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Not by law alone Karunakaran’s exit |
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General J. S. Aurora What an officer and a gentleman! In this time and era, we have very few real-life heroes. That is why when we lose one, the sense of personal bereavement is inescapable. Lt-Gen Jagjit Singh Aurora was one such and the outpouring of emotions over his demise has, understandably, a pan-India sweep to it.
Does India count?
Making marriage a pipedream!
Rights violation in
Nepal Indian media market perks up From Pakistan
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Not by law alone
THE Supreme Court’s string of directives to the Centre, the states and the Union Territories on Wednesday to tackle the dowry menace reinforces its concern over the alarming problem and the imperative need to apply course corrections. It has ruled that government staff and applicants for government jobs will have to disclose if they have taken dowry and, if so, whether it has been deposited in the names of their wives. It has also set rules for transferring wedding gifts to the bride, made registration of marriages compulsory, and stressed the need for “committed” machinery in the states to implement the Dowry Prohibition Act (1961). These directives may be appreciable and well-intentioned, but it is doubtful whether these will be implemented at all, particularly in the backdrop of the failure of the Dowry Prohibition Act. The authorities have miserably failed to enforce the law even though dowry has assumed menacing proportions. In fact, bureaucrats themselves have been violating the Act with impunity. Most IAS and IPS officers take huge dowry hoodwinking the law. Not surprisingly, the dowry system has permeated every section, class, caste and religion. As the birth of a girl leads to anxiety among parents about dowry, many an unborn daughter is done away with. In Punjab and Haryana, the sex ratio is low and getting more skewed because of female foeticide, proving that despite the ban, pre-natal diagnosis continues under the very nose of the police and civil officials. The Supreme Court’s intervention may have been prompted by the executive’s failure to check dowry but legislation alone is not enough. What is needed is a campaign or a mass movement against dowry among all sections of society irrespective of caste, colour or creed. In the absence of a mass movement, laws cannot lead to social transformation because dowry is essentially a social evil. Moreover, the problem can best be tackled at a personal level. More youth should resolve not to give or accept dowry. Indeed, recent instances of some bold girls in Delhi, Punjab and Haryana having refused to marry in protest against dowry must draw praise from all sections of society. Each time a boy or a girl chooses to defy dowry, he or she will inspire others to do so. |
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Karunakaran’s exit Former
Kerala Chief Minister K. Karunakaran breaking away from the Congress to float the National Congress (Indira) for his son, Mr K. Muraleedharan, comes as no surprise. The father-son duo has been waging a relentless factional war for years against the group led by Mr A.K. Antony and, more recently, against Chief Minister Oommen Chandy. Mr Antony was among those who left the party of Indira Gandhi after the Emergency but returned to the fold later. Ever since, it has been Mr Karunakaran’s case that those who had faltered in their loyalty ought not to have the positions and power that the central leadership bestowed on them. Simply put, it meant that only Mr Karunakaran or his nominee (preferably his son Muraleedharan) should be Chief Minister; and in the extreme event of this not being conceded, Mr Karunakaran should wield the authority to decide who holds what ministerial positions. The central leadership of the Congress did make several compromises and concessions to accommodate the ambitions of Mr Karunakaran and his family members. But, beyond a point, the party couldn’t be pushed. The fate of those who left the Congress to sail on variations of the parent party does not offer a basis for optimism about Mr Karunakaran’s outfit. In Kerala itself, Mr Antony had to return as a prodigal. Elsewhere, in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana, the fortunes of Messrs N.D. Tiwari, Arjun Singh and Bansi Lal revived only after they wound up their breakaway units. As of now Mr Sharad Pawar, who returned to the Congress but left it again to lead the Nationalist Congress Party, seems to be the only one who has managed to keep his flag flying, albeit in alliance with the Congress. However, despite the question mark over the future of his party, in Kerala’s highly factionalised coalition politics, Mr Karunakaran has the potential to damage Congress prospects in the assembly elections next year. Should the NC(I) make common cause with Mr Pawar’s NCP there could be problems beyond the state, too, for the Congress party. The Marxists in the state could not be watching the situation without interest. |
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General
