E D I T O R I A L   P A G E

EDITORIALS

Towards e-governance
THE two-day sixth national conference on e-governance, which started in Chandigarh on Thursday, provides an opportunity to look afresh at the terribly slow pace of progress made in this region in using information technology to improve the administration and the lot of the people.

Setback to Lankan PM
THE Sri Lankan Supreme Court’s ruling shooting down Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s proposed constitutional amendment aimed at curbing the powers of President Chandrika Kumaratunga to dissolve Parliament is bound to be viewed as a big blow to the ruling United National Front (UNF) government.

Washington sniper
AMERICA'S worst fears may come true. The sniper who created terror in and around the capital of the most powerful nation on earth has been identified by the police as John Allen Muhammad, a 42-year-old black male. He was known as John Allen Williams before he joined the lengthening queue of Afro-Americans embracing Islam.

OPINION

Demobilisation of armed forces
How far was their deployment justifiable?
R.S. Bedi
TEN months after the terrorist attack on Parliament House, and then the unprecedented build-up along the western border aimed at coercing Pakistan to abandon its nefarious designs against India, the NDA government took the bold decision of redeploying its troops without lowering the vigil in J&K.

MIDDLE

The “Lila of Ram”
Pramod K. Chaudhari
IT was two Ram Lilas ago that my neighbour, a woman, went to witness “Sita Swayambara”. There she met her future husband, amidst the suggestive atmosphere engendered by the scene on the stage. Both are happily married now.

ON RECORD

Guidelines on news & current affairs soon
Tripti Nath
SINCE her election to the Haryana Legislative Assembly in 1977, Mrs Sushma Swaraj has come a long way. Political detractors, including those in the Opposition, admire her eloquence and charm. Her enviable debating skills make her presence in Parliament comforting for her party men.

SIGHT & SOUND

Ladies always first
Amita Malik
IN the early days of Doordarshan there used to be a joke that one couldn’t see the men for the women. It is almost the same nowadays, except that in the early days, when “sarkari” radio and TV were considered more respectable and status-building than films, women used to do part-time (and it was really part-time those days) announcing, reading the news, presenting Mahila Mahal and getting home in time to give the husband a cup of tea when he returned, poor fellow, from office, and to tuck in the poor (mother-in-law said neglected) children into bed.

Dr Harbhajan Singh: a trend-setter in poetry
Gulzar Singh Sandhu
WITH the death of eminent Punjabi poet and critic Harbhajan Singh, the era that heralded a break with traditional progressive poetry has come to an end. Harbhajan was a self-made institution not only in his worldly achievements but also in shaping his qualities of head and heart.

SPIRITUAL NUGGETS

EDITORIALS

Towards e-governance

THE two-day sixth national conference on e-governance, which started in Chandigarh on Thursday, provides an opportunity to look afresh at the terribly slow pace of progress made in this region in using information technology to improve the administration and the lot of the people. That Punjab, Haryana, Himachal and the Union Territory of Chandigarh have lagged behind in ushering in the IT revolution, currently sweeping states like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra, is a fact. The economic slowdown globally may have dimmed the excitement about IT, but the advantages that technology offers in development are there for everyone to see. The revolutionary changes that the advent of computers and the Internet has brought about in the lives of individuals and the functioning of corporates and governments in terms of flow of information and cost-cutting are universally acknowledged. Why has North India been left behind in pursuing the IT dream? Responsible for the region’s late start in this field is the semi-literate political leadership and the wily bureaucracy, which have a vested interest in continuing with the present corruption-ridden system of governance. If land records alone are computerised, many court disputes and much of corruption by revenue officials would disappear. Citizens can be spared the trouble of visiting government offices and running after officials for petty work if each department sets up its own website, making available information of use to the public and responds to queries online. E-governance can make an ordinary citizen’s life much simpler and comfortable by cutting down the red-tape and other official hassles.

