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Terror tactics Mars unfolds tantalising possibilities IT is indeed an amazing time to be doing science on Mars. In fact, to be living in this time in itself is a privilege because everyday telltale signs are emerging that we may not be the only living beings in this huge universe. |
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Whose
vani?
Congress becomes untouchable
The roadshow
Folk artistes raise social issues DELHI DURBAR
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Terror tactics BY any standard, Wednesday’s attack on the Central Jail in Jammu was one of the most audacious. One shudders to think what would have happened if the terrorists had succeeded in their nefarious attempt. Yet, they have killed six people, including three policemen. The attack exposes the chinks in the security system in an area which is supposed to be one of the most secure places in the state. The irony is that the CRPF and the state police guarding the prison were unable to gun down, let alone arrest, the terrorists. Only one of them fell to the bullets of the police while the others escaped. Obviously, a lot of planning had gone into the attack as can be gauged from the fact that it synchronised with the taking of the prisoners to the TADA court inside the jail premises. The attack was aimed at freeing some of the Pakistan-based militants who are incarcerated there. If the plan had come through, it would have been a body blow for the security forces. However, it is difficult to believe that the terrorists had only this objective in mind. It may not be a mere coincidence that they chose a day when the Union Home Secretary and a team of the Election Commission were in Jammu, obviously to make arrangements for the coming Lok Sabha elections. Their aversion to elections is well known. They did everything possible to sabotage the elections in 2002 when in most of the constituencies of the state a large number of people turned up for voting in total defiance of their diktat. The terrorists have another reason to take up arms at this juncture. The bonhomie that exists between India and Pakistan and the virtual free flow of people across the Wagha border threaten to undermine their propaganda about the conditions in India. In any case, peace is anathema to the militants. They are so desperate that they want to pull off one or two major assaults with a view to terrorising the whole state, if not the country. As India and Pakistan come closer through cricketing and other ties, they can be expected to come up with frightening plans. The state must be prepared to meet such challenges as there can be no compromise on security. |
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Water ahoy! IT is indeed an amazing time to be doing science on Mars. In fact, to be living in this time in itself is a privilege because everyday telltale signs are emerging that we may not be the only living beings in this huge universe. The search has been going on for decades but it always faltered because most of the other planets that we managed to explore were found to be bone-dry. Water was the Holy Grail without which it was impossible to imagine life – as we know it – to exist. At long last, scientists have found conclusive proof that the ancient surface of the red planet was once soaked with water. That opens the doors to tantalising possibilities. The most ambitious of them is that may be, just may be, there is still some trace of the miracle fluid on that planet even today. Even if it is not there, at least one can hope that life might have evolved some time in the past. That gives a new impetus to the inter-planetary travel which has many critics today who say that the whole exercise is futile and meaningless. Of all the planets, Mars is the most promising from the point of view of humankind. Today, it may appear to be sci-fi but some day humanity can think of making that neighbouring planet habitable and even colonise it. If water can indeed be found, it will be a giant step in that direction. Remember, not too long ago, flying, let alone going into space, was considered a pipedream. At the same time, the desperate hunt for water will perhaps make humanity conscious of its paramount importance for basic survival. Just because we have it in abundance, we do not realise its significance fully. Just as the dream of flying to Mars and other planets can come true, the nightmare of destroying this precious resource back on earth by blatant misuse can also come true. Conserve water, otherwise the world can go from one ex-stream to another. |
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Whose
