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Waiting for
teachers Curbing
population |
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Iran in
a tight spot Use diplomacy to resolve the N-issue The year-long US-led drive to prevent Iran from producing nuclear weapons seems to have reached a crucial stage. The US has redrafted a resolution originally prepared by Europe's Big Three — Britain, France and Germany — asking Iran in the toughest language used ever to dispel all doubts by October 31 about its nuclear ambitions in violation of the Non-Proliferation Treaty to which it is a signatory, or be prepared to face the consequences.
Politics on the
decline
Now a who’s who
scam!
An evening of
surprises A
rejoinder
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Waiting for teachers Rural schools in Punjab have often been in a terrible mess. Their condition has only deteriorated despite occasional media focus. In cities, towns and nearby villages parents prefer private institutions to government schools. But in remote villages such alternatives are unavailable. As a Tribune report revealed on Tuesday, several schools in Moga district villages do not have enough teachers. There are no peons and sweepers. Students come early to clean the place and headmasters lock up the gates. Toilets are non-existent and drinking water is arranged with villagers’ help as power supply is irregular. It is too much to expect libraries and laboratories, classrooms and sports infrastructure in such schools. At least, one school has been turned into a gurdwara. Moga is not alone in offering such a pathetic sight. The situation is no better, if not worse, in Amritsar, Gurdaspur and
Ferozepore districts. Outsiders may be surprised at the state of schooling in Punjab. But this has not shamed the leadership — present or previous — into taking remedial action. The recent Cabinet meeting took note of the shortage of some 20,000 teachers in the state, but did not initiate the recruitment process. Fund shortage may be to blame, but that does not come in the way of appointing MLAs as parliamentary secretaries and chairmen of bankrupt boards. It is a pity this so-called developed state ranks 16th in literacy. Its 16 per cent villages have no school within the norm of 3 km. Out of 100 children enrolled in Class 1, only 22 per cent reach the higher secondary level. These findings of a 2002 CRRID report are already with the Punjab Government. The Centre has levied a 2 per cent cess to fund education infrastructure in the country. But education is a state subject and laggard states and leaky fund channels are unlikely to deliver the results. Panchayats have been roped in to improve schooling. They arrange semi-literates as ad-hoc teachers and students contribute to pay their wages. Despite panchayats, teachers skip classes to be with their families in towns where their children study in private schools. Punjab is also believed to have an education minister who, like his predecessor, keeps promising teachers would soon be appointed. Students continue to wait — rather patiently. |
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Curbing population It is sheer providence that the census data on which Venkaiah Naidu and company based their tirade against Muslims for their population proliferation has proved to be faulty, otherwise there would have been no end to communal scaremongering on the issue. But amidst all this controversy the Muslim community itself seems to have done some introspection. What has been noticed by some right-thinking Muslims is that while the growth rate may not be as high as it was made out to be, it was still higher than those of other communities. That has galvanised the vice-president of the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), Maulana Syed Kalb-e-Sadiq, to say that the body would discuss steps to promote family planning and literacy in the community when its executive meets in December. These are, of course, his personal views but provide clues about fresh thinking in sections of the community. Muslims will, hopefully, see the whole question in the wider perspective. The increasing population is one of the root causes of the poverty of Muslims. Those bent upon spewing communal venom will try to blame the poverty of Muslims on their religion but that argument would have held water if there were no equally poor among other communities. The unvarnished truth is that there are far too many downtrodden people among all sections of society, who are not able to move up the social ladder because of lack of education and there being too many mouths to feed. As Syed Sadiq has pointed out, it is wrong to presume that Islam was averse to family planning. The example of Iran is with us, which has zero per cent population growth. Similarly, education is the key to the amelioration of the lot of the community. The attempt to apply correctives has to come from within. The country is still suffering from the consequences of forced sterilisation during the Emergency days. At the same time, the BJP has also shown a positive grain by deciding to support the two-child norm. The policy of giving incentives and disincentives that the party has mooted at its Chief Ministers' conference can be fine-tuned to make this much-needed norm a reality. Curbing population growth should be a national policy which ought not to be demeaned by raising denominational controversies. |
