CORPORATE CITIZEN CLAPS FOR THE MAGNANIMOUS RATAN TATA, EMERITUS CHAIRMAN OF TATA GROUP FOR HIS HUMANITY AND SENSITIVITY

Not the first time but time and again, the philanthropic industrialist has surprised & set precedents; redefining traits to what underlies being a ‘true human’. He endeared himself to the hoi polloi once again when he recently visited a former employee of the Tata Group in Pune and travelled the distance for the ailing ex-employee; a presence sans prior schedule, away from media glare and bouncers a common sight accompanying celebrities these days! An image posted on LinkedIn by a neighbour of Anil Inamdar, the ailing former employee, shows the 83-year-old business tycoon at the Friends Society in Pune. The image has gone viral since, tugging many a hearts and warm responses from netizens. Anil Inamdar is said to have also been a personal friend and has been ailing for the past two years. As news reports suggest, the philanthropist while wishing his former employee a speedy recovery has also promised sponsorship to cover his children’s education as well as his medical expenses and that of his family. The January 4 post has gathered over 1.6 lakh likes, reactions and innumerable comments on social media, wherein people are lauding and appreciating Mr Tata for his gesture of kindness and empathy, have also wished him a healthy life. No wonder, the recipient of the nation’s highest civilian awards the Padma Vibhushan (2008) and Padma Bhushan (2000), has been tagged as a “living legend”. Yogesh Desai, Inamdar’s co-resident whose LinkedIn post snowballed the recent social media ‘Anmol Ratan’ impact in the New Year also garnered mentions of Tata’s benevolent self during the “26/11” attacks. He had personally visited the families of all the 80 employees who had battled the horrific 2008 terror attack. “A true gentleman with a golden heart” indeed!

CORPORATE CITIZEN SLAPS FOR THE ‘UNBORN’ CASUALTIES NIPPED IN THE WOMB DUE TO TOXIC AIR QUALITY PRIMARILY ACROSS INDIA AND SOUTH ASIAN COUNTRIES

The large numbers of miscarriages and stillbirths have been compiled in a recently published study in The Lancet Planetary Health journal, estimating that nearly 350,000 pregnancy losses occur annually in South Asia and linked to high pollution levels a 7% of annual pregnancy loss in the region between 2000 and 2016. The first of its kind study sends yet another alarm bell as it exposes aspects of air pollution in South Asia that reports that more than three-quarters of the women impacted were from India, the rest are split between those in Pakistan and Bangladesh. The Lancet report has linked India’s bad air quality to 1.67 million deaths or 18% of all its deaths in 2019, an increase from 1.24 million deaths in 2017. The study has also suggested that consistent exposure to poor air quality is likely to increase the risk of pregnancy loss by several magnitudes. The 7% of pregnancy losses were attributable to air pollution that considered Indian standards of 40 units, but if World Health Organisation (WHO) standards of 10 units are considered, the change reflects that almost 30% come under the purview of pollution-linked pregnancy mishaps. This could translate to nearly 15 lakh pregnancy losses per year in South Asia if exposure to PM2.5 above 10 units is taken into account. PM2.5 refers to fine particulate matter whose width is around 20-30 times smaller than that of a human hair. Scientists designed a model using data from 18 years to calculate how exposure to PM2.5 increased pregnancy loss. This risk was found to be higher for mothers residing in rural areas and those who became pregnant at an older age in comparison to younger mothers from urban areas. The results stated that rural women under 30 years borne the total burden of pregnancy loss. Also, high indoor pollution due to biofuels used for cooking in rural belts continues to raise concerns. It is known that pregnancy loss has a mental, physical and economic impact on women and that reducing miscarriages and stillbirths could be a step forward towards improvements in gender equality. This undoubtedly calls for collective action for cleaning decades of filthy air contributed by coal-fired power plants, industry, vehicle exhaust fumes, burning of crop residue and building site dust but is there a social consciousness to do so? Can it become a legal thrust? Points to ponder definitely!