolate, nuts, cookies like Kahkaa, bakery goodies, sweets of every
conceivable type. The lachcha and sweet seyyunia and dozens of delicious
condiments made of milk, nuts, dates and vermicelli.
Afghanistan
does it with sweet cakes and jalebis, while Indonesians celebrate with a sticky
rice preparation cooked in bamboo called Lemang. In Turkey, classic sweets such
as Baklava are given to friends, family and neighbours as a present during Eid,
or Seker Bayrami as it’s commonly known in the country.
In
Arab countries, sweet dates are an integral part of the month and people bake
Kleichas, which are rose-flavoured biscuits that contain a filling of nuts and
dates. Both Iraq and Saudi Arabia consider them to be their national cookie. In
Yemen, Bint al sahn honey cake, and is topped with nigella seeds is the
specialty.
One
reason for sweets is to restore energy that fasting may have sapped, because at
the end of the day, all time-tested festivals have their own critical reasons.
Migratory Birds
8 May, Saturday was
World Migratory Bird Day. Every year
World Migratory Bird Day has a theme. This year’s theme is: “Sing, Fly,
Soar – Like a Bird!”
Migratory Birds are
world travelers. For generations they have connected people, countries and
ecosystems. But they bear the brunt of climate change, biodiversity loss &
pollution. Let us secure the future of the birds on our planet.
Photo by BN Neelima.
Tailpiece: How times have changed!
Isn’t
it strange! In normal times we would be worried if someone was in the ICU and
was on oxygen support; now we are relieved if someone has found a bed in the
ICU and has got oxygen support.
***
This column is published every Sunday in Gangtok based English daily Sikkim Express and www.prameyanews.com.
Anthology of this weekly column
published in 2020 has been published in book form. Should you want a free
e-copy, please write a mail to sephalicommunication@yahoo.in
No comments:
Post a Comment