Realisation of the need for e-governance is slowly sinking in and a few initiatives are under way. Panchkula has become the first district in Haryana to make all land records available on the Internet. An interactive website is being set up in the town to cover pension cases of the aged, widows and the handicapped. The Punjab Government is partnering with Oracle India to take up e-governance projects in the state. After the Mahindras backed out of the Mohali IT park, the state government has roped in Quark to launch a Rs 500-crore IT project. The Chandigarh administration is pushing its own IT park at Kishangarh. The Himachal Government is also setting up an IT university near Solan in cooperation with a private company at a cost of Rs 100 crore. These initiatives will take time to bear fruit. Instead of each state pursuing its own IT agenda, an integrated and cooperative approach for the region can help prevent duplication of facilities and make better utilisation of resources, apart from creating areas of specialisation.

Setback to Lankan PM

THE Sri Lankan Supreme Court’s ruling shooting down Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s proposed constitutional amendment aimed at curbing the powers of President Chandrika Kumaratunga to dissolve Parliament is bound to be viewed as a big blow to the ruling United National Front (UNF) government. Ever since the UNF proposed the 19th amendment to the 1978 Constitution to clip the wings of the President, there had been a see-saw battle between the two topmost functionaries of the government. As it is, both the President (who belongs to the opposition People’s Alliance) and the Prime Minister (who belongs to the UNF) do not see eye to eye on a host of issues. While Mrs Kumaratunga has been continuing a tirade against Mr Wickremesinghe, the latter too has been trying to indulge in mudslinging against the former. Having suspicion about Mrs Kumaratunga’s intention to dissolve Parliament after December 5, 2002, when the government would be completing one year in office, Mr Wickremesinghe toyed with the idea of scuttling her powers through an amendment. The Supreme Court has categorically ruled that the government had no powers to clip the wings of the President, as it amounted to changing the basic structure of the Constitution. It ruled that changes to clip the President’s powers will have to be passed by two-thirds of Parliament and “approved by the people at a referendum”. Clearly, the government will find it tough to fulfil both the requirements. First, the ruling UNF, with 109 seats in the 225-member House, does not enjoy a two-thirds majority. And secondly, the government does not seem to be inclined for a referendum because it feels that it will not help serve its intended purpose. Constitutional Affairs Minister G.L.Peiris pointed out the other day that as the referendum would seek the public vote only on one issue, the UNF would prefer a fresh mandate on a range of issues “to bring in lasting peace”.

The issue in question is whether the strife-torn island can afford yet another election. Right now, the dice is heavily loaded against Mr Wickremesinghe. It is said that if the UNF seeks the dissolution of Parliament and fresh elections before the one-year deadline, the proposal will not be binding on the President. Under the present system, the President, who is directly elected, holds the ultimate decision on when to call for elections. One way in which this can be forced by Parliament is when the budget is defeated twice. But will the government work to defeat its own budget if it wants Parliament to be dissolved? Reports suggest that political compulsions are not too high for Mrs Kumaratunga or the People’s Alliance to go in for fresh elections right now. The UNF is in a no-win situation. Impeachment of the President by the UNF seems to be a remote possibility because such a tactic will succeed only if half the MPs sign such a resolution and, that too, if the Speaker is satisfied that the allegations merit inquiry, leading to the impeachment. As the odds are heavy against both sides — the ruling UNF and the Opposition — it remains to be seen whether both sides would see reason and get back to constructive engagement and cohabitation. Admittedly, it requires a considerable cooling of nerves. But this will not be difficult if both sides appreciate the need to keep the peace talks going from October 31.

