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Sops for middle class After 24 years In the coal pits |
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Editor’s Column
NRI romance on the rooftop
Why be so touchy about security checks?
Defence Notes
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Sops for middle class THE Finance Minister’s sops announced over a month before Parliament’s budget session is clearly aimed at the Lok Sabha elections. The BJP’s performance in the recent assembly elections has played a role in Mr Jaswant Singh’s attempt to consolidate the party’s middle-class vote-bank. The Finance Minister’s giveaways, resulting in a revenue loss of Rs 9,000 crore, make it abundantly clear that the general election is round the corner and that he will be seeking only a vote-on-account in Parliament. The benefits, though aimed to please the urban consumer and the taxpayer, are in line with the overall thrust of the reforms, which aim to cut taxes. Life-saving drugs will cost a little less. Pensioners have been exempted from the one-by-six requirement of filing tax returns. With the introduction of electronic filing of returns, procedural formalities will become less taxing. A salary certificate will be treated as a return. Employees having less than Rs 1.5 lakh annual salary income need not file returns, provided they have no other source of taxable income. The concessions given to the better-off category in the form of cheaper air travel, mobile telephones, DVDs and computers could have been balanced by sops for the vast majority dependent on agriculture, which has been totally ignored. Interest rates for farm loans are still on the higher side. Making cheaper credit and farm inputs available to farmers would have enabled them to join the party. The growth story is incomplete without the participation of agriculture. The most significant measure announced on Thursday is the reduction of the peak Customs duty on non-farm goods from 25 to 20 per cent. The special additional duty of 4 per cent, levied in the 1998 Budget of Mr Yashwant Sinha, also stands abolished. This is in line with the Kelkar Committee’s recommendations and also the WTO requirements. The peak Customs duty in the West on an average is just 3.8 per cent. In the ASEAN countries it is 12 per cent, while China is committed to reducing the duty to 7 per cent from the present 10 per cent. The net effect of this duty reduction is that the input costs will fall and Indian industry will become more competitive. Welcoming the duty reduction, the Indian industry has displayed maturity and confidence. There is no more clamour for protection against cheaper imports. India Inc is, at last, overcoming its growth and export inhibitions. |
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After 24 years THURSDAY'S alliance between the Congress and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam for contesting the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu, after 24 years of estrangement, is significant. The agreement comes at a time when both parties need each other. For quite some time, the DMK was unhappy with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government at the Centre. It felt that the AIADMK led by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa was moving closer to the NDA and that the Centre was not protecting its interests. It was worried over Ms Jayalalithaa supporting the BJP on issues such as the anti-conversion law, ban on cow slaughter and Ayodhya. If the DMK was feeling suffocated in the NDA’s company, the condition of the Congress as the principal Opposition party in Parliament is far worse. Having lost power in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, it is virtually back to the wall and is
desperately in need of allies to cobble up an alternative front to the NDA in the Lok Sabha elections. No doubt, forming a viable and credible alternative to the NDA is a daunting task for the Congress. Even if it succeeds in winning over some allies here and there, the leadership issue is bound to pose problems for any alternative front to the NDA. The reservations of the Samajwadi Party and the National Congress Party to Mrs Sonia Gandhi as a leader have already been made known. It is not yet clear whether the AIADMK and the BJP will have an understanding for the Lok Sabha elections. But such is the nature of politics in Tamil Nadu that no national party can hope to make its presence felt in the state without the support of either the AIADMK or the DMK. In anticipation of favourable response to its demands from the Centre, Ms Jayalalithaa has given enough indications of her tilt towards the BJP. A pact could be rewarding for both at the hustings, but the Vajpayee government seems to be approaching the issue with some caution. |
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In the coal pits INDIAN politics has produced a number of stormy petrels, who seldom allowed parliamentary proceedings to get dull and boring. Mrs Tarkeshwari Sinha was, perhaps, the first, to earn this sobriquet. The title now belongs to Ms Mamata Banerjee. But where will she show her rabble-rousing talent now that the dissolution of the Lok Sabha is almost certain? Had she agreed to head the Ministry of Coal and Mines in September, when she got out of a long spell of sulk and rejoined the Union Council of Ministers, she would at least have got one complete session to amuse or annoy the House by seeking the attention of "Mr Speaker, Sir" for intervention. She had to choose between remaining a Minister without Portfolio or accepting the one that was offered to her in September. For once she used her head and not her heart to make the crucial decision. But the real battle is now about to begin. And now when parliamentary elections are round the corner the Trinamool Congress leader will have little time to devote to the new assignment given to her on Thursday. She will have to give her party and its election campaign undivided attention. For resurrecting her and her party's fortune she must accept that the political adventures she is likes undertaking have done little to enhance the Trinamool's image. There have been desertions from the NDA on as many as eight occasions. Ms Jayalalitha, in fact, managed to bring down the government. But only Ms Banerjee managed to return, not always on her terms. She is back again. But Mr Tapan Sikdar who heads the BJP in West Bengal has never taken kindly to her. Having burnt her bridges with the Congress she now has nowhere to go. May be accepting a portfolio will help her win more votes than she would have done otherwise.
