P A G E
Thursday, July 23, 1998
today's calendar
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E D I T O R I A L P A G E |
Thursday, July 23, 1998 |
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"Tax-free"
budget again
The
nation in turmoil |
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telegram withheld |
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"Tax-free" budget again NOT imposing new taxes at the time of presenting the annual budget has become some kind of a benchmark of good governance. After all, it fetches glowing, although misleading, headlines about a "tax-free budget". How wonderful it would be if budgets were really tax-free! But that is a fantasy not worth pursuing. It is just that there are no new taxes. Haryana has performed the fete for the second year in running. The previous Budget of Finance Minister Charan Das Shorewala had no new taxes. Nor does the one for the year 1998-99 presented on the opening day of the Budget session of the State Vidhan Sabha on Tuesday. If there is no fresh tax burden, there are no concessions either, which enthuse the man on the street so much. All this despite Rs 750 crore expected from the lifting of the prohibition. Fresh taxes can come in any time during the year; but relief won't. There is a record 61 per cent increase in the Annual Plan from Rs 1400 crore last year to Rs 2260 crore. A deficit of Rs 83.79 crore has been left uncovered. The Finance Minister says this is very much within manageable limits and would be covered by "inherent resilience, expected buoyancy in the economy and the toning up of the tax administration". But a neutral observer cannot help being less optimistic on that count. This year's budget gives top priority to the widening, improvement and upgradation of existing roads. Other priority areas are generation, transmission and distribution of power and irrigation. These require more attention but that should not be at the cost of less glamorous but socially relevant measures. For instance, the allocation for education is not what it should be. By the way, while concentrating on irrigation, there is need for keeping in mind the fact that the water table in certain areas has been falling alarmingly. Haryana is one of the more prosperous states of the country but disparities between various regions and various classes are vast. These need to be removed urgently. An additional fund of Rs 18.44 crore has been earmarked for giving special thrust to the progress of two backward regions of Mewat and Shiwalik. But given the various problems of these areas, this amount is nothing more than chickenfeed. Haryana should concentrate on bringing about more equitable growth. Time to do that is now. With its locational advantage (proximity to the National Capital Region) and a dramatic improvement expected in the power situation within the next few years, industrialisation of the state would gain pace. But even this switchover would not be able to absorb the large labour force and inequalities that exist now might become more pronounced. As such, it is necessary to enlarge the social sector right now.  |
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| Mutiny in the Sena THE truth is out. The Bal Thackeray magic does not work anymore. A junior Minister quits (“sacked” is the official version) after accusing the Sena of holding out a death threat; a former Minister openly supports him; an expelled but powerful leader calls on the Sainiks to rise in revolt and pull down the government and two MLAs from Thane indicate that they will positively respond. Finally, a former Minister, dropped after Anna Hazare accused him of corruption but exonerated by a one-man inquiry panel, is sulking and threatening retaliation. A bagful of alarming developments these. Mr Thackeray’s reaction adds much substance to the fears of damage the party may face. He called a meeting of junior leaders of the Mumbai units of the Shiv Sena to isolate “traitors” and punish them. A similar command some years ago ended in the mysterious death of a Thane municipal member, one Prabhu. Mr Thackeray gets angry only when he sees danger and rasps orders only when he sees a challenge to his authority. The ongoing turmoil has made him both angry and desperate to crush potential trouble-makers. The public display of defiance by a junior Minister, Mr Suresh Navale, in charge of Power, and the support of Mr Gulab Gawande have destabilised Chief Minister Manohar Joshi. Rather completed the process of his destabilisation. The Sena chief came close to throwing him out after the Rajya Sabha election, in which a party nominee lost and 16 MLAs ignored the whip and voted for others. He announced a change of leadership, called Mr Pramod Mahajan for formal consultation, secured his nod but then suddenly dropped the idea. This openly played-out farcical exercise knocked out Mr Joshi’s legitimacy and political authority. In the wake of the recent adversities, he has revealed that thrice he sent his resignation and one letter is still with the boss to be used at an appropriate moment. He has thus become a shadow Chief Minister with an unhappy leader and uncertain support base. The Shiv Sena is a one-man show and as it happens