Information, discrimination of HIV-positive and the Euro

freedom of information legislation by the centre has not yet been enacted. however, our supreme court had declared way back in 1981 that the right to know and the right to information are implicit in the freedom of speech guaranteed in our constitution. of late, the right to information has been exercised vigorously, at times extravagantly. bright young tv anchors burning with enthusiasm seek wide-ranging information from our ministers regarding our country's future plans of action.will these actions be overt or covert? will the loc be crossed? are the options restricted to limited military strikes against terrorist camps or something more? where are the terrorist camps located and when will they be attacked? they were rightly reminded by ex-army chief malik of the utter inappropriateness of such questions. next, we witness the bizarre spectacle of the police, who have in their custody one of the main suspects, revealing their plans about the places he will be taken to in kashmir and elsewhere, the persons who will be interrogated thereafter and so on. people of india can live with temporary withholding of information which can only alert inimical forces. and then we have dear george in his characteristic frank and forthright manner, enlightening us and the world that as things stand, we are vulnerable in rajasthan as it is a long march for us. logistics are a problem. pakistan can just drive into the area''. perhaps, there is some method in this information mania, which escapes my naive mind. i am all for freedom of information but do believe that there are occasions when silence is not merely an option; it is a compulsion. --- hoffman applied for employment in south african airways as a cabin attendant. he was found suitable but was refused employment on the sole ground that his blood test showed that he was hiv-positive. the action of the airline, which is a state instrumentality, was challenged as discriminatory before the south african constitutional court. the airlines conceded on the basis of its own medical evidence that an asymptomatic hiv-positive person could competently perform the work of a cabin attendant but relied on legitimate commercial considerations and practice of other airlines to justify its action. the constitutional court ruled that the fact that some people who were hiv-positive might, under certain circumstances, be unsuitable for employment as cabin attendants did not justify their blanket exclusion. the court observed that persons living with hiv constituted a vulnerable minority and were victims of intense and extensive social prejudice. treatment of people who were hiv-positive had to be based on reasoned and medically sound judgments and not by ill-informed public perception of persons with hiv. the impact of discrimination on them was devastating in the context of employment since it denied them the right to earn a living. the court held that although legitimate commercial requirements were as important consideration stereotyping and prejudice could not be allowed to creep in under the guise of commercial interest. it ruled that reliance on practice of other airlines who were not subject to the discipline of the bill of rights was misplaced. in the unanimous opinion of the court hiv-positive persons had to be treated with compassion and understanding and could not be condemned to economic death by the denial of equal opportunity in employment, which in the instant case constituted unfair discrimination. the court struck down the action of the airlines and directed it to employ hoffman as a cabin attendant. a path breaking and compassionate judgment indeed. --- the year 2002 will be historic for the incredible monetary revolution brought about by the euro. three hundred million people in 12 countries have switched to euro currency and 15 billion notes are estimated to have changed hands. the united kingdom, along with denmark and sweden, is not yet in the euro zone. popular opinion in the uk is not generally overwhelmingly favourable to the euro. the tories think euro will affect the country's sovereignty, the liberals want it as soon possible. france and germany have hailed it as the dawn of a new era''. to the italian prime minister it is a time of pure joy''. this sentiment is endorsed by italy's red light ladies in rome, who believe that the euro is good for their time-honoured trade. indeed, one of them has offered to give a discount to her customers. what further proof is needed of the euro's attraction and versatility.