A HEAVY POLL TOLL

GUEST COLUMN

As we head to work in the mornings, sit back at home for dinner with the family or go out on the weekend for a grocery run, ignoring aches and niggles as routine irritants, a vast majority of Indians are unaware that their bones are slowly being eaten away from within. Vitamin D deficiency has reached epidemic proportions in the country. More than 70 per cent of the population is deficient and another 15 per cent has insufficient quantities of the ‘sunshine vitamin’ in their bodies.

This is leading to a host of debilitating problems. Vitamin D deficiency can cause osteoporosis and rickets, apart from cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, acabnocverw, ihnofeacrtieodnespsutcehdafosrtuablmerocsutlaosis anisdienvtreondduecperde,stshieone.xIisntienxgtrtemrmescoafses, mthoenbtohnaetsabteimcoemteo lsiakfe gbuattredr.thAebMitCoCf pressosmureeHcousldeslewaivllenaededentot, baeneaxwtekn-dawnadrdentwsuisrtecaoluelvdelepaldaytionag faiellda.nAdseven bedndorinsghfoorrtwenaerdacsoualodnsenatipmtehemsepaine. JBouitnthSe csryemtaprtyo,mI swoafsvtiwtaicmeinapDpodienfitecidencys—urbee. iDnegtaloilwedopnoelintiecraglyc,ounnsaucltcaotuionntesd aschOebssaenrvdepr.aiSnins,cfereI qwuaesntthmenuswcolerkin juriews,illofnugrethr ehrenaeliendg toimde—teramreinseo winhsaidtiionugsitnhcaotmthpeayrartieveolfytesnmbarlul smhiendisatrsiiedse, as rweogulldarneliefedstoylbeepdrobnlemif tsh, earnedafttheerre tishinsocaduiasgendodsisloucnattiliomnoisntmofytdhepdaarmtage thhaesLboekenSadbohnae.and any state assemmenVti.taWmitihnfDre,qwuheinctheilsemctiornesa, shoomrme one bthlyaangaaivnitlaomseins ,aiscothnefidoennlycenuvotrtiee.nt Othbasteirsvmerasdaereinbtehinegboddepy.uIteids reespsenatial forWboounlde htheearlethbaenadsipsepllrofdPurcesdidwehnet’ns ebdalrye, lsekaidninisgetxopcoosmedpltaointhtse.sun’s ultraviolreutleBirnatyhse. WcohniclervniteadmsitnatDe?dWefihcoiency is aTphaenrdeeims incoadcorousbst theatwcelustbebrin gworld,wpailrltaicdumlainrliystienrNgovredricnmcoeunnttirnietshtehat edloenc’ttiognest ewniolluaglshossuanvsehoinee, xwpheantdiisalarmciansgeiosfthanatetahrely dissolution of the tpurroeb.lTemheirsegarroewainlsgoedxisptoincetnatidavllayneven inLosuknSnaybhInad?iaW. ould the President tageIts’sf ornplyoolivtiecralthpearlatisetst,winotdheactades thaatdInmdiinainstsehrathve country till the next tshtaerteedworeucldorbdeinfignancaibayl smavainllgyslofowrvitameilnecDtiosnta?tuIsf—thneogwovernment falls trheeacphairntgie8s0aspewreclel nast accarnodsisdaIntedsia. ,Tahcecordinin, gsatyo, e1s3tidmaaytse, sas once happened, pbryotlhoengInetderpnearitoiodnwalhOesntethoepoMroCsCisisFoundawtilolnth. Tathroeuqguhirtehean immediate reopproebraletmionwaal sadinmitiitatelldylayshsaosciatneedgwaith Indeialenctwioonm?eIn ocvaesre a government falls t5i0ve, eimvepnacht ioldnrdeenvienlothpemaegnetaglraonudp of 11 tmo i1d5wdaoyntohtrhouavgeh its term, can a ‘nowadeelfqauraetseclheevmelseso.fMviatanmy ginovDe.rDnomcetonrts andcornefsiedaerncchee’ rms ostaiyon beOfUoRlloMwAReCdHby