28 Dec 2023 : The Hindu Editorial

Topic 1 : Making health our top priority in 2024

Context: The fact is that non-communicable diseases-led deaths are largely preventable, and the solution lies in the choices we make in our daily lives.

Introduction

• According to a World Health Organization (WHO) report titled ‘Invisible Numbers’, a staggering 66% of deaths in India in 2019 were attributed to non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The report also suggests that 22% of individuals aged 30 or older in India would succumb to NCDs before their 70th birthday, surpassing the global probability of 18%.
• While the spectre of NCDs presents a challenge, the good news is it is never too late to invest in health. The fact is that NCD-led deaths are largely preventable, and the solution lies in the choices we make in our daily lives.

A silent pandemic, and its consequences!

• The silent epidemic of NCDs is fuelled by common behavioural risk factors — unhealthy diet, lack of physical activity, the use of tobacco and alcohol — which are all on the rise in India.
• This epidemic is further spurred by factors including a genetic predisposition towards conditions such as diabetes and heart disease, and a sedentary lifestyle, which also brings with it issues such as stress, anxiety, and depression.
• India bears the dubious distinction of being the diabetes capital with 101 million diabetics and 136 million with prediabetes. Cardiovascular diseases top the mortality charts, and cancer incidence is projected to rise by 57.5% by 2040.
• This health crisis not only affects individuals but also poses a substantial economic burden. The World Economic Forum estimates that India could incur a staggering cost of $4.58 trillion between 2012 and 2030 due to NCDs and mental health conditions.

A resolution for 2024

• As India aspires to become a $5 trillion economy by 2027, the growing incidence of NCDs is a pressing concern.
• While the government has launched initiatives such as the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases, and Stroke, and the 75/25 initiative, the onus now lies on individuals to take charge of their health.
• As we step into a new year, it is important that we choose to make health our top priority. While New Year resolutions are made only to be broken a few months later, this is one resolution that we can no longer afford to break.
• Our health is determined by where we live, work, and engage in other activities, which brings in factors such as urban planning and environmental pollution that are sometimes beyond our control.
• However, what we can control is what we put in our bodies, how we move through the day, and how we stay ahead of illnesses by taking health check-ups regularly. What we can manage is our daily lifestyle, by making healthier choices, and this is where micro-habits — small, manageable actions that fit effortlessly into our daily routines — can make a difference.

Resolutions we need!

• First, we can integrate more natural movement into our daily lives. For instance, we can walk where possible instead of taking a vehicle. Just 30 minutes every day can increase cardiovascular fitness, strengthen our bones, reduce excess body fat, and boost muscle power and endurance.
• Second, we can choose ‘slow food’ over fast food. Food that is prepared with the ingredients that are right for us and food that is consumed with appreciation. There is a connection between the food we eat and the health of our environment, our communities, and ourselves.
• Third, we can take out a few hours once a year and get a comprehensive health check-up. We need to change our attitude from ‘it’s better not to know’ to ‘it’s best for me to be proactive so that I can overcome it’.
• Fourth, we can make health a dinner table and water cooler conversation. We ask our colleagues and love ones about their day, their achievements, their plans, so why not ask what they did for their health? How much did they walk? Do they feel anxious? It is only by normalising this conversation can we truly stay one step ahead of health issues.

Safeguarding the health of the nation

• Winning the war against NCDs is not just vital for individual well-being; it’s a decisive factor in safeguarding the health of the nation. By embracing sustainable healthy habits today, we commit to making healthier choices for 365 days and beyond.
• This resolution transcends personal improvement; it represents a collective dedication to shaping a healthier, more prosperous India.
• The power to transform the nation lies in the daily choices of its citizens, reflecting a profound understanding that the well-being of individuals directly impacts the well-being of society.

Conclusion

• It is a call-to-action resonating with the belief that the strength of a nation is rooted in the vitality of its people. As we embark on this journey towards a healthier India, we are laying the foundation for a brighter future for ourselves and for generations to come.

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  Topic 2 : Unjust and unwise: On counter-insurgency operations in J&K

  Context: Counterinsurgency in Jammu and Kashmir must not target civilians indiscriminately.

  Introduction

• In a conflict-prone border province such as Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), security forces have to tackle not only terrorism but also engage in counter-insurgency operations in a precise and just manner.
• The Pir Panjal Valley, comprising Poonch and Rajouri districts, has witnessed fierce encounters between security forces and militants in jungle terrain, leading to the death of 28 soldiers this year.

Counter-insurgency tactics

• The death of three civilians who were detained by the Army in the Poonch-Rajouri area following a deadly ambush on an Army convoy on December 21, and the fact that five other civilians were badly injured due to alleged torture by the security forces, is a severe indictment of the counter-insurgency tactics there.

Such tactics/actions problematic on following counts

• Such heinous actions by security forces targeting civilians in response to militant attacks are clearly problematic, on two counts.
• First, this increases the unpopularity of a regime that has not been democratically elected in the Union Territory where provincial elections have not been held for more than half a decade.
  • This is a blow against counter-insurgency in an area that has been relatively more peaceful in comparison to the Kashmir Valley.
  • In fact, the Pir Panjal region has been experiencing militancy in the last two years after relative calm for a decade and a half.
  • Counter-insurgency operations of the kind that followed the ambush last week breed discontent among residents in a region which has not been supportive of militancy in the near past.
• Second, the legitimacy of force or violence and its use by the state depend on the justness of the actions. Indiscrimination in the use of violence targeting civilians without just cause only results in the questioning of that legitimacy in the eyes of the people.

Justice should be served.

• The J&K police have registered a murder case against unidentified persons following the deaths of the civilians and the Army has taken three senior officers off their posts while promising an inquiry.
• Both these agencies must now deliver justice quickly and in a firm manner. “Fake encounter” deaths and torture by security agencies in the Valley have resulted in spurts of increased militancy besides public outrage that developed into major law and order situations.

Conclusion

• The Bharatiya Janata Party-led Union government has tried to use a no-holds barred security-centric approach to tackle the problem of militancy and public anger in J&K. The repeated acts of rights violations and crimes in the name of counter-insurgency are clear evidence that this approach is not working.

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