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Monday,
October
6, 2003,
Chandigarh, India  
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More missiles for General Quotas are for votes Players are role models |
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Nancy and Rocca at work
Curtains and mothers-in-law
Mother Teresa’s beatification
Need for mandatory silk mark
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More missiles for General THE second Hatf-III (Ghaznavi) short-range surface-to-surface ballistic missile test carried out by Pakistan on Friday should be treated as “nothing special” as Defence Minister George Fernandes has commented. Pakistan has explained it as “part of a series of planned tests to be conducted in the next few days to validate the design parameters of various missile systems”, but this is only for the consumption of the local public. The world outside knows it full well that China and North Korea have been behind Pakistan’s missile programme and there is not much indigenous about it. The Hatf missiles are basically the Chinese M-9s and need no further testing. But Pakistan has to indulge in this repeat exercise to boost the morale of the public. The entire nuclear and missile programmes of Pakistan are India-centric, launched with a view to neutralising India’s otherwise unmatchable capacity to take on its belligerent neighbour. That is why Pakistan has the nuclear first-use policy and keeps publicising it to maintain the comfort level of its public. India’s superiority vis-a-vis Pakistan in the area of nuclear and conventional warfare capability is well known, but this country’s requirements go beyond Pakistan. In any case, India cannot afford to remain complacent. It has to continue updating its military hardware, including missiles. The point that needs to be emphasised here is the fear of Pakistan’s nuclear warheads and missiles falling into the hands of terrorists. This means that the whole world should be worried about Pakistan’s weapons of mass destruction. Terrorists can be helped not only by the ISI in procuring the dangerous toys but also by radical religious groups, which have emerged as a major political force after last year’s elections. The subject has been extensively discussed in one of the best-selling books in France this year, “Qui a tue Daniel Pearl” (Who Killed Daniel Pearl) by Bernard Henri Levy, who has the distinction of having served as a special envoy to President Jacques Chirac. China and North Korea are also to blame for their role in Pakistan’s nuclear and missile programmes because their assistance may ultimately strengthen the terrorist machine. American journalist Daniel Pearl lost his life mainly because the ISI came to know that he was working on an investigative report to tell the international community that the terrorist groups, including Al-Qaida, might become uncontrollable once they had access to Pakistan’s nuclear capability, courtesy the ISI. Are the Americans and others in the West, who seem to have endless faith in Pakistan and General Musharraf, listening? |
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Quotas are for votes THE Union Cabinet’s approval of providing reservation for the economically backward classes (EBCs) does not come as a surprise. Clearly, the proposal is aimed at wooing the votes of the EBCs among upper castes in the forthcoming Assembly and Lok Sabha elections to Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan assemblies. On a larger plane, this is expected to yield rich dividends for the NDA government in the ensuing assembly and Lok Sabha elections. Ever since Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s announcement of reservations for the EBCs, the Centre has been toying with the idea to boost the BJP’s prospects in the assembly elections. Having obtained an opinion from Attorney-General Soli J. Sorabjee that a constitutional amendment is necessary for providing quotas for the EBCs, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had formally announced the Centre’s plan at an election rally in Rajasthan. Given the near-unanimity among the political parties on the issue, it would not be difficult for the Centre to ensure the smooth passage of the amendment of Clause (4) of both Articles 15 and 16 of the Constitution in Parliament. Political parties can oppose the amendment, which will require a two-thirds majority in Parliament, but only at their risk. However, it is doubtful whether by adding a new clause to the statute, the Centre can wriggle itself out of the 50 per cent cap on reservations imposed by the Supreme Court. Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj’s statement on Friday that the new clause will empower the states to fix “any quantum of reservation in favour of any backward class, including the EBCs” sounds unconvincing. Quotas for the EBCs may not stand the test of judicial scrutiny as the Supreme Court has time and again reminded the government of the 50 per cent ceiling. In their pursuit of capturing vote banks, most states have far exceeded the ceiling. It may be recalled that when the Madhya Pradesh government sent a Bill increasing the reservations to the then President, Mr K. R. Narayanan, for his assent in 1999, he refused to sign it on the ground that it had crossed the Supreme Court ceiling. The manner in which successive governments have been extending the reservations to various categories over the years shows political expediency. Quality of governance has become the worst victim of reservations. Unfortunately, given the fixed mindset of the political parties, they seem to be in no mood to rethink the problem in a dispassionate manner. Nonetheless, it would be advance enough for the time being if they accepted that the salvation of the country’s downtrodden lies in a realistic prescription for economic growth and not in prolonging short-term palliatives that become counter-productive in the long run. |
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Players are role models IN a recent column the gentleman cricketer of the present era Rahul Dravid praised the excellent team work that helped India lift the Asia Cup in hockey. But the focus of the write-up was on the players’ lack of experience in handling the media. This observation is crucial in the context of the unfortunate spat between Indian hockey coach Rajinder Singh and captain Dhanraj Pillay on the team’s return from Kuala Lumpur. Subsequent reports indicated a “patch-up”. Pillay was evidently provoked by Rajinder Singh. The upshot? The unfortunate public row between the coach and the captain, who are supposed to set the limits of good conduct for other players. If what happened in Chennai was not an aberration but a glimpse of a more serious malady, Indian hockey needs to be saved from its negative influence on other players. Cricket administrators are working overtime to save the image of cricket, as also the game itself, by constantly revising and upgrading the rules governing the players’ conduct. Nothing of the sort is happening in hockey. The ill-will that sledging causes among players is now being taken seriously by cricket administrators. Australia was identified as the source of the scourge. Cricket Australia has now decided to crack the whip. A strict code of conduct has been introduced in domestic cricket that prohibits “the use of language or gestures that offend, insult, humiliate, intimidate, threaten, disparage or vilify another person on the basis of that person’s race, religion, colour, or national or ethnic origin”. The penalty for violation of the code includes life ban on playing cricket! Indian hockey has to reinvent its image. It is still a poor cousin of the hugely popular game of cricket. The public exchange of angry words between Pillay and Rajinder Singh gave the game avoidable bad press. Sportspersons are supposed to be role models for the youth. Inam-ur-Rahman, in spite of being exceptionally gifted, was bad advertisement for the game because of his temper. Dravid’s informed analysis of the future of Indian hockey is based on his vast experience as a player. To quote him, hockey indeed “must decide that if wants to share the spotlight with cricket, it must also be willing to face the consequences of that attention and scrutiny”. And face them with equanimity, a quality that Pillay as captain needs to inculcate. |
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Thought for the day The only athletic sport I ever mastered was backgammon. — Douglas Jerrold |
Nancy and Rocca at work LATE September both Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and President Pervez Musharraf were in the US for their annual war of words. President George Bush was careful not to wag a finger at General Musharraf on cross-border terrorism. Regardless of the spin the Indian media representatives accompanying Mr Vajpayee might have given on this, there is both a pattern and consistency in the support the General receives from the US. Between September 10 and 15 Delhi saw two high US officials — Ms Christina Rocca, US Assistant Undersecretary of State, and Ms Nancy Powell, US Ambassador to Pakistan. Both are regional experts and were trying to take back with them the Indian perspective on regional stability. Both gave a perfectly clean chit to President Musharraf and even certified that he was cooperating actively in tracking down Al-Qaida and fighting terrorism. Neither faulted him for his commissions or omissions. I had the privilege of interacting with both. Ms Rocca was actually in Delhi for a regional dialogue (mainly on Nepal and Sri Lanka) but ended up talking on Pakistan. She is a regular traveller to the region. She was reminded that while General Musharraf might be cooperating with the US on Al-Qaida and the Taliban, he was certainly showing Uncle Sam two fingers about the promises he had