E D I T O R I A L   P A G E

EDITORIALS

Excavation in Ayodhya
Legal reporters had a busy day in Lucknow on Wednesday. They had to report the directive of the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court to the Archaeological Survey of India to undertake excavation of the disputed site in Ayodhya. But a related development was equally important.

Rising abuse of POTA
The flagrant manner in which the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) is being misused by the Babulal Marandi government in Jharkhand is a matter of serious concern. Apparently, this government is not following the rules of the game. As a result, the very purpose of enacting legislation like POTA has been defeated.

Missing enthusiasm among people
Widening gulf between leaders and the led
Hari Jaisingh
While analysing the Bharatiya Janata Party's debacle in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly election held on February 26 last, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee was candid enough the other day when he stated that he had an inkling of the public disappointment with his party while campaigning in the hill state.

MIDDLE

Yeh Dil Maange More
Iqbal Singh Ahuja
Joy and sorrow are the two emotions that have always intrigued me. I am confused about their definition. Some people laugh at a thing, which may not seem funny to others and some cry over a thing, which others feel is not worth shedding even a tear on.

People’s representatives: ensuring accountability
Gurbachan Jagat
Criticism of the government is a favourite subject for all of us. The middle classes, the media, industry, the intellectuals, the NGOs, even opposition parties — to name only a few — are all engaged in this vociferous criticism. Print and visual media are strident and aggressive in tone.

TRENDS & POINTERS

Depression increases suicide risk: study
If a report published in the March 2003 issue of American Journal of Psychiatry is anything to go by, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are more likely to cause suicidal thoughts among men and women.

SPIRITUAL NUGGETS

EDITORIALS

Excavation in Ayodhya

Legal reporters had a busy day in Lucknow on Wednesday. They had to report the directive of the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court to the Archaeological Survey of India to undertake excavation of the disputed site in Ayodhya. But a related development was equally important. It concerned the decision of the special court in Lucknow to allow the CBI to send the papers relating to the FIRs against eight accused in the Babri Masjid demolition case to the special court in Rae Bareli. The names of Deputy Prime L. K. Advani and Union Human Resource Development Minister Murli Manohar Joshi are among the suspects. There was confusion in some circles about the High Court order influencing the outcome of a similar issue being heard by the Supreme Court. The confusion arose because of the flawed understanding of the legal status of various aspects of the Ayodhya dispute. The Lucknow Bench order could not have influenced the outcome of the petition before the Supreme Court. The High Court is dealing with the status of the disputed land. The apex court had fixed March 6 for deciding the fate of the Centre's petition for allowing puja at the undisputed site. All the issues are sensitive and need careful handling. One false step had ended the uneasy truce between armies of King Arthur and his enemies. The street-level interpretation of the High Court order should make the law enforcement agencies step up the level of vigil for ensuring communal peace in Ayodhya, Lucknow and elsewhere. The dispute has caused serious damage to the secular fabric of the country. The period of nearly 50 days — the timetable given to the ASI for completing the task — should be utilised for securing from the leaders of the Hindus and the Muslims an assurance that they will accept the court verdict and that the State shall never again get involved in a religious dispute between members of different religious denominations.

The experience of the past two decades leaves no scope for doubt that people seem to have enough religion just to hate one another, but not enough to make them realise that the basic purpose of religion is to promote universal love, compassion and feelings of brotherhood. Neither should the Vishwa Hindu Parishad [and other saffron outfits] nor the All-India Babri Masjid Action Committee nor the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board nor other pro-mandir or pro-masjid groups be allowed to vitiate the atmosphere in the country. Community leaders should in fact try and mould public opinion in favour of an early judicial settlement of the Ayodhya dispute. Public opinion will also have to be prepared to accept the evidence that the ASI may offer after the excavation.

