 |
|
Powerless in the North Eye in the sky |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Child marriages
In search of peace
Shakespeare: the man and the lover
PSEB losses not due to Thein Dam Chatterati
|
Powerless in the North IN this sultry weather nothing irritates more than frequent power disruptions, scheduled as well as unscheduled. Apart from the ordinary citizen getting inconvenienced, industrial and agricultural activity has been hit in Punjab and Haryana. The immediate cause of the power shortage is said to be a drastic cut (estimated at 3,000 million units) in power generation by the Bhakra Beas Management Board. The water level in the Bhakra reservoir has fallen 87 feet below its capacity due to a deficient monsoon. This means the water and power shortages will prolong. Since this has happened at the end of the monsoon, the possibility of heavy rain to fill the dam to its required capacity is dim. This may be a rare phenomenon, but it is more man-made than natural. No one seems to know how to handle the situation. Since the near-bankrupt power utilities and the governments in the two states cannot afford to buy more electricity, power cuts are here to stay and may worsen unless it rains and the demand for power falls. When the monsoon got delayed this summer, the two states purchased power to save paddy. Growing this crop in large areas has led to over-exploitation of underground and canal water and heavy consumption of subsidised power. Since farmers have no viable alternative and the governments have continued patronising this crop, the situation had to escalate into a crisis. Also, the Punjab and Haryana governments have abandoned the power reforms mid-way. After the Haryana board was unbundled, the Chautala government was voted in and it stopped the reforms initiated by the Bansi Lal government. After discontinuing free power, the Punjab Government developed cold feet and succumbed to employee pressure. What ails the power sector is known. The solution is also available. Some sick boards have tried it with positive results. But the vested interests do not let the situation change. For want of funds and effort, Himachal’s huge hydel power potential has remained untapped. The northern states can pool their resources for mutual benefit. One hopes the present crisis would, at least, push them in this direction. |
|
Eye in the sky INDIA has been on the lookout for a suitable airborne early warning and control system (AWACS) for long. The most sophisticated were denied to the country because of the restrictions on technology transfer. Even the others were prohibitively expensive. There was another problem. The acquisition of many urgently needed defence items had been in limbo since the Tehelka expose. There was a tendency to sit over files. But defence acquisitions cannot wait for too long. The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) has now given the green signal to the development of indigenous AWACS. This radar system will cost Rs 1,800 crore and take seven years to build. That is a long time gap indeed but given the circumstances, there is no choice. The need for this radar system cannot be overstressed. The flying time needed for enemy aircraft or missiles to reach Indian targets is so small that every second is vital in a war-like situation. This dome-shaped device mounted on a plane can provide that vital edge. It can also serve as a platform to direct combat planes to targets, besides monitoring, analysing and decoding enemy radio transmissions. What is heartening is that the logjam over defence purchases is finally ending. India is set to purchase aircraft on which these AWACS are to be mounted, as also an aircraft carrier plus some submarines. All these comprise only a small part of the defence establishment’s wish-list. While the development of the country’s own technology is welcome, the actual experience in this regard has not been too encouraging. Some of the items made locally fall far short of acceptable standards. Their upkeep is also difficult. More than that, these are rarely made available in time. One hopes the revived AWACS project will be an exception and the system will be ready for induction by the due date this time. The earlier attempt to develop AWACS had come a cropper in 1999 when the DRDO’s HS-748 technology demonstrator aircraft crashed in Tamil Nadu, killing several scientists and technicians. |
|
Child marriages NO purpose would be served by expressing surprise or shock over reports of child marriages in free India. The questionable custom continues to enjoy social sanction in parts of Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and several other states. In ancient India, girls enjoyed the privilege of choosing their life partners. In this respect, at least India was centuries ahead of many modern societies. From the glorious socially sanctioned tradition of “swayamwara” medieval India fell from its high perch and for a variety of reasons chose to sanctify such pernicious customs as dowry, sati and child marriage. The country needs strict laws and also social activists, with the crusading zeal of Raja Ram Mohan Roy, for fighting the system of child marriage. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has demanded an end to child marriages that, it says, condemn millions of young girls to a life of misery and pain. UNICEF has rightly emphasised that the practice inflicts a tremendous physical and emotional toll on young women. State agencies, instead of preventing child marriages, usually take the easy option of denying reports that seek to highlight the mind-boggling dimension of the problem. Take for instance the case of Haryana. The government claimed that it had banished the curse of child marriages from the state. However, the information collected by Child Development Programme Officers of the Department of Women and Child Welfare presents a very disturbing picture. According to the field officers, several thousand child marriages have been solemnised in 19 districts of the state in the past three months alone. Gurgaon, only a hand-shaking distance away from Delhi, reported the highest incidence. Ignorance is the root of all problems. Unfortunately, not enough has been done by public and private agencies for banishing the mother of evils from the country since Independence. Only the light of learning can destroy the demon that protects such evil customs as child marriage. |
