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On Record Education for all not on the right track
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Reflections Diversities — Delhi Letter
Kashmir Diary
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On Record by Manoj Kumar
Mr Kanwar is chairman and managing director of Apollo Tyres, a leader of the tyre industry. The company has recently entered into a joint venture with Michelin, the world’s No 1 tyre manufacturer. The JV, Michelin Apollo Tyres, will be the vehicle for manufacturing, marketing and sales of truck and bus radial tyres. In an interview to The Tribune, he talked about various issues confronting the industry and the economy. Excerpts: Q: You have taken over charge of FICCI at a time when the nation has been hit by the tsunami tragedy and the economy is facing the challenge of high inflation coupled with a marginal slowdown in the GDP growth rate. What will your priority in this scenario? A: We are sad over the national calamity caused by the tsunami that has resulted in loss of thousands of lives. FICCI has already collected Rs 3.5 crore and has appealed to its members to donate money generously for the relief measures. All the amount collected will be soon handed over to the PM for the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund. On the economic front I do not think that inflation is too high; rather some inflation is necessary for the growth of economy and to encourage investment. Exports are already up, FDI is increasing and the foreign exchange reserves are touching $ 130 billion. What we need is to put in extra efforts to put the economy on a high trajectory of growth. Q: In your presidential address at the FICCI AGM, you had advocated the need for entering into Free Trade Area (FTA) agreements with advanced countries like the US and the EU while opposing FTA with developing countries like Thailand. What is the rationale? A: I think that the FTAs with the advanced countries will help in the import of new technologies besides creating fresh centres of excellence. Tell me, what is the point of entering into FTA with countries from where we will be just importing low value added products at zero import duty manufactured in other countries. It will only harm our domestic industry that is paying high taxes on raw material and finished products. The government should promote FTA with countries like the US and the EU which will help in at least 40 per cent value addition. Q: The Reliance controversy has once again brought out how a family feud in a major company can affect the stock market and the sentiments of the investors. As President of FICCI and a leading industrialist how do you see this controversy? A: Investors are interested in dividend and price of their shares. I think the investors are quite happy with the company despite controversy. Otherwise why should we be bothered with the feud. You have always quarrels within the family between a husband and wife. Does anybody take any notice of it? As long as the company is following the rules and regulations no one should be concerned. And in this regard the company guidelines are very clear. All parties should follow them in a transparent manner. Q: You will agree that industrial chambers, including FICCI and the CII, have successfully lobbied for influencing the Centre’s policies. But the slow pace of reforms at the state level is still a major hurdle in the growth of industry. Therefore, what will your strategy be to bridge this gap? A: Let me correct you. We do not believe in lobbying and rather work in coordination with the government for the welfare of the industry. We want to become a voice of the industry. It is also a wrong impression that the states are not following the path of economic reforms. In some aspects they are miles ahead of the Centre. States like Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Haryana are competing with each other to attract investors. You can witness the change in environment in Delhi itself where with the privatisation of sanitation services, there is a drastic improvement in services. The day an industrialist announces a major investment plan, he can be sure to get telephone calls even from the state Chief Minister’s office. State governments are more than ready to provide all the facilities and render necessary help in getting the necessary clearances. As an industrialist I myself have a positive experience in this regard. It is another matter that states like Punjab and Kerala have still to learn these lessons. They should know that industry will go wherever it will get the required infrastructure and facilities. Q: What are your estimates about the prevailing black money in the Indian economy and how can it be channelised for pushing up the economic growth? A: I have no information in this regard. There are different estimates about the presence of black money in the economy. But I feel that with the dismantling of regulations and lowering of the taxes, it is more beneficial to invest money than keeping it in stores as black money. FICCI has proposed to the government to further dismantle the regulations and provide more channels for investment. The newly appointed National Manufacturing Council, of which I am also a member, will soon submit proposals in this regard. We are asking for labour reforms and reduction in taxes to create more investment opportunities. It is unfortunate that in the absence of labour reforms, the industry would prefer mechanisation and automation than inviting trouble with more recruitment. There should be collective bargaining between the industry and labour to fix wages. The government should simply set up the minimum wages. It should also set up some industrial clusters and special economic zones that would be world class in all aspects and attract FDI in sectors like textile, pharmaceutical and IT.
