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Courtroom swings Cracking the whip |
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Promises on Palestine
Dragon and elephant
The martyr’s life-companion
Extend Delhi Metro: Hooda Protection
from mosquitoes From Pakistan
From the pages of
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Courtroom swings JUST as the Rajasthan High Court order of May 2 asking Punjab to hand over three headworks on Bhakra-Nangal and Beas projects to the Bhakra Beas Management Board had been welcomed with fanfare in Rajasthan, the Supreme Court stay on the controversial order is being hailed as some kind of a monumental victory in Punjab. Both reactions are misplaced because the basic dispute over the water remains intact. The Supreme Court stay has been granted on the ground of a technicality: that the order was passed on a petition by an individual without filing of any affidavit by the Centre and the Rajasthan Government. Such ups and downs are commonplace in all legal matters. If at all the two states are so convinced about their respective positions they must take a pledge to honour whatever judgement the apex court passes not only in this matter but in all water disputes. Unfortunately, quite the contrary has been noticed so far. Several commissions and benches of different courts have looked into the water issue. Whenever a decision is handed out which is perceived to be at variance with the stand of a particular state, the latter debunks it and demands fresh adjudication. Even the strict neutrality of the adjudicator is called into question. That is why the dispute has been hanging fire all these decades. Peoples’ passions have been aroused so irretrievably by self-serving politicians that no compromise can satisfy all. It is ironical that the leaders are in the hyperbolic mood ready to shed rivers of blood but not give a drop of water. After all, it is the common man’s interest that is generally overlooked. Unless this mindset changes, it will be very difficult for any court or commission to untangle the knot. There are just two options available. Either the leaders sit together and settle the problem amicably or they give an undertaking that they would abide by the award of a neutral referee. Once the latter has given its considered opinion, there should be no going back on it. Opposition parties too should not raise the bogey of a “sellout” for the sake of scoring political points. This is one issue which has to be raised above petty politics and sorted out sooner than later. |
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Cracking the whip THE Union Government has rightly served a show-cause notice on senior IAS officer L.V. Saptharishi for having levelled baseless and unsubstantiated charges against Election Commissioners B.B. Tandon and N. Gopalaswami, that too, after one year of the Chhapra Lok Sabha by-election. The action is perfectly justified as his allegations were sought to undermine the autonomy and authority of the Election Commission. Clearly, as a senior bureaucrat, Mr Saptharishi should have known that attacking constitutional functionaries like the Election Commissioners and imputing motives to their actions was not only unbecoming of the high post he was holding but also a serious breach of the code that governs civil servants. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s statement on his return from Moscow and Union Law Minister H.R. Bhardwaj’s earlier comments do reflect the Centre’s tough posture on the issue and their refusal to play ball with Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav who raised the issue banking on Mr Saptharishi’s uncalled for assertions. The Congress too has distanced itself from Mr Yadav’s stand. In the process, Mr Yadav and his RJD cohorts stand completely isolated on this unsavoury episode. But it is doubtful whether the action against Mr Saptharishi would tame the RJD supremo. For, he has not yet relented on his demand for the resignation of Mr Tandon (who will take over as the Chief Election Commissioner on May 15) and Mr Gopalaswami. As he has proved to be a big embarrassment for the government, he should be told to behave. Admittedly, the Election Commission enjoys a very high reputation for its commendable track record in holding free and fair elections. It has never been found wanting while discharging its constitutional role. Moreover, decisions regarding repoll or countermanding of elections are always taken collectively by all the members of the Commission, and therefore, there is no scope for arbitrariness or mala fide in its actions. That’s why, the nation’s conscience was shaken when the Railway Minister, apparently in cahoots with Mr Saptharishi, tried to tarnish the image of the Commission. A strong and independent Election Commission is essential for a functioning democracy. Thus, everyone should try to strengthen the institution and not weaken it. |
