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No leniency for rapists
Tentative steps |
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Dirty tracks
Geopolitics of oil and gas
The ‘grabability’ syndrome
The tribune DEBATE: asli vs naqli chandigarh
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No leniency for rapists
The
social complexity behind the crime of rape is being viewed with greater sensitivity by courts. Hopefully, the days of judicial verdicts ordering rape victims to marry their rapists are over. At least, a beginning has been made to admit that a woman’s status is passive in the Indian society and her ‘consent’ as well as ‘compromise’ should be seen in that light by the justice system. This would translate into 'no leniency' for the rapist, even when apparently a compromise is worked out with the rape victim. While rejecting a plea of two men, who were sentenced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment for raping a minor girl in 1995, the Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled that the matter of rape cannot be left to the parties involved to compromise and settle because rape is a serious offence against society and the State. The court also took a serious note of the leniency shown in such cases by a few lower and high courts, which reduce the sentence of the accused to the period already served to suffice as the punishment. The crime of rape underlines the mindset of a large section of society that does not want a woman to exercise her right to choose. Her ‘no’ even in matters of violation of her body thus becomes negotiable — either under coercion or by cash offered in lieu thereof. By this verdict, now the burden will be on the victim to resist compromise. Is the rest of the justice delivery system prepared to meet this shift? The violators often go unpunished or the proportion of their punishment does not match their crime. Since these crimes have not been taken with the seriousness they deserve, not only the crime rate against women has risen, but also the larger issue of women's empowerment is reduced to getting the culprits of rape behind bars. Unless this link is sorted out, reverberations of the violation of women's rights will be heard through a long chain of injustices and misogynistic biases.
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Tentative steps
Afghan
President Hamid Karzai spent a day longer than planned in Pakistan. He was visiting his neighbour for the first time since Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif took over and thus knew that many eyes would be watching how the two leaders interacted with each other. At the top of the agenda was seeking Pakistan's help for a peace deal with the Taliban, made more difficult ever since the US-led intervention fell apart in Qatar some months ago. Given that the Taliban have not agreed to talk with Karzai’s official representatives, seeking Pakistani intervention was an obvious ploy. Karzai, who has been critical of Pakistan's role in supporting Afghan Taliban, has shown willingness to accommodate Pakistan's interests, even as Sharif has given him the necessary assurances of facilitating the process of negotiating peace with the Afghan Taliban. However, there is some doubt about exactly how much influence Pakistan has over the Afghan Taliban, even though it has been giving them shelter and support. Pakistan will no doubt seek to increase its strategic influence in Afghanistan since the latter occupies a central position in its geo-political strategy. Even as Nawaz Sharif offered his nation’s “strong and sincere” support for peace and reconciliation, which he said would be an “Afghan-owned and Afghan-led” process, there is no doubt that Pakistan hopes to play a major role in the post-2014 Afghanistan. The two countries will have to work out a common, inclusive agenda with due emphasis on trade and economic issues. Many efforts to provide succour to the war-torn nation have been targeted by the Afghan Taliban as the continuing attacks on Afghan civilians and aid workers demonstrated tragically over the weekend. Indians too have faced the wrath of insurgents yet India has continued its infrastructural aid to Afghanistan. India has a historical, cultural and economic involvement in Afghanistan and its ties with that country have withstood the vicissitudes of time. The many stakeholders in Afghanistan have to work in concert to ensure peace in the nation, but it is the people of Afghanistan who have to provide the lead.
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Dirty tracks
As
if other woes plaguing the Indian Railways were not bad enough, now the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has indicted it on the count of cleanliness too. In an audit presented to Parliament, the CAG has found the hygiene standards of the Railways faltering in several areas. While the CAG team’s inspections found filthy toilets, cockroaches on coaches and at stations, it also observed gaps in its monitoring and mechanised cleaning systems. Coming as it does after the Railways made much noise about its multipronged action plan, the reality is both glaring and undesirable. No doubt maintaining the requisite standards in the Indian Railways, which ferries nearly 23 million passengers every day and about 7.2 billion annually, is a big challenge. Nevertheless, the high density of passenger traffic can’t be used as an excuse for the sorry picture it often cuts. In recent times it has come up with measures like increased mechanisation, a monitoring and reporting system and ‘pay and use’ toilet services. It has also launched an SMS scheme through which passengers can complain about dirty toilets. Besides shifting the focus of Adarsh stations from beautification to comfort and cleanliness, it has also amended the rules to impose penalties on those dirtying the railway property. Indeed, the users can't be absolved of their responsibility of keeping the platforms and trains clean. Merely stating that it gives high priority to proper standards of cleanliness at stations will not automatically transform unclean trains and stations. What is needed is resolve and action on the ground, supplemented by rigorous inspection and monitoring systems. The loss-making enterprise leaves a lot to be desired on many fronts, passenger safety being a grave concern. While first and foremost it owes safe passage to its passengers, comfortable travel too is the right of every commuter. The world's fourth largest railroad network needs to hold its head high, not just figuratively.
