E D I T O R I A L   P A G E

EDITORIALS

Social security initiative
THE new socio-economic initiative announced on the 55th anniversary of Independence is quite comprehensive. It covers not only the poor but also the middle class, which has been getting a stepmotherly treatment for long. 

Pitfalls of MPs’ scheme
THE Centre’s rejection of the demand for increasing the money under the MPs’ Local Area Development Scheme from Rs 2 crore to Rs 4 crore for every MP is timely and welcome. The decision deserves to be appreciated because of the fact that ever since it was launched in 1983 by Mr P.V.Narasimha Rao’s government, the MPLADS has been embroiled in one controversy or the other. Initially, the scheme was started with a component of Rs 1 crore for every MP of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. 

The deadly haze
A UN study has discovered a 3-km deep blanket of pollution spread over South Asia which can radically change the monsoon pattern, cause drought, reduce India’s winter rice yield and lead to a spurt in respiratory diseases. 

OPINION

Democracy of scams and rioting
There is need for a thorough overhaul
K.F. Rustamji
The biggest disaster in our independent history was the massacre in Gujarat, the magnitude of which is still not known. Between 1000 and 2000 Muslims were killed by mob rage extending over a large part of the state. We showed great concern when we heard about killings in Rawanda and Burundi in Africa.

ON RECORD

I am not in race for leadership: Vaghela
Satish Misra
Mr Shankarsinh Vaghela, who after his elevation as the Gujarat Congress boss, has electrified the party which was a moribund organisation till then. In his early sixties, Mr Vaghela came to the 13th Lok Sabha from the Kapadvanj constituency by securing 62.17 per cent votes and defeating his BJP rival by a margin of 1,65,381 votes. Once a committed RSS follower, he had held important positions in the BJP and in its erstwhile avtar Jan Sangh.

Senior Citizens: their place and plight
Desh Rampal
Any insult to an aged person is considered as a greatest act of cruelty all over the world. He is believed to possess wisdom gained over a long span of his life. In Punjabi we say “Oh jawan nahi, syani umer da hai”.

SIGHT & SOUND

Laloo for laughs
Amita Malik
Some years ago, on one of my visits to Paris, I divided my time between the French Open Tennis and a most delectable satirical programme on TV. My French was rusty and only slightly better than Boris Becker’s, but that did not really matter. Because what I was watching was so visual, that it overcame every language barrier.

Big mouth lands him in jail
A man who allegedly bilked an insurance company for a fraudulent settlement was arrested on Thursday after he bragged about the crime on talk radio, the FBI said. 

• Editors held for belly dancing emir cartoon

• Light smoking also hazardous

EDITORIALS

Social security initiative

THE new socio-economic initiative announced on the 55th anniversary of Independence is quite comprehensive. It covers not only the poor but also the middle class, which has been getting a stepmotherly treatment for long. The cornerstone of this wide-ranging scheme is a plan, which will take care of the life-time concerns of the poor and the middle class. The need for such a scheme was being felt acutely because in the liberalised economy, the safety net for most citizens has either become extremely fragile or has vanished altogether. Interest rates on deposits have fallen steadily and many financial institutions too have ditched the common man. The new initiative aims at providing income-enhancing education and taking care of the need of the girl child, emergency healthcare, economic security in old age and protection to families in the event of the untimely death of the breadwinner. This and several other schemes are tailor-made to alleviate hunger among the most vulnerable sections of society, such as old people, widows and disabled persons without families or social support. Since the grain godowns are bulging, the government has decided to operationalise a major food-based social security programme for the destitute. Similar schemes have been lined up for farmers, handloom weavers, disabled persons, children, scavengers, ex-servicemen and their dependents etc.

The initiative is applause-worthy indeed. The word “applause-worthy” is being used in place of the usual “praise-worthy” because the project will qualify for the second adjective only after it is translated into action. The exceptionally vast sweep of the scheme gives one a distinctly uneasy feeling. Far less ambitious schemes have fallen by the wayside in the absence of suitable implementation. The experience so far has been that these are announced in haste and neglected at leisure. Take for instance the golden quadrilateral scheme linking the four metros. It has been moving at the proverbial snail’s pace because of impediments which were never factored in. In Bihar, powerful mafia lords with strong links with state politicians force the road officials to give contract to their henchmen, failing which they hold up the road construction. Before announcing any new scheme the government must ensure two things. One, that follow-up action will be commensurate with the blueprint of the scheme; and two, that it will be implemented within a strictly stipulated time-frame. Just as justice delayed is justice denied, relief delayed is also relief denied.

