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Well done, children!
Editor’s Column
DATELINE LONDON
From Pakistan
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For electoral probity AN avoidable constitutional crisis is brewing with the refusal of Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala to comply with the order of the Election Commission asking the State Government to transfer police chief M.S. Malik. It would have been graceful on the part of the Haryana Director-General of Police to have sought transfer to some non-election-related post the very day the ruling INLD gave the Sonepat Lok Sabha ticket to his wife Krishna. Mr Chautala too should have thought of the consequences of Mr Malik's continuation in the key position. Neither of them did. Now there does not seem to be any choice for Mr Chautala but to submit to the Election Commission's order. In public life, one not only has to be righteous but also appear to be so. By continuing to be the head of the state police, Mr Malik is making himself susceptible to allegations. The police, not only in Haryana but also in every part of the country, is known to be on the right side of the ruling masters even if that does not mean being on the right side of the law. With that kind of partiality prevalent everywhere, think what the cops can do when the candidate happens to be none other than the DGP's wife! But then, taking a value-based decision is not the hallmark of today's governments, or officials. It is the Election Commission' s job to ensure that there is no misuse of official machinery during elections and it has every right to take preemptive steps. It can be commended for taking a prompt decision on opposition parties' plea for providing a
freer climate for the poll in Sonepat. In the neighbouring Punjab, the SSPs of Ropar and Ferozepore have also been handed the transfer orders by the Election Commission. There were allegations of violation of the election code in the State against several other officials also, which the EC will need to look into. Political bosses in the state have displayed a tendency to use the police as their handmaiden for far too long. The time has come to end this obnoxious practice. The Election Commission's decision should provide a check to it. |
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Joshi smiles ONE by one the Indian Institutes of Management have been capitulating to the demands of the Human Resource Development Ministry. The latest to fall in line is IIM-Kolkata, whose Board of Governors had authorised its chairman Yogi Deveshwar to take a decision "reflecting the concerns of all the stakeholders". His decision to effect a cut in the fees has upset the faculty. Since the government had packed the board with its nominees, he could not have taken any other decision. The Kozhikkode and Indore institutes have already succumbed to the pressures. As regards IIM-Ahmedabad, headed by Infosys chief N.R. Narayana Murthy, it has postponed a decision on the plea that the Board would like to hold talks with the government before it takes a decision. HRD Minister Murli Manohar Joshi can take credit for setting the cat among the pigeons by demanding a reduction in the fees charged by the IIMs. Whether it is his genuine concern for the poor students or his desire to showcase another achievement to the electorate, his arguments in support of his decision do not cut much ice with those who know that every student who gets admission to the prestigious institutes has access to liberal loans from banks, which they can easily pay back once they pass out with cushy jobs in hand. It makes no sense to Mr Joshi that many institutions under his own government charge high fees for courses which do not fetch such fabulous salaries. Had it been a mere fee-cut issue, it would not have caused much consternation among the business and academic communities. Signals from the ministry suggest that it wants the IIMs to dissipate their corpus and even do away with the CAT entrance examination. In other words, it wants to clip their wings and deprive them of their autonomy. This may not surprise those who believe that the one who pays the piper is entitled to call the tune. If anything, it underscores the need for the private sector to insulate such institutions from government control by liberally investing in them. After all, the end user of the IIMs is the private sector. Alternatively, they can set up institutions of excellence like the Wharton-affiliated school of management in Hyderabad whose alumni are assured of higher pay than their counterparts in
IIMs. |