made to the US last year about ending cross-border terrorism — ending it permanently, irreversibly, visibly and to the satisfaction of India. He conveyed this to no less a person than President George Bush. While the US admits that this pledge was made more than once, it has been unwilling and unable to get the General walk the talk. Ms Rocca was told that India felt let down, in fact tricked by US assurances that “give him more time, and he will do it”. It was on the strength of the promises he made that India was talked out by the US not once but twice from going to war against Pakistan last year. It is apparent the US has made a distinction between bad terrorists, who hurt its security interests, and good terrorists, who hurt others. Ms Rocca is a patient listener. All she said after the suggestion that the US should twist General Musharraf’s tail was that there were limits to what the US could do and added, “you overestimate our capability to influence a third country”. Ms Powell, who resides in the region and served in India till 1995, sang the same Musharraf song. She was more qualified in her praise for the Pakistani leader. The US mission in Islamabad is unique, she said. “The term is one year, no families are permitted and security considerations override all other concerns” — this, in a country that is supposedly a friend of the US! The Ambassador’s mission was four-fold: counter-terrorism — (coping with Al-Qaida, the Taliban and religious extremists); regional stability. (India-Pakistan and Pakistan-Afghanistan); promoting democracy; and economic growth. A tripartite commission has been set up between Afghanistan, Pakistan and the US to fight terror on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. She endorsed fully Ms Rocca’s stand on General Musharraf: “We have been less successful with the Taliban, though” she added. The feeling of anti-Americanism in Pakistan is much less virulent than is made out. The reason for anti-Americanism was attributed to US policy in West Asia, the perception that the US is anti-Islamic and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. She said that Pakistan, for the first time, was able to maintain an IMF programme largely thanks to its internal economic reforms and external monetary assistance. Her explanation was that the US had recently provided $ 50 million for promoting democracy. Pakistan was bailed out by the US of its economic crisis two years ago by huge debt write-offs and $ 3 billion in assistance for logistics support for the war in Afghanistan. Part of this assistance was for economic development. In June 2003, US Congress had been requested for another $ 3 billion over five years to be equally divided between military and economic sectors. A $ 600 million annual package is to be provided conditional to cooperation on terrorism, proliferation and promotion of democracy. Ms Rocca had confirmed this assistance programme earlier. Ms Powell is remembered in India for her statement last year that Pakistani soil was being used as a platform for cross-border terrorism. When asked why the US was unable to persuade General Musharraf to stop infiltration, she repeated the Rocca line about the limits to US capability to do so. She rubbished reports in the Pakistani Press about the potential for a mutiny in the Pakistani Army. She said General Musharraf is in full control and countermanded a comment attributed to Gen Aziz Khan, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, that “Men in uniform should not play politics”. Ms Powell said: “Don’t believe all that you read in the Pakistani papers. General Aziz told me he never made these remarks.” Ms Powell said she was very surprised that India made much of a corrupt and untrustworthy Maulana Fazalur Rehman while Pakistan went gaga over Mr Laloo Prasad Yadav. It was not a serious acclaim of two public figures. It would take the bilateral dialogue nowhere, she hinted. She also expressed surprise that India had ignored Prime Minister Jamali. He is the civilian face of the government. The only criticism she offered about General Musharraf was his failure to move against madarsas. There are nearly 40,000 of them not yet registered, and only 1200 are on the books. As Pakistan moves up on the snakes and ladders and endears itself further to the US, it is clear that Islamabad is more important to the US than New Delhi — for the present. To Pakistan’s three As: Allah, America, Army, you can add three Ms: Mullahs, Musharraf and Madarsas. You cannot wish away the Army in Pakistan. The only way Pakistan can be made to get rid of this tiger is through a military defeat: one more to add to 1971, Siachen and Kargil. This can only be choreographed with US help. Meanwhile, it ought to be acknowledged that the US is interested in maintaining the status quo on India-Pakistan relations without a crisis occurring on the Line of Control. The US is not interested at present in a Kashmir