Rishikesh

Fertilizers: Siddalingappa Choori was barely 33 when he died after a bullet hit him in Haveri on Tuesday. The victim unfortunately got caught in the mob that tried to stone policemen who were stopping them from storming a fertilizer shop. The farmers were angry at the severe fertilizer scarcity. The Haveri incident is symptomatic of a serious problem plaguing the state- the severe scarcity of fertilizers. And if the state does not act immediately, there is a danger of the discontent taking the shape of riots and spreading to all corners of the state. What is the problem? This is the first major problem facing B S Yeddyurappa who took oath in the name of farmers. All the 12 pulses growing districts of north Karnataka are suffering from scarcity. Farmers don’t have enough DAP (Di Ammonium Phosphate) and Nitrogen – Phosphorous-Potassium (NPK) complex needed during sowing. Neither the government operated agriculture produce marketing committees (APMCs) nor the private traders have enough

Some young people who met me recently, asked me these questions. I had no time then and promised to answer them here. I will try to answer one question per day. 1: Why does the mainstream media not cover constructive social phenomenon like inter religious dialogues and efforts at communal harmony? A: Yes and no. One of the oldest allegations against the media is that it highlights negative issues and downplays positive developments. There may be two reasons behind this. Negative issues seem to have a larger nuisance value that can create sensational news. They also have larger marketability than positive issues. Sensational stories attract attention faster than articles that demand the reader to stop, think and perceive. However, this is an easy explanation. A larger, academic explanation may be this. Our colonial history ridden with stories of exploitation and centuries of suffering might have shaped our psyche. May be this is responsible for our `Chalta hai’ or `Kuch Nahi Badlega’ a