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Politics of bluster Served them right, Pooja! |
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India’s urban slums Lessons to learn from Mumbai experience Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh's demolition drive in Mumbai brings to the fore the problem of India's urban slums as a whole.
Muddle in Nepal
I don’t want to talk about myself…
Left support for UPA govt to continue UN official lands in sex scandal
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Politics of bluster As if precipitating a confrontation with the Election Commission of India was not bad enough, Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala has now gone to the extent of tarring it with serious allegations of corruption and partisanship. He has imputed political motives to its actions, saying the Election Commission has been converted into a Congress office, and has accused its observers of trying to wangle plots from his discretionary quota. Such mudslinging would have been shocking even if he were just an ordinary citizen. Since he happens to be the responsible Chief Minister of a State, the outburst is all the more unfortunate. This kind of language doesn't behove a Chief Minister. Believing for argument's sake that there is substance in his allegations, did he ever lodge a complaint with the Election Commission that its men were hunting for a plot of land? And does he realise that Mr M.S.Gill who got elected to the Rajya Sabha with the help of the Congress was not appointed Chief Election Commissioner by the Congress? Through such bluster, Mr Chautala is not only insulting a constitutional authority but also the high office that he himself holds. The public will be disillusioned at the turn of events, whether it believes him or not. Similar tactics have been employed earlier by men like Mr Laloo Prasad Yadav with disastrous effects. One just hopes that the contagion will not spread, because it makes an unseemly sight for the people who are likely to believe the Election Commission than a Chief Minister. The more noises he makes, the more he strengthens the impression that this is the frustration of a man who cannot stomach his bitter political desserts gamely. The "I told you so" attitude should have vanished after the High Court stayed its own order on appointments. Even the fact that his officers are no longer with him does not wake him up. On the contrary, he is so convinced of his sense of hurt that he is making a virtue of his audacious statements. Now that the Election Commission has shifted the counting of votes from February 27 to February 23, he can simply exercise some restraint and wait for a victory or a defeat at the hustings. |
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Served them right, Pooja! POOJA of Charkhi Dadri in Bhiwani district has set a noble example. Her problem arose when the groom's party reached her home for the wedding. Many of them were drunk and behaving in a drunken manner. More shockingly, they were demanding more and more as dowry. By then she and the groom had taken the traditional rounds of the holy fire. In other words, they had become man and wife. That could have been the beginning of yet another dowry death. It was at that point that Pooja decided to walk out of the marriage. What firmed up her decision was the conduct of the groom who, instead of controlling the situation, remained a mute spectator of the drunken behaviour of the people who accompanied him. Better late than never, her parents solidly stood by her when she asked the bridegroom and his relations to get lost. Given the social conditions in Haryana or, for that matter, anywhere in India, it is not an easy thing for a girl in Pooja's condition to do what she did. Equally important, it is rare for parents to support such a daughter. Take Pooja's own case. She is the eldest of five sisters and one brother. Every parent would like their daughters to be married off as early as possible because an unmarried daughter is considered a burden. Pooja's parents must have spent a lot of money on her marriage. As the story goes, the local people were able to forcefully take back the gifts given to the "baraatis". But what about the money spent? It is also not clear whether a case has been registered against the groom and his parents for demanding dowry which is a cognisable offence. The enactment of the anti-dowry law has not made a dent on the practice of giving and demanding dowry. Far from that, the practice has been gaining strength with newer and newer communities also taking to it in a big way and more consumer goods landing in the show windows. If anything this shows that the evil cannot be fought by legal means alone. More and more Poojas should come forward to spurn marriage offers that come with dowry demands as attachments. Significantly, Pooja's relations and well-wishers have appreciated her bold decision and stood by her in her hour of crisis. This is the right way to fight this social evil. |