in such outfits, a revolt by high-profile men triggers a “The emperor has no clothes” syndrome. A quick and brutal crackdown is the only antidote, like the treatment meted out to Mr Chhagan Bhujbal a few years ago. That course is not open, rather will not produce the desired result, since the leadership is squabbling and indecisive and is yet to come out of the shock of successive election defeats. What has so far helped the Sena from disintegrating is the simulated and highly publicised tiff between Mrs Sonia Gandhi and Mr Sharad Pawar. But for that wholly avoidable public display of mutual mistrust, the Congress could have come to power with the help of about 40 independent MLAs and a big faction of the Shiv Sena. This questionable toppling game has only been deferred and not dropped. Mr Navale is from Beed in Marathwada and is a Maratha by caste, That region is the main political base of the Sena and that caste is the key factor. If the sacked/resigned Minister can wean away even a section of his caste men, the party will be in deep trouble. A change of government in Maharashtra will be a bad omen for the BJP-led combine in Delhi. The revolt by a few Sainiks has the potential to rewrite the present script. |
| Towards
peace AS it appears, the credit goes to the USA for its serious efforts to bring Israeli and Palestinian leaders to the negotiating table after a gap of over 16 months. Three hours of discussions directly between Israeli Defence Minister Yitzhak Mordechai and Palestinian representative Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday night have revived the hope that the 1993 historic agreement on the Palestinian question will produce the desired results within this century — the deadline is May 4, 1999. The statement of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling on the Palestinian Authority “to engage with us continually, day and night, in negotiations, including at the highest level”, and his Defence Minister’s declaration, immediately after the two sides ended the impasse, that “We decided to focus in the coming days on the central issues, and to look for solutions to bridge the gap with the aim of advancing the agreement” are pregnant with deep meaning. Whether this indicates that the ruling politicians of Israel have made up their mind to accede to the US suggestion, already accepted by the Palestinian side, to get ready for a troop withdrawal from 13 per cent of the West Bank area will be clear in the coming few days. If this hurdle is crossed the talks will gain momentum. Earlier, Israel had been insisting on only a 9 per cent withdrawal at this stage which was causing much resentment among Palestinian leaders. The American administration was also giving the impression that it could take tough measures if Israel continued to refuse to budge from its stand on the pretext of security considerations. The American demonstration of toughness vis-a-vis Israel this time was surprising. Perhaps the USA thought that in the event of the deadlock continuing unbroken, its interests in that volatile region would get damaged seriously. Israel might also have realised that if the peace process was allowed to die at this stage, it would lead to its isolation in West Asia again, which very few people in that country want now. People of Israel have had too much of restless days and nights because of suicide bombings and other forms of violence. One top Israeli leader has paid the price for the Oslo accord with his life. The peace process had run aground when the Netanyahu government announced its plans for fresh Jewish settlements in East (Arab) Jerusalem in March, 1997. The crisis got deepened by suicide bombings by Hamas activists. Anyway, the welcome change in the attitude of both sides makes one believe that the crucial negotiations will be carried on smoothly. Already efforts are being made to constitute “small groups” to concentrate on the difficulties in the way of Israeli withdrawal from certain areas of West Bank. This should lead to achieving the final target: establishment of peace in West Asia and a Palestinian homeland. America’s new role as a “facilitator”, and not as a “mediator”, as had been the case in the past, should only make the Israeli and Palestinian leaders behave more responsibly. |
| The nation in turmoil Grim law & order situation by T.V. Rajeswar THE BJP government at the Centre has just completed 100 days in office. It carried out the nuclear tests at Pokhran on May 11 and 13, and this was more or less universally welcomed by the people as the demonstration of India’s technological capability as well as willingness to stand up to the bullying neighbours. However, as Home Minister Advani ruefully admitted, the Pokhran tests are possibly the only achievement of the BJP government so far. The most alarming development during the past three months has been the deteriorating law and order situation touching the security of the average citizen of the country. Nothing illustrates this more vividly than the Home Ministry’s 43rd report on internal security presented recently to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs. Of the 535 districts in the country, as many as 210 are affected by insurgency, ethnic strife, extremist activities, caste clashes and other crises. Of the 69 districts of the North-Eastern region as many as 48 are suffering from insurgency and ethnic violence while 10 districts of Jammu and Kashmir are plagued by militancy. In Assam, as many as 23 districts are badly affected by violence. In short, life in nearly 40 per cent of the country is not normal from the law and order point of view.  