 |
|
Blasts in
Bangladesh Fundamentally
flawed |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Left in the lurch
The jolt from
Africa
Humour in
self-stabbing
Put the past behind From
Pakistan
Can yoga control
weight?
|
|
Fundamentally flawed THE Supreme Court’s notices to the Centre, a number of states and Muslim bodies on the issue of fatwas raise the fundamental question of whether such diktats can claim the force of law when they go against the grain of the Constitution. The laws of the land have uniform applicability and there can be no room for any system of personal laws of any denominational group in contravention of the constitutional provisions. This is a point on which there can be no dispute. Yet, if there is a dispute, which has now reached the apex court by way of a public interest litigation (PIL), it is because the pernicious practice of some sections enforcing fatwas by threat and intimidation is growing. A fatwa is, at best, an opinion, often of an individual with the presumed support of a group or section of a community. To invest such an opinion with judicial merit and sanction and enforce it in violation of constitutionally guaranteed rights is, without doubt, illegal and illegitimate. In the past, fatwas were issued against many Muslims, including Allama Iqbal, without making any difference to their lives. In fact, the case of Imrana, and others, before her, who were similarly victimised, underscores that the fatwa is becoming an instrument of tyranny that has no place in our constitutional scheme. It flies in the face of not just every judicial norm and principle of justice, but also humanity when a woman and mother of five is sexually assaulted by her father-in-law, and she is tarred by the offender and punished perversely. No religion, certainly not Islam, offers any basis for such travesty in the name of justice. As has been pointed out in the PIL, such decrees are handed out in the name of adhering to Shariat laws and the victim — Imrana in this case — is bullied by a backward-minded section of the community into accepting this as a judicial verdict. It is high time such fatwas were outlawed and parallel courts, sustained by self-appointed custodians of religious tenets and community laws, declared illegal. In fact, the law should proceed against those who are obstructing due process and delivery of justice through constitutionally decreed institutions. |
|
Left in the lurch THE Left has succeeded in forcing the UPA government to shelve a key element of the reforms: PSU disinvestment. Earlier, the government had to suspend BHEL disinvestment after the Left leaders prevailed upon UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi. Now the proposed dilution of the government stake in 13 profit-making public sector undertakings has been called off. As a face-saver, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram talks of selloff through the public offer route because “strategic sale” is not transparent enough. The root problem is the lack of consensus on the whole issue of disinvestment. While every party in the government and those supporting it from the outside want selling of all loss-making PSUs, there is no unanimity on how to go about the task. The Left is not objecting to the method of disinvestment; it is opposed to the very idea of selling profit-making PSUs. That is in Delhi. In Kolkata, the PSU disinvestment is on track. The West Bengal government has invested Rs 18,241 crore in 82 state enterprises. Of these, six have stopped functioning, 59 are making losses and their accumulated losses amount to Rs 5,069 crore. At the national level, the government has invested Rs 2,70,000 crore in 240 PSUs. Half of them lose money and the rate of return on the investment is abysmal. About 90 per cent of the 946 units in the states are sick. This should make even the dumbest clear that the government cannot afford to bleed its exchequer indefinitely, that the price the government gets when a unit makes profits would not be the same as when it starts making losses and that the job of the government is to govern, not to do business. Unfortunately, some parties refuse to see this reality. If the Centre suspends the disinvestment process, states would follow suit. If the money locked up in the PSUs gets released and is invested in education, health and infrastructure, the pace of growth would accelerate. Moreover, the suspension of disinvestment will deny the government funds for implementing the ambitious rural employment guarantee scheme. All this boils down to the urgent need to evolve a consensus on disinvestment without which economic reforms cannot proceed further. |
|
In trouble to be troubled/Is to have your trouble doubled.
