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Wednesday,
January 2, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Vajpayee sets the tone Big Bull gored to death Euro worth emulating |
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A world with one super power
Rooting for Xmas tree
Pak writer fights against women’s torture
On not being able to drive
1965, Physiology or Medicine: LWOFF, MONOD and JACOB
46 years on the run for a world record
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Vajpayee sets the tone The New Year amidst the otherwise turbulent India-Pakistan relations has begun on a somewhat confident note, the pace for which has been set by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. He deserves full marks for setting a constructive tone for the evolution of futuristic relations between the two neighbours. Mr Vajpayee talks straight and probably reflects the feelings of the silent majority even on the other side of the border. He speaks truthfully and honestly. He means what he says. In fact, he has been nursing a keen desire to put India-Pakistan ties on an even keel with the sole objective of ushering in an era of peace, amity, friendship and development in South Asia. His famous bus yatra to Lahore was prompted by this desire. But what happened subsequently is part of recent history. The problem with the Pakistani leadership is its mindset which has been thriving on an entrenched anti-India hysteria. It is this negativism that has virtually made it impossible for India to develop relations on healthy bilateral lines. Islamabad has been obsessed with Kashmir. It has made several desperate attempts to grab the trouble-torn state by hook or by crook. Having failed to achieve his goal through war, General Zia-ul-Haq organised what we know as proxy war in the form of cross-border terrorism. The disastrous effect terrorism has had on the population on both sides of the border, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir, can easily be guessed. The subcontinent would have been a virtual heaven on the earth if the military dictators of Pakistan had learnt their lessons and settled for friendship with India. But they constantly harped on the Kashmir card and tried to induct communal and Taliban elements in the region for their own survival. General Pervez Musharraf has been doing exactly the same. It is only the new global factors, especially American pressure, that have made him see reason. We are still not sure of the genuineness of his response. The shocking terrorist attack on the Indian Parliament has virtually upset the Indian calculations for peace with Pakistan. India is definitely not interested in a war with Pakistan. It will, however, be foolhardy on the part of the rulers in Islamabad to take this country for granted. General Musharraf has to prove his credentials and set his house in order. Otherwise, the day may not be far when the Talibanised fundamentalists will throw him out of the seat of power. Common sense demands that he should crush all terrorist outfits operating in Pakistan with full might and come for a dialogue with the Indian leadership. The message from Mr Vajpayee is candid, sharp and clear. As an elderly statesman, he will be true to every word he has used in the course of his New Year musings. New global realities demand that India and Pakistan join hands to fight the malaise of poverty, illiteracy, unemployment and disease. As the Prime Minister rightly puts it: "Terrorism and extremism cannot solve any problem." It is for General Musharraf to respond positively and make proper use of the Indian offer of friendship. He should realise that 54 years of brinkmanship have only brought misery and deprivation to the people of Pakistan. The two nations can start a new chapter provided General Musharraf reads the writing on the wall and realises the futility of confrontation. India is willing for peace, friendship and economic cooperation provided Pakistan stops playing the terrorism card. Acts of duplicity and Kargil-like misadventure cannot take it anywhere. It is now or never. The course suggested by Mr Vajpayee is the need of the hour. |
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Big Bull gored to death Even in his death, as in life, Harshad Mehta has blown himself larger than life. He died in a suburban civil hospital where the poor and the
dispossessed seek treatment and die. He lived in a 15,000 square feet house with a swimming pool and a terrace garden. He could have afforded medical care at the most sophisticated clinic, no matter the size of the bill. But the queer ways of the CBI investigation that sent him to judicial custody for the upteenth time, and when he complained of chest pain he had to go to the nearby Thane civil hospital at the dead of night and to die. These hospitals are not equipped to treat emergency cases and the police have a deep prejudice in treating men in judicial custody and not like men with human rights. Harshad Mehta was a clone of his political counterpart Laloo Prasad Yadav and underwent incessant questioning, frequent arrest and detention. This is not to sympathise with or support his case.