The spurt in terrorism and militancy needs to be particularly taken note of. The Pokhran-II euphoria was reflected in needless jingoistic utterances on the part of even some of our senior leaders. Kashmir militants and Pakistan were given dire warnings. This did not prevent the Pakistani militants from resorting to gruesome murders in places like Prankot village in Udhampur district and Chapnari in Doda district. Foreign mercenaries, who are increasing in number, are likely to pose a continuing long- term threat to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. It appears that before the summer is out several hundred more foreign mercenaries may be infiltrated from across the border. There is a clear danger from them to the tourist traffic and normal life which have come back to the Kashmir valley after a long time. In Punjab, there are persistent efforts for reviving militancy. With the Khalistan Liberation Force, the Kamaghata Maru Dal of Khalistan and the Babbar Khalsa, mostly funded and operated from abroad, getting active again with Pakistan’s ISI playing a coordinating role, a spurt in militancy is clearly indicated. Fortunately, the Punjab Police has been effective in apprehending ring leaders, followed by large scale recoveries of RDX and sophisticated weapons. Notorious terrorists like Amarjit Singh Sohal, Darshan Singh and Jaswant Singh Jassa are active even when they are in jail. The Punjab Police DG, Mr P.C. Dogra, disclosed recently that some of these militants lodged in Tihar, Burail and Jammu jails were able to communicate with one another on the cell phone. Clearly, something drastic has to be done in the matter of jail administration in these states. Also, the fact that Amarjit Singh Sohal was let off on bail before he was re-apprehended speaks of the poor understanding of the Punjab situation by the limbs of the judiciary. The most alarming aspect of the arrest of these and other militants and the recovery of powerful explosives and dangerous weapons are not confined to Punjab only. Such arrests and recoveries have also taken place in Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, etc. All these arrests and recoveries are not isolated events but are interconnected in a tangled web. The ISI operatives arrested in Hyderabad had their links and associates in Delhi, who were also apprehended recently and recoveries made. The kingpin of this ISI network, Mohd. Saleen Junaid, had comfortably settled in Hyderabad with business connections — running a truck agency and operating a terrorist network involving metropolitan cities like Mumbai and Delhi. Hyderabad witnessed a sudden and deliberate outbreak of communal riots on June 5 when a group of rioters, coming out of a masjid after the Friday prayers, going on the rampage, setting fire to shops and buses and knifing people indiscriminately. This was said to be in retaliation to an anonymous pamphlet, derogatory to Islam, which was distributed by some unknown persons three days earlier. The arrest of the ISI agents disclosed that the communal riots were instigated by them. They also revealed their plans to organise serial bombings in the city during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in August, on the lines of the Mumbai blasts of March, 1993. The same gang members and their associates were also preparing for similar bombing activities, including the targeting of VIPs, in Delhi and Mumbai. It is not known how many more such dangerous agent provocateurs are still at large. Andhra Pradesh has another serious ongoing problem in Naxalite violence. Periodic killings due to landmine explosions and ambushes against policemen continue. The police has also been on the offensive, but the Naxalite menace, which has spread to the neighbouring states of Orissa, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, has not been contained. Home Minister Advani held a meeting of the Chief Ministers and senior police officials of the states concerned in Hyderabad in mid-June and several coordination measures were decided upon. This is not a new development since the coordinating mechanism has been in position for many years. In Tamil Nadu, Islamic militancy, which burst forth in Coimbatore in February, has been contained somewhat. This is a classic example of failure to take preventive action against dangerous religious militancy going out of control, with the entire police force chasing it without much success. On July 3 the Tamil Nadu government put out an official announcement running to a full half page in several national dailies offering a reward of Rs 2 lakh for information leading to the arrest of any of the 18 wanted accused fundamentalists, which included a woman. The notification said that there were as many as 175 accused persons involved in the Coimbatore bomb blasts of February 