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A humane Army Planned
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No
kidding Schools are for studies, not answering calls THE Delhi Government has joined Gujarat and Karnataka in banning students from using mobile phones in schools. This is a move that will be welcomed by all right-thinking individuals who have reason to be concerned about the steady encroachment of this electronic device.
Weak national
security system
Many a slip
Sheer economics made Punjab accept refinery From
Pakistan
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A humane Army THE new Chief of Army Staff, General Joginder Jaswant Singh, has set his priorities right. He wants to give the anti-insurgency and anti-terrorist operations of the Army in the Northeast and Jammu and Kashmir a humane touch. With this end in view, he has taken two major decisions. Citations for bravery will no longer mention “kills” as the killed are not enemy soldiers but our own men who took up arms for the wrong reasons. Hereafter, unit citations will also depend on the feedback from the people of the area in which the unit is deployed. The purpose of both these decisions is clear: the General wants a change in the perception of the common people about the Army. In other words, he wants the Army to be a friend of the people, rather than an intruder in their lives. The General knows only too well that though the Army is trained to fight war, most of the time it is deployed to control situations caused by alienation as in the Northeast and J&K. The Army has to show considerable restraint while dealing with the situation as any excessive action on its part will only alienate the people further. It also has to be conscious of the fact that the enemies of the nation will exploit such excesses for propaganda purposes. To be fair to the Army, it is one of the most disciplined forces in the world. Yet, one cannot turn a blind eye to the charges of human rights violations heard from areas where armed forces are deployed. Most people do not make any distinction between one armed force and another. If any uniformed person takes the law into his own hands, it is the Army which gets the blame. The Army has a much better institutionalised corrective mechanism than any other force. While the civilians exposed by the Tehelka team have still not been touched by the law-enforcement agencies, the Army personnel involved in it were tried and punished by a court martial. And in a more recent case, a Major was found guilty of outraging the modesty of a minor girl in Kashmir and dismissed from service. Such prompt action will go a long way in refurbishing the image of the Army tarnished by incidents like the alleged rape of a woman in Manipur which nearly set the state aflame. More than a stop to such incidents, the General wants to take the Army closer to the hearts of the people, a mission in which he must succeed. |
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Planned mess Punjab’s
3,550 crore annual Plan — up from last year’s Rs 3,400 crore — was cleared on Tuesday. That was no news. Clearing state Plans, often hurriedly, is routine annual work for the Planning Commission. The news is: the state could not use 35 per cent of the annual Plan amount given last year. That is because the near-bankrupt administration could not raise matching grants to avail of Central funds. The Punjab team led by the Chief Minister pleaded for a structural adjustment loan from the World Bank. The Planning Commission turned down the plea because the state government had failed to achieve the fiscal targets set in the MoU inked with the Centre. If that is not enough proof of Punjab’s fiscal mismanagement, here is more. The state is trying hard for a Rs 600-crore World Bank loan to provide drinking water in villages. Almost 95 per cent of the villages don’t have potable water. Yet, it has failed to take advantage of the Swajal Dhara scheme under which the Centre provides 90 per cent of the project cost. In six of the seven districts where the scheme has been introduced, the results have been disastrous. Thanks to a sleepy administration, many panchayats do not even know that just by contributing 10 per cent of the project cost they can arrange safe drinking water for villagers. If funds are not diverted, the energy sector would get 31 per cent of the money sanctioned on Tuesday. That the government is nervously pursuing the unbundling of the Punjab State Electricity Board is known. Now it has started scuttling power reforms. The state regulatory commission had reduced the power tariffs last November. Last week the government doubled the electricity duty from 5 per cent, rendering the regulator’s decision ineffective. Experts all over now recommend a reduction in stamp duty to avoid duty evasion and lower assessment of property for sale/purchase. In Punjab the government, desperate for cash, has raised the stamp duty to 10 per cent. Punjab needs no annual Plans to push itself in a financial mess. Politicians are enough to show the path to ruin. |