Single handedly, he drove the stock market index (sensex) to dizzying heights, herding the common investors to develop greed and put all their money – borrowed and withdrawn from provident fund – in shares expecting a big bonanza. It did not come and they went broke. He made many innocent people a pauper but he gave them a tantalising dream for a few months in 1992 and 1993. He exploited all available loopholes. The stock market regulations were loose and only in April, 1992, SEBI was made a statutory body but it had no clue to the problems it had to face. Even today it does not have as the Ketan Parekh bull run shows. The RBI blissfully allowed the system of Bankers Receipts (a kind of IOU on government securities) without any rigorous backroom check and Mehta used this route to tap Rs 680 crore from the SBI to funnel his price ramping. In the post-1991 economic liberation period, the middle class believed that the time has come to make millions and the stock market was the sure route. The Finance Ministry refused to take notice of the havoc with the Minister saying he would not lose sleep on the skyrocketing prices. A fledgling SEBI was trying to grow its wings and even today it is mostly grounded. Harshad Mehta wreaked havoc and even today the financial field is open for his clones to plunder and profit. |
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Euro worth emulating Look at the world from space and the political lines dividing the nations appear so artificial and redundant. Yet, an attempt has been made to draw more such lines here and there. Amidst such shortsighted events there are some heartening developments as well. Twelve European countries have shed their national currencies to go in for the euro amidst wild celebrations which made the advent of New Year doubly blessed. The development is as momentous as, say, the opening of the English Channel subway, which ended the isolation of England forever. The introduction of the euro will not only change the monetary, economic and logistical map of Western Europe but can also become the most tangible element of a Euroland which should become a reality sooner rather than later. England and the Scandinavian countries are currently out of the loop because of various reasons but the way citizens of other countries are becoming pro-euro, it is only a matter of time before they too join in. In any case, the 12 nations which have already said "aye" have a combined population of more than 300 million which makes the euro almost as formidable as the US dollar. Teething troubles will certainly be there. In fact, quite a bit of disruption is also foreseen, but with the passage of time, everything should fall in place. The optimism arises from the fact that this is not an isolated step. Instead, a lot of preparation has gone into this gradual integration. The artificial boundaries had started crumbling right on the day the European nations had decided to dismantle the border checkposts. The European Council set the ball rolling faster and led to the European Union. With the coming of the euro travel between the countries will be further facilitated. More than that, the common currency will unite the hearts like nothing ever did. The unity of the hearts can gradually lead to the unity of the nations. Even if the currency wobbles initially, it has enough resilience to stabilise quickly. It has been calculated that dealing with a unified currency will be of benefit to outside countries like India as well. In fact, it is high time Asian countries took a leaf out of the European book and thought of a common currency. One distinct advantage that we have here is that the currency of many countries in Asia is already known as the rupee or rupiah. It is all a question of shedding petty animosities and focusing on the wood instead of the trees. In this endeavour, even the India-Pakistan problem should not be allowed to become an impediment. New Delhi can join hands with other countries which appreciate the benefits of a common currency. Europe has drawn the blueprint of a brave new world. All that now needs to be done is to duplicate it wherever possible. |
A world with one super power Had the famous English novelist Charles Dickens who began his “A Tale of Two Cities” with the immortal sentence, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”, been alive today, he may well have started a novel on modern times with the sentence, “It was the worst of times”! He would not be far off the mark. As the year 2001 slowly receded to the background, there was an audible sign of relief that the worst year in recent history had finally disappeared. The hysteric euphoria which greeted the New Millennium was nowhere to be seen. The year 2002 must have made a nervous entry, loaded with despair and uncertainty and praying that the memories of its predecessor would be washed away soonest. As the New Year was ushered in, India and Pakistan continued to growl at each other, as they moved their troops along the borders. War talk was very much in the air. The Republic Day military parade may even be cancelled because army units are