It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most
intelligent, but the one most responsive to change. — Charles Darwin |
Editor’s Column AT his news conference after his talks with Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee, President Musharraf looked relaxed, somewhat exuberant, over the outcome of the meeting which he described as “historic” at one stage and “a leap forward" at another. There could be hyperbole involved in this, but it was too clear from his body language and what he said in his answers that at the end of the day he was feeling considerably relieved. The hosting of SAARC and a meeting with the Prime Minister of India has given him a sort of legitimacy he had been looking for after the coup in which he had grabbed power from Mr Nawaz Sharif. International legitimacy, like charity, begins nearer home. The denial of a dialogue always amounted to India not acknowledging that he was Pakistan’s leader with whom it could discuss peace and normalisation of relations. The Kargil war and the fiasco at the Agra Summit had indeed created a credibility problem for the General and this he had been trying to overcome for some time. Significantly, this is the first time India has agreed to come to a sort of agreement with Pakistan’s Army and not a democratic government headed by a political leader. The Simla Agreement was signed with Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and the Lahore Declaration with Mr Nawaz Sharif. Bhutto went back on the Simla Agreement and was later executed by the Zia regime. The Lahore Declaration was rejected by the Army and General Musharraf. The Kargil operation was launched on the sly and Mr Nawaz Sharif was sent into exile. Apparently, the General has sought to convey that it is better for India to deal with Pakistan’s Army, which in effect has been ruling the country for most of the time since it was created 56 years ago – and not with the politicians’ governments that have been coming and going out of office. The referendum and the general election which he had organised and won are the implied arguments for getting a mandate and legitimacy at home. Incidentally, there is no mention of the Simla Agreement or the Lahore Declaration in the joint statement issued after the Islamabad talks earlier this week. This is unlike previous occasions when India always insisted on a reference to the Simla Agreement and the Lahore Declaration. It could be that the two leaders have agreed to discuss the Indo-Pakistan problems in future within a new and unspelt framework. For India’s comfort there is no mention either of the UN resolutions which Pakistan used to insist upon earlier, despite the fact that plenty of water has gone down the Jhelum during the last five decades and the resolutions have become dated and irrelevant to the present situation and the continuing argument on Kashmir. President Musharraf had recently said in an on-the-record interview with Reuters that Pakistan would not insist on UN resolutions, but his Foreign Minister, Mr Khurshid Kasuri, and later Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Jamali said the President was quoted out of context. General Musharraf, who also holds the post of Chief of Army Staff, said a few days ago that he would give up his uniform by the end of the year. The statement was perhaps made in the domestic context. But he could also be conveying to the world that he intended to rule Pakistan as an elected ruler and not as the Chief Army Staff. He was also sending out the signal that the Army top brass would remain united behind him even after he gave up the Army job and retained only Presidentship. Hopefully, he is right and remains confident to put into effect the assurances he has given to Mr Vajpayee at Islamabad. The key assurance given to India is that he will not allow terrorists to use territory “controlled” by it. This means his commitment applies to Pakistan Occupied Kashmir also. The provision in the Islamabad statement – considered important by India – can certainly be interpreted as Pakistan agreeing to dismantle terrorists’ training camps that had proliferated in Pakistan and PoK as well as the communication networks set up for them to facilitate their cross-border activities against India. “No extremism will be allowed in Pakistan”, President Musharraf said at his news conference. When asked about how extremists groups would react to the peace moves being made through talks with India, President Musharraf said he intended to deal with them sternly. “We must negotiate strongly and deal with extremists strongly”, he said to assure India. “We will adopt more measures to curb religious extremism”. Militant Islamists in Pakistan turned against President Musharraf soon after he decided to support the United States’ fight against terrorism. But he, while giving help to the Americans in fighting Al Qaida, adopted a different policy on Pakistan’s borders with India. Despite post-Nine Eleven developments, Pakistan went on calling the terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir “freedom fighters”. And despite commitments to the contrary, Pakistan went on supporting terrorist groups as a policy to extract concessions from India on Kashmir. President Musharraf seems to be changing tack and trying to give up this two-faced policy on terrorism and in the process meeting India’s demand that a dialogue could begin only if Pakistan gave up the path of “jihad” and terrorism. Of significance is the statement by Mr Brajesh Mishra, Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary, who flew to Islamabad for behind-the-scene negotiations with Mr Tariq Aziz, President Musharraf’s Chief of Staff, saying that the two countries would jointly fight terrorism. As Pakistan has realised that terrorists are nobody’s friends, cooperation in anti-terrorism operation can be more effective and create a kind of trust all well-meaning neighbours should have in each other. This kind of cooperation is necessary but how it will work is not known. May be it is yet to be worked out by the two sides. Actually, terrorism has become a threat to President Musharraf himself, as is evident from the two serious attempts that were recently made on his life not far from his official residence in Rawalpindi and the General Headquarters of the Army, which in effect is the seat of power in Pakistan. “I have nine lives”, said the President at his news conference to assure the audience that he was in a position to deal with the extremists and ensure stability in Pakistan. Apparently, President Musharraf has realised that some of the terrorists Pakistan was encouraging all these years to harass India in Jammu and Kashmir have become fairly autonomous and have joined hands with Al Qaida which after Nine Eleven had turned against President Musharraf. The two kinds of terrorists, those on the western borders and those closer to the Line of Control on the eastern side, can together pose a serious threat to Pakistan. This nexus between the two might be persuading him to turn against them. India would certainly like President Musharraf’s promised fight against extremists to succeed. And his success in crushing terrorism will determine the progress and quality of the “composite dialogue” the two countries have agreed to embark on to resolve all outstanding issues, including Kashmir, which remains the toughest nut to crack.
