EDITORIALS

Separate grain from chaff

WHILE commenting on the Centre’s decision to cancel allotments of petrol stations, LPG and kerosene agencies, this paper had mentioned that although the pronouncement might come in handy to the BJP-led government to fend off unrelenting criticism and even strike a holier-than-thou pose, it might not stand judicial scrutiny. Quite predictably, the Supreme Court has stayed the controversial decision. That will come as a big relief to those people who had got the agencies without pulling political strings. Now that the scandal stands fully exposed, it can be said with some certainty that the initial figures bandied about by some publications that as many as half of the allotments might have been made to the relatives and friends of the charmed saffron parivar were not correct. Out of the 3000-plus allotments, only about 300 or fewer agencies are believed to have gone to the political class type. That figure is scandalously large no doubt, but the point is that there are many more who got the licences through proper procedure. Why should they be punished for no fault of theirs? It is the government’s bounden duty to separate grain from chaff. It was criminal on its part to deny genuine applicants of petrol stations on extraneous grounds. It has compounded the mischief by cancelling all allotments. As the apex court has rightly asked, who is going to pay the instalments for repayment of loans that such persons have taken?

That is not all. The cancellation was done in tearing hurry, giving a go-by to established procedures. Again quoting the apex court, what prevented the government from issuing a notice to a person before taking his livelihood? Among the allottees are many handicapped persons, ex-servicemen, widows and war widows. The blanket cancellation has come as a bolt from the blue for them. Whatever the political compulsions might have been, the whole issue has to be scrutinised on a case-to-case basis and total fairplay ensured. When such allotments were made to the favoured few through discretionary quota by the Congress regime, the BJP had raised a hue and cry. It has now surpassed the record of indiscretion without even taking recourse to any discretionary quota. Instead of ridding the system of the previous perversity, ingenuity of politicians has made it worse. Dealer Selection Board members were either shunted out or turned into handmaidens of the party in power. Now that the cover has been blown from the huge loopholes, it is necessary to plug them forcefully and ruthlessly. A government is not supposed to be a favour disbursement agency.

US interest in Kashmir

THERE is renewed American interest in Kashmir, much greater than ever. The reason is that the US-led war on terrorism that began in Afghanistan is showing signs of getting derailed. Osama bin Laden’s Al-Qaeda network continues to be as serious a threat as it ever was to American interests. The terrorist mastermind is reported to be hiding in the tribal areas in Pakistan bordering Afghanistan. And he is (if he is really alive) not alone there. Al-Qaeda activists are believed to be strengthening their network in the tribal areas as also elsewhere to spring surprises on the USA. The Americans are using all their might to track down their enemies in the suspected hideouts in Pakistan and Afghanistan, but their efforts are not bringing the desired results. This means an excellent opportunity for the military regime in Islamabad to exploit the situation to its advantage. It has impressed upon the Americans that Pakistan cannot spare enough troops to help them in their tricky mission because of the need for a heavy deployment on the borders with India. Pakistan is exerting tremendous pressure on its friend and mentor, the USA, to make India not only agree for talks on Kashmir but also hammer out a solution to the crisis in the subcontinent.

The Americans have, perhaps, begun to realise that without ending the border stand-off between the two nuclear-armed South Asian neighbours, the military campaign against Al-Qaeda cannot reach its logical conclusion. Thus, on the one hand the USA has asked the Pakistan regime to clear the country of all foreign jehadi elements, on the other it has begun to work on a plan to bring New Delhi and Islamabad to the negotiating table. The immediately available opportunity is next month’s UN General Assembly session in New York when both Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and President Pervez Musharraf will be in the USA and are expected to meet President George Bush. Initial reports suggest that there is little possibility of a Vajpayee-Musharraf summit in New York with the USA as the facilitator, but the Bush Administration is leaving no stone unturned. US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage was in the subcontinent the other day to have a fresh feel of the climate of tension. He went to Beijing too to know the reaction of the Chinese leadership with regard to the US efforts to broker peace in the region. Ms Lisa Curtis, Senior Adviser to US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs Christina Rocca, has been to Srinagar and other places trying to bring about a halt in the activities of the Kashmiri militant outfits like the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen. This is, perhaps, aimed at meeting the Indian demand that in an atmosphere created by terrorist killings and the continuing infiltration from across the border, New Delhi cannot be expected to hold talks with Islamabad. The terrorist infiltration, though at a reduced scale, is not ending with General Musharraf having expressed his inability to stop it completely, contrary to the promises he has made to the international community. The Jehad Council, an amalgam of Kashmiri terrorist outfits, is still functioning with its chief, Syed Salahuddin, moving around freely. There is no proof of the terrorist training facilities having been completely eliminated. No one can believe Islamabad’s words on this issue. The Americans will have to quickly address themselves to these crucial problems for their latest mission to succeed.