needed in most sensitive border areas. While Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee found the occasion suitable to come out with some rousing couplets, he would be the first to acknowledge that a nation could not be governed or could not protect its self-respect through poetry. Indira Gandhi in the turbulent early 1970s was no poet, but gave the nation what it needed — guts, self-pride and unity. Will Mr Vajpayee do the same? Only time can tell. While the intellectual and honesty levels of Indian politicians have gone down alarmingly, Indira Gandhi in her heyday had more freedom to act and was not bound by dishonest, corrupt ministers. Nor did she rule over a multi-hued coalition where each leader bound by regional interests pulled in different directions. More important, Indira Gandhi did not have to go out of the way to protect errant ministers like Mr George Fernandes who, time and again, has proved that he is unfit to handle any ministry, particularly a sensitive one like Defence. In these troubled times, it is tragic that the Prime Minister, for some reason or the other, was scared of dropping a Defence Minister whose errors had ranged from coffins to Kargil. In a fast-changing world where India was perched dangerously close to a hot war with Pakistan a Defence Minister like Mr George Fernandes was a distinct liability despite his penchant for seeking personal publicity by visiting Siachen at the drop of a hat and shedding tears over the problems of jawans. The fact that Mr Fernandes has managed to survive so many scandals and still clings to his ministry speaks volumes of our corrupt and degraded political system. Even as India and Pakistan keep on snarling at each other, the Opposition quite rightly would not recognise Mr Fernandes as a Defence Minister. This is one of the most piquant situations the New Year must handle. Across the border, Pakistan is facing an even more difficult situation. President Pervez Musharraf, who did a complete turnaround on the issue of terrorism and religious fundamentalism to convince the USA on both issues, has managed to survive, but just. His problems with the USA may be fewer, but those with India are multiplying. Will he be able to control the mullahs at home? More important, will he able to control the militant groups which are struck at India’s democratic heart across the border? Pakistan escaped being punished by the USA by turning against the Taliban regime, a masterstroke in opportunism, but the real test lay in its attitude to India which had made it clear that it would no longer brook attacks on its sovereignty. That would be Pakistan’s litmus test in 2002. While India and Pakistan are poised tensely across their borders, the situation in Afghanistan, after the elimination of the Taliban regime, offers a ray of hope. A new broad-based Cabinet has taken over, and we can only hope that it rules the nation wisely and well. The Afghans have suffered long enough and have seen their proud nation bombed to rubble by the USA. They needed a break. But how effective will be the recent developments in that unfortunate land is still not clear because Osama bin Laden and top Taliban leaders are still free and their whereabouts not known. It is not clear how effectively their international terror network has been destroyed. The savage Twin Tower bombing of September 11, 2001 proved that the network was capable of diabolic crimes and if similar crimes had been planned in advance, 2002 might be worse than its predecessor. The anthrax scare seems to have died down, but one can never take anything for granted, particularly after the September 11 incidents. Yes, September 11 was the benchmark of the unfortunate year 2001. Till then the world was struggling ahead with the usual types of skirmishes and mini-wars. But history had to be rewritten after that date. The only super power in the world was grievously hurt in its own territory and did not know where to attack. Strangely enough, being the only super power in the world added to the problems of the USA. Former President Bill Clinton and his successor George Bush had basked in the glory of being the leaders of a super power. It did wonders to one’s ego. Mr Clinton was better equipped and interested in knowing how the rest of the world lived and worked. But Mr Bush is the gung-ho Cold War type warrior of the 1950s for whom the USA can do no wrong. His father had revelled in the Gulf War of 1990 which pitted the might of the USA and the rest of the world against Iraq. Son Bush has taken fullest advantage of the September 11 bombing and is now a hero to his people. There is no power in the world to tell him that while handling the Taliban terrorist threat, he has erred on other fronts. This is particularly true of West Asia where Israel under Mr Ariel Sharon is acting like a belligerent bully it has always been. It put PLO leader Yasser Arafat literally under house arrest and he was unable to attend the traditional Christmas mass at Bethlehem. This was one of the most savage reprisals unleashed by Israel, and the USA had chosen to keep quiet. A UN Security Council resolution