Pitfalls of MPs’ scheme

THE Centre’s rejection of the demand for increasing the money under the MPs’ Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) from Rs 2 crore to Rs 4 crore for every MP is timely and welcome. The decision deserves to be appreciated because of the fact that ever since it was launched in 1983 by Mr P.V.Narasimha Rao’s government, the MPLADS has been embroiled in one controversy or the other. Initially, the scheme was started with a component of Rs 1 crore for every MP of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. Later, it was increased to Rs 2 crore after MPs complained that with the amount made available to them, they were left with little choice but to recommend only minor projects such as road repairs, patch works, sinking of tubewells etc. It is nobody’s case that MPs should not be given adequate funds for developing their respective constituencies. But the point is that the scheme is not being implemented properly and effectively. There are also complaints of irregularities in the implementation of the scheme even though the executing agency of the MPLADS is the District Collector or the Deputy Commissioner. Moreover, the Comptroller and Auditor-General has pointed to several instances of misuse, violation of guidelines and sanction of works for commercial and private organisations in the scheme. In its report released last year, it also said the irregularities “not only persisted but worsened” since 1998, when the first audit of the MPLADS was submitted to Parliament, and that it was marred by “fraud and insufficient monitoring”. Underutilisation of funds has become yet another major problem with the scheme and there is virtually no accountability on the part of our members. Union Minister of State for Statistics and Programme Implementation Vijay Goel admitted recently that the rate of utilisation of funds under the MPLADS was not more than 74 per cent!

There is a general impression that as the state governments already have multifarious schemes (financed by local bodies, states themselves or Centrally-sponsored), the MPLADS has resulted in a policy mismatch, bureaucratisation and overlapping of authority with various agencies working at cross-purposes. Apparently, there is little justification for duplicating the works of these agencies under the MPLADS. The original scheme did have some checks and balances, but following complaints of fund misuse and ineffective monitoring, fresh guidelines were issued in January, 1997. These include continuity of the project, no lapse of funds if a member changes his/her constituency and the creation of a nodal authority for effective monitoring of the scheme. Sadly, however, there is no end to complaints of fund misuse and political discrimination in the selection of areas for development under the scheme. Some of the functional drawbacks can be rectified, given the political will and administrative backup, but the issue in question is whether the scheme has really made any significant contribution to local development. Worthy of mention in this context is the example set by MPs in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Of the funds allotted under the MPLADS, MPs in the two states had financed computers for educational institutions. As a result, more than 20,000 computer-trained students from these two states found jobs abroad. It would be better if MPs of all other states, including Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, utilised their funds under this scheme in such novel ventures. The focus of the MPLADS, as demonstrated by Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, should be on long-term benefits and not short-term gains.

The deadly haze

A UN study has discovered a 3-km deep blanket of pollution spread over South Asia which can radically change the monsoon pattern, cause drought, reduce India’s winter rice yield and lead to a spurt in respiratory diseases. This has naturally sent shock waves among the countries affected — India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. The study, commissioned by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and conducted by about 200 scientists, including Indians, on behalf of the Centre for Clouds, Chemistry and Climate, has warned that the Asian Brown Haze, as they call it, will intensify in the next 30 years. This “pollution parcel” consists of a deadly cocktail of ash, acids and suspended particles in the air called aerosols. Aerosols are caused by the burning of wood and fossil fuels or can also result from natural causes like desert sand and sea salt. These heat up the lower atmosphere and reduce the amount of sunlight reaching the ground. This, in turn, affects human health and agriculture. Press reports emanating from London carry some shocking data : 24,000 premature deaths occurred in India annually because of pollution in the early nineties and a few years later the figure jumped to 37,000 deaths every year. The report has also frightened much of Europe since the scientists have warned that the Asian haze can travel half way round the globe in a week. Lest the impression spreads that the responsibility for causing such deadly pollution rests with South Asia alone and developed nations start pointing an accusing finger at the region, it may be noted that a graph contained in the report shows that sulphur dioxide emissions by North America, Europe, China and East Asia were many times larger than those of South Asia. So pollution, like corruption, is a global phenomenon.