— Daniel Defoe |
The jolt from Africa
THE African Union has done India and its partners in the G-4 group a favour. It has given them a face-saving device to extricate themselves from a difficult situation. Having brought compelling attention to the issue, they can now postpone a vote on their resolution for an expansion of the Security Council till the US and China reconcile themselves to expanding their privileged club. The lesson to learn once again is that the permanent members have their own ways to avoid situations where the majority puts pressure on them to change their well-entrenched positions. In the United Nations, the majority succumbs to the mighty rather than the other way around. Public and official memories seem short in India. History is merely repeating itself. The experience of the early eighties, when we initiated a move to expand the non-permanent membership, should have been enough for us to know that the issue of expansion is a prerogative the permanent members guard jealously. At that time, our initiative had the support of the entire Nonaligned Movement and most of the developed countries, with the exception of the P-5. There was sufficient justification for an expansion strictly on the basis of mathematics; the strength of the Security Council had remained unchanged despite the dramatic increase in the membership of the UN. The addition of a few non-permanent members would not have altered the power equation in the council. If India’s resolution was put to vote at that time, it would have passed with the necessary majority, and the permanent members and others would have had to ratify it in due course. But Prime Minister Indira Gandhi chose not to put the resolution to vote and, if the rumours were to be believed, even replaced the Permanent Representative, who was responsible for it. Long before the first Iraq war, right in the middle of the Cold War, the permanent members joined together to fight the Indian move. Majority support was not considered sufficient to take on the P-5. The resolution continued to be circulated from year to year, but no action was taken for obvious reasons. Another occasion when a majority in the General Assembly could have carried the day was in 1993-94, when there was wide acceptance of designating Japan and Germany as permanent members. The US itself was promoting the idea with a view to reducing its financial burden on account of peacekeeping. If the US had decided to go for a vote at that time, the move could well have succeeded. The overwhelming feeling at that time, which we encouraged, was that consensus was essential for an important issue like the composition of the Security Council. The search for consensus continued in the General Assembly Working Group for the very reason that voting was considered divisive. Since the Working Group failed to reach a consensus, an exercise was undertaken by a high-level panel, which offered two options. The Secretary-General appointed special envoys to ascertain the wishes of the different geographical regions to prepare the ground for a consensus in September. No vote was contemplated at any stage, but the move by the G-4 to introduce a resolution brought in the possibility of a vote on the issue for the first time. This was initially seen as an expression of frustration over the virtual deadlock and it was widely expected that no vote would take place. But the resolution gained its own momentum and a vote became a real possibility till the African position poured cold water over the idea of a vote. Africa’s concerns go beyond the veto question. The African Union knows well that no more than one African country will make it to permanent membership in the end. Even if there is a chance of two countries getting seats, Africa cannot choose two out of several contenders, such as Nigeria, South Africa, Egypt and Kenya. Moreover, Africa does not want to be a party to an exercise that would alienate the US and China. The veto issue may simply be a cover for these concerns. Traditionally, the Africans have championed the movement to abolish the veto and it is amazing that they have raised the veto issue to block the G-4 initiative. The G-4 now has an opportunity to postpone the issue till September and beyond. No one can guarantee that the resolution will be carried even without the African hurdle. Even if it secures a two-thirds majority, it will be a pyrrhic victory as it will add an irritant in our relations with the US and China when they refuse to ratify the decision. The UN is not democratic enough to decide issues by votes alone. Voting at the next stage to designate the new permanent members will be even more delicate and the outcome will be uncertain. Even the P-5 will not risk a fresh election for retaining their privileges. The solidarity of the G-4 will not last beyond the first stage as the candidate-countries will make bilateral deals, leaving others in the lurch. The time has come to consider these hazards. No debate has taken place so far about the desirability of India becoming a permanent member of the Security Council without veto. It will bring in responsibilities without concomitant benefits. The new power will be illusory as we will not be able to defy the P-5 beyond a point as we shall have to rely on their veto on vital issues even in the future. Without the Soviet veto, the Kashmir, Goa and Bangladesh situations could have been very different. We had refrained from joining the crusade for the abolition of the veto for this very reason. As a permanent member, we shall have to take positions on issues in which we have little or no interest and accommodate positions of the P-5. Voting against resolutions on account of principles is not a practical proposition in the Security Council. We went along reluctantly with several dubious concepts in the resolutions relating to the first gulf war as we happened to be in the council at that time. We would have been accused of nitpicking if we had stuck to our traditional positions. The financial burden of permanent membership has been of no concern in our quest. India will need a larger mission in New York and there will be additional costs in studying issues and on travel. We may also have to bear a higher share of peacekeeping costs. These may be considered marginal costs, but the advantages too are marginal, mostly illusory. Let us not forget that the grapes may not be as sweet as they appear even as we jump for them. The campaign so far, even though at great cost, has not been without benefit. Our credentials for permanent membership have been recognised even by the US and the focus has been shifted away from the rotation formula. Coincidentally, our nuclear status has changed and the prospects of settling with Pakistan are brighter than before. Our economic strength will also grow to meet an important criterion. Consensus in favour of India is in the making, but it may be some more years before it crystallizes. By forcing the issue now, we will either get a negative result or get the expansion postponed indefinitely. Patient and dignified demonstration of our role in the world rather than aggressive election campaign will bring India to its goal. Pandit Nehru, when he turned down the offer of China’s seat and Indira Gandhi, when she decided not to press our resolution to a vote in 1980, showed the approach that Dr Manmohan Singh could adopt at this juncture. The quest for consensus on India’s rightful place in the Security Council should
continue. The writer is a former Ambassador of India to the United Nations, Vienna.
