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Punjab the ‘best’ state!
— Really? On Record |
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SC ruling
a relief to doctors
Profile Reflections Diversities — Delhi Letter
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Punjab the ‘best’ state!
— Really?
THE recent “Best State Award” to Punjab is, no doubt, a matter of pride. But if one looks at the state of society, polity, economy, or even agriculture and environment, he would fail to appreciate the criteria adopted by the judges and meaning of such awards. One wonders how one-dimensional and lopsided are the indices of growth and development selected by the judges. As a sociologist, this writer finds it difficult to reconcile how the “Best State Award” is related to the problem of female foeticide and lowest sex ratio (793 females per 1000 males) in the country. That too, in an area where the religion of half strongly interdicts the killing of baby girl — those who kill their daughters would be boycotted socially. Despite this, we find a highly skewed sex ratio. Is this variable not related to the criteria of selection of the “Best State”? It is not that the female in Punjab is an endangered species in its foetal stage only. Her problems multiply as she grows. Starting from neglect of all sorts — food, clothing, education or other allied privileges — compared to man, she is finally sent to another family to be exploited and sometimes be a victim of the exploding stove. The lust for dowry is going sky-high in this age of consumer culture. Lately, Punjabis have become desperate to marry their daughters abroad so that she becomes a safe conduit for the whole family, especially the sons, to the greener pasture of the western world. Once again, the daughter is sacrified for the son’s settlement. These parents know full well the fate of such marriages, but still “someone must sacrifice” for the family. The picture is no less gloomy for males. Their dropout rate is high in school. And they keep filtering out as they go up. The Punjabi University has about 70 per cent girls who were a meagre 30 per cent two decades ago. What are the boys doing? The fortunate ones make to the US/Canada somehow. The Malta tragedy has not dampened the spirit of the Punjabi youth for illegal migration. And, the not so fortunate ones who stay back take to drugs and intoxicants. This menace is growing every day. Why are young people indulging in escapism and others desperate to run out of the “Best State”? The land of “the five rivers” is gradually losing out its water reservoirs, both surface and underground. We may boast of the increasing number of tube-wells and tractors, but do not look at the water table that is receding at the rate of a metre per year in most parts of the state. Aren’t we becoming an extension of the great Indian desert? We haven’t taken water harvesting seriously. The rich farmers are going deeper and deeper to water their crops. Where would the poor farmers go? Why are the farmers committing suicide? The state of the forest, so very essential for the environment, ecology, water and wildlife etc. has also succumbed to the thriftiness of the Punjabi farmer who is well known for clearing the forests in the Tarai region of Uttranchal and Madhya Pradesh. In Punjab, the forest cover is dismally lower than the minimum requirement of 33 per cent. The inflated figures released by the government stand at less than 8 per cent. The state of polity is no better. It is ridden with factions and strife both within and outside the party independent of its type and ideology. Barring a few exceptions, political leaders are concerned with their narrow end of maximising one’s own resources. Why are they so callous towards their own beloved Punjab? What is happening to the health services of the state? The Government Rajindra Hospital at Patiala was a premier institution only two decades ago. It is now slogging due to paucity of funds. It is stagnating while the private polyclinics are mushrooming and flourishing in its vicinity. The condition of the rural health services is worse. The doctors and other staff go to the Primary Health Centre to collect their salaries only. According to the latest World Bank Report, on an average, on any day, “nearly 39 per cent of doctors and 44 per cent of other medical personnel are absent from their place of work”. If health is not taken care of in the rural areas, is education faring any better? The latest World Bank report says 552 government schools do not have a single teacher, 2500 have one teacher each and 7000 primary schools have only two or three teachers. Each day 36 per cent primary teachers abstain from schools. Of the remaining 64 per cent, only half go to classes. What is the status and future of government school education in the “Best State” and the “builders of the nation” after 58 years of self-rule? One may reach out to any sector of the Punjabi society and find it replete with problems. Are internal security services any better? One may only listen to the cassettes of Bhagwant Mann to assess the nature and character of the Punjab Police. The people are scared of approaching the police stations that are fraught with all kinds of ills. The senior officers of this force have often been charged with serious misconduct especially with fair sex. How secure is the life of an ordinary citizen in hands of the police of the “best state”? The reader may charge this writer with extreme pessimism in painting such a gloomy picture of their beloved state. But what should one do when he cannot be a victim of the pigeon-cat syndrome? The academic and the media must not eulogise the little achievements of the government/state which is duty, but they must point out mistakes so that the state may improve and deliver the goods. The whole problem with declaring a “Best State” lies in our obsession with statistics of a select set of variables. We must shun this obsession. A rise in the number of tractors, tube-wells, the volume of pesticides and fertilisers or even of wheat and rice does not mean that all is well with the state. On the contrary, the number of suicides does not seem large enough to bother the government for launching a remedial action on a war