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Promises on Palestine Serious differences have surfaced between US President George W. Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon over the question of Israeli settlements on the West Bank. Last year Mr Bush had stated that he recognised Israel’s need to maintain large settlement blocks on the West Bank. But now this is being interpreted by Mr Sharon as his country’s right to continue its expansion activities in the disputed area. He is not prepared to accept the US explanation that what President Bush had said did not mean Israel’s right to add new residential blocks. Mr Bush wants Mr Sharon to avoid any expansion activity in a disputed area keeping in view the “new realities on the ground”, but the Israeli leader continues to stick to his untenable views, which he reiterated when the two met in Washington a few days back. Most West Asia watchers agree with President Bush’s view that the controversial Maale Adumim expansion plan, east of Jerusalem, violates the widely appreciated US-backed roadmap for peace. It may give a severe jolt to the fragile peace process, but the Israeli leader refuses to accept the argument. It remains to be seen how far Mr Bush can go in making Mr Sharon understand that a rigid stand is not in the larger interest of the volatile region that includes Israel. He should avoid doing anything that may lead to more bloodshed. Mr Sharon’s tough stand on Maale Adumim is believed to be aimed at silencing the critics, including those in his Likud Party, of his controversial Gaza evacuation plan. His Maale Adumim scheme is a part of his larger game-plan to delink the Palestinian localities in East Jerusalem from the West Bank, a major portion of which could go under the Palestinian control in accordance with the roadmap for peace. This is bound to upset the Palestinian extremists. Mr Sharon should realise the consequences of his dangerous ideas. |
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If a lot of cures are suggested for a disease, it means that the disease is incurable. — Anton Chekhov |
Dragon and elephant IT has been predicted that the world’s two most populous countries, India and China — together accounting for nearly 40 per cent of the total population of the planet — will also become the two largest economies over the next 35 to 40 years. An important question is to what extent would the two neighbours cooperate or compete? Obviously, there would be elements of both collaboration and competition in the economic relations between India and China. However, which of the two elements would dominate is not an easy question to answer. Well before Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao confabulated with India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the second week of April, in December 2004, the US National Intelligence Council had stated: “In the same way as commentators refer to the 1900s as the American century, the early 21st century may be seen as the time when some in the developing world, led by India and China, come into their own.” On innumerable occasions during his visit to Bangalore and New Delhi, Mr Wen asserted that China and India are “partners, not rivals”. He said a “strong and prosperous India serves China’s interests” and added that stronger economic ties between the two countries were essential for “peace and prosperity in the world” and for the creation of a new “Asian century”. Even if these statements are dismissed as attempts at playing to the gallery, what cannot be denied is that the international media has of late been going to town comparing and contrasting the two countries. On April 27, The Financial Times of the UK contained a special glossy 27-page supplement on “Asia’s emerging giants” sponsored by the US financial services bigwig J P. Morgan. The supplement contained a series of reports, commentaries and interviews on the “prospects for growth, cooperation and competition” between the two countries. The London-based Economist had carried a special article on India and China in its March 3 issue in which it was categorically stated that the “tiger” was “in front”. The countries were contrasted with sections bearing sub-headings such as “Sweatshops and technocoolies”, “Two concepts of liberty” and “Rivals and partners”. On the other hand, in the cover story of its May 2 issue entitled “The China gamble”, US magazine Newsweek argued “Why global investors should be wary of the Asian giant”. Before Mr Wen came to India, there had been considerable speculation about how the two countries would soon form the world’s largest free trade zone that could raise bilateral trade to around $ 60 billion by 2010. What India and China finally agreed to was a far less ambitious trade target. Two-way trade has now been projected to go up to $ 20 billion by 2008. Bilateral trade between the two countries has risen dramatically from $ 100 million in 1994 to $ 13.6 billion in 2004. What is more significant is that trade with India is only 1 per cent of China’s international trade whereas trade with China is around 9 per cent of India’s total world