Washington sniper

AMERICA'S worst fears may come true. The sniper who created terror in and around the capital of the most powerful nation on earth has been identified by the police as John Allen Muhammad, a 42-year-old black male. He was known as John Allen Williams before he joined the lengthening queue of Afro-Americans embracing Islam. He was arrested along with a suspected accomplice, 17-year-old Lee Malvo, on Thursday. Authorities are still not sure whether he is behind the serial killings. If the police information about the “armed and dangerous” man turns out to be correct, it would be difficult not to link his act of random killing of people with the post-9\11 developments that saw the USA launch a ruthless attack on the Al Qaeda and Taliban in Afghanistan. As John William he had fought in the Gulf War. He had converted to Islam shortly thereafter. In fact, a rumour doing the rounds has linked him to the Al Qaeda. He may have been emotionally devastated by the anti-Muslim thrust of the post-9\11 campaign against terrorism. The random killings were his way of seeking revenge for what has been done to ordinary Muslims in the garb of combating terrorism The US-led attack indeed claimed a disturbingly high number of innocent lives and failed in its primary objective of eliminating the Al Qaeda and Taliban networks, the main source of spreading global terrorism. The man who has spread terror in Washington DC and its neighbourhood for over three weeks may have made the demand of $10 million through electronic transfer to mislead investigators. In some of the messages that he left with the victims he claimed that “I am God”. Even if it turns out to be a case of manic killing, that has become common in western societies, it was scary enough to disrupt normal life in Washington. More people began going to church than to movies and restaurants to seek divine protection from the faceless sniper.

The killings have expectedly turned the spotlight again on the gun-owning class. They revived the debate on the lax gun laws. The incidents of sniper killing in the District of Columbia and neighbouring Maryland and Virginia indeed tested America’s tolerance for gun violence as never before. The anti-gun lobby — its numbers increase after each such incident that exposes the average American as a trembling ninny — has stepped up the heat on the US Administration for restrictions on private ownership of guns. And why not? America’s diffidence is at variance with the experience of other civilised nations. In 1996 over 15 children and a teacher were shot dead by a maniac in Dunblane, Scotland. The British Parliament reacted promptly by virtually banning possession of handguns throughout the United Kingdom. In Australia a similar incident in the same year drew a similar response. After a maniac shot and killed 35 people in Tasmania, the Australian government banned possession of arms by private individuals. The government has so far purchased and destroyed over half-million privately owned guns. Why do the Americans alone resist gun control laws when they endure the highest rate of murder and gun violence among civilised nations? Ask the National Rifle Association and its most vocal member Charlton Heston, a former celebrated Hollywood actor. They have neither facts nor logic on their side.

OPINION

Demobilisation of armed forces
How far was their deployment justifiable?
R.S. Bedi

TEN months after the terrorist attack on Parliament House, and then the unprecedented build-up along the western border aimed at coercing Pakistan to abandon its nefarious designs against India, the NDA government took the bold decision of redeploying its troops without lowering the vigil in J&K. The Defence Minister in a prepared statement said, “The CCS, after deliberations upon and the examination of all aspects of the continued deployment of armed forces along the international border, has decided that as the armed forces have with great distinction achieved the objectives assigned to them, thus upholding all traditions of Indian military, they now will be redeployed from positions along the IB with Pakistan without impairing their capacity to respond decisively to any emergency.”

The decision had apparently been taken earlier at the highest level and formalised later with additional inputs from the National Security Council and the National Security Advisory Board. The decision was made public after the meeting on October 16. Glowing tributes paid to the armed forces were not without political significance. The government was trying to drive home the point that the politico-military objectives had been achieved by the armed forces before the government decided to redeploy them.

The troop pullout at this time when Pakistan continues with its proxy war with impunity and has refused to yield to any of India’s projected demands, is bound to send wrong signals. The infiltration, instead of coming down, has, on the contrary, risen. This has been amply acknowledged by the Army as well as the government. During the just concluded elections in J&K, as many as 840 people lost their lives in terrorist violence. The government decision to pull out the troops will only encourage the terrorist groups and their mentor, the ISI to become all the more active in the future.

When India went in for half a million strong Army deployment in December, 2001, the government’s immediate aim was to pressurise Pakistan to stop cross-border terrorism and return 20-odd criminals being sheltered by Islamabad. What was the need to go in for this unprecedented deployment if the government was to pull them out without achieving any of the declared objectives. Instead of conveying a Tough Guy image, India, on the contrary, ended up sending signals that were bound to affect its credibility as a nation with big power aspirations.

