Afghanistan,since many years has been a home to poppy farming.It contributes to 90 percent of the world’s total opium production.US continuous efforts in the past to stamp out opium cultivation from Afghanistan has been in a vain,as this year’s estimated crop production may be higher than the previous year.The US government agencies had spent $420 million for the eradication of poppy in 2006 which was an insignificant amount for heroin worth $38 billion(estimated street value of the narcotic drug).

A report by an American State Department official said that the goals set by the US in 2007 for poppy eradication in Afghanistan were ‘not realistic.’

In the view of a top American official the bulk of opium production comes from the ‘areas of insurgency’ whereas the region which has been controlled by US led Karazi government has seen a great decline in the opium cultivation.US is now trying hard to cut down the “areas of insurgency” so that poppy farming is put to an end.
Taliban, under the Islamic law had reduced poppy farming in Afghanistan to a large extent. But after 2001 US invasion, poppy production increased manifolds in the southern region of Afghanistan where the vexed Taliban themselves protect the local farmers and encourage them to cultivate poppy.In return the Taliban tax them on their production and use the money to further their agenda of ousting US troops from Afghanistan.

The farmers in Afghanistan are in an impoverished state as they do not have any other source of income other than poppy farming.Income from any other crop seems to be negligible compared to the money earned from poppy farming.
Today poppy farming in Afghanistan has been like raising Diamonds.In the words of American ambassador William woods ‘if diamonds are on the ground people will try to pick them up and sell them’ so we should find some effective measures to eradicate diamonds from being grown.

Afghanistan at this stage, needs a concrete effort from the US led Karazi government and the United Nations.The farmers should be educated and provided with a more promising source of income so that they may understand the hazards of opium farming and renounce it willingly.Little awareness and help from the government can change the present picture in Afghanistan.

via:http://www.reuters.com
Image source:http://news.bbc.co.uk

India is ranked as the second fastest growing major economy in the world,with a GDP growth rate of 9.4% for the fiscal year 2006-2007.However,the per capita income of our country is still very low because of the huge population.

Indian economy is largely agriculture based which employs a large magnitude of workforce but its contribution to the Indian economy is very less because of a very low growth rate.The other sectors which are playing key role in the shaping-up of Indian economy are manufacturing,software engineering,service sector,pharmaceutical,bio-technology,telecommunication and aviation sector.Among all these the services sector has shown a considerate growth rate.

Service sector has contributed close to 68.6 percent of the overall average growth in GDP in the last five years.It is the information technology (IT) and IT enabled services which has helped service sector to grow at a very substantial rate of 11 percent during 2006-07.

Though the economic index is appealing but the stark reality is somewhat different.There is no doubt that Indian economy is reaching places but the benefit of this growth is just restricted to a very small community of India.It has yet to reach the general masses.A brief look at some of the facts:

• 26 percent of Indian population still lives below the poverty line.
• 60 million children below the age of six sleep without food.
• 16 lakh babies die before their first birthday.
• Farmers commiting suicide under excessive debt conditions is frequent.
• Prices of essential commodities are increasing rapidly.
The Indian economy can only boom if the gap between the rich and the poor narrows down and the layman receives the fruits of development.

Worrying means spending a lot of time thinking about negative possibilities.A little bit of worry keeps you motivated all the time but if it goes above the optimum level then it means that you have put yourself in a vicious cycle of worry. Trapped in the cycle, you may become anxious, sad, confused, or depressed. You might even begin to stress about worrying so much that it may result in low self-esteem,lack of concentration,obsessional behaviour, frequent headaches and sleepless nights.

Now the question arises how does this monster creep into our lives?The conflicting priorities,inconsistent values,unpleasant environment,poor time management,lack of assertiveness,over challenging deadlines etc are some of the reasons which prove as stressors.

Escaping the cycle of worry is the only way to create a new cycle of happiness.Like any other habit,worrying is a pattern that can be broken.To start with-interrupt your pattern of thinking and do things that you fear the most.This will break your conditioned behaviour of doubting youself and will boost your confidence level.Once this attitude crumbles down your worrying habit starts to deteriorate and all your worries evaporates into thin air.

Confront the problem, as it is not the problem itself but the anticipation of the problem that causes the most worry.Make a decision and implement it.Even a bad decision may often be fruitful than doing nothing.Let go off negativity, be free of senseless worry of past regrets and future worry.Things that may have happened or may not happen in life are beyond your control.Never lose your self-confidence as it is the key to success and happiness.Last but not the least is to meditate.Just close your eyes and take several deep breaths through your nose.This will relax you by slowing your brain waves and easing your tension.

Now the probable scenario might be the continuation of existing state of affairs - with Musharraf losing political standing despite having powers and Americans holding Musharraf as a steadfast ally against terrorism. Al Qaeda and Islamists will continue to build their stronghold and be a problem and Talibans will continue to infiltrate the borders with Afganistan.

Another possibility may be a civil war between the Jihadists and the government. Al-qaeda and Taliban groups might siege power and then all hell will break lose. Militants possessing atomic bomb would be a great threat to the world.

The enormous internal challenges have put Pakistan in a great turmoil. A stable, democratic and prosperous Pakistan is what we hope to see in the near future.