|
Humour in self-stabbing
When
Mahatma Gandhi observed: “Here go my people. I must follow them. I am their leader,” he was showing two things — his sense of humour and his ability to poke fun at his own self. This is a rare quality. George Bernard Shaw too had it. A cryptic quote reveals it: “I have acquired an international reputation by thinking once in a week!” A finalist at a beauty contest was asked to name the most important man in the world. She named American humourist Bob Hope. Reason? “He makes the world laugh by laughing at himself.” Bob Hope himself is on record on the issue. When complimented on his having a sixth sense, that of humour, he quipped: “It’s because I do not have the other five.” This ability to laugh at one’s own self is a priceless gift. There are bores like politicians, preachers and teachers. There are bores like editors, barring a few exceptions. And there are delights who tickle you to a momentary mirth at their own follies or foibles. Once talking about his skill at boxing in younger days. Bob Hope had a dig at himself. “I was the only one who had to be carried both ways — into the ring and out of it.” A humorous dig at our own selves has a balming effect. It can also save a hard situation. I was invited by a local school to preside over their annual debate function at the Arts Museum in Sector 10. When I spoke at the end, some voices from the rear of the hall, shouted. “We can’t hear you.” “You are lucky”, I chuckled. People who know better about laughter, Ralph Walden for example, who pioneered laughter clubs in England, consider this genre of humour as a sure sign of mental health. This is very heartening for me because I have always looked upon myself as a sackcloth. At least a weeping blanket! Self-jesting is a wonderful stress-buster when it comes to easing marital tensions. Two depressed husbands were debating their respective spouses. One boasted, “My wife begged pardon, coming crawling to me.” “Why crawling?” “I was hiding under the bed,” self-stabbed the former. Whining husband moaned, “You never use sweet words for me.” “You forget, you are a diabetic”, replied the jestling bitter half.
|
Put the past behind The
Nanavati Report on Anti-Sikh riots has been received with mixed reactions among different sections of the people. There has been generally a sympathy and understanding for the victims and dependents across the board in India. The honest and emotional apology by Dr Manmohan Singh on behalf of the government has served as a balm for the bruised and battered Sikh psyche. One could hope that the Sikh community, overlooking some shortcomings of the action taken report, would be able to put this bitter past behind it. The 1984 riots had come at an unfortunate time when the Sikhs, otherwise known to be the most patriotic community, stood somewhat isolated in the country. The outpourings and acts of Bhindranwale supporters had generated an environment in which for many Operation Bluestar appeared as necessary for saving the country and Mrs Indira Gandhi appeared to be the saviour. Many Indians thought that in ordering the Army to clear the danger posed by the extremists sheltered in the Golden Temple complex, Indira Gandhi had displayed the same courage and boldness as she had done when the Army was ordered by her to liberate Bangladesh. There is no doubt that, like others, she underestimated the strong feelings of humiliation and revenge that got unleashed among the Sikhs with Operation Bluestar and the speed with which her image among the Sikhs would get demonised. The hard-boiled officers concerned with her security wanted to take no risk so they ordered the Sikhs among her security guards to temporarily go off duty. This decision of the senior officers got noticed by her almost immediately and she ordered them back to her inner circle of security. Like the rest of the country, she was concerned at frequent violence against innocent Hindus by Bhindranwale. There was a statement attributed to her that the Sikhs who indulged in wanton killings of minority community members in Punjab, should realise that the Sikhs themselves happened to be a small minority in the rest of India and there could be a backlash against the Sikhs elsewhere. There was an outbreak of violence against the Sikhs in Panipat around February 1984 when the gurdwara on the
G.T. Road was set on fire and many Sikh passers-by were physically harmed by mobs. This was the backdrop in which Mrs Gandhi was assassinated. Any officer with a background of handling law and order in the country could foresee the danger that would be there for the Sikhs in Delhi if in Punjab any major act of violence got committed against Hindus or their leaders. Unfortunately, we have the position in the Government of India in 1984 where among the whole set of the top decision-makers we had no one who had done a district successfully in his career. The primary responsibility for law and order was of the Lt. Governor, but Mr Gavai had neither the competence nor the experience to handle the sort of situation that got created for the Sikhs in the Capital. He did not even know how to call the Army in aid of the civil authority for which