FRANKLY SPEAKING

Looking beyond poll Ordinance
Gaps between political thinking & the silent majority
HARI JAISINGH

After having made his point on the half-hearted provisions in the Ordinance on poll reforms President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam has graciously endorsed it, knowing well his constitutional limitations in such a situation.

The question is not of presidential powers. Every constitutional organ has to go by the letter and spirit of the Constitution in a parliamentary form of government such as ours. The point of worry here is of the inadequacy of political response in critical areas of national importance. And the central point before the nation today is of curbing the criminalisation of the polity and upgrading the quality of democracy.

The Ordinance was, as the BJP claimed, based on a consensus among all political parties, though the Congress and Ms Mamata Banerjee's party have tried to distance themselves from "the consensus umbrella."

The moot questions are: what is the quality of this consensus in terms of the country's democratic values? Does the consensus help to decriminalise the polity? Is it an indicator of a major leap forward on poll reforms? Is it reflective of the will of the people?

I personally believe that the so-called all-party consensus is nothing but the politics of convenience which has become part of the attitude and functioning of the country's every political group.

All political parties come together and unite against any move which, directly or indirectly, poses a threat to their vote bank calculations or undermines their visible or invisible "links" with mafia power or what they consider to be their "real interests".

The politicians unite and get together if loose ends of the system are proposed to be plugged by law or legislation. The end result of such attitudes is the perpetual state of drift which thrives on ignorance, illiteracy, mafia power, corrupt practices, marriages of convenience and black money operations.

Things have come to such a pass that the parallel economy apart, there exists today a parallel system of power and patronage as well as the "culture" of "you scratch my back and I scratch yours". These have become powerful instruments of governance — far deadlier than the ones enshrined in the Constitution that proudly proclaim outside every official building and on the RBI currency notes : Satyameva Jayatey, that is, the "Truth will triumph".

But whose Truth and what Truth? Who has been triumphing in the current political culture of all play and no accountability in the on-going politics of putting self and party before the nation.

No wonder, we see all around a grand spectacle of looting the public exchequer to fill personal coffers; of grin and smile amidst under-the-table deals and handshakes; of promises and no performance; of more wages and no work or work discipline; of pro-active pursuits of partisan interests while the public suffers and groans for its very survival; of money and power adding to personal infrastructure of freewheeling sex and booze while the nation suffers the economic slidedown and corruption upswing; of glitter over the stark faces of poverty, deprivation and the crying woes of the jobless youth amidst the five-star extravaganza of the powers that be.

What more can be said on the state of the nation? The rest can easily be left to the imagination of an angry poet. For that matter, even Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee probably finds it easier to express his agony through poetic outbursts instead of challenging the custodians of adharma in the corridors of power!

Sometimes I feel that taking inspiration from the Goddess of Poetry can probably provide more solace than the protest against the drift. For, sane voices invariably fall on the deaf ears of the power-wielders.

The key issue here is the will of the people. In the past few decades, the will of the people has been ignored by unscrupulous politicians and their collaborators. No one seems to bother about how ordinary citizens feel about the burning problems of the country.

I firmly believe if somebody conducts an honest opinion poll, the people will probably endorse everything that the Supreme Court has said about poll reforms. They will also go along with the Election Commission on this issue and endorse the President's observations made while returning the Ordinance to the Union Cabinet for reconsideration.

The problem is that political vested interests today thrive on illiteracy, ignorance, poverty and the denial of social and economic justice.

What is wrong in stipulating educational qualifications for eligible contestants for elections? What is wrong in disclosing the income and assets of dependents and family members while filing the nomination papers? What is wrong if the electors are better informed about their prospective representatives so as to improve their standards and eliminate criminals from the poll arena?

