E D I T O R I A L   P A G E

EDITORIALS

Rhetoric on terrorism won’t do
What Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee stated in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday in connection with the Jammu "fedayeen" killings falls in the category of rhetoric. The Hindi word "pratikar", though its exact meaning is "revenge", does not indicate clearly what course India will adopt to punish the forces behind the horrifying development.

Village for sale!
The outside world knows Punjab as the granary of India. Its dance and music represent the sense of fun and joy of the farmers celebrating a good crop. So why is it that most Punjabi peasants now seem to have lost that sense of fun? Why are they being forced to sell their ploughs and soul to money-lenders.

FRANKLY SPEAKING

HARI JAISINGH
Of loyalty and royalty
Learning from the Panchatantra’s ageless fables
Ancient tales of the Panchatantra, supposedly composed in Sanskrit about 200 BC in Kashmir, provide a fascinating insight into the intricate world of basic knowledge and wisdom through ageless fables which, if grasped in the right sense and spirit, could make life "richer, happier and fuller". Historically, these stories are said to have been on the natives' lips for more than five thousand years.

Cupid cure by cops
Rajnish Wattas
Recently I met an old college-mate after 25 years. The once tall, lanky, swashbuckling hero of our college days was now quite a shadow of his old self. The balding pate and an overhanging paunch were tell-tale of the middle-age effeteness. Most astonishing was his blissful state of complete surrender to his spouse.

Oil politics of Central Asia
M. S. N. Menon
One country, America, dominated the politics of the 20th century. And it was all about oil. Oil is a strategic raw material. You can paralyse a country by denying it oil. It is time the world gave politics of oil greater attention, for it can make life dangerous during the 21st century.

Tea helps in survival from heart attack
Heavy tea drinking can reduce the risk of dying after a heart attack, a study suggests. The study of 1,900 heart attack victims found that those who drank tea before their heart attacks — about 19 cups a week — were 44 per cent less likely than non-drinkers to die in the three to four years afterward.

75 YEARS AGO

Attack on Communists
Armed men in plain clothes belonging to Chaing Kai-Shek’s forces yesterday made extensive raids on posts occupied by armed Communists in the northern and southern suburbs of Shanghai and Pootung. 

Sons ‘shorten’ mothers’ life span
Baby sons, researchers suggest in the journal Science, make a much greater physical demand on the mother’s body than do the typically smaller daughters and this may actually lead to a shorter life for the mother.

SPIRITUAL NUGGETS

EDITORIALS

Rhetoric on terrorism won’t do

What Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee stated in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday in connection with the Jammu "fedayeen" killings falls in the category of rhetoric. The Hindi word "pratikar", though its exact meaning is "revenge", does not indicate clearly what course India will adopt to punish the forces behind the horrifying development. The appropriate action in this context would be to launch military strikes against the known terrorist bases inside Pakistan and occupied Kashmir. What else remains to be done to destroy Pakistan-sponsored terrorism root and branch after the diplomatic course has failed to end the proxy war? But the course mentioned here is bound to lead to a full-scale war with the irresponsible neighbour armed with nuclear weapons and the American protective umbrella. Is India ready to go against the wishes of the super power? US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Christina Rocca, currently on a visit to the subcontinent, has said that her country will do everything possible to prevent a military conflict between the two neighbours. Obviously, an Indo-Pak war today will jeopardise American interests in the region, which includes Afghanistan. This means a direct military action is out of the realm of possibility. There can be no comparison between the situation that existed during the Kargil crisis and the one prevailing now. Then why put the nation in an awkward position by indulging in rhetoric?

