The ascendency of India as an economic world power

The ground realities do not indicate that the controversy in which the two cola giants has been involved is dying down. The latest on it has been posted under the title 'The lesser of the two evils - Pepsi or Tea?' at http://satishdey.blogspot.com

It seams that the witch hunt by the CSE against the two international companies is over. The CSE is now proved to have had doubtful methods. An I don’t believe in the CSE’s conspiracy theories that everyone that proves them wrong is paid by their “enemies”

The truth is simple: the CSE did a doubtful study in order to get results they wanted, in order to hurt the two big companies. And now rationality came back into the process.
Thank god!

Reuters: India says Cola pesticide charges not proven
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=scienceNews&storyID=2006-08-22T161828Z_01_L22193800_RTRUKOC_0_US-INDIA-COLAS.xml

“ India's health minister said on Tuesday an environmental group that said soft drinks produced by Coca-Cola and PepsiCo contain high levels of pesticides had failed to prove its claims.
But the group, the Center for Science and Environment (CSE) rejected Anbumani Ramadoss's statement and accused him of pandering to big multinationals at the expense of public health.
(…)
Both companies have defended the safety of their products.
Ramadoss said his ministry was seeking more details from the CSE after hearing the view of experts appointed by the government.
"The conclusion of the expert committee is that the report of the CSE does not provide conclusive evidence for presence of different pesticides in the concentration reported," Ramadoss told parliament in response to questions by lawmakers.
He said the expert panel had found several inconsistencies in the chemical information presented by CSE.
Ramadoss said the ministry had directed state-run labs across the country to conduct their own tests on samples of soft drinks and results received so far had either found no pesticide traces or their levels were below statutory limits.”

Time only will tell whether 'it is a historic win for Coke or Pepsi' or going to be ignomious defeat. Any euphoria based on what the Health Minister Ramdass told the parliamentarians may be short-lived. There are two reports today in widely read daily Times of India which may cause you some discomfiture. Excerpts from the first one with the heading 'Colas face fresh fire after clean chit':"...,Karnataka,s Health Minister R Ashok told TOI that his department has found two more drinks -Miranda produced by Pepsi Co and Coca-Cola's Thums Up - had high pesticide residues. The tests, he assured, were done in the prescribed format at a government laboratory. "We will produce the reports in court and not in media. I find it fishy that Ramdoss can give colas a clean chit based on one lab report. I wonder why he is so industry friendly when his ministerial role demands him to be people friendly" he said. ... "the strongest Left voice echoed the sentiment. 'The Health Minister has virtually defended cola companies' CPM leader Sitaram Yechury said." The excerpts from the other report with the heading "CPI to raise cola ban call at today's Cabinet meet": ... According to CPI's Nanda gopal Bhattacharya, his party is yet to relent on the cola ban demand no matter what the Union Health minister said. " One must keep in mind that he has appreciated the CSE's efforts and that he has not contradicted the report," he said at Writer's Building on Wednessday. So it is not so easy in the biggest democracy to wrap up such controversies merely based on what Ramdass said or going to say. In any case, he is in the habit of acting recklessly for which he has already been snubbed by Supreme Court several times in the past. So it would be better to go cautiously and not to jump to conclusions so fast. Or else one can become a laughing-stock. That is why I believe in the saying "He who laughs last laughs longest".