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Good Analysis
The cover story on HIV/AIDS is very relevant “Rising Toll On Economy (SPOTLIGHT July 29).” This dimension of the AIDS is not much discussed in the media and other public forum. But the toll on the economy with rise in the HIV/AIDS cases, is inevitable. The effect of the disease on the economy has already been seen in many African countries. With most of the working population afflicted with AIDS the economy of these countries are in doldrums. Nepal as well as other third world nations should learn lessons from them and start preparing ground works both to control the rapid spread of HIV/AIDS and to find a way to keep the economy functioning even if such adverse conditions do come.
Nita Shrestha
Thamel
Really Ridiculous
The activities of the political parties these days are really ridiculous to say the least “MOCK PARLIAMENT: Ridiculing The Dignified Institution (SPOTLIGHT July 22)”. Whether by holding parliamentary sessions in the streets or doing the agitation without the backing of the people, the political parties seem to have lost conscience. If they are the representatives of the people as they claim to be they should have patience and wait for the people to realize that they have a point worth supporting. In the meantime, they should also start practicing democracy within their organizations and create environment to enable young and energetic leaders to take over.
Kumar Thapa
Naxal
Fruit Adulteration
The article titled "Beware of Junk" (SPOTLIGHT July 22) is an interesting and informative piece. I think this kind of articles should be promoted to make the innocent consumers aware. Indeed, food is vital, as it sustains life and provides energy. Thus, the choice of right kind of food products is important. We tend to enjoy whatever is being offered to us without caring much about its ingredients and nutritional value. I wonder how many of us actually read the information provided on the labels of the packaged products. We basically rely on our neighbors' and friends' gossip. Let’s think twice before buying any food products and be informed about the ingredients. People even buy date expired medicines from the pharmacy. This piece of writing reminded me of mangoes, the dominant fruit available in this season. Mangoes seen in the markets before the season are mainly imported Indian mangoes which are ripened by harmful chemical agents above the permissible level by the farmers and traders. Traditionally, in India , mangoes are picked quite green to avoid bird damage and laid on hay in ventilated rooms over a week to ripen them. However, these days artificial ripening is commonplace, in which mangoes are treated with Ethylene. This chemical speeds up the ripening process by almost 50 percent depending on the type and the degree of maturity of the mangoes. The other commonly used agent in the ripening process is calcium carbide, a substance used for welding. Calcium carbide contains the traces of arsenic and phosphorous, which once dissolved in water produces acetylene gas. In most cases, the skin changes color but the pulp remains raw and hard, which is tasteless and possibly toxic. Agricultural scientists in Gujarat said, "Those mangoes which are already available in the market before mid May are all chemically treated. Chemical like calcium carbide is so easily available that even a small dealer or a farmer use it to enhance the ripening process." Consumption of such chemically treated mangoes affect the digestive system, thereby leading to a number of other ailments like diarrhea, burning sensation, thirst, inflammation of the food passage and rise in body temperature. Scarcity of water in many parts of Gujarat has led a reduction in the size of mangoes. Thus, many orchard owners inject Indole Acetic Acid (IAA) to increase the size and the quality of pulp. IAA, commonly known as cultar, is also injected into tree trunks or poured into the soil to have early ripening. A former director of Navsari Agriculture University , CB Patel said that this is a dangerous trend because IAA can cause cancer.
Given the rampant use of harmful chemicals to ripen the mangoes, Navsari Agriculture University has started an extensive research to find out consequences of this practice. Likewise, alarmed by the situation, concerned agencies of South India have started raiding the mango godowns. Thus, the concerned authorities in Nepal should also be alert and take timely action before it is too late. More importantly, the consumers need to be careful in selection and consumption of mangoes available in the market earlier than the naturally ripe mangoes.
Bhawana Upadhyay
Gujarat , India
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