Its not about cigars!!

Who said it’s a globalised world? Apart from people still surviving on less than a dollar a day yet be part of the country which claims to have embraced globalization there are many countries which are embittered by seclusion, in varying degrees. Cuba is one such nation not quite far but just 90 miles from USA, the solo superpower of this world. Cuba’s tussle with USA dates back to some decades back and it has remained relentlessly without acquiescing to US hegemony despite economic embargo for 47 years. It’s a different story that this pride of Cubans is at the terrible cost of their sufferings, sorrow and deprivation.

This enormous power of a tiny island nation against the mammoth comes from its charismatic leader Fidel Castro, a revolutionary who led a 9000 strong guerilla army to eject out Fulgencio Batista, the military ruler in 1959. Since then his rule over the nation for 49 years has been invincible. This 81 years old ailing leader brought the world’s eye suddenly on Cuba when he announced on Tuesday that he has stepped aside as Cuba’s president. This is clearly a victory for the octogenarian against the US which had orchestrated many assassination plots on him with the aid of CIA. Some as unimaginable as fixing bombs in cigars and under the shells of turtles when Castro was out scuba diving. This news of descent of the staunch socialist brought cheer amongst the exiled Cubans, living in Miami, waiting to return and take control of their seized properties. And many American Investors in Florida are waiting with millions of money to rebuild Cuba.

The travails of life of Cubans may or may not undergo transformation. However, the leader of the socialist nation assured its people that the revolution can still count on cadres from the old guard and others who are very young in the early stage of process. What remains to be seen is would USA be able to instill a transitional government which it has been trying hard by supplying aid to the Cuban dissidents ever since the rise of Mr. Castro. But the pride Cubans, to whom the socialist regime had offered free education and health care, may not let Cuba turn into just another colony of USA.

A Distant dream

Ethnic conflict in Srilanka has remained alive and kicking ever since its independence in 1948. And it came as a bitter reminder to the people of Srilanka on the eve of their 60th independence day with suicide bomb attack by the LTTE aide killing around 12 people in colombo railway station. This comes at a time when LTTE is facing setback in terms of its military power with Srilankan army closing in on their heels capturing areas which were under the control of LTTE. The history of Srilanka is replete with instances where both the srilankan army and LTTE have fought over territories to gain control over it. And the current attempt by the army is only a repetition of the same. And undoubtedly the Eelam War-4 has begun. But one wonders if there would be a solution to the conflict irrespective of who wins. India and other international community are of the view that only a political solution, not a military one, would bring peace to the island nation.

What needs to be seen is what it holds for India particularly the State of Tamilnadu whose people are connected ethnically to Tamils of Srilanka the very soul of the issue. With the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi by the LTTE and post active intervention period (1987-1990) the mindset of politicians of Tamilnadu excepting few has changed. Tamils issue in Srilanka is no longer a political issue. And the recent clamoring by the Tamilnadu’s Opposition leader Jayalalitha for the arrest of few politicians who still espouse the cause of LTTE in Srilanka vouches to this fact. However the rise in the inflow of Tamil refugees to Indian soil is imminent. This would again demand India to actively involve with srilanka . And its time that LTTE realized that creation of Tamil Eelam is only a distant dream as only a federal state with devolution of power is the immediate solution.

The drug debacle

It took ten years of time for India to prepare itself for the current mayhem that has surfaced in the pharmaceutical industry. They call it the IPR regime. This regime promises protection to patent holders, copyright holders and curbs piracy. But all of them comes at a cost. There is fear across the world among many NGOs and poor people themselves. It’s the fear of being deprived of the fruits of technological advancement, as they have to pay exorbitant prices which would include royalty to the patent holders. The case in point is the Novartis AG’s claim to have the patent for its drug “Gleevac”, registered in India and its determination to fight it in the court at the stake of its own reputation. Can you imagine a life saving drugs company infuriating the masses and bringing them onto the road?

Novartis AG’s act of obstinacy stems from the flexibility that TRIPS agreement provides to its members. And this what actually has cast the world’s eyes on India. As the TRIPS agreement did not provide for a firm definition of what is patentable, India restricted its right only to drugs invented after 1995, the year in which WTO regime was kick started, and new and “ more efficacious” version of older drugs. Backing on its legislation it rejected the patent application of Novartis AG which had filed a law suit against India contending that its patent laws violate WTO rules.

What adds more fun to this whole lot of issue is the controversy that R.A. Mashelkar committee is embroiled in. the committee report evoked allegations of “technical inaccuracies and plagiarism”. To throw more light, it was accused of plagiarizing a report, verbatim, made by another institute, Interpat, which is sponsored by a group of MNCs. And Novartis is one of the sponsors. The very agenda of the committee is to examine whether limiting the granting of the patent to “new chemical entity” is in compatibility with the TRIPS obligations. And it is very much the bone of contention between Novartis AG’ and government of India. The committee chairman said he is unaware of this fact. In this case Novartis had just tried to be the judge of its own case.

But all this cannot shake Daniel Vasella, Chief Exective of Novartis. He is poised to continue his action against India. “We don’t want popularity awards. We want to serve our patients and remain competitive” he said at his company’s AGM. There he has made it clear who the company wants to serve and who it does not want to. Bold move, my boy!!!

The drams ,of this sort, of globalization are still to continue….