When Pakistan-sponsored terrorists attacked the Parliament building on December 13 last year the Prime Minister had said something which was much stronger than "pratikar". His exact words: "Now the fight against terrorism has reached its last phase. We will fight a decisive battle to the end." Later, the Union Cabinet adopted a resolution declaring that "we will liquidate the terrorists and their sponsors, wherever they are, whoever they are." What has the country achieved in real terms since then? The NDA government did launch a diplomatic war and at one stage it appeared that Pakistan had been cornered. People had begun to believe that the days of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir and elsewhere in India were numbered. But the same government weakened the fight against the scourge by its failure to prevent the emergence of a situation (here the reference is to Gujarat) which hurt the nation's interests grievously. Gujarat diverted the world community's attention from the problem emanating from Pakistan. In the process outfits like the Lashkar-e-Toiba got an opportunity to regroup themselves under new names. They have provided ample proof of this by striking in a big way near Jammu. What India can do right now is to redouble its efforts to bring Pakistan-sponsored terrorism back into world focus. It is also time to tell the USA that its pledge to take the campaign that began in Afghanistan to its logical conclusion will not carry conviction unless the proxy war in Jammu and Kashmir comes to an end. At the same time India will have to have a fresh look at its own housekeeping. An effective vigil to prevent the infiltration from across the border and a reinforced intelligence-gathering network can be greatly helpful in breaking the backbone of militancy. 

Village for sale!

The outside world knows Punjab as the granary of India. Its dance and music represent the sense of fun and joy of the farmers celebrating a good crop. So why is it that most Punjabi peasants now seem to have lost that sense of fun? Why are they being forced to sell their ploughs and soul to money-lenders. Today's Punjab is no longer a region that took pride in its deep agrarian roots. Today it is has no clue why farmers are committing suicide. It is easier to understand why the villagers of drought-stricken parts of Orissa die of starvation or why they sell their children and their women to raise just one square meal than the suicidal tendency among an increasing number of farmers in Punjab. The report from Harkishanpura in Bathinda that the villagers have collectively decided to sell their land because they do not want to follow the path of the farmers who committed suicide for they did not know how to get out of the debt trap is disturbing. The symbolic decision to put the entire village on sale to clear mounting debts should set alarm bell ringing in the office of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh. A resolution reportedly passed by the village includes an offer "to sell ourselves" by families of farmers who committed suicide. The decision to "sell the village" was taken because there is no one left with anything except themselves and their ancestral property to sell. The story of Harkishanpura is the story of the small and medium farmers of Punjab who have fallen into a vicious debt-trap because of the indifference of the state administration to take corrective measures.

Instead of providing meaningful guidance and assistance to the farmers for increasing output, the politicians offered them sops like free electricity and water. The farmers got little of the promised supply of free water and electricity but the sops aggravated the economic mess. Initially when the financial help came in the form of easy bank loans, the farmers thought that it was the end of their woes. However, the inability of the state machinery in helping them buy good quality seeds pushed them more into debt. In this modern age and time a globalised economy has opened up great opportunities for individual and collective enterprise. Guidance from farm scientists should logically have helped not just individual farmers but the state to raise the level of production in the agricultural sector through improved farm practices and use of quality seeds and fertilisers. The fact of the matter is that in the past five years more farmers in Punjab ended their lives because of mounting debt than in the first 50 years after Independence. What the farmers need are not sops but urgent and correct guidance for helping them stand on their feet again and take pride in making Punjab the wheat bowl of India. Mr Amarinder Singh has begun well through his sustained campaign against corruption. He should now pay attention to the need to evolving a comprehensive agricultural policy for the state. A policy that should bring back the laughter to the villages of Punjab.

FRANKLY SPEAKING

Of loyalty and royalty
Learning from the Panchatantra’s ageless fables
HARI JAISINGH

Ancient tales of the Panchatantra, supposedly composed in Sanskrit about 200 BC in Kashmir, provide a fascinating insight into the intricate world of basic knowledge and wisdom through ageless fables which, if grasped in the right sense and spirit, could make life "richer, happier and fuller". Historically, these stories are said to have been on the natives' lips for more than five thousand years.

I often glance through Arthur W. Ryder's Panchatantra which is an English translation from Sanskrit ( Jaico Publishing House) for possible clues and pointers to the present complexities of the rulers and the ruled, of vices and virtues, of loyalty and royalty, of sacrifice and greed, of truth and falsehood, of good and evil and so on. Amidst the varied pulls and counter-pulls man is subjected to, what makes a difference between true human happiness and beastly thrills of greed, avarice and intrigues is the use of intelligence and the spirit of freedom.