he tried to negotiate with the Army commanders instead of sending a prescribed requisition to the Delhi Area Army Commander as per the defence services manual concerning aid to the civil authority. It is no secret that the violence that broke out spontaneously when the death of Mrs Gandhi was made public in the evening of 31st October spread almost all over the country varying in its intensity in different regions, but this anger had spent itself out as fast as it was generated by the end of the next day. The display of the body of the Prime Minister the next day on TV added to the anger, but the real mischief came from the local leaders of the party who thought that they were called upon to display their loyalty to their departed leader in that manner. The saving grace in Delhi was that despite the face-off between the two communities in Punjab, the Punjabi Hindus were the first who came out to rescue their neighbours wherever they could and they were among the first also to lead the outcry against the organised mayhem and massacre of Sikhs in Delhi. The anti-Sikh riots in Delhi and other places and the recent Gujarat anti-Muslim riots are symptomatic of the fall in moral values in India, especially after the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. On the one side we find that there is hardly a Sikh, particularly an Akali, who has publicly condemned the grave moral lapse of the Sikh security guards killing the very person whom they were supposed to guard. On the other, we have political masters who have cared two hoots for any moral values. The last leader who tried to live by moral values was Lal Bahadur Shastri. Mrs Gandhi was a politician and a statesman of exceptional merit, but failed on values when, to counter the unprincipled challenge of JP, she decided to impose Emergency on the country. Time is too short to pass a judgement about Rajiv Gandhi, but it appeared that his heart was sound and I am happy that the Nanavati Commission has found him to be clear of any taint of the anti-Sikh riots. I can vouchsafe from my experience as Chief Secretary, Punjab, that he did his best to retrieve the situation and regain the trust of the Sikh community. The Rajiv-Longowal accord is the standing testimony of that change. I could see that within a short period after he was free from the general election, all persons associated with an anti-Sikh tilt in the government policies had got sidelined both in the Punjab Government and the Central Government. Dr Manmohan Singh has proved in his speech in the Lok Sabha that when he went to participate in the Dandi Salt March commemorating Gandhi’s march, it was not for a political stunt but a public pledge to stand by the Gandhian values in public life. May God bless him! If truth about any civil disturbance has to be established and its causes
understood, the appointment of a serving or a retired judge alone as a commission of enquiry does not serve the purpose. If the government is to be serious about the prevention of similar breakdowns in future, such commissions should have at least three members with one member having a background of handling law and order and the other an academician of repute. |
|
From
Pakistan LAHORE:
The Federal Investigation Agency took on Tuesday 24 persons in custody on charges of transporting children to the United Arab Emirates for camel race. Officials told Dawn that the arrested persons - 14 women and 10 men - who claimed to be the parents of the 30 child jockeys arrived here from the UAE. The children were sent to the Child Protection Welfare Bureau for rehabilitation and getting them reunited with their parents from Allama Iqbal Airport. The arrested people were later shifted to the FIA’s passport cell, where a case was registered against them under Human Trafficking Ordinance-2002. The FIA officials said that all the arrested men and women were the real parents of the children in question. “Extreme poverty has compelled them to make their own children camel jockeys,” an official quoted the parents. Some child jockeys told reporters that they used to earn between 700 and 1,500 Dirhams per month, besides receiving from 50 to 100 Dirhams for winning a race in the UAE.
— Dawn No to madarsa products LAHORE:
Opposition leaders have given a mixed reaction on the Supreme Court verdict of disqualifying the madaris certificate holders from contesting the local bodies elections. MMA central leader and MNA Liaquat Baloch, reacting on the decision, has maintained that disqualifying all candidates on the basis of a single petition and if it is imposed on all candidates, the country may face a political crisis. In a statement issued on Tuesday, he said that while a comprehensive reaction would be given after the arrival of the detailed verdict, the fact remained that in the past these degrees were given the status equal to that of matric, FA and BA by the UGC, the Higher Education Commission and the Election Commission of Pakistan, on the basis of which, these candidates had been taking part in the elections. He also pointed out that recently the returning officers of all four provinces had accepted these sanads as equal to the other degrees.
