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SYL verdict Star President Measured steps |
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Modernising the armed forces
The fairest of them all
The long and the short of SYL dispute PEOPLE
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SYL verdict THE Supreme Court has given its measured, considered opinion on the vexatious issue of construction of the Sutlej-Yamuna Link Canal (SYL) which has been hanging fire for as long as one remembers. It is now for the political parties and the governments concerned to ensure that it is not converted into an emotional issue as in the past. That is a tall order. Nor should the judgement be seen as a victory for Haryana and a defeat for Punjab. The actual intent is only to ensure equitable sharing of scarce hydel wealth. The illumination of public buildings in Haryana to “celebrate” the “victory” takes things too far. The verdict of the highest court of the land should be honoured by all concerned. Ideally, the issue should have been solved amicably by the two states themselves. But we live in a world which is far from perfect. Actually, it is a masterpiece of imperfection where sensible response is considered foolish. The question of SYL has been hijacked by self-serving politicians to inflame public passion. Under the circumstances, it will be very difficult to make everyone take a rational line. Yet, it is essential to focus on the overall picture and analyse things in perspective. What should be remembered is that scarce water has been going waste all these years because of the bitter battle. Many of the problems arise because water is not considered national wealth and states tend to take a narrow and self-serving view. To win elections, the leaders even misinform their followers. They are expected to display statesmanship for once. There is dismay in Punjab over the “unfavourable” judgement. Such disappointment is understandable. However, the Punjab leaders should take it in their stride. The state is within its rights to exercise whatever legal option is available to it. It can also plead before the authorities concerned that it does not have shareable surplus water. There is no harm in all this provided it is not a delaying tactic. |
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Star President Fortieth US President Ronald Reagan, who died of Alzheimer’s disease on Saturday at 93, had an enviable political career. Very few US Presidents can be credited with the kind of achievements that came his way during his two successful terms. He won the Presidency in 1981 when the US was passing through a period of despondency caused by a failed attempt by President Jimmy Carter to rescue US hostages from the American Embassy in Teheran. He restored the US confidence as a great nation with his imaginative style of functioning. His ability to communicate effectively helped him in this arduous task. Reagan was not a traditional politician. This hard-working son of a salesman had made it to the US White House via Hollywood. Nobody could believe that he would ever become President when he made his first attempt to realise his ambition in 1968. After all, he was a B-grade film actor. When his efforts met with success he devised a scheme to make the US impregnable by the then Soviet Union’s deadly missiles. His Strategic Defence Initiative, also called the “Star Wars”, forced the Communist giant to indulge in a similar exercise as a counter measure. Though projected as a cheaper Soviet initiative, it led to the country spending beyond its means. This defence overspending was one of the major factors that caused the collapse of the Soviet empire, bringing the Cold War to an end. The charisma Reagan had acquired remained unaffected even by his disastrous economic management — Reaganomics — that changed the US status from the world’s biggest creditor nation to that of the largest debtor country during those days. He was hailed for his rare qualities of head and heart. But within a few years after he relinquished the office of President in 1989 he found himself in the grip of Alzheimer’s, an irreversible neurological disorder. This was the beginning of a miserable phase in his life that ended with his death. |
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Measured steps The moving finger writes; and, having written, moves on. However, in the case of External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh it sounds like the moving lips have uttered; and, having said, redefined the fine art of international diplomacy. There is likely to be a flurry of diplomatic activity in the foreign office in India and Pakistan to grasp the real import of the two and a half steps he has promised for every two that his neighbour takes. The literal-minded may stop measuring words and start marking the steps of the top leaders of the two countries. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will have to watch his steps more than President Pervez Musharraf does. The Pakistani leader has years of military training behind him to know the two steps he would need to take to baffle Indian diplomats. Dr Manmohan Singh has just stepped into the high profile job and may initially find himself out of step in the complex world of international diplomacy. Nevertheless, he should give credit to the External Affairs Minister for having shifted the focus of the two countries from words to gait. Although, to be fair to the Prime Minister, he would have been more himself in uttering measured words than taking the two and a half steps of Mr Natwar Singh. The External Affairs Minister is a seasoned diplomat. He knows that offering a matching response to any initiative is the safest position to take. If he wanted to be generous, he could have promised three or more steps for every two that Pakistan takes for mending relations. And if Pakistan takes two steps forward and one step backward, India will find itself out of breath just trying to measure those damn fractions that would result from the diplomatic dilly dallying by our neighbour. The steps could hold a deeper meaning for those familiar with Indian mythology. The third step leads to "pataal". Mr Natwar Singh has stopped Indian diplomacy from plunging into the cosmic black hole. |