footing. The writer is Professor, Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology, Punjabi University, Patiala
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On Record
Mr Bilal
Lone, who was part of the All Party Hurriyat Conference team that met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, observes that India and Pakistan are working in tandem to tackle the vexed Kashmir issue and the situation presented an opportunity to arrive at a solution. A member of the executive of the Hurriyat Conference headed by Mirwaiz Omar Farooq, Mr Bilal Lone, 41, heads a faction of the Jammu and Kashmir People’s Conference, the other faction being headed by his younger brother Sajjad Lone. A young voice in the separatist camp, Mr Bilal Lone says his late father Abdul Ghani Lone had suggested a sustained dialogue process involving India, Pakistan and Kashmiris to resolve the Kashmir issue. Excerpts: Q: How do you view your talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh? A:
Our approach is positive and we are trying to take the dialogue process ahead. It was the first meeting and miracles should not be expected. Our talks with the Centre took place after 17 months but we do not want to crib about the delay. There are wheels within wheels in relations between the governments in Delhi and Kashmir. Everybody is trying to play his own card. We spoke to the Prime Minister about the human rights violations and release of prisoners. In the next meeting, we will talk about the mechanism of the dialogue process. Q: What is the APHC’s role in finding a solution to the Kashmir problem? A: If there is seriousness, then the APHC has a role. It represents the aspirations of the people of Kashmir. Q: Why were the talks with the Centre delayed? A: There was no delay. The government’s offer for talks has to be specific. The dialogue process has started now and we do not want to say anything that derails it. Q: What was the outcome of your talks with Pakistan? A: I visualise a positive change in Pakistan. President Musharraf is a visionary. If the government here does not blend its ideas with that of General Musharraf, it will be unfortunate. All issues can be settled now. The dialogue process should not be long; it should move fast. Q: Have you tried to bring the militants to the negotiating table? A: Militants have a role. It is because of them that the issue has come to the negotiating table. We and militants have to sit down and talk and evolve a mechanism. We should have something to show on the ground to convince them that the dialogue process is yielding results. The measures announced by the government are part of the process and not an end in themselves. The militants can be appealed to keep the guns aside and test the waters. The onus for it is on the government. We are in a precarious position as the hardliners have turned against us in the Valley. The path of moderation is very tough. If we do not succeed, why would others come here? Q: Has cross-border infiltration come down? A: We do not know about it. We are in Srinagar and do not get such reports. Q: Hardliners including Mr Syed Ali Shah Geelani of your group are not following the APHC constitution and not emphasising plebiscite. Why? A:
There can be divergent views in politics. We want the end of violence in Kashmir. We are in Delhi for a way out and not a sell out. We have not left out anything. The base is the same (demand for plebiscite). Let us see what comes out of it. Q: Is the APHC supportive of other sections of opinion in the state being included in the talks? A: Why should we close the door on those who want to come and participate? Q: How do you view the role of mainstream parties? A: They have a stated point of view. These matters can be discussed later. Kashmiris will have to first come together to talk. Mainstream politicians speak in a manner as if we are wrong and they are right. They should shun this policy. I was told about a recent remark of National Conference chief Omar Abdullah asking what had we achieved in talks. The family has lost power. There is a new twist in their stand everyday. The mainstream parties should not play politics vis-a-vis the Kashmir issue but become a part of the set up for its resolution. They won’t do it because of the fear of losing their positions. But we assure them that we are not for power but for resolution of the issue. A new generation is coming ahead in the Valley in every field. I don’t think the old ways of politics will yield results. Q: Will the APHC support efforts for the return of Kashmiri Pandits to the Valley? A: They should return. They have their homes in the Valley. The atmosphere has not been conducive for their return. We were not safe ourselves. They should start returning once the situation improves. They should return as Kashmiris and not as part of a propaganda event by the government. The government plays games by showing they have done this and that. Kashmir belongs to Kashmiri Pandits and they should return to the homes they have left. I think they should wait for some more
time.