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Well done, children! JYOTI of Panipat scored 98 per cent marks in the Class VIII examination of the Haryana School Education Board. Sandeep Kumar of Chandigarh got 90 per cent in a similar examination. The fathers of both toppers work as chauffeurs, and these children have shown yet again that it is not the privileged alone that can excel. The children worked in an overall adverse environment, though they found support from their family and some friends. With their own drive to excel and the help they got from neighbours and teachers, these children have surmounted various obstacles that bedevil economically vulnerable students. Such students are empowering themselves through excellence in education in order to find a better life, and with the support of their parents and others, they have done it. Overall, literacy rate in India is just over 65 per cent. That means that, even according to government figures, about 35 per cent of our countrymen are not able to sign their name in their mother tongue. This is a sad commentary on the state of our society. A vast number of such uneducated persons belong to economically vulnerable sections, which, as the children whose example has been cited above have shown, have tremendous talent and potential. Without education there can be no development, and it is not enough to just leave the future of the nation and its people in the hands of the government by taking a passive, hands-off approach. If we, as individuals, were to find and support children who are not being able to educate themselves because of economic or other reasons, we would be able to make a difference within a generation. It is an enormously satisfying thing to be able to help others, and it is up to us to make a difference wherever we can. As for the government, it should also make concentrated efforts to ensure that no child goes without education because of lack of economic resources. Last year, a boy in Mumbai topped his school. He is suffering from spinal muscular atrophy, a paralytic disease. In Ludhiana, a watchman's daughter topped the Plus 2 examination last year. Individual success stories just underline the need for societal intervention, which is imperative. Courage is the thing. All goes if courage goes! — J.R. Barrie |
Editor’s Column IT is a pity that corruption, which is one of the most serious problems affecting the people, is not on the campaign agenda of political parties in the current elections. While at the ground level people are growingly feeling the impact of corruption on their daily lives, the leaders of most parties do not appear to be concerned a wee bit about it. A conspiracy of silence seems to have got evolved among the politicians on the issue, much to the disappointment of the people who are ultimately the victims of corruption. This is mainly because most political parties are harbouring elements against whom a finger can easily be pointed for abusing power or making money on the sly. Also, many a politician has come to believe that unless he or she makes money, survival in the game will be difficult. A doctrine of mutual accommodation seems to be operating across the country where major political parties have chosen to stop flinging charges against each other, even though elections provide a tempting opportunity to use corruption charges against a rival. Nobody seems to be talking these days about Bihar's fodder scam, or the scandals Ms Jayalalithaa and her cronies were involved in. The corruption of the DMK regime in Tamil Nadu has been forgotten. The Bofors deal, which brought about the defeat of Rajiv Gandhi's government, and the great banking scam that hit the P.V.Narasimha Rao government in the nineties, are no longer being talked out. No politician has lost an hour's sleep over the enormous loss lakhs of people who had placed their meagre savings in trust with the UTI have suffered. The BJP leaders these days do not talk about the Taj Corridor scandal which cost Ms Mayawati the Chief Ministership. Tehelka has faded out of politicians' memory and now Mr Bangaru Laxman is being rewarded with a Lok Sabha ticket for his wife. No one seems to be bothered about the silence of the politicians over the Rs 33000 crore worth of the Great Telgi Scam, involving printing of fake stamps and cheating of people across the country. The massive size of the Telgi scandal itself and its ramifications apparently scared the government which has put a lid on it - at least until the elections are over. One reason for this collective silence about the Telgi scam is that it involves governments of different political parties. Mr Bhujbal, the Congress Deputy Chief Minister, and a Karnataka Minister had to resign soon after the scandal broke. On the other hand, the Nasik Security Press, where currency notes and stamps are normally printed, is under the control of the Central government. The specialised machines used by Telgi for printing fake stamps are said to have come out of the used stocks of the Security Press at Nasik. The Jogi-Judeo sting operations that hit the headlines a few weeks ago seem to have been pushed under the carpet. The Congress party does not talk about Mr Judeo's misdoings these days; the BJP does not talk about Mr Jogi's sins. An unwritten understanding seems to have been reached for mutual convenience of the two national parties. The doctrine of mutual accommodation on the issue of corruption has been evolved by the political parties primarily because none of them comes out with a clean reputation. Mud can justifiably be flung in every direction as all parties are vulnerable. "Iss Hamam Mein Sab Nange Hain". Another reason for the political parties for avoiding making corruption a big issue is that none of them is certain to gain majority in the Lok Sabha elections. The BJP as well as the Congress would need the support of others to form a government. Why point the accusing finger at those whose help would become essential to come to power? The BJP does not want to talk about the Taj Corridor, because it might need Ms Mayawati's support to form a government at the Centre. The Taj