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Education for all not on the right track
A recently released UNESCO report on “Education For All” has highlighted India’s dismal performance in achieving the stated objective by 2015 AD. However, in all fairness India is taking small but definitive steps towards achieving a 100 per cent literacy rate. The need for basic education to all children in the age group of six to 14 was clearly enunciated in the Constitution of India which says the State shall endeavour to provide within a period of 10 years from the commencement of the Constitution free and compulsory education to all children until they complete the age of 14 years. The Supreme Court of India has also observed that education was not merely a pious wish but also an enforceable right and depriving the citizens on this score might lead to a constitutional breakdown. Though late, primary education has been categorised as a Fundamental Right through a constitutional amendment. Even today a majority of our people lack minimum education so essential to contribute effectively to the overall development of the country. The total literacy rate in India might have touched 65.38 per cent in 2001 compared to a meagre 16.6 per cent in 1951, a long and arduous road lies ahead. According to the recently released provisional census figure on literacy, the southern states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu as usual attained a high literacy rate while Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan are still lagging behind. As per the 1991 census report over 48 per cent of the total number of illiterates hail from these four states as against 44 per cent in 1961. Moreover, a pronounced gender bias is widely prevalent in these areas. Alarmingly the total literacy ratio in 1991 recorded only 11 per cent for women compared to 52 per cent for men during the same period. Though the rate has progressively increased from 8.86 per cent in 1951 to 39.42 per cent in 1991, this undoubtedly is still below the desired level. Further, the rate of growth in literacy among females has been pathetically low compared to males. According to the World Watch Institute out of the total number of illiterate women in the world today, about half reside in India. As early as in 1959, the Deshmukh Committee on Women’s Education had pointed out the alarming level of female dropout percentage at 74. The Kothari Commission had noted that a large part of the phenomenon occurred at the standard-I level. The Education Commission Report and the report of the Commissioner on the Status of Women 1974 hints at the various factors responsible for high rate of dropout among girl students, notably early betrothal and marriage, indifference of the parents as well as the viability of the girl child as a helpmate. The dropout phenomenon obviously gets linked to factors related to cultural, social, economic and family components. The National Literacy Mission was launched with the objective of emphasising the importance of literacy vis-à-vis environmental conservation and poverty alleviation by unleashing the full flow of human creativity. It did set off as a mass movement on an unprecedented scale and magnitude heightening people’s awareness but could not achieve the required success due to various reasons. Unfortunately, the National Literacy Mission is neither a movement nor a mission but is infact a government department whose limitations are obvious. Therefore a people’s movement spearheaded by social, cultural, youth and sports organisations needs to be launched in every district. The literacy campaign has to be carefully planned and meticulously executed relying on inter-personal contact and community involvement. The high degree of motivation among the voluntary instructors and learners is the key to success in any mass literacy campaign. That is precisely what is missing in several regions. The lofty goals set by the “education for all” campaign seems almost impossible to achieve in the chaotic situation prevalent in the primary education field. In the backdrop of economic liberalisation an argument has gained ground that education should be treated as social welfare expenditure rather than a vital investment for development. At times for physical austerity the axe falls on education. In fact the proportionate allocation for this sector has been steadily dipping from 5.5 per cent in the First Plan whereas the demand for allocating 6 per cent of the Gross National Product is a well-known fact. The Janardhan Reddy Committee has also recommended the fund allocation of 6 per cent of GNP, a vital pre-requisite for achieving education for all. The UPA Government, as pledged in their manifesto, has provided a total Plan allocation of Rs 6000 crore in 2004-2005 for elementary education and literacy while increasing the allocation for Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan to Rs 3057 crore from Rs 2732 crore. However, in the wake of the new economic policy, all sectors of the economy face a crunch as a result of cuts in plan outlays with the vulnerable sectors like education facing the major onslaught. As the adjustment measures being implemented through changes at the macro and micro level of the economy cast aspersion on the success of the various educational schemes due to shrinking funds, the government need to look into the inhibiting factors like (1) inadequate infrastructure (2) non-functioning of rural schools (3) large dropout rate (4) gender bias (5) improper environment (6) absence of teachers (7) lack of integrated approach between elementary education, adult education and non-formal education having a direct bearing on illiteracy (8) improper coordination between the Centre, State and local bodies (9) a bloated population (10) endemic poverty, that creates impediments in achieving the object of education for
