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Friday,
December 20, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Justice under POTA Relief in instalments
Towards durable defence cooperation |
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The parent-teacher meeting I attended
Indo-Russian ties: some unpleasant facts
Pumpkinseeds for bladder problems
Study delinks intellect from chess
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Justice under POTA The conviction of S. A. R. Geelani, Shaukat Hussain Guru and Mohammad Afzal by the designated court in Delhi should silence the critics of POTA for dealing with crimes against the State. The three conspirators were awarded capital punishment for their role in the December 13 attack on Parliament House last year. Afsan Guru got away with a light sentence of five years in jail for concealing evidence. The sentence has already started a debate at several levels. Human rights activists are unhappy with the sentence of death awarded to the enemies of the State. In doing so they have failed to appreciate the difference between a heinous crime against an individual or a group and one that seeks to destroy the very edifice of the State. It must be understood that the basic objective of the group that stormed Parliament was not to leave bullet marks on the magnificent structure but to cause a national catastrophe by targeting the Prime Minister, his Cabinet colleagues and other lawmakers present in the House at the time of the attack. The security forces did a splendid job in foiling the dastardly attempt. Some of them made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty. The trial and punishment within a period of one year of the attack too helped remove misgivings about the need for a “draconian law” for dealing the terrorism and related activities. The Punjab and Haryana High Court in a landmark judgement had upheld the validity of the new law by pointing out that its provisions would go a long way in minimising procedural delays in dealing with crimes against the State. Of course, man-made laws are not perfect and POTA is no exception. There were certain provisions like the one that placed unfair restrictions on the media that were removed at the discussion stage. Some shortcomings may surface when POTA begins to be used more extensively. However, Union Law Minister Arun Jaitley displayed unjustified public excitement in responding to the verdict, the first under the provisions of POTA. He needs to be told that law alone is not sufficient for dealing with the problem of terrorism. The fact remains that not a single Jaish-e-Mohammad activist who took part in the December 13 episode was arrested. POTA can only deal with those who are caught alive and not those who manage to get away. Yes, the sentence will indeed deter local elements from providing either willing or forced help to the terrorists. But there is no way POTA can prevent suicide squads from finding other sources of help for implementing their nefarious agenda of causing internal strife. POTA cannot be a substitute for good policing and efficient intelligence-gathering. Besides, the Delhi High Court will have to re-examine its own order, before confirming the sentence pronounced by the designated court, disallowing phone conversations as evidence. The order was passed by a single Judge Bench, whereas under the provisions of POTA such an order can only come from at least a two-Judge Bench. If the single-Judge order is upheld by a larger Bench, the case may take an unexpected turn. If this happens the prosecution will have much to explain to a nation that has pinned its hopes on POTA for providing it some relief from the acts of terrorism. |
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Relief in instalments The Prime Minister’s decision to waive interest for one year on the 2002 kharif loans taken by farmers in 14 drought-hit states, welcome as it is, reflects lack of vision and a clear-cut policy for tackling natural calamities and providing relief to the victims. In case of a natural calamity, government machinery should move in quickly with protective, preventive and rehabilitation measures. Relief should be disbursed as fast as possible. It should not come in instalments — that too under pressure from coalition partners or supporting parties as has happened in this case. There have been varying assessments of the damage caused by the drought this year. First, the drought was dubbed the worst ever in 14 years. The government’s own mid-year review says that the drought impact was limited by delayed rain in September and October. The criteria adopted for drought assessment and relief too have been found to be inadequate. An area can be declared drought affected only if 50 per cent of the average crop fails in that district. In a state like Punjab where about 94 per cent of the cultivable land is irrigated by tubewells and the canal network, none of the districts can be declared drought-hit. A Punjabi farmer will do anything — borrow from his relatives and arhtiyas or sell off his belongings— to run his tubewell round the clock to save his crop. There is no provision in the Central Calamity Fund entitlement guidelines to compensate such farmers for the additional