Corridor information can also be used by the BJP to ensure that Ms Mayawati does not cross over and join hands with Mrs Sonia Gandhi. Information about the scandals has their uses for the politicians in their power games. Similarly, the Congress and the Left parties are not inclined to talk about the fodder scandal because Mr Laloo Prasad, with a fairly large number of MPs in tow, can be a useful ally after the Lok Sabha polls. All parties in one way or another seem to be agreeing that keeping the corruption issue under wraps is more comfortable for them than facing embarrassing exposures. Because of a fear of exposure or a need for allies after the elections, the political parties have chosen to ignore the feelings of the people who are suffering because of corruption. The politicians are also not bothered about the deleterious effect it is having on the democratic system. Like cancer, corruption has grown from Punjab to Tamil Nadu, from Maharashtra to Assam and the spreading malignancy is eating into the vitals of the body politic. The entire milieu has begun to stink. Society has got divided in two well-defined sections. One consists of those who can buy their way to get things done as they want. They can pull strings with the politicians or bureaucrats who are often keen to oblige. They are the beneficiaries of the system. For them India is always shining. Then there are the others who are victims of corruption and the system of governance it has engendered. Wherever they come into contact with the administration, they encounter callousness, indifference and humiliation. They are the "other" people whom the system is keeping at bay. They cannot buy their way through. The politicians simply dole out promises and more promises to them. Privileges and gains of progress are meant for those who grease the palms of the politicians or the bureaucrats who in most states are enjoying a mutually beneficial and a cosy relationship. A nexus, in fact, has developed between ministers, bureaucrats and businessmen in most of the country. And in many States, even criminals have joined the group to share the loot and perhaps to buy protection and to ensure that they are not disturbed in their pursuits. At election time this phenomenon assumes serious proportions. Political parties need money for election campaigns and this comes from businessmen who are ready to open their coffers to those who they think would emerge as winners. Political parties regard the offerings as donations; for businessmen these are investments in future. The purpose of funding the elections is to have a greater share of the cake and influence public policy. Unchecked, corruption will further distort the democratic setup in the country where the Feel Good factor is meant for a few and large chunks of the people are left to only dream about a better life. This divide can one day upset an orderly dispensation the politicians want to evolve, but only for their own and their patrons' comfort. Even within a political party, those who collect funds from businessmen for meeting campaign expenses tend to acquire control of the party's spending authority as well. This, in turn, helps them to control the party machine. Eventually it leads to centralisation of power in the hands of a few at the cost of the rest of the party. Political bossism, and sometimes dynastic succession, are often the outcome of who actually controls a party's kitty. Centralisation of control of funds also leads to authoritarianism within a party and this has wider ramifications for the survival of democracy in the country. The corrupt will always like to protect their gains from public exposure or protest. Corruption also means generation of black money. Cheques and demand drafts are not the currency of corruption. Nor for that matter are the so-called donations political parties receive from their benefactors. The greater the generation of black money, the greater is the loss of revenue to the government. Less money in the national exchequer will also mean less money for spending on education, healthcare, drinking water, roads, electricity and other essential needs of the people. The growth of corruption in the country is too phenomenal to permit any further complacency and tolerance. The politicians would not do anything to combat it, because they thrive on other people's money. The remedy lies with the people who have a chance that comes once in five years. Can't they simply refuse to vote for a candidate who is known to have smudged his or her record? |
DATELINE LONDON
SOME leaders of the Muslim communities, mainly Pakistanis, have shown unprecedented courage in condemning extremist elements among them. The Muslim Council of Britain has written to about 1,200 mosques in the country asking imams to counsel their congregations to report to the police any person or persons “who are behaving suspiciously or who they think are involved in terrorists activities”. Imams must preach the true virtues of Islam and explain that Islam does not preach killing of innocent people. They were responding to arrests in and around London of nine persons, eight of them of Pakistani origin, and discovery of a large amount of explosive material. The arrests followed, about three weeks after Madrid train bombings, in which 190 commuters were killed and about 2,000 injured. The police suspicion that the bombers