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Profile by Harihar Swarup
Upmanyu’s latest book, The Mammaries of the Welfare State, which enabled him win the prestigious award, revolves round a family which has eaten away the country’s wealth like so many termites. The vile and easily corruptible and his even more vile side-kick, the pseudo-intellectual and his wife, who uses the services staff like her own, the dacoit-turned-politician are all caricatures who seem to have been eked out from real life. The Mammaries shares with all good satire its power to simultaneously shock and amuse. It resonates with images of sins both venial and impossible to condone. Even though The Mammaries has won him the Sahitya Akademi Award, his first novel—English, August: An Indian Story—is arguably the most famous. It exposes the raw nature of work that the great Indian bureaucracy has to do, and it is reflected in the adventure of the main character, Agastya Sen. A newly-inducted IAS officer, Sen is posted to an imaginary small town Madna, slowly discovers the utter void that his life is made up. A cross sectional view of the "babudom" and sahib culture that dominates bureaucratic circles and the primitive methods that are used engage the reader with the stark contrast in the life in a small town and a big city. The book is quite critical of the bureaucracy. Some of the characters the author mocks are easily recognisable as being based on real people the author encountered when he was in the town that serves as a model for Madna. No wonder then that the book caused quite a ripple in IAS circles. Fortyfive-year-old Upmanyu graduated from Delhi’s prestigious St. Stephen College and later joined the coveted Indian Administrative Services in 1983. He followed the footstep of his father who too was an IAS officer. He did not know what his mission was; thought he wanted to help people. His first posting (in the novel, the imaginary Madna) disillusioned him, particularly at the way bureaucracy functioned, the sycophancy, rampant corruption and the feudal life style of IAS officers. He was amazed to find that in spite of these odds, the mighty administrative machinery continues to move forward. The book is, apparently, based upon his experience in the IAS, but he denies that it is autobiographical. The novel became bestseller and was made into a movie. Upmanyu is now a full-time author. Yet another book of Upmanyu, The Last Burden, has been
widely lauded. It is about bonds of love and hate that bind a family
together. It is morbid but realistic about of two brothers and their
aging parents. The atmosphere is bitter, full of strife and yet they
need each other.  |
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The Power of P-5s by Kiran Bedi It was an evening of purity, simplicity, and integrity. I was invited to be a speaker at the annual function of the Chinmaya Mission in Washington. Interestingly, it was a case of "cause and effect". Earlier in the year, I was in Washington to be with students in Maryland University, where I met Mr S. Balan, the Secretary of the Chinmaya Mission and once a close associate of Lal Bahadur Shastri. He asked if I could return later in the year to be at their annual function. I readily agreed. I have repeatedly seen in my experience how connected one happening is to the other: One meeting to the other! Is there a reason to be wherever one is? Or does one create a reason for the future, through the effect? These are some of the questions we continue to wonder about while answers remain mysteries. The hall was full of American-Indians, with their children speaking in American English. They were all spiritually related to the mission in one form or the other. The parents and children were students and sevaks at the same time in the learning at the Chinmaya Mission. From a distance I saw students on the stage rehearsing mantra rendition in pure Sanskrit. I had obviously arrived before my scheduled time. As I got closer to the stage, I saw a swami, probably in his 30s, helping the children with the chanting of the mantra. I was introduced to him. He was Swami Dheerananda, a pupil of Swami Chinmayanandaji and the current head of the Chinmaya Mission in Washington. No airs, down-to-earth and very learned. One who did not believe in making long speeches but delivered sharp, short, powerfully spiritual and reasoned messages! I do believe, many events in our lives begin with a cause and leave an effect. I do not know what comes first. I leave it to the learned spiritual teachers to figure out and explain, but in my introduction this truth was evident once again. The person who introduced