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Saturday,
February 1, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Gaps in PM’s security Return of Sharon A symbolic protest |
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US remarks reek of arrogance
The state of children’s rights worldwide Doctor-patient
relationship
Friends and relations
Sperm donors to lose right to anonymity
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Gaps in PM’s security THE manner in which the Prime Minister’s security has been breached time and again in New Delhi in the past 11 days is cause for major concern. The huge funds being spent on providing security to VVIPs seem to be going down the drain. Obviously, something is wrong somewhere and the sooner the gaping loopholes in the security are plugged, the better it will be for the people and the country. One cannot afford to be complacent on the question of providing foolproof security to the Prime Minister. The Special Protection Group (SPG) is known for its professionalism. Even then, it is surprising how these incidents are happening with sickening regularity. Though interrogation of those involved in these incidents by the Intelligence Bureau and the Delhi Police reveals that they were all innocent, the matter does not rest here. As terrorists will always have the last laugh in case of any loose ends in the security arrangement, it is expected that the necessary preventive measures are taken promptly to avoid any eventuality. The incident of a Lufthansa airliner straying into the prohibited air space above the high security area comprising Parliament, Rashtrapati Bhawan and the Prime Minister’s residence in New Delhi on January 20 morning reinforces the need for stricter vigilance and surveillance in the air. Apparently, the sequence of events leading to this incident suggests that the authorities were not prepared to tackle an emergency of this kind. There is need for better coordination between the SPG, the Intelligence Bureau, the Air Traffic Control, the Air Defence and the Bureau of Civil Aviation Safety. Similarly, if a fighter aircraft is needed to escort a “rogue” airplane back, why cannot some of these be kept at standby at the Hindon airbase — in addition to those at Ambala — to tackle any contingency within the response time of one or two minutes? The Indian Air Force should also be given explicit instructions on how to deal with such cases. The present arrangement of deploying armed security personnel to stop traffic from moving to the VVIP route on the road has proved to be ineffective on one count or the other. Some improvements need to be introduced so that the security cannot be breached at any point. Whether the proposed barricades could help prevent vehicles and two-wheelers from driving past or straying into the VVIP’s cavalcade, is difficult to say. We will have to try out this proposal. However, it is necessary to minimise the inconvenience to the general public through effective time control and efficient management of the VVIP’s movement. Also, inter-departmental planning and coordination are essential between the Delhi Police, the Intelligence Bureau and the SPG. It would be better if the VVIP movement on high density roads in New Delhi — or in any other city or town — is restricted during peak hours when the volume of traffic is usually heavy. Already, certain protocol functions like reception to foreign dignitaries by the President and the Prime Minister are done in the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhawan and not at the airport. Similarly, small functions like book releases are done in the Prime Minister’s residence itself, saving a lot of time and energy of the VVIP and others. The suggestion for the use of helicopters by the Prime Minister to travel within New Delhi and nearby areas will, no doubt, provide relief to the commuters on the road, but this has to be examined carefully from the security angle. The idea of making security arrangements unobtrusive is reasonable, but will it ever be realistic and practical, considering the scope and magnitude of the threat perception? |
Return of Sharon PALESTINIAN suicide bombers killed hundreds of Israelis during the past 28 months of their uprising and the sense of revulsion they thus generated has helped Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s Likud Party to post a big win in Tuesday’s election. The right-wing party has nearly doubled its strength in the 120-seat Parliament going up from 19 to 37. On the other hand, the Labour Party suffered its worst defeat in 54 years of Israeli history sliding to 19 seats from 25. The lurch to the right could not have been more pronounced. Mr Sharon’s tough policies against the Palestinian revolt have paid rich dividends but his worries are far from over. Cobbling together a stable coalition is going to be a tough task, since it will bring together hawks and doves as well as secular and religious elements. The country has already had three elections since 1999 and the composition of the new Knesset also points to many more close calls in the days to come. The country’s policies will also depend on which parties join the ruling coalition. But one thing is for certain. The humiliating defeat of the Left parties which favoured negotiations with the Palestinians and advocated unilateral Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and