E D I T O R I A L   P A G E

EDITORIALS

Maya dares Mulayam
UTTAR Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati evidently goes to Shahnaz Husain for her facial, Habib for her hairdo and the best costume designer for her wardrobe. But, like the principal character of G. B. Shaw's celebrated play, she needs a Professor Higgins to help her improve her political diction.

Bickering on Baisakhi
A festival that celebrates harvest, the birth of the Khalsa, the beginning of a new religious year and has a host of socio-religious connotations has been reduced to a slanging match between the political leaders of the two main parties of Punjab.

No truck with truckers?
The immediate fallout of a countrywide truckers’ strike is a rise in consumer goods’ prices. On the first day of the strike on Monday, the response to the All-India Motor Transport Congress’ call was mixed. According to media reports, some 27 lakh trucks across the country are participating in the strike.

OPINION

US scheme of world domination
Implications of a dangerous dream
S. Nihal Singh
AS the world sifts through the rubble of America’s Iraq war, the distance between Washington and the rest of the planet has grown. It is as if we were looking at what has been happening through very different lenses. There is an unreal Roshomon-like quality to the war in which the same images look very different.

MIDDLE

Ooo...f! this administration!
Suchita Malik
BLAMING the bureaucracy, nee administration, for all our ills, weaknesses and frustrations has become a cliche and a favourite pastime for the so-called modern, hep, pseudo-intellectual and elite class. Let a thing go amiss in any field ... civic, health, legal or social services, accusing the administration of inefficiency or apathy comes very handy to us. No need is felt to ascertain the facts at all or giving it a second thought.

THE TRIBUNE DEBATE

VAT impact : positive or negative?

Inspector raj to go Naveen S. Garewal THERE is a lot of misconception about the value added tax (VAT) that comes into force in many states from June 1. It is ignorance about the new taxation system that has caused widespread resentment and opposition to the VAT that aims at establishing a uniform and simplified taxation mechanism.

Revenue will fall Vipin Dhand A hue and cry is being raised over the introduction of the value added tax (VAT) in the country. While the Union Government appears to be very enthusiastic about its implementation and has already announced its introduction from June 1 this year, there are several state governments, including Punjab, that have decided not to introduce it right now.

TRENDS & POINTERS

Ditch the itch
IT'S often said that while orthodox medicines essentially suppress the symptoms that come with illness and disease, naturally oriented therapies are generally inclined to address their underlying cause. One branch of medicine in which these differing approaches seem aptly demonstrated is dermatology.

SPIRITUAL NUGGETS

EDITORIALS

Maya dares Mulayam

UTTAR Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati evidently goes to Shahnaz Husain for her facial, Habib for her hairdo and the best costume designer for her wardrobe. But, like the principal character of G. B. Shaw's celebrated play, she needs a Professor Higgins to help her improve her political diction. Her style of functioning too needs a complete overhaul. She is, perhaps, the most powerful Dalit leader the country has produced after Baba Saheb Ambedkar. But instead of using the Dalit power at her command for unfolding a programme of action for the economic uplift of the people she represents, Mayawati is more comfortable playing the politics of vendetta. However, it takes two to tango. The politics she plays is not slave to any adjective. In Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav she has a rival who on several occasions has shown what he can do with the stick of power in his hands. Ruthlessness comes naturally to both of them. Had they remained on the same side of the politics that now divides them, no political party would have had a ghost of a chance to dislodge them from power, at least in UP. But the parting of ways saw Mulayam Singh, when he was Chief Minister of UP, unleash his goons on her at the state guest house in Lucknow. It was indeed a close shave for her. Since then both of them never miss an opportunity to play the politics of revenge.