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Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey cage. — H. L. Mencken
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Geopolitics of oil and gas In the aftermath of the Second World War, an energy-hungry Western alliance faced an energy-surplus Soviet Union. The world witnessed a new "Great Game" involving a quest for influence in the energy-rich Middle East, particularly the oil-rich Persian Gulf. The Carter Doctrine of 1979 brought American military power to India's doorstep. The US Central Command headquartered in Qatar and the US 5th Fleet based in Bahrain were primarily set up to prop up pro-American regimes and guarantee energy supplies for the United States and its allies. The global energy scenario has changed dramatically in the recent past with the development of "Fracking" (hydraulic fracturing) technology in the US. American crude oil production grew by more than one million bpd in 2012, the largest increase in the world. Crude oil production jumped 14% last year to 8.9 million bpd. The US is set to replace Saudi Arabia as the largest producer of oil in the world by 2020. Even today, gas availability in the US exceeds demand and the US has surplus gas for sale. Recent surveys indicate that Canada's oil sands reserves contain the equivalent of 2 trillion barrels of conventional oil, which is more than the presently estimated reserves of Saudi Arabia, Iran and Iraq put together. With a growing production of oil in the US and its reduced dependence on imports, the World Bank has predicted that oil prices will fall to $102 per barrel by the end of this year. The US alone has a potential 24.4 trillion cubic metres (TCM) of gas reserves. The estimates of shale gas reserves elsewhere are: Argentina 21.9 TCM, Europe 18.1 TCM, China 36.1 TCM and Australia 11.2 TCM. India's recoverable shale reserves are estimated at 63 TCF, roughly one-fourth the reserves of the US and one-sixth those of China. China's reserves are largely in sparsely populated areas. Beijing announced in March this year that it is aiming to produce 6.5 billion cubic metres of gas by 2015. India has released a draft policy for the exploration of shale gas. But, shale production has faced public opposition elsewhere on safety and environmental grounds. One hopes that policies governing shale exploration are transparent and do not lead us into the sort of problems we have faced from activists on the exploitation of gas, coal, or more recently, even on nuclear power plants. Given problems that members of the European Union are facing with gas supplies from Russia, the US is set to become a major supplier of natural gas to its European partners. The vast potential for energy resources in North America will be supplemented with growing production in Latin America. Oil production is growing in Brazil. Columbia's oil production has doubled since 2007. Argentina has larger shale gas reserves nearly as large as the US. Venezuela's already substantial production can be stepped up significantly. The production in Mexico, with oil reserves larger than Kuwait, has remained stagnant and below expectations. Production is Mexico would rise substantially with policy changes now under way. Moreover, the off-shore Levantine Basin, where Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Greece, Greece, Cyprus, Israel and Gaza have overlapping claims, has substantial oil and gas reserves. The influence of Iran and Arab oil producers in Western capitals will be drastically reduced, as the Americas become a power house of global energy production. In this emerging scenario, oil prices cannot be arbitrarily raised by OPEC, causing huge economic problems for importing developing countries, as it did in the past, Under the current US regulations, gas can be exported without formal clearances to countries with which the USA has a Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Buoyed by the optimistic energy scenario and economic recovery, President Obama announced in his 2013 State-of-the-Union Address that the US would begin talks on a "Transatlantic Trade and Economic Partnership"-- in effect an FTA with the EU. The growing availability of US natural gas will be a major incentive to conclude an FTA for the environment conscious and nuclear averse Europeans, who are facing a decline in North Sea Oil production, which fell by 13.4 per cent last year. Negotiations with the EU are expected to be complex and difficult. But, its relatively cheap energy surpluses will be leveraged by the US in negotiations with European partners. The US has simultaneously been involved in negotiations for a "Trans-Pacific Partnership" (TPP) since 2010, across its Pacific shores. The TPP is intended to be a "high standard" trade agreement aimed to address contemporary trade issues through the establishment of a Trans-Pacific Free Trade Agreement. Its current membership includes Australia, Brunei, Chile, Canada, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States and Vietnam. While Japan joined the TPP discussions in 2010 as an observer, it is expected to become