For, if there be no mind

Debating good and ill,

And if religion sends

No challenge to the will,

If only greed be there

For some material feast,

How draw a line between

the man-beast and the beast?

This Nitishastra and other holy scriptures tell us candidly life's secrets and guide us as to what is right, just and fair and what is wrong and unfair. However, somewhere down the line we seem to have lost the path of wisdom shown by the Panchatantra where the animal characters cleverly expose all that is humbug and falsehood and the intrigues of those who go astray while in command.

Wrong is wrong the wiseman never

Wrong as right will treat;

None would drink, however thirsty,

Water in the street.

The basic problem in our country is the never-ending drift and the sharp deterioration in the quality of governance. The phenomenal rise in corruption and corrupt practices speaks volumes about the depth of decadence.

Not that the total system has failed, but a number of misdoings and visibly corrupt practices have shattered the people's confidence in fairplay and the justice system we have sustained for the past 54 years.

What will be the quality of democracy conducted on the basis of shady deals and falsehood? Wouldn't tainted money produce tainted democracy? Haven't black money operations given rise to a "parallel democracy" controlled by operators, manipulators and mafia gangs?

This cannot be called rhetoric. Danger signals can be seen everywhere and in every segment of public activity. Look at the massive machinery of bribery at play.

Examine closely illegal transactions and shameless trading of jobs. Look at money laundering and political links with the underworld. Have a critical look at the electoral money pipelines. Their sources would put people with a conscience to shame.

The question here is not only of quantum but also of the very dimension of such operations which are eating into the vitals of the nation. This raises the fundamental question of values and morality of persons at the helm in different segments of public life.

Values are under attack as the country is caught badly in the crossfire of conflicting interests of varied shades. Indeed, what can be more tragic if wheelers and dealers were to decide the people's fate in the name of democracy? For, it needs to be borne in mind that bribery and shady deals endanger not only the economy but also the polity.

Should this mean that there is no hope? I don't subscribe to this theory of helplessness and disgust. I see a silver lining in every situation, howsoever gloomy and horrifying.

Take the PPSC scam, for instance.

It was the Executive, after all, which took the lead in unearthing this mega scam of unprecedented proportions. The initiative taken by an officer of proven integrity and commitment in Punjab's Intelligence Wing set the ball rolling.

The Chief Minister too must be complimented for backing the officer. The need now is for the Chief Minister to build up a team of such officers and keep a close watch on the on-going investigations and take things to their logical conclusion.

There are signs of a new wind blowing in Punjab and the rest of the region as a result of the recent exposure of how money changed hands for jobs in the public services of the state.

The positive response from the people, lawyers in particular, has also been most heartening. The Bar is assertive. The people are vigilant. So is the media. The judiciary's performance in the PPSC scam case has been both dismaying and satisfying. Here, too, as in the government, much depends on the individuals manning the system.

We are not in the business of destroying democratic institutions. Democracy can survive and thrive best if institutions play their legitimate role as enshrined in the Constitution.

It is true that institutions are bigger than individuals. All the same, individuals can and do make a difference to the honour, prestige and credibility of an institution by playing their role correctly and honestly and by taking up a principled stand in public interest.

At the end, I must say that Punjab, nay, the country as a whole, is at a critical stage of the fight against corruption and the cleansing of the system. The next few months and years will decide if the rogues, the corrupt and the mafia will prevail or whether the right-thinking and service-oriented persons will have the upper hand in governance.

I have said earlier that the nation is still vibrant and the public vigilant. All that is required is to keep up public pressure through free flow of information, transparency and closer monitoring of murky goings-on in all areas of governance.

Secretiveness is conducive to an atmosphere of intrigue and unhealthy curiosity. It indirectly aids corrupt practices and corrupt persons.

Less of secrecy and more of openness along with accountability are the basic requirements for building a corruption-free society. Such an approach alone can strengthen the roots of democracy. Everyone in position of power, including the judiciary, needs to take due notice of this plain truth.

I would once again like to reproduce below some sayings from the Panchatantra, narrating the basic message in the fable of how an intimate friendship between "the forest lion" and "the bull" was "estranged" for the "greedy and malicious ends" of a jackal. The nasty situation could have been saved by the right advice to "the master" by counsellors around him.