Those living in metropolises and industrial towns of India and much of the developing world do not need to be told about the dangers of environmental pollution; they breathe it in daily, rather every moment. Schoolchildren are taught the hazards of pollution, yet the huge quantum of paper they use as study material itself comes from the destruction of trees. Industries cause pollution, but they also provide employment. Vehicles pollute the environment, yet none can do anything about them. All appear helpless. Poverty is a major handicap in avoiding environmental degradtion. The developed world’s progress has been based on the indiscriminate exploitation of natural resources. The rest of the world is following the same route of progress. it is not the industry alone that pollutes, mechanised farming does the same.To save time and labour, farmers use combine-harvesters for wheat harvest and burn the stubble in the fields on a large scale in Punjab. Every section contributes to pollution and there are very few to check the degradation. The Asian haze only reminds man, once again, the dangers of mindless pursuit of growth by ransacking nature’s reserves without replenshing them. Growth with environmental preservance, a massive afforestation campaign and an equally aggressive drive to conserve water resources are the needs of the hour.

OPINION

Democracy of scams and rioting
There is need for a thorough overhaul
K.F. Rustamji

The biggest disaster in our independent history was the massacre in Gujarat, the magnitude of which is still not known. Between 1000 and 2000 Muslims were killed by mob rage extending over a large part of the state. We showed great concern when we heard about killings in Rawanda and Burundi in Africa. We said it was all due to the failure of government. Now we have had our own dismal failure, in which we all, one and all, contributed, from the President and a supine Governor to the common man, including several political parties that accepted it, the Central Government that stood silent, even perhaps the Intelligence Bureau that failed to bring out the enormity of the carnage, and certainly Modi and his team that took pride in ordering a demolition job with precision and diabolical fury. Do we want to make this a regular feature of our democracy? If not, all policemen who failed in their duty should be punished. Orders of a state government cannot modify the law of the land.

What is the use of living in a great democracy, under a good Constitution and a working criminal justice system, if nobody can step in at the height of a carnage and say: “Stop, you are damaging the nation”? We have a fine panoply of power, enormous strength of military, large para-military forces, national reserves of police and home guards which could have been used to end the savagery. What did we do? We waited, all stupefied, feeling that Godhra deserved revenge, without knowing the truth about it, and blindly accepted a pogrom, spelt out in Modi’s February 27 meeting, which I feel sure, the I.B. must have reported to the Centre. We are all guilty, except some spirited members of the media that called a government of bigots to account for the hysteria that they had generated. They organised hysteria in Hitler’s Germany and it produced a holocaust. Mob hysteria is a danger that we just refuse to see, instead we exploit it for political purposes. It will not end till another Gandhi arises, or a generation of young people with a clear vision of tomorrow push out those who want to churn out violence by agitation and rioting for their politics, and our disgrace.

Into the political tangle that is India, steps in Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam as President. He says he has “unflinching commitment to secularism”. All the leaders have said the same thing. Sounds so good. None is prepared to act when the time comes. Our President is used to being a sensible, scientific men. Will he be able to understand double-talking politicians? Will he be able to step in when the situation requires his intercession, or will he plead “constitutional disability” and allow the carnage to go on? If there is such a disability for the President it must be corrected so that we do not have a repeat of Gujarat. That is the first step we can take to overhaul our democracy, and honour the memory of those who were brutally killed.

Second, we need to see why the Gujarat police failed to deal with the disturbances. Many of them were sucked into the hysteria of rioting. Some wanted to gain political kudos, or to get some of the loot. Many wanted to avoid harassment by a government that wanted violence. The police must be accountable to the law. An impartial agency like a State Security Commission is essential to guide law enforcement.

The debate on Gujarat in Parliament was marked by disturbance. What is it that is wanting in our legislature? Do we want the shouting and the repeated invasions of the well to lodge protests to be a permanent feature? Ours is probably the only Parliament in the world that allows disorder in place of debate? Why do we not ask the Speaker to disqualify any person who defies his mandate for long periods? It is only then that we can think of introducing some quality in debate, some discipline in the House, which is reflected in the nation. Can we think of bringing a new class of debaters into the field? Would the political parties agree to give tickets to say Rajdeep Sardesai who can report from the field in a manner that is accurate and convincing, or can some party take up Barkha Dutt who can handle a debate as well as any politician, probably because she is not a politician? Can we encourage scientists and technologists from the universities to enter politics? We need fresh people from the media — people like Siddharth Varadarajan, Vidya Subramaniam, Mrinal Pande, or should we say that intelligent men and women are not required in politics because their caste or community is against them, or they do not have the money?

