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Bihar model in
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Boys can fly An SSC is enough for new pilots The Indian Air Force’s proposal to not only revive the Short Service Commission for men but also train their cadre to fly is worthy of receiving a government nod, as it will have several benefits. The main intention of the move, of course, is to alleviate the pilot shortage.
Human rights and
wrongs
The last laugh
Exclusive
Interview Pedestrian injured,
gets summons Chatterati
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Global Indian The
launching of the Overseas Citizenship scheme has not come a day too soon and would be welcomed by the large Indian diaspora spread across the world. It is only natural that the Indian abroad would want to identify with the country of his origin; and feel that he belongs in a distinctive way. The Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) scheme would go a long way towards meeting much more than the emotional yearning for greater affinity with the ‘homeland’. The OCI offers tangible privileges and benefits that exceed those under the Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) scheme. The fundamental difference is that the OCI has its basis in the Citizenship Act, which has been specifically amended for this purpose. The OCI may not get an Indian passport, but the next best thing: a lifetime, multipurpose, multi-entry visa that is incorporated in his foreign passport; and a registration certificate resembling an Indian passport but in a different colour. The OCI can stay in India for any length of time and would not be required to register with the foreigners’ office. All that the OCI would not be entitled to is citizenship rights such as right to vote and seek elected office. This would hardly matter to the enterprising Punjabis, Gujaratis, Keralites and the other communities of the Indian diaspora that have moved to greener pastures and done so well in foreign lands. Having achieved much, many of them are now looking to do things for and in India. For this they need to be encouraged and that is what the OCI is expected to do. The OCI is superior to the PIO, qualitatively different and with more long-lasting advantages. Therefore, few non-resident Indians are likely to complain about the fee for this scheme being higher than that prescribed for the PIO registration. The OCI strengthens the bond between India and its children abroad. |
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Boys can fly The
Indian Air Force’s (IAF) proposal to not only revive the Short Service Commission (SSC) for men but also train their cadre to fly is worthy of receiving a government nod, as it will have several benefits. The main intention of the move, of course, is to alleviate the pilot shortage. Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee had recently told Parliament that against a sanctioned strength of 3263 pilots, the actual strength is around 3000. 236 IAF pilots and 27 from the Navy and the Army had quit in the last three years, many presumably heading to private airlines. There is also a shortage of fighter pilots whose sanctioned strength is around 1500. The tenure of women pilots of helicopters and transport aircraft has recently been extended from 10 to 14 years. Women are recruited into the IAF via the SSC. SSC entry for male officers had in fact been stopped for a few years. Given their short tenure, SSC male officers were not trained to fly - the IAF could not get optimal returns on the high-cost training imparted to them. Permanent cadre pilots are usually not allowed to leave before completing around 20 years of service. Women officers currently do not fly fighter planes. Both cost of training vis-à-vis their SSC tenure and combat vulnerability have been factors in this decision, though this can now well change. The cost factor would still of course be a major consideration, and the IAF will have to work out the best way to ensure that the training funded at a heavy cost does not go waste, especially in the fighter stream. Given the general officer shortage, an additional benefit from the move would be that both quality and number of recruits would be enhanced. A youth with an SSC and a flying option can look forward to joining the IAF. The country will also have more pilots to fly the machines. |
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Superstition is the poetry of
life.