Apparently, the de-escalation has been decided because “the purpose of deployment has been fulfilled.” But the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesman sang a different tune: “The climate for the dialogue can be created only if Pakistan jettisons its support to cross-border terrorism. We don’t see any change in it.” The Defence Minister too ruled out the resumption of dialogue with Pakistan unless cross-border terrorism stopped completely. Obviously, there are varying perceptions within the government. The officials in the MEA, MHA (Ministry of Home Affairs) and even the MoD (Ministry of Defence) are bewildered. They are wondering as to what the government has achieved during the last 10 months from this massive deployment. Pakistan must be amused at India’s so-called “pro-active” policy. The contradiction only highlights the government’s predicament. Keeping the troops on “high alert” for over 10 months is unprecedented in the annals of politico-military war of coercion. This appears to be the only criterion that led the PMO to decide in favour of de-escalation. In fact, there was already a sort of euphoria among the troops that they would be pulled out before Divali.

There could be only two plausible reasons for such a course of action. The USA has been emphasising repeatedly that successful elections in J&K should succeed by a dialogue between the two countries so as to take the process further. The government too has linked the de-escalation to the successful conduct of elections in J&K. It said the armed forces should be redeployed since they had achieved their objectives. If the USA is behind this decision, what guarantee it has given that India would not be let down once again. How much diplomatic mileage India will gain is questionable, approval of the Indian action by the West notwithstanding. But what seems certain is the loss of face vis-a-vis Pakistan. Pakistan had continued with its disruptive activities and terrorist violence uninhibitedly right through the duration of deployment and despite the US pressure. There is no guarantee that Pakistan will be more amenable in the future to the US pressure for stopping cross-border terrorism.

It is more likely that the unusually long deployment entailing physical and mental fatigue and consequent falling morale and discipline forced the government to look at the problem exclusively from this angle. There have been numerous instances of indiscipline, misconduct and even indiscriminate shooting. NSC and NSAB recommendations were also in tune with this perception. The troops had borne the brunt of the scorching sun of Rajasthan and Punjab, and the vagaries of the monsoon. The coming winter with falling temperatures would take a further heavy toll of troops. Additionally, the economic aspect of the protracted deployment could not have escaped the government’s mind.

All this is equally true in the case of Pakistan also. No wonder, Pakistan grabbed the opportunity. “The Government of Pakistan regards the Indian Government’s decision for the withdrawal of its armed forces from the border a step in the right direction. The implementation on the ground of the Indian Government decision will receive positive and timely response from Pakistan.” India was certain of Pakistan’s positive response before withdrawing its troops from the border because Pakistan’s economy was unable to sustain the protracted deployment. Otherwise, it would have led to an inequitable and potentially dangerous situation on the border.

Now that both countries are preparing to withdraw their troops from the border, Pakistan must take the next step in order to create a congenial environment for the dialogue to commence. General Musharraf should cease this opportunity. For, he stands isolated at this juncture with the terrorist groups rejected in J&K. He also stands alienated because of his undemocratic political dispensation at home. Only the sincerity of purpose and commitment can help resolve this complex problem.

Besides, it needs a holistic approach. The dialogue must necessarily entail discussions on all of J&K, inclusive of the Northern Areas and PoK. A beginning can be made at the military level between the two DGMOs, gradually building on to official and political levels before reaching the stage of summit. India should take the initiative and set the agenda. However, options are not many. The solution revolves around LoC only.

The writer, a retired Air Marshal, is a former Director-General, Defence Planning Staff, Ministry of Defence.

MIDDLE

The “Lila of Ram”
Pramod K. Chaudhari

IT was two Ram Lilas ago that my neighbour, a woman, went to witness “Sita Swayambara”. There she met her future husband, amidst the suggestive atmosphere engendered by the scene on the stage. Both are happily married now.