condemning Israel was, as usual, vetoed by the USA. The Bush administration had made it clear it was no longer interested in bringing about a truce in West Asia and had bowed down before the Zionist hard hats in the USA. This is where the absence of a rival super power affected the world situation. The Soviet Union in the past has always restrained the USA acting like a cowboy in international situations, and the USA too followed this rule when the USSR flew out of control. Today there is none to condemn the USA and its protege Israel for the tense West Asian situation. The USA’s unstinted support to the wild actions of Israel has created the feeling that it is against Arabs and Muslims in general. Today, after September 11 Mr Bush and his men have made no efforts to hide their such feelings. Not many in the USA seem to realise that a more balanced stand in West Asia could have prevented the attacks on the World Trade Center towers. The USA under Mr Bush has thrown away all semblance of neutrality, and there is no other super power to take on America on this issue. If 2002 continues to be as bad or even worse than 2001, the only super power in the world will have much to answer for. It has to check a war-monger and pathological Arab hater like Mr Sharon from running amok. Any escalation of tension and frustration in West Asia can lead to the emergence of new Bin Ladens in the rest of the world. The USA can then become the most hated nation in the world and among the Muslim states, and no “smart” bombs can solve such problems. |
Rooting for Xmas tree Some years ago, when my niece — married to a Canadian — along with her family, decided to celebrate Christmas with us; there was both excitement as well as trepidation. While all other arrangements, befitting the visit of the firangi son-in-law got underway smoothly; the big question was finding a Christmas tree. Where was one to find the traditional western Christmas tree like the balsam fir, Scotch pine, Leyland cypress or a red cedar with its typical coniferous, conical form in the flat plains of Chandigarh? Anywhere we did the best possible, drove to the nearby Kasauli hills and brought back a huge branch of a chir pine, planted it in a big pot and hoped that its needle-like leaves would remain fresh and gleaming till our visitors arrived. It was duly dressed up with the traditional baubles, trinkets, candles and cotton “snowflakes” to create the festive ambience. Smug with our surprise “item” we eagerly awaited our north-American family. No sooner had they arrived and we sprung our great Christmas tree-Daven their five-year-old son, remarked shyly: “But that’s not a real Christmas tree — it’s a faky, mom” Crestfallen but not wilted, my niece valiantly gave a rambling explanation about Christmas trees varying in shape and size from country to country, and this was an Indian one. Ever since, we have been trying to grow a “real one” here. The most conical shaped coniferous tree that has a few slim chances of growing in Chandigarh is the auracaria cooki. But it’s an extremely fragile tree to propagate. Anywhere, we got an expensive sapling and planted it in the biggest pot in a sunny location — along with a special prayer to Santa Claus to take care of it! But it hardly grew in spite of being the most pampered plant of the garden. If it grew, it must be a few
millimeters in a year, hardly, fitting into out grand vision of a stately Alpine Christmas tree. Finally, our crusty, no-nonsense, old mali pronounced the verdict: it had to be shifted out of the pot and transplanted in the open soil of the garden. We chose a very special corner fondly called the Alpine Grove, as it already had a weeping willow, a small fern hillock and a birdbath, to complete the dream landscape. Alas, our dream was not to come true. The tender sapling began to wilt mysteriously. Utterly dejected we began to look for reasons — nothing, however, could be detected. Perhaps, we had not prayed hard enough for Santa’s benedictions. So once again the sapling was uprooted and the ground beneath it dug up deep and wide. And that explained the failure: the entire earth beneath was full of stones and rubble. Now, the entire debris was cleared up, and once again, with an even louder prayer on our lips, the tree was replanted. That was nearly five years ago. Today our Alpine Grove is resplendent with a majestic, glistening, evergreen, real Christmas tree; already five feet tall. Its stem stands ramrod, from which jut out beautiful, feathery branches; like open palms of a hand to bless. It’s all dressed up for a “white Christmas” — even in Chandigarh. Are you coming
Daven? |