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No kidding THE Delhi Government has joined Gujarat and Karnataka in banning students from using mobile phones in schools. This is a move that will be welcomed by all right-thinking individuals who have reason to be concerned about the steady encroachment of this electronic device. The decision of the government follows the infamous Multi Media Service (MMS) sex scandal in which two school-going students were allegedly involved. The scandal apart, there has been serious concern about cell phones disturbing students and worldwide, governments, mostly at the city and state level, have taken measures to stop their use in educational institutions, especially on school campuses. In Delhi, all the 1,250 government as well as 500 government-funded schools would have to ensure that students did not use mobile phones on the school campus during school hours. Around 1,300 public schools in the Capital are also expected to follow suit. The government’s decision comes even as many schools have already banned cell phone use. Teachers have also been asked to keep their mobile phones in staff rooms and not let them ring in classrooms. While camera phones pose their own danger, because of inherent capabilities of feeding the voyeuristic tendencies of users, even ordinary mobile phones are also intrusive. Cell phones have now become ubiquitous. New uses have been found for it and it has become indispensable for many. The users show scant regard for others when they answer calls or make them in public places. In the West, it is customary not to take calls if one is in a meeting or in a public place where the call is likely to be disturbing to others. This is a principle that should well be followed here, too. Like all new technologies, cell phones, too, have positive and negative aspects. The flip side to providing “anywhere anytime connectivity” is intrusion. For schoolchildren, cell phones are a distraction they should be able to do without. This ban in Delhi is bound to be welcomed by many, even as it crimps the style of some youngsters. |
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Blow, blow, thou winter wind, Thou art not so unkind As man’s ingratitude. — William Shakespeare |
Weak national security system It
took just three weeks and several rounds of consultations by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with security experts to confirm Mr M.K. Narayan as the National Security Adviser (NSA). The furious debate over the infirmities in the National Security Council (NSC) and the role of the NSA ended in a whimper, alas missing an opportunity to overhaul the national security system. Although the role and functions of the NSA have not been spelt out, presumably he will be the security adviser to the Prime Minister and not the NSC as originally envisaged. The person in the post of deputy to the NSA who, in fact, began as coordinator of the NSC Secretariat will also be changed shortly. Separate emissaries are being appointed for strategic dialogue with Pakistan and China, previously the domain of the NSA. If that was not enough, a foreign advisory council is expected to be established to assist the Prime Minister to animate foreign policy. So how will Mr Narayan, an intelligence security specialist, fit as the driver of India’s national security? It seems far from untying old knots, new ones are being created. We are appointing individuals without nurturing the existing institutions. We are trying to fit a US presidential national security apparatus to a parliamentary system which also suits the Prime Minister of the time.. It is a pity that 15 years after the NSC was first set up during the brief term of the VP Singh government, and subsequently buoyed by the Task Force established in 1998, the NSC that evolved can be best described as a “molehill out of a mountain”. It was a hotch-potch arrangement to suit a personalised system rather than for enhancing national security by coordinating defence, home and foreign policies as well as other ministries for optimising national security. Integration is most needed in the Indian security system where the foreign office not only drives but is also seen to be dictating national policy without adequately factoring defence, military diplomacy, internal stability and other state capacities of national power. The ruling Congress-led alliance in its manifesto had pledged to make the NSC “a professional and effective institution”. One hopes the emphasis will be on the institution and not on personalities as seems to be the trend. India has tried to imitate the American Presidential system where the NSA has no existence in law, is appointed by the President and is only accountable to him. A brief examination of the American NSC and its antlers is instructive. Lessons of World War II necessitated unification of the military establishment and creating a new architecture for national security. By the National Security Act of 1947, the NSC with its staff was established as a mechanism for integrating defence and foreign policy. The NSC system had two