me recalled what I had said at the last student meet. And I was happily surprised to learn that it had left an effect. She said: "Last time you had told us the three Qs, the IQ (intelligence quotient), the EQ (emotional quotient) and the SQ (spiritual quotient), which we did not forget. And we called you to hear something like this again." My last meeting with the students became the cause of my present. I switched to a mode of the kind, which could give the audience another acronym for recall. This time it was the power of 5Ps, as I identified, for the occasion. For me these 5Ps stood for pace, preparation, planning, purpose and prevention. Calling them the power of 5Ps, I deliberately placed them so, for it is easy for recall. Each P stood for a powerful yet clear message in life and living. I began with P1-Pace, which to me meant that life continues to race, for change is the law. Hence we have to choose whether we keep pace with it or keep catching up with it and remain in arrears, in the area of wisdom for instance. P2-Preparation meant, knowing that time is never going to wait, while we will keep growing, from being a child to an adult, to being old and then wither away. As all our elders did! In understanding all these realities, how are we preparing ourselves for these realities? This means more of mental and spiritual preparation. P3-Planning implied the need to know our chosen paths. We may have many options. These could be personal or professional. Do we plan the right way for the goals; we have set or want in my life? Including planning for parenting? By P4-Purpose I meant, what do we see as the purpose of our life or of our living? And what do we do with what we have extra? Do we abuse or use? Is our living a life of trusteeship, that is one of giving and sharing or is it purely me, my and mine? By P5-Prevention I meant, do we call for trouble or do we prevent trouble? A research establishes that out of 100 unpleasant things in life, which happen to us, only 10 are sent by nature. The rest 90 are self-generated. Whether we are aware of this 90/10 rule? The Q&A that followed brought in more Ps, one of them being P-Pranaams and Prayers. The message through the acronym P+ did register. Whether this power of P-5s will now become a cause of more such meetings, I do not know. But for me it was a spiritual and a blessed evening. I returned with a treasure! Lots of audiotapes and the collection of short talks by Swami Chinmayanandaji, published in a book form entitled The Art of Man Making. A must read for all who wish to "make themselves". This was the effect of the cause: Or
the cause of an effect? I will continue to pursue in my passage of
pace.... Now for the year 2005. Happy New Year! |
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Diversities — Delhi Letter Those images hit and continue to do so—thousands dead and those alive fleeing. I’m sitting depressed on this New Year eve, and writing this column in that forlorn mood. And, like many others, I am not celebrating or participating in any of the parties lined up for this night. Probably cuddle up with the lone pillow and push off to sleep, to witness the start of yet another year. And as and when the new day begins, I would probably attend the annual classical music concert held year after year in memory of the slain theatre activist Safdar Hashmi on January 1 (16 years ago, he was killed by goons on the outskirts of New Delhi). And for this memorial, focus will be on Munshi Premchand—release of books and calendar on Premchand, together with readings from his works and an art exhibition on him. If I am not mistaken, another set of events focusing on Premchand is coming soon and this one is being taken care of by writer-cum-translator Rakshanda Jaleel for her forum, Hindustani Awaaz. Before moving on, let me stress on another extraordinary happening that is indirectly connected to this writer. His grandson based in New Delhi had employed a maid from West Bengal, who had fled along with her children from her husband and home. Before long he noticed that she had interest in the written word and even whilst dusting books she would go through them. With that he provided her with paper and pen, and about two years ago she was out with a book. Said to be not just readable but straight from her heart with great mastery over words. Of course, made possible because of her employer. Yes, such masters are still around and that’s why some strains of sanity lingering around. Law for the common man Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit’s evenings remain busy, as she is the much sought after chief guest to many a book release here. The latest event was the release of Law for the Common Man (UBSPD), the third book written by Dr Sarbjit Sharma. Dikshit is not just graceful, but
talks beyond the narrow parameters of the political and that actually
appeals to the audience. Needless for me to dwell on the details of
what the set of laws holds out for the common man of the country, but
I would definitely like to quote from the foreword written by the
Supreme Court judge, Justice S. B. Sinha. "The work produced by
Dr Sarabjit Sharma is most welcome since there is perhaps no other
handbook dealing with the subject of law for the common man.