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India’s urban slums Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh's demolition drive in Mumbai brings to the fore the problem of India's urban slums as a whole. The demolitions in Mumbai in the past few weeks have acquired serious political overtones with the Nationalist Congress Party having distanced itself from the drive for obvious reasons. Congress President Sonia Gandhi has advised Mr Deshmukh to tread with caution. Accordingly, he has announced on Thursday that slums which came up in Mumbai before the cut-off date of 2000 would not be razed but those which have mushroomed in the past five years will be removed. He may have to walk on a tightrope. However, any slackening of the drive would adversely affect his ambitious $ 6-billion infrastructure plan "to turn Mumbai into Shanghai" with better roads, public transport and more green spaces. More than half of Mumbai's 17 million population lives in slums, most of which lack basic amenities. The slum dwellers are mostly the poor rural migrants seeking work. But this is the case with every other city — New Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore or Chandigarh. As slums come up in the cities because of the lack of adequate employment opportunities in the villages, the state governments will have to pay adequate attention to this if they are committed to tackling the problem in the cities. Slums should be viewed as a socio-economic problem. The authorities need to evolve effective strategies to rehabilitate slum dwellers elsewhere if they are coming in the way of development in the city limits. If past efforts to check their growth have failed in most cities, it is mainly because of the political parties' use of slums as vote banks. Electoral considerations apart, there is a general impression that slum dwellers do contribute to the city's economy by providing cheap labour. If it is true, don't they deserve a suitable place to live in? Obviously, it is the government's duty to provide them low-cost housing in the city outskirts with basic amenities. Surely, in a welfare state, the government is expected to do this much at least, instead of abdicating its responsibility and bulldozing the slums in the name of development and beautification. |
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That which does not kill me makes me stronger. — Friedrich Nietzsche |
Muddle in Nepal
India has seven neighbours, including Nepal. Our relationship with each one of them is based on a different set of historical, geographical and cultural factors. But a generally shared perspective of history and a substantially common culture especially binds only Nepal and Sri Lanka to us. Between the two, geography binds Nepal closer to India while the Palk Straits ensures some distance with Sri Lanka. India has a 1747-km long border with Nepal and it is a unique international border in that people of both countries can cross it freely without the sanction or permission of either state. Even more uniquely the Nepal India Treaty of 1950 allows the nationals of one country to have the same privileges in the matter of residence, ownership of property, participation in trade, commerce and employment in the other country. In short, short of voting or contesting in elections, a Nepali has the rights and privileges as an India citizen. While there are many Indians living in Nepal, a much larger number of Nepalis live in India. Researchers in Columbia University estimated in 1994 that as many as six million Nepalis live in India. Now it is believed to be almost double that. According to a 1996 study by the Summer Institute of Linguistics, USA, there are 9.9 million Nepali speakers in Nepal compared to 6.0 million in India. A UNHCR sponsored study of internal displacement of population as a consequence of the “Maoist” insurgency, states that since January 2003 the number of Nepalis entering India has been over 2000 persons a day. So whatever the Nepal King and the India-baiting Nepali upper class might have to say, what happens in Nepal is very much our business. The King and his so-called aristocracy cannot hide behind the fig leaf of “non-interference” while they go about oppressing the common people of Nepal. It is not just all right to meddle in Nepal; it is our duty to do so. Understandably, even when there is no confusion in our minds, and God knows South Block is quite confused even at best of times, the difficulty in choosing between policy options, even when there are not many, is directly proportional to the political cost of failure. As any card player will tell you, the stakes involved determine choice. The King by going ahead with the coup despite our expressed reservations is forcing us to call or raise the stakes. We have to choose between one of three mutually inimical parties. Neither of them is a particularly good option. Lets take them one by one. Supporting the King is the most undesirable option available. Most Nepalis don’t trust him after the murder of King Birendra and his family though the findings of the Commission of Enquiry headed by the Chief Justice of Nepal has laid the blame on an allegedly drug and love crazed Crown Prince Dipendra. Within India, in North Block, there is much information available about the “business” activities of Gyanendra. It would suffice to say that several of his Indian business associates are quite dubious, to say the least. The US might keep supporting the Saudi monarchy because of its business and economic compulsions, but we are not burdened with such considerations as far as Nepal is concerned. True, our democracy is now mostly a competition between political dynasties, but nevertheless it is very different from rule by a single dynasty without any popular sanction. It is, therefore, quite ironical that only the BJP, given that it is one of the few political parties not burdened by a dynasty and with a definite view on it, supports the King of Nepal. To the Hindu traditionalist and fundamentalist, the King of Nepal, is the living Hindu Samrat, and hence his place and person is sacred. This, of course, is nonsense. Now we have to see if we can support the so-called Maoists. I use the prefix “so-called” quite deliberately as many experts are of the opinion that the CPN (M) is really