Can we get a team of editors to join committees? Can we honour some of our heroes in war, or the sports field, by an appearance in Parliament, or request Lata to sing a song on some occasion, and this with the purpose of showing that Parliament is not only an arena of politics, it is the home of our science, arts, sports and culture.

We have produced many good speakers in our public life — Sriniwas Sastri, Bhulabhai Desai, Shyamaprasad Mukherjee, Maulana Azad, Dr Radhakrishnan, Dr Ambedkar, Jawaharlal Nehru, J.R.D. Tata, Sarojini Naidu, Padmaja Naidu, to name just a few. They spoke with a grandeur that held us in thrall — tumhe yaad ho ke na yaad ho. Should we squander that precious heritage to hecklers?

It is not tampering with the Constitution that we need, though small revisions can certainly be made to keep up with the times. It is the method of debate in Parliament that needs to be changed. That TV shot of the Speaker with folded hands pleading for order again and again, is not a good certificate of our democracy. It serves as a model of indiscipline in our colleges and schools. Do we want our prime institution to become a model of incivility and rude manners? Besides, can we redesign our airconditioning and cut out the ceiling fans of Parliament that makes it look archaic. In fact, the whole interior should have a new look. A team of architects could be engaged to give a modern look to the House by 2047.

Whoever is in charge of TV coverage of Parliament is doing a poor job. We should engage an expert to show that Parliament is the hub of our democracy. Mahesh Bhatt or Bhansali can certainly tell us how to televise proceedings, fill in the gaps, and make our Parliament the showpiece of the world’s largest democracy, with every hour of the proceedings televised so that the people can see and judge what is happening. That is participation, the soul of a democracy.

I am not sure that the petrol pump scam is unusual when we consider all the scams that we have had. There is one difference, however. For the first time we were bold enough to admit a mistake and correct it. Are we going to fashion our politics only on scams with walkouts and “hallagulla” each time one is discovered? Science is never mentioned in the House. Poverty hardly causes much concern. It is easy to pick out faults but, what about the vision thing? Are we destined to look only at gutters? It would appear that scams and mayhem are all that we need for politics, not even the prosecution and conviction of the guilty, not the uplift of a billion people.

In India we have paid a big price for our inability to understand mob hysteria which we call communal violence. Trouble begins with the fact that Muslims give leadership to those who have the capacity to excite, irritate and annoy, and yet they rely on a democracy that they can never get to terms with. Hindus want to build leadership on past misdeeds and future fears. Then there are the extremist groups of the Hindu fold who are ready to take out the sword and pose as conquerors for the cover of Outlook. The Muslim extremists work in other countries with an eagerness for destruction. In between are the unemployed poverty-stricken youth of both sides who want to vent their anger on a society that has failed them, but, can only find the opportunity to kill a lone youngster, an old milkman, or a scooter driver out to get a doctor for his pregnant sister. All this is watched by the law enforcement agencies - the police and the judiciary - with stoic indifference. Yes, this is a true portrait of Indian law-and-order, and the mystery to me is why we have never understood that violent communalism is the cause of the decline of both India and Pakistan. We will never be successful unless our laws are able to make the police perform its duty, and the judges to punish the guilty with severity and speed.

The women’s hockey team can bring gold to us with superb play, the Yuvraj-Kaif combination can pull a cricket team out of certain defeat. Sachin can be No. 1 in the world. We can produce generals, admirals and airmen of quality, writers that are read by millions, but, why is it that we have not quite succeeded in governance? Is it because we are still learners in democracy, still struggling with age-old habits of caste and community, we haven’t understood that democracy means understanding, and faith in diversity, and integrity in all matters. Foolish fanatics and rich scamsters never get punished by the law. We do not even know that violence of one type begets violence of another, and it is called reprisal, and that is why we have laws and judges, but, even they take years to decide that violence is bad for us.

