Nature Deficiency Disorder

It is indeed alarming at the general policy of 'slash & burn' that most people seem to adopt these days in dealing with many of the issues that they face. And without a pause at that.
An excellent example would be my apartment complex set amongst verdant greenery. The high beams are a great site for large bee hives & most denizens share a pathological fear for these insects. Instinctively they reach for the nearest pesticide and destroy the hive. At what cost?
It is estimated that 35% of the world’s fruit and vegetable crop is dependent upon bees. Yes bees for pollination! Maybe it requires a visit to school biology but it’s true. What is worse is that, rampant use of pesticide is causing a steady decline of bee hives. The West of course leads in this area and folk in Europe & North America have woken up to the danger and now encourage bee keeping. Destroy bee hives & we may run out of food........food for thought indeed.
My understanding is that this foolishness stems from what is called Nature Deficiency Disorder (NDD) . Scientists are clear it exists, but are not very clear of its ramifications. Apparently children with poor attention spans improve after spending time with nature & kids who have had little or no exposure to nature have serious behavioural issues.Some turn psychotic. People in India realized this many centuries ago & rarely destroyed bee hives, but not today.
We do not need meteor strikes or floods to do us in. Destroying bee hives will work just as well.
If this sounds like a Doomsday prophecy, well then it is. We do need better means to manage our bees.

......a rock and a hard place!

Karnataka fisheries and science & technology minister Anand Asnotikar, last week, lost control of a state transport bus and damaged a goods rickshaw, when he hit it. How did this come to pass? A minister driving a bus? ????????
Many years ago Karnataka, had a rather dashing Chief Minister, who constructed a great many Olympic sized swimming pools in this city of Bengaluru. When complete, the Honorable CM would naturally inaugurate these pools and do it in style. He would undress in a jiffy and dive into the said pool amidst a host of rather amused spectators!
Asnotikar was in Karwar to inaugurate two new KSRTC (Road Transport) services and his followers egged him on to inaugurate the buses in style and ceremony. Now Karwar is a wonderful sea side hamlet with great beaches and even better people. When I spent time at Karwar almost three decades ago, it was quite possible that absolute strangers would invite you home for a wonderful coastal meal! The town has turned from being a fishing village to a major hub of the Indian Navy.
Coming back to our current story, it seems that initially Asnotikar hesitated and said he didn’t even have a heavy vehicle driving license. However when one has a fan club it is difficult for one to make them fans see reason and the minister was prevailed upon to take the helm of one bus.
After reporters and the minister’s supporters boarded the bus, amidst much bonhomie I assume, Asnotikar started the bus and suddenly shifted gears. After the bus leapt ahead like a jack rabbit, the driver, who was standing next to the minister, changed gears for him and the bus was away with the wind in her sails.

Pedestrians and lay spectators took off in all directions on spotting the speeding bus careening towards them and thankfully nobody was injured. It is said that Asnotikar, who appeared to have no control over the bus, drove it for about 500 meters, a fair distance, before stopping the juggernaut.

The minister very magnanimously said he would compensate the auto driver who was at the receiving end of this adventure. The police have not booked a case against the minister, the logic being that a compromise was reached between the parties concerned, namely the goods carrier and the bus. The point that seems to have been ignored is that the minister doesn’t have a heavy vehicle license and when he chose to drive the bus broke the law and the offence carries a prison sentence in India.

When last heard, the station head had been suspended for allowing a person without a license to drive the bus. Whoever said that the world was a fair place? For the Station Head, it would look like to be a choice between a rock and a hard place!