most of the West Bank will ensure that the West Asian peace deals will not get off the ground for a long time to come. The position of Arab moderates stands greatly undermined. The Prime Minister will wear a particularly painful crown of thorns. Mr Sharon has mentioned his twin challenges to be a possible Gulf war and what he calls terrorism. By terrorism he, of course, means the Palestinian uprising. It has already taken a heavy toll and if a Gulf war does start, it will make things far worse for Israel. If the trouncing of doves will allow him some breathing space, the economic crisis staring him in the eye will make him blink badly. So far, it was ignored because of the focus on the Palestinian attacks but it cannot be glossed over any longer. Allegations of corruption, funding charges and his party’s alleged underworld links may also haunt him with a vengeance. Since he has won the elections on the basis of extreme right-wing views, he would be expected by his supporters to take equally extreme measures against terrorist attacks. Hamas and other such organisations are likely to step up their activities to put him on the defensive from the very start. If he is unable to quell them, he might become a target of public anger himself. |
| A symbolic protest SHE is in her late eighties, the widow of a freedom fighter. For 25 years Mrs Gurnam Kaur struggled to get pension, but Punjab’s official machinery turned her away, asking her to support her claim with evidence. All the fellow freedom fighters of her husband, Tara Singh Brar of Moga, have passed away. The fact that Tara Singh, who died in 1978 aged 88, was given a Tamra Patra at a function in
Ferozepur in 1972 by the then Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, is not enough to convince the Moga Deputy Commissioner’s office to grant her pension. A book on freedom fighters published by the Faridkot district administration mentions the contribution of her husband in the freedom struggle. But this too has failed to satisfy the district administration of Moga. Considering her age and hand-to-mouth existence, she could have been granted old age pension. She did not resort to other means, either for lack of resources or out of
conviction, to get her work done. She was asked to produce jail records, a copy of the arrest warrant issued against Tara Singh or a fellow freedom fighter as a witness — all within a month. Tired of making rounds of the DC office, she has given up the struggle for pension and deposited the Tamra Patra in The Tribune office with a request to return it to the appropriate authorities. This is perhaps the only dignified option left to her for lodging a symbolic protest at the way official
machinery operates in the state. That her husband had participated in the Akali movement before Independence did not move anyone in the previous Akali governments to come to her rescue. It does not matter which party runs the government, little has changed for the better for ordinary citizens engaged in the daily grind for survival. Fruits of Independence have been denied even to those whose family members had worked for the freedom of the country. Democracy and development have bypassed many. The disadvantaged sections and those in an advanced age with inadequate means like Mrs Gurnam Kaur, have been left to fend for themselves. She is not the only victim of official neglect and highhandedness. There are so many like her desperately striving to get justice from an insensitive and thoroughly corrupt officialdom. The Akali government headed by Mr Parkash Singh Badal had made tall claims about disbursing old age pension. How many Gurnam Kaurs were left out and how many fake pensioners were there is anybody’s guess. The old age pension scheme, which cost the exchequer Rs 200 crore
annually, was stopped by his successor, Capt Amarinder Singh, saying the treasury was empty. The scheme has been relaunched from this January. Here is a society that treats the elderly so shabbily. In these times when life expectancy has increased considerably and joint families are fast breaking down, the elderly citizens need economic and emotional protection. A comprehensive social security mechanism that takes a good care of the aging population needs to be put in place without any further delay. |
US remarks reek of arrogance POWER and world supremacy breed arrogance, in all spheres of life. Australia is the most powerful force in international cricket and that was why one of the members of its cricket team, Darren Lehmann, abused the Sri Lankan players, using racist terms. This, despite the fact that Australia is a nation of British ex-convicts while Sri Lanka could trace its culture and tradition to the legends of Gautama Buddha. The traditional American arrogance, because of its position as the only supreme power in the world, can be detected from many of its actions and the utterances of its leaders. The Bush administration’s Defence Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, obviously never studied history in school. That accounted for his boorish statement that France and Germany did not count for much in Europe, they belonged to the “Old Europe” and while they opposed US military adventurism in Iraq, quite a few other European nations were on the side of the USA. Right from its President, the US leaders continue to amaze everyone