— Johann Wolfgang von Goethe |
Human rights and wrongs
The
notion of human rights is a recognition of the essential worth of a human being. Terrorism and human rights are natural enemies with no possibility of their co-existence. There is no universally acceptable definition of what is “terrorism.” However, despite definitional difficulties, we can recognise terrorism. Terrorism is not merely a heinous criminal act. It is a frontal assault on the most basic of human rights, namely the right to life and liberty, by faceless murderers whose sole aim is to kill and maim human beings, whether they are innocent young children, elderly men or women. There is a clear and emphatic relationship between national security and the security and integrity of the individuals who comprise the state. Between them, there is a symbiosis and no antagonism. The nation has no meaning without its people. The worth of a nation is the worth of the individuals constituting the nation. This is the emphasis laid in the Constitution of India, which holds out the promise to secure both simultaneously. Just as there can be no peace without justice, there cannot be any freedom without human rights. Let us, however, be clear that there can be no alibis or justification for terrorism under the spurious slogans of “fight for freedom” or “struggle for liberation”. As Senator Jackson has aptly stated: “The idea that one person’s ‘terrorist’ is another’s ‘freedom fighter’ cannot be sanctioned. Freedom fighters or revolutionaries don’t blow up buses containing non-combatants as terrorist murderers do. Freedom fighters don’t set out to capture and slaughter school children; terrorist murderers do… It is a disgrace that democracies would allow the treasured word ‘freedom’ to be associated with acts of terrorists.” It is common knowledge that systemic human rights violations for long are often the root cause of conflicts and terrorism. When there is tyranny and widespread neglect of human rights and people are denied hope of better future, it becomes a fertile ground for breeding terrorism. Fundamentalism in all its forms and manifestations is yet another subtle form of terrorism and poses a serious challenge to the enjoyment of human rights. Use of terrorist activities for imposing their “so-called religious or ideological will” is a serious challenge. While all faithfuls believe in harmony and brotherhood in religion, it is the misguided fanatics who do not value human life, and in the name of religion resort to all types of attacks on human rights. These include forcible imposition of a self-righteous social code and undermining of freedom of expression and belief. These fanatics contribute to a climate of religious bigotry, which leads to discrimination, harassment and attacks on all those who do not follow their dictates. In doing so, they violate human rights of fellow citizens without any justification whatsoever. Terrorism grows and thrives on a “hatred policy” - be that of rival political groups or fundamentalists or enemy agents. A violent group, whatever its politics, has no right to kill, and no claim to such a right must ever be allowed. The challenge it poses stares us in the face. We need to meet it by loud and positive condemnation. The fundamental rationale of anti-terrorism measures has to be to protect human rights and democracy. Counter-terrorism measures should, therefore, not undermine democratic values, violate human rights and subvert the rule of law. The menace of terrorism has to be curbed and the war against terrorism has to be fought relentlessly, but in doing so no democratic society can be permitted to chill the civil liberties of the citizens. A terrorist who violates the human rights of innocent citizens must be punished but his human rights should not be infringed except in the manner permitted by law. A critical task of striking a fair balance by way of security concerns and human rights is to be performed, and the need of proportionality must not be ignored. While fighting the war against terrorism relentlessly, the State cannot be permitted to be either selective in its approach or to go overboard and in effect declare a war on the civil liberties of people because the rationale of anti-terrorism measures is aimed at protecting human rights and democracy. Counter-terrorism measures should, therefore, not undermine democratic values or subvert the rule of law. It is during anxious times when care has to be taken to ensure that the State does not take recourse to bend the rule of law. Our experience shows that the rubric of counter-terrorism can be misused to justify acts in support of political agendas, such as the consolidation of political power, elimination of political opponents, and inhibition of legitimate dissent. Labelling adversaries as terrorists is a notorious technique to de-legitimise political opponents. An independent judiciary and the existence of an effective human rights institution are indispensable imperatives for the protection of fundamental human rights in all situations involving counter-terrorism measures. It provides vital safeguards to prevent the abuse of counter- terrorism measures. Counter- terrorism or anti-terrorism measures must, therefore, always conform to international human rights obligations. Speaking on terrorism, Ms Mary Robinson, the then United Nations Commissioner for Human Rights, cautioned against the violation of human rights in the global “fixation” with the war against terrorism and said: “What must never be forgotten is that human rights are no hindrance to the promotion of peace and security. Rather they are an essential element of any strategy to defeat terrorism.” Indeed, in the face of terrorism, there can be no doubt that the State has not only the right, but also the duty, to protect itself and its people against terrorist acts and to bring to justice those who perpetrate such acts. The manner in which a State acts to exercise this right and to perform this duty must be in accordance with the rule of law. The Supreme Court of India has, in DK Basu vs. State of West Bengal, [jt 1997(1) SC 1] cautioned thus: “State terrorism is no answer to combat terrorism. State terrorism would only provide legitimacy to terrorism: that would be bad for the State, the community and, above all, for the rule of law. The State must, therefore, ensure that the various agencies deployed by it for combating terrorism act within the bounds of law and not become law unto themselves” It must, therefore, stand as a caution that in times of distress the shield of necessity and national security must not be used to protect governmental actions from close scrutiny and accountability where these affect the enjoyment of human rights. In times of international hostility and antagonisms, our institutions — legislative, executive and judicial — must be prepared to exercise their authority to protect all citizens from petty fears and prejudices that are so easily
aroused.