The Ambedkar Jayanti celebrations, organised on a grand scale, in Lucknow gave Mayawati the chance to publicly denigrate Mulayam Singh and his close associates. She did not spring a surprise on her rivals on Monday when she announced the filing of criminal cases against Mulayam Singh, Amar Singh, Azam Khan and several other Samajwadi Party leaders. One newspaper reported 136 cases having been filed against the Samajwadi Party leader and his associates and another put the figure at 178. The number can even be 2,000. But what should be a cause for concern is the disquieting trend of abusing the state machinery by the leader of the party in power in UP. Kalyan Singh, when he was with the Bharatiya Janata Party, was as ruthless a Chief Minister as any in suppressing internal dissent and hounding political rivals. UP is economically very backward, but H. N. Bahuguna was, probably, the last Chief Minister who made a serious attempt to give the state a better network of roads, more schools, power and drinking water and improved healthcare facilities. The institution of criminal cases against Mulayam Singh and others was Mayawati's way of getting even with her political foes who had produced what she claims were doctored CDs. The summer season is going to be unbearable for the people of UP. It will be unbearable not because of the usual power shortage, but because of the political heat the ugly rivalry between Mayawati and Mulayam Singh Yadav is going to generate.

Bickering on Baisakhi

A festival that celebrates harvest, the birth of the Khalsa, the beginning of a new religious year and has a host of socio-religious connotations has been reduced to a slanging match between the political leaders of the two main parties of Punjab. Both Capt Amarinder Singh and Mr Parkash Singh Badal outdid each other in lowering the standards of their discourse at rival political conventions held at Talwandi Sabo to celebrate Baisakhi. Of course, various other splinter groups also contributed to the raising of decibel levels. The Chief Minister brought up the issue of Mr Badal "acquiring property worth Rs 3,500 crore" and stressed on his continuing campaign against corruption, in which even Mr Badal would not be spared. On the other hand, Mr Badal poked fun at his rival's royal lineage and said that he would show the Chief Minister a jail, since he had never seen one. It is indeed unfortunate that various traditional festivals where a large number of people gather are being used merely as platforms for political diatribe. Instead of doing seva in langar, listening to kirtan or the compositions of dhadhis which kept people entranced in times not too long ago, what we now have is the hijacking of socio-religious occasions such as Maghi Mela, Holla Mohalla and others by political parties to serve their own narrow personal interests.

Both the political leaders paid just token lipservice to the issues that bedevil the state, and when they did, as they did on power, it again reflected their political line. Both did not rise above scoring political points against each other at the cost of lowering the level of political speeches given on this important occasion. That is the kind of political philippic which brings forth the worst in human interaction. Recently, the Akalis focused on the mysterious 'flight' to Mumbai that the CM and his party took etc., rather than what was accomplished. On the other hand, the CM 'overhauled' the Anandpur Sahib Foundation by removing Mr Badal and various Akali stalwarts like Mr G S Tohra, Mr Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and Capt. Kanwaljit Singh. Privately, politicians rue the state of affairs in Punjab, once the premier state of India. There is a broad agreement on the need for diversification of crops, along with proper marketing and processing facilities, the need to improve education and health services and to tone up the administration of the state. All this can be done, if only the politicians can get over their petty differences in the larger interest of the state. If this were to happen, the next Baisakhi would be one of actual joy and celebration.

No truck with truckers?

The immediate fallout of a countrywide truckers’ strike is a rise in consumer goods’ prices. On the first day of the strike on Monday, the response to the All-India Motor Transport Congress’ call was mixed. According to media reports, some 27 lakh trucks across the country are participating in the strike. Given their unity, their problems and the past experience, the truckers are capable of prolonging their agitation, thus having a cascading effect on the economy. The government, as usual, has not yet reacted to the situation. No invitation has gone out to the agitators for a dialogue to sort out the issues. This is the third strike by the truckers’ union in about a decade and they do have some genuine reasons for the drastic action. The diesel price hike has affected the truck business, no doubt. But it is a temporary phenomenon and as the Iraq war comes to a sooner-than-expected end, the petro prices will fall. However, some mechanism surely needs to be put in place to meet the situation arising out of fluctuations in the prices of petroleum products globally so that those affected do not have to resort to strike to seek relief. The imposition of entry tax by different states will also add to the truckers’ harassment at the hands of government officials and delay unnecessarily the movement of goods. That they already have to pay a price to keep the traffic police and those manning inter-state barriers from putting a spoke in their wheels is well known.