Rising abuse of POTA

The flagrant manner in which the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) is being misused by the Babulal Marandi government in Jharkhand is a matter of serious concern. Apparently, this government is not following the rules of the game. As a result, the very purpose of enacting legislation like POTA has been defeated. Reminding one of the horrors of the infamous TADA, the Jharkhand police picks up anyone it wants to fix under POTA — innocent tribal men and women, rickshawpullers, street urchins, journalists, advocates or anyone else. Mr Marandi seems to have stolen a march over his counterpart in Uttar Pradesh, Ms Mayawati. He has the dubious distinction of arresting 12 boys, one of them being 12-year-old Gaya Singh, and even 81-year-old Rajnath Mahto under POTA. There has been indiscriminate misuse of this Act in eight districts — Garhwa, Palamau, Latehar, Gumla, Hazaribagh, Giridih, Chatura and Ranchi. The government has unleashed a reign of terror in tribal settlements. The government’s justification of large-scale arrests under POTA does not stand the test of scrutiny. If it is true that all those arrested were supporting or helping naxalites and extremists, how is it that of the 207 arrests made so far (to quote official figures), charges against 83 detainees have been dropped by the state government? Clearly, the government was forced to take this step following a directive by Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani to Mr Marandi to review POTA cases. It may be recalled that human rights groups and Opposition parties have been seeking the personal intervention of Mr Advani to cry a halt to the abuse of POTA in Jharkhand.

However, the state government’s latest review of cases will in no way mitigate the sufferings of the people. In fact, doubts have arisen on the number of those languishing in jails under POTA. Though the government maintains that 207 have been booked, independent observers claim that 3,200 have been framed under the notorious legislation. According to a report by a fact-finding team comprising members of the Association for Democratic Rights, the All-India People’s Resistance Forum and the People’s Union for Civil Liberties, FIRs have been filed against 654. This team visited some of the affected districts recently and urged the Chief Minister to release the detainees unconditionally. The Madras High Court settled a vital question of law recently when it ruled that there was no absolute bar on the detainees for seeking bail within one year of detention. Union Finance Minister Jaswant Singh had assured the Rajya Sabha the other day that the Centre was committed to set up review committees on POTA. While his assurance is welcome, it is doubtful as to what extent these panels would come to the rescue of innocent detainees. Though a Central Act, the states are the implementing agencies of POTA and experience suggests that in more cases than one, some states have been fixing political opponents under this legislation. Union Law Minister Arun Jaitley has said umpteen times that there are adequate in-built safeguards to prevent its misuse, but this is unbelievable. Its abuse is becoming more and more pronounced with each arrest. What a pity!

FRANKLY SPEAKING

Missing enthusiasm among people
Widening gulf between leaders and the led
Hari Jaisingh

While analysing the Bharatiya Janata Party's debacle in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly election held on February 26 last, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee was candid enough the other day when he stated that he had an inkling of the public disappointment with his party while campaigning in the hill state.

He remarked: "The people of Himachal Pradesh were not angry with us, but they were not willing to reinstall us. There were crowds at my election meetings, but I could feel that public enthusiasm was missing (logon mein utsah nahin tha). The people were not responsive."

The nation should be grateful to the Prime Minister for raising very pertinent issue of the people's responsive attitude which alone could generate enthusiasm among the electorate. It is for the first time that a leader of Mr Vajpayee's standing has thrown up such a vital matter honestly without mincing words. He, of course, did not spell out how the level of public response could be raised to the advantage of one party or the other.

First of all, let us have an objective look at how politicians play with the sentiments of the people with a view to garnering votes.

Remember how former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi raised the battlecry of "gharibi hatao" (eradicate poverty) in 1971 to mobilise the votes of the poor, the backward and other downtrodden sections of society who have been victims of socio-economic injustice. When Indira Gandhi raised this slogan, the people, by and large, looked to her to liberate them from the forces of deprivation and provide them opportunities to rise.

The former Prime Minister then got tremendous response from the people and came to power, though she was pitted against vested interests not only within her own party but also feudal forces which thrive on an unjust system.

However, having aroused the people's expectations, Mrs Gandhi failed to translate her slogan into a concrete plan of action with the result that, over a period of Congress rule, the Scheduled Castes, the backward classes and other deprived people drifted from her to the advantage of other regional and caste-based parties.