|
There are strings ... in the human heart that had better not be vibrated. — Charles Dickens
|
In search of peace WHILE no one had really expected that India and Pakistan would achieve dramatic results from last week’s talks between their Foreign Ministers in Delhi, it would be cynical to underplay their significance. Just a few weeks ago Pakistan had openly voiced its fears that the new government in India would not be as sanguine about improving relations with Pakistan as was Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s, but Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Mr Natwar Singh sent across enough signals that Islamabad’s fears were misplaced and that a peace dialogue with Pakistan was fairly high on the UPA government’s priorities. A solution of chronic problems between the two countries is bound to take a lot of time, but for Mr Natwar Singh and Mr Khursheed M. Kasuri talks in Delhi were not a waste of time. Serious differences between the two nations on vital questions like Kashmir and terrorism remain, but the two countries have begun sitting around the table and nibbling at several problems that have afflicted their relations ever since Pakistan was born 57 years ago. At the end of day, Pakistan was still insisting that Kashmir would continue to remain its central concern, and India was maintaining – and rightly – that Islamabad had to stop encouraging terrorist groups operating from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, crossing the Line of Control and committing violence in Jammu and Kashmir. Despite the seriousness of these issues, the two Foreign Ministers were able to come out with a joint statement which reiterated “the confidence that the Composite Dialogue will lead to peaceful settlement of all bilateral issues, including Jammu and Kashmir, to the satisfaction of both sides”. They agreed to continue with “serious and sustained dialogue” to find a peaceful negotiated final settlement and also expressed “their determination to take the process forward”. The term “Composite Dialogue” has lately become a part of the Indo-Pak diplomatic jargon and provides enough flexibility to both countries to get over their rigid positions that had been preventing them from coming to the negotiating table and talk peace. Pakistan, which does not seem to have diluted its position on Kashmir, is now ready to discuss other issues that are more easy to resolve. India, on its part, has agreed to discuss Kashmir as a part of the talks on all questions having a bearing on Indo-Pak relations. The element of simultaneity in effect provides for making progress on easier questions as well as attempts for making joint effort to resolve Kashmir which has been consuming plenty of energy and passion on both sides of the divide. While talks on Kashmir have in a way begun as a part of the “Composite Dialogue”, Mr Kasuri did make an attempt in Delhi for the two governments appointing a High Representative each for purposeful meetings on the question. Mr Kasuri was taking a cue from India and China which last year agreed to appoint High Representatives to sort out the Sino-Indian border dispute. Mr Brajesh Mishra was Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s High Representative and after the elections Prime Minister Manmohan Singh appointed Mr J.N. Dixit as a High Representative for talks with his Chinese counterpart. Mr Kasuri was clearly trying to raise the profile of the joint exercise the two nations were planning to set into motion to resolve the Kashmir issue. The Pakistan Foreign Minister’s suggestion was politely turned down on the ground that Kashmir and the Sino-Indian border dispute were different in background, character and ramifications, and as such could not be tackled in the same manner. New Delhi told him that the existing mechanism provided enough scope for a meaningful effort for resolving the Kashmir question. Interestingly, Mr Kasuri would have hardly briefed his government about his talks in Delhi on his return to Islamabad when Mr Tariq Aziz, President Musharraf’s National Security Adviser, landed in Delhi (via Amritsar) to have a secret powwow with Mr J.N. Dixit, his Indian counterpart. Not much is likely to be known about the nature and content of their talks, but surely they could not be discussing tea and snacks to be served at the meeting President Musharraf and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh are to have on September 22 on the margins of the UN General Assembly session in New York. Given the complexities of an issue that has caused three wars plus a Kargil, Kashmir cannot be sorted out by exchanging rhetoric from the rooftops. Besides the agenda for the Manmohan-Musharraf meeting, Mr Dixit and Mr Tariq Aziz may have exchanged views about the modalities for how the future talks on Kashmir have to proceed during the next few months. The Dixit-Tariq Aziz meeting has thrown up the possibility of their emerging as the countries’ chief negotiators on Kashmir although they