Where the parlance harbours servants Kindly, modest, pure

Death to enemies and deaf to

Avarice's lure,

Foes may struggle but the royal

Honour is secure.

Thus:

Speak the truth, though harsh it be

Blarney is true enmity.

And yet again:

When royal servants, asked or not,

Indulge in pleasant lies

That lead the royal mind astray.

The royal glory dies.

Looking beyond, at stake in the present complexities is the honour of Punjab, nay, of India! The challenge before us is giving a helping hand in building a good and just society.

MIDDLE

Cupid cure by cops
Rajnish Wattas

Recently I met an old college-mate after 25 years. The once tall, lanky, swashbuckling hero of our college days was now quite a shadow of his old self. The balding pate and an overhanging paunch were tell-tale of the middle-age effeteness. Most astonishing was his blissful state of complete surrender to his spouse.

It was hard to believe that he was once the famous Romeo of our college who had given sleepless nights to many — most of all to his imagined “Juliet” who had no love lost for the sighing “Devdas”.

It all began with our friend getting smitten by a petite fresher. He now spent more time in writing love-lorn poetry to the young lady, than solving the mysteries of trigonometry in the maths class. But soon things began to take a rather serious turn. Our happy-go-lucky pal started becoming withdrawn, and almost melancholic. One day, he declared that he wanted to marry only the “queen of his heart” — and if refused, would end his life. We realised that things had gone too far, yet didn’t know how to prod him out of his Majnu state. For he neither had the courage to propose to the young lady nor were our pleadings through some intermediaries having any effect.

To further complicate matters, the young lady complained to the college principal; and also her parents took up the matter with our friend’s stern, no-nonsense, father not quite amused by the scion’s antics.

Suddenly, our friend stopped coming to the college. We feared the worst, but were soon relieved to learn that he had merely changed college. Relieved, we went to enquire about his transformation.

This is how it went. One day, when lost in his romantic reveries, a constable knocked on the door, and sternly informed him that the local SHO sahib had called him urgently. Trembling with fright, he looked around for his father for help — but he was not around. He pleaded desperately for some more time to pay his respects to the top cop of the mohalla; feared for his burly physique, handlebar-moustaches, and “rough” ways with those who earned his displeasure. But nothing worked, and he walked to the old “thana.” As he entered the SHO’s room — busy devouring tandoori chicken with relish — no one spoke to him for what felt like an eternity, and he just kept standing! In the background, he could hear some agonising shrieks of pain and shoe beatings. After some time, the SHO glowered at him: “Do you know what are these noises... han..? Ah, just a little shiksha for some petty #$@&# heroes like you.. han..! Oh, by the way, have you had your lunch? No? OK, then go home for now and come again in the evening for a little chat.”

By now our great lover-boy had totally lost all appetite both for food and ishk-baji! He broke down, touched the feet of the SHO, and ran back home —never, ever to do the Romeo act again! Soon after settling down to responsible ways and the family business, he tried to find out about the person who had lodged the complaint. It was not the young lady’s father, but his own Sire. In our small-town days — cops, had a cure even for Cupid-struck sons.

COMMENTARY

Oil politics of Central Asia
M. S. N. Menon

One country, America, dominated the politics of the 20th century. And it was all about oil.

Oil is a strategic raw material. You can paralyse a country by denying it oil.

It is time the world gave politics of oil greater attention, for it can make life dangerous during the 21st century.

Having dominated oil politics for almost a century, American oil interests are reluctant to part with their dominant position. But times have changed. First, the Arabs are no more ready to put their trust in America. And, as far as users are concerned, they are not prepared to remain dependent on America for their oil and gas.

And yet efforts are on to gain monopoly of Central Asian oil and gas. And America is out to dislodge Saddam Husein from power, as Iraq is reputed to have more oil than Saudi Arabia.

But hopes are not altogether lost. A new treaty between the USA and Russia is expected to bury their rivalry for ever. This will bring about a measure of cooperation between them in Central Asia.

