The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

PERSPECTIVE

Tasks before Hooda govt: A blueprint for progress
by Raj Kumar Siwach

THE Haryana Assembly election results demonstrate the maturity and wisdom of the electorate. Though the outcome is being interpreted by psephologists as a vote against the Om Prakash Chautala government due to anti-incumbency, in real sense, it is the inherent crisis of governance at all levels — from the cutting edge to the highest echelons of government. Against this backdrop, periodic elections are no permanent solution but a Hobson’s choice before the voters and, consequently, an instrument in their hands to cure the chronic ailments of the system.

Undoubtedly, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, the new Chief Minister, has a clean image. His honesty, integrity and long experience in state politics will help him understand the people’s concerns and expectations better. He has already set his priorities right. Making Haryana free from corruption and fear is one. Not surprisingly, the foremost challenge before his government is to tackle corruption at various levels.

Even though corruption has assumed alarming proportions, no officer has ever been brought to book so far. The state has been without a Lokayukta ever since the then Chief Minister, Mr Chautala, peremptorily removed Justice I.P. Vashisht from the post. As charges of corruption, maladministration and grievances against public servants are on the rise, the Hooda government should re-appoint the Lokayukta. In fact, on February 25, 2005, the Punjab and Haryana High Court directed the Haryana government to appoint Lokayukta within six months.

The Lokayukta will act as a watchdog with powers of suo motu investigation and prosecution. Adequate safeguards are also necessary for protecting upright and honest officers and discouraging frivolous complaints. The State Assembly should also pass the Right to Information Act for empowerment of citizens and making the administration open and transparent.

Unemployment is another major problem. The normal agencies of recruitment like the Haryana Public Service Commission have become dens of corruption and thus lost credibility. The patronised and paid recruitment system has given place to spoils system. This is an anathema to democracy, equality and rule of law.

Haryana’s competent and meritorious youth expect credible, honest, open and fair examinations and interviews for the posts of Haryana Civil Service, doctors, engineers, police inspectors, teachers and so on.

The financial health of the state is bad due to the mounting wage bill and the burden of pensions, especially after the implementation of the Fifth Pay Commission Report. The huge funds deployed on various boards and corporations and the interest disbursed for borrowings have exacerbated the problem. In this context, the Reserve Bank of India has rightly expressed concern over the worsening finances of the state for sluggish non-tax revenues, lower non-development spending and inadequate allocation for health, education and infrastructure.

In the recent past, though the government has taken initiatives to cut expenditure by rationalising subsidies, rightsizing and retrenching employees of some departments, it could not help improve the situation. The Hooda government needs to evolve long-term strategies to generate sufficient revenue surplus and prudential debt management consistent with fiscal sustainability through limiting borrowings and deficits. For this purpose, a special cell in the Ministry of Finance or Expenditure Reforms Commission could be set up to ensure fiscal responsibility, economy and efficiency in the financial management of the state.

Education is another area crying for attention. This sector has become a victim of political patronage, arbitrary transfers, lapses in releasing grants and vacancies of lecturers in the private aided colleges. The performance of faculties of universities in terms of classroom regularity, quality, research publications and innovations in the teaching and learning process is cause for concern.

Similarly, school education is rocked by absenteeism, dropouts, inverse teacher-student ratio, haphazard growth of private teaching shops, organised mass copying, lax supervision and selective incentives by the Education Department. The education system is at the crossroads. The students who pass out from the colleges and universities become square pegs in round holes in today’s age of competitive global order. Education deserves a pragmatic policy and comprehensive reforms based on the stakeholders’ needs.

Haryana’s panchayats have failed to deliver — be it in providing sanitation, safe drinking water, literacy, social justice or economic development. The executive decree issued in 2000 for organising Village Development Committees (VDCs) to undertake development works in rural areas, decentralised planning and any earmarked scheme was withdrawn by the Chautala government after the ruling party received a drubbing in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections. This initiative, like Janambhoomi of Andhra Pradesh and District Governments of Madhya Pradesh, was toppled by Haryana’s corrupt and feudal lords.