— The Nation Drinking water crisis ISLAMABAD:
The Government of Pakistan should acknowledge a water crisis and start to collect sufficient data along with formulating ground water regulations and a national water policy. Current extraction of ground water is exceeding the renewable volume, using water faster than it can be naturally replaced, therefore, jeopardising the right to water of future generations. These views were expressed by speakers here Tuesday at the launching of a study titled “Drinking Water Crisis in Pakistan and the Issue of Bottled Water: The Case of Nestle’s Pure Life” by Nils Rosemann. The launching of the study was organised by Action Aid. The speakers also expressed views that access to drinking water must be recognised as a universal human right, in order to ensure that everyone can benefit from water resources.
— The News
|
|
Can yoga control weight? Recent
headlines on the fitness wires trumpeting the benefits of yoga for weight control grabbed our attention: Could the calming discipline not just boost flexibility and build strength but melt calories, too? That would jolt us into an extended sun salutation —if only it were so. A published study did show that, on average, middle-aged people who practiced yoga controlled their weight better than those who did no yoga, but the findings come with some major caveats: First, the findings were based on self-reports of participants (a technique considered less reliable than data gathered by clinical observation). Second, the weight differences reported didn’t reflect calories lost through yoga—most yoga does not meet the American College of Sports Medicine’s definition of moderate-intensity exercise, that is, exercise rigorous enough to burn substantial calories. Instead, researchers speculated, the weight drops may have stemmed from yoga practitioners’ being more aware of their bodies, nutrition and fitness than non-practitioners. The study of 15,500 people aged 53 to 57, which appears in the July/August issue of the journal Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, showed that the 102 participants of normal weight (with a body mass index, or BMI, under 25) who practised yoga for four or more of the prior 10 years gained, on average, 3.1 fewer pounds (9.5 pounds vs. 12.6 pounds) during the period than did the other 7,000 normal-weight people who did no yoga at all. Overweight participants who practised yoga for four or more years—only 30 people fit this description—said they actually lost an average of five pounds over the 10 years, compared with an average gain of 13.5 pounds for the 7,500 or so overweight participants who did no yoga. Those who performed yoga for fewer than four years also fared better in weight control than did non-yogis, though their advantage was less. (Americans gain an average of one pound per year between ages 45 and 55.) "We hypothesize that yoga’s emphasis on developing body awareness and physical discipline supports the adoption of healthful dietary and exercise habits and thus indirectly affects weight control,’’ the researchers wrote. That is, the deliberate micro-movements of yoga could give students a familiarity with—and respect for—their bodies that helps them avoid overeating and motivates them to pursue a physically active lifestyle. Lead author Alan Kristal, associate head of the Cancer Prevention Program at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, readily acknowledged the study’s limitations and said that a better-controlled study is needed to establish a strong link between yoga and weight control. But, he added, the survey results are promising. "Techniques for weight loss are similar to (those for) smoking cessation,’’ Kristal told us.
"Not every method will work for everyone. This is just one more thing people could try if they are having trouble with their weight." A more surefire weight control Rx: Get at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise at least five days a week, eat a healthy diet and get enough sleep. — LA Times-Washington Post |
|
From the pages of THIRD CLASS TRAVEL
Newspapers in all parts of India have every now and again written on the subject of the grievances of people travelling third class on Indian railways, but to no purpose. Petitions and memorials addressed to the Government of India and the representations made to Railway Managers and Traffic Superintendents have been equally barren of good results. Third-class passengers constitute the bulk of the traffic, and yet not the slightest heed is paid to their comfort or convenience. On occasions of any phenomenally large increase in traffic they are treated literally worse than cattle, and are packed up like sardines, sometimes in cattle trucks and horse wagons. Such a state of things is possible only in India where concerns like the railways are not managed on business principles. It is no exaggeration to say that the outbreak of disease on the occasions of big melas, and its propagation afterwards, are largely due to the absence of care and ordinary humanity in the management of ordinary as well as special trains. To put 50 persons in a compartment that was intended to seat only 10, and in the hot weather, is nothing short of cruelty. |
Bravery and cowardice are not the sole possessions of any age or caste. A young man, inexperienced in war, may display great courage or run away in fright. So too, may an old veteran warrior. — The Mahabharata We are more interested in making others believe we are happy than trying to be happy ourselves. — Book of quotations on
happiness For surely those who consume the property of orphans unjustly only ingest a fire; and they will be burning in a furious blaze. — Book of quotations on Islam God is engaged in three kinds of activity: creation, preservation and destruction. — Ramakrishna Ten Fetters of Existence: Self delusion; Doubt; Clinging to Ritual; Sensuous Lust; Ill Will; Greed for Fine Material Existence; Greed for immaterial Existence; Conceit; Restlessness; Ignorance. — The Buddha |
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Mailbag | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