an extreme nationalist group like the Sri Lankan Janatha Vimukhti Perumuna (JVP). Since the North Korea supported uprising of April 1971 was crushed, with Indian assistance, the JVP has chosen to enter mainstream politics. Though its leader Somawansa Amarasinghe lives abroad, the JVP has contested elections at the regional and national levels. In 1994 it fielded Nihal Galappthhi for the Sri Lankan presidency and in the April 2004 elections it won 39 seats to the Sri Lankan parliament and is now a partner in Colombo’s UPFA government. That in itself suggests a policy option for us. Besides, the option of supporting the Nepalese insurgents does not arise, as otherwise we should be supporting our very own so-called Maoists who sustain the group in Nepal. This leaves us just with a motley bunch of broad-based political parties and crooked politicians to support. That is the only democratic alternative in Nepal, as it is in India. Democracy comes with a heavy baggage of deadweight and much as we would like to be without it we have little choice but to live with it. That is the price we pay for all the freedom’s we enjoy. And hence the only viable long-term strategy for a better and more just future is the process of gradual reform. So what do we do next? First, we must tell the King that we do not support him and the Royal Nepal Army while they trample democracy in Nepal with their jackboots. This means withdrawing all assistance to the RNA and putting a tight control of all material entering Nepal. The Nepal establishment has played the China card for far too long and we should leave them the option of getting their supplies from Tibet. We have some options in making the Chinese see some light and consider our feelings, and make it clear that we would not hesitate to use them. I don’t see much future for a Communist China supported King in Nepal! What would the world’s last Communists living in Nepal and India then have to say about them? The first priority is to get rid of Gyanendra and gang. A reformist regime and military force can then force the CPN (M) into the mainstream. In April 1951 Ernest Bevin wrote in The Spectator that “my foreign policy is to be able to take a ticket at Victoria Station and go anywhere I damn well please.” How one wishes that Manmohan Singh and Natwar Singh would say that our foreign policy, for now at least, would be for us to be able to take a bus from Delhi’s ISBT and go anywhere in Nepal that we please. Dacca and Karachi can come
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I don’t want to talk about myself…
I
don’t want to talk about myself,” the well-known actress said firmly as we settled ourselves in her drawing room. “I hate attracting attention to myself. Some people say that I am naturally shy. May be, even hyper shy, if there is a word like that.” I smiled at her as kindly as I could and nodded gravely. “I understand. Perhaps, we can talk about your work?” “No,” she said with added firmness. “That would be drawing attention to me again because my work is related to what I am.” “Ok,” I replied a trifle irritated at the prospect of doing an interview with the interviewee all closed up. “May be we can talk about the weather?” “Yes, that’s neutral enough.” “Nice weather,” I said tentatively. “Oh, I just love it. This is the time of the year when it is neither too cold nor a bit warm. It gives me goose pimples all over. When I was a child, my mother used to dress me up in a mustard coloured frock and I used to love to go outdoors. Many of our neighbours used to be so jealous of me. I was very pretty, you know.” “You are still very pretty,” I said with a mischievous smile. “Pretty, in a sensual sort of way.” “Yes, I am a very sensual person. You see, I never talk about myself, but the fact is that I am a passionate person. Whether it is my work or my relationships, I give everything my 100 per cent. There was this person who used to be in college with me and he used to say that I am very possessive about him. He used to constantly worry that my complete possession of him may stifle the relationship. And, I must say sadly, this is what happened,” she shrugged sadly. “The other day,” she said taking off again, “There was this call to my parents that since I am now so famous they should marry me off. There have been a couple of proposals too after my picture appeared in the paper,” she giggled. “I also like this type of weather. It makes me more productive,” I interjected softly. “Oh don’t even say it. I love working this time of the year. You know, I was born and brought up in a city close to the hills and thereafter we shifted…..” I heard intently what all she had done in the last 20 years. “Now, what is your next project?” I asked. “I don’t want to draw the spotlight on me. But, I am as excited by my next one as I was with the first one. I thought of it one night and was so moved by my thought that I got up and started doing it. It is my idea to show….” I assimilated all the information that was flowing like water from a cataract. I intervened again after half hour with the next question. “How do you define yourself?” “Look, I told you at the every beginning that I don’t want to talk about myself and here you go again!” “Sorry,” I said meekly. “But there are artists and artists. I am different. I will tell you how….” After another two hours, I thanked her and bid goodbye. The interview appeared the next day and with the first hint of sunlight came the call. “I am furious with you. The whole interview is all about I, me, myself. This is not fair. Didn’t I tell you I didn’t want to speak about myself?” I smiled. What to do, man! Some people are so hard to
please.