J. S. Aurora In this time and era, we have very few real-life heroes. That is why when we lose one, the sense of personal bereavement is inescapable. Lt-Gen Jagjit Singh Aurora was one such and the outpouring of emotions over his demise has, understandably, a pan-India sweep to it. After all, the black and white picture of Pakistani General AAK Niazi surrendering, along with over 90,000 soldiers, before him during the war for liberation of Bangladesh in 1971 is etched in every Indian’s heart in a million vibrant colours. His chief, Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, has paid him the ultimate compliment, when he said: “While Jaggi did all the work, I got the baton (of the Field Marshal)”. General Aurora would have protested strongly over this modesty of the other grand old soldier, but it is a fact that the Bangladesh victory owed a lot to him. Instead of a frontal attack, General Aurora planned a strategy of leaving the highways to the well-entrenched Pakistanis and pounding their flanks. This brilliant battle plan of the “thinking General” paid rich dividends, allowing India to post an authentic victory in a long long time. Enough has already been written about the army prowess of the General. What made him exceptional was his grace and decency. He fought another war with matching passion and devotion. It was for the rehabilitation of the victims of the 1984 riots. He also played an equally important role in getting the allowance of the gallantry award winners enhanced. There was so much of love and respect for him after the war that he could have occupied any top post but he quietly stepped aside from public eye, except for a stint as a Rajya Sabha member. It is said that when Mr V.P. Singh was looking around for a Sikh to be inducted into the Union Ministry, he turned to General Aurora, but he declined the offer saying that first elections should be held in Punjab. Such men are difficult to find these days. |
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Obsessed is just a word the lazy use to describe the dedicated. – Anonymous |
Does India count?
AS the Manmohan Singh government approaches the first anniversary of its assumption of office, objective observers will acknowledge that the softspoken economist has left his distinct mark on the world stage. Despite pressures from his Communist allies and the predilections of some in his own party, Dr Manmohan Singh has been a hard realist in understanding global power equations. He has clearly realised the need for India to develop a coherent policy of regional and global economic integration combined with accelerated economic growth, if it is to become a power whose voice receives attention in the councils of the world. He has thus dealt with major power centres like the US, China, Japan and our traditional friends in Russia in a manner that has led to our neighbours across Asia recognising that India cannot be ignored, or excluded from major forums in the Asian region. He has not hesitated to use the dynamics of the Indian market to promote our influence. This was evident from the manner in which Indian Airlines placed orders for the European Airbus, while Air India placed a much larger order for Boeing aircraft. Further, the progress that has been achieved without too much fanfare in promoting our association with the East Asian Summit reflects a coherent approach to the realities of economic power. It is this realism that has characterised recent developments in relations with Pakistan. General Musharraf has for long claimed that India fights shy of discussions on Kashmir. He proposed that all options not acceptable to either party should be excluded from consideration. Dr Manmohan Singh, in turn, became the first Indian Prime Minister to categorically state that division of any part of India on religious lines, or any redrawing of boundaries was unacceptable to India. General Musharraf had earlier stated that declaring the Line of Control as an international border is unacceptable to Pakistan. This should pose no problem to us, as we have maintained that the whole State of Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India. It is evident that the gap between the positions of the two sides on Jammu and Kashmir can be bridged only incrementally by progressively easing the movement of goods, services, investments and people across the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir. It would, however be imprudent for us to either slow down our defence modernisation, or believe that Pakistan is going to become a bosom chum in the near future. One has only to read school history textbooks in Pakistan to understand the depth of the communal venom and animosity directed at us. It is evident following the Bandung announcement that the next SAARC summit would be held in Dhaka towards the end of May, there will be another meeting at the level of Prime Minister between India and Pakistan. Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz lacks the authority of his boss General Musharraf. The Dhaka meeting may, however, provide an opportunity for both sides to work out some mutually acceptable mechanism that prevents delays in implementing major hydroelectric projects in Jammu and Kashmir, while assuring Pakistan that the projects will not lead to our utilising the waters of the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab for consumptive purposes. A weird impression seems to prevail that merely by stressing linguistic affinities, the two parts of Punjab can set the pace for Indo-Pakistan amity. It is true that the concept of “Punjabiyat” does help to promote goodwill. But it would be naïve to believe that such bonhomie impresses those who wield power and run the Pakistan Army’s GHQ in Rawalpindi. Pakistan will seek to lower tensions and seek good neighbourly relations with us only when it is persuaded that the policies it has pursued over the last two decades have proved to be counterproductive and that new alternatives need to be adopted in the present global environment This appears to have been the message that both General Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz gave the country’s military commanders on April 25 and April 26, immediately after General Musharraf returned home from his visits to India, the Philippines and Indonesia. We had earlier sought postponement of the SAARC summit because of the then prevailing law and order situation in Bangladesh. What was surprising about the announcement of the meeting of Mr Natwar Singh with his Bangladeshi counterpart in Bandung was the absence of any mention of the brutal killing of an Indian BSF Commandant on Bangladesh soil. Did the External Affairs Minister take up that issue strongly with his Bangladesh counterpart, while agreeing to new dates for the Dhaka summit? Do we believe that relations with Bangladesh can be dramatically turned around by ignoring the reality of continued Bangladesh support for groups that are now being declared as international terrorist organisations? It is no secret that our covert capabilities have been eroded in recent days due to internal bickering at high levels of government. Have we adequately developed these capabilities for promoting our interests in recalcitrant neighbours? The flip-flops that we have recently seen on the entire question of resumption of arms supplies to Nepal have confused important powers that have let us take the lead on the issue. More importantly, they have undermined our credibility and given the impression that we have a weak and vacillating government unable to steer a consistent course in the face of contrary pulls by domestic lobbies. Rulers in our neighbouring countries see these as manifestations of Indian weakness that they can take advantage of. India must learn to manage relations with its South Asian neighbours in a more credible manner if it wants to be taken seriously as a credible power capable of guaranteeing regional peace and stability. There has also been far too much rhetoric in recent days about the extent of support for our candidature as a permanent member of the Security Council. The hard reality is that a group of around 40 countries led by the likes of Pakistan, Argentina, Mexico, Italy and South Korea has emerged. This grouping does not wish to see the quartet of Brazil, Germany, India and Japan emerge as permanent members of the Security Council. Those who have visited the UN in New York recently note that it is no secret that this group enjoys quiet, but firm backing from China. More importantly, we lack credibility when we speak of “democratisation” of the world order on the one hand and demand veto powers in the Security Council on the other, rather than building world public opinion for total abolition of veto powers. Indian public opinion should be made better aware of these facts. |
Making marriage a pipedream!
THE lady of the lard always gets the better of you? There is no need to hit the ceiling, keep your cool. Try the following. When you go to a party (with wife), keep your eyes bulging towards that beautiful woman wearing a plunging neckline which dives to her navel. Smile idiotically every time she leans forward. When her (wife’s) relatives invite you, wear a shirt with a shredded collar, the top button missing, cuffs hanging inches out of the coat sleeve. Look your shabby worst. She has spent two hours sprucing herself for the occasion and has taken out her best outfits, matched colours, used matching lipstick, bangles and nailpolish. Now say pointed: “Why all this fuss? You look better without makeup.” When with her relatives, loosen up with witty jokes about her qualities. The aim is to slyly mix jokes with justifiable complaints about her. Tell everything in a banter, bemused manner. It makes everyone realise what a witty fellow you are. How humorous! Another occasion. Your house is full of guests. Wife is busy preparing meal, peeling potatoes, tossing tomatoes for salad. Stumble into the kitchen, taste this dish or that, and in the process, drop her best chinaware on the floor. Dash out. When she narrates the story of the dazzling success of a relative who has piled up black money, keep one eye on the sports page of your newspaper or both eyes on the television programme you are watching. Spend office hours flirting with a colleague, exchanging gossip, but when you enter the house in the evening, your shoulders must droop. Do not bring yourself home. Bring misery on two legs. You are in a nasty mood. You often are! Spread your feet on the centre table, flick the pages of a magazine and shout in her hearing distance: “Funny. Dinner is not ready yet”. When your mother (her mother-in-law) tells the family what a good boy you were in childhood, smile from one corner of lips to the other. Its implication is that she (wife) is doing a shabby job with her own children.