The Caspian Sea is emerging as a major strategic area. It is rich in oil and gas, and is placed third in reserves after the Persian Gulf and Western Siberia. According to Geoffrey Kemp, the reserves can be around 279 trillion cu.ft. of gas and 200 billion barrels of oil. But cost is expected to be high because of the long transit routes — 5 dollars per barrel against one barrel from Saudi Arabia.

Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenia, Azerbaijan and Iran have all stakes in the region. Russia wants to divide up the bottom of the sea, but keep the water common. There are, however, differences among others.

Five six routes are proposed: (1) Northern route through Russia. About 150 km of this route goes through Chechnya and Daghestan, which are disturbed areas. Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan are not happy with the increasing influence of Russia over the region. This route is, however, complete and can carry 60 million tonnes of oil per year to the Black Sea port.

(2) Western route: preferred by the USA, Azerbaijan, Turkey and Georgia. It runs from Baku (Azerbaijan) to Supsa, the Georgian port on the Black Sea. From there the oil is to be carried by ships to Europe. But this route runs through the unstable region of Nogorno-Karabakh. There are serious risks involved here. And Turkey is against further congestion in the Bospherous.

(3) Turkmenistan has also a plan for a pipeline to Turkey (Trans-Caspian Pipeline) to supply Turkey with gas. Turkey’s demand, which is placed at present at 16 billion cu.ft. yearly is expected to grow to 55 billion cu.ft. by 2010 and 82 billion cu.ft. by 2020. Russia wants to compete for a slice of this demand and is constructing the Blue Stream Pipeline.

(4) The southern route: it has to pass through Iran and terminates in the Persian Gulf. This is cheaper, quicker, safer. But it is opposed by the US State Department, while the US oil companies favour this route. To make it attractive, Iran has cut its transit fee to almost half. For the USA, Iran is a dilemma: a weak Iran will become more fundamental and anti-US, while a strong Iran can also turn hostile to the USA.

(5) China’s growing demand for oil and gas has forced it to diversify its supply sources. China has borders with Kazakhstan, Kyrghystan and Tajikistan. In 1997 China signed an agreement with Kazakhstan for a 5000 km pipeline, with a long-term plan to supply oil to the Far East. But for the time being, the project is on hold. China has other projects also in the pipeline. The USA is obviously not interested in these Eastern projects because of the high cost they entail.

(6) The South East route through Afghanistan and Pakistan is preferred by the USA. It can be 1400 km long. This route is cheaper. America is desperately trying to smoothen out its way. Naturally, India has a huge stake in this project. So too Pakistan, which is expected to gain about 700 million dollars in transit fee yearly.

The American strategy was to contain the influence of the two powerful regional powers — Russia and Iran. The idea was to lay down routes avoiding both Iran and Russia. But Russia and Iran want that the pipelines of the Western companies should pass through Russia and Iran. This will give them huge royalties on a permanent basis.

This was the position before September 11. After that, Russia is a partner in the war against the Taliban and terrorism. Moscow has thus eliminated Taliban interference in Central Asia, Chechnya and Daghestan. This has made a difference to the US-Russian relations of late. What is more, European nations are now investing in Iran. And Russia and China have established their presence in Central Asia in a significant way. The USA has to accept it as there is no way to expel them from the region.

The route through Iran is the cheapest, shortest and less vulnerable. And the new rulers in Iran are ready to make up with the USA and forget the past. But America has its game. It is not clear what it is.

Geography and geopolitics of the region still favour Russia. Russia has still enormous links with Central Asia. It is true the Central Asians do not want a preponderant Russian role in the region.

In the post-September 11 period, Iran has improved its position. Today many European countries are ready to invest in Iran. This has strengthened Iran’s position in the world. This will also have its impact on the proposed Iran-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline.

For India, the sea route is not a viable proposition, being too costly and technically difficult. Thus the Iran project to supply gas to India is highly important. Iran is ready to guarantee the safety of the route. However, the Kashmir question stands in the way of this project. Which is why the USA is desperately trying to resolve the Kashmir issue. What gives hope is the fact that today the USA has a military presence in both Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Tea helps in survival from heart attack

Heavy tea drinking can reduce the risk of dying after a heart attack, a study suggests.