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Iran in a tight spot The year-long US-led drive to prevent Iran from producing nuclear weapons seems to have reached a crucial stage. The US has redrafted a resolution originally prepared by Europe's Big Three — Britain, France and Germany — asking Iran in the toughest language used ever to dispel all doubts by October 31 about its nuclear ambitions in violation of the Non-Proliferation Treaty to which it is a signatory, or be prepared to face the consequences. Some may argue that President Bush has turned the heat on Iran after getting a bad Press on Iraq at a time when he is seeking a second term in the November elections. Whatever the reason, the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, discussed the matter again on Monday. The US is hell bent on taking the Iranian issue to the Security Council if Teheran gives no satisfactory answer by the time specified. The US wants Iran to close down its controversial Bushehr nuclear plant or it will be destroyed through the use of force under the UN supervision but only after building public opinion for the purpose. The US is also said to be working on a peaceful regime change plan. Interestingly, Britain, France and Germany too have joined the US in getting tough with Iran after being soft initially. Thus, Iran has to come clean on the nuclear issue, or else it may face punitive action involving military strikes. Iran has not been consistent on its claim that it has done nothing objectionable at its Bushehr plant, claimed to be meant for only peaceful purposes. In March it promised to suspend its uranium enrichment programme, suspected to be aimed at producing nuclear bombs. But now it asserts that under the NPT it has the right to produce fuel for nuclear reactors. Besides this, it has started creating a human shield around the nuclear facility. The human shield idea is, understandably, aimed at preventing a threatened Israeli air-strike which has further complicated the matter. Resorting to air-strikes is, however, no way to end the crisis. Diplomacy and engagement with Iran must be given every chance to handle the situation before it becomes too late. |
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No furniture so charming as books. — Sydney Smith |
Politics on the decline The
politics in India is falling to lower and lower nadir. The blame, of course, has to be shared both by the government and the Opposition. The BJP has still not recovered from its well-deserved defeat and is floundering to seek to find its moorings. This is shown by its indefensible conduct in stalling the functioning of Parliament compounded by creating a controversy over the presentation of a memorandum on budget proposals to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The idea of taking a memorandum to the Prime Minister must have been the brainwave of Mr George Fernandes (a throwback to his cub trade unionist period, when being able to present a memorandum to the Chairperson of a corporation was itself considered an achievement as showing the clout of an upcoming trade union leader with the employer). Otherwise what was the sense in presenting a list of proposals when the BJP had much larger platform of Parliament available. No, the BJP did not want an open debate — it was a gimmick in favour of its own lobby like transporters, tentwalas, etc, so that it could conveniently go out and tell its coveted lobby that it had put forth their demands before the government and the rejection could be put on the government’s shoulders. Why should the BJP have assumed that the Prime Minister was so gullible that he would not see through the petty manoeuvring? In that context, there was no alternative for the Prime Minister but to return the memo. If the BJP has got caught in its own small trick it has only to thank itself. It is unfortunate that Mr Vajpayee, who should have been expected to function as an elder statesman, missed this opportunity by playing as a toy trumpet for the Advani-Fernandes duo. I feel that urgent steps should be taken to see that the disruption of Parliament would inevitably result in loss of free lunch to the members. One way would be for both the Speaker and the Chairperson to direct that in case the House proceedings are disrupted with the result that there is no sitting, then the legislators will not be paid daily allowance and salary for that day. In fact, I feel that a law should be passed on the analogy of the law laid down by the Supreme Court that the workers and government servants