Lesbian Couple’s Harrowing Journey Shines Light on Continuing Dangers of ‘Conversion Therapy’

This atmospheric source of ocean radioactivity has worked on Earth for almost three billion years. Along with uranium radioactive decay products, humans live within this natural radioactive background.

This year the Japanese government plans to release 1.3 million tonnes of water – used to cool the damaged reactor cores from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident in March 2011 – into the Pacific Ocean

Between 2011-2013, approximately 300,000 tonnes of untreated wastewater had already flowed into the ocean off Fukushima. These first two years were the most dangerous time because long-lived heavy nuclei, like cesium-137, strontium-90 and shorter-lived iodine-131, from nuclear fission in the reactors ended up in the ocean.

Since 2013, the stored water has also accumulated flushed seawater goundwater which leaked into the three damaged reactor cores.

This atmospheric source of ocean radioactivity has worked on Earth for almost three billion years. Along with uranium radioactive decay products, humans live within this natural radioactive background.

This year the Japanese government plans to release 1.3 million tonnes of water – used to cool the damaged reactor cores from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident in March 2011 – into the Pacific Ocean

Between 2011-2013, approximately 300,000 tonnes of untreated wastewater had already flowed into the ocean off Fukushima. These first two years were the most dangerous time because long-lived heavy nuclei, like cesium-137, strontium-90 and shorter-lived iodine-131, from nuclear fission in the reactors ended up in the ocean.

Since 2013, the stored water has also accumulated flushed seawater goundwater which leaked into the three damaged reactor cores.

The big challenge is how to manage 1.3 million tonnes of unsafe radioactively-tainted water.

One of three options was to filter out the nuclear fission nuclei, then dump the filtered water into the ocean to dilute any remaining amount of tritium or carbon-14.  Japan has chosen this complex way from all the fraught options.

Disposing of untreated wastewater into the ocean would release nuclear fission products in an uncontrolled manner. The danger of indiscriminately releasing nuclear fission products into the ocean is that the products can find their way into the food chain.

Once in the food chain, the nuclear fission heavy nuclei like cesium-137, strontium-90 and iodine-131 tend to concentrate in human muscle, bones, and thyroid and cause Cancer.

The other death was of a 34-year-old man identified as Jangkholun Haokip in Laimaton Thangbuh, a Kuki village in Kangpokpi district in the hill. According to The Hindu, 40-50 armed miscreants stormed the village and fired shots on Sunday.

“A huge mob of civilians, predominantly women, congregated in the foothills and security forces pushed back the mob from entering the hills. The miscreants however fled the area,” a police source told the newspaper.

This atmospheric source of ocean radioactivity has worked on Earth for almost three billion years. Along with uranium radioactive decay products, humans live within this natural radioactive background.

This year the Japanese government plans to release 1.3 million tonnes of water – used to cool the damaged reactor cores from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident in March 2011 – into the Pacific Ocean

Between 2011-2013, approximately 300,000 tonnes of untreated wastewater had already flowed into the ocean off Fukushima. These first two years were the most dangerous time because long-lived heavy nuclei, like cesium-137, strontium-90 and shorter-lived iodine-131, from nuclear fission in the reactors ended up in the ocean.

Since 2013, the stored water has also accumulated flushed seawater goundwater which leaked into the three damaged reactor cores.

Ananta Rai has been demanding for a separate state of ‘Greater Cooch Behar’ carved out of West Bengal. This demand is part of an even greater demand of  Kamatapur comprising 8 districts of West Bengal and 15 of Assam. In the recent past, the area has witnessed large scale violent statehood movements by the Gorkhas, Rajbangshis, Kochs and Kamatapuris.

The region is sandwiched between Nepal, Bhutan on one side and Bangladesh on the south. The “chicken’s neck”, also known as the ‘Siliguri Corridor’ in north West Bengal, a piece of land just 21 km wide and 70 km long, that connects the entire north-east India with the mainland remains a vulnerable region. More so, in recent years with China expanding its chain of model villages close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC), 130 km away, which faces the strategically crucial corridor.

In the past, two of BJPs Union ministers from Bengal have openly encouraged dismemberment of West Bengal much to the embarrassment of the other state leaders. After all, the Rajbangshis matter in only three Lok Sabha constituencies and they fear losing the rest of West Bengal.

Additionally, BJP is the only all-India party that supports the demand for separation of the Darjeeling Hills from West Bengal.

Also read: Anti-BJP Sentiments Stir Darjeeling Amidst Drastic Changes in Hill Party Equations

It is being said that the ‘maharaja’, holds considerable influence over the Koch-Rajbangshi community and has over 18 lakh followers accounting for nearly 2.4% of voters in the state. Not all followers need be voters nor reside in the three districts of Alipurduar, Cooch Behar and Jalpaiguri, where they are concentrated. Besides, the other faction of the community led by Bangshibadan Barman, supports the TMC.

It is also being said that there are 33 lakh Rajbangshis. The projected current population of these three districts where they matter electorally, is 76 lakhs and 30% of them or about 23 lakhs are from the Rajbangshi community according to reports. So the remaining 10 lakhs are scattered insignificantly in other districts. Has the BJP gone wrong somewhere in their expected vote calculations? But that is not so important for the country.

Anant Rai’s reported statement that creation of a new Union Territory (UT) in north Bengal was “only a matter of time”, raises serious concern. Rajbangshis are spread over not only north Bengal but in parts of Assam, Bihar, Nepal and Bangladesh. It goes without saying that fuelling any ethnic passion in this vulnerable region will be detrimental to the safety and security of the entire north-eastern part of the country.

The BJP’s inability to corner and dislodge the Mamata Banerjee government appears to be the main reason for their central leaders to take the path of separatism. The people of Bengal went through a trauma when their second partition came in 1947. To add insult to that injury, the BJP government commemorated what the Governor “peculiarly chose” as “the State Foundation Day of West Bengal” on June 20, that never was.

The other death was of a 34-year-old man identified as Jangkholun Haokip in Laimaton Thangbuh, a Kuki village in Kangpokpi district in the hill. According to The Hindu, 40-50 armed miscreants stormed the village and fired shots on Sunday.

“A huge mob of civilians, predominantly women, congregated in the foothills and security forces pushed back the mob from entering the hills. The miscreants however fled the area,” a police source told the newspaper.