by their ignorance of world history. During his presidential campaign, George Bush embarrassed everyone with his foot-in-the-mouth statements and was not even aware of the contributions of men like Gandhiji. Perhaps, Rumsfeld could be excused for his appalling ignorance on the relative importance of France and Germany. The French, naturally, were not amused. While President Chirac appealed to his countrymen to remain cool, his Cabinet members were quicker to react. Finance Minister Francis Mer said he was “perplexed” by the Rumsfeld statement . “I wanted to remind everyone that this ‘Old Europe’ has resilience and is capable of bouncing back.” He observed. An official spokesman of the French government said that the “USA and Rumsfeld would do well to listen to the voice of ‘Old Europe’ which had collected wisdom through many centuries.” The French contempt for such crass remarks was not something new. France, Germany and many countries in Europe can boast of a culture and tradition which went back by thousands of years while the USA came to be recognised as a separate nation only in 1776. Since then, it had emerged as the richest and the most powerful country in the world. Yet, something was always lacking. That was why the great French leader, General De Gaulle, never hid his contempt for the USA and its leaders, though during his time, the USA had the benefit of being led by a young, dynamic, enlightened President like John Kennedy who would have abhorred the statements made by Rumsfeld and his likes. And for De Gaulle, George Bush would have been nothing more than a barbarian. America is perplexed that its planned military adventurism in Iraq had met with resistance and public hostility in most of Europe, particularly France and Germany. These nations lead a host of countries who were hopeful that the disarming of Iraq could be achieved without destroying the country. Of late, several European nations had agreed to the possibility of an exile for President Saddam Hussein. But they did not want the destruction of Iraq and mass killing of its civilians. This is not to the liking of George Bush and his Sancho Panza, British Prime Minister Tony Blair. They appear to carry a personal vendetta against President Hussein and would not stop unless he was thrown out of power and preferably killed. The American Congress had revived an obnoxious law which legally permitted the killing of foreign heads of states who were thought to be “inimical” to US interests. No civilised nation could approve of such legislation which, in fact, puts the stamp of approval of premediated murder by a state agency. But then, the most powerful nation in the world can do anything and get away with it. Germany, in particular, had several scientific and technological achievements to be proud of. But the USA had exhibited open dislike for its Chancellor, Gerhard Schroder, and opposed him in the last German election. Now it is even more upset that Germany had emerged as the most stern critic for the US adventurism in Iraq. Rumsfeld did not clarify how many “new” nations in Europe would support the USA and Britain in an open attack on Iraq. He can rule out the Scandinavian countries which are traditionally pacifist and nations like Belgium and Denmark who value world peace as a boost for prosperity. The USA cannot even rely on the support of one of the smallest nations in the world, Lichenstein, known for its banking operations. The USA is more upset at the lack of support from Europe because it badly needed the logistical support from NATO. The stand adopted by nations like France and Germany had blocked NATO from arriving at a consensual decision from extending unilateral support for the US militarism in Iraq. The USA does have the military might to act on its own and launch attacks on Iraq but NATO support would be invaluable from the point of war operations and military logistics. The USA and the UK have been practising air strikes and other military moves from the regions in southern Iraq from where most of the initial attacks were bound to come. But war efforts would be hampered if the European allies denied overflight facilities and the use of
NATO planning facilities. Germany and France will also influence any decision taken by the UN Security Council despite the Bush administration’s efforts to bully the world body. Germany is about to take on the rotating presidency of the Security Council from France and would not like to be identified as the nation which gave the official seal to US military adventurism. Even in the unlikely event of the USA persuading the majority of the Security Council members to okay a war against Iraq, France had made it clear that it would not back any such move. This will be ideal retaliation for the US excessive use of the veto against any condemnation of brutal Israeli attacks on the Palestinians. Everyone understands the need to disarm Iraq and get rid of any chemical, biological or nuclear arms it may possess. The UN Inspection team made its report to the Security Council on January 27. Despite an active inspection programme, it had not come out with any clear evidence of the existence of such weapons or plans to make them. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was more specific . Its own inspections in Iraq showed no evidence of Baghdad conducting research or stockpiling nuclear fuel. Under such circumstances, there was no need for any sabre rattling by the USA and the UK. In the meantime, the USA and the UK had gone in for more bluster. Despite their inability to lay their hands on Osama bin Laden and top-ranking Al-Qaida leaders, the British and the Americans are now accusing Iraq of having links with the terrorist group. Whatever may be the faults of President Hussein, he had been steadfast in his opposition to religious fundamentalism and had not allowed any terrorist groups to operate from his country. This had been acknowledged all over the world, but the USA and the UK, are desperate to level even the most astounding charges against the Iraqi leader to justify a full-fledged war on him. In its efforts to sideline all opposition, the armtwisting of the USA and the remarks of Rumsfeld had antagonised most of the European nations. The concept of “Old Europe” did not make any sense. Perhaps, the USA and its Defence Secretary would learn a bit of history from such “old nations”, like not jumping to conclusions or not putting their feet into their mouths. More important, they should not mislead the rest of the world into agreeing to a reckless military adventure. |
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The state of children’s rights worldwide CHILDREN shape the world’s future and it is thus quite natural that their welfare and rights are given special attention. It is through them that inter-generational cycles of poverty, exclusion and discrimination can be broken. This view lies at the core of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the 1990 World Summit for Children and the UN Special Session on Children in May last year. While the emphasis on child development has yielded dividends, much still remains to be accomplished. However, the achievements clearly reflect the positive action taken by national governments to improve the conditions of children. Some 63 countries, for example, achieved the summit goal of reducing by one-third the death rate of children under five, while over 100 countries cut such deaths by one-fifth. Consequently, there are now three million fewer under-five deaths each year than at the beginning of the 1990s; one-third of these young lives are saved by achieving the summit goal of reducing child deaths from diarrhoeal disease by 50 per cent. Moreover, there are more children in school than ever before while a record 192 countries have now acceded or signed the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and national laws have been enacted and enforced accordingly in many countries. But even then 40 per cent of the children in developing countries (around 600 million children) struggle to survive, eat and learn on less than one dollar a day, according to UNICEF estimates. Even in the world’s richest countries one in every six children lives below the national poverty line. Apart from this, more than 150 million children are underweight and/or malnourished while around 120 million children still out of school, 55 per cent of them being girls. These are official figures while in reality the situation may be much more grim. It is significant that UNICEF, along with a coalition of international NGOs, has launched an international global campaign to improve the lives of children worldwide. The Global Movement for Children is reaching out to distant corners of the globe to rally all sections of society behind 10 critical “imperatives” required to build a world fit for children over the next decade. But though there has been a world-wide concern for children, the problem has not quite changed in the developing countries because of the spectre of poverty and malnutrition. While the emphasis on social development is being advocated the severe resource crunch of the developing world has been a major constraint. World Bank estimates reveal that $ 40 to $ 60 million per annum in aid will be needed to gear up the pace of social development and uplift the conditions of children in the poorer countries of Asia and Africa. Coming to India, there have been some achievements for the country’s 380 million plus children. The India Report on the World Summit for Children (brought out by the Department of Women and Child Development) has identified the unfinished agenda which include the following: (i) Almost half of the children under three years (47 per cent are underweight and a similar proportion are stunted or short for their age. More than 50 per cent of malnourished children have been found in Rajasthan, UP, Bihar, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra (ii) During the last five years the infant mortality rate has stagnated at about 70 deaths per 1000 live births (iii) Over 35 million girls and 24 million boys between 6 and 14 years are out of school though actual figures put the total estimate at around 70 million or so. (iv) Though the Indian Constitution states that “no child below the age of 14 years shall be employed to work in any factory or mine or employed in any hazardous employment”, child labour is rampant and is a big problem. Article 45 of the Indian Constitution speaks of free and compulsory education for all children till they attain the age of 14. If this single provision is put into practice, it would indeed be a big achievement. Recent initiatives such as the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (Education