vani? THE reporter may have been asked to explain if only one newspaper had projected Deputy Prime Minister L. K. Advani as rooting for the Congress. The media is made up of highly excitable individuals who occasionally file their stories without waiting for the speech to finish. But nothing of the sort seems to have happened while reporting Mr Advani's poll yatra in Haryana. Every section of the media reported that the "loh purush" wants the non-BJP vote to go to the Congress rather than the regional parties. Strange things happen in India in election mode. Politicians forget their old loyalties and find new arguments, more to convince themselves than their followers, for switching sides. The line between ideology and opportunism gets blurred. However, to expect Mr Advani to practise the equivalent of a political reverse swing does not make sense. Any major political party would feel a tad irritated by the unwelcome presence of small political outfits which usually play the role of spoilers. But India is a free country and that is what democracy is all about. If the appeal was meant to be a joke, April 1 is not even in sight for the present-day Sardar to tickle the voters' funny bone. His appeal to the voters to shun unattached regional parties is sure to baffle his supporters and analysts alike, particularly when the BJP has a tie-up with parties as regional as the Akali Dal, the TDP and the AIADMK. Is he gunning for Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav's Samajwadi Party and Ms Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party? The two major regional parties have thus far not announced any seat-sharing arrangement either with the Congress or the BJP. Seen in this light, the statement begins to make political sense. At least for the die-hard followers of the BJP's second most important voice. Thought for the day You will find it a very good practice always to verify your references, sir! — Martin Joseph Routh
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Congress becomes untouchable DESPITE the separation of UP’s hill districts — which constitute Uttaranchal — the state with its 80 Lok Sabha seats continues to be better placed than others in influencing the course of events at the national level. There is another reason why the results of the coming parliamentary elections from UP will be awaited with utmost curiosity. The BJP believes it will be able to form a government at the Centre easily, if not on its own, in case it repeats its 1996 or 1998 performance when it captured 52 and 57 seats, respectively. The emerging scenario in UP is slightly different from what it had been in the past. That is because of economic development, a new factor, finding mention at most political rallies. But no party, not even the BJP with its India Shining advantage, seems to be depending on the development issue alone for improving its electoral prospects. The situation is getting back to the caste and community politics again. Every party is working on an election strategy from this angle when the state appears to be heading for a four-cornered contest. The BJP has generally fared better in a situation like the one prevailing today. A strong Vajpayee factor is an additional advantage. Yet it is wooing the various castes and communities in whatever way is possible. This explains why former Chief Minister Kalyan Singh had no difficulty in his “home-coming” — rejoining the BJP —despite his record as a bitter critic of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and his unpopularity in a section of the Sangh Parivar. The BJP cannot forget the bitter experience it had in the 1999 elections when its 1998 tally of 57 MPs from UP came down to 29. The Lodhs and the Kurmis, the two backward castes with a substantial presence in certain pockets, united with the Yadavs to give a severe drubbing to the BJP because they felt the ruling party at the Centre was not doing justice to their leader, Mr Kalyan Singh. Their coming together was unprecedented as the Lodhs and the Kurmis have been the traditional adversaries of the Yadavs. Earlier, the BJP was least bothered about Muslim votes, though the community constitutes 20 per cent of the 100-million-strong electorate in the state. But the situation is different today. Mr Vajpayee asking the Muslims to vote for “a government that will not allow any community to live in fear” soon after the induction of Mr Arif Mohammed Khan in the BJP fold is not without significance. The 1999 setback to the BJP became more severe also because the Muslims resorted to strategic voting — which meant supporting a candidate who could defeat the saffron party. The BJP is doing everything possible to prevent the emergence of such a situation. It can, of course, resort to the old strategy of getting the Muslim votes divided in the constituencies where the community’s support is crucial for winning the election. Hence the BJP’s pressure on BSP leader Mayawati not to align with the Congress. The Congress leadership knows that going alone will be disastrous for the party. In 1998 it got a big zero, but it won 10 seats in the 1999 elections, which it fought in alliance with Mr Ajit Singh’s Rashtriya Lok Dal. This time the Jat leader has finalised an arrangement with Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party. The development has added to the Congress desperation for a pre-poll pact with the BSP. The Congress is prepared to settle even for 25 seats, leaving the rest for the BSP, because in that situation it hopes to win at least 20. Otherwise, it cannot go beyond a poor score of two or three seats. The Congress sees tremendous advantages, other than those in UP, in Ms Mayawati’s company, as the BSP