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Left support for UPA govt to continue
Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, who has been acknowledged as the country’s best Chief Minister by the Prime Minister and two corporate barons — Azim Premji and Ratan Tata — spoke to The Tribune on the country’s political situation vis-a-vis the CPI(M)’s role and other related matters. The following are excerpts from the interview: Q: How do you feel being acknowledged the country’s best Chief Minister? Chief Minister: I felt embarrassed and shy. It was beyond any expectation, such praise... that too in my presence ! Q: What about the corporate bosses’ certificate? Well, I would have been much glad if they had guided me in the right directions and helped in the state’s speedy industrial growth for solving the present acute unemployment problem. We the Marxists, do not much bother about the recognition and certificates of businessmen, we mean business and would always try to do good to the people. We would welcome all help and co-operation from every corner — the Centre, corporate houses, different political parties and the people in general… what would we do with certificates ? Q: You have one year more before going for elections. Have you made any self-assessment of your performance? Yes, there have been some successes and also failures. In agriculture we have achieved tremendous success. In basic and primary education, rural development activities, agro-industries, power sector, IT, high-tech and software management, we are making much headway. Still our achievements are almost nothing compared to the needs. We have failed to solve the unemployment problem. We could not provide the best health care facilities to the people, particularly, in villages. Yes, I do admit our failures are there in many fields but then we could not be held entirely responsible… We have been working under extreme limitations. The governments at the Centre have been also pursuing wrong policies which put us in a tight spot. Now we hope we will have a better deal under the UPA government and things will shape up in the right way. Q: What is your party’s actual stand with regards to your support to the UPA government. Well, I can tell you there has been a decision at the party’s highest level for continuing our support to the UPA government. You should understand it has been our political compulsion. After all, we can’t allow the BJP to return to power. We hope the Congress leadership would follow right policies and act on the basis of the Common Minimum Programme and ensure that the CPI(M) and other left parties do not need to go in for any unfortunate steps. Q: The Marxists have been criticised for hobnobbing with the Congress your enemy all through since Independence. Yes, I do feel hurt, but then there has been some misunderstanding somewhere. We are not sacrificing our party interests and ideology in any way. We are not compromising on any vital issues affecting the people’s interest. In the prevailing political situation, we have no other option. We are supporting the Congress strictly on the basis of the CMP. Q: What about the Third forum, Do you think it will materialise? We are working in that direction. After all, the Congress cannot be our permanent ally. Like the BJP, the Congress has been anti-people and serving the interests of the rich. We have to find out a third alternative with the country’s secular and democratic forces. Q: Is it true that Mr Jyoti Basu and Mr Surjeet were willing to join the UPA government, but you and others had opposed this? Yes, it’s true. We have opposed and I myself did not endorse the decision and I think that was the right decision we had taken. Well, joining the government with a Prime Minister from our party is one thing and participating in the Congress led government is a different matter altogether, which will never happen. Q: Are you sure you will not have to regret for taking such a decision? No, I’m confident such a question will not arise. Q: What will be the position of Jyoti Basu and Surjeet after the next party congress in April ? Will they remain in the Politburo and the Central Committee? Well, the party will take the decision. But left to me, I would certainly want both of them in their places if, of course, they themselves want otherwise. After all, their experience, advice and guidance will be of tremendous help to us. But I can tell you this time there will be several new and young faces in the Politburo and the Central Committee. Q: How are your relations with your partners in the Left Front government? Their leaders often complain about your high-handedness, big-brotherly attitude. Do they say like this? Very unfortunate. I tell you I have best of relations with their leaders-Asokeda (Asoke Ghosh of Forward), Kshiti (Kshiti Goswami of RSP) and other leaders, have no problems with anybody. Yes, sometimes they make complaints, but not actually against me as such, but about the shortage of funds, their quarrels with our comrades in the districts and so forth... But these can be easily sorted out across the table and we often do that sometimes they go to the media and create problems for all of us. These we do not want.