for All launched in November, 2000) have, no doubt, been a welcome step. To achieve this task, a lot of dedication and effort will be required for which the local government has to join hands with NGOs and CBOs to address social inequalities, focusing on primary education and healthcare. In this connection, steps need to be taken to strengthen the implementation of the existing laws. In fact, coordinated efforts would be required to handle a population of around 60 to 70 million children who are not in school. The question of poverty and hunger is intrinsically linked to the question of children’s education. A hungry or under-fed child cannot be expected to go to school. The provision of mid-day meal to children below the poverty line would also have to be seriously considered. Moreover, schools should not only be centres of imparting education but also ensure that nutrition and health of poor students are also taken care of. These and other related issues, including the large number of dropouts, should be examined by the National Commission for Children which is expected to review and recommend laws for children, oversee proper implementation of laws, enquire into the violation of child rights, etc. The need for education and healthcare for all children of the country has become imperative at this juncture. As the UN Secretary-General, Mr Kofi Annan, aptly pointed out that from experience we know that “for every dollar invested in the development of a child, there is a seven dollar return for all society”. Children are, in fact, resourceful citizens capable of helping to build a better future for all. “A World Fit for Children” should be our aim keeping in view four priority areas: (i) promoting healthy lives; (ii) providing quality education; (iii) protecting children against abuse, exploitation and violence; and (iv) combating HIV/AIDS. Thus, the development of the child has to be conceived by the government in an integrated manner, which means that their total welfare (including health, nutrition and education) will have to be taken care of. Keeping in view the problems and hazards being faced by children, a time-bound action plan should be evolved by the commission in our country to ensure the basic amenities of life to them, specially those of the poorer and deprived sections of society. INFA
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Doctor-patient relationship DOCTORS have been made the scape-goat in the so-called kidney racket and one of the police officers has gone to the extent of labelling it as an organised crime in a sophisticated way. Let us give a rational thought to the issue and see where the fault lies. If we go through the whole episode, we find many politicians and their kith and kin, bureaucrats and their relatives, top businessmen, social reformers and writers are enjoying an extended life with the kidneys donated by unrelated persons. Most of them are good human beings taking care of the donors nicely. All of them have a great regard for Dr P.K. Sareen and other doctors doing kidney transplant. The problem arises when the promises made to the donors are not fulfilled. It is the middlemen who are the real culprits or in certain cases the recipient of the transplant is not taking care of the donor. They should be interrogated. I am surprised why those affluent people like politicians, businessmen and their relatives who are enjoying an extended life granted to them by Dr Sareen and other doctors are not coming forward in their defence. When we want a favour from someone, we adopt all measures. We beg for our life. “For God sake, kindly save us. If you don’t help us at this difficult hour, our family would be ruined. Who will look after our children. And things like that. We try to get recommendations from bureaucrats and politicians so that the work is done. Once the work is done, we just disown the doctor and the donor and never bother about them. Doctors are in a dilemma because they cannot refuse a surgery on a critical patient. Then there are moral and ethical values that a transplant should not be done if the donor is unrelated. Third, there is a legal aspect: you cannot refuse a surgery on a critical patient if the authorising committee approves the donor. What a genius like Dr Sareen is today (good/bad) is all because of the society. He has done what the society has demanded from him. Given a chance, those who are now loudly talking about the ethical and moral values will indulge into the same practice if they or their relatives are to get a kidney transplant. For God’s sake, do not label a doctor as criminal and do not pass such unrequired statements. This will create a sense of insecurity in society and will spoil the profession, its moral values and the patient-doctor relationship. Dr B.S. Shah, Dayanand Medical College, Ludhiana. |