also has a firm foothold in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Punjab. Ms Mayawati, however, has her own difficulties. As she has been pointing out, her party cannot gain enough in a pre-election arrangement because other parties’ votes are not easily transferable as is the case with the BSP. That is why she is keen on playing her cards only after the elections are over. There is another significant factor which comes in her way — the Taj Heritage Corridor Project case at the Supreme Court in which she is one of the main accused. The BJP has been giving her enough hints that the screws on her will be tightened if she is seen in the company of the Congress. Ms Mayawati cannot ignore these factors. In any case, she is not afraid of going it alone in view of her past performance — in 1999 the BSP improved its tally substantially to 14 seats from only four in the 1998 poll. The Congress remains in the most pitiable position. While Ms Mayawati has been unwilling to oblige the principal opposition party at the Centre, Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav has his own reservations about shaking hands with the Congress. He fears that any pre-election understanding with the Congress will lead to an erosion of his following among the Muslims. The minority community is already unhappy with Mr Yadav because of his secret deal with the BJP for grabbing power at Lucknow. Mr Yadav’s decision to close all government schools after 12 noon, which he had to withdraw after much criticism, was aimed at removing the misgivings the Muslims have of late, developed about the SP leader. The BSP and the SP have been the preferred parties for the Muslims after they deserted the Congress. The thinking among the Muslims seems to be slightly changing in favour of the Congress because of the antics of Mr Yadav and Ms Mayawati. Both have been exposed as using the support of the community for their power politics. They are believed to be least interested in its economic betterment. That is why the names of two senior Congress leaders, Mrs Mohsina Kidwai and Mr Salman Khurshid, are making rounds as a possible replacement for Mr Jagdambika Pal, the party’s state unit chief. The Congress is, however, not sure whether a Muslim face will be acceptable to its supporters in other sections of society. In any case, Mr Pal has to go. His leadership is considered a serious threat to the party’s interests in UP, particularly after his recent outbursts against Ms Mayawati. The coming few days are crucial in UP. Any change in the thinking of Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav or Ms Mayawati may alter the situation
considerably. |
The roadshow A charming young woman in deep rust sari and black shawl emerged out of the Lancer along with a young fair guy in jeans. In a split-second they were surrounded and garlanded by hundreds of people gathered over there. All eyes were centred on them. People jostled to have a glimpse of the duo. The young woman addressed the ruralites. “Countrymen! lend me your ears. We have come not to denounce the old because they say old is gold. But the new, as you know well, shines better than the old. Why not give us a chance? I am all sympathy for you. Virtually feel like shedding tears for the bare survival you are eking out. My heart goes out to you seeing some of you literally in rags. You can’t imagine how bad I feel about you.....” She paused a little to assess the public reaction. The simple rustics were overwhelmed — rather swept away — by her words of consolation. The enthusiastic ones raised slogans “Zindabad, Zindabad.” Their pale sunken faces beamed with unusual glow reflecting their joie de vivre. Spurred by the response of the “janata”, the youngwoman resumed: “Who have the inborn capability to take the nation ahead? None but we alone. You know well that we are the descendents of the renowned Nehru-Gandhi family. I have the privilege to remind you of the sacrifices made by our great grandfather, grandfather, grandmother and father for the sake of the motherland. Politics is in our blood since it was meant for us and us only.” The crowd cheered the speaker with thunderous clapping. Emotionally charged euphoria floated over there. The atmosphere got surcharged with unprecedented buoyancy and expectancy. The young chap in blue denim jeans and brown jacket whispered in the ears of his sister,” Dear you are the queen of their hearts. See the magic spell you have cast over them.” “Is that so? O.K. now you address them. Take care you. Keep your pulse over their emotions. They are an easily swayed lot sans reasoning,” she replied. Hence, the latter climbed the dais elegantly. There was a hush. He took his time to open his lips. “Good folks, here are the new ‘avtars’ of the age. Have any problem. Come to us. We shall redress. How come you take us as “bacchas”? We don’t have “babalog” outlook. We are grown up now since the days we played with blocks and sang rhymes are over. I am a product of Harvard and Cambridge and my sister too is highly educated. We are the privileged ones to discuss and form policy about any damn issue under the sky from economic to nuclear one et. al. No formal training, you know is needed to rule our blessed country. So here we are because none else has better grounding in politics than we two.” The people sitting on the torn carpet clapped and clapped as if they had been paid heavily to do this exercise. Both the speakers folded their hands displaying “close-up smile” and boarded the
