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Unsafe for children Silence please! Instant injustice |
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Kathmandu under siege
Army Day parade
Punjab going dry Oxford to compete
with US rivals
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Unsafe for children CHILDREN are usually the first to be released by hijackers of aircraft. It is a basic courtesy extended to the vulnerable, who cannot defend themselves. But in Bihar, picking up children to extract ransom from their parents has become common. On Monday, The Tribune carried an evocative picture of school students in Patna praying for the safe return of Kislay Kaushik, a student of Delhi Public School, who was kidnapped on Wednesday last. School students, who should have been attending classes, have been protesting against the government for its failure to rescue the hapless student by even skipping their tiffin. At no time has students expressed their anger in this manner. It is a slap in the face of the Rabri Devi-Laloo Prasad government which has been unable to provide protection even to little children going to schools. The unusual protest has touched sympathetic chords among a large section of the people spread across the country. But in Bihar where Railway Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav is busy campaigning, it has made no impact on those who call the shots. Mr Yadav did not have time even to meet a delegation of students who wanted his intercession to rescue their classmate. Even when he finally condescended to meet them, he blamed the media, rather than the law and order machinery under his control. If the children knew “Laloo Uncle” well, they would not have wasted their time to meet him. After all, it is not for want of information that Mr Yadav has not taken any action against the kidnappers. Over the years, kidnapping for ransom has become a big business in Bihar. Every year, hundreds of kidnappings occur in the state. While doctors are the worst victims, even government officials and relatives of policemen have fallen into the kidnappers’ trap. The only option available to the victims is to pay ransom and buy their freedom. After all, the kidnappers enjoy political and police patronage. Bihar has the dubious distinction of setting up special courts, exclusively to try kidnappers. But this too has not made any effect as underlined by the abduction of another DPS student in Nalanda on Tuesday. It is the price the state has to pay for having a government which talks about equity but does nothing to protect its citizens. |
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Silence please! It is commonplace for politicians to miss every golden opportunity of keeping silent. But those conducting official enquiries into sensitive issues are expected to be more circumspect. This expectation has been belied in the case of the Godhra carnage and its aftermath. First, Justice U.C. Banerjee (retd) rushed with his interim report saying that the Sabarmati Express blaze was accidental. And now, Justice G.T.Nanavati (retd) has told a TV channel that this conclusion is “not the final word”. Implicit in this remark is the hint that the blaze might have been deliberate after all. Who is right and who is wrong is not the point here. What matters is whether it was at all unavoidable for them to give their reaction in this way, knowing full well that their remarks could be misused for political ends. At least Justice Banerjee submitted an interim report, although its timing seemed highly questionable to many. Justice Nanavati has no such document to support his remark. The two together have muddied the debate. Just as Railway Minister Laloo Yadav tried to exploit the interim report findings to garner votes till he was silenced by the Election Commission, there is every danger that the Nanavati comment will come in handy for some other politicians to buttress their point. Top-level leaders may be wary of the Election Commission imprimatur but less prominent ones may go to town with it. Ironically, Mr Yadav, who is now questioning the propriety of the Nanavati remark, had no qualms about milking the interim report findings when wooing voters in Bihar. More than that, the authenticity of the findings may now get compromised. Till now what the two judges have said — and should have left unsaid — is music to the ears of their appointing authorities, the Railway Minister in the first case and the Gujarat Chief Minister in the second. If their final reports also conform to this pattern, fingers may be pointed and tongues may wag. That is a situation which should have been studiously avoided. What applied to Caesar’s wife is very much true in their case. |