expenditure incurred. Natural justice demands that relief should reach every victim in equal measure and in a fair manner. In this case only those farmers will benefit who have taken loans from banks. What about those who borrow from individual money-lenders and arhtiyas — that too at very high interest rates? There are farmers at the subsistence level who do not believe in taking loans at all. They too will be excluded from the benefit granted. During the kharif season this year banks, most of them cooperative, are estimated to have advanced short-term crop loans amounting to Rs 20,809 crore in the 14 drought-affected states. The interest liability on this comes to Rs 2,009 crore, a huge sum which the banks may stand to lose unless the Centre undertakes to compensate them. In the new globalised financial system it is unfair to put arbitrary burdens on banks, which are under pressure to cut their costs. If state-level politicians start taking similar decisions, the health of the cooperative banking system at the state level can be well imagined. The Centre must have a fool-proof mechanism for responding to a drought, a flood or an earthquake, which should automatically come into operation without delay. There should be no discrimination against any section or state in the disbursement of relief. |
Towards durable defence cooperation Recent times have seen India being engaged by a host of countries in durable strategic relationship and defence cooperation. The USA, Russia, France, the UK and
Israel have all shown a remarkable keenness for cooperation in the field of international relations, security, science and technology and a host of other related areas. They are willing to offer military hardware without the usual political strings. Joint research and development in defence projects, intelligence sharing and even cooperation in hitherto sensitive areas like the space are on cards for mutual cooperation. According to a recent report, India ranked second only to the UAE in arms transfer agreements made by the developing nations in 1998-2001. India concluded $ 7.2 bn worth of arms transfer agreements, closely followed by China with $ 6.7 bn conventional arms transfer to developing nations. The 1998-2001 report also highlights the fact that most arms transfers were made by three major arms supplying nations. The USA ranked first, followed by Russia and France. In fact, Russia is likely to emerge as a leading arms supplier in the coming years with India and China being its target countries. Russian economy is gradually becoming resurgent, primarily because of its armament industry. The government is adopting more flexible credit and payment policy to boost sales to resurrect the economy further. India is perhaps driven by compulsions of its security. But these countries’ interests transcend this to wider geo-strategic, economic and trade concerns. Diverse high-level committees and joint working groups are being set up in their eagerness to stabilise strategic relationships, promote long-term defence cooperation, trade and private business. It suits India too in garnering help, among others, for coordinated responses at multinational and regional forums. Indo-US relations hit a new strategic height in recent times. Frequent visits by dignitaries from both sides and exchange of views on vital issues of mutual interests are keeping the process ongoing. A high technology cooperation group has been formed to help enhance mutual defence and scientific cooperation. Despite the harsh sanctions imposed in the wake of May, 1998, nuclear tests, the US desire to cooperate in such sensitive areas as space and high technology only reflects its enthusiasm for better strategic relations. Another group called Defence Policy Group (DPG) has been looking into other important areas of defence and security needs on a regular basis. The US defence industry is ready to offer a range of military hardware, including fighters, maritime patrol aircraft, avionics, night vision equipment, armoured combat vehicles, self-propelled artillery, naval guns and missile launch equipment, etc. India is likely to purchase US ground sensors to control infiltration along the 740 km of LoC. Similar sensors are apparently in use along the US-Mexico border. These sensors were examined by the Indian Army during its recent visit to the USA. Bell Helicopters, a top US company, is seeking to co-produce high altitude, light attack helicopters in India and market them globally. Whilst this could provide India access to the latest technology in this field, it has to be careful that its own Advance Light Helicopter (ALH) project is not outdone in anyway. The armed forces of the two countries have embarked upon a series of exercises to promote mutual understanding between them. The exercise in Alaska marked the first time that an Indian combat aircraft ever landed on the US soil. The US warships are now refuelling regularly at Chennai and Mumbai harbours, a far cry from the days of Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar’s government when hell was let loose for offering a similar facility to the Americans. India has to take a pragmatic view and overcome its past prejudices. Non-alignment and Cold War blocks are the relics of the bygone