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SC ruling
a relief to doctors Defensive medicine may occur when doctors order tests, procedures, or visits; or avoid high-risk patients or procedures, primarily to reduce their exposure to malpractice liability. In the former case, it may be termed as positive defensive medicine and in the latter, as negative defensive medicine. Practice styles such as spending more time with patients, more careful documentation of the records, making greater efforts to communicate or obtain informed consent etc., are not included under defensive medicine because their positive implications for the quality of care are less equivocal than are the implications of doing more or fewer procedures/ tests. The sources of defensive medicine include, among others, apprehensions for being sued and consequent feelings in the form of damage to self-esteem; financial implications primarily in the form of lost days of practice (as most doctors have adopted medical indemnity insurance schemes) and sometimes, for engaging personal counsel, and apprehensions about future prospects. The Supreme Court’s latest judgement in Jacob Mathew vs State of Punjab gives a major relief to the medical fraternity. It directed the Centre to frame guidelines to save doctors from unnecessary harassment and undue pressure in performing their duties. It ruled that till then, the guidelines laid down by it would prevail. These guidelines say that a private complaint may not be entertained against a doctor unless the production of a prima facie evidence in the form of a credible opinion given by another competent doctor to support the charge of rashness or negligence on the part of the accused doctor; attainment of independent opinion (preferably from a government doctor-specialist) by the investigating officer; and the arrest of a doctor only if the investigating officer is satisfied that he would not be available for prosecution unless arrested. This is a spectacular illustration of judicial activism wherein the court has laid down legal standards of “due process” and “equal protection” in a tug-of-war between liberal, socially-oriented standards and more conservative approaches that balance the rights of the accused against the more important rights of society and victims of crime. The guidelines have demonstrated an edge over those prevalent in countries like the United States. In the US, the most encountered pattern associated with medical negligence cases has been that “failure to act in a timely fashion to limit the danger to the patient rather than the initial negligence”. Hence, the judgement would safeguard meritorious cases and reducing doctors’ propensity to engage in inappropriate defensive
medicine.
The writer is Professor and Head, Department of Forensic Medicine, Government Medical College and Hospital, Chandigarh
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Profile Years rolled by. Frail, fragile and friendly looking Farooq grew into a mature leader negotiating, as the head of Hurriyat, with India, Pakistan and diplomats all over the world. When he landed in Delhi last week for talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, he was a man in quest of peace having watched the militancy in Kashmir turn into one of the world’s bloodiest. He was euphoric after a two-hour-long meeting with the Prime Minister. To quote his words: “We are very excited…it (talks) transcended our expectations. The peace process has finally come on track”. His second round of meeting with Dr Manmohan Singh is expected to be held after the Prime Minister’s return from UN where he is scheduled to meet President Pervez Musharraf. Mirwaiz Farooq too is meeting the General in New York. Straight talking is Omar Farooq’s trait. His well-wishers feel that plain speaking, sometime offending, may land him in trouble. They even fear for his life as, like his father, he too faced the threat from militants. He despises Pakistani militant groups and once described them as “virtual thieves, using the Kashmir conflict to solicit funds of which nothing is passed on to the people”. He is equally harsh on the Indian security forces and calls them “killers and looters with a license”. He does not see a balance between Islam and modernisation and fundamentalist Muslims. Farooq can speak such “bitter truth”, say his followers, as he is beholden to no one except the Allah. Farooq has duel roles — one as the religious head of Kashmiri Muslims and another as a political leader. As Mirwaiz, he is supposed to perform “nikkhas”, deliver religious sermons and perform other duties associated with his institution. As the head of Hurriyat, his role has been quite complex. He has to keep his flock together, act as a bridge, as he claims, between President Musharraf and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and give a healing touch to the kith and kin of those innocents who were killed by militants or inadvertently shot by security forces. The bereaved families look to him, as their religious head, for solace. Even though Farooq’s ancestors were the religious head of Kashmiri Muslims, they dabbled in politics. As a matter of fact, they played an important role in evolving politics, particularly in the valley. The first political party, the Muslim Conference, formed in 1931, was headed by Farooq’s grandfather, who was the Mirwaiz at that time. He was the one who brought the late Sheikh Abdullah to politics and gave the future “Sher-e-Kashmir” the first lesson in public life. The Sheikh ditched his mentor and formed the National Conference and edged him out of public life. Frustrated at the betrayal, Omar Farooq’s grandfather decided to migrate to Pakistan which, like many Indian Muslims, he thought was the promised land. He was, like other Muslims who migrated to Pakistan, was disappointed. A broken man, Mirwaiz of Kashmir died in Pakistan, almost unnoticed and unsung. Omar Farooq’s father became the next Mirwaiz but he too dabbled in politics having floated another political party, the People’s Action Committee. The avowed objective of the political outfit was to ensure that Kashmiris got their basic rights. The Mirwaiz campaigned to achieve the objective till he was assassinated in 1990. The institution of Mirwaiz has always been political and, no wonder why, Omar Farooq has been carrying on the tradition. On him, to some extent, depends the future of Kashmir and Kashmiri people. Farooq has turned out to be more a political person than the religious head of Kashmiri
Muslims.