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Pak writer fights against women’s torture For Zahida Hina, the Pakistani woman writer championing the gender cause, the journey is, admittedly, long and tortuous in a country that still is in the grip of medieval practices of honour killings, women burning and bashing. “The human rights condition of women in Pakistan is still to improve. Cutting across caste barriers, there are lot of cases of honour killings, women bashing and stove burning (burning the women for dowry),” says Hina, who is also the National Coordinator for women rights of Amnesty International, Pakistan. “Such cases have been rising over the years especially in Sindh province. Though such cases come more from rural areas, urban areas are no more refined when it comes to women’s rights,” says Hina who was here for the SAARC writers conference. With the stalling of the democratic process and rise of religious obscurantism, such cases have grown manifold, says Hina whose works challenge the cultural and ideological underpinnings of the Pakistani state, attacking
patriarchal attitudes to women and delving into the historical legacies of contemporary social configurations. And when the 55-year-old writer is not espousing the cause of women, she is writing on a variety of subjects including partition and need for peace in the subcontinent. Her works ‘Mapping Memories; Urdu stories from India and Pakistan’ and a novella ‘Na junoon raha na pari rahi’ (the passion and the beauty have gone) stem also from her association with peace missions between the two countries. “After the 1971 war, I was part of the Pak-Hind Prem Sabha formed by writers and poets to champion the cause of peace,” says Hina who has been writing since the age of 16. Those times were very hard as nobody would listen to the voice of peace and till recently the populace largely believed in the slogan of conquering the Red Fort, says Hina who was born in Sasaram in Bihar. But now the general hatred among the masses has reduced. Though the vocal among them want violence, there is a silent majority that wants peace. The common man is not interested in violence as it affects his little world, says Hina whose works have poignantly touched upon the relationship between the peoples of the two countries. The author had also come to India as part of a peace mission last year. Hina, whose works have been translated into English, Hindi, Sindhi and Marathi by writers who include Faiz Ahmad Faiz and Amrita Preetam, says vested interests of both the countries are involved in war mongering and writers and intellectuals of both sides of the border have a role to bring them together. “Already cable has brought people of both the sides closer to each other and has given an insight into each other’s cultures,” says Hina pointing that serials like `Kyunki Saas bhi Kabhi bahu thi’ and `Kaun Banega Crorepati’ are very popular in Pakistan. Coming back on the theme of literature, Hina, who has been included in the ‘Who’s who in Contemporary Women’s Writings,’ 2001 edited by Jane E Miller and ‘Pakistan Women Year Book’, Karachi, says literature in Pakistan, whenever a military regime comes to power, deals with the resistance theme besides other social issues of the day. Though the author has crossed many milestones, she says her goals would be achieved when she would be able to bring changes in the society through her works.
PTI |
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On not being able to drive It’s usually around this time of year, this traditional time of resolution to be a better, brighter person, that I remember I can’t drive. It’s a bit like those cruel birthday cards people send their
thirty something career-girl friends. The one with the woman, her hand to her forehead, screaming: `Oh God, I forgot to have children!’ Well, I’ve forgotten to learn to drive. Which somehow seems to place me on the sociological food chain somewhere between people who can’t read and people who can’t eat their lunch without showing you what’s in their mouth every few seconds. “You can’t drive?’ people tend to say, staring at you mystified and even slightly disgusted, as if you’ve suddenly sprouted a face full of boils or announced that you enjoy flashing in public parks. For their benefit, maybe I should qualify my position. It’s not that I can’t drive (though I can’t), rather that I won’t drive (which sounds more stylish). Most pertinently, it’s probably better for everyone concerned if I don’t drive. Over the years, I’ve lost count of the number of people who’ve kindly procured me one of those forms where, if you fill it in and send it off, you get a provisional licence. Whereupon you’re suddenly allowed to start screeching around town in a tin killing machine, with nothing to protect yourself or your local community but some tatty little Learner-plates and a bored driving instructor in a bomber jacket. I am appalled by this - I think there should be more stringent tests before you’re actually allowed to sit behind a steering wheel. One word of advice - if you decide to throw the form away, it’s best to ensure that, when the friend who gave it to you next pops around, it isn’t peeking cheekily out of the top of your kitchen bin. This happened to me once, and my friend was incensed. There was stern talk of hands being washed of me. People certainly seem to get annoyed when you show no interest in driving. Sometimes, it seems like the same sort of anger directed at men when they refuse to get married. With drivers, it’s like they’ve found themselves a nice car, they’ve grown up and settled