who abstain from work as a mark of protest will not be paid for that day, on the principle of “No Work No Pay”. Why should the same principle not be applied to our so-called “servants of the people”, namely, members of the legislatures? I know of one public-spirited nationally eminent journalist, a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha (since retired), who voluntarily refused to draw any allowance for those wasted days. Because of the BJP’s unthinking behaviour the UPA government seems to have escaped being exposed to answering the hiatus between its professions and actual follow-up. Thus prevarication and double talk of the UPA government in the withdrawal of POTA exposes its commitment to civil liberties. Surely, withdrawal of POTA should have been the priority item, considering that the Congress and its allies had opposed this legislation, and in my opinion rightly. There is no explanation why the UPA government could not have repealed POTA within the first 10 days of its formation — the same could be done by issuing an Ordinance, and it was not necessary to wait for a Parliament session. Even the proposed Bill saves the pending cases to continue though filed by the previous government. What double standards! If POTA as a piece of legislation is unworthy of a civilized nation as I believe, to let cases be continued is a violation of human rights. Many detainees in Chennai are on hunger strike, demanding withdrawal of POTA cases. Additionally, many provisions of POTA are being incorporated in some other legislation. If those in the present government feel that these provisions are not anti-democratic, then why was there opposition to these very provisions when the NDA incorporated them in POTA? The fact is that the commitment of the Congress party is justifiably suspect because the Congress government had legislated TADA, which is really the parent of POTA. Also, it is interesting to note that both Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, during Congress rule, have passed laws on security which in some ways are even more draconian than POTA — these laws are still continuing. The present UPA government is persisting in continuing with the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958, (AFSPA) notwithstanding the massive protests by the whole of Manipur. Its stand in favour of security forces as against the liberty of citizens is on the same plane as of the previous NDA government. Is it any wonder that an average person is compelled to shout contemptuously, “A plague on both you houses” — a sign of his helpless plaintive cry but, if ignored by the government, it can explode soon, destroying everything in its way. How can anyone watch with abandon the tearing apart of civil society like that in Manipur and yet there seems to be no worthwhile response from the present Central Government? Even the Home Minister’s visit has come after over a month of the shame of the Manorama incident which put Manipur in flames. And even now the culprits in the Manorama incident have not been punished. Such indifference can only lead to massive alienation in the whole of the North-East. Is it any wonder that people have refused to talk to the Home Minister. Why is the Central government ignoring the unanimous warning of knowledgeable people inside Manipur and from even former Prime Ministers, known for their sobriety, that immediate withdrawal of AFSPA is the only way to defuse the situation before it becomes uncontrollable? The game of the Left in its purported support to the government is also being exposed. As the CPM did previously, the CPI has again warned of serious consequences if the government went ahead with its policy of an increase in FDI in aviation, telecom and insurance sectors, and not restoring the interest rate reduced on the EPF. Though they may be making loud noises, Mr Chidambaram is sticking to his opposition — and the left is swallowing this bitter rebuff, of course giving occasional threats, and then quietly slinking away. But this dichotomy will not deceive the masses because it is against the accepted wisdom, “you can deceive some people all the time, you can deceive all the people some time, but you cannot deceive all the people all the time.” Inflation is back with a vengeance, being the highest in four years. The hope of the government that market forces will stabilise the prices is misconceived. The government cannot obviously fold its hands and blame this inflation on the non-cooperation of the Opposition parties. The failure to act can have serious consequences. Indira Gandhi rode to power on a one-rupee-per-kg rise in onion prices. But a much stiffer price rise pervades today. The BJP talks not of fighting this menace but proudly reiterates its commitment to the exploded slogan of Hindutva. No wonder, the Congress is complacent when the Opposition party is so wobbling in its thinking and action. The resounding refutation of the “insinuation that there are two power centres is not true” shows that Dr Manmohan Singh has jumped successfully to land in the Prime Minister’s chair. Can we now hope for some positive direction in