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UN official lands in sex scandal Ruud Lubbers, the UN’s high commissioner for refugees, has been found guilty of misconduct involving sexual harassment by an official investigation carried out by the UN’s watchdog. The secret document has never before been released. Kofi Annan, UN Secretary-General, took internal and external legal advice after studying the 15-page report on the allegations, before deciding he was unable to take action against Mr Lubbers. Instead, he issued him with a strong warning about his conduct. As high commissioner, Mr Lubbers, 65, formerly the longest serving Dutch Prime Minister, is responsible for marshalling the aid effort for the world’s 17 million refugees. The investigation — carried out by the UN’s office for internal oversight services (OIOS) — began after a complaint of sexual harassment by a female employee at the refugee agency. She alleged Mr Lubbers placed his hands on her waist, pulled her back towards him and pressed his groin into her at the end of a meeting with male colleagues in Geneva on December 18, 2003. In its note to the Secretary-General, the report says: “Mr Lubbers did engage in unwanted physical contact with a subordinate female staff member. New allegations that came to the OIOS’s attention during the investigation were also examined and indicate a pattern of sexual harassment by Mr Lubbers.” It continues: “OIOS is also of the view that Mr Lubbers abused his authority as high commissioner by his intense, pervasive and intimidating attempts to influence the outcome of this investigation.” As part of their inquiry, the investigators, led by Dileep Niar, the under-secretary general for internal oversight services, learnt of several other instances of alleged sexual misconduct. Four women subsequently agreed to be questioned on condition of anonymity, saying they were afraid of “retaliation and public humiliation”. They declined to make official complaints. Woman A told the OIOS she was invited to Mr Lubbers’ home with others to discuss work. She said, instead, she was alone with him, and he wanted to discuss only personal matters while sitting close to her and touching her in a sexual way. She left quickly because she felt he was trying to go further and she became afraid. Woman B described an incident at a UNHCR function at which Mr Lubbers grabbed and embraced her, pulling her body against his. She was shocked and embarrassed, and pushed him away. Woman C said Mr Lubbers had attempted to grope her. She had pushed him back, and threatened to slap him if he attempted to do the same again. Woman D said Mr Lubbers twice made unwelcome advances and asked her to come to his hotel. She said Mr Lubbers told her he was “feeling lonely”. The revelations come at a time when the UN is under fire on many fronts ranging from the oil-for-food scandal in Iraq to sexual exploitation by peacekeepers of the very people who they were sent to protect in the Congo. A right-wing campaign in the US also threatens it. The Independent gave Mr Lubbers 24 hours to respond to a series of questions arising out of our investigations. In a statement on Thursday night, Mr Lubbers said the OIOS report was confidential, and that it should have remained so. He said: “First, the complaint of alleged sexual harassment filed with the OIOS could not be substantiated. Neither of the two witnesses who were present in the room at the time of the alleged incident reported seeing sexual harassment.” — By arrangement with The Independent, London. |
When a young warrior accomplishes what other renowned warriors could not, the latter do not want to honour his rank or have mercy on his age. They wish to trample him underfoot as they would demolish the memory of an ignominious defeat. — The Mahabharata A true Brahmin should be the very image of humility and not be proud of his knowledge or wisdom. — Mahatma Gandhi There is no disease more ravaging than hunger. The wise man knows this and so does not starve himself in the name of penance. — The Buddha  |
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