Experience has shown that most people, when they are faced with a
legal problem, even if it is a simple notice from a lawyer, do not
know how to react. After some deliberation, they find no other option
but to contact a lawyer and pay his fees for taking legal advice. A
handbook of legal principles dealing with everyday situations is a
great boon for the common man who may want to know what the law is and
how to stay clear of any illegalities." |
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Kashmir Diary One needs to delve not only into politics and strategy, but also into history and anthropology to understand why Pakistan is resisting India’s proposal for divided families to be able to meet along the Line of Control (LoC). An analysis of such factors would show that the proposal largely suits people who are pro-India or else those on the other side who might be frustrated after a stint under Pakistani suzerainty. Strategists on both sides are aware that the large majority of the families of ethnic Kashmiris in the valley—the ones who are, broadly speaking, rooting for independence— are not divided. The ones who left in 1947 or soon after were largely acolytes of the then Mirwaiz, Mohammed Yusuf Shah, who also left surreptitiously early that winter. A sharp political divide had developed in the valley during the decade-and-a-half before that between his followers, mainly residents of downtown Srinagar, and the generally poorer followers of Sheikh Abdullah in the rural reaches beyond. No wonder the current Mirwaiz, Hurriyat Conference chief Umer Farooq, is among the strongest votaries of opening the Line of Control. His acolytes would benefit. However, they are a relatively small minority of the ethnic Kashmiris. A much larger number of divided families belong to the Gujjar, Backerwal and Pahari communities, which largely inhabit the higher reaches of the valley. These communities, generally disparaged by ethnic Kashmiris, are more often than not content to remain in India—partly because their relatives have, for half-a-century, given them intimate accounts of life across the LoC. Strategists in Pakistan must surely be aware that most members of these communities do not lean towards that country. There is, however, another set of persons across the LoC who might welcome an opportunity to meet their families in the valley. They must, however, be even more uneasy about another set of persons who would welcome a chance to meet separated relatives. These are the many young
men who went across over the past dozen years or so to train as
militants but then decided, for one reason or another, to sit tight.
As the violence has been taken over by Pakistani groups such as the
Lashkar-e-Toiba and the various factions of the Harkat, many Kashmiri
boys have opted out. Those who have been planning strategy for the insurgency in Kashmir would be mortified by such emotional scenes of reunion—even more so if some of those boys were to tell the media tales of disappointment and frustration. Of course, these human factors are only the subtle wheels within the wheels of what prevents Pakistan from accepting the proposal. The main reason is that anything that points toward formalising the LoC as the international boundary between India and Pakistan is anathema among large sections of the Pakistani public opinion. In fact, any long-term agreement that does not give the valley to Pakistan seems to be generally unacceptable there. President Musharraf has been at the receiving end of tremendous flak since his suggestions a few weeks ago, which essentially boiled down to accepting joint control along with India over some portions of the state that the Dogras once ruled. The Pakistan government has been forced to back away from his suggestions since then. He only made some suggestions for internal debate in Pakistan, they now say. Agreeing to meeting points along the LoC is too much like a first step towards establishing formal border checkpoints such as the one that exists at Wagah. Pakistanis are acutely aware that, if they are to settle for that, their nation might as well have saved itself all that it has undertaken over the past 17 years with regard to Kashmir. After all, to gradually turn the LoC
into an international border was, more or less, what was verbally
agreed between Zulfikar Bhutto and Indira Gandhi at Shimla more than
32 years ago. |
A speech may be long, full of exquisite words, sonorous to the ear but if the sentences make no sense, it is ridiculed by all. One word of sense which makes a man reflect, is better than all such speeches. — Buddhism Failure in public can make the greatest hero an object of ridicule. The beggar trembles before the prince. But when the prince is laid low in contest, even the beggar begins to titter. — The Mahabharata I refuse to buy from anybody anything, however nice or beautiful, if it interferes with my growth or injuries those whom Nature has made my first care. — Mahatma Gandhi |
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The implementation of the Value Added Tax (VAT)
system from April 1 will bring out a large portion of the black money
in the economy besides enhancing the tax compliance. The resultant
transparency and simplification of tax administration will also help
the industry to focus its energy on its real work — the management
of growth. "With the dismantling of various regulations and
decline in tax rates, it is no more beneficial to keep black money in
your home. One can rather invest it in the stocks or industry and get
more profits on it," says newly elected President of the
Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) Onkar
Singh Kanwar.
"English is the most widely spoken language in the world
and it has gone beyond just being a link language in India," says
Upmanyu Chatterjee. Even French, so proud of their language, speak
English now. Upmanyu is among the first of young generation of Indian
writers to find success outside his country and his observations are
literally correct. Whether protagonists of Hindi like it or not,
fluency and apt expression in English are the first few steps in the
ladder to success in any job or profession. English has indeed become
more than a link language. It was in recognition of Upmanyu’s
writings in English that the Sahitya Akademi conferred its prestigious
award on him. Like Mulk Raj Anand, Khushwant Singh, Vikram Seth and
Arundhati Roy, he too has made a mark in the English reading world.