14, of whom 132 had been arrested and eight had died in police action or explosions set off by them. The wanted woman militant, Ayesha, and her husband Ibrahim are said to be moving about with belts of explosives and can pose a threat as human bombs unless taken in custody early. Moving from the South to Mumbai, the spurt in underworld gang rivalry has led to a series of killings. The Mumbai police recently expressed grave concern over the increasing inflow of fire arms from states like UP, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh. There is a large number of illegal fire- arms factories at several places in UP and Bihar. The Intelligence Bureau had carried out a series of studies on this menace several years ago. The deteriorating law and order situation in UP and Bihar has shown alarming trends. Bihar is witnessing a steady exodus of businessmen, particularly Marwaris, from its urban centres, including the capital city of Patna, since they are unable to withstand the increasing pressure from criminal gangs. Apart from the nexus which flourishes between the criminal gangs and politicians, the kidnapping for ransom trade has recorded an alarming increase in recent months. In Bihar there were as many as 1,472 kidnappings in 1997, while in 1998 at least 600 cases were reported during February, March and April. Much has been written about the all-round chaos in Bihar for many years, but the problem of kidnappings for ransom, which is becoming a cottage industry, is tragic in many ways. In the far off districts like Champaran, adjoining Nepal, even teachers are said to be kidnapped for sums as low as Rs 5,000. The tragic part of it is that many of the teachers have not been receiving their salaries for months, and they are surviving on private tuitions. If such people are victimised, with the state machinery unable to provide protection, what is the administration for and what is the state for? In UP, where the BJP is in power, Lucknow, which also happens to be the Lok Sabha constituency of Prime Minister Vajpayee, seems to be becoming the crime capital of the state as well. It is known that the Prime Minister’s constituency has become a happy hunting ground for all sorts of criminals, with quite a few ministers and legislators, having a criminal background, patronising them. There was an extensive report about a notorious gang leader, Mr Prakash Shukla, who had reportedly organised the kidnapping of a Lucknow businessman from the heart of the city for ransom. His movements, touching several cities in UP, were extensively reported in the Press. Why the UP police is unable to take action against him is not known. The adverse remarks made by the BJP President, Mr Kushabhau Thakre, during his recent visit to UP, in the very presence of Chief Minister Kalyan Singh, speak volumes of the state of affairs in the premier state of the country. The national Capital, Delhi, witnessed as many as a dozen robberies on the night of July 12-13, with one of the leading dailies coming out with the caption, “Robbers’ Day in Capital”. The Delhi Police is said to have recently pressed into service several more police control room vehicles which are supposed to be on patrol duty round the clock. If this were really so, the occurrence of such a large number of robberies in one night was inexplicable. The fact that a number of PCR vehicles are tied up on static duties near the residence of VIPs, including senior bureaucrats, may be one reason. The overall picture of law and order is depressing. Are we slowly sinking into a state of anarchy? A serious decline of civilisations begins like this, and after some time the situation becomes irreversible. India should guard against such a turn of events. The writer is a former Governor of West Bengal and Sikkim. |
| Right-sizing the states by Abha Sharma INDIA, that is Bharat, shall be a union of states, asserts our Constitution, and Parliament may by law form a new state by reorganising the territories of the existing states, increase or decrease their area and alter their names, among others. And this shall not be deemed to be an amendment to the Constitution under Article 368. Essentially, the Indian Constitution is quasi-federal in character, and the need to right-size the states to strengthen its federal features in letter and spirit cannot be overemphasised. A state is an administrative institution which provides instruments of governance so as to enable the polity to measure up to the socio-economic and cultural aspirations of the people. The genesis of a demand for a new state emanates from long unfulfilled developmental needs and aspirations besides a perceived feeling of prolonged neglect at the hands of an irresponsive or inaccessible administration. Herein lies the raison d’etre for a state. Considerations of geography, language, culture, history, heritage, ethnicity, to name a few, have secondary or tertiary significance. The ongoing movements for smaller states bode well for the body-politic and the body-economic inasmuch as they strive to bring the population that has remained deprived of the fruits of development for no fault of these people, into the national mainstream. At times, they may take the colour of