RAGING forest fires in the United States and Australia, unprecedented rains in several parts of India, sea waters entering populated areas, icebergs melting rapidly, colossal loss of property and life due to devastating oceanic storms. What all these natural disasters are signs of? For the scientific community there is only one answer: global warming. A research paper-based report in the New York Times has predicted that like most coastal cities and towns much of Mumbai is under the grave risk of being wiped out due to rising sea levels by the middle of the century. Researchers and scientists have been ringing the alarm bells for governments and societies to wake up to the dangers that are looming large over the entire humanity due to unchecked pollution levels and consequently significant atmospheric decline already taking place. The unprecedented rains, forest fires, inundation of populated areas by sea waters this year present ominous portents for humanity. It is now or never for humanity itself to take up self-preservation measures.
WISE MOVE
THAT the Army cares a lot for its personnel, is evident from a fresh move by the top-brass to help the retiring men to know their rights and entitlements so that they are spared from the post-retirement blues. Army spokesperson Col. Aman Anand said, in effect, that the effort was to ensure that all the officers and men were aware of what their rights were and what they must get constitutionally upon exit from service. Of course, there is another area, too, that may need attention at some point in time -- to help officers and men to decide what they should do in after-years to keep themselves meaningfully occupied and happily active. One of the biggest issues in post-retirement years is an alternative script to follow. For, in the absence of any such script, many officers and men (not just in Armed Forces but also elsewhere) find life a drudgery and lose interest in good life. They do have enough money to live well. The problem is with many others who lose interest in life and live for short years. The Army should give a thought to this problem as well.