era. There should be no such constraints now inhibiting India from acting in the interest of its national security. If the USA has its own axe to grind, so does India. The USA has now begun to feel that “a powerful India will advance its vital national interests in coming years to bolster Asian security”. India should welcome it as long as it does not throw caution to the winds. If the US strategic alliance with India aims at countervailing China, frequent Russian attempts at forming a strategic alliance with India and China aim at similarly countervailing the US influence in Asia. In fact, three of them met recently in New York. The Government of India, however, sought to downplay any such axis and clarified that the “talks were not directed against any other country and that it was an informal meeting to discuss various global issues”. Notwithstanding this the very fact that President Putin arrived in India on December 3 after two days’ stay at Beijing gives credence to the emerging axis between Russia, China and India. Although China seems to be warming up to the idea, India is still unsure as regards the gains from such a linkage in the light of its burgeoning bilateral relations with the USA. However, President Putin’s visit takes Indo-Russian strategic relations to new heights. It has to be seen in a long-term perspective rather than from short-term gains point of view. Russia has been an old friend of India and stood by it throughout the years of the Cold War. Its support in 1971 to the Indian cause was commendable. Russia firmly supports India on Kashmir on the basis of the 1972 Simla Agreement. This friendship was further cemented when two years ago President Putin and Prime Minister Vajpayee signed the “Declaration on strategic partnership”, thus recognising mutual national interests, geo-political priorities and willingness to act together in the international arena. Interaction on issues pertaining to Central Asia, South-East Asia and Asia Pacific is apparently at the core of these priorities. Russia being a Eurasian power wants to preclude any geo-political dominance by the USA. Both Russia and China are wary of the increasing US influence in Asia and its military presence in Central and South Asia, particularly after the 9/11 episode. President Putin’s recent visit to India is bound to open new vistas in Indo-Russian cooperation. Delhi Declaration-2002 with the inking of eight agreements will further strengthen the strategic partnership between the two. Apparently, President Putin has even assured New Delhi of complete logistic and defence support in any eventuality. The two countries had some time back signed a military protocol valid till 2010. The subsequent June, 2001, military protocol outlined further areas of defence cooperation within the parameters of the earlier long-term agreement. Bilateral cooperation between India and Russia now extends to joint research, development and production. They plan to develop jointly a fifth generation fighter and a multi-role transport aircraft. They are also developing together a supersonic cruise missile called “Brahmos” (derived from rivers Brahamputra and Maskova) capable of being launched from land, sea and air. In another landmark agreement, defence deals worth billions of dollars were finalised last month, though not signed during President Putin’s visit as intended earlier. Perhaps, they felt that this was not an opportune time to do so. The deals included aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov which Moscow had been wanting to “gift” to New Delhi with a condition that it would be refurbished by Russia only. Following the state visit by French President Jaques Chirac to India in 1998, an Indo-French high committee was set up to consider various strategic, military and armament issues. France wants to help India in reopening the assembly line for more Scorpene SSK class submarines to be manufactured as per the Navy’s 30-year submarine building plan. The French company is also offering collaboration in India’s indigenous air defence ship project. The IAF too has a long-term plan to acquire 126 Mirage-2000-5 aircraft for seven more squadrons over and above the recently concluded deal for 10 Mirage-2000 H aircraft. It is, however, imperative that India goes in for the indegenisation of its military hardware at the earliest. It takes a decade and a half to build a fighter aircraft and about a decade an aircraft carrier (air defence ship) if there are no slippages. No nation can attain and sustain the status of a power by remaining at the mercy of foreign vendors. Without indegenisation, power projection is a wishful thinking. Strategic relations between India and the USA, Russia, the UK, France and Israel are proliferating fast. Mutual defence cooperation too is proliferating, multiplying the defence capabilities. The seller-buyer relationship is gradually turning into a partnership. However, India has to be cautious that the ownership does not slowly slip into the hands of the foreigners. Notwithstanding this, India must overcome its past perceptions and open up to mutually beneficial cooperation in various areas of our concern. Wide-ranging strategic relations with those who matter are vital for India’s security and the future. The writer, a retired Air Marshal, was Director-General, Defence Planning Staff, Ministry of Defence. |