The article has been excerpted from the 26th Bhimsen Sachar Memorial Lecture 2005, delivered on December 1 by the writer, a former Chief Justice of India and Chairperson , National Human Rights Commission.
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The last laugh "They
have killed him. They have made me a widow. See my plight at this young
age. He has disappeared from this world because he could no longer bear
the mental agony he was experiencing. Unhonay phanda (noose) laga
liya." This is how a friend’s wife expressed the loss of her
husband when he committed suicide the other day. His body was found
hanging from the ceiling in his own bedroom. Suicide and he? Nobody
could believe it. He would never get depressed. He could not be expected
to even think of such an extreme step to get rid of his worries. When
there is life there are problems. Some face them at home, some at the
workplace. My friend, a senior government functionary, too was faced
with difficulties, but he would rarely share such matters with friends.
One reason could be that he was too self-respecting. But he was
courageous enough to withstand the vicissitudes of life. Yet he could
not. Why? His colleagues admitted that those who are too upright have
to suffer invariably. Their problems get aggravated because they are not
thick-skinned. It is the system that is to blame, not the individuals
who run it. In such a situation, it is beyond one’s comprehension why
anybody should commit suicide because of difficulties at the workplace.
That too when one has a caring family. Dependable friends, close
relatives and family members constitute our social shock-absorbers. The
most significant shock-absorber is our family, our home, which must
remain intact. What the truth was in the case of my friend is not the
point here. The point is that he would often give long lectures on
suicides, not uncommon these days, saying that those who commit such a
heinous act are basically cowards. They try to run away from life’s
battlefield, which demands perseverance. Yet he did exactly the opposite
of what he preached. And that is true in the case of most of us: we
rarely do what we say. But the man gave enough hints before his end
came that his search for peace could force him to indulge in what he
hated the most. Those who had knowledge about his dangerous thoughts
only laughed it off. They would quote him what Zauq, a celebrated poet
and guide of Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar, had said: "Ab to
ghabra kay eh kehtay hain ke mar jayengay/ Mar kay bhi chain na paayaa
to kidhar jayengay" (Though we say in dismay we will end this
life/ What shall we do if death too fails to bring respite). My
friend, perhaps, was bent on having the last laugh. And he had it. It’s
a different matter that he must be cursing his stars for not taking the
poet’s words of wisdom seriously wherever he is. |
Exclusive Interview
Sujata
Rao, the new head
of the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO), was engaged in a
flurry of activity to mark the World AIDS Day soon after she took
over. Barely 11 days new to NACO, Rao already has facts and statistics
about HIV AIDS on her fingertips. She belongs to the 1974 batch of the
Indian Administrative Service and this is her third stint in the
Health Ministry. From 1998 to 2003, Rao was Secretary in the National
Commission on Micro-Economics on Health. She has also served as
Secretary, Family Welfare in Andhra Pradesh. The lone bureaucrat in a
family of doctors and engineers, Rao belongs to Vijaywada and has
studied at Miranda House, Delhi. She grew up with an interest in
bharatnatyam and enjoys reading. Excerpts from an exclusive
interview: What are the lessons learnt from National AIDS Control
Programmes-1 and 2? We have to focus now on rural areas and
shift our focus to youth, women and children —they really are most
vulnerable in the years to come. When we say rural areas, it is, as
the Prime Minister said, a comprehensive package of services. That
will be our approach. We will also look at what can be done at the
community level, at the level of the primary health centres and
sub-districts. That will be our major challenge. We would also try to
saturate people with high-risk behaviour with appropriate
interventions. You cannot have a testing centre in every village.
There has to be a certain population that the Voluntary Counselling
and Testing Centres (VCTCs) must command. The VCTCs require trained
counsellors and laboratory technicians who can do the tests. These are
scarce skills and we are yet to develop them. Most definitely, we will
start with 30-bed Community Health Centres (CHCs). There are about
2,500 to 3,000 CHCs in the country. As years roll on, we will move on
to Primary Health Centres, one for every 30,000 people. Our focus
would therefore be to deepen access to these services in rural areas.