solution but only in the initiation of a political process that keeps the lid on a so-called nuclear flashpoint. The Americans are determined to enhance the security and strategic engagement of India, giving fillip to military-to-military relations, troops or no troops for Iraq. By saying that “we know Prime Minister Vajpayee is facing an election”, Mr Bush has made it easier for India to say “no” to the US on the question of troops. Chief of Army Staff N.C. Vij had said in May this year that he was not in favour of sending troops to Iraq for operational reasons. Besides this, India will wait for an explicit UN mandate and a specific request from the Iraqi governing council before deciding in the negative. An American expert on the region told me recently that “we keep telling the State Department, The Pentagon and the White House that if you can’t get General Musharraf to keep his word on cross-border terrorism, you have no business asking India to talk to Pakistan”. |
Curtains and mothers-in-law THE daughter-in-law called long distance from London. They have recently bought a flat and are busy furnishing it. A relative is visiting them next month. “Mom, could you send two curtains each of 172 cm width and 221 cm length?” she told the wife. The latter made studious notes. Not being fully confident of the elder’s arithmetic abilities, Gayathri further elaborated: “Our window is 200 cm by 200 cm. The extra will go in the pleats”. The wife confirmed understanding. “Black and white in shade”, the caller further specified. After the call ended, the wife looked at the paper disapprovingly. “Why do they want to do up their room in black and white, when so many other more suitable colours are available? I think I am going to tell her”. “I suggest you send what she has asked for”, I said condescendingly. “The last thing one wants from a mother-in-law is advice”. Truth has a way of hitting one very hard. From the hard look she gave the now-silent telephone, I could feel the pain in her heart. I thought of lightening the air. “On the subject of mother-in-law, my own experience...” “Don’t you drag my mother into it!” she said in a terse, venomed voice. “Drag her? I don’t have the kind of horsepower”, I continued in the same vein. “How can you be so rude as to relate my mother to a horse?” Humour was mistimed, I realised. Confrontation was clearly in the air. “No, no” I protested making up, “I am only using the term metaphorically”. “You always try to hide your guilt behind those big words. Don’t I know you”? “Horsepower is a term used in physics to denote unit of power”, I stated, foreseeing prolonged hostility. “Hun” was her dismissive response, clearly indicating that she did not believe my scientific explanation. I knew the argument was not over. A diversion was called for. “Actually, horsepower has nothing to do with a horse. Just as henpeck has nothing to do with a hen,” I said, flapping my arms instinctively, at the mention of the bird. I thought the reference to the magic word ‘henpeck’ might help to douse the fire. No response. Peacemaking was hitting a wall. She remained unmoved, Musharraf like. “You have misunderstood. It is not like the horse dragging the dead bull after a bullfight. Remember we saw it in Pampelona in Spain?” I said, hoping that recall of happy events might cheer her up. But it misfired. “You are disgusting” she said, “First you connect my mother to a horse, and now you bring in a dead bull as well”.
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Mother Teresa’s beatification Indeed the Mother rightly “dwells in the happiness of heaven” because she truly lived the mandate of serving the poor and the unloved that the Bible describes in the “Last Judgment”: “Then the King will say to those on his right hand, Come, blessed of my Father, take possession of the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me to drink; I was a stranger and you took me in; naked and you covered me; sick and you visited me; I was in prison and you came to me.” Then the just will answer him saying, “when did we see thee hungry, and feed thee; or thirsty and gave thee drink? And when did we see thee a stranger and take thee in, or naked and clothe thee? Or when did we see thee sick or in prison and come to thee?” And answering the King will say to them, “Amen, I say to you, as long as you did it for one of these, the least of my brethren, you did it to me.” Mother Teresa’s life has been judged as one dedicated to serving “the least of God’s brethren” and she has indeed taken “possession of the Kingdom prepared for her from the foundation of the world” as her beatification bears testimony. On this occasion my mind goes back to the mid-seventies when Chandigarh, hailed as the City Beautiful with its wide vistas, wider avenues, enchanting landscape and lovely gardens, was desperately searching for a “soul”. Beneath the veneer of physical beauty, Chandigarh and its neighbouring areas had