Call it a coincidence, or what you will, during last year’s Ram Lila another pal went to see “Sita Haran”. His eyes met with a dainty damsel. He immediately decided to cross the “Lakshmana Rekha” in real life, and led the girl to the altar later.

“Kahin Na Kahin Koi Hai”! You find your prince(ss) charming at unusual places.

Travelling down marital lane, I remember Ram Lila has also played an important role in my life as during the days of courtship with my wife, we went to see the “Lila of Ram” in a number of places a number of times.

This year, too, we decided to see the razzmatazz of a much-advertised Ram Lila in our locality. We made tracks for the grounds adjacent to a temple where all the world seemed to be present to witness “Surpanakha turning Kurupnakha”, courtesy Lakshmana. The eve turned out to be a smorgasbord of entertaining events.

A horde of vendors lined the passage to the pandal selling their wares like hot cakes to the overenthusiastic people. Amid the raucous display of salesmanship, we inched our way towards a peanut-seller. Having stuffed our pockets with the crisp fare, we moved towards the pandal.

We then heard high-pitched voices from behind. It was a battle royale between a vendor and his intended victim over the tilt of the scales. Barely had the negotiations reached a peaceful conclusion when there was a minor mishap.

A girl fainted due to congestion and a front row took place between two groups on the “VIP” issue of who was going to occupy the premier seats. This issue was also resolved finally, though not peacefully.

To crown it all was what happened on the stage. Surpanakha, the ancient femme fatale, was supposed to enter the durbar of Ravana after having her nose chopped off by Lakshmana in the previous scene. So, the stage was being set for the “durbar”.

Now the coup de theatre. The man who was supposed to raise the curtain (literally) became so excited by the disco number performed during the “Lila” break that he unintentionally raised it when he shouldn’t have.

And so we had Ravana sitting nervously on the throne adjusting his heavy crown and his lieutenants labouring like Sisyphus to adjust themselves on the lightly built “gaddis” which collapsed as they hurriedly tried to sit on them, and what looked like a blonde Menaka doing something close to a rock ‘n roll in the Lankan emperor’s court.

It takes all sorts — of people and plays — to make a Ram Lila.

ON RECORD

Guidelines on news & current affairs soon
Tripti Nath
Tribune News Service

SINCE her election to the Haryana Legislative Assembly in 1977, Mrs Sushma Swaraj has come a long way. Political detractors, including those in the Opposition, admire her eloquence and charm. Her enviable debating skills make her presence in Parliament comforting for her party men. As Union I & B Minister, Sushma Swaraj has taken several innovative measures such as granting industry status to the entertainment sector, lending credibility to the participation of the film sector at the Cannes Film Festival by leading the Indian delegation, permitting foreign direct investment in film and advertising and reviewing policy on allowing FDI in the print media. The Ambala-born leader has varied interests, including music, films, dance and literature.

Excerpts of an interview:

Q: Can you elaborate on the proposed concept of narrowcasting?

The concept of broadcasting is very well known. You uplink from one station and it goes to the whole country. If you uplink from one regional station, it goes to the whole region. But now a need is being felt that more programmes should be local need based and transmitted in local languages, particularly agriculture based programmes. I had a meeting with the Prasar Bharti Board to explore what could be done without going into the satellite mode. This necessity had to be addressed. They said that unless we give terrestrial cover to a channel, it will not reach the rural areas. I asked them if it would be possible to take out a regional channel for an hour and make it local. The idea was to make optimum use of one transmitter.

It was suggested that we get in touch with agriculture universities to make software at identified places. We got a positive response from the universities. I asked them to find out the kind of crop sown around the transmitter (for instance, rice in Karnal, cotton in Hisar). Then you sign an MoU with the ministries and ask them to make software on identified crops in certain places. We thought that if this focused pilot project succeeds, we can make use of 1035 transmitters. It is preceded by a lot of research. Here, one transmitter is catering to the needs of the persons living within a radius of 25 km. We are starting the pilot project in nine places this fortnight. This is an information revolution in the area of agriculture. I have also asked them to synergise efforts with All India Radio. People will be able to get information sitting at home about their agriculture in their language.

