"This programme may upset some people"

This is the 'cover yourself legally' warning which is usually trotted out when something upsetting and/or violent is going to be shown on television. I'm just watching a recording of Channel4's pretty good documentary, shown last evening on More4, to mark the first anniversary today of the Mumbai terrorist outrages last year and this is the warning that was issued before the programme and after each ad-break before the programme resumed.

Who would not find such a programme disturbing? Being shown at 10pm, it was way after the 'watershed' when younger children should certainly not be watching. No, it's really often just used as a blanket 'watch your back' legal 'out' in case some viewer claims it has traumatised him/her and tries to sue the makers of the programme for the distress caused. I don't really blame Channel4 for trying to protect themselves in these circumstance, but still it strike me as a bit odd - but that's the society that we live in.

Similar rather idiotic warnings are shown on some packaged food products - one of the most extraordinary being the warnings which often appear on packs of nuts which say something like "Warning - May contain nuts.". I know nut allergy sufferers can become seriously ill, or even die, if they consume products containing even trace amounts of nuts or nut oils so some products where these ingredients may not be obvious do require to bear a warning, but on a pack of nuts? End of rant ... (for now)

NB/ My permament memorial pages in respect of recent terrorist events are linked to fairly near to the top of the right column under the sub-heading 'Memorial Pages', or you can visit the first page in the series here, or go to the Mumbai page direct.

Indian firm Tata unveils 1 Lakh car!

Quite a concept, a 1 Lakh car. For just over Rs100,000 (about £1,277, €1,700, $2,500) a lot of Indians will soon be able to own a 5-seater all-weather vehicle as an alternative to the ubiquitous 50cc scooter with a family and often a fair amount of luggage precariously balanced on top. I imagine if this project is a success there will soon be a clamour for it to be available in other countries, and possibly not just in the third-world. According to an AFP summary box included in this BBC article, the Tata Nano meets European emissions standards, although there is no mention of its possible Euro NCAP rating (wikipedia article on Euro NCAP is here).

It seems to be relatively fuel-efficient car and will undoubtedly meet the aspirations of a lot of moderately affluent Indians. I might even consider buying one myself, except for this nagging worry that it might be a death-trap; some of the other inexpensive imported vehicles on sale in recent years in the UK (although still a lot more costly than this one) certainly never received very high marks for safety from consumers' organisations. However, I certainly don't wish to pour cold water on Tata's remarkable achievement.

Sunday YouTube - India: the beauty of nature

I thought it was appropriate in the anniversary week of the 60th anniversary of Indian independence to focus on the timeless beauty of the country from the very personal perspective of Dr Erach Bharucha. I hope you enjoy watching this short film as much as I did:

At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps ...

... India will awake to life and freedom ...

This is part of the speech given by Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India at its independence on 15th August 1947, sixty years ago today:



Jawaharlal Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi (as Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was known), together with Muhammad Ali Jinnah for Pakistan (whom I wrote about yesterday), were the two principal architects of and intellects behind the struggle for Indian independence:

Celebrating sixty years of Indian independence 15th August 1947 - 15th August 2007 Mahatma Gandhi 'Father of the Nation' Jawaharlal Nehru First Prime Minister of independent India Click here to see larger images.

India is probably destined to be one of the major economies, with commensurate influence, in Asia and the wider world in coming decades. Its development since it gained independence has not been entirely even, but in recent years its economy has grown steadily and whilst there remain huge numbers of very poor people, the economic progress has percolated down to a significant proportion of the population already. The country is generally reckoned to be the world's largest genuine democracy. In a message to the nation ahead of the anniversary of independence, President Pratibha Patil, the country's first woman president, declared:

"Growth, when unevenly spread, dwarfs overall prosperity. "We have to ensure equitable growth for all. The fruits of economic development must necessarily touch, especially, the living and working conditions of our toiling masses and people below the poverty line. "For our nation to rise and claim its glorious destiny, we must realise that it is our billion hands that can shape it."

Happy independence day!

Pakistan celebrates 60 years of independence from Britain

Pakistan came into being sixty years ago tomorrow. Formed out of the provinces of Balochistan, East Bengal, the North-west Frontier Province, West Punjab and Sindh of the former 'British India'. The new country was a geographic curiosity in that it comprised two separate 'wings' called West Pakistan [the current territory of Pakistan) and East Pakistan, separated by the country formed a day later, India. The 'partition' of India was a product of religious difference, with Pakistan being established for its mainly Moslem inhabitants and India for its mainly Hindu population; the process of partition caused much bloodshed in both communities accompanied by huge population movements in both directions. The man regarded as the 'Father of the Nation' or 'Great Leader' was Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Since then East Pakistan (i.e. East Bengal) has separated from the rest of Pakistan and in 1971 became the new country we know today as Bangladesh; the separation was not peaceful and was a product of the difficulty of managing a country consisting of two separate parts, with a generally hostile country in-between; the hostility was of course mutual.

In any case, tomorrow is the 60th anniversary of Pakistani independence (those who still call themselves Pakistani and those who now call themselves Bangladeshi); I wish them all a Happy Birthday!



The BBC has an interesting historical essay on Pakistan here, which concludes: "It is the story of a society that has been going round in circles for the last 60 years"; it's a sober assessment. Her Majesty the Queen and Prime Minister Gordon Brown send their tributes celebrating the country's birthday.