trade. What the Wen-Singh summit has decided is to conduct a detailed joint study to ascertain first, whether a free trade agreement (FTA) was feasible in the first place and, if so, by when such an agreement could be put in place. The possibility of an impending China-India FTA has reportedly sent jitters through a few Indian corporations. But such companies are probably in a minority. A few years ago, Indian businessmen had raised a lot of heat and dust about how cheap Chinese imports were flooding our markets after being “smuggled” through Nepal and how local manufacturers were being ruined. This controversy seems to have died down to a great extent. Trade between India and China has jumped by more than 75 per cent over the last two years and China is all set to displace the US as India’s largest trading partner in a year or two. In 1936, China’s per capita income was 26 per cent higher than that of India. By 1977, a year after Mao Zedong’s demise, China’s per capita income was 33 per cent higher and currently China’s average income is nearly twice as high as that of India. Nevertheless, these figures do not tell the full story. China is one of the most unequal societies in the world - a confidential study by the China Academy of Social Sciences reportedly stated that more than 90 per cent of that country’s 20,000 richest people were related to top officials in the government or in the ruling Communist Party. According to China’s Ministry of Public Security, over 50,000 incidents of protest occurred during 2004, a figure that is said to be on the low side. John Ridding, Editor and Publisher, Financial Times, Asia, has written: “India’s vibrant democracy has proved its ability to arbitrate between classes and social groups, but still faces the daunting challenges of urbanisation and alleviating poverty. While China’s record on raising incomes is impressive, growing affluence without increased political representation may become a source of instability.” What is often not discussed in India is the fact that more than 780 million Chinese farmers cannot till today own their own land or use land as security to obtain loans from banks. Farmers account for 70 per cent of China’s population but hold less than one-fifth of bank deposits. As much as 40 per cent of loans extended by Chinese banks - over 60 per cent to state enterprises - go bad. It is often said that India cannot attract one-tenth of the $ 50 billion foreign direct investment (FDI) that flows into China in a year. However, what needs to be mentioned here is that the two countries classify FDI very differently. A recent study by the International Monetary Fund found that if China and India followed strictly identical ways in which to classify foreign investment flows, China’s FDI inflow would drop to 2 per cent of its gross domestic product the (GDP) against 1.7 per cent of GDP in the case of India. It cannot be contended that India does not need to emulate China in more than a few respects. One out of three Indians is officially illiterate against 6 per cent in India. Roughly half of the children in India complete five years of elementary schooling whereas this proportion is almost 100 per cent in China. The two countries have a lot to learn from each other and would gain from closer economic collaboration. At the same time, intense competition between the two in exporting industrial products as well as providing services is inevitable. It cannot be simplistically presumed that India will concentrate on services and China on manufacturing. In particular, it is clear that the two Asian giants will have to vigorously compete against each other to obtain scarce hydrocarbon resources, specifically crude oil. Both have to respect the other’s strength if both are to overcome their respective
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The martyr’s life-companion
“ON the very first night after marriage — what they call Suhaag Raat, he told me: ‘I am a revolutionary, but had to bow before the pressure of elders. My aim in life is freeing the motherland.’ We both took a vow not to have any physical relationship to bring forth more slaves! “He was behind bars. It was after a wait of six months that I got permission to meet him …. The look of the cells in one of which he had to pass his night was frightening in the sweltering months of June-July. ‘Are you provided a ‘cot’?’ I asked like the fool that I was. ‘Oh, no’, he answered with a smile, ‘A cot and here!’ ‘Then what do you sleep on at night?’ ‘A blanket on the floor.’ “On coming back, while everybody slept on the terrace - enjoying the cool breeze, I chose a little store room and spread a woollen blanket on the ground to sleep. Mosquitoes came in swarms humming their noisiest as if to tell me a lesson : you fool, this is no way to get sleep!” “I sat up. The moon was peeping through the little ventilator. I stooped to gaze at it and asked: ‘O you luminous one, do you shine in his dark hovel also and watch him passing restless nights?’ There was no answer. Mosquito bites turned my body into a hive of ulcers. The next night was similar. And on the third night, when the mosquitos commenced their assault, a friend of mine turned up.” ‘Why are you killing yourself like this?’ she asked. ‘Killing?’ I queried, ‘ Do people who sleep like this, die?’ ‘Yes, of course, they do’, she answered. Tears fell from my eyes. The friend was taken aback and cursed herself. ‘It is nobody’s fault’, I said, ‘my stars have turned hostile. Shouldn’t I share his faith as in jail? “When I got the permission to meet him the next time, he said: ‘We have only one meal a day.’ ‘What is the bread like?’ He handed me a piece of it. I found it contained chick-peas, sand and god knows what else. Back home, I put similar stuff together and baked a loaf. That too I ate just once in the day. “Many months passed. One day, I was engrossed in his thoughts when I heard a wailing sound. My heart began to hop violently. Prespiration drops appeared on my forehead. Controlling myself I came out. Women were mentioning his name in hushed tones and saying, phansi, phansi! “I went to Delhi again to have a last glimpse of him - in the same jail where our noblest youth are done to death. I stood before my life-companion. My heart yearned for sharing a few words, but the lips were powerless. Yes, I heard a soft voice, “Beloved! world is an illusion. Whoever has come has to go and alone. Consider yourself lucky that I am laying down my life for the motherland”. “My ears caught the words. The eyes poured forth a flood of tears wrecking my yearn for a last long look leaving the funeral the only chance but the body was not given. “I have been on fast for the last fortnight. The moment is close at hand when my heart’s longing will be achieved!” Saying this, Ram Rakhi became silent. For 18 long days she sat at the same spot without taking a grain or food or a drop of water. The morning after, she drew water from the well herself, bathed, put on fresh clothes and seated herself. “My dear Lord, you have tried me long enough,” she uttered, “no longer will I let you shake me off. I can’t stay away any more” - and taking a long breath, she yielded up her spirit! People said, ‘Bal Mukand’s wife became a sati.’ I said the nightingale has sacrificed itself for the flower! [Bhai Bal Mukand was one of the three martyrs hanged in Delhi on the May 8,
1910.]
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Extend Delhi Metro: Hooda Q:
What is your vision of future Haryana? To make Haryana the number one state in the country before the next Assembly elections. There are not many natural resources. But its geographical situation puts Haryana in an advantageous position. It surrounds the national Capital, Delhi, from three sides. Haryana has the potential to become the number one state. People wanted to invest in the state. However, they hesitated due to the unhealthy situation prevailing in the state for the past few years. Now a spate of fresh investment enquiries are being received daily. Q: What do you propose to do to make Haryana an investment-friendly state? We are formulating our new industrial policy which will be announced on June 6. We wanted to announce the policy earlier but because of the model code of conduct enforced by the Election Commission in the state due to the Assembly by-elections, the announcement has been delayed. A joint working group comprising representatives of the government, the CII, the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other trade organisations will be formed so that bottlenecks leading to red tape can be identified and removed. As I said earlier, due to its geographical location, Haryana is the natural destination for those who want to be near Delhi. Gurgaon has become a place of pride for not only Haryana but for the entire country. We now want to develop other areas of the state falling in the National Capital Region (NCR). A super-express highway will come up around Delhi to link Palwal with Kundli within two years. It will have connectivity with Delhi at eight points, which will open the other regions of Haryana, in addition to Gurgaon, for development. Talks are on with the Delhi Government in this regard. Unfortunately, Faridabad, which was founded by Jawaharlal Nehru as a modern industrial township, lagged behind, mainly because of inadequate connectivity. I shall lay the foundation stone of two elevated highways in three months. The first such highway will be in Badarpur on the Delhi-Faridabad road and the other will be at Panipat. It has already been decided in principle to extend the Metro train from Delhi to Gurgaon. The Haryana State Industries Development Corporation is preparing feasibility reports about extending the Metro to Bahadurgarh, Faridabad and Kundli. I shall meet the Union Urban Development Minister in this regard on May 18. During my participation in the re-enactment of the Dandi Yatra, I met several entrepreneurs of Gujarat, including those from the textile industry of Surat. They evinced a keen interest in investing in Haryana. Q: Are Haryana