Lancer. |
Folk artistes raise social issues MOHAN Kumar, a middle-aged folk artiste from Jharkhand and his team has been moving around the villages of the tribal dominated state for the last few years. The sole purpose was to raise social issues such as governance, literacy, health and environment through popular folk art form. The group under the banner of Manthan Yuva Sanghathan has been concentrating on four districts — Ranchi, Dhanbad, Hazaribagh and Gumla — for the last few years and has plans to take its message to rest of the 18 districts in the state. Just listen to the views of Pushkar Mahato, Manju and others of the Manthan team. “Most of the villages in Jharkhand lack basic infrastructure such as good road, healthcare and educational facilities. For generating awareness about these issues, folk media is the only medium which draws the attention of people,” Pushkar Mahato, a folk artiste said. Puppet shows, Nukkad Natak (street play) and folk songs are the most popular amongst the rural masses. Another folk artiste from Jharkhand said that many people outside the state do not know that there are villages in it where people do not get to eat even one meal a day. To survive, many tribals eat rats. However, after the intervention and campaign by the Manthan Yuva Sanghathan, things have changed a lot. The government’s anti-poverty schemes were implemented in some of the poor areas of the state after the campaign. “Government machinery is very slow in reacting to the situation. Thus we decided to do something for ourselves,” Manju said. She narrated that in one play, the main character is the pradhan, who regularly cheats villagers one way or the other. “We invited all the villagers and the pradhan over. After the show, we do not have to tell people anything...” she said. Ramesh Mastana, a social activist from Himachal Pradesh, uses folk media for mobilising people for a cause. “Folk art is the medium which appeals to the heart of the common man and establishes instant rapport with the audience,” Mastana, who runs an NGO, Uthan, in Himachal Pradesh, said. Identical is the story of another folk artiste Manjulata Rankawat, a native of western Rajasthan, who has been creating awareness on health, education and drought issues for the last few years. About 200 folk artistes from 12 states across the country recently met as a part of a national convention on folk media in Narnaul town of Haryana’s Mahendragarh district. These groups were together to assess and plan for their role in ensuring transparent and accountable governance at the local level. The artistes from such diverse states as Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh showed how they use various forms of folk media like song, dance, drama and puppetry as means of social mobilisation. These groups, far from the urban areas, have been instrumental in conveying to poor villagers about issues. Take the case of Gyani Baba (wise saint), a 7-feet-tall puppet with a big moustache, is taking up big task in Ajmer district in Rajasthan. The hugely popular Gyani Baba has travelled more than 100 villages for spreading the message relating to good governance and urging people to fight drought. But the Baba cannot rest in peace for the time being. “As the folk media such a puppet show has found a new role and is proving effective in it,” said Manjulata from Rajasthan and the voice behind the Gyani Baba. The folk groups in Rajasthan are campaigning for issues such as the right to food as well as the literacy campaign. These folk artistes are continuously working for the empowerment of the backward sections of society. According to a rough estimate, there are more than 70,000 small folk groups (kala jathas) across 22 states in the country. These folk groups have been surviving by associating with local NGOs. However, these groups urgently need some help from the government. “While crores of rupees are spent on advertisements for spreading the social message, the role of kala jathas has largely been ignored,” stated an artiste from the Urmul Trust working in the Pokhran area of western Rajasthan. She admitted that without any substantial financial benefits arising out of their performance, this breed might soon fizzle out. Starting from the empowerment of gram sabha (village council) to drought relief, folk artistes have emerged as an effective communication tool for spreading social message amongst the rural population. A group from Mehboobnagar district of Andhra Pradesh has been able to mobilise people for participation in the gram sabha meeting. The national convention on the folk media organised by the Participatory Research in Asia (PRIA) was an attempt to network all the folk groups creating the largest decentralised pressure body for good governance in the country. But without concrete support from government machinery, these folk artistes continue to suffer.