The parent-teacher meeting I attended Of many things which have undergone a sea change in the past some decades is the pattern of education. It is more so for persons like me who are the product of desi schools as they find the culture and procedures of the present-day public schools totally divergent to what used to be the norms at our times. Those days we had never heard of any parent teacher meet and it was the father and not mother of the child who used to be summoned to school, but only if the child had indulged in some serious act of indiscipline. In my city (Ludhiana), where people are very much status conscious, name of a good school where the child studies matters a lot for almost all parents. Not to speak of any big event or say the annual function of the school, here an ordinary parent-teacher meet changes the atmosphere of city. Ludhianvis, true to their culture of exuberance and show off, turn this small event into an occasion of socialising. The latest story in this regard I am relating to is of a parent-teacher meeting which is the one and the only one I have ever attended. It happened so when my wife couldn’t withstand the heavy rush in a beautician’s saloon for a facial and eyebrow correcting session, a practice considered to be very sacrosanct before any social function. I was assigned the job to attend the parent-teacher meeting of my son who is studying in a school located in a fashionable area of Ludhiana. Telling me what to do or not to do in the school, she was at her oratorical best. Standing duty bound I just listened to the long list of instructions which really made me skip my sleep that night. It was a fine sunny morning and I drove into my small car to the school. As I reached near the area, the parking had already extended to half a kilometre away from the school. Chauffeur-driven shining big cars of different hues were still coming when I parked my little vehicle there. The scene in the school was to be seen to be believed. Finely dressed in the latest designer clothes, smart mothers were going to the classrooms of their wards and the atmosphere was filled with the fragrance of exotic perfumes. Some of them were accompanied by their aayas and a few policemen sporting guns were escorting wives and children of the sahibs. As I walked clad in my usual dhoti-kurta attire, most eyes were seeming to examine me as if I had come from some other planet. My few minutes in the school got wasted as I didn’t know the section of the class in which my son studied. Finally when I reached his class room the lady teacher who was dandily dressed up didn’t speak to me nor I dared to ask her anything except signing the report card of my child. A few mothers standing beside her were gossiping with their “hi and bye” accent and another lady wearing a jean and shirt was discussing with the teacher why her daughter was not given one and a half marks more in the mathematics paper. Thinking that the job assigned to me is over I hastily left the school. Exuberating a sense of achievement I reached home. As I reported my wife about the mission accomplished all hell broke loose on me. She asked me whether I had asked the teacher the questions she had explained me the day before. I replied in negative. She raised her voice to tell me that men can never understand the problems of parenting, career and education of their children. All my enthusiasm of a job done vanished when she angrily declared that I too like all other husbands had gone to the school to ogle at the ladies and to cool the eyes. Moral: Like all other household chores such as running of family affairs, finance management , attending of social gatherings and making choice in meeting and discarding relatives, matters like care and career of grown-up children have also passed on to the ladies’ hands. Poor husbands like me should mind their own work. |
Indo-Russian ties: some unpleasant facts Mr Putin has come and gone. The customary noises were made. Both of satisfaction and prejudice. Are we any wiser? I am afraid, we are not. Let me recall some facts. We have never understood the true significance of our relations with Russia. Nor were we ever sincere about our intentions. Our declaration of friendship with Russia was doubtful. This is truer, especially, of the political class. Colonialism fed the sinews of imperialism. And imperialism was the target of the Russian revolution. Had it not been for socialist Russia, the future of the national liberation movement would have been uncertain. Once decolonisation set in, the Western world was in decline. What saved it from demise was the Cold War against communism, mobilisation under the Marshall Plan and American leadership of the capitalist world. These led to the victory of capitalism. In this epic war, the rich were with America and the poor were on the side of Russia. The rich were an asset; the poor a drag. The conclusion was almost foregone. Numbers do not count for much except at the hustings. But did the “comrades” know these facts? They did not. Theirs was a twilight existence; they were fed on slogans. The poor were ignorant. Their leaders were myopic. They failed to size