youth prepared for opportunities industrialisation will provide ? We will strengthen the technical education infrastructure. An education city will be set up for which land is being identified. It will be spread over about 2,000 acres and will have different institutions of international standards. It will not be a new university but a cluster of independent institutes. Haryana students will have the right to 25 per cent seats on merit. A national college of law will be set up near Rewari so that the state can produce good quality young lawyers for the corporate sector. A medical city is also planned where good research and development institutes and educational institutes will be set up rather than commercial hospitals. Q: What do you propose to do for Haryana farmers, whose income is going down? Diversification is the only way out for Haryana farmers. But before we prompt the farmers to going for crop diversification, infrastructure for the marketing of their produce must be in place. India is the second largest producer of fruits and vegetables. However, it exports only about 1.5 per cent of its production. We are planning cold chains and a mega food park near Kundli for food-processing units. A special export zone for fruits and vegetables will be set up. Investors’ response is encouraging. Q: Certain quarters feel that your government is slow. Is the impression correct? If there is such a perception, it is not true. A new government is like a new vehicle, which is to be driven within specified speed limits during the running-in period. Jokes apart, during the brief period of about two months the government had to work within several constraints. First, the model code of conduct was in force due to local body elections. Then there was the tragic helicopter crash in which we lost our two colleagues. Now the code is in force in three districts due to the Assembly byelections. Still several important decisions of far-reaching consequences have been taken. Our most important achievement is to remove the atmosphere of terror prevailing during the previous regime and create a situation where, in the words of Tagore “the minds are without fear”. Go to any part of the state, you will find people openly expressing their opinion on various issues unlike the past few years when they feared physical elimination. Even journalists could not perform their duties fearlessly. The Congress government is committed to the democratic way of decision-making. The credibility of various institutions, systematically destroyed in the past few years, is being restored. |
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Protection from
mosquitoes WITH two new options available and mosquito season approaching, experts say they want consumers to understand what’s available to them. Below are the choices, as well as a roundup of evidence. DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide) Has generally been found to be safe for human use; few adverse effects from exposure to DEET have been found, according to the National Pesticide Information Center. The maximum DEET concentration suggested for infants and children is 30 percent, according to recommendations issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics. A 2002 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that higher concentrations of DEET worked for longer periods than lower concentrations. For example, a product containing 6.65 percent DEET lasted about two hours, while one with 23.8 percent DEET lasted about five hours. The authors concluded that DEET provided ``complete protection for the longest duration’’ compared with 12 non-DEET products. Oil of lemon eucalyptus (p-menthane 3,8-diol or PMD) A plant-based ingredient that protects as effectively as low-concentration DEET repellents, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Not approved for children under 3. Has a more pleasant odor than DEET. The evidence backing oil of lemon eucalyptus as a repellent is not as strong as the data supporting picaridin and DEET. It may need to be reapplied every few hours. Picaridin (KBR 3023) Has been used in Europe, Australia, Latin America and Asia for several years. One U.S. product, Cutter Advanced Insect Repellent, contains 7 percent picaridin. Is considered as safe and effective as DEET products at similar concentrations, according to the CDC. Doesn’t have an odor. CDC Tips for Using Repellents —Use just enough to cover all exposed skin and clothing, but don’t apply to skin underneath clothing. —Don’t apply to wounds, cuts or irritated skin. —Don’t apply to mouth or eyes, and use lightly around the ears. —When you return indoors, wash repellent-covered skin with soap and water. Wash clothing that has repellent on it before wearing again. —Don’t spray pump or aerosol repellents in enclosed areas. —Don’t apply pump or aerosol products directly onto your face. Instead, spray hands and then rub the product onto your face, avoiding the mouth and eyes. —When applying to children, put on your own hands first and then use your hands to apply the repellent on to the child. —