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The concessions of the weak are the concessions of fear. — Edmund Burke |
Modernising the armed forces The Common Minimum Programme (CMP) of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government under its defence and internal security head has listed what are obviously its priorities. These are: The modernisation of the armed forces is indeed the key issue in creating capabilities. For this the government must, at least for once, evolve its national goals and interests accompanied by relevant security strategies. Integration and jointness are vital for modernisation but equally vital for this goal is the appointment of a Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) which, as is well known, was torpedoed by the Congress in 2002 at a meeting of the Standing Committee in Parliament for Defence. At the time the Congress had called for more discussion on CDS. As for speedy and full utilisation of funds, one has to recall that it was during the P.V. Narasimha Rao’s term that Finance Minister Manmohan Singh carried out the largest-ever-cuts for five consecutive years, from 1991 to 1995, that resulted in defence expenditure falling as a percentage of the GDP from a high of 3.86 in 1986-87 to 2.36 in 1995-96. A number of new structures were set up following the Kargil Committee report. These included the Defence Acquisition Council and a Procurement Board with the provision for a fast track procurement mechanism. However, new structures have not been able to change old mindsets. The government should set up an experts’ committee to identify the delays and impediments in decision-making and full spending of funds. The intention of improving the lot of ex-servicemen will be welcome. A great deal has been done already — notably, the Ex-Servicemen’s Contributory Health Scheme. The proposal for one-rank-one-pension has been examined before and it involves an additional recurring expenditure of Rs 1500 crore annually. This is bound to set the cat among the bureaucratic pigeons and lead to demands by other all-India government services for similar pension benefits. To borrow Admiral Vishnu Bhagwat’s famous phrase which cost him his job, the proposal is “unimplementable”. Lt-Gen M.M. Lakhera, who heads the ex-servicemen’s cell in the Congress and has been the Adjutant-General at Army Headquarters, knows the difficulties. Instead he should be cajoling Chairperson Sonia Gandhi to clear the appointment of CDS. National security structures certainly require revitalisation. With a full-time National Security Adviser, Mr J.N. Dixit, and the OSD for internal security, Mr M.K. Narayanan in the PMO, at least theoretically, there will be greater interface between internal and external security. The National Security Council secretariat does need to be expanded and made more professional. It should not service the Joint Intelligence Committee in addition to the NSC as was the case. Similarly, the NSAB, never short of talent, has not received any meaningful strategic guidance and, what is more, cleared for security commensurate with its functions. It must be selected like the National Security Adviser himself, for a period of three years, located in the national Capital and not be shuffled around as in the past. The NSA has not just to revitalise and reorganise the structures but also ensure that there is proper networking among security structures, armed forces, intelligence and diplomacy. Someone — the NSAB or the newly created Integrated Defence Staff - must do a strategic defence review followed by the evolution of a national security strategy. A White Paper on defence, external and internal security leading to the Defence Minister’s directive to the Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee/CDS, ought to become part of the annual or biennial security review. Security structures and experts manning these must exude a sense of strategic vision and culture and have it institutionalised. The likes of George Tanham then need not say that India lacks strategic thought and vision. Compared to the East-West confrontation India and Pakistan have come up with nuclear literature much sooner than NATO and Warsaw. For example, their Nuclear Risk Reduction Centres came up more than 30 years after they became nuclear capable. India’s nuclear doctrine rests on three principles: credible minimum deterrent (as opposed to minimum credible deterrent), no first use, and strict civilian control. The CMP calls for maintaining a credible nuclear weapons programme. The emphasis on the weapons’ programme reflects the ground reality. None of India’s nuclear delivery platforms — Prithvi or Agni series of