a full member this year. South Korea, which has an FTA with the US, will inevitably join the TPP. Thailand has indicated that it will be joining the TPP, while Taiwan, the Philippines, Laos, Colombia, Costa Rica and Indonesia have also expressed interest in doing so. Members of the TPP will have the advantage of preferential access to oil and gas energy resources from the US and Canada. India has been ambivalent on its approach towards TPP membership. While a conflict leading to the closure of the Straits of Hormuz can cause temporary problems, India can now plan its energy policies without having to unduly fear an arbitrary rise in oil and gas prices. The Persian Gulf oil producers like Iraq will now be interested in seeking greater energy cooperation with major Asian oil consumers like India and China. Oil cannot be used as a weapon for political pressures, like those India experienced in the 1970s. Moreover, as China works feverishly to build oil and gas pipelines across Central Asia, undermining Russian influence in former Soviet Republics, we could see the beginning of doubts and differences in the presently cosy Russian-Chinese relationship, as the Russians will have to look to countries like Japan and South Korea to market their vast oil and gas resources. India's western neighbourhood, sometimes labelled as the "Greater Middle East," extending from Pakistan to Turkey, is presently gripped by turmoil, terrorism, sectarian strife, Persian-Arab rivalries and ethnic separatism. The impact these developments on the security and livelihood of over six million Indians living across our western shores in Arab Gulf Cooperation Council countries needs to be carefully monitored and assessed. The External Affairs Ministry will have to focus greater attention on these
challenges.
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The ‘grabability’ syndrome Group photographs are taken to commemorate formal occasions. Project teams, sportspersons, school students, passing-out graduates, politicians and parliamentarians, all willingly follow this sweet and traditional ritual of posing for a group photograph. It captures the mood of the moment, idiosyncrasies of all its members who are there, in relaxed or awkward poses, reflecting several nuances of human personality. It also rates the 'grabability score' (G-score) of a person. I have often observed that as soon as the chairs are arranged for the clicking of a group photograph, high G-scorers start eyeing the arrangement and zero in on the best strategic locations — seats which are closer to the VIP, which could give a flattering exposure to their glamorous profiles, their expensive attires or just show them in a superior, dominant and central position with the highest visibility. This scanning is done in lightening speed and the seats are occupied unashamedly within a blink and with great precision. These are the early birds. The next in line come the less enterprising ones, the followers, filling in the gaps left by the early birds. They too hog conspicuous positions where they can be easily identified. In the end, come the laggards, walking leisurely, not at all conscious of the importance of their location in the whole scheme. They are quite content popping up their heads between the shoulders of two persons in the front row. For them what matters is only their presence evidenced by any identifiable body part in the photograph. Their G-scores are shamefully low. In school group photographs the formula is usually simple. All short boys and girls sit in the front row while tall ones, penalised for their healthy growth, stand at the back. Exceptions are made for the teacher's pet, who irrespective of the physical stature, gets to sit next to the teacher. A video-recording of the way a group settles for a photograph showing how the vantage positions are grabbed would be quite interesting. This cohort could be used for long-term studies of what ultimately becomes of the early birds, the followers and the laggards. Predictions can be made on how they fare in their respective lives. My hypothesis is that a significant correlation exists between G-scores and success in today’s world where shoves, pushes and shamelessness are at a premium. We can also look into whether this happens only in India or the G-skills are inherent in other cultures too. What would be the G-scores of people from the culture of the Nawabs’ city of Lucknow —where ‘after you’ is the catch phrase? Some entrepreneur can also start giving lessons on how to enhance your G-score. Every year group photographs of the Lok Sabha members are clicked. The seats are allotted according to seniority so that there is no bickering or chaos. Still we are told that the system never works due to high G-scores of certain members. On the 60th anniversary of Parliament while MP Pranab Mukherjee altogether skipped the joint photo shoot, Villas Muttemwar, Congress MP from Nagpur, reached the site three hours before the schedule to grab a chair so that he could seat himself behind Congress president Sonia Gandhi. That, I think, should score the highest on the G-score
scale!