were linked to Al-Qaida or an affiliate group, were later confirmed when the police raided a house where it suspected the killers were hiding. After an exchange of firing, at least six terrorists blew themselves up when they detonated a bomb, on April 4, in a town on the outskirts of Madrid. They were all from Morocco or other Arabic speaking countries. Soon after the Madrid carnage, there were media reports that the bombers were linked to Al-Qaida operatives in Britain. It was later confirmed by the British police when it arrested nine suspects, eight of whom were of Pakistani origin. Later the Canadian police said that it had arrested one person linked to arrests in the UK. The Muslim community, particularly Pakistanis, had therefore plenty to worry about. It was against this background that the Muslim Council exhorted imams and the Muslim communities in general, to report to the police any one who they suspect could be involved in terrorism. Muslim communities have been under suspicion and pressure, across the Western Hemisphere since September 2001 attacks by Al-Qaida operatives in New York and Washington in which thousands of people were killed. Subsequent invasion and occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq, and continued confrontation between the Palestinians and Israelis, and continued support to the latter by right wing American Administration further dismayed and angered the Muslim communities. They have also been targets of extraordinary searches and scrutiny in airports and stop and search operations in various western cities. Many people of other faiths, who cannot be distinguished from Muslims because of their colour or language they spoke, also blamed the Muslim extremists. Many believe that this extraordinary hostile atmosphere have, on the one hand, provided recruits for Al-Qaida and other Islamic terrorist outfits, and on the other, created fear and anxiety for educated, moderate Muslims, especially those living in western countries. In London, Midlands and the north of England, supporters of jihads of all shades, fighting in Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia and Kashmir, could be seen recruiting volunteers and collecting funds, in areas where there are concentrations of Muslims. Liberal regimes in western countries overlooked these campaigns till the time the terrorism started endangering their lives. Lord Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, recently criticised the Muslim communities for not condemning extremist elements or encouraging critical reappraisal of Islam. It is against this background that one must view the Muslim leader's call to stress moderate face of Islam. The communities have realised that if they did not take firm stand against extremist elements in their own communities, they would all stand to lose. They have been also encouraged by the government to speak up against the minority of extremists, who are bringing the entire communities into disrepute. The Muslim Council quoted Qumran and said that “He who killed any person, unless it is a person guilty of manslaughter, or of spreading chaos in the land, should be looked upon as though he had slain all mankind, and he who saved one life should be regarded as though he had saved the lives of all mankind.” The Council asked mosques to observe the utmost vigilance against any mischievous or criminal elements from infiltrating the community and provoking any unlawful activity. It also asked mosques to give fullest co-operation to police. At least some mosques included the Council’s message in Friday prayers. How the communities reacted to the message or how the imams, or some extremists among them, perceived this message? There were mixed reactions. Outside the Central Mosque at Regent Park in London, a handful of clerics and their supporters denounced the leaders who had given the call to Muslims to cooperate with the police. A radical preacher, Sheikh Omar Bakri Mohammad, called on Muslims to ignore the plea by community leaders to aid the police in the war against terror. Called the “Tottenham Ayatollah”, Omar Bakri, told BBC radio 4, recently that co-operating with authorities against any other Muslims, would be an act of apostasy in Islam. There are other radical clerics who have been accused of radicalising Muslim youth and acting as recruiters for terrorists groups. They also voiced opposition to the Muslim Council message. Lord Ahmed of Rotherham, however, asked for the expulsion of radical Muslim clerics from Britain. These clerics are doing great damage and they bear responsibility for the alienation of some young Muslims who are being told to hate this country and are driven into the hands of extremists and terrorists sympathisers, he said. Lord Ahmed added that many of these imams were not well versed with Islamic teachings and came to Britain without knowing even English language. How could they teach young Muslim boys and girls, who perhaps did not speak or understand any other language but English. Some of the imams were able to get entry due to their connections with some influential people in the managements of mosques. They were made redundant after serving for a short period of time. Many of them lived on social security, ply taxis or opt for other low paid jobs. It is therefore essential that new recruits should be tested for English language and their knowledge of Islamic scriptures and culture. Those who are already here should be given refresher courses to acquire language skills and learn more about Islam. Lord Ahmed, said that he was not expressing those views lightly. The power of imams could not be underestimated. It was a taboo to criticise them and “I would not be surprised if, as a result of speaking out, I am the subject of a fatwa, accused of sinning”. It is in the interests of not only Muslims but also the peace-loving people of all faiths, to appreciate the bold stand taken by Lord Ahmed and the Muslim Council of Britain. It is for the government in this and other western countries to address the fears and apprehensions of Muslim and other non-Christian communities. |