missiles — is in service and operational, while Pakistan is way ahead in the induction of its Hatf, Ghauri and Shaheen missiles. India has yet to demonstrate its strategic reach through Agni III against China. Considerable ground has to be covered in the “delivery of missiles”. The ultimate delivery platform — say by 2010 — would be India’s own nuclear powered submarine, or in the interim, nuclear submarines leased by Russia. The joint India-Russia Brahmos missile has the potential for subsurface deployment and range enhancement. There would be no difficulty in establishing an NRRC in India and Pakistan in their national capitals or elsewhere based on the notes exchanged between the two at more than a dozen seminars already held and the official-level talks on nuclear confidence-building measures due last week but temporarily postponed. The real challenge for India is to rope in China, the other nuclear neighbour which does not recognise India as a nuclear power. Fixing the size of India’s nuclear arsenal is yet one more challenge for the NSA. India can make the moral point on universal nuclear disarmament but should not waste its precious energy on ideals. Similarly, India championing multi-polarity will not alter the fact that the world is unipolar and will remain so at least for the next 50 years. The high priority to internal security and fighting terrorism is appropriate as the primary challenge and threat to India is from within. National integration, nation building and internal harmony are critical to internal stability and sustained economic growth. Countering insurgency and terrorism, while at the same time improving governance and applying, where needed, the healing touch are necessary ingredients for an internal security strategy. Indian security forces emerge as angels compared to the stories emanating from Abu Ghraib and Fallujah. They have worked on the principle of minimum force and good faith. Artillery, mortars, missiles, armed helicopters and aircraft have never been used by our soldiers countering insurgency. The UPA has inherited a pretty robust state of defence and security in the country. But it has much more to do to make people in India feel safe and
secure. |
The fairest of them all Audrey Hepburn’s being voted the most beautiful woman of all times recently is a matter of personal rejoicing for me. It enhances the iconic status she already occupies in my mindscape. Of all the Hollywood divas whose films I grew up on, Hepburn left an indelible mark on me, as on countless others, like nobody else did. The reasons were simple. Hers was not the blinding beauty that bedazzled like a flash of lightning. Hers was an elfin charm whose luminosity enveloped one softly and left a lingering afterglow. Hers was not the womanly oomph of a coming-on-strong screen goddess. Hers was the playful appeal of a child-woman who enticed ever so gently with her big-eyed, impish innocence and subtle feminine grace. A Vivien Leigh could stun with the haughty toss of her head or the seductive swing of her famous 19-inch waist. An Elizabeth Taylor could enchant with her well-sculpted looks. A Sophia Loren could bewitch with her big, pouting lips. But Hepburn was an enchantress who had neither a conventional face nor lissome looks to recommend her. Yet a spell she did cast. Her unconventionality was her trademark. In an industry where buxom bodies and perfectly chiselled countenances were the norm, her reed-thin frame and disproportionate facial features became her passport to fame. At a time when cleavages were a must to figure among the reel queens, this skinny actress made her fragile, porcelain looks her greatest asset. This not only put her ahead of many Hollywood beauties but also made her a style icon whose famous fringe spawned a thousand clones and signature Hubert de Givenchy gowns sparked a fashion riot. Somewhere, these attributes struck a chord in me as a college girl. Those were the days when batchmates picked and dropped suitors with as much alacrity as a Liz Taylor or agonised over expanding waistlines, a la Scarlett O’ Hara. Not given to weight gain tendencies myself, I had neither a waist to watch nor the time to waste to ‘figure’ out ways to gain male attention. Having a slight frame myself, Hepburn was the idol easiest to identify with. I remember, one day, a few of us friends bunked college to watch a film on VCR. The choice was between Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Though the others were more inclined towards the former, I vociferously pushed for the latter, a Hepburn-starrer. None of us regretted the choice. Who other than Hepburn could’ve combined such nonchalance with vulnerability as the adorable Holly Golightly, singing Moon River with gay abandon in a role originally meant for Marilyn Monroe? Who else could’ve slipped into the shoes of a commoner with such admirable ease as she did in the role of a European princess who escapes into anonymity with an American reporter in Roman Holiday? Her ugly duckling-turning-into-a-swan act of Elisa Doolittle remains unsurpassed. None could match the aplomb and dignity with which Hepburn, who’s transformed from a street woman into a polished socialite by Prof Higgins (Rex Harrison), tells her benefactor, ‘I may have sold flowers but I never sold myself…Now that I’m a lady, that’s all I have to sell.” This brilliant performance reaffirmed her place as the queen of hearts. Who better then than My Fair Lady to be declared the fairest of them
all?