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The tribune DEBATE: asli vs naqli chandigarh The rechristening of Mullanpur as New Chandigarh has the people divided. While some feel it is a political stunt, others believe it is a non-issue as the new town will create jobs and relieve pressure on the existing city. Readers write in. Making the rich richer
Rather than building New Chandigarh, the Punjab Government should have focused on dispersive development across the state. There is disparity in development in the Majha, Malwa and Doaba regions. Development in rural areas is only taking place in Bathinda district, in which the Badals have political interest and from where Harsimrat Kaur Badal is the MP. No other reason can be cited for this craze for New Chandigarh except the fact that the Chief Minister, his son, ministers, bureaucracy, and other high-ups in the administration have vested interests in the project. Environmental theories do not highlight the plight of the ‘aam aadmi’ in Punjab. If every HRD institute is established in and around Chandigarh, New Chandigarh and Mohali, the youth in far-flung rural areas are not going to benefit from these. Why does the Central University of Punjab have to be established in Bathinda, or NIPER in Mohali, when no such institution exists in Gurdaspur and surrounding districts of the Doaba region? New Chandigarh will merely make the rich richer. Why does the judiciary always have to step in to correct the blunders committed by the public authorities and governments? Have persons at the helm of affairs lost all sense of governance? The Saundha bus mishap is a small pointer to tragedies that will keep happening due to the callousness of the government. No one is spending on infrastructure for the safety and welfare of the people. But projects like New Chandigarh will get priority as the bigwigs will get a chance to make hefty amounts of money. There are no safety measures on national highways and main roads; many level crossings are unmanned; liquor vends are operating from highways; the youth is taking to drugs. What is the government doing? — Col MS Bajwa, Chandigarh Give it a chance
Any development that takes place close to an existing city will face resistance. But there are positive aspects too. Firstly, the master plan does not touch any eco-fragile area. Secondly, the farmers have received good compensation ranging between Rs 1.5 crore and Rs 10 crore. Just a few years ago, it was very difficult for them to even make both ends meet. The farmers are now increasing their landholdings by purchasing land in other parts of Punjab and Haryana. The land-pooling policy of the government has made farmers an active partner in development. At least now a middle-income group person can also dream of having a residential or commercial set-up in proximity to Chandigarh, and that too in an area that is better planned and will have the latest infrastructure. Moreover, with Chandigarh having no further space to grow and the existing infrastructure meant only for a population of half a million, New Chandigarh will prove its critics wrong. The ‘naqli’ may prove to be better than the ‘asli’! Let’s give it a chance. — Girish Anand, Manimajra
The first attempt to create New Chandigarh was made by former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh in 1993. He had planned to acquire land around 17 villages near Chandigarh for the purpose. The next attempt was made by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal in 1999. He had planned to acquire the land around 25 villages near Anandgarh. The plan was shelved on legal grounds after the intervention of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The latest attempt is by Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal. He promises world-class medi-city, spa village, edu-city, golf course and other such recreational activities. Are these facilities enough to lead a good life? The realities of life are harsh. If a handful of people in Punjab are enjoying this lifestyle, it doesn’t mean that the majority of people would welcome this step as it is still a dream for them. There are hundreds of problems facing Punjab, out of which water supply, electricity, unemployment and other basic issues remain untouched. Name it ‘New Mullanpur’ instead. — Gurpreet S Malhotra, Kansal
What’s in a name?
The Punjab Government’s idea to develop Mullanpur as New Chandigarh is not wrong. It is the need of the day as the population of Chandigarh is increasing. The city has become too crowded. People of Punjab can dream to have a home in New Chandigarh. Moreover, the city can be developed as per the latest technology and proper planning, with wide roads and enough green cover. The fuss over the name is meaningless. — Kamaljit Malwa, Mansa
Only for land sharks
I have seen Chandigarh being shaped into city beautiful since 1970 when I was a student of DAV College. Today, it pains me to learn New Chandigarh is being planned in its proximity. If the intentions were noble and well coordinated, no one would have minded it. But the concept is politically motivated, to benefit the big land sharks. The high-rises and haphazard buildings will not only lead to a bigger urban sprawl, but also further stretch the civic and service amenities of Chandigarh. Institutions like the PGI, which are already strained, will bear the brunt. It is a classic case of destroying a positive, and replacing it with a negative. The Punjab Government should rise above vested interests and plan the city at least 40 km away from Chandigarh, under a different name. It is unethical to call it Chandigarh. It should come up only once a committee of prominent citizens of Chandigarh have approved it. Else, the Punjab Governor must step in to save City Beautiful - the pride of the nation. —
Col (retd) RD Singh, Ambala
Where is the money?