sub-nationalism. But by no means should they be allowed to become divisive. Is a small state a guarantee for better administration and faster development? The answer is in the negative if we appraise the track record since 1972 of the seven sisters — Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura. Contrast this with the state of Haryana which progressed by leaps and bounds after it was carved out of erstwhile Punjab. Today it occupies the pride of place among the most progressive states of India. Somehow, the small state of Himachal Pradesh couldn’t be as fortunate. Given the vast and varied character of our pluralistic society, lopsided industrial development before and after Independence, ethno-cultural aspirations and all that goes with our home-grown version of democracy, it is imperative that the existing states are reorganised and right-sized having regard to their resourcefulness, governability and potential for development consistent with the local aspirations. A cursory look at the map of India persuades one to think aloud, if not suggest, as to why the proposed state of Uttaranchal shouldn’t be merged with Himachal Pradesh keeping in view their striking similarities in terms of terrain, topography, economy, natural beauty and untapped potential for tourism. Do they not appear to be made for each other? Similarly, the boundaries of Haryana may be extended to subsume the seven districts of Western UP. Aren’t they homogeneous culturally and agriculturally? The Rest of Uttar Pradesh can then be bifurcated into two manageable states. Extending the logic further, why can’t the Union Territory of Chandigarh be merged with the state of Punjab? Such examples can be multiplied. Speaking matter of factly, the addition of a few more viable states to the Indian Union will reinforce federalism, besides enabling the local populace, particularly the ethnic groups, to have a sense of belonging and identity. The government’s announcement to carve out Uttaranchal from UP, Vananchal from Bihar and Chhattisgarh from MP and give full statehood to Delhi, and its cryptic silence over similar demands for Vidarbha in Maharashtra, Saurashtra in Gujarat, Darjeeling in West Bengal, Telangana in Andhra, etc, leaves it bare to the charge that the BJP is a north-centric party. It may sound outlandish to suggest that we usher into the 21st century as the United States of India! Why can’t we go up to 40 states. Interdependence among the states will make for greater cohesion and faster development. A medium-size state is more amenable to political and economic management; accessibility of the rulers would sensitise them to the plight of the masses; apathy would make way for sympathy; and implementation of various reforms could be monitored and correctives applied. It is only in a state of manageable proportion that the huge untapped resources could be mobilised and the latent entrepreneurship of the local people unleashed. We are a resource-rich but poorly managed economy. The creation of new districts and tehsils in almost every state testifies to the desirability of an optimal-size administrative unit even at the lowest rung of the administration. Inextricably interlinked with the aforesaid is the issue of granting greater autonomy to the states in determining their developmental priorities, planning and investment. Reorganisation of states would remain a half-measure unless it is accompanied by the delegation of more powers to the states, which, in turn, should not fight shy of granting greater autonomy to the local bodies. |
 75 YEARS AGO A telegram withheld POONA: The Secretary of the Maharashtra Provincial Congress Committee sent a telegram to the Publicity Officer, Nagpur, National Flag Satyagraha on the 13th of this month stating “Letter received, sending volunteers.” The Telegraph Department informs that the telegram cannot be delivered as the local authorities declare the telegram to be objectionable. « « « Gandhi Day Celebration Public Meeting at Poona Gandhi Day was celebrated in Poona as usual. A public meeting was held in the evening. Prof S.M. Paranjpyee, President, Prof Ghappure, Mr Nimbakar Vastad, Ghaulam Dastagir and Mr Sathe addressed the meeting on the Congress programme and the All-India Congress Committee decision. The speakers also repudiated the charges laid by Deshbandhu against Mahatmaji. |
| Three cheers for Delhi! by S. Raghunath DELHI-ites have become stuffed shirts and why not ? You see, fulsome encomiums are being showered on their city like manna from heaven and that has naturally gone to their already swollen heads. A seminar recently held in the city hailed Delhi as a “technopolis” — referring to the numerous hi-tech industries and software parks coming up on the outskirts and this on top of being called a “megapolis”. What is generally not known is that Delhi can lay claim to being other “polises” too. A sampler. Garbopolis: The credit for making Delhi a “garbopolis”, possibly the first in the world, goes to the New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) which has taken diligent care to see that garbage mounds in different localities of a city remain uncleared for months on end and as a result, they have grown to mountainous proportions