Worse, Khap panchayats have emerged as parallel institutions, encroaching upon the authority and credibility of the panchayats. These have become instruments of horror and terror, passing Taliban-type fatwas excommunicating and lynching couples. They act as kangaroo courts and de facto police, questioning the rule of law. The Hooda government should try to harness the professional capacities of the panchayats strategically, not by dividing more funds but by evolving and sustaining the principles of social capital and strong associational bonds between communities, women, SCs and STs.

Haryana’s sex ratio, particularly in Kurukshetra, Sonepat and Ambala districts, is appalling. Female foeticide has become the biggest menace. If prompt measures are not taken to tackle this menace, law and order would be in peril. The unemployed and unmarried youth are reeling under stress and strain.

They should be suitably employed so that they do not fall prey to gangsters and criminal mafias. A vigorous campaign through information, communication, education and awareness involving religious preachers, NGOs and community reformers is overdue.

There is a big gap between developmental needs and goals achieved due to systemic drawbacks. There are also roadblocks. It remains to be seen how the Hooda government would be able to keep manipulators, middlemen, favour seekers and others at bay and hasten development. The new Chief Minister should shun sycophants and hangers on and help hapless citizens deprived of the benefits and services of the government.

The writer is Lecturer, Department of Public Administration, Chaudhary Devi Lal University, Sirsa, Haryana

On Record
Crop diversification need of the hour, says Samra
by Sarbjit Dhaliwal

Dr J.S. Samra

Dr J.S. Samra, Deputy Director-General, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi, is a member of policy formulation panels of the Planning Commission and the Union Ministry of Rural Development. An expert in watershed management, Dr Samra, after doing Ph D from New Delhi’s Indian Agricultural Research Institute, did his post-doctorate in soil sciences from University of Hanover, Germany. He was also Director, Central Soil and Water Conservation Research and Training Institute, Dehradun. In an interview to The Sunday Tribune, he throws light on various burning issues on agriculture.

Excerpts:

Q: What is the significance of crop diversification?

A: Owing to food scarcity, India faced hard times in early 1970s. Massive public investments were made in research, extension services, and policies to become self-sufficient, especially in cereals. Improved farming practices pushed rice cultivation even in non-traditional areas of Punjab and Haryana. The change in the cropping pattern, irrespective of its incompatibility with culture, food habits and agro-ecological suitability of these states was a national need. The green revolution created buffer stocks at times exceeding 60 million tonnes and restored our national pride. However, overexploitation of resources, high cost of inputs, low profitability, liberalisation and environmental concerns are compelling reasons for diversification now.

Q: What are the basic issues regarding diversification?

A: Rice crop requires lot of water. About 96 per cent usable groundwater resources of Punjab and 84 per cent of Haryana have been developed with massive private investment by the farmers. Private investment in one million tube-wells of Punjab alone works out to be Rs 4,000 crore, apart from public investment in rural electrification and other infrastructure.

Extraction of ground water has led to its overexploitation in 73 per cent and 25 per cent blocks of Punjab and Haryana respectively. If overexploitation is not checked, all the one million tube-wells with submersible pumps will require a total replacement portfolio of Rs 8,000 crore. The deep tube-wells will further lead to overextraction of sub-soil water and multiply social, economic and environmental costs. In this so-called development process, natural resources of the entire state got afflicted one way or the other.

Q: What are ground water recharging possibilities in Panjab?

A: Maximum possibilities exist around Patiala where upper soil layers have high clay content which hinder natural recharging. There rain or flood water remains accumulated in the fields for long and damages crops. Tube-wells meet about 97 per cent of the irrigation requirement. Water table has gone down beyond 15 meters in the district. Also, breaches in SYL and runoff water of Ghaghar cause flooding. Last year floods devastated a vast area in the Patiala region. This water can be put into aquifers through recharging shafts or wells. An investment of 10-20 paise is required for recharging one cubic meter of water into the ground. It is quite economical.