It has to be realised that trucks are the backbone of the economy and any hurdle in their way will have a bearing on the consumer. The truckers too need to understand that they would lose public sympathy if they act irresponsibly and go beyond a limit. There is no weight in their demand that the cess on diesel or the charges for the use of toll roads and bridges be scrapped. These are aimed at improving the road network in the country. Better roads ultimately result in savings on time and vehicles’ wear and tear. Equally untenable is their plea against the phasing out of old vehicles, which is being done on the orders of the Supreme Court. This is the price they, like other vehicle owners, have to pay in the interest of the environment. Finance on easier terms should be made available to them as has been done by the Delhi Government. If the strike lingers, middle men are likely to manipulate prices and fleece consumers. The government should act before the situation worsens.

OPINION

US scheme of world domination
Implications of a dangerous dream
S. Nihal Singh

AS the world sifts through the rubble of America’s Iraq war, the distance between Washington and the rest of the planet has grown. It is as if we were looking at what has been happening through very different lenses. There is an unreal Roshomon-like quality to the war in which the same images look very different.

Thanks to Al-Jazeera and two other Arabic satellite channels, the monopoly exercised by CNN in the last Gulf war was broken. There was more than one version of reality, and the focus on fast-moving events in the war was often as different as chalk is from cheese.

The United States would like the world to believe that the United Nations having failed in its job, it has selflessly taken upon itself to rid Iraq of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) by exercising force to seek a regime change. Experts doubt that chemical and biological weapons can be classed as WMD, being more of weapons of mass disruption, while even America does not claim that Iraq possessed nuclear weapons. As a sub-text, the Bush administration has vainly sought to link Iraq with the Al-Qaeda network representing a danger to the security of the homeland and the region.

For the rest of the world, President George W. Bush, in thrall to his neoconservative team, focused on Iraq as the weakest link in the chain to validate the new national security strategy of claiming supreme power and reordering West Asia to his desire. He has claimed the right to taking pre-emptive and preventive action against any sovereign country the USA views as a threat to national security. And through inducements, threats and bullying, America gathered a motley coalition, with Britain only too anxious to please for its own reasons.

While the US will find to its cost the perils of becoming a colonial power in the 21st century, the world must look at the shape of things to come with a critical eye. For what the Bush administration is proposing is a whole new world order. In this idyllic scheme, the United Nations remains subservient to American desires or is disregarded and regional organisations such as the European Union and NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation), remain relevant only to the extent they are helpful in promoting American interests.

It is an audacious vision in empire-building and before America falls on its face through overreach or exhaustion, or both, the dangers to the world cannot be overemphasised. To dream of building a Second Roman Empire by singlehandedly remaking the map of West Asia in the first instance on the basis of unparalleled military power is, to put it mildly, a foolish enterprise. The tragedy is that before America reaches the end of its tether, much harm would have been done.

To spell out the neoconservatives’ maximalist positions, America desires the emasculation of the Arab world and Iran (they remain ambivalent on Turkey) and the promotion of Israel to the position of the regional superpower, a slot given at one time to the Shah’s Iran. The immediate sufferers will be the unfortunate Palestinians, pummelled in recent years by Israeli fighter jets and helicopter gunships. But Syria is already beginning to feel the heat and American warnings to Iran are only a trifle less strident.

It is no secret that the Arab world remains hopelessly divided, a division exacerbated by President Saddam Hussein’s invasion and annexation of Kuwait in 1990. A large part of Kuwait has now served as the American military headquarters for the invasion of Iraq. Bahrain is the headquarters of the American naval fleet. Qatar of Al-Jazeera fame is the new Central Command headquarters, with Saudi Arabia providing the overall command infrastructure through the US airbase there.