hthaivseporifmteanrciloymcpomlaiensedotwhantttohcehiragnogving li‘fceosntyfildese.nNceo’wmtohtaiotn, in order to instal ewrenmstaeyntinpdroogrsamorminescagrsin, dantod agehtaeltxposaednetowthgeovseurn monelnytwfohretnhfeurlleymcalointhdedr, dalumrionsgt tnhoeoenlecgtoertsalthpe r1i0odm. inutes of direocftihtsigtehrsmu?n—Soomnethoef twhehsoeleabnoddrye,lated betwCleuebnb1in1gawmilal,nodf 3copumrs—e,nneecdeesdsito proqduuecsetiothnes vhiatavembineeDntahdadtriessrseeqdubiryead tfoartegionoidtiabloenxepheenaseltsh..The require Parliamentary Standing Committee menInt fmoraEnyleocthroenricoVuonttirnigesM, wachheirneesimilaurndliefersDtyrleEp.Mat.tNerantcshhiapveparnedwuhciecdh (eoxnpeospuereptolltihnegsutant,iovintaamt pinreDsneeds aresmubemt tihttreoduigtshrfeoprotirfiteodnfDooedc,eemsbpercially emnitl)k,asnodmVeotjuericVese,rmifiarbglearPianpeearnd breakf1a7st, c2e0r1e5a.lsA. sInodluiati,own hthicaht tisheslcoowmlyTwraakilin(VgVuPpAtTo)thperinprteorbslewmil,lidsocubrlre.ntly remviiettweeinogffaerperdopwoassalthfoart meleucstciuonlosskeleTtahledsiesewasilelsretoqubierebrleoaudghtitmuendfoer the NaticoonualldHbeeahltehldPoinlictwy ofdtihsteinUcntipohnamseins.ismtryanfourfahcetaulrthe. The other big reason for hAopceluistcthaotf mstailtkeiassgsoeimngbltyoeblecftoiortnifised withThvietaCmoninstDituatniodnAprtoesacdrdibressfivmealnutrcitoiuonldacmoionncgidtehwe iItnhdeialenctmioanssetos.tBheut ywehairletethrmessefmoretahseuLreoskmS abyhparaonvide someLsoukccSoaubrh, ath. eTrheeisrenmoasiunbinsgtitcuotueldfobregetstitnagtevaitsasmeminbDliedsir(seicxtliynftrhoemcathse osuf n. held after a period of twoandahalf J&KO).urTcoorveearlisgtnortyh,iswcryitctlen, sbeyveErxaelcutiveyEedairtso.rEDaacmh aofyathnetsi eDparttoap,olosaolksswaotuthlde reeffleactetsdoafrthicisleosvoefrtlhoeokCeodnestpitiduetimonic affectninegedsutcohbleadrgisecusescsetidonascroofsosutrhpeoppouli-tiwlaitlilone.eWdeaemxeanmdimnenwt.hIaftahnadswlehdetno the pcraobl slepmecatrnudmw. hat are the measures tnheednedwtpoactotemrnbaotfisti.mAuslpt anret ouf sheprolrlessearchT, DheatEtaCgwoot uhledrshealfvetetsotebdeatnhde cfounnd that, like many other urban professionals,tisthuetiohnaadlibnoadyeqthuatew, othuoldugnheendotodeficient, vitamin D quantities in her body. Shdeishcuassbteheensepuatnodnrealamteodntphrlyopmoesadliscine by the doctors. with all recognised political parties.

Though action is needed on various fronts, These including consultations raising may awarenesswell be THERE ARE DISTINCT and government intervention, the solution prolonged.also lies with However,us. Good the healthtime hasis the ADVANTAGES FOR greatest of blessings. Though the grand mcoamrcehtofcpornosgidresrsthaissrcehfoarnmgepdrouproPlivOesLdIrTaImCaAticLalPlyA, iRt iTs iImEpSor(tIaNnt that wesdaol,nw’thbicehcoims we hviyctihmesEtCo houasr oliffeesrteylde. So let’s start by getting some sun. it qualified support. Several other THE FORM OF) FINANCIAL

reform proposals have been pending SAVINGS FOR PARTIES AS before the government, which too WELL AS CANDIDATES” deserve urgent consideration.

2013 COVER