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Rights violation in Nepal Realising its
mandate to defend the human rights of all people in South Asia, the
South Asians for Human Rights (SAHR) constituted a four-member Mission
comprising Mr. I. A. Rehman (Pakistan), Justice J. S. Verma (India),
Justice Ranjith Dheeraratne (Sri Lanka) and Mr. Mahfuz Anam
(Bangladesh) to assess the human rights situation in Nepal in the
light of recent political developments. The following are excerpts
from the Mission’s report:
After taking into account all points of view presented to it, the Mission holds that the proclamation of Emergency has not in any way improved the situation in Nepal to justify its imposition. Some actions taken by the present regime, including curtailment and denial of fundamental human rights, bear no nexus with either the reasons given for the emergency, or its stated objectives. The Mission is distressed to find a general diffidence to seek judicial remedies for protection and enforcement of human rights because of lack of confidence in the Nepal judiciary, particularly a speech by the Chief Justice in Australia purporting to support imposition of Emergency, the legitimacy of which is doubted by many, which tends to further erode its credibility. It is clear that the people of Nepal continue to suffer, irrespective of the identity of the violator of their human rights, for which the state is accountable because of its duty to protect the human rights of all within its jurisdiction. The state is accountable for all violations, even those causes by non-state players because of its duty to prevent those violations and to protect all people. It is manifest that the people of Nepal believe in a Constitutional Monarchy with actual political power vested in their representatives. For this purpose, it is necessary that denigration of political leaders and politicians must stop, and they should be enabled to activate the political process for restoration of democracy. The political process must necessarily involve also the Maoists, without whose participation the exercise will be incomplete, with the potential of instability and civil strife. There does not appear the needed democratic space available to the National Human Rights Commission of Nepal as required by the Paris principals to discharge its statutory fl.u1ctions for the protection of human rights. The term of the National Human Rights Commission of Nepal is to expire in May 2005, and there is an apprehension in the minds of many that it may not be reconstituted, or reconstituted with the desire strength and competence. Adequate protection and facility for the Human Rights Defenders is wanting and there is reasonable apprehension that those of them who are at present away from Nepal may not be free and secure to return. The reported recent threat to Sushil Pyakurel, a member of the NHRC of Nepal by its chair, NP Khatri at the APF meeting in Geneva, increases the necessity of this assurance by the Nepal regime. The emergence of vigilantes to fight Maoists portends a serious threat to peace, with the likelihood of promoting civil strife. A statement attributed to the Home Minister and another Minister of the present regime extolling such an incident is apprehended to escalate the danger. The Mission has made the following recommendations: All parties concerned with the situation in Nepal must not overlook the fact that the nonderogable rights of the people cannot be compromised in any situation. The methods adopted to deal with any extraordinary situation including the perceived threat of terrorism must not be in conflict which the Constitution, the laws, and the duly recognized norms of international human rights law. The state of emergency increases the responsibility of the judiciary and the NHRC to safeguard and protect civil liberties through strict scrutiny of the executive’s actions that impinge on the human rights and are brought to its notice in any form; and no party should be allowed to hinder their functioning. In the situation prevailing in Nepal at present, there is a tendency among authorities to resort to arbitrary actions. It is, therefore, essential that a system of "check and control" should be kept in place along with effective mechanisms for quick resolution of grievances. The uncertainty about the duration of the emergency is likely to aggravate the security and political problems faced by Nepal. It is, therefore, necessary to announce in conformity with the provisions of the constitution, a time frame for the earliest withdrawal of emergency and the revival of the suspended basic rights. The possibility of supporting the UN initiative on monitoring the human rights situation in Nepal by SAARC governments and civil society organizations should be actively explored. The fact that Nepal is a party to important international covenants imposes obligations on the regime to strictly adhere to its commitments. At the same time, those responsible for overseeing the enforcement of international instruments have a duty to guide