It has been reported by some State AIDS Control Societies that
non-availability of paediatric formulations of ART (antiretroviral
therapy) drugs results in inexact dosage. For National AIDS
Control Programme-3, we plan to hold discussions with pharmaceutical
companies and see if such formulations can be made. CIPLA has already
introduced these paediatric formulations in the market. Given that
40 per cent of HIV infections in the country are reported in women,
are you considering installing condom vending machines for female
condoms? We have already sanctioned a Rs 4 crore pilot project on
female condoms. Each imported female condom costs Rs 45 at present.
Although imported condoms are being used for the pilot trial, an
Indian laboratory has also developed female condoms. The project will
be implemented with the help of the State AIDS Control Societies.
Condom-vending machines are certainly an empowering tool for women. You
have cautioned against drug resistance to HIV AIDS. Could you please
elaborate? In the UK, 9.9 per cent of HIV infected persons were
found to be drug-resistant even before they got started on
antiretroviral therapy. If this happens, people have to go for second
line generation drugs that are phenomenally expensive. In India, it
would cost a minimum of Rs 10,000 every month. Who can afford this?
Even the government will not be able to afford it let alone
individuals. Drug resistance to ART can develop either when the person
living with HIV AIDS has not taken medicine regularly or when a person
with drug-resistance establishes sexual contact with another person.
We have to be very careful that we do not create this risk pool of
such persons. The Prime Minister has said that prices of ART
drugs must come down further to make them more affordable and
accessible. What are your views? ART drugs for a month are
presently available for Rs 550. We have to beat the prices even lower.
If you include the expense of CD-4 count test that has to be done
twice in a year, the cost works out to Rs 7,600 per year. If you buy
ART drugs in bulk, they can be slightly cheaper. There seems to a
huge gap between condom procurement and access. What steps are you
taking to bridge this gap? In some places, youths are picking up free
condoms from targeted intervention projects of State AIDS Control
Societies. However, they are also picking up Chinese condoms. We
have to work on behaviour change and find out why they are not using
condoms. Is it due to attitude or because the condom-vending machine
is not installed at a convenient point? We are trying to decentralise
availability of condoms by providing it at hotel rest rooms and
highway ‘dhabas’. In this fiscal year, we are installing 11,000
condom-vending machines across the country at a cost of Rs 10 crore. I’m
aware of the problem of the Chinese invasion of condoms. These condoms
are very cheap, have poor tensile strength, they can burst at the time
when they should not burst. Now, Hindustan Latex Limited has made
their package more attractive and got into the social marketing
principles.
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Pedestrian injured, gets summons District
of Columbia police issued a $5 jaywalking ticket to a renowned urban designer after a car sent him hurtling through the air as he crossed a busy street in Washington, DC. Charles Atherton, 73, the former longtime secretary of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts who oversaw the design of major monuments and federal buildings, was in critical condition Friday after he was hit Thursday night while crossing rain-slicked Connecticut Avenue N.W. The collision’s force, witnesses said, caused Atherton to fly out of his shoes and left him crumpled on the road, bleeding from his head and nose after his head smashed into the windshield. Before paramedics rushed him to the hospital, police issued Atherton the ticket, which his family found among his belongings when they visited him at George Washington University Hospital. “He was issued a ticket because he was at fault. That’s all I can tell you,” said Lt. John Kutniewski of the police department’s major crash investigation unit. Police said that Atherton caused the accident by crossing the street in
mid-block. Kutniewski, who was not at the scene immediately after the 7:30 p.m. accident, said that officers later told him that Atherton was conscious when he received the summons. “If he’s outside the crosswalk, he would be at fault,” he said. Michael Baker, a communications consultant who was a few yards away when the accident occurred, was among the first to reach Atherton. “At one point, we were trying to get him to respond, and it was unclear if he was trying to respond or maybe drowning in blood,” he said. “I think he was having a difficult time breathing. He never said anything. He couldn’t speak, and he wouldn’t respond when we pinched his hand.” Baker said he overheard a police officer “reassuring” the driver involved in the accident that she was not at fault. She had been headed south on Connecticut. On the face of it, Baker said, it may seem “offensive” that Atherton was ticketed, but he believed that the officers were seeking to establish liability. “It seemed primarily to assuage her,” he said of the driver. “She was just distraught. She was wailing for 45 minutes.” For 40 years until his 2004 retirement, Atherton was secretary at the commission, a panel appointed by the president that reviews and advises the federal government on issues related to architecture and design in the nation’s capital. Earlier this year, the American Institute of Architects awarded Atherton its Thomas Jefferson award. A native of Kingston, Pa., Atherton lives Washington and has two sons and a daughter. A widower since the death of his wife, Mary, in 1993, Atherton liked to eat in restaurants on Connecticut Avenue. His daughter, Sarah, 35, said she was puzzled by the police version of the accident. “Dad always felt strongly about crossing at intersections,” she said. — The Washington Post |