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The long and the short of SYL dispute
The SYL Canal issue has been hanging fire since March 1974, when Haryana was allotted some share of the Ravi-Beas waters. Hundreds of crores of rupees have been spent on the construction of the canal, but it is still nowhere near being complete. In fact, most of the portion of the canal falling in Punjab will need huge amounts of money to make it fit for carrying water. In its order on January 15, 2001, the Supreme Court had noted that Rs 700 crore had already been spent on the SYL Canal and this public money could not be allowed to go down the drain. While politicians, both from Punjab and Haryana, have maintained diametrically opposite views on the issue, it has generally been the courts, right up to the Supreme Court of India, where the drama has been played out. Despite the June 4 order of the Supreme Court, asking the Union Government to complete the canal, many issues, particularly the vexed water sharing question, are yet to be settled. While the issue of completion of the SYL Canal may have been finally settled by the Supreme Court on Friday, the last word is yet to be heard on the question of water that will flow into the canal. Experts feel that it could take many years for the canal, if it is completed, to take water from Punjab to Haryana. Completion of the canal may turn out to be more difficult than believed as politicians, particularly the hardliners, in Punjab may turn it into a violent event. Leading advocate and constitutional expert Hira Lal Sibal cautions: "The completion of the canal will be a very arduous task for any Central government agency that is handed over the job. The possibility of the work on the canal witnessing violence cannot be ruled out." His advice stems from the happenings of the past when senior government officials, including a Chief Engineer, were gunned down by terrorists for being associated with the SYL Canal project. Work on the Punjab portion of the canal came to a halt in 1990 after Project Chief Engineer ML Sekhri and senior officer AS Aulakh were shot dead. In another incident, terrorists opposed to the construction of the canal mowed down 30 labourers working at a site near Ropar. It is a fact that successive Punjab Chef Ministers such as the late Beant Singh, Mr Parkash Singh Badal and Mr S.S. Barnala urged the Centre not to show hurry in the matter of fixing the water share as it could lead to violence. Meanwhile, the Punjab and Haryana governments will continue to lock horns over other related issues in various courts. Already, the Punjab Government has begun consultations with its lawyers, including Mr Fali S. Nariman, to finalise a review petition. Interestingly, it has not been a smooth ride for the Punjab Government when it comes to court cases in the matter. It is a well-known fact that many leading advocates refused to argue Punjab's case in the Supreme Court due to the non-payment of the pending bill. Even in the latest case, Mr Nariman had refused to accept the Punjab brief as his earlier bill had not been paid. Finally, Punjab Advocate-General Harbhagwan Singh himself went to the renowned lawyer and made him change his mind. The payment of a former Punjab Advocate-General, who appeared in the Supreme Court in the case, is still pending. Starting in 1979, when the Haryana Government filed a suit in the apex court, seeking directions to the Punjab Government to complete the construction of its portion of the SYL Canal, the courts have witnessed a range of cases, including a contempt petition. The Punjab Government's petition seeking a fresh tribunal to settle the water dispute between it and Haryana is still pending disposal by the Delhi High Court. The High Court will resume hearing in the matter on July 20. The Eradi Tribunal was constituted as part of the Rajiv-Longowal Accord of 1985 to adjudicate the issue of sharing of the Ravi-Beas water by Punjab and Haryana. The Punjab Government wants the tribunal to be disbanded as the water flow in the Ravi-Beas basin has declined from 17.17 MAF in 1981 to 14.37 MAF now. On July 17, the Eradi Tribunal is also scheduled to hear arguments on an application filed by the Punjab Government, challenging the continuation of the tribunal’s proceedings. "Where is the water? Even if the SYL Canal is completed, where will the water come from to give it to Haryana? Mere constructing the canal will not solve the