missions: produce long-range policy papers; and give policy advice for responding to crises. Chaired by the President, its members were the Vice-President and Secretaries of State and Defence. The Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Director, CIA, were statutory advisers. The NSC staff was meant to invent options for the President. Initially, President Truman used the NSC as a channel for collective advice and information but after the Korean War, its stature and legitimacy increased. For example, between July 26, 1947, and end 1948 there were 30 meetings of the NSC, 79 papers were considered and 166 actions recorded. The NSC staff produced policy papers that dealt with covert operations world-wide, utilisation of atomic weapons in national security, policy for Japan, how to prevent the Communists from coming to power in Italy, and so on. The NSC staff and the NSA are known as “Keepers of the Keys”. Over time, the NSC has evolved and meets regularly and frequently. India’s NSC has met once, perhaps twice. The NSA so far had been a career diplomat and functioned without any direction from the NSC or the appropriate NSC staff and has indulged in strategic talks with selected countries, including China and Pakistan, with a bias to foreign policy. Since the NSC is virtually non-existent, the NSA by default has become adviser to the Prime Minister whereas the Cabinet Secretariat resolution of April 16, 1996, had prescribed that he would be adviser to the NSC. The resolution tasks the NSC with engaging in futuristic studies like threats to external and internal security, energy security, utilisation of atomic weapons, space, intelligence coordination and so on. The canvas is so vast and unmanageable that it requires to be revisited. It was not intended to deal with, as in the case of the US NSC, crisis contingencies and create options. During Kargil and Operation Parakram, the NSAB did present ad hoc recommendations to the NSA. Look at the support system. The Joint Intelligence Committee was bifurcated and boosted to create the NSC staff which has proved grossly inadequate for the tasks enumerated in the Cabinet resolution. The NSAB is a creature of the NSC system staffed by experts and invariably led by a retired foreign office buff. Its members are changed so frequently that they don’t know whether they are coming or going. In sum and substance, the NSC system in its present configuration is warped and requires to be revised. An NSA has become paramount since he is in the chain of command of the Nuclear National Command Authority, created in January 2003. That, for the time being, is the principle criterion for his existence. India had set out to establish a national security mechanism that suited its environment and political and bureaucratic culture. Two decades earlier, the Defence Planning Staff was created. Three years ago, it was turned into the Integrated Defence Staff but curiously left headless in the absence of the Chief of Defence Staff. What the NSA is to the NSC, in many ways the CDS is to the IDS. The higher defence organisation too requires to be unified, rationalised and matched to the national security system. The Ministry of Defence and the Services have not been integrated. The outgoing Army Chief Gen NC Vij, took over as Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee, on January 1 this year but has already handed over charge to the Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Arun Prakash, within 25 days, so ludicrous is the rotating Chairman, Chiefs of Staff, system instead of the CDS. The Prime Minister will do a great service to the country by reinventing the NSC and giving it a dedicated support staff matching its missions. The NSA, whose wings have been clipped, must take the cue from the NSC as well as the Prime Minister and focus on national security by meshing internal and external threats with non-traditional areas of security. Neglected so far, military diplomacy has also to be exploited. Fortunately, the new NSA is hardly likely to eclipse or rival the Foreign, Home and Defence Ministers, but hopefully complement them unless the Prime Minister has other
ideas. |
Many a slip
Elections come and go, but the memory of a few lingers on. It was the summer of 1990 and the second phase of the Lok Sabha poll was conducted after the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi. The Congress appeared to be all set to return to power though the big question remained as to who will take over at the helm. Hectic parleys were on and many names were being bandied about. The party, it seemed, wanted a veteran who could satisfy the requirements of all the groups and yet be tall enough to lead the country after a scion of the Gandhi-Nehru family had been tragically felled. A night before the results were to be announced, I went to meet Mr Narain Dutt Tiwari. He was in fine spirits as a consensus was emerging around his name. He took me to his ante room so that we could have a quiet chat. However, all hopes of a conversation were killed by the continuous and shrill ringing of the telephone. There was hardly a national leader who did not call him up