up their adversary. And they had no idea how to bring about socialism. What is worse, they promoted personality cults and chased personal power and pelf. But the growing power of the Soviet Union saved the Third World from being driven back to colonial life. Moscow was a powerful countervailing force, which provided a reasonable political and economic framework — a safety net — to the Third World for about 40 years to work out its independent destiny. This I think was the greatest contribution of Moscow. But was the Third World able to take advantage of it? No, not much. They thought that Moscow was a milch cow, that it yielded milk for ever! That countervailing force is now gone (how we wish it was here now!) and the Third World is back under colonial rule. We may call it “globalisation”. But that is because we are easily duped. Remember one of the best brains — that of Nirad Choudhary — was ecstatic about the blessings of British rule! We have many Choudharies amongst us drumming up globalisation. When Russia was down, we turned our back on it. That was how we betrayed the Russian people. Facts are sacred. India had no plan to change the course of history. Under Congress rule, it was quite comfortable with American supremacy. In any case, most of the Congressmen were anti-communist. And, therefore, against Moscow. They were joined by the business community and the bureaucracy. Russian economic assistance built up the basic industries of India. This, in turn, helped the rapid growth of the private sector, that is of capitalism. How? By keeping the prices of public sector products and services very low. This was done deliberately by the ruling classes. Result? Growing sickness of the Public sector. And the communists looked on because they could not make out what was happening. True, Russian economic assistance strengthened the economic and political independence of India. And Moscow’s military assistance made India somewhat invulnerable. Thus, India wanted to sit in the lap of Mother Russia and at the same time flirt with Uncle Sam: This was the choice our ruling class made. But it was all a mismatch from day one. Indian traders sold unsaleable goods to Russia for rupees and exported saleable goods to the West to earn dollars. And Indian industrialists preferred joint ventures with the West because it brought finance and Western technology, which they thought was superior. Export to the West had its attraction. It brought an import entitlement from the Government of India in dollars. It came handy, because it helped them to import scarce goods, which fetched enormous profits. The exporter to Russia got no such benefits. Thus, India-Russia trade never reflected the potential of the two countries. It was an economic relationship which was bound to ail in the end. And it did fail. No one could see beyond the “rupee trade.” Not even Moscow. Did the Cold War teach Moscow any lesson? Hardly. When the Soviet Union collapsed, many Russians thought that Uncle Sam would welcome them and embrace them. This he did not. For very obvious reason. Sam wants to impose his ways of life on the rest of the world. And he wants to pull out every tooth in the Russian bear. But soon sense prevailed in Moscow. Now that the rupee trade is gone for good, and Moscow has gone for a free market, Moscow’s emphasis is on quality. But India cannot guarantee quality. China can. Which is why India-Russia trade is a miserable $ 1.4 billion, while Sino-Russian trade has crossed the figure of $ 13 billion. I can go on with this list for a long time because I was the first person in this country to write a book on India’s economic relations with the socialist countries some 40 years ago. I have always looked upon our relations with Russia differently. Pursuit of national interest is not enough. If so, we should have no quarrel with the USA. The Russians are closer to India because they have a high sense of admiration for India’s civilisation. They feel closer to India than to China. History has made them part of Asia and part of Europe. They have no option to change their history. If they do, there will be consequences. The Russians are not generally colour conscious. And the Russian civilisation is a civilisation of concern for mankind. It has no plans to convert the world into Christianity, or to dominate the global economy. The same cannot be said of America. The American civilisation is driven by commercial considerations. It is a materialistic civilisation. It is racialist, believes in white superiority, wants to convert the world into Christianity and seeks dominance in the political, economic and military domain. I feel safer with the Russians in every way. There is no doubt that the world is moving towards a human family. Globalisation will take it there. But what inspires America is not what has inspired the European Union. America seeks domination. Europe seeks co-existence and cooperation. But there is the human destiny to think about: how to make the world more livable. It is a long-term thought. But we know so little of it. We need the hand of a trusted friend while we are groping. I see India and Russia eminently fit to guide each other and the world in this march. I see no one else fit to assume this role. |