Arab summit and Foreign Ministers’ meetings in the near-certainty of the Iraq war therefore took on a surrealistic quality, with many nations seeking to balance their immediate need for American benevolence and protection with their peoples’ widespread anger over America’s invasion of a brother Arab and Muslim country. After 9/11, Saudi Arabia had already been feeling the heat in view of the predominantly Saudi composition of the hijackers who used passenger planes to such devastating effect.

It is an axiom in international affairs that the weak must dissemble and compromise with a stronger power to survive. In the classical European power play, states teamed up with other nations to seek safety in a balance of power until war became a compulsion. After World War II, the Cold War and the emergence of the Big Two, most countries sought safety in belonging to one camp or the other. The unattached or nonaligned found security in playing one against the other.

The world changed startlingly after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the demise of the Soviet Union. There was no countervailing force to the US and most states had to accommodate themselves to the new scheme of things. An even more startling change came about after 9/11, with the shock of American vulnerability on its own soil becoming a trigger for a “war on terror”. Ominously, this war was coopted by the neoconservative mentors of Mr George W. Bush to push through their own agenda of world domination.

Inevitably, a counterattack was mounted by France, Germany and Russia, with muted support from China, through the UN Security Council. It was an indication of America’s overconfidence that it was sanguine till the end about its ability to get a resolution authorising it to use force against Iraq. A consequence of Britain’s full-throated support for the US was a split in the European Union, Spain and Italy ruled by right-wing governments tilting towards Washington. Europe was further split through the defection of former communist countries engineered by Washington, “new Europe” in US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld’s vocabulary.

As America promotes its claim to world supremacy, the United Nations has again become an arena to challenge Washington, this time on the terms of the world organisation’s involvement in Iraq. The US will find its hands full with occupying and running Iraq for some time while the immensity of the task of reconstruction will prove to be beyond America’s resources. How far America will need to compromise its dream to secure European support will be a matter for negotiation.

MIDDLE

Ooo...f! this administration!
Suchita Malik

BLAMING the bureaucracy, nee administration, for all our ills, weaknesses and frustrations has become a cliche and a favourite pastime for the so-called modern, hep, pseudo-intellectual and elite class. Let a thing go amiss in any field ... civic, health, legal or social services, accusing the administration of inefficiency or apathy comes very handy to us. No need is felt to ascertain the facts at all or giving it a second thought.

I was on my way to the parking slot of a cinema hall where I had gone to watch a movie. While turning towards the parking space, the car ahead of me banged into the side fence with a deep dent. Unable to control the steering wheel to his dictates, the man in the driver’s seat peeped out and started abusing the government left and right. “Look at this government...they don’t do anything properly...bloody, greedy officers...” The man went on hurling abuses while I listened silently wondering as to how the government could be blamed for something which was clearly an error of judgement in this case.

Anyway, not to be put off by this raving and ranting, we went inside the cinema hall and were happily enjoying the movie when suddenly the light went out and the hall reverberated with the whistles and roars of protest from the audience. A good five minutes and I could hear people sneering and shouting “administration...hai, hai” till the generator was switched on and everything restored to normalcy. Again, I was left wondering as to how the government might be responsible if it turned out to be short-circuit indeed or a careless lapse on the part of an erring official.

The next day, however, had more such accusations galore! We all sat in the staffroom of our college in the free period when the discussion veered round to the perennial problem of thinning attendance in the classrooms. I was appalled when some of my “revered” colleagues started blaming the administration even for such a day-to-day problem. I, however, hastened to counter this argument by saying: “May be, this thinning attendance is a sad commentary on the quality and method of our teaching...may be we need to improve by being more focused...” “No, no, no..., you don’t know,” one of them cut me short, “actually these students are a pampered lot and go scot-free under the indulgent eye of the administration only”. The teacher concerned conveniently forgot that she was indulging in this agitated discourse at the expense of the students who were waiting for her in the classroom patiently even after half the period was over already.