that evening to assure him full support. And, with each call, Tiwariji, as he was fondly called, grew more and more exuberant. The crowning was only a day away. Next day late afternoon, I went to see him again. His kothi was overflowing with supporters and the second line of the popular slogan “desh ka neta kaisa ho” had been modified from Rajiv Gandhi to Narain Dutt Tiwari. Hundreds of packets of sweets were lying on tables placed on the lawns and in the verandahs. It took me half an hour to cut my way through the thick crowd and reach Tiwariji’s door. There too, a heavy rush of supporters made it virtually impossible to open the door. Fortunately, Tiwariji’s PA spotted me and took me inside from a khufiya (his words, not mine) entrance. Tiwariji was all alone in the room watching the results being announced on television. He himself expected to win handsomely from the Haldwani seat. As he greeted me, he casually told his PA to ring up the District Magistrate, Naini Tal, and get the final poll figures from him. The words were scarcely out of his mouth when the TV presenter announced that Tiwariji had won his seat. A huge cheer went up. Surcharged supporters broke down the main door and rushed inside the house. Tiwariji was carried on their shoulders to the lawn outside. The bhaiyas of UP suddenly broke into an energetic bhangra. At long last, and after fervent appeals, Tiwariji was taken off the shoulders. He was to make a speech. The PA rushed to him and whispered something before he could begin. The veteran leader turned around and dashed into the house, his face ashen. Word quickly spread that the TV announcement was wrong. Tiwariji had lost the seat. In a moment, the crowd vanished. Tiwariji was in his ante room and an attendant poured him a cup of tea. As he lifted the cup, his hand shook and the hint of a tear appeared in his eyes. He raised the cup to his lips, managed a smile and said, “Many a slip between the cup and the lip, Bhatnagarji.” It was sad but vividly true.
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Sheer economics made Punjab accept refinery
I REGRET to read your editorial, “Nod to refinery: delay, hesitation were ill
advised” (The Tribune, February 2). The editorial is apparently based on inadequate information and ill-informed statements. The decision to set up a grassroots refinery at Bathinda by HPCL was taken in 1996. The installed capacity of the refinery is 9 million tonnes per annum with an estimated investment of Rs 9806 crore. The state government decided to offer a special package of incentives to facilitate this project on July 15, 1998. These incentives included sales tax deferment for 15 years, exemption from octroi for a period of 10 years and exemption from payment of electricity duty on power generated for self-consumption by the refinery. Although these incentives were offered by the previous government, no “Deed of Assurance” was finalised till February 2002 when the present government took over. Our government decided to re-examine the economic viability of this project. We found that though the state government could afford to forego additional revenue which would have accrued to it by way of octroi and electricity duty payable by the refinery, but the proposed sales tax deferment would have an extremely deleterious effect on the state’s economy. It was estimated that not only the state would lose an anticipated revenue of Rs 600-800 crore per annum by way of sales tax but it would also lose, some if not all, of its existing sales tax revenue of Rs 800 crore per annum on petroleum products. The total sales tax incentive comes to Rs 12,000 crore in 15 years. You would well appreciate that sales tax incentives enable a manufacturer to capture the market by selling his products at a cheaper rate, much at the cost of the existing manufacturers. This has been amply proved by the economic analysis of past exemption allowed by the state governments. In Punjab, we have allowed sales tax exemption over Rs 14,000 crore to about 4400 industrial units. These exemptions have had an adverse impact on the existing local investments in trade and industry. In fact, as a result of this realisation by the state governments, the Empowered Committee of the State Finance Ministers constituted at the national level by the Ministry of Finance, Government of India, had decided to ban sales tax incentives in the year 2000. In the revised package of incentives, the incentives allowed to the refinery by way of exemption from payment of octroi and electricity duty have not been affected because these do not, in any way, impinge upon the existing revenue and are merely based on future estimated accruals. However, the sales tax incentives have been disallowed. Instead, the state government has agreed to allow an interest-free loan of Rs 250 crore per annum for a period of five years. The loan would be serviced by us and the refinery would repay the principal amount in due course. The interest and service cost of this loan to be borne by the state government is estimated as Rs 100 crore per annum. The total burden on the state