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NRI romance on the rooftop ON my first visit to New York, a walk down the Wall Street in Manhattan left me dazed with the soaring skyscrapers. Every highrise building reaching for the sky — in a bid to carve out its “show and tell” identity amidst the maze of vertical spires, had a “signature top” as its hallmark. Whether it was the Chrysler Tower, Empire State Building or the then World Trade Center, it was not only a race for being the tallest; but also be the greatest seducer at the top. Recently, I had another experience of architecture going over the “top” — though on a different scale. Driving from Chandigarh to Pathankot, along the highway near Hoshiarpur, the otherwise tumbledown old towns are dotted with contrasting New-age villas, built in “Punjabi-Baroque” architectural styles, with sloping roofs in Mangalore tiles, Greek columns and Roman arches. To top it all; they have rooftops with quaint, if somewhat amusing sculptures. These range from a huge football, a rooster, a duck, a helicopter or even a sleek Boeing aeroplane! Floating high and cocky above the skylines of the old hick towns — they draw attention and puzzled curiosity with their bizarreness. As we passed by a small town called Mahilpur — these specimens of home grown architectural fantasies became more conspicuous. Not able to restrain my curiosity anymore, I stopped the car to enquire about this fascinating; if somewhat outlandish and queer, phenomenon. Chatting up with a friendly dhaba-owner over a steaming cup of “masala tea”, I was enlightened about these intriguing pieces of rustic art. They are, in fact, overhead water tanks, made in concrete and colourfully painted up to look like a football, a rooster — ... or whatever fancies the owner’s choice; or perhaps the neighbour’s envy. And this was the symbol of the local NRI pride — the “son of the soil” having prospered on the “phoren” shores; making his presence felt at the native place. While one quite understood the human urge to flaunt one’s arrival in life with a big bang — the choice of architectural fantasies was mystifying. The overwhelming craze for football as the crowning glory — could perhaps be attributed to the proximity of the place to Hoshiarpur, famous as a centre for sports goods. Or perhaps the NRIs like to “bend it like Beckham” or are robust Ronaldo fans! Regarding the rooster — perhaps the legendary Punjabi palate for “kukkar”, must have scored over aesthetics! And as for the helicopter or the Boeing plane, only the NRI spirit of taking wings to distant lands, could be the symbolic reason. Whatever be the inspirations; nothing to beat the Punjabi spirit of moving up in life — and right to the top! And then say it from the rooftop loudly.
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Why be so touchy about security checks?