Q: The Expenditure Reforms Committee has asked the Information and Broadcasting Ministry to lay off a large number of personnel as a step towards rightsizing. How are you going about it?

They asked me to lay off 5,700 out of 7,500 personnel. It would not have been rightsizing. It would have amounted to winding up the ministry. We agreed to rightsizing. We have surrendered 1,349 posts without closing down a single media unit. According to the recommendations of the ERC, the Finance Ministry had suggested the closure of 11 units. I told them that the person who has made these recommendations has a very elitist approach. They said that units engaged in manual publicity have become redundant due to the emergence of television. That was the basic premise of making the recommendation. I reasoned with them television covers 7 crore out of about 20 crore dwelling units. What happens to the remaining 14 crore units? How would they disseminate the message of the anti-malaria drive, literacy drive and polio eradication drive to such homes? I told them that it is not realistic to underestimate the inherent strength of the traditional mode of publicity. We, however, were prepared to merge units which were working in exclusivity. We did not reject their report or adopt a touch-me not attitude.

Q: Over a dozen officials of Prasar Bharti and Doordarshan are under surveillance of the CBI for allegedly awarding commissioned and non-commissioned programmes to fictitious agencies. Are you taking any in-house measures to prevent such events from recurring in future?

As far as cases are concerned there is nothing I can do. The law is taking its course. We are taking very transparent measures. Earlier, serials would gather dust for eight to 10 years. There were charges of bungling. We have streamlined the entire process. Nobody will now come with readymade serials on his own. Doordarshan will now insert advertisements to invite proposals. It will spell out its requirement of a programme to fill a slot under a certain genre. The proposals will be put on the Internet. An evaluation committee assisted by three experts from outside will be required to give its appraisal on the proposal within two months. The applicant will, therefore, be able to see his report card on the Net. If he is not satisfied with the appraisal, he will have the right to appeal before a different expert committee. The appellate committee’s verdict will be final. Such steps were imperative as DD and Prasar Bharti were turning into CBI headquarters. Everyday, officers were facing such allegations.

Q: What is the status of the guidelines for facilitating foreign direct investment in the print media?

Foreign investment will come once the guidelines are issued. For non-news and non-current affairs, we need inter ministerial consultation. For this, we had an inter-ministerial Secretary- level meeting recently. News and Current Affairs are a sensitive area. We had, therefore, proposed more guidelines. By the end of this year, we will evolve all the guidelines.

Q: What is the status of the Communication Convergence Bill ?

It was introduced in Parliament. It has been referred to the Standing Committee of Information Technology. We are awaiting the report of the Standing Committee.

Q: Are you bringing in professionals to ensure that commercials aired on satellite channels adhere to the advertising code laid down by the ministry?

There is a committee under Section 20 of the Cable Amendment Act which monitors surrogate advertising. All channels which were airing surrogate advertisements were given notices. They appeared before the committee.

SIGHT & SOUND

Ladies always first
Amita Malik

IN the early days of Doordarshan there used to be a joke that one couldn’t see the men for the women. It is almost the same nowadays, except that in the early days, when “sarkari” radio and TV were considered more respectable and status-building than films, women used to do part-time (and it was really part-time those days) announcing, reading the news, presenting Mahila Mahal and getting home in time to give the husband a cup of tea when he returned, poor fellow, from office, and to tuck in the poor (mother-in-law said neglected) children into bed. Well, it is a little different now, women still here, there and everywhere, now covering riots, going to remote villages and showing the ugly side of rural poverty and political neglect, and, of course, little innocents reading the weather reports, with much fancy flourishing of hands, making of pretty faces and breaking all possible speed records, hang the viewer.