their share of the wretched, the poor, the unwanted, the mentally retarded, the abandoned, the leprosy patients and the dying destitutes. It was in this context that the Bishop of the Shimla-Chandigarh Diocese, Rev. Gilbert Rego, and myself decided to invite Mother Teresa to Chandigarh, with the hope of persuading her to open one of her homes in the city. The appeal we sent out must have touched a nerve and the Mother arrived in the city during December 1975. The Bishop and I took her around and the Mother was soon convinced of the need for a Home like Nirmal Hriday in the city. Once the Mother had decided, things moved fast. In May 1976, she sent a band of five Sisters headed by Sister Joya to start a home for the abandoned and dying destitutes and also work among the poorest of the poor. Temporary accommodation was provided to the “Home”, courtesy the local unit of St. John’s Ambulance Association and that is how the Mother’s work started in Chandigarh. The Sisters of Charity immediately plunged into their “mission of love” among the poor, sick, abandoned leprosy patients and the dying destitutes. Within a year of commencing work the Sisters made such an impact as to motivate the Chandigarh Administration to find a permanent abode for them in the city. Accordingly, we soon located a place for the “Home” in Sector 23 and it was allotted to the Missionaries of Charity at a nominal annual lease. What prompted the Chandigarh Administration in this noble act was the letter signed by the Mother wherein she had described the core objectives of the Society of Missionaries of Charity: “The society and all its branches throughout India and outside India work and serve the poorest of the poor, irrespective of all castes and creed, nationality, race or place — giving the individual person whole-hearted and free service. The poorest of the poor are the hungry, the thirsty, the naked, the homeless, the ignorant, the captives, the crippled, the leprosy sufferers, the unloved, the alcoholics, the dying and the sick destitutes, the abandoned, the outcastes, all those who are a burden on human society, who have lost all hope and faith in life.” For this noble act, credit must go to Mr T.N. Chaturvedi, former Chief Commissioner, Mr M.S. Chahal, former Finance Secretary, and Mr Aditya Prakash, former Chief Architect. On October 3, 1977, the Mother came to Chandigarh and laid the foundation stone of the “Home”. That was to cost Rs. 4 lakh. In 1980, through a Chandigarh Atlas project sponsored by Bharat Petroleum, we raised about Rs. 1.5 lakh. The Mother in the meantime, had received the Nobel Peace Prize and had become a world celebrity. She had issued an appeal not to offer any cash donations to her society. Yet, when we made the request she promptly responded and some time in mid-1980 came all the way from Kolkata to accept our felicitations, prayers and small donation. “Shanti-dan”, has indeed become a “soul” to the city of Chandigarh. This is evidenced from the kind of people’s participation in providing for the upkeep and feeding of all the inmates who number over 200. Worthy of note is the gesture of local hoteliers and restaurateurs supplying fresh food specially cooked for the inmates on a daily basis. It is a new experiment in voluntary effort and people’s participation in helping the poor, the disadvantaged and the needy. Through this citizens of Chandigarh are finding an expression of their own inner need for loving and sharing which, in essence, is the “soul” that the city has been searching for. Besides, the “Home” has become an instrument for the “spread of God’s love and compassion” in and around the city. And the Mother in her true devotion and humility had made it possible. “It is in giving, that you receive”. This innocuous passage, which is part of the 400-year-old prayer of St. Francis of Assisi, titled “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace”, is the rock on which Mother Teresa had built the infrastructure of “love and compassion” spanning the length and breadth of this vast universe. Chandigarh’s “Shanti-dan” is but a small part of this massive infrastructure. Some time ago I had an occasion to visit “Shanti-dan”. What I saw there moved me beyond words. Young, mentally retarded teenagers fondly clinging to the Sisters; old, homeless and lonely destitutes staring with a warm tinkle in the eyes; and, above all, the starry-eyed, tender, abandoned infants, giggling and smiling without a worry in the world. The “drop of love” that fell on Chandigarh in May 1976 has become a flowing river of joy for the “least of our brethren” and a stream of love and compassion for the more fortunate ones. This, in fact, is the ethos of the Mother and her Missionaries of Charity. Mother Teresa was a saint even when she lived. Her beatification now and canonization (conferring Sainthood) that would follow soon are only formal recognition of what has been informally accepted for long. Chandigarh has the rare honour of bearing the footprint of a Saint who as a “frail and feeble” woman symbolised humanity and humility more than anyone who walked the earth this last century. This indeed is the city’s moment of pride. —
