Politics of populism

  THIS refers to the article “Politics of populism” by Mr Hari Jaisingh in The Tribune dated 12-3-99. It has been stated that “Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee looks like a daily wage earner.” This is a situation for which he cannot be blamed. It is the nation’s good luck that Mr Vajpayee is there to face such a difficult situation. It has been correctly observed that “he is surely well intentioned”.

It is the politics of populism being practised by the Opposition as well as by some of the allies that Mr Vajpayee’s government is facing difficulties. The government had to abandon many good decisions because of the opposition from allies and other critics.

As per the figures available, the Central government had a total foreign debt of Rs 1,61,428 crore, and domestic debt of Rs 7,18,229 crore on 31-3-98. The entire responsibility for these huge debts must be taken by the Congress, which ruled the country for most of the period. It may be stated that when the British left India in 1947 and handed over power to the Congress, there were absolutely no debts. A sum of Rs 65,700 crore had to be paid as interest for this debt — a very big burden on the nation’s exchequer.

Apart from corruption and bad intentions of the rulers, populist measures like subsidies, free electricity, sinking money in the public sector, unproductive expenditure and heavy government machinery, are responsible for these huge debts.

ANAND PRAKASH
Panchkula

THE FALLOUT: Controlling populism is the ultimate challenge before the polity. This will be indeed a great act if ever it was one.

One of the fallouts of our inability or refusal to question populism is illiteracy. Unless there is 100 per cent literacy, the growth of the problem cannot be checked.

UMED SINGH GULIA
Gohana

VOTE-BANK POLITICS: Our politicians (of all hues) promise moon on the earth, but end up not even with simple dal roti.

It all started with Indira Gandhi’s call for “gharibi hatao”. As of today, half the population of India lives below the poverty line (earning not more than Rs 2,500 per capita per year) and another 20 per cent around the poverty line. Staggering 16 per cent of the rural population has access to less that Rs 3 a day. Another 18 per cent gets Rs 5 a day. Politicians keep people feeding on slogans, with an eye on vote-bank. They are the least concerned with people’s hunger.

According to the National Council of Economic Research (NCAER), the all-India annual income of village India is around Rs 4,485 per head. In Orissa and West Bengal it is Rs 3,028 and Rs 3157. It is Rs 3,169 in Bihar, Rs 4,166 in UP, Rs 4,166 in MP and 4,229 in Rajasthan. The NCAER survey shows that 55 per cent of the rural population of Orissa is living below the poverty line and in Marxist-ruled West Bengal it is 51 per cent.

In Punjab and Haryana one sees the highest per capita — Rs 6,380 and Rs 6,368. But even these affluent states have pockets of rural poverty — 32 per cent in Punjab and 27 per cent in Haryana. A staggering 55 per cent of the rural population still lives in kutcha houses. It’s all a bloated claim on electricity and potable water. Piped water in most villages is still like manna from heaven.

S. S. JAIN
Chandigarh

UNHEALTHY ROLE OF BUREAUCRACY: Our political leadership is responsible for much of the ills that afflict the country. But are the politicians alone to blame for the state of affairs today? What about the intelligentsia, the bureaucracy and the media? Our bureaucracy avoids taking the initiative. The intelligentsia has failed to lead and the media has failed to awaken the masses.

Is it the fault of the politicians that even the criminal among them is painted as a hero in the Press? Who, if not the bureaucracy, shielded the scam-tainted politicians? Most of our freedom-fighters jumped into the freedom struggle from schools and colleges. But what is our intelligentsia doing to the youth? It is not preparing them to shoulder the future responsibilities of the nation.

VED GULIANI
Hisar

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Wasteful expenditure

Apropos of the editorial “Hinged on hope” (March 11) the Himachal Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal, has come out with a dynamic budget for the financial year 1999-2000. Of course, the hike diesel price to the tune of 2 per cent will have “a cascading effect”.

The tough decision of lowering the strength of the bureaucracy is welcome. To add to this exercise, the Chief Minister must tighten other loose ends to save the rupee of the poor state. For example, why not cut down the fleet of cars? Why not put the maximum ceiling on the use of phones? By curbing the wasteful expenditure the Chief Minister can really turn the hope exhibited in the budget into a reality.

SUMAN SACHAR
Baijnath

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Loudspeaker menace

Come the wee hours of the morning and the simultaneous dissonant high-pitched blares of loudspeakers, installed on the roof-tops of different shrines, spoil not only serenity of the fragrant hour but also mental calm of the peace-loving people.

God does not live high up in the sky as mentioned in Allama Iqbal’s satirical verse: Bitha key arsh pe rakhha hai too ney ei vaaiz/Khuda voh kya hai jo bandon sey ehtiraaz karey (O’ religious preacher! You have placed him in the empyrean. What sort of God. He is, Who avoids the people?).

He is Omnipresent and listens to the prayers of every devotee, even if he recites The Word in a low voice. There is no religious justification for using loudspeakers at the highest pitch.

The worst victims of the decibel assault are pregnant and lying-in women, new born babies, sensitive patients and students. Frequent exposure to ear-bursting noise not only impairs hearing and memory but also causes construction of blood vessels and leads to atherosclerosis. Conductors of divine services should, therefore, use loudspeakers at a pitch just to enable the priest’s voice to each the audience/within the precincts of the shrine only.

BHAGWAN SINGH
Qadian

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Akali Dal & the Panth

This has a reference to the letter published in The Tribune dated February 26 under the caption “A look at Akali Dal’s history” written by prof Prithipal Singh Kapur of Punjabi University, Patiala.

Unfortunately neither history nor facts on record can be cited in favour of his argument. The name of the first President of the Shiromani Akali Dal as Sarmukh Singh Jhabal, according to Professor Kapur, is not endorsed by any of the historians of the Dal nor even by the Encyclopaedia of Sikhism of which he currently happens to be the Editor-in-Chief.

I did not use the word “confused” or “manmukh” in any pejorative sense. The confusion about the nativity of the Shiromani Akali Dal is obvious. “Manmukh” or self-centredness or being guided by one’s own mind is a natural state of human beings. It is one in millions who is fortunate in being guided by the Almighty or the Guru in his daily life.

There is no identifiable Guru-centred personality who can be said to have guided the decision to launch the Shiromani Akali Dal as a political party of the Sikhs nor even the “hukamnama” of the Guru on that occasion has been preserved in the archives of the Dal. These and other facts go to prove that the Dal has no credentials to assume the mantle of the Khalsa Panth.

S. S. DHANOA
Patna