I was again left wondering whether it was fair to pass the entire buck on to administration for something which might be a human failing or could be attributed to the lack of national character in doing one’s duty consciously and conscientiously. I knew for sure that if the instruments of this very administration ever came for an inspection in the college, we would certainly be the first ones to denounce their act as arbitrary and insulting or trying to check our so-called “very much intact” sense of duty with an iron hand.

The day was, however, over in the college. I came back home hoping for a quiet moment of peace when I was confronted by my maid who informed me that there had been no water supply since morning. “Pata nahin ai administration ki kardi hai” (God knows what this administration does). “Oh God, not again!” was all that I wanted to say but told her politely: “Water supply has been disrupted because of urgent maintenance work and would be restored by the evening.” “Chalo, administration kuch te kardi hai” (Administration does something at least), she said with a wicked grin on her face. “Ooo...f this administration”, I muttered and hastily climbed the stairs to my room thinking whom to blame.

THE TRIBUNE DEBATE

VAT impact : positive or negative?
Inspector raj to go
Naveen S. Garewal

THERE is a lot of misconception about the value added tax (VAT) that comes into force in many states from June 1. It is ignorance about the new taxation system that has caused widespread resentment and opposition to the VAT that aims at establishing a uniform and simplified taxation mechanism.

The strongest opposition has come from traders and small business houses, largely because they do not have much understanding of the VAT. It is imperative at this stage that the advantages of the VAT be disclosed to people through seminars, talks and awareness campaigns at the national level.

Even those who do understand the advantages of the VAT over the traditional cascading type tax (CTT) system are apprehensive on several counts and it is the duty of the government to dispel all these apprehensions. The VAT system has been in force in several western countries for years and has worked very successfully. In fact, it is the only internationally accepted trader-friendly tax system.

One of the immediate fallout of the VAT would be to widen the tax network that will bring all tax evaders under the IT tentacles. Retailers having realised this are the most vociferous against the VAT.

Is it not every citizen’s duty to contribute towards the national economy in the form of tax? Then why do traders and businessmen want to shy away from their responsibility while wanting to enjoy all the benefits of the infrastructure provided by the government?

Those opposed to the VAT must understand that one of the biggest assets of the VAT will be the abolition of the “inspector raj” in the country, which is one of the biggest impediments to the growth of the industrial sector. The VAT will reduce the role of inspectors as it encourages self-assessment of the payable taxes.

The VAT aims at reducing, monitoring and encouraging truthful voluntary evaluation. Once the VAT is firmly in place, it will reduce transaction costs and increase profits for those maintaining correct and transparent accounting records.

How does the VAT work? Unless exempted under essential commodities, most business purchases will carry a VAT charge. The tax paid on the purchases will be allowed to be deducted against the VAT to be paid at the time of sale. This will include an adjustment of the VAT paid at the time of purchase of raw material or even goods purchased for resale.

Since, the original copy of the VAT invoice will be required to claim credit on the VAT paid, this will encourage traders to do business on record. Besides, goods sold with a bill would cost the trader less (due to credit on the VAT) than goods purchased without a bill, thus encouraging legal transaction that will reduce black money and increase government revenue.

There is a serious misconception regarding the implementation of the VAT that it would lead to double taxation and hence cause inflation. Studies conducted on behalf of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have indicated that it takes between 18 and 24 months for a complete transition from the CCT system to the VAT. During this time the states implementing the VAT could suffer a serious setback in revenue collections and some double taxation can cause inflation.

But it must be remembered that the VAT involves the replacement of sales tax and other state related taxes. The shortfall in the states’ revenue, if any, is to be taken care of by compensation offered by the Union Government. The Union Government has announced that it will provide 100 per cent compensation to all states that implement during the current year.