governance? The writer is a retired Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court |
Now a who’s who scam! It
was a con game, plain and simple and I fell for it headlong. The letter was post-marked Aligarh and it introduced to me an outfit with the grandiloquent name of Directories International (DI). Familiarly and gratuitously addressing me by name, the letter went on to tell me that DI had undertaken a “stupendous” and “path-breaking” work of compiling a directory of all the “greatest” and most “eminent” living Indians and would I please cooperate in making the venture a success? I was informed that the “Editorial Board” of DI, after “due” deliberation had decided to include my name in the proposed directory because my “extraordinary”, “awesome” and “mind boggling” achievements were an inspiration to the present and future generations. I was asked to look nippy and fill in a 10-page questionnaire and return it to DI with a passport-sized photograph and a demand draft for Rs 10,000 to cover “overhead administrative expenses” and “block-making charges.” I looked at the cover to make sure that it was indeed addressed to me. There was no doubt it was and I let out a wild whoop of joy. Fancy my name being included in a directory of “greatest” living Indians. Wait till the boys in the club got to hear of this! From now on, I was going to put on the dog in no uncertain manner. I took stock of the situation. What were those “achievements” of mine that had found favour with the august “Editorial Board”? Oh yes, I knew. In May last, I had broken an orderly bus queue and made a mad dash for it six times in a single day and in June, I had played my new hi-fi equipment at 300 decibels disturbing the entire neighbourhood and just last week, I had spat betel nut juice spang across a 100 ft road and the stains can still be seen. These are the “achievements” that usually confer greatness on we Indians and no doubt, they had swung the decision of the Editorial Board in my favour. I got down to filling in the questionnaire. In the column “Interests”, I wrote with a flourish “Reike, Su-Jok, Zen Buddhism and Transcendental Meditation” and in the column “Purpose in life”, I wrote with a flourish “To spread peace, happiness and amity among my fellow human beings.” The questionnaire, together with a passport-sized photograph and a draft for Rs 10,000, was soon winging its way to distant Aligarh. Six months passed and there was no word from DI and an anxious query elicited the response that block-making charges had risen sharply due to budgetary imposts on brass, zinc and bronze and would I please fork out an extra Rs 10,000? Fancy one of the “greatest living Indians being bothered by talk about stuff like brass and copper! More than a year has elapsed and there’s still no word from north of the Vindhyas and I have become the butt of ribald jokes and ribbing from my peers who keep needling me, no doubt out of sheer jealousy, that I have been taken for a ‘de luxe’ ride and that I am down in the hole to the tune of Rs 20,000, but I remain unfazed and serenely confident that the directory will be out before the Year of the Lord 2098 and will become an instant
best-seller. |
An evening of surprises In the middle of the Beslan crisis, Vladimir Putin took time to welcome Western journalists to his Moscow residence. Mary Dejevsky reports from Novo-Ogarevo
Our
meeting with the Russian President on Monday night (Sept 6) had begun as a suggestive blank space in a conference programme several weeks before — “to be arranged”. It had been confirmed the previous evening as we were completing a flying visit to Mr Putin’s home city of St Petersburg. We had expected that it would take place in the Kremlin. Instead, we were taken by bus through the mushrooming south-western suburbs of Moscow, to the Rublevskoe highway, where giant new shopping centres and vast blocks of good-quality new housing — for private ownership — abut the ever-shrinking expanse of birch forest and meadows. This is the prestige region, where Moscow’s elite live. It is where Politburo members had their residences in the last years of the Soviet Union and where Mikhail Gorbachev and Boris Yeltsin both resided. Now, the political elite has to live cheek by jowl with the new rich. Mansions of all designs are sprouting on both sides of the road: some ostentatious and garish, others discreetly painted green and brown mostly concealed by trees. These new houses, perversely called kottedzhi in Russian, have proliferated almost to the solid blue fence that surrounds the presidential compound. Half-an-hour out of town (with a police escort to negotiate the dense rush-hour traffic), our bus turned sharply into a curving road clearly marked with a no-entry sign. This was Novo-Ogarevo, where the President lives when in Moscow. The residence is a three-storey mansion in the neo-classical style, yellow and white, with four large columns and a Russian crest. The Russian tricolour flew at half-mast on the roof (it was the first day of mourning for the dead at Beslan). We were ushered into a room with easy chairs, a billiard table and a plasma screen television, showing the Russia channel. Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin came in briskly from a side entrance, with his chief aide, Alexei Gromov, at his side. He asked for questions immediately - first come, first served, and whoever caught his eye. The questions covered the gamut: Russia’s experience of terrorism; criticism of Russia’s Chechnya policy; inter-ethnic disputes; the prospects of the break-up of Russia; Ukraine joining Nato and/or the EU. The Russian President’s answers to each question were highly detailed; sometimes historical in approach, always analytical - in the manner, but not the substance, of the brighter Communist officials of yesteryear — and totally spontaneous. Mr Putin has something of Bill Clinton’s quickness of mind and ability to marshal observations from all manner of sources and experiences to make his case. There were no questions he declined to answer; none even that he scorned or deflected. He had clearly defined views on everything he was asked about - from the violence in the North Caucasus, including Chechnya, to the ethnic problems inherited from the Soviet Union, through the Yukos affair, Russia’s continuing dependence on oil and raw materials to shore up its economy, the slowness of economic and political reform, freedom of the Russian media, terrorism in general, the US election, the expansion of Nato and the EU, to the situation in Iraq. He took the opportunity of a question on freedom of the press to launch a broadside at Rupert Murdoch, asking whether his press was really an example of media freedom. At the same time, he had kind words for President Bush and for Mrs Thatcher, whom he said he had met three or four times. On Russia’s battles with terrorism he said: “We have had 50 years of fighting terrorism. Militants used the same techniques in Afghanistan against Soviet troops and we all know who was behind them then ... But I wouldn’t claim that the Soviet Union was exactly an angel either. The point is that terror has been unleashed and now we are all trying to combat it jointly.” On inter-ethnic disputes and criticism of Russia’s Chechnya policy he retorted: “No one can accuse us of not being flexible in our dealings with the Chechen people. In 1995, we granted them de facto autonomy, but what happened was complete chaos, unbelievable violence. “The break-up of the Soviet Union exacerbated many conflicts,” he reminded us. “There are 2,000 such conflicts dormant that could flare up instantaneously.” He was equally robust on speculation of a future break-up of Russia, stating: “I won’t allow this to happen because I know what this would mean for Russian citizens.” Mr Putin also expanded on the state of Russia’s economy, saying: “No one disputes the free market is more efficient than a planned economy. But mechanically transplanting these ideas in Russia has had the effect of discrediting many of these ideas in the minds of the people. Compare the difficulties faced by Reagan and Thatcher when they embarked on their reforms. Even though their states functioned effectively and laws could be enforced, these reforms brought Thatcher’s government almost to collapse and without the Falklands war, it might not have survived.” On the question of media freedom, Mr Putin said: “It is as hard to define press freedom as it is to define democracy.” He asked us to consider Mr Murdoch’s empire: “Is this free, or evidence of something rather different?” The President saved his warmest praise for his US counterpart, George Bush. “Even though we have our differences, he is a very predictable and reliable partner,” he said. “Above all, he is human. He is a good, solid human being, and I like him as a colleague.” Mr Putin came across as sincere and approachable, but also showed flashes of anger, such as when he insisted that the real intention of militants across Russia’s southern border was “nothing less than the break-up of Russia” or lambasted Western reports for not calling the hostage-takers in North Ossetia “terrorists”. Then, he would become animated and intense, clenching his fists and waving his hands. But his anger always appeared purposeful and controlled. This was not Nikita Khrushchev slamming his shoe at the UN, nor yet Boris Yeltsin after over-indulging. In person, the Russian leader seems much more human and less cold than he often appears on television. But in mind, as in physique, he gave an impression of neatness and discipline, of being comfortable in his skin and very self-contained. As Mr Putin was about to take the last question, a mobile phone rang. It played the Russian national anthem, which has restored the old Soviet tune. Apparently it belonged to one of Mr Putin’s two aides.