The writer is a former IAS officer |
Need for mandatory silk mark BUYING silk this festive season? Then you must have some basic knowledge of silk, its properties, quality and the different varieties of silk, so as to make an informed choice. Good quality pure silk is expensive, but it is also luxurious in appearance and is durable. Silk is one of the strongest of textile fibres. However, it is weak when wet, even though it regains the original strength once dry. It is lustrous, elastic and does not wrinkle badly. It is also hydroscopic and absorbs about 10 per cent of moisture, but still looks and feels comparatively dry. Because of this quality, even when a person wearing silk perspires, she or he does not feel damp or clammy as in other fabrics that are hydrophobic. Silk is also warmer than cotton or linen and is, therefore, a good wear for winter. And unlike cotton, it is seldom affected by mildew. However it is not resistant to very strong light, and very hot iron can scorch the fabric. White silk, for example, can turn yellow if ironed with a very hot iron. Basically, there are five major varieties of silk, obtained from different species of worms that feed on a variety of food plants. Mulberry silk, considered the finest of silks, comes from a particular variety of silkworm that feeds on the leaves of the mulberry plant. These worms are completely domesticated and are reared indoors. This silk is produced in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and Jammu and Kashmir. The other four varieties are called non-mulberry silk or wild silk. Among them is the tasar or tussah silk. Since pure silk is expensive, unscrupulous manufacturers and retailers find it extremely profitable to palm off artificial silk or silk of inferior quality as superior quality pure silk and, given the advances in textile technology, it is difficult for consumers to judge the quality at the time of purchase. The Central Silk Board should, therefore, come up with a mandatory silk mark that also grades silk fabric. This would help consumers buy the right quality. The International Wool Secretariat, for example, gives the wool mark that helps consumers recognise pure new wool. Similarly, the world over, assaying and hallmarking is done to ensure that consumers are not misled on the purity of gold that they buy. So, why not a silk mark to help consumers make the right choice? Since high quality cultivated silk or mulberry silk can also be mixed with wild silk or spun silk or rayon or even mercerised cotton, proper labelling of silk, specifying the fibres used, should become mandatory. So also instructions on the care of the fabric. In the absence of such marking, consumers would do well to purchase silk from government showrooms and reputed shops. And always take a proper cash receipt and ensure that the retailer writes the description of the fabric sold. One can also apply the “burning test” to check whether the material is pure silk. Take a small piece of cloth and burn it with a match stick. Silk fibres burn slowly and leave a residue that is black and round (like beads) and crushable. When pure silk is burnt, you also get the smell of burning hair. Consumers and consumer groups can also get any textile, including silk, tested in a laboratory. The Textiles Committee, a statutory body set up by an Act of Parliament, has 16 laboratories in different parts of India, including New Delhi, Ludhiana, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad for testing textiles. The committee functions under the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India.
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Humility, unostentatiousness, non-injuring, Forgiveness, simplicity, purity, steadfastness, Self-control; this is declared to be wisdom; What is opposed to this is ignorance. — The Bhagavad Gita Non-violence is the summit of bravery. — Mahatma Gandhi O Son of Being! Thy Paradise is My love; thy heavenly home, reunion with Me. Enter therein and tarry not. This is that which hath been destined for thee in Our kingdom above and Our exalted dominion. — Baha’u’llah Faith and contentment are virtues of the faithful; patience is the sustenance of the angelic beings. — Guru Nanak Like water in ocean and waves in water, We get merged and become the same. — Kabir |
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BEATIFICATION is the “declaration by the Pope as head of the Catholic Church that one of its members deserves, for saintly life as confessor or heroic death as martyr, to be entitled to be blessed, that is, regarded as dwelling in the happiness of heaven.” Mother Teresa is being beatified on October 19 which is a prelude to conferring sainthood on her.