THE new US security regulation that requires you to have your fingerprints and photographs taken on your next visit there, if you are not from one of the 28 exempted countries, has been met with general disapproval and ill feeling. These measures replace the old special registration programme, which was said to have discriminated against people of West Asian origin, especially Muslims. Most countries are upset by the new regulation, and they complain that it is discriminatory. Brazil was the first to go on the offensive by launching its own programme of fingerprinting and photographing all US citizens arriving at its main international airports. As far as delays are concerned, the US officials claim that it adds only about 15 seconds to the present clearance time. Digital technology is being used to take fingerprints and photographs, which are then electronically checked against a national digital database for criminal background. Only if your background is clean, will you be allowed to enter the country. US Government officials say that the regulation had been in the pipeline for quite a while; it has nothing to do with the current high state of alert. They add that in the long run the new checks will make travel formalities quicker to negotiate. Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, who launched the programme on January 5, 2004 at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in the southern state of Georgia, said the technology was "easy for travellers to use, but hard for terrorists to avoid". The new policy is aimed to ensure that the US is open to visitors, but closed to terrorists A similar programme is to be launched at 50 land border crossings in the US by the end of next year. Eventually, these checks will be repeated on departure as well. The task seems daunting as the US gets about 24 million foreign visitors each year. But costs and delays owing to the regulation should be the concern of the Americans, why should it bother others? Though the general feeling of ill- will with which the regulation has been met is understandable, the fact is that every country has a right to protect its own interests. For example, in some of the West-Asian countries, if you are an expatriate, you have to not only give your fingerprints but also submit yourself to a detailed medical test every time they apply for a visa. Most employers there take away your passport on arrival and return it to you only on your return. Moreover you also have to carry what is called a “labour card” all the time on your person. Having had a first-hand experience of working in the there, I can say that these precautions are justified. Whenever a crime was committed, the police had little difficulty in catching the culprit. In most cases all the police did was pick up fingerprints from the crime scene and then look for a match in their data base. The method is cost-effective and timesaving. It also deters criminals. Most other countries have their own arbitrary rules when it comes to foreigners, so why should the US not have its own policies, especially now that it is the number one target country on the terrorists' hit list? The bitter truth that we have to get used to is that if all countries do not make a united effort to curb terrorism, travel is not going to be what it used to be. Let's not forget that there was a time when we didn't need any passport or visa to enter a country. Not too long ago we could go to the airport about half an hour before departure, but now the reporting time is two to three hours before takeoff. As anti-social elements began to misuse hospitality of the host country, these checks had to be introduced in order to safeguard international interests.
One wonders why people are so touchy about security, it is after all to everyone's benefit. People actually think fingerprints are taken only of criminals. This association is totally unwarranted but is a deep rooted one. One disgruntled visitor from Lagos dubbed the measures a tool of discrimination against the non-European races. He said the Bush administration was using these regulations "as an excuse to impose a virtual police state on what was supposed to be the freest country". Such arguments have more emotion in them than reason. One could easily reply that the US was imposing these measures so that it remains the ‘freest’ country! Of course, not all visitors are angry, as one Mexican high school student returning to the States said, "It's fine with me because it is for the safety of everyone."
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Defence Notes THE government recently gave its approval for the raising of a new force comprising Gujjars and Bakarwals of Jammu and Kashmir for deployment in the difficult terrain of the state to check infiltration from Pakistan and take on the mercenaries and local militants in these areas. The force, to be called the Gujjar Scouts, will be formed on the pattern of the Ladakh Scouts and attached to an Army unit. The Gujjar Scouts will consist of 1,000 youngsters of the Gujjar and Bakkarwal communities who are the worst-affected by militancy in the state. Being residents of these areas, the Gujjar and Bakarwal youth are well conversant with the topography and will be put on the grid with the nearest Army or BSF unit. The move will ensure that those recruited have a stake in fighting terrorism in the state. Army officials feel that by employing locals, the forces will get better intelligence, which will lead to better results. More importantly, it will also ensure that there are no more Kargil-type adventures from across the border, even though the relations are improving. Deal with Russians, finally Hopefully, there would be no denial from the Russians this time as after years of negotiations, India is expected to finally sign the deal for the acquisition of the aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov during the visit of Russain Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov from January 19. The signing of the deal would also imply that the differences between the Indian and Russian negotiators have now been overcome unlike the previous occasion when the Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Madhvendra Singh, had announced the completion of the price negotiations at his annual press conference just before the Navy Day. The Russians were quick to issue a denial that some issues still remained to be worked out, However, it now seems that India has worked its way out of the arm-twisting methods of the Russians, who had also been insisting that New Delhi buy all modern equipment needed for the refurbishment of the aircraft carrier only from them as a result of which a few critical things were still hanging fire before the clinching of the deal. Newsmen’s trip put off
The much-awaited trip for defence correspondents to see first-hand Indian peacekeepers in action in Lebanon, Eritrea and Congo has now fallen through. The correspondents, who were supposed to have been flown by a special Indian Air Force IL-76 aircraft and slated to interact with Indian soldiers, were told a few days before their departure that the trip had been postponed.
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I salute him who by the lash of his tail frightened the horizon, who frightened the
jeevas by his loud battle cry, whose lion-like roar pierced the three worlds, son of Anjana Devi, lord of strong body, and servant of king Sree Rama. — Shri Adi
Shankaracharya The Gurmukh are blessed with the Name, compassion and purity. They are naturally attuned to God. — Guru Nanak Let your fondness permeate every human heart. Let your love pervade the flora and fauna, hills and valleys, meadows and streams. Let your feelings become one with the universe.
"Inclusive love and not exclusive attachment is the unfoldment of heaven" — Swami A. Parthasarathy Just surrender yourself to Him, you will then feel His grace. — Sarada Devi The world is not cut off from Truth and God. — Sri Aurobindo |
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