and star tourist attractions. Smokopolis: Thanks to the thousands of two-wheelers running on kerosene-petrol fuel, autorickshaws and smoke-belching DTC buses and trucks, Delhi is not just a “technopolis” but a “smokopolis”, too, so much so that an average Delhi-ite will instantly choke to death if he breathes oxygen, but will thrive on carbon monoxide and vehicle exhaust gases and have pink, rosy cheeks to show for it. Potopolis: There are more potholes on Delhi’s roads and on an average day more unwary moped and scooterwallahs trip into them, breaking their precious necks, than in any other comparable Indian city. Delhi’s roads have been appropriately described by experts as potholes interspersed by occasional patches of bitumen tar. Slumopolis: There are as many as 682 “undeclared” slums in Delhi, and the number of “declared” slums must be easily double that number. Efforts are on at the highest administrative level to have Delhi notified as a “slumopolis”. With unchecked migration from rural areas and neighbouring states, Delhi’s claim to being one of the fastest growing “slumopolis” is unlikely to be challenged till the turn of the century. Hoardopolis: Delhi is perhaps the only “hoardopolis” in the entire world and when it comes to garish and gaudy hoardings, Paris or San Francisco is no patch on the city. Illegal and unlicenced hoardings spring up overnight in violation of the Municipal Corporation bylaws proclaiming, “macho briefs and bests for macho men”. So much so that the Qutub Minar can’t be seen at all unless the hoardings come crashing down during an “andhi”. Weedopolis: At last count, there were at least a billion perthenium plants and other noxious weeds growing in luxuriant profusion in different localities of the city, and by now the figures must be approaching a zillion young plants. Hence the city is called a “weedopolis” by urban experts. Old and infirm people, asthma and bronchitis patients chocking from parthenium pollens are a striking tribute to Delhi — the one and only “weedopolis”. |
| Denial of visa to Indian scientists USA, Britain fudge facts on accomplishments by O.P. Sabherwal BY turning down visa applications of Dr R. Chidambaram, Dr Placid Rodriguez and Dr Baldev Raj — leading nuclear scientists whose perceptions and knowledge are sought after by the scientific community in the West — the USA and Britain have opened themselves to the charge of having fudged facts on accomplishments of Indian nuclear scientists. The presumptions on which the two Western nations have rejected the visa applications of the three scientists sound amusing. Contact of Indian scientists with leading Western counterparts may impart ‘high technology’ to India which could be misused for n-weaponisation, say these Western nations. There is ignorance implicit here. Dr Chidambaram, himself a leading internationally reputed chrystallographer and Vice-President of the International Union of Chrystallography (IUC), was to present a paper on Indian experiences in neutron chrystallography research at the IUC annual conference in Alabama. This has been denied to him; perhaps the next IUC meet will have to be held outside the USA so that Dr Chidambaram’s colleagues do not miss him. But who will lose more in terms of scientific knowledge and experience sharing by this denial of mutual interaction — Western scientists’ or their Indian counterparts? Both stand to lose equally, but it is the world’s scientific pool which will be the biggest loser. Although they have been dissuaded from adopting a formal condemnation, one can be sure that the world’s leading chrystallographers assembled at Alabama, USA, will be sorely disappointed. Even more astounding are the facts of the case relating to Dr Rodriguez and Dr Baldev Raj, who had been invited to Britain by a publishing house to participate in a meeting of editors from all over the world. Dr Rodriguez, Director of IGCAR at Kalpakkam, has won international recognition for his contributions to fast breeder reactor technology development in India. And Dr Baldev Raj, Director of Metallurgy and Materials group of IGCAR, had been invited because of his contributions to metallurgy and innovations in non-destructive materials testing. The two Indian scientists had been requested to be subject area editors for an Encyclopaedia of Material Sciences and Technology to be brought out by Elsevier publishers. By turning down their visa applications, the British authorities have not only opened themselves to ridicule but shown up their ignorance of how scientific knowledge is churned up. One can be sure that reactions from top international nuclear scientific bodies such as International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), WANO (World Association of Nuclear Operators), CERN (Centre for European Nuclear Research), to these curbs on scientific interaction will be shock and non-acceptance. Dr Chidambaram is a member of the Board of Governors of IAEA, and till recently, was chairman of IAEA’s Governors’ Board. Leading Indian nuclear scientists participate in WANO as well as CERN. If Western countries persist in denial of visas to Indian scientists, these organisations will have to chose between one of two alternatives, both