Friends and relations SINCE this country more or less runs on dynasties, old school ties, business alliances by marriage and the rest, I suppose it is not surprising that some of this flows on to the media. Take, for instance, the last edition of Isi Ka Naam Jeena Hai. Suresh Oberoi is not exactly the most scintillating of anchors, least of all when he follows the urbane, charming Farooque Sheikh. His ever-booming voice is ill suited to bonhomie and his humour is mostly forced. Bad enough, but it became worse when who should star in his programme but his very own son, Vivek Oberoi. One of the main attractions of this programme is its element of surprise. Apart from the guest being sprung surprises in the form of old teachers and childhood friends he has not seen for years, the anchor does not know every facet of the guest either and is often as pleasantly surprised when he comes across something unexpected. In spite of the saying.” It is a wise father who knows his own son,” Suresh Oberoi pretty much knew everything about his son and added some glorifying touches at every step. Not in very good taste and I am surprised the producer had not thought of this. It certainly left one feeling a bit cynical and even embarrassed as some viewers knew Vivek had problems with his father. The other edition of this programme which was not very well handled was the session with Azharuddin. Our former captain tends to be something of a shy introvert especially inarticulate in interviews. In this instance his family affairs had to be omitted altogether for obvious reasons although his present wife appears in press conferences about his commercial ventures with him. No cricketer except Jadeja turned up for reminiscences of the type on which this programme thrives and Azhar was not only mumbling at times but made things worse by sitting down stiffly with an amazing lack of good manners when others were speaking to him. That is what I meant by bad production since an alert producer can make a guest relax and could have stepped in to make things more cheerful. Next we come to the Harvansh Rai Bachchan death and funeral where the filmi duniya clearly outnumbered the literary one obviously because of their regard for Amitabh, which is natural in the circumstances. The poet died around 11.15 p.m. and led by Aaj Tak, the coverage started a little after midnight and went right through the early hours and to the end of the funeral and after. Mercifully, many literary figures, eminent literary critics and associates of Bachchan senior were brought in to pay touching tributes and although the crowds lining the streets and trying to gate crash into the funeral were more to watch the stars than pay tributes to a much-loved poet, one could not help wondering if TV would have gone to town like this if Harvansh rai were not Amitabh’s father. It was certainly overdone for the same reasons. But let it be noted that the sons and grandson behaved throughout with impeccable dignity and that also saved the day. From real life to family life on the screen. In Astitva, at last the worm, the beautiful doctor older by 10 years to her photographer husband, is turning. She has defied her father and gone to visit her mother and given her father a bit of her mind, as has her husband, although she minded this. Then the impossible mother-in-law, at the time of going to press one hopes, will also get her come-uppance, if that it not too much to hope for. That would just save the serial from its present unconvincing phase. Tail-piece: Some relatively inexperienced and junior anchors seem to mess up their big chance when they get it by being over-ambitious and over-confident. Nidhi Razdan, on promotion to Star’s prime time 10 p.m. bulletin, tries to snatch the initiative from established anchors like Rajdeep Sardesai and Arnab Goswami when it comes to questioning a guest, which is sheer cheek. Then she frequently cuts in rudely with involved questions when a guest is saying something interesting, which is very unprofessional. Swati Chaturvedi got her big chance with an interview programme on Sab TV which has too many talk shows anyway. Swati works hard and means well but has always had a tendency to talk at break-neck speed and swallow words in-between, which continues. Also, aggression has to be tempered with maturity. I think both girls should look at their tapes to see what I mean, because I wish both of them well. |
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Sperm donors to lose right to anonymity CHILDREN conceived as a result of sperm donation are to be given the right to trace their biological fathers, under plans for a sweeping change in the law. When donor insemination began in the 1950s, it was assumed that everybody, but particularly an infertile man, would want to keep it secret. The psychological impact of maintaining anonymity is now becoming clearer. Children who were conceived 30 years ago, and have found out in adulthood that their biological father was not the man they had grown up with, have been utterly shocked, mainly because they were misled by their parents. Scientific advances also militate for a change. As researchers discover hereditary factors in more and more conditions, a future generation will need to know their full genetic make-up if they are to be properly cared for. Any change waiving anonymity is unlikely to be retrospective because of the difficulty in tracing donors, and therefore would not affect the tens of thousands of men who have donated sperm over the past 40 years. The ending of a right to privacy would have to be clearly spelt out to potential donors at a clinic.
The Guardian. |
Let each ablution be a baptism, Each meal a communion. —Paul Richard, “The Gospel of the Desert” There is one body, and one spirit.... one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. —The Bible, Eph 4.4-6 |
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