Apparently, an open approach to the nation's critical issues do not suit the ruling coalition partners, including the once-upon-a-time principled and ideology-oriented outfit called the BJP. Equally understandable is the sharp reaction of big-mouthed socialist, Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav. We all know on what sort of political culture and vote bank he thrives. Obviously, curbs on the freewheeling politics will not suit the likes of Mr Yadav! They all are alike, though under different banners.

I am saying this both in sorrow and anger because I can feel the pulse of the silent majority. They quietly digest the sins of omission and commission of their rulers and do not assert themselves. Indeed, the silence of the silent majority has virtually become a boon for the country's growing rank of crafty politicians who, like the legendary three monkeys, do not wish to hear, talk and see a reformed India of the 21st century!

It is apparent that the conscience of the powers that be does not prick. They hardly care for the next generation which will not forgive them for their lapses in running the affairs of the country.

The question is not of the President versus the Union Cabinet. We all know that the President in this regard is helpless. The matter was referred back to him for his signature and he promptly okayed it. This is what the Constitution provides. At best, he could have sat over it for some time which he did not prefer and hence his gracious response for the sake of the country's parliamentary democracy.

What is important in the prevailing situation is that someone has the courage of conviction to stand up and convey his reservations on the lopsided steps on poll reforms. The country is at least fortunate to have some voices of reason and constitutionally established institutions which allow the custodians of the government to pause and think afresh. In the process they probably succeed in introducing some element of doubt in the ruling establishment that everything initiated in the name of the people is not above board.

Viewed in this light, Dr A.P. J. Abdul Kalam deserves kudos for conducting himself with due concern and in a dignified manner for the values and norms that can make a qualitative difference in the evolution of the India of today and the India of our dreams.

There are no shortcuts to the restructuring of the polity. This is a long drawn-out battle. The question is not of confrontation. What is needed is the culture of speaking out freely, honestly and fearlessly and suggesting alternatives in order to inject some sense among those who have got themselves in the blind alley of no return.

Today's rulers and power brokers may feel elated at their success, but they are getting sucked into the "blunderland" of their ownmaking. The sooner they came out of their follies, the better for the country and the people at large. What India needs is a freshness of approach and a bold initiative to tackle its problems. The key to the quality of the world's most vibrant democracy depends on its ability to eliminate criminals from politics and to create an environment for clean, educated and service-oriented candidates to contest elections.

IN THE NEWS

Jayalalithaa’s renewed interest in the NDA

Despite her blow hot, blow cold attitude about the unending Cauvery water dispute, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and AIADMK supremo J. Jayalalithaa is keen to join the NDA bandwagon. Her two-day stay in New Delhi was not without its attendant theatrics. There was, however, one silver lining when she and her Karnataka counterpart S.M. Krishna expressed their resolve to deal with forest brigand and sandalwood smuggler Veerappan firmly.

It is interesting that the two Chief Ministers should meet in New Delhi to review the situation pertaining to Veerappan, who has now abducted a former Karnataka minister. First, she walked out of the Cauvery River Authority meeting chaired by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee because of the intransigence displayed by the other parties involved.

She was, however, quick to explain that she meant no disrespect to the Prime Minister. Then she launched a frontal attack on the Congress party and its chief Sonia Gandhi. With Veerappan having a free run for the last 15 years and successfully escaping the clutches of the law, Ms Jayalalithaa put the blame squarely at the door of DMK stalwart and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi for lacking the political will.

In her bid to keep the BJP on her side in the hope of displacing the DMK in the NDA, Ms Jayalalithaa has inexorably bailed out the Vajpayee government of some sticky situations besides ensuring that the NDA’s nominees for the high office of President and Vice-President triumphed with unexpectedly large margins. She has minced no words in accepting that it is critical for her to keep the Centre on her right side so that the Vajpayee government does not dish out stepmotherly treatment when it comes to making available adequate Central resources for Tamil Nadu.

A cautious liberaliser

After several years the Finance Ministry will have an adviser with the rank of a Minister of State. Eminent economist Vijay Kelkar, described by his friends and peers as a cautious liberaliser and a consensus builder, is all set to take over as Adviser to the Finance Minister with the rank of MoS — a post last occupied several years ago by pioneering tax reformist Raja Chelliah. Mr Kelkar’s earlier assignment as India’s Executive Director in the International Monetary Fund (IMF) ended on July 31, which was preceded by his earlier stint at the Ministry of Finance as Finance Secretary when he succeeded the then “reigning prince” Montek Singh Ahluwalia.