In India's political culture, leaders of all shades and hues play with the people's sentiments instead of guiding them about the real issues and problems facing them. The people's ignorance may be a blessing in disguise for politicians, but in real terms, it is a blatant fraud on the have-nots who expect them to perform.

The process of development demands widespread participation of the people. Decentralisation and the Panchayati Raj system were mainly prompted by this consideration. The idea was to enlarge the base of the people's participation in the development process from the grassroots upward. Though a lot of ground has been covered in this regard, several serious gaps remain in critical areas of promise and performance.

The real challenge before the political leadership is how to enthuse people so that the sort of absence of enthusiasm which the Prime Minister noticed in Himachal could be avoided.

Remember the days of the freedom movement. Our country was fortunate to have in its midst persons of substance who were not only forward-looking but were also very much in tune with popular feelings. Name any leader from Mahatma Gandhi to Jawaharlal Nehru, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, et al. They took considerable pains in educating the people and highlighting the importance of swaraj as an ideal goal for their own dignity and honour.

The moot point is: what creates enthusiasm among the people? Four essential elements for this purpose are:

1) commitment; 2) credibility 3) performance/track record, and 4) vision.

Unfortunately, all the four elements have been missing and hence the lack of enthusiasm for the BJP. The Congress too suffers from the same malaise. None of the parties has a leadership that is committed to the people's cause and has credibility in terms of taking principled positions. Nor can they boast of a track record showing that their promises will actually get translated into efficient governance which alone can ensure a better quality of life for the people.

The most important aspect in this critical area is vision. It is apparent that the present leadership of every political party only manages to hobble along from one situation to another.

The BJP came to power not because of the mandir factor but because it promised to be a party with a difference. It also toyed with the concept of Ram Rajya. The idea was related to the common men and it shared the ethos of the people across the nation. It, therefore, created considerable enthusiasm that led to the upsurge in favour of the BJP. It was a secular idea inasmuch as it promised near-ideal conditions wherein the centre of attention was the common man and his life.

However, the lack of vision on the part of the leadership made one believe that Ram Rajya was synonymous with anti-minoritism or fundamentalism. Compare the use of Ram Rajya by Mahatma Gandhi, who described it as an instrument for social change.

Mahatma Gandhi kept his fingers on the pulse of the nation. A grassroots leader that he was, he knew what people aspired for. His identification with the masses was total. He continuously interacted with them, responded to their sentiments and guided them in their hour of peril. Today there is a big gap between leaders and the led.

Gandhiji fully realised that religion was a vital force in Indian society. That is why he used parables to convey the message of right and wrong in daily life to the people. During the struggle for freedom he often referred to the need for the attainment of Ram Rajya, once India freed itself from the imperialist bondage.

K.J. Charles, a Canadian professor of economics, has expressed the view that had the country taken the Mahatma Gandhi Vision seriously, intelligently applying and adopting it, it would not only have brought about an impressive improvement in the standards of living of the masses but would have also introduced a new and just pattern of economic and social development.

In contrast, most politicians these days exploit religion for heightening social tensions. In the latter context, it can be used for specific situations for very short-term gains. The latest example being Gujarat.

It is said that Mr Narendra Modi's Hindutva worked there. But then it failed miserably in Himachal. Commitment, credibility and vision cannot be sustained on divisive formulae. Rather, such formulae confirm the lack of all three of them.

Perhaps the best example of how vision can enthuse people is contained in the immortal verse — Vande Mataram. Bankim Chandra had written it before he came out with his masterpiece, Anand Math. The verse gave the people a vision of their motherland and enthused them towards making all sacrifices in order to realise it. When the partition of Bengal took place in 1905, it became the rallying point for people from all walks of life and from different religions.

The enthusiasm for the vision of mother India was such that even in those times when communication was poor, it travelled quickly out of Bengal and energised millions across the subcontinent. It used to be sung at the inauguration of every session of the Indian National Congress with Rabindra Nath Tagore himself lending his voice to it. It presented to the people a vision of a resurgent India that would break its shackles and take its place as an honourable member in the comity of nations. That the Muslim League communalised the verse later is a different story.