may not be called High Representatives. Incidentally, last week’s was the second meeting Mr Dixit has had with Mr Tariq Aziz; they met at Amritsar recently soon after he joined Dr Manmohan Singh’s government. In a way, a two-track approach of another kind seems to be emerging: One involves negotiations on confidence-building; and the other on Jammu and Kashmir. Making headway on both tracks will be the key to the final outcome. Involved is the calibration of the speed for a search for the solution of the complex Kashmir issue as also of confidence building between the people and governments of the two countries. For India, a measured step-by-step approach is appealing; Pakistan, which has invested a lot of emotion on Kashmir, wants concrete and quicker progress on Kashmir that New Delhi thinks is bound to require a drastic change of its mindset as well as time and Pakistan’s calling off support to cross-border terrorism. While the two countries are yet to come out with a roadmap for bringing about a durable peace on the subcontinent, high speed driving by either side can derail the process. A patient search of a lasting solution, goodwill, trust and some political will can yield greater dividends. Over the last one year, India has toned down its stand that there can be no dialogue with Pakistan unless Pakistan calls off supporting terrorist groups. This was in return of Pakistan’s acceptance of the concept of a Composite Dialogue as also its assurance given in the January 6 joint statement that it will take all steps to curb cross-border infiltration into Jammu and Kashmir, and ensure the dismantling of terrorist training camps as well as their communication networks. The infiltration was coming down until May last but reportedly went up in June and July creating misgivings about Pakistan’s intentions. It seems even before the Delhi talks began, Islamabad was told about New Delhi’s concern on this account. Fresh assurances have reportedly been given by Mr Kasuri. The joint statement Mr Natwar Singh and Mr Kasuri issued after the talks has rightly avoided making tall claims, but has listed several areas where the two Foreign Ministers have registered some forward movement. The statement underscores confidence building, promotion of exchanges, stepping of trade and economic operations, expert-level meetings on conventional and nuclear confidence-building measures and advance notification of missile tests, more discussions on the Munnabao-Khokhrapar rail link, tourist visas, a bus service between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad, etc. Also, next few months are going to witness discussions at different levels between the two governments. Besides, the meeting between Dr Manmohan Singh and President Musharraf, a visit by Pakistan’s new Prime Minister, Mr Shaukat Aziz, to Delhi is on the cards in November and the two might meet again in January in Dhaka on the sidelines of the SAARC Summit. Given the circumstances and the persisting suspicions, a step-by-step approach, a reduction of violence in the Valley and Pakistan’s switching off support to terrorist groups functioning from its soil may make these meetings more productive. Terrorist groups in Pakistan have become a problem also for itself. Some of them have become hostile to President Musharraf because of his being on the side of the United States. Attempts were made on his life last year and lately on the new Prime Minister, Mr Shaukat Aziz. Terrorists, after all, are nobody’s friends. They have already wrought enough havoc with life in the subcontinent. They should in no way be allowed to do more damage. How about India and Pakistan cooperating in a joint fight against terrorism – their common enemy? As things are it may be a tall order, but many a seemingly impossible idea has succeeded in changing history and relationships simply because there was no other choice left. |
Shakespeare: the man and the lover IN his most insightful lecture on “Shakespeare, the Man”, the poet’s greatest critic, A.C. Bradley, gives us a fairly full picture of Shakespeare’s personal life, inclinations and allergies, views and vision. I, thus, owe some of the points here to that remarkable critic. There are some departures where I’ve touched upon some conjectured names of his loves, and upon some other obscure aspects gleaned from the “internal sources” of his work. My story, thus, starts differently — from that deer — stealing incident in which Shakespeare, the village school-boy, was reportedly involved, and had, consequently, to flee from Avon (Warwickshire) and arrive in London to become a retainer, holding the houses of the gentry during theatrical performances. Shakespeare reportedly had a mistress in Oxford, and though married to a woman, Anne Hethaway, eight years his senior in age, he raised a family. But an unhappy marriage always leads a man towards “other pastures”. And in Shakespeare’s sonnets, the two persons he seemed to love passionately were a youngman called “W.H.” and an Italian beauty, Imilic Viviani, daughter of a singer in the court of Queen Elizabeth. She was, presumably, “the dark lady” of the Sonnets, and she became his “vice”, his infatuation being obsessive. However, the image of Shakespeare the man as delineated by Bradley comes nearest to the idea his poetry and plays afford. He was a genial, sweet-natured man who loved violets, roses and lilies, music and larks, and was a happy wit when “in the Cups”. Though given to contemplation and brooding like Hamlet, he was temperamentally, in love with the good things of life — wine and victuals, and wenches. He cut a powerful image in the public and was considered handsome, as also suggested by his portraits. He appears to have had