Low-profile though he may be, Mr Kelkar’s contribution to India’s structural reforms programme is enormous. He is widely hailed as the brain behind the dismantling of the antiquated administered pricing mechanism (APM). He is adept at handling politically tricky issues. The manner in which he had been able to convince the diehard anti-reformists on the issue, has won him accolades from all and sundry. It is also said that Mr Kelkar was primarily instrumental in the coining of the term “second generation reforms” which is now so much a part of the accepted reformist lingo.

Mr Kelkar, who did his schooling in Pune, studied to become an engineer and went to the USA to do an MS in industrial engineering. As one of his peers said, “somewhere in the US, he decided on doing economics, and did his Ph.D in that”.

In his new avatar, Mr Kelkar will head the Budget making team. With his boss this time round being a political heavyweight in Mr Jaswant Singh, Mr Kelkar would be gearing up for a political tightrope walk expected to be manifested in the Budget.

Indian author with a difference

An MBA in information systems and finance from the University of Texas at Austin, Mr Ajeet Khurana is the author of one of the only eight books in the world on the Graduate’s Management Aptitude Test (GMAT) and the first Indian to do so. He is an engineering graduate from Bombay University. After completing his MBA, he spent 11 years of his professional life in education — as a teacher in the USA and in India as well as an entrepreneur and consultant. Before authoring this book titled “How to prepare for GMAT Cat”, he had founded an education institute, KITS, focusing on the test-prep business, before selling it to Intel Capital.

Significantly, Mr Ajeet’s book on GMAT is the only book to have been written in the post-CAT (Computer Adaptive Test) era. He is of the view that professionalising education services is one of the best business opportunities in India. He says that the present opportunity is not aimed at getting the government out of basic education.

The two major areas that are at present returning supernormal profits are education services and professional education. Mr Ajeet is critical about the recent mushroom growth of institutes offering MBA programmes from unheard of foreign universities. “I am neither forgiving of this shoddy way of running business, nor do I advocate that others do so. I give this example to illustrate that even a poor value proposition is raking in the moolah. So, imagine the business opportunity if one could really offer genuine value”.

COMMENTARY

Wanted: a new policy for Myanmar
M. S. N. Menon

Is Myanmar on the side of the Chinese? This has been the impression. It is somewhat false.

It is true a faction of the Burmese junta is close to China. For example, its intelligence chief. But the Burmese people — the vast majority of them — are hostile to China. They made this clear when they voted en masse for Suu Kyi, the Burmese leader.

But it is also true that China is the only country with which Myanmar had been in more or less close relations for the past 40 years. China took advantage of Myanmar’s isolation. Today there are about two million Chinese in northern Burma. Mandalay, Burma’s second largest city, is almost an outpost of China. China has built a number of roads and bridges linking Yunan with Mandalay. Its ultimate aim is to find an exit into the Bay of Bengal.

China has also struck deep roots in Burmese life. For instance, in its defence. It is largely a Chinese creation. It is equipped entirely with Chinese arms. They helped Myanmar to contain the insurgency.

But Burma paid a high price for China’s help. The communication facilities in the Coca island and strategic naval facilities leased out to China — these are not myths, whatever the junta may say. And Burmese Foreign Minister U Win Aung is on record as having said in India: “I wanted to tell the Indian public that... Myanmar’s soil will not be used as a military base by any power against India.” Well, these are days of spy satellites. So the truth will be out one day.

It will be difficult to cut China’s roots in Myanmar abruptly, which explains why Suu Kyi has become more pragmatic of late in her approach to the junta. But these roots have to be cut. For that she will need all the help she can get. India and the USA must provide that help. But why the USA? Because only the USA can prevent Chinese dominance over South East Asia.

Burma is already part of ASEAN and the Asian Regional Forum (the security wing of ASEAN). As such its future is linked to South East Asia and the Mekong region. And Myanmar is also linked to the Bay of Bengal Littoral States (BIMSTEC) and the Mekong Project, signed recently.

What is more, Suu Kyi is a democrat. She is firmly in the Western camp. And she is opposed to the influence that China has come to exercise over Myanmar.

There are a few other factors against China. For example, ASEAN’s antipathy towards China. Its conflict with China over the Spratley islands. And the presence of overseas Chinese in most of the South East Asian states.

