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Journalism of Courage
Is this a case of pouring cola over troubled waters? See how Parliament8217;s alacrity in constituting a joint committee to inquire into pesticide contamination of carbonated soft drinks has altered the dynamics at Sansad Bhavan. Just the other day, Lok Sabha members were using the no-trust vote to quibble over the pettiest of political points, giving every indication that non-cooperation would hence forth be the guiding mantra. And now here they are, with their nominees on the JPC earnestly resolved to sit together in the weeks ahead and evolve safety standards for soft drinks. Just last week, the monsoon session concluded in a rather deserted Rajya Sabha, with the opposition abiding by its boycott of proceedings. But there they are, a representative each of the Congress, CPIM and RJD among the five Upper House members on the committee.
This display of united responsiveness would be laudable if it weren8217;t so ludicrous. The JPC, under Sharad Pawar8217;s leadership, has taken on the task of scrutinising the Centre for Science and Environment8217;s report and suggesting appropriate standards for soft drinks. Certainly, the scrutiny and re-evaluation of existing guidelines is critical. It is the need for Parliament to participate in the exercise that8217;s doubtful. There are government accredited laboratories equipped to trace toxicity in not just aerated beverages, but most other items of mass consumption. Similarly, the health ministry surely has qualified experts to upgrade the country8217;s certification guidelines. It is important to note that this is a task for the specialist. It is a straightforward task: To augment the CSE tests with checks on a larger, wider sample of beverages; to inquire into the health ramifications of contaminants; and to suggest safety standards.
