By Liz Mathew, IANS,
Brasília : Neat tree-lined streets, paved roads, beautiful buildings, street cafes, pretty-looking buses and swanky cars are the trademark of Brazil’s cities – be it the commercial capital Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro or capital city Brasilia.
The residential buildings are mostly identical in size, shape and appearance and the roads are full of whizzing vehicles. But no one can miss the shabby looking slum-like residential areas, sometimes adjacent to a multinational company building. The cleanliness of the express highways suddenly disappears and the realities stare at you.
Traffic jams are still a major problem in the cities, except in capital Brasilia. In Sao Paulo, a bout of rain will delay you on the roads by at least two to three hours.
However, one cannot but appreciate the way this Latin American country has advanced.
Visiting Indian President Pratibha Patil was no exception. In her address to the Federal Senate Tuesday, Patil said: “I am delighted to be here in the modern and meticulously planned city of Brasilia built around the placid waters of Lake Paranoa. I am impressed by the architecture of your beautiful city. The impressive building of the Congress of Brazil is itself a landmark.”
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Patil ‘introduces’ Rajasthan’s Bishnoi community to Brazilian minister
President Pratibha Patil, who has often expressed her concern on environmental issues, spoke of Rajasthan’s Bishnoi community of nature worshippers to Maria Silva, Brazil’s environment minister and a renowned environmentalist.
“The president referred to the Bishnoi community, who believe nature is god and are ready to give up their lives to save a tree. The minister was touched by that,” said Nalin Surie, Secretary (West), Ministry of External Affairs.
Silva, who was born in the Amazon region and whose father was a latex extractor, became a champion of environmental issues due to the crises faced by the Amazon region. She had led peaceful demonstrations by forest-dwelling rubber tappers against wanton deforestation and the expulsion of forest communities from their traditional holdings.
Patil was highly impressed by Silva and her traditional knowledge, sources said.
“The message from both sides was the need to operationalise the meeting into actual environmental protection,” Hardeep Singh Puri, the Indian Ambassador to Brazil, told reporters.