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Instant injustice It was an encounter that lasted more than two hours. The Punjab policemen, when attacked, opened fire from their AK-47s and SLRs, and shot dead the alleged assailant. This may be a reminder to one of those encounters that the Punjab Police so often staged with finesse during the days of militancy. What happened at Phillaur on Monday also turned out to be a false encounter. The so-called assailant was an innocent leopard that had strayed from its natural habitat in the Shivallik hills, probably in search of food. Entering a school at night, it passed quietly by a sleeping peon, took shelter in another room where it was spotted in the morning. When challenged, it ran in panic. How the policemen got injured can be one of those familiar police stories. The policemen did what comes naturally to them: shoot to kill. They may be forgiven as they acted out of ignorance and fear and with the good intention of protecting fellow human beings from possible harm. What about the Chief Warden of Wildlife who should know that a leopard falls under Schedule 1 of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act and that there is a ban on killing it? In these days of fast communication and easy transport, he did not rush his men from the tiger safari at Amaltas, some 10 km away from Phillaur, to catch the wild guest alive with the help of tranquilisers. Instead, he authorised its killing on the telephone! The man-animal conflict is ageold. As the human population expands, the habitat of those on the other side of the fence shrinks. This leads to a decline in the prey-predator ratio and the harmony breaks. Some may even wonder who is more dangerous — the man or the beast? The animal is forced to cross its limits for survival. The man pushes the animal into a corner out of greed or fear. The animal kills only when it is hungry. The leopard that ultimately fell to human bullets at Phillaur must have wondered what kind of jungle was it where killings take place for pleasure and publicity? |
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The young man who has not wept is a savage, and the old man who will not laugh is a fool.
— George Santayana |
Kathmandu under siege
Nepal’s Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Y.S. Rajasekara Reddy seem to be afflicted by the same malady. In early December 2004 Mr Deuba announced at the World Buddhist Summit at Lord Buddha’s birthplace, Lumbini, that he was prepared to discuss all issues, including Maoist demands for establishing a Constituent Assembly to replace the present constitutional monarchy, if they responded positively to his call for a dialogue. Mr Deuba threatened that he would order countrywide elections if the Maoists did not positively respond to his proposals for dialogue by December 13. Mr Deuba’s threat to hold elections was absurd, given the prevailing law and order situation in his country. Not surprisingly, the Maoists, who have a presence in all 75 districts of Nepal, exercise control over virtually the entire countryside and have blockaded the capital and the strategic East-West Highway, disdainfully rejected Mr Deuba’s pronouncements. They made it clear that Mr Deuba was merely a puppet of the Palace and that they would negotiate only with the Monarch. The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Rajasekara Reddy eloquently pronounced that he would bring in peace by negotiations with the Naxalites in the state. He then announced that he had reached a “ceasefire” agreement with the Naxalites. The Naxalites used the “ceasefire” to strengthen their position. They embarked on a programme of occupying private and government-owned forest land. They showed scant respect for the “cease fire” and on December 16 set off a landmine explosion that seriously injured four policemen. When the “cease fire” was in effect the two major factions of the Naxalite movement in India, the People’s War Group (PWG) and the Maoist Communist Centre, united to form the Communist Party of India (Maoist). Sensing the weakness of the Reddy administration, the Maoists announced that they would continue to “bear arms” and fulfil their “revolutionary objectives” like the forcible redistribution of land and the extortion of “revolutionary taxes”. The AP Chief Minister seemed to forget that he had been elected primarily to deliver good governance and not grovel in the face of Maoist threats. And like Mr Deuba, he seemed to forget the maxim that a legitimate government does not offer concessions and plead for negotiations from a position of weakness with extremists determined to overthrow it. During the past three years Maoist violence has spread from 57 to 152 of the 493 districts in India. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru ruthlessly crushed the peasant communist insurrection in Telangana in 1948, even as he sought to undertake a programme of extensive land reforms. The same approach was adopted by Indira Gandhi and Siddhartha Shankar Ray to crush the Naxalite movement in West Bengal. Neither Mr Nehru nor Mrs. Gandhi attempted to appease those who resorted to violence for “revolutionary objectives”. The British used a similar approach in crushing the Maoist-inspired communist insurrection in Malaya and in dealing with the Mau Mau in Kenya. New Delhi should remind British diplomats and international busybodies like the UN Under Secretary-General Kieran Prendergast of these developments when these worthies deliver long lectures about alleged human rights violations in Nepal by the Royal Nepal Army and equate the Maoists with the internationally recognised government of that country. Nepal shares a 1600 kilometre border with five Indian states — Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Sikkim and Uttaranchal. We have a far greater stake in what happens in Nepal than the European Union countries like Norway, Denmark or the Netherlands, as developments in Nepal directly impact on our bordering states. The United States has a far better appreciation of these imperatives than some of the non-entities in the EU. Encouraged by a Nepali official in the UN, the Maoists are now demanding UN mediation for talks with the Nepal government. New Delhi recognises that the Maoist menace can be tackled only by a two-track approach. The first involves a ruthless military crackdown by a government that is perceived within Nepal to enjoy legitimacy and a measure of popular support. Secondly, there is recognition that over the past five decades successive governments in Nepal have feathered their own nests, but done precious little by way of economic development or socio-economic change. Nepal has the worst indicators for economic progress and socio-economic change in South Asia. This needs to change. New Delhi has consistently voiced support for a constitutional monarchy in Nepal. King Gyanendra, however, appears to have little faith in democratic political processes and seems determined to undermine parliamentary democracy in his kingdom. Appeals from New Delhi for the King to restore and reconvene the parliament in Nepal and appoint a government enjoying parliamentary support have apparently not been heeded. The time has, perhaps, come for New Delhi to consider whether there would not be merit in supporting the Maoist call for a Constituent Assembly for the people in Nepal to determine the extent of public support for a Republican Constitution. Neither King Gyanendra nor Crown Prince Paras would win many popularity contests in Nepal. We should keep our channels of communication open with all parties, including the Maoists, while making it clear that we will not allow them to prevail by force of arms. There are indications from a number of areas in Nepal that Maoist excesses are inviting popular resentment. We should encourage the convening of a Round Table Conference in which all political parties in Nepal, including the mainstream communist parties, participate to build a political consensus on how to move forward. The Monarch has to be persuaded to stick to his constitutional role and not assume extra-constitutional powers. Apart from the international complications in dealing with the Maoist menace in Nepal, New Delhi faces domestic problems arising from the fact that Nepal borders two of perhaps the worst administered states in India — Bihar and Uttar Pradesh —where the law and order situation, abysmal standards of governance and growing communalisation of politics are matters of national concern. Nepal’s population is rapidly growing. It is expected to reach over 50 million by 2020. If the Maoist violence continues unchecked in Nepal and economic development continues to take a back seat, we could be faced with a situation of growing Maoist violence in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, coupled with a large influx of Nepalese nationals. New Delhi will have to imaginatively handle pressing issues of improving the standards of governance in Nepal and in some of its neighbouring Indian
states. |
Army Day parade
GUTS and glory are the perennial strands of a military parade, but the Army Day parade on January 15 every year is different. Over the years, many innovations have been added, yet it remains, quintessentially, a parade of remembrance and thanksgiving. Besides commemorating the assumption of office of the Chief of the Indian Army by the first Indian, General (later Field Marshal) KM Cariappa, this day is dedicated to the soldiers of the Indian Army, who have sacrificed their life and limbs for the defence of the nation. It also honours warriors and units, whose brave exploits fill our hearts with pride. At a different plane, it is a day of stocktaking of major events, achievements and actions of the Army. This year Army Day parade, which I attended after a gap of four years, had an abundance of all the above, and yet it was different. Continuity and change could not have been better highlighted. There was General Nirmal Vij, the COAS, taking the salute at his last Army Day parade, as he demits office in a few days. Nothing special about that, as all Chiefs have a last Army Day parade in their illustrious careers, but alongside him on the saluting base was the Chief Designate, Lt Gen JJ Singh, who will succeed him at the end of the month. This indeed is a rare occurrence. The trappings of a good parade were all there — buglers, bands and the marching columns, resplendent in their colourful ceremonials, vying with the jingling spurs and the snorting of the horses of the mounted columns, and the roar of the engines of the mechanised columns. Yet, there were differences