The question is: can India take the initiative? It can, provided it frees itself from its fears of the dragon. It must bring Myanmar into the mainstream of international life.

According to observers, economic sanctions have weakened Myanmar. This has worried the junta. Which explains why it has changed its policies towards Suu Kyi. Only she can bring back foreign aid and investment. All sanctions must, therefore, go now.

But is the junta ready to share power with her? Power is not her immediate objective. She wants the junta to restore democracy. The junta is willing to do so, but at its own pace. It is dangerous to go fast, it says. There is some truth in it. There are about 15 or so armed groups in Myanmar in the north and southern parts of the country. They have not given up their violent ways. China has used them earlier against Yangon. It may do so again. Hence the need for caution.

The junta has arrived at some settlement with most of them. But the insurgency is by no means dead. And it has found a new patron — the ISI of Pakistan. Its interest? To keep the Indo-Myanmar border disturbed. Cooperation between Myanmar and India has, however, been helpful in containing the insurgency.

The Burmese army was fully justified in taking over power, for the incompetent civilian administration had broken down and was in no position to hold the country together. And let us not forget that it is the Burmese army which played a decisive role in the struggle for Burmese independence. The civilians played only a nominal role.

India has come to terms with most of the insurgents on its side. But the insurgency is by no means over. It continues because sanctuaries are easily available on both sides. According to one estimate, more Nagas and Mizos live in Myanmar. True or false, these make the problem intractable. And with the emergence of Cox’s Bazaar (Bangladesh) as a major hub for arms and narcotics, the bush fires in the region cannot be easily extinguished. The lure of the drug money keeps the insurgency going on both sides of the border. And there are warlords who thrive on the narcotic trade.

The India-Burma border has perhaps the worst terrain in the world. Only intense cooperation of the two nations can eliminate the insurgency. As Myanmar and India have no territorial dispute, it is easy for both of them to work together. It was wrong policies which prevented it.

But it is a different story along Myanmar’s border with Thailand. There, an insurgency has been going on with clandestine support from Thai authorities. This is most unfortunate. The LTTE has taken advantage of this to establish itself as the principal arms supplier to the region. Its high speed boats operate throughout the Bay of Bengal. Now that we have strengthened the Andaman Naval base, India must be able to stamp out the arms smuggling. This can go a long way to bring peace to the region.

Yangon has threatened to retaliate against Thailand if it continues to support the Myanmar insurgency. This has dangerous implications. India and ASEAN countries must prevent a conflict between Myanmar and Thailand. This will only drive Myanmar deeper into the Chinese trap and strengthen the hands of the junta. We should never allow this to happen. Our policy must help the junta to free itself from its bondage to China.

With a population of 50 million and huge natural resources, Myanmar has a bright future. India is its natural economic partner. There are about five lakh Indians in Myanmar. It is time for India and the world to step up economic assistance to Myanmar.

It is true the junta is beholden to China, a country by no means democratic. But the people of Myanmar are in favour of democracy. This is an anomalous situation. A country cannot sail in two boats. It has already wasted more than half a century. To waste more time will be criminal.

Kashmir’s weeping willow a winner
Terry Friel

Hallmulla
Abdul Majid has never played the game, but when tens of thousands of cricket-mad Indians feel the crack of leather on willow, it’s because of him.

The 53-year-old master bat-maker is one of scores of craftsman putting Kashmir on the map for something other than militancy.

On a fume-choked stretch of the highway between Srinagar and Jammu, Majid and dozens of other makers churn out tens of thousands of willow bats a year for customers in India and around the world.

Kashmiri willow is second only to English willow for the spring and feel batsmen admire and is used everywhere from casual street games to just below Test level.

“Cricket is a very popular game in India and our bats are in huge demand,” says Majid, sitting among a sea of willow shavings carpeting a dirt lane by the side of his shop.

“English and Kashmiri willow is the best in the world. Number one is English and number two is here.”

His company, Deeso (coined from decent), churns out 20,000-25,000 made-to-order bats a year from small, flat cutouts for toddlers to meticulously shaped and oiled pieces for club and state-level openers.

Accurate figures are hard to come by in the state — it was left out of the 1991 census because it was too dangerous for data collectors — but officials recently estimated the cricket bat industry to be worth about $20 million a year.

To keep the willow earnings for Kashmiris, the state government has banned the export of partially made bats, or clefts, and cracked down on smuggling.