— Grassroots Feature Network |
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DELHI DURBAR IDOLS of the silver screen are flocking to the BJP ditching their earlier affiliations and professing their admiration for Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The latest entrant into the saffron brigade is Poonam Dhillon. In contrast, cine artistes turning to the Congress is rather feeble. The BJP has roped in the “Dream Girl” of the 1970s in Hema Malini and her rugged actor-husband Dharmendra is also expected to follow suit. Then there is Dara Singh, not to speak of Union Ministers Shatrughan Sinha and Vinod Khanna. Poonam Dhillon did not bat an eyelid about bidding adieu to the Congress and stressed she will campaign for the BJP. Cong peeved about Najma Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson Najma Heptullah, who is moving closer to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party every day, is criticising the Congress leadership and its president Sonia Gandhi with the hope that she would be expelled from her
original party. She blames the advisers of Sonia Gandhi for creating a wedge between her and the Congress president as they were getting jealous about her growing international image. One of them, who is a foreign policy expert, feared that Sonia would start listening to her on foreign policy issues, Heptullah confided to two scribes the other day. Hazarika’s move worries parties The Bard of Brahmaputra, Bhupen Hazarika’s entry into the BJP has caught not only the Congress but other parties guessing as well. The upcoming singers of Assam are also worried. Not because of Bhupenda joining the BJP but the timing of the elections in Assam. Some of them admit privately that given Bhupenda’s demi-God status in the region, thousands are expected to throng his rallies, most of which will coincide with the Rongali Bihu season in the state. Rongali Bihu marks the onset of the Assamese New Year with cultural shows organised continuously every evening for more than a week. Many of the well known singers began their careers from such shows — with Bhupenda being no exception when as a 13-year-old he mesmerised thousands of people on the banks of the Brahmaputra more than five decades ago. With Bhupenda reportedly promising to compose some new numbers during the elections, the worry of the other singers is only natural. Pinning hopes on Priyanka Despite the absence of clear signals about Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra contesting the Lok Sabha elections, Congressmen in UP have not lost hope. The screening committee of the party, which prepared a panel of names for Lok Sabha seats in the state, left the decision about Amethi, Sultanpur and Rae Bareily to Congress president Sonia Gandhi. Congressmen are hoping that if Rahul and Priyanka did not contest, the two will at least campaign for the party to boost its prospects. Many aspirants for RS seat Congress spokesman Anand Sharma, it seems, has to contend with several aspirants in the Congress for the Rajya Sabha seat from Himachal Pradesh which is falling vacant next month. Himachal Vikas Congress chief Sukh Ram, whose son Anil Sharma’s term is ending in April, has not given up his claim on the seat. HVC sources maintain that the party could extend support to the Congress on the Mandi seat in return for the nomination of its candidate to Rajya Sabha. Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh’s wife Pratibha Singh is also being seen as a RS candidate if she does not contest for the Lok Sabha from Mandi. Congress secretary R.K. Dhawan, who is said to be eyeing a Lok Sabha seat from Delhi, is also considering the Rajya Sabha option from Himachal Pradesh. The name of the wife of a top executive of a public relations firm is also doing the rounds for the Rajya Sabha seat from Himachal Pradesh. Needless to say, the final decision will be taken by Congress president Sonia Gandhi. Contributed by Satish Misra, Prashant Sood, Gaurav Choudhury and S. Satyanarayanan |
Though the Gita gives us a vision of truth, impressive and profound, though it opens up new paths for the mind of man, it accepts assumptions which are a part of the tradition of past generations and embedded in the language it employs. — The Bhagavad Gita He who goes about begging for what he himself has at his own home, gathers shame and reproach. — Guru Nanak We must adore Guru’s words. Simply believing in Guru won’t achieve anything. We have to mould our lives according to the teachings of the Guru, which will lead us to happiness and prosperity in life. — Nirankari Baba Hardev Singh The most distinctive and largest contribution of Hinduism to India’s culture is the doctrine of Ahimsa. — Mahatma Gandhi |
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