Nepal and ensure compliance of their provisions. Access to justice is a major problem for the under-privileged victims of human rights violations and the possibility of setting up effective legal aid centers, especially in the countryside, should be examined. All political prisoners should be released forthwith and restrictions on political parties and the media, electronic as well as print, should be withdrawn. All detainees should be kept at legally sanctioned prison centers that should be open to inspection by the National Human Rights Commission and the International Committee for the Red Cross. This should apply also to military barracks or any other places where detainees are held. A complete list of all detainees along with their places of detention should be published and regularly updated, and the obligation to inform the next of kin scrupulously observed in each case. A complete list of all persons whose movements are in any way restricted should be published. Nobody should be placed under such restrictions without written orders by a competent authority, which should also give reasons. In the event of challenge to the proclamation of emergency and even otherwise for the better protection of human rights. before the Nepali judiciary, it is expected that distinguished members of the Bar from South Asia offer their assistance to the Nepal Bar, at their request. In order to promote greater
confidence in the judicial process in Nepal for the protection of
human rights, it is desirable that the presence of some distinguished
jurists from South Asia in the courts as observers to watch the
proceedings is facilitated. |
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Indian media market perks up
Pakistan’s Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed has said that several Indian newspapers have sought the Pakistan government’s permission for starting the publication of their papers in Islamabad and Karachi respectively. The News quoted Rashid in an interview to a private television channel as saying that Indian newspapers had also sent an application to Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf for permission to launch their newspapers in Pakistan. British journalist Nicholas Coleridge’s description of India’s masthead market as the Great Indian Newspaper Bazaar is apt for the country’s media melee with more than 55,000 newspapers and periodicals, 16 round-the-clock news stations among its 100-odd television channels and an untold number of Internet sites dishing out an information soup as varied as it is vibrant. Whether its NDTV’s star anchor Rajdeep Sardesai quitting to start his own channel or satellite television giant Zee joining hands with Hindi newspaper giant Dainik Bhaskar to announce a new English-language newspaper DNA, the country’s media is flush with activity. In the beginning of this millennium, newspapers were published in as many as 101 languages and dialects besides English and 18 principal languages. Subsequently, the circulation of newspapers has shot up from 115 million in 2001/02 to 142 million in 2002/03 — a whopping 24 percent increase. At last count, the total number of registered newspapers in India stood at 55,780 and the total circulation of newspapers was 142 million. This growth is coming mainly from the small towns that are catching up with their city cousins in readership volumes and publications. The World Association of Newspapers reported that Indian newspaper sales increased by 23.2 percent over the past five years. The reader base in India has grown by 10 percent from 2001 to 2003. And there is still more scope for growth as 248 million literate adults reportedly do not read any publication. Vanita Kohli, author of “The Indian Media Business”, says the Indian media generates revenue of roughly $5 billion. The TV scene boomed in India after monopoly for state-run Doordarshan ended in the 1990s. Today 16 news channels jostle for audience attention making Indian television news market one of the biggest and busiest in the world in sheer number of players. Some like Aaj Tak have given a common man’s idiom to news broadcasting in colloquial Hindi as opposed to Doordarshan’s stiff and staccato style. Others like NDTV with a fleet of helicopters flaunt
speed. — ANI, IANS |
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From
Pakistan ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has decided to import edibles such as meat, livestock and vegetables from bordering countries due to the increasing price of the foodstuff in the country. The Price Control Committee has proposed this to Premier Shaukat Aziz, who has directed the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, the Commerce Ministry and the CBR to import essential edibles from adjoining countries, Advisor to PM Salman Shah informed at a news conference. The traded-in items should be duty-free and without withholding tax. Moreover, the foodstuff should be imported using land trade routes and the import would continue till the prices get stable in the country, he added.