We should be able to make changes in our legislatures to make them representative of the people of India. We are a poor country. How often do we give a chance to the poor to say what troubles them, and how they can get out of poverty. We are an agricultural country. Do we care to know scientific developments? We speak against caste, but, give tickets on that basis. We are held to ransom by dons from abroad, but, refuse to speed up justice. We are supposed to honour women. I remember the spat that occurred in Parliament when Sunil Dutt said: “Main auraton ka diwaana hoon”. Freely translated it means “I worship women”. It had to be expunged because several women MPs felt it was an assault on womanhood. Members rushed to the well of the House to show their disgust for a member who had expressed such unbounded admiration for women, and threatened their virtue. All of us have said: “I adore you” at some time, but no man dared to counter the rush to save the women of India. The fact that Sunil had stood by one woman with extreme devotion was not considered enough justification. In fact, in a film, I heard the hero sing “pathar ke sanam tujhe hamne mohabbat ka khuda jaanaa”. A total heresy, but a little different from the men who threw screaming Muslim women into the fires of Gujarat, gloated over it, and now hope to win an election.

We have to consider that our Parliament should change with the times, the quality of debates must be such that they would be listened to with greater interest than the TV news, and it must not be only to score points in politics. The truth is that it does not impress if it gives a wrong impression of democracy, or are as dull as ads repeated on TV. We have to live up to the standard of Upanishad self analysis.

When we complete 100 years of Independence in 2047, we will have to examine what we have achieved. True, we would have kept democracy going. On the other hand, if scams and rioting were all that we got, although peace and some manner of progress was achieved over large areas, and we qualified as first rate in space, the questions we must ask first is, was there a reduction in poverty and illiteracy? Second, did the people get justice? If no progress has been achieved in these two, we will be placed along with Pakistan among the rejects of history although we have all the resources and talent that can make democracy a success. While we still have the time, let us analyse performance, lay out a chart of development and swear that political one-upmanship is not the only goal of democracy. The people want to get out of the shackles of the past, and democracy is the best method of doing it.

ON RECORD

I am not in race for leadership: Vaghela
Satish Misra
Tribune News Service

Mr Shankarsinh Vaghela, who after his elevation as the Gujarat Congress boss, has electrified the party which was a moribund organisation till then. In his early sixties, Mr Vaghela came to the 13th Lok Sabha from the Kapadvanj constituency by securing 62.17 per cent votes and defeating his BJP rival by a margin of 1,65,381 votes. Once a committed RSS follower, he had held important positions in the BJP and in its erstwhile avtar Jan Sangh.

Excerpts of an interview

Q: Your elevation as Gujarat Congress chief is being viewed as a crucial decision to fight the BJP primarily because you know the saffron brigade inside out. To what extent is this an advantage?

I am very much thankful to Soniaji and the Congress high command for appointing a branded man as the PCC chief with full trust. I have to fight the BJP. I know its weaknesses and I have to attack them. I am confident that I will demolish the BJP at the hustings.

Q: Does the argument of the BJP hold good even now that there is a sharp division of votes?

There is a polarisation of the Congress and the BJP. Who created the Godhra tragedy, who killed Ram sevaks in the train? Whose responsibility was it to protect them? The BJP is in power at the Centre, it was in power in Uttar Pradesh and it was holding reins of power in Gujarat. Despite being in power, Ram sevaks were killed. Who did it is the big question. Special reports indicate something else. Soon, the facts will come out fixing responsibility. See, the BJP has been losing every election, whether it was a parliamentary byelection, municipal or gram panchayats and despite changing Keshubhai Patel, the electoral prospects of the BJP are not improving. I know the BJP people from close quarters. I will not be surprised if it is revealed later that the BJP itself was involved in setting fire to the train. The BJP does not know the art of governance and administration either in Gujarat or at the Centre. Godhra was the BJP’s failure and post Godhra was the creation of the BJP, the VHP and the Bajrang Dal. Let the truth come out. The BJP has a criminal mind and this criminal mentality was behind Godhra and post-Godhra.

Q: Is the Congress a divided house as ever before?

See, the BJP is a divided house and suprisingly the Congress is united as never before. As you know, I am a man of the organisation, so I am putting in front ranks my senior colleagues. I am in the last rows. I don’t want anything..I have no personal axe to grind. I only want to finish the BJP so that it can never damage the interests of Gujarat again. The signs are good and we are all one against the BJP. We sat together and took a joint decision to teach the BJP a lesson.

Q: What is your campaign plan?

It is going to be a positive campaign in an aggressive mode. We are going to tell people that Gujarat, once among the front-ranking states of the country, has lost out on economic parameters. Power and industrial production along with agricultural output has fallen much below the levels of yesteryear. Unemployment has grown, drinking water has become scarce. There is a long list of the failure of the BJP government, particularly of the Modi government. They don’t have an economic agenda. They have only one agenda of “Maro, kato aur jalao” (kill, maim and burn). The people are fed up with this. They want peace and prosperity. What they had promised years ago in their various manifestos, nothing has been fulfilled or achieved. No promises have been kept. They have been wasting time only on non-issues like the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya or scrapping Article 370 or even a common civil code which have no relevance for a common man. I don’t think the common man is concerned either with a temple or a masjid in Ayodhya.

Q: Are you also of the view that assembly elections should not be held at this present juncture?

Who told them to dissolve the Assembly? They have the mandate till February, 2003. They wanted a mandate again so that they can continue with their non-sensical programme but whenever the elections are held, the Congress is going to win. For the last four and a half years, the Congress has been winning elections whether it was a parliamentary byelection or panchayat or municipal elections. Even in gram panchayat elections, the Congress won 80 per cent seats. People should not be denied the right to exercise their franchise. Thousands of voters have been uprooted from their homes and about one crore people don’t have voter identity cards. That is the issue today. The Congress is not afraid of elections and is ready for elections whenever they are announced.

Q: What is your strongest weapon to fight the BJP?

There is no need for a weapon. The BJP stands exposed before the people. The BJP had sought one chance from the people and they have been given two but their track record has opened the eyes of Gujaratis. The electorate would take care of the BJP.

Q: What medicine do you have for healing deep wounds of Gujarati society?

Both minority as well as majority community have suffered under the arrogant rule of Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who has trampled on the positive values of the traditional Gujarati society. They need a gentle human touch. They need a sense of security. Since I was in touch with riot-affected areas from the very first day, I know their problems.

Q: The three-member Election Commission’s visit to Gujarat has been criticised by the BJP. They have charged that the constitutional body is being pressurised by the Congress. Your comment.

It is all humbug. Was Chief Election Commissioner J M Lyngdoh appointed by the Congress? The BJP’s mentality is authoritarian, not democratic. The BJP has no tolerance. they don’t respect the constitutional authority. Everyone, including the constitutional authorities, should dance to their tunes and follow their wish as a command. Thank God the BJP is still not in full command and there are institutions which can stand erect against their dictates. The Election Commission is an independent authority and it will take its decision for conducting free and fair elections.

Q: How do you view President A P J Abdul Kalam’s visit to Gujarat on his own initiative to spread the message of communal harmony and amity?

Rashtrapatiji went to my state and even the President’s decision to go there was questioned. They said that he should have gone to Jammu and Kashmir. Rashtrapatiji has been elected by the NDA and other opposition parties, including mine too. He is the First Citizen of the country and he should decide where to go. They want the President to be a rubber stamp. But we are grateful that Rashtrpratiji chose Gujarat as his first destination. But during the President’s visit the BJP arrested people and did not permit them to meet him. The administration did not allow the media to meet the President. Chief Minister Narendra Modi became almost a shadow of the President. Modi did not leave Rashtrapatiji alone for a minute fearing that someone may brief the President about the real issues. Thus the President’s visit was a controlled show of the BJP. The state Government made the entire tour a joke.

Q: Even if the Congress manages to win the elections, then how does the Congress propose to restore confidence of minorities and put the state’s economy back on the rails?

My record as the Chief Minister in 1997 is a reminder to the people that Gujarat during that time was number one in many areas. I had collected experts like Sam Pitroda for development of Gujarat and people know that the Congress stands for economic development. We will do it again by roping in experts and technologists for speeding up the development of Gujarat. I will form a Gujarat Asmita Sabha. I will ask them to put Gujarat again on road to development. We have a blueprint ready for Gujarat’s rapid economic development. So far restoring the confidence of minorities is concerned, not only the minority but even some sections of the majority community feel insecure in the present regime. They feel secure now as they know that the Congress is going to defeat the BJP.

Senior Citizens: their place and plight
Desh Rampal

Any insult to an aged person is considered as a greatest act of cruelty all over the world. He is believed to possess wisdom gained over a long span of his life. In Punjabi we say “Oh jawan nahi, syani umer da hai”. An old person, therefore, is entitled to respect by virtue of his age alone. People of every age group approach Senior Citizens for advice due to their wisdom and knowledge.

Dharamraj Yudhishtra sent his brothers to Bhishma and Lord Rama sent Lakshmna to Ravna, when both of these old persons were waiting for the suitable time to breath their last, to gather rare wisdom and knowledge so as to ensure that they did not die keeping these virtues close to their chests.

The society we have today has not become civilised over night. It owes its evolution to the unending quest for knowledge and wisdom by our ancestors. The society has assimilated the wisdom and accumulated experience of generations. Bookish knowledge is one thing and wisdom another. Akbar and Maharaja Ranjit Singh are said to be the most competent rulers. Both were illiterate.

But the process of giving special status and respect to the old members of the family, and the society, and deriving wisdom, knowledge and solace in return has almost stopped. Described as “devtas”, next to God and, therefore, deserve to be worshiped, the old parents in particular and Senior Citizens in general are a most miserable lot today. In majority of the cases, nobody approaches them to gather knowledge and wisdom although some of them mattered at their own time.

Neglected by their own children, they are abandoned and are made to live in solitude with total lack of dialogue with the rest of the members of the family. This gives the old parents the feeling that they are no longer required. This pushes some of them early to the grave. Those who survive become non-entities. They are left with no option except to lend themselves to humiliation, insults and acts of cruelty on one hand and to silently pray for their redemption on the other.

The nation has done nothing to look after the aged, the worst victims of society, so that they could live and die with dignity.

We, the people, who believe in the theory of “karma” and its fruit and punishment, do not know as to what is there in store for these people in their present and next birth.

But this is very much visible that tension, depression, sadness and total loss of cheerfulness are the results of our deviation from the values based on piety, kindness, selflessness and respect for the old, infirm and helpless members of the family and society.

SIGHT & SOUND

Laloo for laughs
Amita Malik

Some years ago, on one of my visits to Paris, I divided my time between the French Open Tennis and a most delectable satirical programme on TV. My French was rusty and only slightly better than Boris Becker’s, but that did not really matter. Because what I was watching was so visual, that it overcame every language barrier. In short President George Bush Sr. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and the French President were mercilessly lampooned every evening. One was depicted as a frog, another as an owl and I think the third as a lizard. In the event, French viewers were entertained and treated to some incidental serious analysis of these politicians. And the politicians neither protested nor turned a hair. This kind of spoof is normal in sophisticated democratic countries. When I spent the next fortnight in Britain, the cartoonists and the TV programmes were having a gala time lampooning Maggie Thatcher and her husband and even The British sacred cow, her Majesty the Queen. Clinton, at the height of the Monica Lewinsky scandal and throughout his presidency figured every day in the print and electronics media with biting references to his life style. And whoever surfs on the net or watches US TV, will know that President George W. Bush’s Sidhu-isms, if I may call them that, are daily fare for leg-pulling, one can often see this on CNBC in India.

But when it comes to us Indians, we are so touchy that every politician becomes a sacred cow. They prefer their feet to be touched to having their legs pulled. In earlier days, British Viceroys and relaxed politicians like Nehru used to ask cartoonist Shankar, the doyen of cartoonists, for autographed copies of their originals. But now even cartoonists have to tread warily. Not that we have not had political satire on TV. But the characters were stereotypes rather than individuals. Shekhar Suman’s imitations of some politicians have now become old hat although he has really blotted his copy by grovelling before Bal Thackeray who has been a cartoonist and might conceivably have taken a joke in his stride. But nobody really dares to pull his leg.

And now there is all that pother about the serial on Sab TV, Raamkhilavaan (CM)’s family. Laloo Prasad Yadav, who is one of the most entertaining politicians on TV and a comedian in his own right has taken such objection to the serial that he is asking for non-bailable warrants against the makers and actors in the serial to be issued from Patna so that they can be arrested in Mumbai because he finds it insulting. I think the serial makers should not have gone on the defensive by denying that the serial has been inspired by Laloo Prasad, Rabri Devi and family. They should have said it was, but not done in malice any more than the programmes in Western countries on their leaders. And this touchiness seems confined to our netas only. The Kolkata cockney, the Mumbai mewali, the ordinary Tamilian as well as Cho Ramaswamy have a terrific sense of humour, as is evident at election time all over India. And I think politicians who can laugh at themselves are likely to get more votes than those who take themselves too seriously.

I have watched three episodes of Raamkhilavaan and frankly found it refreshingly funny and very professional. I loved the 10th Class-failed Education Minister becoming the tutor of the CM’s pretty daughter and one programme was very topical poking fun at how one can get around the ban on Ghutka. Performances were uniformly good, the best coming, as the brother-in-law, from Sanjay Mishra. Oh, come off it, Lalooji. But I shall admire Indian TV more when they can also have the guts to take on our many other laughable politicians. If Shotgun Sinha can do it and still join the Cabinet, why can’t you?

The President’s visit to Gujarat was human interest as well as hard news. I give top marks to Zee TV who not only covered every minute of it, but had golden moments such as full live coverage of Abdul Kalam’s chat with children at Sabarmati, a touching exclusive interview with Mrinalini Sarabhai and, in a reverse of Tehelka, showed people from refugee camps being hustled from their sleep before babus at 2 a.m. (when I saw it) handing out money to cynical refugees who had waited for three months without a paisa and said so on TV. When Zee’s reporter asked the babus if this was not all due to the President’s visit, they replied, in true babu fashion “Pataa Nahi.”

TRENDS & POINTERS

Big mouth lands him in jail

A man who allegedly bilked an insurance company for a fraudulent settlement was arrested on Thursday after he bragged about the crime on talk radio, the FBI said. Humberto Perez, 31, was taken into custody on a charge of mail fraud for falsely claiming that his truck was stolen and getting a new truck and cash from his insurer.

FBI agent Steve McCraw told reporters the case came to the agency’s attention after someone who identified himself as “John” described the crime on a San Antonio Spanish-language radio show entitled “What is Your Biggest Lie?”

“John” said he had a friend steal the truck and even gave the time and place of the incident. McCraw said a quick check of stolen vehicle reports led agents to Perez, who faces up to five years in prison if convicted. Reuters

Editors held for belly dancing emir cartoon

A Jordanian newspaper boss and his editor have been arrested for publishing a cartoon portraying Qatari ruler Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani as a belly dancer.

Al-Shahed group media publisher Sakhr Abu Anaza and the editor of the weekly satirical al-Jazeera, Mamoun Rousan, were detained on Wednesday and charged with offending a head of an Arab state and publishing material interpreted as causing harm to bilateral ties.

The cartoon shows the emir and his foreign minister singing and dancing in a nightclub. Lawyer Haytham al-Kayed told Reuters the charges carry a maximum three-year prison sentence.“The arrests are a political decision by the government to win favour with the Qataris at the expense of freedom of the press,” said Osama al-Ramini, the deputy editor of al-Shahed. Reuters

Light smoking also hazardous

Light or non-inhaling smokers are damaging their health far more seriously than they may think, and women in particular are more at risk than men, a study of Danes has found.

“There is an amazingly large risk of developing blood clots in the heart, or mortality, from smoking as few as three to five cigarettes a day,” Dr Eva Prescott, head of the study, told Reuters.

The study, carried out by the Danish Institute of Preventive Medicine, was begun in 1978 and has examined more than 12,000 people living in the Danish capital. More than half of the women and 70 percent of the men in the study were cigarette smokers.

As well as stamping out the perception that limited smoking is not harmful, the study also shows that smoking is 50 percent more dangerous for women than for men, Prescott said.

For women smoking three to five cigarettes a day the risk of a heart attack is more than double that of a non-smoker, the study showed. “It is rather surprising that there is such a big risk from smoking that little,” Prescott said. Risks were also increased for non-inhaling smokers, the study showed. “The risk to one’s health can only be removed by stopping smoking completely,” Prescott said.

Women are more exposed to the dangers of smoking because tobacco damages the female oestrogen hormone, which has a protective effect against cardio-vascular diseases, she said. Women smoking more than 25 cigarettes a day have a 4.5 times bigger risk of dying than non-smoking women. Heavy smoking men have a 2.2 times bigger mortality risk .Reuters

SPIRITUAL NUGGETS

Be careful, O householders! Put not too much confidence in women; they establish their mastery over you very insidiously....

You cannot live in a sooty room, and at the same time escape being somewhat blackened in spite of all your caution So also if a man lives in the company of women, some carnality, however little, is bound to arise in him....

Woman and gold — remember keep men immersed in wordliness and away from God.

—Sayings of Sri Ramakrishna

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— The Tirukkural