WOW!

It is really awful and disappointing that in both of the cases you presented the people were okay with individuals consuming high lead! The culture of the conference needs to shift if everyone is apathetic towards the LCR in the manner you describe. I suspect that you could have found other individuals who hold your point of view but who have been systematically silenced. It would have been awesome if someone discussed the issue at a plenary during the conference!

In India, there is a huge diversity and people are divided based on language, caste, religion and the area they live in. Politicians are the last group who work toward unifying the people. They have much to lose, if that happens. Instead, they work to divide the people and promise populist measures to get votes and stay in power. It is the same with every major political party. BJP appeals to the Hindus, BSP appeals to the dalits, SP appeals to the yadavs, AIMIM appeals to the muslims, AIADMK and DMK appeal to the dravidians, TDP appeas to the Telugu speaking people, TRS appeals to the people from Telangana and so on.

Pakistan has diversity too and there are some huge cultural differences between the various major ethnic groups. Punjabis are a majority, then there are the Pashtun, then Sindhi and finally the Baloch. All of them are completely different from each other and the Pakistan states/provinces are divided on those lines. Baloch and Pashtun have been moving for independence from Pakistan for some time, now, as the country is ruled by the Punjabi majority.

I agree with you on the power struggles. It is however important to note that there is a big cultural divide between the officer and the soldier classes in the military. It is a core group (a ring) of top military brass who are responsible for the problems. The ordinary soldier has nothing to do with it, they just follow orders.