a particular hatred for dogs, and the canine imagery, as in King Lear, for example, suggests that he considered dog a mean, flatterer, an inverted snob. Also, the dog imagery is related to raw, uncontrolled, animal sexuality. As for his values and vision, he abhorred ungrateful persons, and ingratitude was, thus, the greatest sin in his table of moral qualities. He also had no love for cold, calculating men with their clever rationalisations and ambiguities. His sunny nature liked openness and fidelity. As for his political views, critics have their own varying views. He is shown as an ardent monarchist by some, and as a covert foe of all crowns and courts where corruption and flattery flourished. Again, he appears to have hated the mob-mind and the mob fury, but he loved the people as such. And in his swan-song, The Tempest he envisions “a brave new world” where all men would enjoy freedom, justice and fruits of their labour. There was, as the modern psychologists put it, “the female principle” working in his poems and plays. The “ideal” characters, thus, are Rosalinda, (As You Like It) and her “Sisters” of the later romances. To conclude, one may say that Shakespeare’s journey from romance to reality and back to romance in “the final phase” is an evidence of his mature visionary world-view. Which reminds me of my stay at the University of London in the year of the poet’s quarter-centenary 1964. My participation in the festivities in his home-town and my visit to his birth-place, burial place and Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, thus, roused my interest in Shakespeare, the man, not to speak of my undiminished love for his work during the last 65 years or so. |
PSEB losses not due to Thein Dam
THIS refers to the article “Why PSEB is in a financial mess” written by Harbans Singh (July 28). The present financial status of the Punjab State Electricity Board has been attributed by Harbans Singh, a former Chairman of the PSEB to two major factors — the free/subsidised supply of power to the agriculture sector being a state government policy and the construction of the Thein Dam project. The first factor has been accepted practically by all major financial institutions such as the World Bank and even by the state government. Regarding the second factor, the author has overlooked the long-term benefits which the PSEB as well as the state government will get from the Thein Dam. The Thein Dam cannot be held responsible for the financial mess of the board. The gigantic Thein Dam is a multi-purpose project on the Ravi much in line with the projects built on the Satluj and Beas rivers. The project was completed in 2000 and started supplying power to the grid. This project has multi-purpose benefits such as flood control, irrigation, control of land erosion, land reclamation, ecological balance, recharge of the watertable and boosting employment, tourism, fisheries apart from the secondary objective of power generation. The river waters, which otherwise had flown to Pakistan earlier, were harnessed. Before the dam, the government used to spend a huge amount on disaster management as the Ravi flooded every year, causing a loss of human and cattle life and also enormous land erosion. This menace has now been controlled and the land lost to erosion is being reclaimed. The situation can be compared to the havoc caused every year in Haryana and Punjab by breaches in the banks of a comparatively smaller river like the Ghaggar. Due to its long gestation period, no hydro-power station with storage dam features is economical, considering only the short-term benefits of power generation. The Green Revolution in Punjab was not due to the availability of power from the thermal power stations, but was due to the construction of a canal irrigation network. This could have been possible only due to the construction of the Bhakra and Beas hydro-electric projects. For utilising hydro-electric potential and water for irrigation from the Ravi and save water which was going waste every year below the Madhopur headworks, the Ranjit Sagar Dam was built. If the Shahpurkandi Project, which is integrated with the Ranjit Sagar Dam Project towards its downstream, comes up for construction, it would not only act as a balancing reservoir for the Ranjit Sagar Dam as a peaking station, thus enabling this project to work at its full capacity producing 600 MW of power, but would also make it possible to harness the balance potential of 300 MW available in the Ravi basin. This would be a major relief to the state, which reels under an acute power shortage during the summer months. With the completion of this project, irrigation will get a boost and 3.48 lakh hectares in Punjab and 32,173 hectares in J&K will come under irrigation command. Thus a non-perennial canal distribution system will become perennial. It is true that water releases throughout the year are governed by irrigation requirements. This fact is valid for the optimun use of water, however, excess releases can also be made to meet the urgent power requirements. Moreover, when the Shahpurkandi Project is completed, the three projects — the Shahpurkandi Dam (168 MW), the Upper Bari Doab Project stage III (75MW) and the Shahpurkandi extension hydel project (57MW)— will also utilise the same releases for power generation. Comparison of the hydel power plants with the thermal power plants cannot be made as hydel power stations are run with the availability of water which a perennial source free of cost forever, whereas thermal stations are run on coal and therefore, are subject to inflationary pressures as coal is a non-renewable resource. Further, the author tries to compare the 600 MW thermal power station with the 