A study of rise in temperature and events like floods, drought, heat or cold waves suggests that glaciers, especially in Himachal Pradesh, have been receding fast due to high rate of melting. Excessive melting of glaciers has led to the expansion of 229 glacier lakes in HP.

Q: What are other problems of rice culture?

A: Post management of loose straw left after combine harvesting of paddy pollutes environment and is detrimental to health. Cultivation of rice in standing water itself generates methane gas which promotes global warming. Burning of 14 million tonnes of paddy straw released 2.6 million tonnes of nitrogen, phosphorus etc into the atmosphere in Punjab alone. Straw can be used as fuel to generate power, make fortified feed blocks for drought affected areas, cultivate mushrooms and make paper board.

Q: What are the other concerns of diversification in Punjab?

A: WTO agreements have become operational from January. High productivity, inputs efficiency, quality and cost competitiveness have become imperative in the re-structured trading regime. In 1986, Dr S. S. Johl’s suggestion to shift away from rice cultivation was implemented, but with little success. Capital intensive grape cultivation was introduced in the 70s in Punjab. Maturity of grapes coincided with rainfall and berries were generally spoiled due to compactness of bunches. Punjab’s grapes could not compete with the table varieties of Maharashtra. Kinnow cultivation in south west Punjab also faced problems due to waterlogging. There was no value addition in processing due to typical pungency in the juice.

Eucalyptus and poplar plantation suffered due to lack of marketing and processing industry. Sunflower cultivation too suffered due to the supply of spurious seeds and marketing problems. There was no adequate success on poultry, dairy and milk production.

The Kandi region of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh has the potential for growing amla, other medicinal crops (Alo-vera), spices and aromatic plants provided the related industries are set up for value addition.

Q: Any other aspect of diversification?

A: There are many. Minimum or zero tillage can reduce adverse impacts on wheat productivity. This saves about 12 litres of diesel, 25-30 per cent of water and fertiliser ensuring a net input cost saving of Rs 1,000 per acre. It has been picking up fast in the Indo-Gangetic plains.

Q: What about mechanisation and costly inputs?

A: Greater efficiency of electric pumps, diesel engines, farm machinery and tractors can save energy, reduce production cost and prevent global warming. Cultivation of cotton, maize, sugarcane etc., in ridge and furrow system followed by irrigation in each or alternative furrows can save lot of water. Irrigation of orchards and row crops with drip system and other crops with sprinkler system are good and cost-effective alternatives.

OPED

Profile
Hooda: Leader with a clean image
by Harihar Swarup

Bhupinder Singh Hooda’s clean image over his formidable rival Bhajan Lal helped him to win the race for the post of Chief Minister of Haryana. Undoubtedly, Hooda is incorruptible but added qualities of straightforwardness. His instinct to help others has indeed made him a popular leader. These traits have also endeared him to senior Congress leaders including Sonia Gandhi.

Some reports suggests Mrs Gandhi had made up her mind to pitchfork Hooda to the post of Chief Minister even before the Assembly election results were declared. Having led the Congress to a landslide victory in last year’s Lok Sabha elections and recent Assembly polls, Bhajan Lal was overconfident of being sworn-in as the Chief Minister for yet another term, little noticing the strong opposition to his candidature in the legislature party itself. Bhajan Lal was committed to abide by Sonia Gandhi’s decision on the question of CLP leader. Thus, he had no option but to accept Hooda for the top post. However, dissidence, though subdued as of now, has not been vanquished. Bhajan Lal may be down at the moment but not out. “How long will he lie low” was the question doing the rounds as the Hooda Ministry was sworn in.