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Chatterati The UNDP held, on the eve of Worlds AIDS Day, a well attended book launch function Kapil Sibal, Minister of State for Science and Technology and Ocean Development, drew an interest parallel between the Tsunami of the oceans that he has had to deal with it in his Ministry and the Tsunami of AIDS that we are not able to see the complete impact of, as yet. Well compeered by cartoonist Ravi Shanker, the event saw the coming together of those in government with forward thinking members of the corporate sector and elements of civil society. A representative of those living with AIDS saw this partnership as the biggest cause for cheer. The other highlight of the evening was the release by Hema Malini of a film that also sang the song of cheer in which AIDS was not treated like a stigma but something the society had to take joint responsibility for. As the evening ended, it was clear that the message had gone well beyond the covers of the book.
Cricket’s new players A new era of power begins the game which billion of us go crazy about. The Maratha leader Union Minister Sharad Pawar and his lieutenant Prafull Patel can now breathe easy. Thanks to the UPA coalition help. The subtle backing of 10 Janpath along with Sharad’s own power and large heartedness and loyalty of his friends helped in a big way. The hard work of Lalit Modi, Raj Dungapur and of course Dr Abdullah’s old association with the new BCCI President helped, as did Bindra’s insight and experience of various state bodies. In the meantime, the arrogance of Dalmia’s and his cronies did not help. The richest board now has a richer and now more power and money organisation! Skills along with the right backing is a good start. Sharad has made the appropriate noises about getting professionals help. We hope so after all we are aware of the weakness and high headedness in the previous board. The question here is will Mr Dalmia assist Pawar or will he sulk? Well, all the near and dear ones as one can spot are already being rewarded with plump positions.
Leaders’ antics
When will our politicians grow up? Our younger generation are amused and livid with the dramas of our leaders. First, Laloo played around with the sentiments of the innocents with his well-crafted look of ‘dehat’. Now it is the Sadhvi Uma who has it gone off for her long lonely walk. Kissing cows, cuddling children, cursing her party leaders. In Maharashtra, Raj Thackrey has revolted against his cousin for gaining control of the organisation. In the bad lands of Bihar, no one knows if things would change. The private armies and the hoodlums controlling them with political clout are still running extortions and kidnappings. What role models they are providing for our youngsters who have now come to hating the words politics and politicians? None of these leaders has done anything for the development of their states. While Nitish has already snatched the roti away from Laloo. In Mumbai, Raj does want his share of pudding with Udhav. |
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From the pages of NOTICE ON GANDHI
At the last session of the National Congress at Lucknow, the Behar delegates induced the Subjects Committee to draft a resolution requesting Government to appoint a mixed committed of officials and non-officials to enquire into the causes of strained relations between the planter and the ryot in Tirhoot. Mr Gandhi was asked to move that resolution in the Congress but he expressed his inability to do so on account of ignorance of the subject and promised to visit Tirhoot. A fortnight ago Mr Gandhi came to Calcutta to attend the meeting of All-India Congress Committee. From Calcutta he want to Mozaffarpur, and saw Mr Wilson, Secretary, Planters’ Association, and the only information he got from him was that the subject was a difficult one and he might bring trouble upon himself. Mr Gandhi next saw the Divisional Commissioner but the latter said he could do nothing without instructions from higher authorities. On Monday Mr Gandhi left for Motihari and as soon as he reached there a notice under Section 144, Criminal Procedure Code, was served upon him. |
We can cure physical disease with medicine, but the only cure for loneliness. despair, and hopelessness is love. — Mother Teresa Seeing the gardener coming, the flower buds begin lamenting; today he plucks the blossoms, tomorrow. It will be our turn. — Kabir Thou are true, Thou are beautiful and there is ever joy in Thy heart. — Guru Nanak |
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