and innovations, which make this a unique parade. Our Olympian silver medalist, Lt Col Rathore, rode past to thunderous applause, as did the array of highly potent missiles and the power-packed T-90 and Arjun tanks. Some regiments were not represented, as a rotation system is followed, but if a regiment does not field a marching column, it is usual to have one of its bands participating. In the case of my regiment, alas, there was no representation. I missed seeing the colourful pagris and the proud visage of the soldiers of my regiment — the Maratha Light Infantry. But the Marathas were very much there and in the most prominent places too — two out of three on the saluting base — the Chief Designate and the Additional Director General Ceremonials — both proud Marathas. Then there was one of the youngest battalions-41 RR (Maratha), receiving the unit citation for its outstanding work in J& K, and the young Havildar Kenchappa, who proudly stepped up to receive his Sena Medal from the Chief. The finale, a double event, added zip to the proceedings. First, we had the ASC Tornadoes roaring away on their motor cycles, skilfully performing some near impossible acrobatics, which must have been perfected after considerable perseverance, hard work and a sense of balance. Thereafter, the newly inducted Advance Light Helicopters (ALH) swooped down with precision and poise, the lead helicopter flying the Army flag majestically, before they disappeared, leaving behind a slight whiff of their exhausts and the roar of their engines, and sending the adrenalin of the spectators soaring high. Thus ended one more memorable Army Day parade — the parade with a lot of guts and glory; pride and tenacity; and above all the overwhelming presence of the indomitable Indian Army jawan — a warrior par
excellence.
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Punjab going dry
The Bhakra hydro-electric project, along with taming the Satluj, did check floods and provide irrigation water to the state, yet when the harvested dam water is excessively carried away, it leads to a scarcity of water in the basin area. This is exactly what has happened in Punjab. The state tends to depend more and more on groundwater irrigation. More than 70 per cent of the irrigation water in Punjab is supplied through tubewells and less than 30 per cent irrigation water requirements are met through the canal system. This has resulted in a continuous decline in the watertable in the central districts of Punjab. Last paddy season, more than 20 per cent of the centrifugal pumps went dysfunctional. In some areas, even submersible pumps had to be lowered by more than 10 feet. This strongly points to the fact that the present production system is not sustainable if withdrawal of underground water is to be balanced with the natural water recharge. Here I am not dealing with or even hinting at the water sharing by the states of Haryana and Rajasthan with Punjab or any other related issue of water distribution. My simple proposition is that through the Bhakra dam and its canal system, the harvested water has been taken out of its natural basin excessively, resulting in over-exploitation of groundwater in these areas disturbing the underground water balance. The problem has been further compounded by the adoption of a cropping pattern dictated by the policy to increase the production of foodgrains that required intensive irrigation, leading to the withdrawal of water more than its natural recharge. Even if the erstwhile state of Punjab was not divided, the situation would have been the same because of water being excessively taken out of the river basin. Irrespective of whether the water is used in Punjab, Haryana or Rajasthan, the harvested water of the river basins should have not been taken out of the basin areas at the cost of depletion of the watertable and disturbing the underground water balance of the basin areas. Looked at from the national perspective, the over-exploitation of water resources in this manner is not a sustainable proposition. Ideally, the irrigated areas should be expanded only to the extent that the mining of water does not take place in the basins of the affected rivers. It is not a question of this state or that. It is a question of sustainability of the system in the national interest. Looking at the problem from this angle, I have my apprehensions on the inter-linking of rivers of the country. Quite possible, there will be a short-sighted strong tendency to take water out of the river basins without paying due attention to the underground water balance of the basins. The situation can develop the same as has developed in the Satluj river basin in Punjab. Therefore, the national-level river inter-linking project needs to be based on a careful study of the adverse effects of taking water out of the natural basins of the rivers under consideration. Unfortunately, this aspect is grossly being ignored. I do not surmise that water should not be taken out of the river basin areas. In fact to check floods and to create irrigation potential and generate electric power, it is essential to harvest