Now 57, it took 32 years for Hooda to occupy the Chief Minister’s office. Known to his friends and admirers as “Bhupi”, he made his debut in the electoral politics in 1982. He was handpicked by Indira Gandhi herself. The initial years were disappointing. He was defeated in the first-ever Assembly election he contested 23 years back. The second one in 1987 too was a disappointment. Nobody thought he would win when he was put up against Jat Patriarch, Devi Lal in the 1991 Lok Sabha election. Bhupi did what looked an impossible task. He trounced the Tau and hit lead lines in national dailies. “Jack the giant killer” was the headlines in many newspapers.

Bhupi defeated Devi Lal in 1996 for the second time even though the tide in this election was against the Congress and the party was routed in eight out of 10 Lok Sabha constituencies. The wave did not affect Bhupi. He performed a hat-trick in 1998 knocking down the Jat stalwart again, double his age. But this time the margin of victory was just 383 votes. Bhupi made to the Lok Sabha fourth time last year. He resigned from the Assembly to which he was elected in 1996.

Bhupi attributes his popularity in Rohtak constituency to his electoral success and says: “I never mislead the people; never make false promises and work in right earnest for the uplift of the downtrodden”. As PCC President in 1997, he says he strove hard to edge out “money bags” which had dominated Haryana politics. He patronised genuine party workers. His theory has always been that the people were against the corrupt leaders and not against the Congress as such. “People like the Congress but dislike some of its leaders”. Hooda fought against those who used the party for personal gains. Now that he is the Chief Minister, he resolved to fight unscrupulous persons.

Hooda comes from a distinguished freedom fighters’ family of Haryana. Two generations of Bhupi were actively associated with the Congress. His father, Chaudhary Ranbir Singh, was a member of the Constituent Assembly and MP (Rohtak) in the first and second Lok Sabha.

Indira Gandhi, in a letter to Jawaharlal Nehru on Feb 17, 1957, wrote about the hospitality of Ranbir Singh. After a tour, she wrote: “Punjab was strenuous but exhilarating. I had one lakh people in Rohtak, just for me — imagine! Chaudhary Ranbir Singh looked after me as if he was my grandmother!”. The letter is a prized possession of Ranbir Singh, now in his late nineties. He shows it to his visitors with great pride.

Bhupi's grandfather, Chaudhary Mathu Ram, a freedom fighter and social reformer, was a staunch follower of Mahatma Gandhi. He was banished to Kalapani for his role in the freedom struggle but the British Government had to cancel the banishment order following widespread protests in Punjab, threatening to turn into an uprising.n

Reflections
You be the sky...but how?
by Kiran Bedi

WE had a documentary screening at the United Nations’ of ‘You Be the Sky’...It was watched by a mixed audience typical of the United Nations. The documentary produced by India Vision Foundation and Directed by Dr Lavlin Thadani, is about, how the introduction of humane and sensitive management alters, drastically and substantially, sad and depressed institutions. And gradually, but surely, revives and springs to life and hope. And how the same negative mindsets become creative and willing.

But the key is getting started! Who begins and initiates? And how? With what? These are some of the vital questions which were posed to the eminent panelists comprising experts and practitioners at the documentary screening. The people at the top? Or people at the bottom? The politicians or the administrators? Who takes the lead? And Why? For we are talking of substantial change in mind sets of entrenched institutions which will involve policy makers, practitioners, set laws, procedures and even budgets to begin with?.

Before I share here the Q&A as they were, let me share with you what the documentary was about to place matters in context. The documentary is about the concept of self-policing. Be it the law enforcers or the law breakers. It is based on the documentation as it was seen and as it occurred in Delhi. It would not be an exaggeration to say both institutions for their own reasons were unhappy places. The police training institution was highly stressed for inadequate and unsatisfactory facilities, in living, training, personnel and management issues. Unhappy police officers do not necessarily strengthen security.

As regards the prison, prisoners not being depressed would be a surprise. But this being not an issue, too is of serious concern. For it has its own consequences. And this is where the problem comes from. For it should be a worry. For the depressed when leave the prison walls may/do look for their next victims, beginning with domestic agony or soft targets.