— By arrangement with The Independent |
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A rejoinder In
his article Kuldip Nayar refers to Guru Granth Sahib as a holy book and equates Guruji to the Koran and the Bible. The Bible and the Koran were compiled after the passing away of Jesus Christ and Mohammad Sahib. And both do not have the status of Christ or Mohammad. Nayar has to relook at his statement that Sikhism is “ahle kitab”. What Nayar fails to recognise is that Guru Granth Sahib is the 11th Guru of the Sikhs. Guru Gobind Singh had given the Guru Gadi to Guru Granth Sahib and decreed that “Guru Maniyo Granth”. So for the Sikhs Guru Granth Sahib is not a “kitab” but the “jugo jug atal” Guru. Akal Ustat (praise of God) was paramount for Guru Gobind Singh and Jaap Sahib authored by Guruji shows this fact. Hence, the bani of bhagats has been included in Guru Granth Sahib by Guru Gobind Singh Ji. No other religion believes in such an endeavour. In fact, in other religions sayings of preachers or bhagats of other religions are literally looked on as blasphemy. The aim of the Sikh Gurus was to show the fallacies prevailing in those days and that is why they explained matters using parables. The basic belief in Sikhism is that there is one God. In Guru Granth Sahib when the names Ram, Shiva, Krishna, Gobind, Narain are used, then these are for one God, Ek Onkar. In fact, Guru Gobind Singh clearly mandated ‘Ram Rahim puran kuran anaik kaye math ek na maniyo (People do believe in Ram and Rahim and read Puranas and Koran but I do not believe in any of these). Guruji also mandated that if any of His Sikhs were to follow Brahminical ways, then He would forsake such Sikhs. Nayar talks of Sikhs imprisoning Guru Granth Sahib in gurdwaras. Well, he forgets that as Guru Granth Sahib is not a book for the Sikhs, hence Guruji is enthroned in the gurdwara. People like Nayar cannot see this because their minds are barricaded with bias and imprisoned in their pettiness. Everyone is welcome to read Guru Granth Sahib. Yes, it is a different matter if one reads Guru Granth Sahib like a book or like being imparted knowledge by Guruji. Translations of Guru Granth Sahib are available and everyone is welcome to partake the treasure of Guru’s Bani. However, to be called a Sikh one has to follow the Hukam of Guru Gobind Singh in totality. Nayar is wrong when he says that Sikh symbols are not acceptable in America and France. In America the Sikhs have fought for their symbols and have won. They had to fight because that was an alien culture. In France the action taken by the government has more to do with their anti-Islam stance. Sikh identity was never targeted but has come into preview more as a fallout. The Akali Dal is a political party and Kuldip Nayar should realise this fact. Yes, following the principle of Miri Piri of Guru Hargobind Sahib, Sikh politics will always have a religious hue. Nayar also forgets that Sikhism does not exist because of the Akali Dal, but the Akali Dal exists because of Sikhism. In case he has any political differences or agenda he should not try to aim at the Akali Dal using the Sikhi shoulder. Nayar is less a journalist and more a politician. He has the dubious distinction of being one of those journalists who have used journalism to get political patronage and this is how he got a back-door entry into the Rajya Sabha. As the world celebrates the 400th anniversary of Guru Granth Sahib, Nayar’s article is indeed mistimed. |
God governs the world, and we have only to do our duty wisely, and leave the issue to Him. — John Jay It is beyond me to comprehend or describe the vastness and wonder of Your creation. I am unworthy, even, of being a sacrifice to You! — Guru Nanak There are three things which are rare indeed and are attained by the grace of God, namely, a human birth, desire for liberation, and the protecting care of a perfected sage. — Sri Adi Sankaracharya There is a God in science, a God in history, and a God in conscience, and these three are one. — Joseph Cook The light of the body is the eye: if, therefore, your eye be controlled, thy whole body shall be full of light. — Jesus Christ |
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