down, they’ve made the commitment, so when are non-drivers like me going to stop paddling in the shallows of life and jump in? At this point of the lecture, you usually get `the water’s lovely’ spiel. Endless lectures on the independence, the mobility, the fulfilment to be got from driving. What drivers also fail to realise is that certain non-drivers were probably born this way — a very special kind of breech birth, with our hands up in the cab-hailing position. We are the types who actively enjoy being driven around, whether it be on buses, in cabs, or (the big time!) by a genuine chauffeur. Then, of course, there’s the fact that sending people like me off in the driving seat is a bit like cheering a serial killer off on a murder spree. I’m the first to admit that I have no common sense, no spatial skills, and a long-held belief that the best course of action when confronted with a busy roundabout, or a big scary lorry coming up close alongside, is to take your hands off the steering wheel and scream. If people like me were to drive you would have to clear streets for us, and add a police escort. If this could be arranged, then I would be only too happy to start driving. In the meantime, I’ll stick to my mantra: can’t drive, won’t drive, really shouldn’t drive — in the hope that all those bossy drivers out there will hear me. But they won’t, not at this time of year — they’ll be too busy arguing with their partners about who’s going to drink and who’s driving home. Which, come to think about it, is probably the best non-driving argument of all.
The Observer |
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46 years on the run for a world record Britain’s most notorious escaped prisoner has won a place in the Guinness Book of Records, but his details will be included only if he is caught or gives himself up. Last month John Hannan broke the world record for the longest period spent on the run. He escaped from Verne prison in Dorset, southern England, in December 1955 while serving a 21-month sentence for car theft and assaulting two police officers. Thirty days into his sentence he and fellow prisoner Gwynant Thomas slipped out after nightfall and scaled the jail wall with knotted sheets. The men, both 22, were wearing grey prison overalls but broke into a nearby petrol station and stole overcoats as well as beer and cigarettes. Thomas was arrested within 24 hours after the pair were spotted by a lorry driver. But, despite a hunt involving tracker dogs and roadblocks, Hannan escaped. A police description then said Hannan was 5ft 7in with brown hair, blue eyes and a proportionate build. Now 68, he is believed to be living in his native Ireland. Although no longer a high priority, a police spokesman said he remained a wanted man and regular checks were made in the hope of bringing him to justice. ‘We are no longer actively searching for John Patrick Hannan, but we’d still love to find him, even after all these years - there’s a small matter of some unfinished business,’ a Dorset police spokesman said. `If he does learn we are still looking for him, we would love to hear from him, even if he just drops us a line to let us know he’s still around.’ The previous escape record of 45 years and 11 months was held by Leonard Frisco, an American who was turned in by his son after an argument.
The Observer |
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Truth is our mother; Justice our father; Pity our wife; Respect for others our friend; Clemency our children. Surrounded by such relatives We have nothing to fear. * * * Temporal blessings pass like a dream; Beauty fades like a flower; The longest life disappears like a flash; Our existence is like a bubble on the surface of water. * * * When we die the money and jewels which we have taken such trouble to amass during our life remain in the house. Our relatives and friends accompany us only to the funeral pyre where our bodies are burnt; but our virtues and our vices follow us beyond the grave. * * * Take heed not to trust yourself to the current of a river, to the claws or the horns of an animal, or to the promises of kings. * * * He who works with diligence will never feel hunger; He who devoutely meditates will never commit any great sin; He who is vigilant will never feel fear; And he who knows when to speak and when to be silent will never be drawn into a quarrel. — Niti Shlokas. * * * When you are thirsty, God is thirsty within you. And when you drink cold water, it is God flowing within your beings; It is God who will quench your thirst. The thirst is God, The quenching is God. The water that quenches is God. All is God. — Osho, Come Follow Me,
Vol. II * * * God certainly is. Never even by mistake think that there is no God. Listen carefully. What is that bodiless force within your own body? *** Love of God is only for him who has turned away his eyes from creature and creation; from everything not God. He who is madly engaged in the affairs of the world shall never see God and attain emancipation. —
Sarmad. From Bankey Bihari, Sufis, Mystics and Yogis |
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