600MW hydro-power station. It is a well established fact that the hydro-power cost of generation, operation and maintenance is lower than other sources of energy. Hydro power has the ability to start and stop quickly. It also has a higher efficiency (over 90 per cent) compared to that of thermal (35 per cent). In hydro the cost of generation is free from inflationary effects after the initial installation. The delay in the construction of the Ranjit Sagar Dam Project has been invariably due to many reasons. The hydro power projects are of complex nature and involves thorough topographical, hydrological and geological investigations. Time and cost over-runs have also been due to the floods is 1988 and 1992 and financial constraints from time to time. The estimated cost of the Shahpurkandi Dam Project is Rs 1,419 crore (based on April, 1999, price level). It has been inflated to Rs 3,000 crore on imaginary grounds by the writer. The annual revenue of the project will be Rs 243.45 crore whereas the annual operation and maintenance cost will be Rs 28.38 crore. Thus, the manipulated and escalated figures projected by Er Harbans Singh to justify thermal power vis-a-vis hydel power are unrealistic and not sustainable. The author has ignored many other implicit benefits associated with the RSD project, which cannot be evaluated in terms of money. Also the Shahpurkandi project will not be a burden on the PSEB, rather it would be a multi-purpose project catering to the diverse needs of people for the overall progress of Punjab. The writer is Chief Engineer Ranjit Sagar Dam Design, Irrigation Works, Punjab, Chandigarh |
|
Chatterati LAST week Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was down with viral fever. Sonia Gandhi was also down with flu, so was Mrs. Manmohan Singh. The health stars of our former Prime Ministers were not shining bright too. Prime Minister Singh could not make it to the Ram Nath Goenka birth centenary function. Nor could former Prime Minister Vajpayee. This would have been their first meeting after the Parliament spat. Chandra Shekhar is too suffering from a stomach infection. Deve Gowda injured his leg after a fall in the bathroom. P.V. Narasimha Rao came out of hospital after a long stay because of some infection. By sheer coincidence, all were not well. An evening with Vajpayee Our former Prime Minister, who at the release of his poetry album a couple of years back had said “I would rather have been a great poet than a Prime Minister”, released a book of the compilation carrying all his speeches in Parliament last week. Vajpayee’s special evening was graced by nearly all NDA top shots, be it Advani, Jaswant Singh or Venkaiah Naidu. The former PM’s foster daughter and son-in-law Ranjan received the guests. Grand-daughter Niharika — the apple of Vajpayee’s eyes, presented him with a bouquet of flowers. Well, it was a change from his old poetry releases. The former P.M. concentrated on coalition politics and its importance. Of course, Mr Advani could not help, but target the UPA government and the left parties. Atalji’s book on ‘Gathbandhan ki Rajniti’ (Politics of Coalition) will hopefully steer away from controversies. Vajpayee could not help taking a dig at the media and his colleagues as to how some of his remarks are misconstrued. A pleasant evening with actually the tallest leader of the NDA, his family, friends and foes all under one roof. But his poetry evenings are undoubtedly more focused, enjoyable and relaxing. When behenjis swooned It was an evening of women only at the opening of the Spa Zieta, a swanky gym in the Capital. Women turned wild, hooting and whistling as hot-tattooed male models walked the ramp. The gym was filled with women of all shapes and sizes — from grannies to teeny-boppers. Yes! They all let their hair down that evening. No males were allowed for the launch of Rohit Bal’s gym wear for men. The clapping and hooting got louder as the models whipped off their towels to strut the designer’s creations of torso-revealing jackets and trunks. Some of our aunties got so excited that they jumped on the ramp and danced and sang with the male hulks. Finally, after the teasing and tempting, the male models, full Monty style, let go off their towels. Oh God, our behenjis swooned. Here was one evening where the fairer sex showed all was fair in lust and war. The response was so vivid that even Rohit Bal was stunned. At the end when Rohit Bal walked on to the ramp, a particular auntyji in a yellow sari got so overwhelmed that she got on to the stage and hugged Rohit Bal and shook hands with all male models. Now this was the woman of today, bold, confident and so sure of herself. Two weeks ago a p3 lady turned 40. She celebrated her B-day by flying a group of male strippers for a hen party at her farmhouse. She drove her friends wild with the ‘sohna mundas’ and their half monty. Guess what! The half monty performers were completely comfortable with women ogling at them. |
Two men please God — who serves Him with all his heart because He knows Him; who seeks Him with all his heart because he knows Him not. — Panin When I have You with me, I have everything. You, O God, are my master! As you abide within me, I enjoy all peace and feel blessed. — Guru Nanak Just as you don’t like pain, others too don’t. Knowing this, treat others with care, respect and compassion, as you treat yourself. — Lord Mahavir Be not like them: for your Father knows what you need, before you ask him. — Jesus Christ Wherever virtue or vice is discussed, everyone present must take some share at least of that. — Sri Sarada Devi |
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Mailbag | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