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From Pakistan ISLAMABAD: Opposition members blasted the government on Tuesday for tabling and supporting the National Security Council (NSC) Bill, and termed it a “death warrant” for the sovereignty and supremacy of parliament. Taking part in the general debate on the NSC Bill in the evening session, the Opposition members criticised the Treasury members for allowing a permanent role for the military in the political affairs of the state. They suggested that the Army should be sent back to the barracks as its real job was to defend the country’s frontiers. Terming the establishment of the NSC as an attempt to perpetuate martial law in a different form, they said it would further bring disrepute to the armed forces. Initiating the debate, Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan of the People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPP) responded to the five arguments which the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, Raza Hayat Hiraj, gave in support of the NSC Bill. The PPP MNA said it was true that the security councils existed in the US, India and Turkey. However, he observed, there was no role of the military in the NSCs in the US and India, and the councils in these countries comprised civilian people. —
Dawn Water crisis looms large
LAHORE: Pakistan has become a water-deficient country with its annual per capita water availability declining from 5,000 cubic metres to as low as 800 cubic metres during the past 55 years. This was revealed in a paper presented by International Waterlogging and Salinity Institute Director-General Muhammad Nawaz Bhutta and Director Dr A.B. Sufi at the first technical session of the 69th Pakistan Engineering Congress here on Tuesday. The experts pointed out that water availability fell short of crop requirements by 40 million acre feet (maf) in the year 2000, and the shortfall would go up to 108 maf in 2013 and 151maf in 2025. Consequently, agricultural production would also fail to meet the food and fibre needs of the ever-increasing population of the country in the next 20 years. In the past, wastage of water, although undesirable, was affordable. “If the nation does not stop wasting water right now, we shall be faced with unthinkable prospects of food shortage in a few years,” they warned. A water sector investment-planning study, conducted in 1990, had reported food, fibre and edible oil shortfall of 23.5 tonnes in 2000 and 48.5 million tonnes in the year 2013. —
Dawn Manchar Lake is dying
KARACHI: Manchar Lake, one of the largest lakes of Asia, is polluted due to salinity and waterlogging, threatening the livelihood of about 10,000 people who depend on fishing. The marine life is badly affected and the catch is decreasing day by
day. The affected fishermen are forced to migrate from the lake. The Right Bank Outfall Drainage(RBOD) is dropping the salinity and waterlogging in Manchar
Lake. The sweet water is turning into brackish and fishes are dying due to salt water. The Main Nara Valley Drain (MNVD) constructed along with the Sukkur Barrage now brings a considerable supply of saline water into the lake and has a detrimental affect on Manchar Lake. In future, the lake is likely to receive more drainage effluents because of the construction of a drainage network under the Right Bank Outfall Drainage (RBOD) schemes.
— The Nation Search on for
Al-Qaeda men
WANA: Hundreds of armed tribesmen on Tuesday started a hunt for
Al-Qaeda suspects believed to be hiding in remote territories near the Afghanistan border, a tribal elder said. Members of the Utmankhel tribe in South Waziristan started the search a day after NWFP Governor Iftikhar Hussain Shah told elders in Peshawar that they had until April 20 to expel foreign militants or face military action. Meanwhile, gunmen attacked a branch of a state-owned bank in Wana on Monday and looted 15 million rupees ($260,000), residents and officials said. It was not immediately clear who the robbers were and whether they had any links with rebel tribesmen. —
The News International |
Whatever God has made is an expression of His name. There is no place in creation where His name does not pervade. — Guru Nanak Individual liberation is not the end of man’s striving after perfection. — Sri Aurobindo Grace is to the body, what good sense is to the mind. — Rochefoucauld Dignity consists not in possessing honours, but in the consciousness that we deserve them. — Aristotle God loveth a cheerful giver. — II Corinthians Silence is sometimes the severest criticism. — Charles Buxton |
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