Then there is that other media species, the woman politician. I wonder if we women columnists have some hidden gender bias of the wrong kind, because whenever we do occasional surveys of the relative performances of politicians, we always write about the men — Jaitley, Advani, Jaipal Reddy and George Fernandes — and clean forget our doughty women politicians. I myself am guilty of doing exactly that When I did a lengthy assessment two months ago of the media performances of national and international politicians, in a national daily. I discussed everyone from Putin and Bill Clinton to Narendra Modi and Laloo Yadav, and left out all the didis and madamjis. So here, with my profuse apologies are my rankings of our telegenic and non-telegenic women politicians, who do so much to enliven our screens and in some cases, can teach a thing or two to the men about TV technique.

Let’s start with Jayalalitha. Slow measured tones, precise convent accents (she went to school before that little problem about the archbishop warning he would close down all the Christian schools in Tamil Nadu if she carried on like that). She is a consummate actress on TV, whether sternly telling the DMK exactly where they get off, or singing a filmi geet with a sweet smile on her lips for her rendezvous with Simi Garewal. Alas, the two other women CMs are not in the same class. Mayawati, who changed her appearance drastically after she returned from New York with a nifty short hair-cut, still raves and rants about the railways sending the crowds returning from her meeting to the wrong “pilat-farams”. As for poor Rabri Devi, she remains exactly what she is, a sweet and mild dharampatni trailing her melodramatic pati-devata like the mother of nine (or is it 10?) that she is. A standing example of the saying that there is a chief ministership in every woman’s karhai.

However, when it comes to shouting matches, the BJP comes out tops, except for our Didi from Kolkata. Uma Bharati shouts like a sergeant-major at cowering anchors. Sushma Swaraj shouts non-stop at fellow panelists and doesn’t give them a chance to get a word in. Now when it comes to shouting, as I said, Mamata Didi, used to the mile-long processions of The City of Joy, makes sure that Vajpayeji can hear her from Kolkata , except that she is always complaining that he doesn’t always listen to her and is particularly deaf about the railways. But in what I would call constructive and corrective shouting (not too loud, but neverthless shouting) is Brinda Karat. She is the only one who can stop the BJP in their tracks by saying like a stern school marm: “Now will you let me finish?”. And they do. One reason is that she does not keep on repeating fundamentalist nonsense like some parties we know, nor keep on repeating loyalty to Madam formulas like some pother parties we know, but does clear, documented, critical analysis of a political situation and, like her colleague Sitaram Yechuri, scores her points by being argumantatively cool and collected. If one must speak loudly on TV when required, Brinda does it to perfection. However, Renuka Choudhury, with her bubbly humour, and Jayanthi Natrajan with her visual and verbal elegance, remain my all-time favourites.

And so to the Congress. Sonia Gandhi screeches on public platforms, trying to be like the original Mrs G., but mumbles in instant mini-interviews, always in a rush but now more coherent. She is slowly learning. But she gets the required backing from her lieutenants, like Margart Alva and Ambika Soni, genteel in speech but fierce in argument. which is quite a good style to adopt against the fundamentalist shouters. To this veterans’ list one can add the newest and a very appealing star on TV. Mehbooba Mufti. Young, passionate and sincere in her views and a liberated woman wonder in militant-ridden J and K. It is always interesting and pleasurable to watch her performances on TV. May her tribe increase.

Dr Harbhajan Singh: a trend-setter in poetry
Gulzar Singh Sandhu

WITH the death of eminent Punjabi poet and critic Harbhajan Singh, the era that heralded a break with traditional progressive poetry has come to an end. Harbhajan was a self-made institution not only in his worldly achievements but also in shaping his qualities of head and heart. Munshi Fazal in Urdu, MA in English, Ph.D. in Hindi and D. Lit in Punjabi, Dr Harbhajan Singh made an overwhelming impact on the world of letters in northern India because of his deep study of the literature written in Hindi, Urdu and Sanskrit in addition to his own mother-tongue, Punjabi.