of which are equally frustrating and will discredit the USA and Britain in particular. Either, gatherings and interactions in these bodies will have to be held outside Western countries, or Indian participation in them will have to be given up, thereby vitiating their character, and partly crippling promotion of nuclear uses in developing countries particularly — such is the intensity of Indian contribution in these international nuclear associations. It would be useful to have a look at how these international organisations work and the extent to which discriminatory visa practices will disrupt their endeavours. For instance, WANO. Operating since 1989, its prime function is in the domain of safety of reactor operations by its member nations which total 33, India being an active entity since WANO’s creation. WANO performs the useful function of collecting data on world-wide operations of nuclear reactors, efficiency and suitability of their sub-systems. Member countries also provide WANO an annual report of their reactor operations, based on which the organisation performs — distributing information as also as an aid-giver by tendering advice through scientific teams visiting member countries when invited. Indian scientists often figure prominently in these WANO teams. Last year, a WANO inspection team surveyed the Kakrapar (reactor II) on invitation from India’s Atomic Energy Commission, and likewise, as an active member of WANO, Indian experts participated in Peer Reviews in many countries including the USA, Japan and South Korea. If Western curbs on scientists from India (in the Iraqi style) are repeated, WANO’s activity will be veritably disrupted. All the more is this true of the workings of IAEA, an adjunct of the United Nations, funded by the UN and member nations through contributions to its Technical Cooperation Fund. India ranks high up in its participation in IAEA activities — in some respects higher than the USA — in promoting nuclear uses in developing countries. Training facilities, fellowships, scientific visits figure in the vigorous international cooperation that Indian atomic energy establishments maintain through the IAEA. In fact, as a notable IAEA figure on visit to this country observed, while the tilt of US and Western participation in the IAEA is towards this UN body’s policing role, Indian contributions to the IAEA are entirely devoted to promoting peaceful application of nuclear energy in Third World nations. Besides international cooperation operated through the IAEA’s centralised functions, India has entered into a large number of bilateral agreements for cooperation in peaceful uses of atomic energy with developing nations, but routed through IAEA. Among these are Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and South Korea. Western role on this score, unfortunately, has been to seek to detract these developments rather than promote them. India also provides high technology nuclear equipment for laboratories through which these international organisations work. Examples can be cited here. Under the joint collaborative programme with Rutherford Appleton Lab., UK, BARC fabricated and supplied free of charge, equipment (shutter guide) worth about Rs 10 lakh. Under the CMS-India Collaboration Project, AEC of India provided scintillator detectors for the CMS (Compact Muon Solenoid), while a detector was under design and development. Further, BARC has been participating in both hardware fabrication and software development for the PHENIX at Brookhaven National Laboratory, USA. Under this collaboration, a prototype detector frame for the muon tracking detector was fabricated which met the design requirements. The list of Indian nuclear high technology contributions to IAEA-related activity might become rather long, but some more deserve to be noted. At Legnaro, Italy, BARC entered into an agreement to measure the fission fragment spin distributions in carbon, oxygen, thorium and bismuth. In a collaborative project under IAEA coordinated research with India, crystal polarised neutron interferometry experiment was carried out at the Berlin Neutron Scattering Centre. Under the Indo-German Bilateral Agreement, efforts were made to provide thrusts to projects having technology development as major component. At the Centre for Advanced Technology (CAT), Indore, studies were carried out on the effect of HE-NE laser pre-irradiation on ultra violet radiation induced DNA in lymphobalst cells and at the Institute for Molecular Biotechnology at Jena, Germany. Indian scientists’ role in IAEA and CERN has been greatly appreciated by the chief executives of these organisations. The outgoing Director General of IAEA, Dr Hans Blix, during his last visit here told me in an interview that for nuclear technology, India was not a developing nation but ranked among the industrial powers. Equally glowing was the tribute to Indian nuclear scientists and institutions by Dr Llevlyn Smith, Director of CERN, during a programme discussion which this outstanding European scientist held for Doordarshan. But the official ratings of the USA and Britain do not tally with those of world renowned nuclear scientists. |
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