The study of 1,900 heart attack victims found that those who drank tea before their heart attacks — about 19 cups a week — were 44 per cent less likely than non-drinkers to die in the three to four years afterward.

Moderate drinkers, or those who had fewer than 14 cups, had a 28 per cent lower death rate. The study looked at deaths from all causes, not just heart disease.

“I have to say that the magnitude of the association we found between tea drinking and mortality and people who survive a heart attack was pretty dramatic, certainly more so than I think I would have expected,” said Dr Kenneth Mukamal, assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.

The study was published in the American Heart Association journal Circulation.

Several studies have found that regular tea drinkers seem to have a lower risk of heart attacks, though it remains unclear why.

Researchers involved in the latest study suspect the findings are linked to flavonoids, antioxidants found naturally in various foods derived from plants. Tea is a major source of flavonoids in American diets.

Strengthens bones: Longtime tea-drinking may strengthen bones, researchers in Taiwan have found.

The benefits occurred in people who drank an average of nearly two cups daily of black, green or oolong tea for at least six years, said the researchers from National Cheng Kung University Hospital in Tainan, Taiwan.

The findings could have broad public health implications, because fractures associated with bone-thinning osteoporosis and low bone density are a global problem expected to worsen with the predicted increase in the number of older people worldwide.

Some estimates suggest nearly half the US population aged 50 and older is affected by osteoporosis or low bone mass, and the WHO projects that the number of hip fractures could rise from 1.7 million in 1990 to 6.3 million by 2050.

Tea contains fluoride and chemical compounds known as flavenoids that include estrogen-like plant derivatives — both of which may enhance bone strength, the authors said.

Their study is based on surveys of 1,037 men and women aged 30 and older who were questioned about tea-drinking habits and had bone-mineral density tests. The researchers accounted for other factors affecting bone strength, including gender, age, body-mass index and lifestyle.

About half the participants were habitual tea drinkers - those who routinely drink tea for at least one year. Most of the habitual tea drinkers consumed green or oolong tea without milk, which contains bone-building calcium.

Both varieties are more commonly consumed in Asia, while black tea is more common in Western countries. All three come from the same plant but are processed differently.

The highest overall bone-mineral density was found in people who said they had consumed tea regularly for more than 10 years; their hip-bone density was 6.2 per cent higher than in non-habitual tea drinkers.

Habitual drinkers for six to ten years had a hip-bone density 2.3 per cent higher than in non-habitual tea drinkers, said Dr Chih-Hsing Wu, a co-author. AP

75 YEARS AGO

Attack on Communists

Armed men in plain clothes belonging to Chaing Kai-Shek’s forces yesterday made extensive raids on posts occupied by armed Communists in the northern and southern suburbs of Shanghai and Pootung. It was stated that 20 armed Communists were killed and a large quantity of arms and ammunition, including bombs and machine guns, were captured.

TRENDS & POINTERS

Sons ‘shorten’ mothers’ life span

Baby sons, researchers suggest in the journal Science, make a much greater physical demand on the mother’s body than do the typically smaller daughters and this may actually lead to a shorter life for the mother.

“Boys are usually born much heavier than girls,” said Samuli Helle, a researcher at the University of Turku in Finland and the study co-author. “It seems that boys are much more demanding to produce than girls.”

Helle said the conclusion is based on church family records kept in Finland for a nomadic people called the Sami during the period 1640 to 1870. He said the toll on mothers’ lives of having sons may not apply in the era of modern medicine.

“Nowadays we have better medical care,” Helle said. “Resources are not as likely to limit females’ life span. There might be some effect, but it will not be as huge as in the Sami people.” AP

SPIRITUAL NUGGETS

Let no one deceive another, let him not despise (another) in any place, let him not out of anger or resentment wish harm to another.

As a matter at the risk of her life watches over her own child, so also let every one cultivate a boundless (friendly) mind towards all beings.

And let him cultivate goodwill towards all the world, a boundless (friendly mind, above and below and across, unobstructed, without hatred, without enmity.

—Khuddaka Nikaya. From the Minor Anthologies of the PaliCanon

***

—Sri Guru Granth Sahib