The winner of the Sahitya Akademi Award for his collection of poems “Na Dhuppe Na Chhaven” and Saraswati Samman of the K.K. Birla Foundation of his book “Rukh Te Rishi”, Harbhajan Singh was also a recipient of the Kabir Award instituted by the Government of Madhya Pradesh and the Sahitya Shiromani Purskar of the Punjab Government. A teacher of literature throughout his life, he rose to be a Professor and Head of the Department of Modern Indian Language in the Delhi University after which he was awarded the status of Professor Emeritus in Punjabi by the same university.

Harbhajan Singh published his first collection of poems titled “Laasan” after making himself known as a good judge of poetry through his lengthy analysis of the popular poets of the fifties like Hazara Singh Gurdaspuri and Tara Singh. This cautioned critics against passing any sweeping judgement on his own poems.

Harbhajan Singh held sway over his readers and audience by his recitations of poetry and presentation of lectures, on whatever subject he was called upon to deal with. A shaggy-bearded Sardar in crumpled trousers had a beatnik flavour about him. His coppery face was tinted with light pox marks and he spoke in high-flown piping voice which would be missed by his admirers for many years to come.

A Hindi scholar, well versed in classical literature, he established himself as a poet of human yearning with spiritual overtones. It was not easy to make a mark in mystical poetry at a stage when the tide of popular, progressive movement was flowing so high but his distinct diction, both in poetry and critical appraisal, enabled him to infuse a fresh current in mystical poetry which had gone underground for no reason at all.

While the abundance of metaphysical brilliance in his very first book of poems “Laasan” had a blunt sparkle, his subsequent work “Tar Tupka” was a drama in verse dealing with the fact of atom bomb. With characters such as Wizard, Prostitute, Imagination and thousand-time distilled wine, this fantasy held a sway over Punjabi dramatic verse until Shiv Kumar Batalvi sprang a pleasant surprise in “Loona”.

Born on August 18, 1920, in village-cum-railway station called Lamding on the Burma border, where his father worked as an overseer, he lost his father when he was only two and mother five years later, leaving him at the mercy of poor and greedy relations.

Having been brought up as an orphaned child, he did suffer consequential deprivations of the situation but these deprivations sharpened his sensibility and urge to perceive and articulate both knowledge and action. He was able to turn these material disadvantages into seeds of creative imagination. His “Rukh te Rishi” hails thirst generated by the blazing heat of the summer as the breeder of dreams of shady trees, waterfalls and unexplored deep wells. Such dreams and thoughts, according to Harbhajan, have the potential to destroy the fear of the unknown. Thirst to Harbhajan carries fragrance of mother’s milk and is a source of activity, character and enlightenment. Such examples of chaste imagery and unusual thought content can be found elsewhere too:

“Paran nu banh ke parbat be bassee daa/Havavaan ne kehapanchhi udi jaa

Harbhajan Singh travelled all along the mountainous path to comment on the Punjab situation of the late eighties as follows: “Sahaan vich talvaraan uggian Rahaan vich tarsoolan vichhian Chauraahey vich maut kharhi hai Das kehde rah javaan.”

Harbhajan Singh has also translated classics by Russian and Japanese masters into admirable Punjabi. In fact, he had already made his mark as a translator with the rendering of the Rig Veda into chaste Punjabi which he did in collaboration with Dev Raj Chananan.

As a prolific critic, Harbhajan Singh authored more than a dozen books dealing with literary theory and practical studies such as “Adhyan te Adhyapan” and “Mull te Mulankan” which were recently published by Guru Nanak Dev University for preservation and record.

Harbhajan will be remembered as a trend-setter for a new kind of literacy criticism oriented towards the study of form, motifs, and psycho-cultural insights provided by these for many decades.

SPIRITUAL NUGGETS

Whom should I describe that bliss?

On seeing the Lord the state of Utter Joy

has been attained;

the mind sings the praises of the Lord.

On seeing the wonderful Lord,

I have been wonderstruck.

The Beneficent Lord pervades all.

I drink the priceless nectar

but cannot describe its taste like the smiling mute.

— Sri Guru Granth Sahib

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—Asa Di Var