The documentary showed how contemplative practices preceded by attitudinal changes can bring about dramatic changes in the quality of life in both institutions. What came alive was how the law enforcers grew in sensitivity and the law breakers in humanity.

The Q&A asked some very pertinent questions:

Q: Who initiates the change?

A: To make institutional change swifter and stronger, it has to begin from the top. It could as well be political or administrative. Both could initiate. The usual practice is for the latter to wait for the former. And the former weighs the vote banks. While the truth is, the administrators can bring about the change, if they want to! Or told to! The most recent news of the California Governor inviting NGOs to visit the prisons to serve is a case in point. Here administration is being told?! Or suggested?

Q: How do they begin the systemic change?

A: By first being convinced they need to change. Or that there is a need for change. Recognising they have a situation which is not delivering and willing to seek assistance. For this they offer to experience first with themselves to see how the processes work and that the solutions being offered are impacting. It be not another set of orders but an enabling environment which naturally brings in people now keen to know and willing to experience, seeing the leadership change.

Q: When is it the right time to introduce contemplative practices?

A: It’s never late or early. Do so at any time, for it immediately improves matters. It may be a small beginning...remain patient? And stay on course. Remain a role model yourself? That is what leadership is all about?

Q: How will it work in the West? Is this not a cultural issue?

A: It depends on what you want to focus. The differences or the similarities. The differences are many. The colour of the skin. The language we speak. The weather is cold. The GDP is higher. And the similarity is the human mind which is internally the same, which breeds hatred, commits violence, wells up revenge. And also loves, cares, serves, sacrifices, and forgives. It is the same under any colour of the skin. Hence it is the focus.

The key panelists were: Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, Bruce Stewart, Jean Selmo and myself.

Kashmir Diary
SAARC should strive for joint hydro-power projects
by David Devadas

THE very name, South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, underlines the need for greater collaboration in the subcontinent but suspicion regarding motives has unfortunately stymied the initiative’s potential terribly. As if Nature wanted to further underline the need of the hour, the weather took the trouble of making starkly evident over the past few weeks the extent to which joint management of resources could help every side.

Extraordinarily large snowfall in Kashmir and other mountainous areas to the northwest caused flooding in parts of Pakistan — for, at least in Kashmir, snow that falls in December and January tends to freeze while February and March snows melt quickly. In fact, already, hardly anything remains on the ground of the snow that was several feet high just a fortnight ago.

The large volumes of water that were consequently swept, wasted, into Pakistan could have been used for power generation if hydropower projects that could serve the entire region existed. However, suspicion regarding India’s motives has not only prevented such joint projects, it has ended up causing water problems on both sides of the border.

The Indus Waters Treaty mandates that India cannot build such projects on the Indus, the Jhelum or the Chenab, the three rivers that feed Jammu and Kashmir before flowing into Pakistan. The waters of the other Indus tributaries — the Ravi, the Sutlej and the Beas — are available to India but they feed Himachal and Punjab rather than Jammu and Kashmir.

On the other hand, terrain, which is Kashmir’s greatest asset, can for certain matters be its greatest problem. The mountains are, for example, a gargantuan impediment to transmitting power from the plains. High-tension cables must, and do, cross passes more than 10,000 feet high. The power that can be transmitted thus is, naturally, grossly inadequate to meet the requirements of the valley and of Ladakh beyond.

To top that problem, these high altitude transmission cables face the danger that manifested itself last month. Stormy weather and heavy snowfall can bring down some of the cables or even towers. Some distribution stations even within the valley were brought down by last month’s snow. While the snow that caused this havoc melted away fast, the damage will take time to repair.

The result, of course, is that Kashmiris have to face the bitter winter without power for room heaters or water heating systems or even light, and at this latitude it gets dark rather early in winter. Actually, the recent snow only accentuated the power crisis here, for it is a longstanding problem. There were winters as recently as the late ‘90s when there was no power for three days at a stretch, even in Srinagar city.