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Reflections HE plugged in with total focus. He heard with rapt attention. He responded with time in hand. He appreciated with generosity. He answered unsparingly. He clarified like a teacher. He shared his view points with concern. He encouraged participation as a leader. He accepted valuable suggestions with respect. He announced with a sense of urgency. He committed with a sense of vision. Who could it be? Nobody other than our own Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh. All this and more happened at the recently concluded first ever National Conference of over 368 Superintendents of Police where I happened to be present. This is a first hand, eye-witness account. The Prime Minister was not alone. He was preceded by his most powerful team of the Ministry of Home Affairs led by Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil himself. He too had all the time and patience to listen. He sat through all the eight presentations made by the young Superintendents of Police from all over the country, specially invited for the conference. Something also a first in history of independent India. The subjects presented were a product of four preparatory regional workshops on the following subjects: Improvement of delivery of police service to the people; National security challenges before the police (terrorism, militancy, organised crime, etc.); New challenges to policing in the context of technological advancements and economic development; Rural policing and village set-up; Problems of urban and metropolitan policing; Criminal justice reforms; Community participation in policing; and Recruitment, training and human resource development in the police. After the Union Home Minister saw all the presentations he made some very path-breaking observations, again unheard of, namely, I quote: “Why don’t the officers write if they think the media was distorting facts? State governments ought to finance police projects. Our policing ought to be process driven and not person driven. However, wherever initiatives are taken by an individual the person will naturally be known. We need to look at the legal position of the constable under Section 20 of the Criminal Procedure Code. Stable tenures for familiarity and accountability are essential. Prisons too need to be included in the reform process as integral to criminal justice reform. Community Policing could be incorporated into the legal framework. More attention to Rural Policing to provide security where more needed”. The Home Minister was doing some plain speaking as a statesman-professional and not a politician. Another first! The Home Minister was ably supported by the current Union Home Secretary, Mr V.K. Duggal, who encouraged floor participation, perhaps learnt from his army days. This was another first of its kind that I saw. Currently, the country seems to have a clear mind set for police reforms. Or else such a conference would never have been held in the first place. All the seniors present, who had assisted in steering the regional conferences, were heard saying, “such a conference had never happened in their whole life time”. For me too it was a first in my 33 years of service. My regret is it has only come after 33 years have gone by. My joy is, it has at last for our young Superintendents who are to lead and secure the country in policing for the next 20-25 years. I see this national conference as a major turning point for the service. It re-energised all who were present, something which is bound to have a multiplier effect. Other very heartening high point of the conference was the lead and the role played by the women in the Indian Police Service, present there, in good number, many in very senior and tough positions. The seniors of the Indian Police saw that the women have arrived and the ceilings were broken through. It was ‘no more’ all senior men officers. The anchor of the conference was a young woman officer from Andhra Pradesh cadre. While each presentation was brilliant, one which further stood out in content and delivery was of Ms Anju Gupta, a young IPS from Uttar Pradesh cadre. Her research, based on field data drawn from Sharanpur and Meerut district revealed that 75 per cent of police work of Saharanpur District (as a sample district) went into VIP, law and order, festivals, traffic, court etc. Only 25 per cent mandays were left for emergencies, complaints, visitors. Her study of complaints revealed that of all complaints received, only 27 per cent were police related, 73 per cent were about land revenue, disputes (non–criminal) (family, civil, social and commercial transactions). The leave utilisation analysis showed that police personnel utilised only 52 per cent of total leave entitlements compared to 95 per cent for a normal government employee. On key factors affecting delivery of police services she pointed out the following main reasons: over-reliance on statistics, short-cuts to processes, two sets of rules, politics of FIR, old styled management, uncertain tenures, and poor image. Her core recommendations were: justice and security sector reforms, decriminalisation of public life, zero tolerance for extra-judicial killings, public-police interface, and more women as change agents, stress reduction, performance management, and new focus of policing, meaning, scientific investigation, e-governance, and brawn to brains. There was one chorus call from the conference: That the country needed ‘1991 variety’ of ‘Manmohanics’ in the area of police
reforms!
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Diversities — Delhi Letter
THERE would be little point in this writer harping on what British Prime Minister Tony Blair and spouse Cherie did here. For it’s already een much written about. We had become so obsessed by their visit that wherever one went, the opening lines were along the strain whether one attended any of the receptions held in their honour. Our sensitivity levels have taken such a beating that few even commented on the havoc Blair and his partner in war, US President Bush, have rendered in Iraq, almost twisting the region. This week, this writer was determined to attend two events which revolved around this whole issue of war and the disasters accompanying it. The Centre for Gandhian Studies at the Jamia Millia University held a talk on Sept 6 on the topic, ‘Gandhi in the age of Iraq’, where the two main speakers were Professor Vinit Haksar and Achin Vanaik. Haksar couldn’t have given a more befitting welcome and eloquent tribute to Blair when he’d commented in the context of the occupation of Iraq by the US and Allied forces. “Bush is still honest for he talks of American interests in waging this war, but Blair is a hypocrite…” Professor Achin Vanaik went even a step forward and blasted the Bush and Blair duo. He took on the leadership here which has not really condemned the ongoing disaster in Iraq. He said, “If Mahatma Gandhi was alive today he would have spoken fearlessly and been extremely critical of the US”. This writer was amazed with the volley of questions asked by the audience. To one query that the entire trouble took off in the region with Iraq invading Kuwait, Achin Vanaik said, “Iraq occupied Kuwait for seven months, but the biggest and longest occupation has been by Israel of Palestine, for decades they have occupied Palestinian territory. Yet, nobody questions that …we all have a moral responsibility to question and condemn what the US and its allies are doing in Iraq.” On Sept 9 evening, Japanese students from the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies staged a play, Hiroshima Ki Kahani at the India International Centre auditorium. Brought to us by the Sahitya Akademi, the IIC and the forum ‘Hindustani Awaaz’, it couldn’t have been better timed when war associated disasters are taking place in Iraq. This play was enacted by students from the Urdu Natak Sabha of the Tokyo University. Based on a Japanese cartoon novel, Hadashi No Gen, as the very title more than hints, it revolves around the disasters inflicted on the Japanese people by the American bombing. Though 60 years have passed, the scars remain so much so that several of the Japanese in the audience had tears in their eyes and most looked shaken. It’s amazing how these young students spoke fluent Urdu. As Chairperson of the Sahitya Akademi, Professor Gopi Chand Narang said in the very introduction of this play that Urdu and Hindi languages are being mastered by the Japanese students, “for when a Japanese learns a foreign language, he really works hard on it and doesn’t leave the learning process till he masters it…” When this writer spoke to one young student from this group, who was part of the stage management, she introduced herself as Nakamura Mayuko. She had earlier done her masters in Urdu from the Hyderabad-based Osmania
University and is currently with Tokyo University’s Foreign Studies department. The fluency of the Urdu language was really surprising. Not just the language, she was even dressed in the traditional cut shalwar kameez with her hair tied tight. International
Peace Day Though International Peace Day is still a few days away, bandobast focusing on peace is already underway at the Alliance Francaise. The latter and the Embassy of France are hosting a programme titled ‘Issues’, put together by a Franco Indian duo comprising Laura Martin and Indersalim who had gone residences in each other’s countries. As they say, the aim of this event is to create a platform where issues related to peace and women and violence are highlighted and discussed. What I am looking forward is the screening of a film titled ‘Paradise on a River of Hell’. Directed by Meenu Gaur and Abir Bazaz, it “confronts some of the silences that surround Kashmir” and would be screened on Sept 14 evening at the Alliance
Francaise.
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This is the abode of love not the house of an aunt. Only the one who has relinquished all pride can enter here. — Kabir For those who worship the Supreme with unswerving devotion as their personal God, offer all actions to him, intent on him as the Supreme, and meditate on him; he swiftly become their savior from the world that is an ocean of death and transmigration. True devotion is intense love for God. — The Mahabharata No other success can compensate for failure in the home. — Book of quotations on Success And when you are greeted with a salutation, offer a greeting nicer still, or at least return it; for God takes account of everything. — Book of quotations on Islam |
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THERE was time when colleagues of Mirwaiz Omar Farooq in the All Party Hurriyat Conference described him as “upstart”. To security forces, he was a “traitorous separatist”. As the hereditary religious head of Kashmiri Muslims, ‘Mirwaiz’, he kindled hope among people. They looked to him for solace in distress. When his father, Maulvi Mohammad Farooq, the 14th Mirwaiz, was assassinated in May 1990, Omar was barely 17 years. Grief stricken as he was, he was faced with the problem of inheritance which he hardly understood. As he followed his father’s body to the mosque, “maulvis’ and “mullas” asked him if he was ready to takeover. His distressed mother was against his son stepping into the shoes of his father; her fear was he too may meet the same fate. However, ignoring his mother’s repeated plea, Omar hesitantly accepted what was his birthright. He became 15th Mirwaiz. Destiny for the young man, whose ambition was to become a software engineer, changed its course.