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Pumpkinseeds for bladder problems When I was a small boy, I had some pretty antisocial habits. One of these was to engage in wee-up-the-wall competitions with my mates. A recent discussion over the dinner table reveals that this practice was commonplace among little lads of my generation. Alas, it appears that now we have grown up, peeing games are rarer. While maturity might have something to do with this, another factor may be at play: enlargement of the prostate gland can cause urine stream to slow to a dribble, making juvenile watersport contests a thing of the past for many men. In addition to a piss-poor stream, a blockage in the waterworks can give rise to other troublesome symptoms, including the need to get up at night to discharge the bladder and perhaps a spot of dribbling after the event, too. Happily, diet and other natural strategies can bring welcome relief to men suffering from an oversized prostate. The prostate is a walnut-sized gland that surrounds the first part of the tube that takes urine from the bladder to the outside (the urethra). After about the age of 50, the prostate gland can enlarge, usually as a result of benign prostatic hypertrophy, or BPH. While BPH is the most common cause of prostatic enlargement, prostate cancer is a possibility, too. For this reason, men with an enlarged prostate should always seek medical advice. BPH often responds to an entirely natural treatment. Certain healthy fats - essential fatty acids found in foods such as nuts and seeds - seem to contribute to prostate health. Zinc is also believed to help. Pumpkinseeds contain useful quantities of both essential fatty acids and zinc. Studies on the effect of pumpkinseed-extract therapy on BPH symptoms have produced promising results. Eating a handful or two of pumpkinseeds a day might keep symptoms at bay. For men with BPH, I tend to recommend the supplements Prostate Support, which contains Saw palmetto, zinc, pumpkinseed oil, stinging nettle and African pygeum . Natural remedies have much to offer men suffering from BPH, especially those attempting to rediscover their inner child and his pee-up-the-wall potential. The Guardian |
Study delinks intellect from chess Brain scans of chess players contradict the popular assumption that it takes intellect to play the game. In fact they show that intelligence areas appear inactive when people puzzle over game strategy. Amateur chess players do not use an area that is believed to house general intelligence, sometimes called ‘g’, US and Chinese researchers have found. “It’s a provocative claim,” team member Sheng He, who is based at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, was quoted as saying in Nature. Alternatively, practice and expertise may actually account for a lot of winning moves. “Most of the stuff we think of as smart is based on experience,” says psychology expert John Gabrieli of Stanford University in California. ANI Parkinson’s drug bad for heart US researchers claim to have found a link between valvular heart disease and Pergolide mesylate, a drug used to treat Parkinson’s disease and restless legs syndrome. In the current issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, researchers describe three patients who were diagnosed as having valvular heart disease while receiving long-term pergolide therapy. The three patients, all women in the 60 and above age-group, had leaking or backward flow in the tricuspid valve in the heart. The tricuspid valve separates the right atrium from the right ventricle and prevents blood from flowing back into the right atrium during contraction of the ventricle. The patients were not taking any other drugs that have been found to produce similar valvular disease.
ANI |
With the mind purified by Karma Yoga, and the self disciplines, and the senses subdued, one who realises one’s self as the Self in all beings, though acting, is not affected. *** The sage centered in the Self should think, “I do nothing at all” — though seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, eating, going, sleeping, breathing, speaking, emptying, holding, opening and closing the eyes — firm in the thought that the senses move among sense-objects.
*** He who acts abandoning attachment, dedicating his deeds to Brahman, is untainted by sin as a lotus-leaf by water.
*** The Yogi, abandoning attachment, performs work with the body, the mind, the intellect and the senses only, for self purification.
*** Abandoning the fruit of action, the Yogi attains peace born of steadfastness; impelled by desire, the non-yogi is bound, attached to fruit.
*** Having mentally renounced all actions, the self disciplined indweller rests happily in the city of nine gates, neither acting, nor causing to act.
*** The Lord does not create agency or actions for the world; He does not create union with the fruits of action. Nature does all this.
*** The omnipresent does not note of the merit or demerit of any. Knowledge is veiled by ignorance; mortals are thereby deluded.
*** Shining like the sun, knowledge reveals the Supreme in them, in whom ignorance is destroyed by Self-knowledge. — The Bhagavadgita, V. 7-16 Compiled by Satish K. Kapoor |
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