It is from elements like this that utsah (enthusiasm) is created. Mr Vajpayee wants the people to vote for the BJP when its policy statement on even basic issues is missing. He wants them to be enthused about him as a leader even when the people are confused as to whether he is a dove, a hawk or a strange hybrid of the Hindutva parivar. The signals from the leadership are at best confusing, if not contradictory. How can then one be fully enthusiastic about his party? To say this is not to deny that he is still the best bet available for the country.

MIDDLE

Yeh Dil Maange More
Iqbal Singh Ahuja

Joy and sorrow are the two emotions that have always intrigued me. I am confused about their definition. Some people laugh at a thing, which may not seem funny to others and some cry over a thing, which others feel is not worth shedding even a tear on.

Sorrow may be because of a physical, psychological or financial loss. However, the reaction to sorrow varies. Some people take worldly loss in their stride by saying: “Tera Bhaana Meetha Lage” and remain calm in the face of distress while others raise quite a hue and cry over small things. My colleague, Dr Rajiv Bhai, shares my views. He said: “I have seen people laughing heartily when they have lost and crying when they have gained.” To me this was a surprise but he said he could prove it.

He took me to a multistorey building in a plush colony. As we entered the building he touched the floor with respect, gesturing “Pranam”. I had seen artistes making a similar gesture when they went up the stage. He said: “This place is the hub of financial activity. Here many people have made it to the top and many have lost.” Though a doctor, he has been dealing in stock exchange for the past 35 years. He has earned enough from stocks and shares and practised medicine for charity. He is considered an expert in the field of share market. I have rarely seen a doctor excelling in the share market and medical field as well.

The ground floor was full of activity. He said : “You can make or mar your fortune and future here. Only wisdom, patience and wits are required. People who do not use these senses, ruin themselves and their families”. Even at the age of 58 finances have remained an enigma to me. I have never tried to learn the intricacies of this business. Leave aside the intricacies, even counting currency has been a dilemma for me. My parents had always kept us away for these types of things. They always called it a “Jua”, a gamble. They used to say: “Jua Kisi Kaa Nahi Hua”.

As we went to the second floor, he introduced me to a gentleman who was in very high spirits. We chatted for a while, cracked jokes and laughed heartily. My friend said: “Look, this man has lost Rs 3 lakh in the morning. He sold his shares at a big loss.” This puzzled me. “Why is he so happy?” I asked. “Had he not sold his shares in the morning, he would have lost Rs 6 lakh by now,” explained my friend.

At the third floor we met another person. He looked grim. My friend asked him, “Oye, 4 lakh rupaiya jit ke vee udaas hain”. The man did not look happy at all. “Aiven Vech Ditta, Hun Vechda te 8 lakh Bachda”, he replied. I shared a word of sympathy with him. True, nobody is ever satisfied with money. The word, “More” is permanently attached to it. The desire for it never ends (Yeh Dil Maange More).

As we stepped on the top floor, I saw people sitting idly in the sun. Some of them were playing with marbles and mungfali. I asked my friend, “Who are these people?” He laughed and said: “These are the people who did not use their wisdom, patience and wits at the ground floor”. I felt very sorry for them. I remembered what my parents had said. “Nobody wins the gamble, it is the gamble which ultimately wins”. True, “Jua Kisi Ka Nahi Hua”.

People’s representatives: ensuring accountability
Gurbachan Jagat

Criticism of the government is a favourite subject for all of us. The middle classes, the media, industry, the intellectuals, the NGOs, even opposition parties — to name only a few — are all engaged in this vociferous criticism. Print and visual media are strident and aggressive in tone. Seminars are held with various heavyweights exercising their minds, and others sit in their cosy homes/offices and indulge in their favourite pastime. For some, indeed, it is their daily bread. All such criticism is fair and unfair, objective and subjective. The crux of the situation, however, is the question — what do the people basically expect from their elected government? The simple, uncomplicated answer is: rule of law and good governance at the grassroots level.