problem," says Punjab Advocate-General Harbhagwan Singh. Mr Singh may have a point. Politicians of all hues in Punjab say that there is a lot of difference in the water availability since the time the SYL Canal was mooted. However, Haryana leaders argue that had the canal not been delayed by Punjab, everything would have been settled amicably by now. Both governments also know the importance of arguing the case properly before the Eradi Tribunal. Incidentally, the complaint of the Punjab Government to the Union Government under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act is still pending. The complaint has asked the Centre to constitute a fresh tribunal to fix the share of the states in the waters of the rivers flowing through Punjab. "Circumstances have changed. The water level has gone down considerably. That is why we have asked for a fresh tribunal," says Mr Harbhagwan Singh. Punjab officials claim that the previous Attorney-General had given a favourable opinion on the state’s demand for a fresh tribunal. |
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PEOPLE There was a time when Orissa Chief Minister Navin Patnaik could hardly speak Oriya. He graduated to the stage where his speeches in the language evoked only chuckles. He overcame this difficulty and spoke passable Oriya during the recent campaigning. His party Biju Janata Dal did well. He thinks that the secret lies in his switchover to the native language. Encouraged, he urged party MPs to stick to their mother tongue when taking their oath and even while participating in a discussion in Parliament. All the four BJD members in the Rajya Sabha have also been told to speak in Oriya while participating in a discussion, a senior party leader said. Hoteliers all Sourav's" will mix the features of a formal dining place with an informal restaurant and will come up on Park Street, the city's most prominent address for swanky eateries. Besides lending his name to the gastronomic venture, Ganguly has been taking a keen
interest in its designing, menu and staff. The ace cricketer, however, insists he is not investing in the project. The new four-storeyed restaurant will have a coffee shop on the ground floor, a vegetarian restaurant on the first floor, a non-vegetarian multi-cuisine restaurant on the second floor and a sports lounge bar on the top floor. Sourav hopes to open its doors in October. While the coffee shop is likely to be christened Garden of Eden, the lounge bar would be called Prince of Calcutta, the references being to the Eden Gardens cricket stadium and the sobriquet by which Ganguly is known. Height of it Talking of Saurav, the leader of a team from the Indian Navy that has become the first navy in the world to conquer Mt Everest, Commander Satyabrata Dam, says “when cricket captain Ganguly sneezes or actress Aishwarya Rai breaks her ankle, that's news for India, not the conquest of the highest point on earth". Of the 14-member team, nine climbers attempted the summit and five succeeded, the first three reaching the top May 18 and the remaining two, including Dam, May 19. But the 38-year-old Dam says the feat means nothing to Indians. "The national obsession with sports like cricket and football is costing the country dear in other areas," he says. That is something with which many engaged in less glamorous sports will instantly agree. |
Worship Govinda, worship Govinda, Worship Govinda, foolish one! Rules of grammar profit nothing Once the hour of death draws nigh. — Sri Adi Sankaracharya Good conduct, according to the Master’s teaching, is in itself the praise of God. — Guru Nanak The sacred books tell us only the way to God, i.e. of the means for the realisation of God. That way being known, the next step is to work one’s way to the goal. Realisation is the goal. — Sri Ramakrishna When you pray, don’t pray like the hypocrites; for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by others. Verily, they have their reward. — Jesus Christ The easiest and best way of solving the problems of life is to take the name of God, of Sri Ramakrishna, in silence. — Sri Sarada Devi |
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Saurav Ganguli may not be able to bat as good as Sachin Tendulkar but he can certainly do something else as good as the little master. Taking a leaf out of the CV of the blaster, the Indian cricket captain is planning a multi-cuisine restaurant in Kolkata and is also lending his name to it.