Building a new town will lead to more job opportunities, new infrastructure and accommodations for the people, but does the government have the finances to establish such facilities? Chandigarh’s Madhya Marg will witness frequent traffic jams in the area. Punjab does not have the funds for such large development. It should develop areas that are already struggling. The government will not be able to provide enough power and water, besides other facilities to the people of New Chandigarh. The project should be analysed to know if it would benefit the people of Punjab. We need good political leaders, not businessmen. We have seen the consequences of poor development in Uttarakhand. The Congress and the SAD must arrive at a consensus on Mullanpur. It should not be linked to Chandigarh to lure people. The new city will take several years to develop. — Beerinder Singh Bhatt, mail
Chandigarh is a liability
I am shocked at the biased view being promoted by a newspaper I always held in high esteem. What is wrong in developing a planned city? What is wrong in developing high-rises, when soon we are going to run out of space for our burgeoning population? All cities have their satellite towns. The National Capital Region was recently expanded to include more areas. What is the big deal about the name? As far as the character of Chandigarh is concerned, I quote from the "Land of Seven Rivers" that the country’s urban thinking is "severely damaged by Le Corbusier’s philosophy that buildings were machines for living". It has generated little of economic and cultural value. It remains a sterile and heavily subsidised city of tax-consuming bureaucrats that encourages neither entrepreneurship nor tax-generating jobs despite being the capital of two prosperous states. — Sandeep Mahajan, Mohali
Chandigarhians’ issue
Owning a home is a dream very few can realise despite a slowdown in the real estate market. Many salaried class people are settled in Zirakpur, Dera Bassi and Kharar. The quality of life in these haphazardly developed townships is nowhere close to ‘City Beautiful’. Potholed roads, overflowing drains and long power cuts are a far cry from Chandigarh’s well-designed infrastructure. With the Punjab Government’s decision to develop Mullanpur like Chandigarh, there is a glimmer of hope. I would like to ask all those who are objecting to the re-naming and development of Mullanpur where they reside. Chandigarh is my guess! — Ragini Gulati, mail
People’s needs important
Growth and development are positive indicators. It is astonishing that the three-time MP from the city — who has not contributed to the city’s growth but only created slums for the sake of votes — says a city should not come up close to Chandigarh. New Chandigarh will ease out the pressure of population, environment, traffic congestion, water and power. Various Punjab Government offices and departments will move out. It is a coincidence that some land around the city belongs to politicians, bureaucrats and real estate developers. Can this new town, with all the benefits, be called ‘naqli’? The needs of the people are more important than the opinions of people. When the then Chief Minister Partap Singh Kairon conceived the idea of carving Chandigarh, he was criticised, but people now appreciate his vision. — Capt Amar Jeet Kumar, Mohali
All deserve to work, grow
The people of Chandigarh don’t want a second Chandigarh as they feel the ‘asli’ would lose its glory. Mohali and Panchkula are planned and have their own growth story, without disturbing Chandigarh in any way, or taking away from it. These people are afraid of their own prestige and status getting lost. The new town should come up, and can be given any name. It would give thousands of people a chance to work and grow. — Dr Surinder P Singh, Kapurthala
Protect brand Chandigarh
Cheap imitation products of popular brands are often sold at public places. Brand owner companies take action because it dilutes the identity of their product since the quality of the fake product is poor and financial gain is the only consideration. The case of New Chandigarh is not any different. Coining the name is a cheap imitation for financial gains for a handful of real estate and property owners. Brand Chandigarh has established itself by virtue of its unique planning and architecture. No other Indian city comes close to it. How can Chandigarh allow anyone else to use its name and capitalise on its character? Sukhbir Badal had said if Mumbai could have Navi Mumbai and Delhi, New Delhi, what is wrong with New Chandigarh. He should be reminded that Navi Mumbai and New Delhi are in the same state where the old city is. A thought must be given to how it will burden the infrastructure of Chandigarh and affect the fragile ecology of the Shivaliks. Chandigarh’s identity must be protected. — Vikas Dureja, mail (More reader responses on the debate appear tomorrow)
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