— The News
Petrol to be taxed more
LAHORE: Punjab and Sindh governments are mulling over petroleum levy imposition in place of motor vehicle tax in their upcoming budgets for the fiscal year 2005-06. The petroleum levy, to be collected by the oil companies, would be handed over to the provinces, Punjab Finance Minister Hasnain Bahadur Dareshak told The Nation on Monday. Both provincial governments are finalising the modalities of this proposal with the federal government to seek its support for its effective implementation, in the event of the enforcement from July this year, he said. According to him, the governments are ready to discard the existing motor vehicle tax and introduce petroleum levy, while Balochistan and NWFP have, however, indicated their reservations vis-a-vis the levy. It is possible that they might not opt for this mode of tax. Saying that only a few paisas per litre petroleum levy would be imposed, the minister was not sure as to how much revenue the levy would yield in the new budget. He said the exact situation would be clear once the Punjab government decides about the levy rate.
— The Nation
New package for Balochistan
ISLAMABAD: The parliamentary committee on Balochistan met here on Monday and adopted with certain amendments the Mushahid Hussain sub-committee report comprising eight recommendations, including payment of gas royalty within a fixed period and a financial package for the development of Sui, Gwadar and Quetta. The meeting, presided over by Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, recommended Rs 3 billion for the development of social service structure of Gwadar, Rs 2 billion for Sui and Rs 4 billion for the uplift of Quetta. Later, speaking in the National Assembly, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain announced that the parliamentary committee had taken the first historic step and would complete its final report in due course of time to be tabled in the House. He termed it a historic day, saying the parliamentary committee had done its job to the satisfaction of the people of Balochistan. It would provide a constitutional package in its next meetings, he added. The ruling PML chief said an important aspect of the meeting was that Murree, Bugti, Mengal, JUI and MMA members of the committee had also attended it, besides the parliamentarians from the treasury. He told reporters that the committee had adopted the eight-point report of the Mushahid sub-committee and would soon reach consensus on constitutional steps to be recommended by the Wasim Sajjad sub-committee.
— The Dawn |
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From the pages of Late Swami Dayanand
A
great man has passed away from among us. Swami Dayanand Saraswati is no more. We are exceedingly sorry to hear of the death of this extraordinary man who had communicated an electric current of thought through many parts of India. After the torpor of ages India needed a great awakening and that awakening is being brought about by a variety of forces. These forces all draw in the same direction, however, much they may differ in their manifestation or method of working…. Swami Dayanand did not learn any foreign language, but he was well acquainted with the doctrines and beliefs that prevailed among other people. Possessing a thorough mastery of the sacred language of his own country-that vast repository of all the higher forms of human knowledge-he was enabled, by his natural intelligence and keen powers of reasoning, to discern the truth and to pick out the corn which had become so helplessly mixed up with chaff….
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Man is born with four debts: By worship he discharges the debt of Gods. By study he discharges the debt of Rishis By giving birth he discharges the debt of his Parents By practising hospitality he discharges the debts of Humanity — Shri Adi Shankaracharya Life and life’s end are at the will of the Lord To Him have I surrendered my soul. — Guru Nanak The sage awakes to light in the night of all creatures. That which the world calls day is the night of ignorance to the wise. — Shri Krishna (Bhagavad Gita) The best hearts are ever the bravest. — Sterne  |
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