The willow used for making bats thrives in parts of Jammu and Kashmir, but won’t grow in commercial numbers further south in northern India.

Jalandhar is a major world centre for sporting goods, including cricket equipment, but Jammu and Kashmir is anxious to keep its willow monopoly.

By Kashmir standards, the thriving bat shops along the highway and more down south around Jammu are an economic success story.

India pours huge amounts of money into the agriculturally rich state to fight the rebellion. The 450,000 Indian troops stationed there spend heavily and many of the Islamic separatists also pay for some of their supplies locally.

But little of the money ends up with ordinary Kashmiris, It is siphoned off by interstate businessmen, corrupt government officials and middlemen, some of whom build sprawling mansions in the crowded streets of Srinagar, the lakeside summer capital.

The tourism sector has been wrecked and industry scared off in the rebellion which officials say has killed 35,000 people and separatists more than 80,000.

Outside the main cities and towns, infrastructure is poor or non-existent. Many Kashmiris don’t have electricity, or their own water — in some places, more than 60 homes share one tap.

The state lives off its farms — rice, fruit and vegetables and large saffron and apple production — as well as handicrafts such as carpets, silk and pashminas and its cricket bats.

Still, the economy is thriving at street level; markets bulge with fruit and vegetables and Srinagar and Jammu have bustling restaurants and modern shops that would be the envy of many northern Indian cities. Reuters

TRENDS & POINTERS

Smoke link to heart disease

Being exposed to other people’s cigarette smoke dramatically increases the risk of heart disease, researchers in Greece show in a study published on Thursday. The study in the British Medical Association’s quarterly specialist journal Tobacco Control, suggested banning smoking in the workplace was the best way to protect smokers from giving their non-smoking colleagues heart attacks.

The study found people who never smoked had a 47 percent higher chance of developing acute heart disease if they were occasionally or regularly exposed to the second-hand smoke puffed out by others.

The risk rose exponentially with the number of years that non-smokers were exposed to other people’s smoke. “The only safe way to protect non-smokers from exposure to cigarette smoke is to eliminate this health hazard from public places and workplaces, as well as from the home,” the authors of the study concluded. Reuters 

‘Not just meat, give up milk too’

People who not only eliminate meat but also dairy products and eggs from their diet reduce the risk of several diseases, says a U.S.-based health group. Health expert Mickey Mehta, a member of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) in Washington, has written to 1,200 restaurants across India requesting them to serve more healthy vegetarian food.

The group is campaigning for good health by endorsing restaurants that serve a wide variety of vegetarian food. Mehta said: “Kicking the meat habit reduces a person’s risk of developing cancer, obesity, diabetes and other diseases.”

“Milk and other dairy foods are linked to a host of diseases, including prostate cancer, heart disease, diabetes and stroke.” “Lactose-intolerant people who consume dairy products suffer from symptoms such as stomach cramps, diarrhoea and gas. These problems disappear once the person stops taking milk and cheese.” Mehta says pulses can replace meat and soyamilk can be taken instead of cow’s milk. IANS

No water & electricity? Give them IT

Koinjhari (Ranchi): The village has few roads, no water and no schools or health centres, but it now has IT, thanks to the long-distance launch of an education programme by the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister hooked up through video-conferencing to this village over 1,000 km from New Delhi on Wednesday.

“The distance between you and me has been minimised through this video conferencing. This is product of science and technology”, said Vajpayee, while launching the rural education scheme.

The scheme, envisages that villages that do not have a school within a radius of one kilometre and have more than 15 willing students will be allowed to have a school and a teacher.

Villagers said if the Prime Minister had visited, who knows? Roads may have been constructed and at least a water connection given. IANS

SPIRITUAL NUGGETS

The man whispered, “God speak to me” and a meadowlark sang.

But the man did not hear.

So the man yelled “God speak to me!”

And the thunder rolled across the sky.

But the man did not listen.

The man looked around and said, “God let me see you.”

And a star shined brightly.

But the man did not notice.

Then the man shouted, “God, show me a miracle!”

And a life was born.

But the man did not know.

So the man cried out in despair,

“Touch me God, and let me know you are here!”

Whereupon God reached down and touched the man.

But the man brushed the butterfly away and walked on.

— Cited in Drops of Nectar by Swami Chidananda (Muniji)

***

— Songs from Bhartrihari