Since one of the prime objectives of the VAT is to widen the tax base and introduce reforms to ensure maximum tax collection, it aims at targeting individuals, parternership companies, etc doing business over a certain limit. The limit will be decided by each state. Medium-sized businesses (as defined by individual states) will still have the option to go in for the VAT or stay with a composition system of tax on the turnover.

All business will be covered by four rates of taxes under the VAT pegged at 0, 1, 4 and 12. 5 per cent all across the country, which means that the same set of goods will be charged the same rates in all states. It may be mentioned that most essential commodities are exempt from the VAT or fall under the 4 per cent category.

Today over 120 countries accounting for nearly 70 per cent of the world’s population follow the VAT system. Once implemented, the VAT will boost exports, strengthen the economy, widen the tax base, plug tax evasion, promote transparency, prevent double taxation, introduce uniform taxation, encourage self-assessment and curb the inspector raj.

The writer is the General Secretary of the Readymade Hosiery Manufacturers Association.

TRENDS & POINTERS

Ditch the itch

IT'S often said that while orthodox medicines essentially suppress the symptoms that come with illness and disease, naturally oriented therapies are generally inclined to address their underlying cause. One branch of medicine in which these differing approaches seem aptly demonstrated is dermatology. Dermatologists have a vast array of medicaments in their armouries, most of which come in the form of chemicalised creams designed to have their healing effect directly within the skin. In natural medical circles, however, skin ailments are generally seen as an expression of some underlying imbalance within the body, and treatments are often focused on improving inner health.

One skin condition for which internal approaches often prove quite effective is eczema. Characterised by red, inflamed, sometimes itchy patches of skin, eczema often affects the face, hands and the areas behind the knees and the insides of the elbows.

Standard medical treatments for eczema revolve around steroid-based creams that help to quell inflammation, thereby soothing the skin. While this has its place, another approach might be to tackle the inflammation characteristic of eczema at its root. In this respect, nutritional therapy has much to offer: more than one study shows that food is a common trigger factor.

While the mechanism for food sensitivity is not known for sure, it seems that some people’s bodies see specific foodstuffs as foreign invaders, and react to them. It is believed that the resultant adverse reaction can manifest itself in a variety of skin problems including eczema. In practice, I have seen the identification and elimination of problem foods work very well in combating eczema, and have even experienced the benefits for myself. For many years I had eczema on my chest and under my arms. The elimination of just one food type from my diet saw my affliction fade without trace, never to return.

While any food has the potential to trigger eczema, common culprits include dairy products (these were my undoing) and wheat. If you want to learn more about food intolerance and how to test for it, read Allergy Solutions by Suzannah Olivier (Simon & Schuster).

Another common underlying imbalance in eczema appears to be a deficiency in a specific dietary fat known as gamma-linolenic acid (GLA). Supplementation with GLA-rich evening primrose oil is known to benefit some cases of eczema. Other types of fat that might help heal eczema are those of the omega-3 variety found naturally in oily fish and flaxseed oil.

Omega-3 fats have a known anti-inflammatory effect, and may also help to combat dry skin. I often advise eczema sufferers to supplement with hemp-seed oil as it contains both GLA and omega-3 fats; 15ml (1 tbsp) per day often improves the condition of the skin and helps control eczema in the long term. Daily hemp-seed oil, perhaps coupled with dietary modification, often provides effective relief, too. The Guardian

SPIRITUAL NUGGETS

By the right path,

O Lord,

Lead us to plenitude;

Lead us, O Lord.

You know every path.

Deliver us from the sin

that would lead us astray.

We desire to hymn you

in myriad ways.

— Rig Veda I, 189

Cooperation has its own place in world transformation. Even God, the world Transformer cannot complete His task of world transformation without we children.

When flowers are combined in the form of a bouquet it looks more beautiful than a single flower. One can overcome all circumstances easily with cooperation of others.

“It is easy to break the stick, but it is very difficult to break the bundle of sticks.”

— B.K. Surendra, The World Renewal, July 1997