government would, therefore, be Rs 500 crore as against the estimated burden of earlier incentives of Rs 12,000 crore, without including the loss of existing sales revenue. The savings of Rs 11, 500 crore to the state, without disturbing the economic viability of the project or its location, is no mean achievement of the state government. It was not politics but economics which forced the state government to secure this project for the benefit of the people of Punjab. On the contrary, it would have been extremely discriminatory and deleterious for the state’s economy to implement the project as such. The re-defining of terms and conditions of the project also has another logic because the Panipat and Mathura refineries were set up by HPCL without any such major concessions. You would appreciate that costs do not rise that much if we travel from Panipat to Bathinda and the economic viability of the project at Bathinda should be better than that at Panipat because the cost of living and the land is relatively cheaper at Bathinda. The above facts clearly indicate that hard negotiations and economic analysis of the state have prevailed over the political rhetoric and ill-informed statements. |
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From Pakistan ISLAMABAD: Sindh province on Tuesday demanded seven million acre feet (maf) extra water per year before the construction of new multipurpose water dams in the country, sources told The Nation here. “Sindh members, including Sardar Ahmed Mughal, conveyed that the province be allowed withdrawal of seven maf more water as it is being given this shortage since the 1991 Water Accord,” the sources privy to the first-day meeting of the Technical Committee on Water Resources said. Mr Ahmed Mughal also asked the committee that the multipurpose dams could be constructed if the water was available after meeting the irrigation requirements and Sindh province was provided seven maf more water than what it was receiving currently.
— The Nation
Land for generals
questioned
LAHORE: The Lahore High Court has been told by the JAG Department of the GHQ that the allotment of land to Army generals and other officers has been made in accordance with rule and policy under the prescribed procedure and in a lawful course on merit. The petition was filed by advocate
M.D. Tahir some two years ago raising the question of allotment of public land to Army generals and the other officers allegedly at a far below price than the market rate. The petitioner, taking the lead from certain published reports, felt particularly perturbed by the alleged large-scale allotment of public land in Cholistan and Bahawalpur to Army officers. The bench of Justice Syed Zahid Hussain had earlier called for the report and comments on the petition from the respondents, including the GHQ and the Board of Revenue, Punjab.
— The Nation
Commandos on trains
LAHORE: The Pakistan Railways has decided to deploy commandos on trains, especially in the troubled areas of Sindh and Balochistan, where miscreants tried to blow up tracks last week. The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by the Inspector-General, Pakistan Railways Police, Mr Ahmad Nasim. The meeting also decided that the maximum staff should be deputed for the protection of vital installations and key points in running trains. All the district police heads of the Pakistan Railways Police have been directed to patrol the track round the clock. The Pakistan Railways have been running pilot engines ahead of the main trains in the affected areas, while joint trolley patrolling is also being conducted to avert any untoward incident.
— The News
Plight of women
highlighted
LAHORE: Among various things this country can boast of, violation of human rights has to fall side by side poverty and illiteracy. That is not to say that the law and order situation is satisfactory or the political atmosphere healthy. In every international report Pakistan holds a proud place as a country rated worst in most categories. Whether it is Amnesty International, the Human Rights Watch or the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, with every passing year Pakistan never seems to cross the red margin in their annual reports.
— The Dawn |
Similarly attachment must be given to pursuits. — Guru Nanak All good and beautiful things in life are born of God. The best of every form of life is his manifestation. His glory shines through all that is wonderful. Remember this when you see anything beautiful, anything that makes you pause in wonder. — The Bhagvad Gita When the King announces the swayamvara of his daughter, may come to vie for her hand. Many more come to see the fun. And a few come to incite passions and cause trouble. They are more dangerous than all the rest. — The Mahabharata When the potter moulds clay, he gives it a shape and identity. Our desires and subsequent actions give our lives their unique shapes and identities. — The Bhagvad Gita Pride must be turned into self-reverence, which checks a man from dong mean and ignoble acts. — Guru Nanak  |
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