But this, perhaps, is not an easy task. People want their daily needs to be met; they want a responsive officialdom and basic systems to work without their having to use “other means” to obtain what is rightfully theirs. No amount of negative criticism has brought any basic change though this should have happened by now given the mountains of criticism that we have heaped upon every government in the last 50 years or so. Democracy functions and its instruments of state function to the extent that the people are aware of their rights and are prepared to exercise vigilance over their enforcement/preservation. Similarly, an aware public should be conscious of developmental necessities of their areas, viz parliamentary/Vidhan Sabha constituencies, be aware of the efforts of their elected representatives to get the necessary schemes approved — and then exercise vigilance over their implementation. Unless the people exercise this vigilance government agencies and elected representatives will go along the trodden path and do the minimum possible for survival. We have to create awareness among the people regarding their rights.

Modern technology has already made it possible to spread information to all at the minimum cost and time. Individual officers with a high degree of initiative have already experimented in making municipal services available on websites, which have proved very successful and popular. The twin efforts of making more services available through technology and educating people regarding their rights need to be made immediately. Data regarding planned development and results achieved should be put on websites, constituency-wise and regularly updated. This would help in making government functioning more transparent. It would also enable the people to better judge the efforts made by their elected representatives for their welfare.

The people need to know what is happening in the government. An aware public and elected representatives, and transparent and technology-friendly government would go a long way towards better governance. We have to develop a positive attitude and think of ways to achieve accountability of elected representatives. MPs/MLAs should be made to visit their areas regularly. They should be apprised of the common needs of the area and questioned closely regarding their efforts, inside and outside Parliament, to improve their lot.

A mechanism has to be evolved to ensure accountability of the elected representatives, and until then the citizens should collect and discuss issues in the presence of their representatives. We should not have to wait till the next elections to hear the lists of achievements and read the advertisements depicting the same. In addition to websites, all elected representatives should issue a quarterly/half-yearly bulletin to their constituencies detailing their activities in Parliament/Vidhan Sabha, and the developmental works undertaken by them and their follow-up action. If we can ensure accountability of the elected representatives, then accountability of the bureaucracy will follow as a corollary. If there is regular monitoring of their areas by the representatives, a mechanism can be evolved to associate the local bureaucracy with the exercise and make it accountable, have an interface with the people regarding the quality of local governance and the progress of ongoing developmental works or the need for new ones.

The involvement of the people will give invaluable feedback to the representatives and bureaucrats regarding the ground realities of governance and development, which would further enable them to initiate follow-up in relevant government quarters. The accountability of the elected representatives to their constituents would ensure closer interaction between the legislative and executive wings, with the objective of exercising better governance. There should be permanent offices for all elected representatives in their constituency headquarters (not at the residences) where dates and time should be fixed for interaction with the people. Today their interaction is limited mainly to applications for jobs, transfers of government employees, individual grievances, etc. Matters of rule of law and developmental activities rarely come up for discussion.

Finally, it is “we the people” who have to seize the initiative and demand accountability of the legislators and through them the bureaucrats. We the people are not asking for favours, we are asking for the enforcement of our basic rights. Accountability is the only remedy; it has to be institutionalised and not left as a vague concept. It has to be totally enforced. Offices in constituencies, periodic meetings with people, review of qualities of governance and developmental activities, closer interaction between the legislators, bureaucrats and the people at the ground level should be institutionalised. Nothing will happen till we go on looking to the government for automatic deliverance. We have to start asking questions and demanding answers — not at the end of five years, but regularly.

TRENDS & POINTERS

Depression increases suicide risk: study

If a report published in the March 2003 issue of American Journal of Psychiatry is anything to go by, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are more likely to cause suicidal thoughts among men and women.

The study also found that women, who may be either exposed to more trauma and/or biologically vulnerable to developing PTSD after trauma may be at higher risk for PTSD. In fact, in this study, more women than men reported abuse in childhood and developed PTSD. ANI

SPIRITUAL NUGGETS

Some are saints and some sinners.

The sun shines on good and evil alike.

Does He make any distinction?

That love is highest which is concentrated upon God.

The lamp by the light of which one forges a name and another writes a cheque for a thousand dollars for famine, shines on both, knows no difference. Light knows no evil.

—From Kalyana Kalpataru, June 1997