That situation has improved somewhat but daily power cuts for several hours at a stretch are still common. In fact, most places in the valley have power for fewer hours in a day than the number of hours they have to spend without power. And the voltage is often so low that a high-wattage bulb barely lights a room sufficiently for a child to study.

It is ironic that such a situation of want should prevail in a place that has an abundant supply of water, but the inescapable fact is that the Indus Waters Treaty between India and Pakistan prohibits hydro power projects to harness the valley’s water resources. Instead, the two countries have been embroiled in endless arguments over whether or not two minor power projects, the Baglihar project on the Chenab and the Wular barrage on the Jhelum, contravene the Indus Waters Treaty or not.

The potential for collaboration for the maximal utilisation of water resources is only one small example of the immense potential that exists for South Asian cooperation. Nor is this the only part of the subcontinent where this potential exists. In fact, there are far greater possibilities for cooperation on riparian projects involving India and Nepal.

If the power elites of South Asia were to set their minds to jointly harnessing all these possibilities, and the various other sorts of synergies across this contiguous land mass, issues such as the Kashmir dispute and Tamil Eelam would surely seem far less intractable. So also perhaps would the political clashes in places like Nepal.

Diversities — Delhi Letter
Dharamshala for caretakers of patients
by Humra Quraishi

A modern and sleek 98-bed Dharamshala has come up in the compound of the Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, East Delhi, to provide accommodation for the caretakers of the patients admitted in the hospital, in keeping with Sir Sobha Singh’s wishes. Readied in 16 months, it was inaugurated by Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit in the presence of Mrs Gursharan Kaur, wife of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Sir Sobha Singh’s clan was present.

Khushwant Singh said that though Sir Sobha Singh Trust has been donating for various charitable causes, his father, Sir Sobha Singh, had strongly felt that each hospital has a place for the caretakers who bring in the ill to the city from far flung places but had no place to stay. The family was determined to build this Dharamshala, with Khushwant’s younger brother Brigadier Gurbux Singh taking over the responsibility of construction.

Reliving Dandi March spirit

New Delhi was witness to several celebrations to mark the 75th anniversary of the Dandi March. Good, it’s back to Indianness. Emphasis has been laid on the subdued and sober khadis and cottons. SAHMAT organised a book release-cum-poster release function. A symposium with Professors Bipan Chandra and Prabhat Patnaik as main speakers has been organised.

According to Shaheer Hassan, National Coordinator, Gandhi Smriti and Gandhi Darshan, several programmes stand lined out for several days to revive the focus on Mahatma Gandhi and his ideals, values and principles.

Each time this writer happens to meet Mahatma Gandhi’s grand children, Tara Bhattacharya, Ramchandra Gandhi and Rajmohan Gandhi, she feels she is transported to that bygone period, for they wear khadi with immense confidence and pride as also speak in a gentle and soft way.

Last week saw the release of yet another book by Ramchandra Gandhi, titled “Muniya’s light: A narrative of truth and myth” (Roli). It revolves around the simple aspect of how two individuals brought about changes in his life, especially when he was going an emotionally low phase.

Women’s Day as a ritual

The International Day for Women passed off as yet another ritual. Though several programmes were lined up as usual, save for two, I wouldn’t go into the details of others. Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Meira Kumar organised an impressive meet at the Vigyan Bhawan where Sonia Gandhi honoured several women from the SC, ST and OBC categories, minorities, safai karamchari and disabled women living below the double poverty line, “who have risen above their trying circumstances to become successful entrepreneurs”.

You should have seen the excitement amongst women which spilled over lunch spread out in great abundance. Amongst them stood out an elderly villager, Ayodhaya, who had come from Rae Bareilly to meet Sonia Gandhi. He was determined to return only after meeting her. His logic is simple: he cannot afford another train journey to see Sonia Gandhi. His utter simplicity got this writer thinking why have separate days and ways for men and women, each day for the hapless human being!