LA Times-Washington Post |
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ARD team meets Bugti
DERA BUGTI: ARD delegation led by Makhdoom Amin Fahim met veteran Baloch leader Nawab Akbar Bugti here Friday and exchanged views with him on the evolving political situation in the country, military operation in Balochistan and the prevailing tense situation in Sui and Dera Bugti. Nawab Akbar Bugti welcomed ARD delegation and briefed them in details on the overall situation besides affirming his resolve to continue the struggle till the restoration of their legitimate rights. Talking to journalists later, ARD secretary general Zafar Iqbal Jhagra said the delegation assessed the loss caused in the military operation and reviewed the objectives of the operation. Akbar Bugti briefed us in details, he told. “We have come to know here that the operation has been continuing since last two and a half year. Sui gas is a larger field and the rights have been denied to the people of this area. When the people raised their voice against it, military operation was initiated, he remarked. He indicated the operation conducted here recently was very tragic. Enormous atrocities were perpetrated. Residence of Akbar Bugti and compound of his home was targeted. Akbar Bugti demanded that construction of military garrisons should be stopped and provincial autonomy be restored, ARD secretary general informed. — The Nation Assemblies’ future
ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali has expressed pessimism about the assemblies completing their term. Talking to newsmen in the parliament house lobby and later in an interview to a private television channel, Mr Jamali said that he had so far been optimistic about the life of the assemblies but after witnessing political developments in the federal capital over the last couple of days, he had come to the conclusion that any mishap could sabotage the system and the assemblies might not complete their term. Meanwhile, Mr Jamali has asked Pakistan Muslim League president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain to remove misunderstandings that had been created by his (Mr Jamli’s) statement about his party membership by holding a meeting which should also be attended by chief minister of Punjab Chaudhry Parvez Elahi and his brother Chaudhry Wajahat Hussain.
— The Dawn
Thalassaemia on the rise
ISLAMABAD: The government has established Thalassaemia Centres in all major cities of the country in order to help save lives of innocent children fighting a war against the deadly disease, said Federal Minister for Health Mohammad Nasir Khan. He was speaking as the chief guest at a function to mark World Thalassaemia Day organized by Jamila Sultana Thalassaemia Welfare Society in collaboration with Department of Pathology (Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences) and Thalassaemia Welfare Society here Tuesday.aHe said that all federal hospitals in Pakistan now have special wards for thalassaemia patients and now the government is taking steps to provide the same facilities in all district hospitals in the country to realise the dream of thalassaemia-free Pakistan.
— The News |
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From the pages of PATRONISING INDIAN GOODS
The Government of India’s anxiety for encouraging “private enterprise” in this country has been shown in a dozen resolutions laying down directions to Government servants for purchases of country-made scissors, pins, tape, padlocks and so on. And yet the result has not been very satisfactory. The imports of Government stores last year amounted to Rs.257,54,569 or 25 per cent more than in 1882-83. It is only right to explain that three-fourths of the whole increase was in railway plant and rolling stock; and although it maybe true that deodar sleepers might be substituted in place of iron ones, and that the economy might be further served by the extended use of Indian material, still this is a matter with which the Government have never professed to deal.
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May the peace itself descend and offer us peace. — Rig Veda I look upon all creatures equally; none are less dear to me and none more dear. But those who worship me with love live in me, and I come to life in them. — Shri Krisna (Bhagavad Gita) He is not elated by good fortune or depressed by bad. His mind is established by God, and he is free from delusion. — Shri Krishna (Bhagavad Gita) Only she is loved Who prays to her Lord With her heart. — Guru Nanak Where law ends, tyranny begins. — William Pitt She who is in love with the Lord Is infused with grace. — Guru Nanak  |
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want to create an investment-friendly atmosphere in Haryana by improving law and order and minimising corruption”, says Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who completed two months in office on May 5. The following are excerpts from an interview he gave to Tribune News Service: