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Doda massacre New statute for
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Tallest of them all Galbraith pricked the conscience of the rich John Kenneth Galbraith was the kind of person whose death seemed untimely even when he died at the ripe age of 97. He managed to make — despite many odds — many signal contributions in moulding the policies of many a country, including India, in such a way that they were generous towards the poor.
Faith, politics,
intolerance
Knowing Bollywood
Operation Rescue
needed to help Punjab farmers Towards uniform
cable rates Delhi
Durbar
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New statute for Nepal Nepal’s
revived Parliament and the new Prime Minister, Mr Girija Prasad Koirala, lost no time in taking purposeful strides towards a constituent assembly that would script the future of the country’s monarchy. That marks the third major advance for popular democratic aspirations. The unrelenting nationwide protests led by the Seven-Party Alliance and the Maoists forced King Gyanendra to reinstate the parliament he had dissolved in 2002 and make way for a government representative of political parties. Soon after Mr Koirala was sworn in, he moved the proposal for a special assembly to draft a new constitution —to replace the 1990 statute that enables and empowers the monarch to dismiss an elected government — which will determine the future of the monarchy in these republican times. Parliament’s unanimous approval for a constituent assembly meets one of the principal demands of the pro-democracy movement. This was also a key demand of the Maoists, who, last week, declared a three-month ceasefire to create the climate for elections to a constituent assembly. Therefore, the situation now demands that they respond promptly to Mr Koirala’s call to give up violence and come forward for talks. Mr Koirala’s move underscores the new government’s readiness to begin negotiations with the Maoists and bring them to the mainstream of multiparty democracy. The schedule for electing the constituent assembly depends on the Maoists’ support and their participation in the processes leading to it. Like the monarch, the Maoists, too, are non-elected players on the political scene. Their 10-year ‘People’s War’ campaign from 1996 — when elected governments were in office — has claimed over 12,000 lives. The rebels, too, must submit to the prevailing urge for democracy, peace and stability. And in this, the Maoists would be measured by how they proceed towards their role in a civil democracy. |
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Tallest of them all John
Kenneth Galbraith was the kind of person whose death seemed untimely even when he died at the ripe age of 97. He managed to make — despite many odds — many signal contributions in moulding the policies of many a country, including India, in such a way that they were generous towards the poor. One of the longest-serving international statesmen, he also influenced the direction of the Democratic Party in the US from 1930s to 1960s. He wore so many hats — and all so highly decorated — that he could be counted among the very best in the field of economics, diplomacy as well as teaching. It is he who made economics so eminently readable. His “sermons” on social democracy left an indelible mark on the struggle for equality and justice in almost the entire world. Being an avowed liberal, he had to fight against the “established orthodoxy” and that ensured that his ideas did not get as much weightage as they deserved. Still, he was the driving force behind the policies of President John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. The premise of his book, The Affluent Society (1958), that the affluent society is not doing enough for the poor did much for changing the outlook of the rich towards the downtrodden. India particularly looks gratefully to his role as a warm friend in trying times in the 60s. During his 27 months as US Ambassador here, he not only fought for increased US military and economic aid, but also helped in fulfilling the Nehruvian dream of industrialising the backward economy. He strongly fought the American establishment’s prejudices against Nehru, India and non-alignment, so much so that uncharitable critics used to describe him as “a privy councillor to the Indian government”. At 6 ft 8 inches, he towered over most of his peers; the same happened to be true of his intellect as well. |
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I have a horror of sunsets, they’re so romantic, so operatic. — Marcel Proust
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Faith, politics, intolerance THE Chinese Premier was recently interrupted by a Falung Gong supporter denouncing religious intolerance while being ceremonially received at the White House in Washington. The UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, Ms Asma Jehangir, earlier expressed concern over a confidential letter circulated in Iran to governmental agencies to identify Bahai’s and monitor their activities. This is ominous. The Bahai’s, a gentle community who have a distinguished record in India as elsewhere, understandably apprehend another hate campaign and further persecution in Iran. Around the world we see the demonisation of faith, evoking fears in otherwise innocent minds of a clash of civilisations. This is a false thesis as every Indian should know, living in a country that has seen, nurtured and revered the footprints of almost all the major world religions. Amartya Sen brilliantly punctures this thesis in “Identity and Violence”. All people have multiple identities, each relevant to time and circumstance. To pin on them a singular identity for all seasons is to caricature them and the world in which we live. Alas, India too suffers from religious fault lines that would be easily negotiated by ordinary people who live and work together if they were not exploited by vested interests for narrow partisan or personal gain. Rajasthan has just enacted an anti-conversion law aimed at Christians and others. It prescribes up to five years imprisonment for the “crime” of conversion (though not of re-conversion). Conversion by and large takes place not by force and fraud, which are punishable, but from genuine conviction or, for most, as an escape from unconscionable caste oppression. The remedy lies in social reform that Hindu religious leaders have not pursued with vigour and perseverance. If BJP leaders were to devote their periodic rath yatras to this task, they would better serve both faith and nation. Among the more absurd arguments advanced is the allegedly high growth rate of India’s Muslim population. Hence the bizarre advocacy by none other than the RSS chief that Hindu women should each bear 16 children, or at least nine by reference to Krishna’s order of birth! Bangladesh migrants are a problem not necessarily because they are Muslim but because they are illicit entrants. In the past year, more Nepalese migrants have entered India than Bangladeshis on account of disturbed conditions in the Kingdom. Does their faith matter? They come to seek refuge. Meanwhile, the findings of Prof Roop Rehka Verma’s recently published “Study of Textbooks in Non-Governmental Schools in Uttar Pradesh” are disquieting. Her survey of books used in RSS schools, including the large chain of Saraswati Vidya Mandirs, reveals an uncritical glorification of Brahmanism and associated notions of hierarchy. Gujarat’s continued mocking of justice reminds us of how much we need to do to promote reconciliation and fraternity. Muslims there continue to suffer ghettoisation and economic boycott among other indignities. A distinguished and totally integrated, secular professor has confessed that he is unable to buy or rent accommodation in a cosmopolitan neighbourhood in Vadodara only because he is a Muslim. How very shameful! It is a matter for concern that communal violence has been manifest of late with rioting at several places. The Centre introduced a Communal Violence (Prevention, Control and Rehabilitation of Victims) Bill last December, which has some good points but needs improvement. But legislation cannot help where political will is lacking, as demonstrated by the pathetic neglect of the Scheduled Castes Commission and the fate of the Prevention of Atrocities Act and the Places of Worship Protection Act, both of which have virtually remained dead letters. Equally disconcerting has been the recrudescence of a siege mentality among sections of Muslim Indians. The Muslim Personal Law Board some months back inveighed against the Supreme Court’s order to the Centre and states to frame rules for compulsory registration of marriages within three months. This is intended to protect women’s rights over property and in case of desertion. Likewise, clerical opposition to another more recent court ruling that a triple talaq uttered by an inebriated husband shall be deemed invalid on voluntary retraction is difficult to understand. The continuing opposition to a uniform civil code, which constitutionally and legally would leave personal laws intact, is also inexplicable. More disturbing is the letter written earlier this month by two highly respected clerics of the Ajmer Dargah and the Dar-ul-Uloom, Deoband, to the Prime Minister. They link Muslim support for the Congress in the on-going general elections and Ms Sonia Gandhi’s byelection to action by the government that goes beyond “cosmetic utterances”. They want Dr Manmohan Singh “to deliver peace to the Valley of Kashmir rather than (pay) lip-service to Indian Muslims”. This they do as secular Muslims who recognise J&K as part of India. They also express “resentment” over the government’s friendly overtures towards the US President. Both statements are unfortunate and uninformed and constitute an unwarranted even if unintended intrusion of religion into politics. Diplomatic relations are guided by the national interest and not on the basis of religious labels. And when the J&K peace process is slowly gathering momentum, what is the purpose of the electoral ultimatum the clerics wish to deliver? These are all issues that standing committees of the National Integration Council could discuss and iron out. The Council has been restored but must be put to
work.
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Knowing Bollywood BOLLYWOOD has invaded all our lives. Even those who studiously avoid watching Hindi movies, both on the wide screen and on TV, and never glance at the numerous film magazines available on the stands, know all about the Hindi film industry. The prime time National News is so peppered with titbits of Bollywood news that it ensures our education about the happenings in this glamorous world. Without having seen “Murder” one knows exactly how many times Ms Sehrawat kissed Mr Hashmi (or is it the other way around?) during the film. It is not necessary to have seen “Bunty Aur Babli” to know that the hit item song was penned by Mr Gulzar and filmed on Ms Rai and the two Mr Bachchans. The news also tells us what Mr Bachchan ate for breakfast. While this may be acceptable because Mr Bachchan is, after all, a national icon and was, at that, going through a critical medical situation, one is left a little perplexed as to what is so newsworthy about the blue that Tara Deshpande chooses for her bedroom walls for it to be in primetime news. This was not always the case. Two generations ago a large cross-section of people remained blissfully ignorant of the goings-on in the Hindi film world — (it had not yet become Bollywood!) — both on and off the screen, sometimes with hilarious results. A tea planter, who knew nothing about the Hindi film world, was on a flight to Srinagar. He found himself sitting next to a handsome young man who introduced himself as Mr Shammi Kapoor. The tea planter was ignorant of the fact that Mr Kapoor was a film star at the same level of popularity then as Mr Shah Rukh Khan is today. “Are you going to Srinagar on business?” “No I am going to do some shooting.” “Good lord Sir!” the tea planter exclaimed in shocked dismay. “You can’t do that — its not the season!” Even more hilarious was the case of the Brigadier’s wife who too was totally ignorant about film matters. She had some houseguests and after having exhausted all avenues of entertainment she thought of a film at the small Brigade cinema hall. She rang up the manager to ask what movie was being screened. “Dil Bhi Tera Hum Bhi Tere,” answered a cheerful male voice. The lady was sure that the man at the other end was being fresh with her. But not knowing his name she decided not to make an issue of it. Two days later she called again, this time taking the precaution to ask his name before making her query. “Tu Nahin Aur Sahi”, came the prompt reply. The lady was sure that he had recognised her voice. She was furious and made a big issue of the matter — only to discover to her chagrin that there were movies with these names and they had been screened in the Brigade cinema on the days in
question. |
Operation Rescue needed to help Punjab farmers A
Majority of Punjab farmers are “born in debt, live in debt and die in debt”, wrote Sir Malcolm Darling in his most influential book
Punjab Peasantry in Prosperity and Debt about 100 years ago. The findings are as true today as they were a century ago. Crushed by the heavy load of debt, helpless farmers are compelled to commit suicide to escape the vicious circle of indebtedness. Arrest warrants against 14,000 defaulter farmers from a single bank in Bathinda district and of a whole village in Sangrur district are symptoms of the bigger malady. Situation continued to be grim in other districts. According to a recent NSSO survey, every 38 of 100 Punjabi farmers are ready to quit immediately, given a chance of alternative employment. The problem raises questions that cry for answers and policy initiatives. What really had happened during 1990s that compelled some farmers to end their life? Do the roots lie in deteriorating peasant economy or the problem has its social and cultural aspects as well? What rescue operations are immediately needed to avert more suicides? What constitute viable policy options for its long-term solution? The recent NSSO survey and findings of the National Commission on Farmers throw some light on the problem. Punjab farmers, according to the survey, found to be the most indebted in India. The decade of 1990s saw rapid rise in farm debt. Farmers were compelled to borrow, their repaying capability suffered and debt burden accumulated. Their problem was compounded by the commercial banks’ reluctance to lend loans. They were allowed to default of not supplying the mandatory requirement lending 18 per cent of their credit supply to agriculture sector under the priority sector lending programme. Against the target, the banks were just supplying 12 per cent to the agriculture sector. Backtracking of financial institutions pushed the helpless farmers to clutches of moneylenders. As a result, farmers were forced to pay a huge 24-36 per cent interest to private moneylenders than 9-12 per cent charged by the financial institutions. The banks continue to charge 9-12 per cent interest from farmers whereas they advanced loans for purchase of consumer durable items at 4-7 per cent per annum. There was also an alarming rise in farmer borrowings for capital investment (tractor, tubewells, soil conservation etc.) purposes in Punjab. Compared to 5 per cent in 1992, 26 per cent of farm indebtedness in 2003 was due to borrowing for this purpose. Worse, depletion of ground water and deteriorating soil quality forced farmers to borrow heavily. Depletion of underground water forced them to deepen tubewells every fifth year. The traditional centrifugal water lifting technology became redundant and was to be replaced by much costly submersible technology. As a result, sunk capital investment multiplied many times. The result: debt accumulation. The most serious blow to peasant economy resulted from serious deceleration or near stagnation in the agricultural growth in Punjab during the 1990s. Repeated failure of cotton crop bankrupted the cotton farmers. There has been no change in the paddy yield today since the late 1980s. Wheat yield improved but marginally. The Punjab Agricultural University could not do much to break stagnation. The cost of agricultural production rose sharply. Let alone covering the rising cost of living of farmers, the increment in minimum support prices was not enough even to cover the rising cost of production. How to resolve the financial distress and rescue Punjab farmers from committing suicides? There is need for “Operation farm rescue” to help the farmers. The government should implement the relief measures recommended recently by the National Commission on Farmers headed by Dr M.S. Swaminathan. These include moratorium on debt recovery and staggering of recovery in easy instalments of the chronically indebted farmers, and waiving of loans or at least interest of the small and marginal farmers adversely hit by crop failure. Check corruption and ensure transparency by involving farmers and community organisations in disbursement of loans, and reduce the rate on interest on farm loans to 4 per cent simple. Repeal the Act empowering the state to jail a farmer even for paltry amount. The long term solution lies in rejuvenating the economy to ensure the sustainability, productivity and profitability of farming in Punjab. This is possible through polices and programmes aimed at breaking the current stagnation in production and productivity. The solution lies in creating investment opportunities for the farmers, improvement of agricultural technology and sustainability of natural resources. The agricultural research and development needs to be revitalised to cash in on recent breakthrough in biotechnology. Dramatic gains from adopting Green revolution during 1960s and Bt. cotton at present are before us. The so-called second Green Revolution will not be possible without adopting the latest technology. The state should also accord priority to water conservation. It must invest in water recharge wells to reverse the alarming depletion of underground water. Moreover, the government must put pressure on developing countries in WTO negotiations to withdraw agricultural subsidies so that our exports will have a level playing field in international trade. The government must initiate polices aimed at shifting the marginal and small farmers to modern sector activities to reduce excessive dependence of population on agriculture. This requires an integrated approach of human resource
development.
The writer is Reader, Department of Economics, Panjab University, Chandigarh |
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Towards uniform cable rates THE Delhi High Court’s directive to the Centre to implement the Conditional Access System (CAS) in Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata within four weeks is timely. In Chennai, the TV Regulation (Amendment) Act has already been implemented. Significantly, the court has imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on the Centre towards damages for the multi-system operators (MSOs) for delaying the implementation of the scheme since July 2003. The cable operators have been increasing the cable rates indiscriminately. The Telephone Regulatory Authority of India has allowed cable operators and broadcasters to increase the rates by 4 per cent from January 1, 2006 due to inflation. The new rates will be applicable for payments to be made by consumers, cable operators and MSOs. In October 2004, TRAI had frozen cable charges excluding taxes in respect of both free to air and pay channels. Before the announcement of hike in rates by TRAI, the cable operators have already increased the rates substantially. Unfortunately, there is no uniformity in the rates. Even in a single city there is wide variation. When the TV Network Regulation Act was passed in December 2002 on the recommendation of the Rakesh Mohan Committee, it was to be made applicable throughout the country in one go, as the Act enacted by Parliament should be ipso facto made applicable. Apparently, owing to some infirmities such as shortage of top set up boxes, this has not been implemented. The government tried to implement it in phases, but in vain. Originally, the government has fixed Rs 72 for 30 free to air channels, but now consumers can enjoy many more free channels. After the Act comes into force, viewers will have a wider choice. They need to pay only for those pay channels they intend to watch. Besides, they will be free from the clutches of the cable operators. To help consumers, authorities at the local level should fix the rates in accordance with the investment, MSOs’ fee, overhead charges and their profit so that they are not fleeced by the cable operators. In countries like Japan, market forces introduced CAS. In India, the government needs to intervene to safeguard the interests of the consumers. Simultaneously, there is need for a permanent regulatory authority with licensing and registering powers as well as to regulate the rates as had happened in many public utilities like telecom, insurance, power etc. In the absence of such authority, there have been conflicting views by the concerned parties over the cable rates. To bring down the cost of set up boxes, the government should reduce customs duty on cable industries. Alternatively, DTH will help those who cannot afford the high initial cost of set up boxes. In China, the government does not allow the MSOs/cable operators to charge even a pie for the programmes except advertisement charges. The government eliminates exploitation. Since Parliament has passed the Act, it should be enforced throughout the country. |
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Delhi Durbar Railway
Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav’s daughter got married last week and a grand reception was hosted at the Ashok Hotel. Senior Congress leader Satyavarat Chaturvedi also celebrated his daughter’s wedding the same day at his residence. Next in line is AICC general secretary Janardhan Dwivedi’s daughter’s wedding. While the Railway Minister and Mr Chaturvedi sent out regular invitation cards, Mr Dwivedi chose to add a personal touch to his invitation. Written on a scroll in simple Hindi, the Congress leader, known for his literary pursuits, has penned a one-page letter in which he shares his thoughts about how he found a groom for his daughter and how the entire family had pitched in for the wedding arrangements. Arjun treated
with kid gloves Ever since Union Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh stirred up things with his controversial proposal on extending reservations, he is being treated with kid gloves. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called up Mr Arjun Singh from Germany last week, requesting him to attend the meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs, which had been convened by Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee to take stock of the Nepal developments. Mr Mukherjee, who was apparently quite nervous that the HRD Minister may chose to stay away from the meeting, especially came down to the gate to receive the ailing senior leader. In fact, Mr Arjun Singh is the only Minister whose car is allowed right up to the doorstep of the PM’s official residence while other ministers have to walk some distance from the gate. PM’s rapport
with Karimov Prime Minister Manmohan Singh appeared to have struck an immediate rapport with Uzbek President Islam Karimov on his one-day halt in Uzbekistan on his return from Germany last week. This was evident from the manner in which the Uzbek President deviated from protocol and insisted on accompanying Dr Singh to the airport to see him off. Uzbek Prime Minister Shavakat Mirziyayev was originally entrusted with this task. Waiving aside the coffee which was about to be served at the dinner hosted by the Uzbek President, Karimov suddenly jumped up to announce his decision. Not only did Karimov come to see off Dr Singh but the discussions between the two continued at the airport, delaying the flight back to New Delhi. Indian food
for Lahore Encouraged by the current bonhomie between India and Pakistan, the first North Indian food chain ‘Pulse Foods’ promoted by Saroj Poddar, industrialist, is aspiring to take Indian food to Lahore — the Mecca of Punjabis. Its CEO Neeraj Jain, who is married to a Lahori girl, plans to serve ‘Pulse food’ on Lahore’s famous Food Street and on the Amritsar-Lahore highway. Now that Pakistan has made the screening of Indian movies, entrepreneurs here are hoping that President Musharraf will be generous enough to allow Indian food to be served as well. Contributed by Satish Mishra, Prashant Sood, Manoj Kumar and Anita Katyal
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From the pages of End of the war
The war has ended, badly beaten Nippon having accepted the Allied surrender terms in toto. But the victory over the aggressor will not by itself usher in an era of peace and prosperity in the long-suffering Orient. That depends on the measure of statesmanship the victors will bring to bear on the shaping of the future not only of Japan but also of those counties that will be freed from the Japanese yoke. The victors must realise that they have as little right to impose their will on those countries as Japan had. The mere fact that they installed themselves in those countries as masters in the last century of European Imperialism cannot either make their aggression less iniquitous or give them any moral right to be there. In fact the older the wrong the more grievous it becomes. If the Atlantic Charter and other finely worded declarations made by the Allies during the war have any meaning then the European Powers should get ready to liquidate their Empires in Asia. |
They alone have rendered true service who attained contentment and mediated on none but the Truest of the True. They never treaded the path of evil, rendered good to others and practiced righteousness. They loosened worldly bonds and ate and drank in moderation. —
Guru Nanak There is no destruction, for the one who tries to attain perfection either here or hereafter. A transcentalist is never put to grief. The less evolved unsuccessful one is reborn in the house of the pious and prosperous after attaining heaven and living there for many years. —
The Bhagavadgita Delusion is the first step towards frustration. When a man cannot acquire the material objects of his dreams, he is full of anger towards the world. He feels he is being deprived unfairly of what he should normally have got.
His frustration adds to the weight of his unhappiness. — The
Bhagavadgita When a young warrior accomplishes what
others established and renowned warriors could not, the latter consider it a personal insult.
The saplings of hope in their hearts shrivel and this they cannot tolerate. —
The Mahabharata |
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