water, which otherwise will not only result into run-offs, soil erosion and devastating floods, but will amount to wastage of the precious national resource. The point of emphasis is that the harvested water should not be taken out of the river basins at the cost of disturbing the underground water balance of the basins. Otherwise, not only the sustainability of agricultural production and agro-ecology of the basins will be affected adversely, it will initiate the process of desertification of the basin areas. Under this situation when water is excessively siphoned out of the basin region and power generated is also shared the same way, the social costs of production in the basin areas increase such that the state resources also get depleted. Another aspect of the problem is that with the construction of the Bhakra Nangal hydro-electric project, Punjab controlled monsoon floods with dhusi bandhs rather than managing the floods. Floods, no doubt, devastate, yet there is a positive side also, especially when a large part of the rainwater flows are harvested through dams and only a part of the flood water flows down stream. Properly managed floods recharge the groundwater aquifer and leave a fertile silt on the soils also. Canalising the excess water through embankments (dhusi bandhs) coupled with brick lining and cementing the canals and pumping of ground water through tubewells had a disastrous effect on groundwater resources of the state. If we could manage the floods rather than controlling the floods, the situation would not have perhaps gone as serious as it is today. Although much time has passed and a lot of water has flowed under the bridge, yet looking at the situation in retrospect, often I wonder whether it would have been better if the state had a nuclear power plant and managed the floods rather than having the Bhakra hydro-electric project that is draining the state dry! |
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Oxford to compete
with US rivals Oxford University is to cut the number of UK students it recruits and woo more young people from overseas to combat a financial crisis. The decision, announced in a Green Paper on its future published on Monday (Jan 24), will provoke an outcry from teachers’ leaders claiming that opportunities for British students will be restricted. The paper calls for a gradual reduction in undergraduate numbers over the next five years to help the university retain its world-class status. It says the move is essential to help Oxford recruit top-calibre staff by offering them conditions similar to those in Ivy League universities in the US. It comes as ministers are seeking a dramatic increase in the number of youngsters going on to higher education to meet Tony Blair’s target of getting 50 per cent of pupils into higher education by 2010. While reducing UK numbers, the university is seeking to increase the percentage of overseas students - who pay fees of up to £20,000 a year. Academics want the 7 or 8 per cent of undergraduates coming from overseas to be increased to between 12 and 15 per cent. The university has been losing £20m a year. Academics have pointed out that Oxford has a far higher proportion of undergraduates than any Ivy League university. Oxford has 11,000 undergraduates compared with an Ivy League average of around 7,500. Academic staff are also less well paid than at US universities and have a heavier teaching load - with the result that there are fears the university will not be able to compete for high-calibre staff if conditions do not improve. The Green Paper warned: “The competitiveness of Oxford in the longer term is contingent on much greater finan- cial security and autonomy.” John Hood, Oxford’s new vice-chancellor, told The Independent the university would go to the Government seeking an increase in the maximum top-up fee once the £3,000-a-year figure was up for renewal in 2010. “If we are to remain credible competitors in the world then we have to have a review which comes up with a credible fee - or we will be diminished.” The university is also hiring extra fundraising staff to boost contributions from alumni. Such contributions net between £70m and £80m compared with the £262m Harvard raises. Dr Hood said the university had to pave the way for a “change in culture” in the UK and persuade its former alumni they had a duty to ensure students benefited from the same standard of higher education they had received. Oxford also plans a modest increase in recruitment to more lucrative graduate courses - where around 40 per cent of the students are from overseas. On widening access
to students from poorer backgrounds, the Green Paper said the number of applications from state schools had increased by 33 per cent since 2000. However, the state’s share of the intake had only increased from 56 per cent to 57 per cent because of a similar increase in applications from private schools. The Green Paper is being put out to consultation at the university before final plans are drawn up this summer.
—By arrangement with The Independent, London
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