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Terror strikes again Sensex shocks |
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Rebellion in Jharkhand Marandi’s exit yet another blow to BJP The resignation of former Jharkhand Chief Minister Babulal Marandi from the primary membership of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Lok Sabha is bound to be viewed as a big setback both for the party and the Jharkhand government.
Reservation and rhetoric
Not my foot!
Hurriyat fails the test A new heroine in Myanmar Delhi Durbar
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Terror strikes again Sunday’s terrorist strike on a Congress rally in Srinagar, resulting in the death of seven people, including two policemen, exposed the complacency of those in charge of security in the valley. It could have been worse had Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad not changed his schedule to address the gathering organised at Sher-e-Kashmir Park to mark the 15th death anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi. The two “fidayeen” attackers in police uniform, armed with AK 47 rifles and hand-grenades, had little difficulty in ripping through the security umbrella. But this is not the first time that they used this tactic to hoodwink the security personnel. They have done it before also and, therefore, this should have been anticipated and pre-emptive measures put in place. Heads must roll for this security lapse regardless of the explanations that may be trotted out. It is surprising how the terrorists succeeded in executing such a big attack when the security strategy was thoroughly reviewed after the large-scale killings in Doda and Udhampur earlier this month. No loophole should have been left unplugged when the authorities knew that terrorists were waiting for opportunities to spring surprises. In recent weeks there has been a marked upswing in terrorist violence, and militants have invariably tried to strike before any major peace initiative. This factor should have been kept in mind to thwart the plans of the terrorists. The Pakistan-based United Jihad Council and a few terrorist outfits associated with it have openly threatened to disrupt the second round of the roundtable conference to be addressed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Srinagar on May 24-25. Making phone calls to media persons from across the border, they have warned of dire consequences if in particular separatist leaders dared to attend the meeting. Nobody who wants resolution of the Kashmir crisis through dialogue should get influenced by what the terrorist outfits say. But there is need to remind Islamabad once again of the commitment it has made not to allow any territory under its control to be used for terrorism. The so-called Jihad Council and its affiliates cannot pursue their destructive agenda without the support of the Pakistan government.
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Sensex shocks The
volatile swings that have characterised the movement of the stock market over the last few days continued on Monday, but even the pessimists would not have expected the 1100 point fall that took the Sensex below the five digit mark. It was the single biggest intra-day fall in the market’s history, and only the second time that trading was stopped. The first time that happened in May 2004, was in a climate of political change and uncertainty. No such political uncertainty exists today, and the fact that such a plunge took place points to how deeply market sentiment has been affected. Much of what has happened over the last few days can still be characterised as a process of healthy correction, triggered by global and domestic factors. But the steepness of the fall is cause for serious concern. The Sensex recovered several hundred points, still closing well below the opening. As expected, the Finance Ministry attempted to talk up the market with soothing palliatives about strong growth prospects based on fundamentals. Mr Chidambaram pointed to broker-led selling on proprietary accounts and there were claims that foreign institutional investors and mutual funds had ended the day as net buyers. For the lay investor, there is no cause for panic. The shocks and swings, for all the loss they have caused, do not indicate that long term trends have been affected. The market is a much more integrated affair today, not just with other equity markets around the world, but with commodities, metals and currency, which have all seen a downturn. In spite of that, however, the buy and hold investor is still doing well, as against the short term traders. The fact that cumulative falls over the last few days approach the 20 per cent mark, which qualifies for a true bear market, might mean that downside limits are still unclear. In this season of volatility, prudence should be the small investor’s watchword.
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Rebellion in Jharkhand The resignation of former Jharkhand Chief Minister Babulal Marandi from the primary membership of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Lok Sabha is bound to be viewed as a big setback both for the party and the Jharkhand government. Close on the heels of the exit of Ms Uma Bharti and Mr Madan Lal Khurana from the BJP, Mr Marandi’s resignation is yet another blow to the party. Mr Marandi is not only a senior leader but also a strong tribal leader of the state. He had been the party’s vice-president and the lone Lok Sabha member from the state. The immediate fallout of his resignation is the fate of the BJP-ruled state government headed by Mr Arjun Munda, who is considered Mr Marandi’s bete noire. The Munda government is surviving with a razor-thin majority. Two MLAs have already pledged their support to Mr Marandi. And if they resign from the state assembly, it would spell trouble for the Munda government. Even though Mr Marandi has vowed to expose “corruption” in the government and its “inability to handle the Naxalite menace” in the state, he has been unhappy with the Chief Minister and the national party leaders since the last assembly elections when he was denied the post of chief minister. The immediate cause of his rebellion is Mr Munda managing to get his own man as the state party president. Clearly, the BJP’s central leadership is deeply worried about the larger implications of Mr Marandi’s exit. Mr Marandi has recently floated the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha along with UPA convenor and Independent MLA Stephen Marandi. His plans for launching a regional party could send wrong signals to the party’s rank and file, especially after a similar move by Ms Uma Bharti in Madhya Pradesh. With charges of corruption compounded by dissidence, factionalism, personal agendas and ego clashes afflicting the party leaders everywhere, especially in the BJP-ruled states — Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat — the BJP is no more the “party with a difference”. Surprisingly, the party leaders have failed to learn any lesson from their defeat in the Lok Sabha elections.
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The rainbow comes and goes,/And lovely is the rose. — William Wordsworth
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Reservation and rhetoric ANY rational assessment of reservations and the fury they have caused must separate the strands that go to make up the explosive whole. At one level, affirmative action is a legitimate mechanism to try to lift the status of the underprivileged in independent India. At another, the issue has degenerated into a cynical political game to achieve or retain power. But for all the ills reservations have spawned, they have empowered previously disadvantaged intermediate castes. Other castes, however, remain disadvantaged and in need of succour. The problem is how to achieve the objective. Seeking to limit the intake of meritorious candidates for the disadvantaged in national institutions of learning is asking for trouble. The government’s formula of expanding these institutions is impractical because it would either erode the quality of education or entail a wait till additional qualified faculty can be employed and physical infrastructure put in place. There is much hypocrisy in paying lip service to reservations because no political party, whatever its beliefs, wants to oppose them for fear of losing votes. At best, they might decry “creamy layers” of caste groups enjoying privileges, but political parties are very mindful of caste vote banks. Public debate on the issue, therefore, becomes inhibited by considerations of what is politically correct. It is no secret that reservations, initially intended to be time-barred temporary measures to level the playing field, have become semi-permanent fixtures. Southern India points to its decades’ old experience with reservations made at the expense of the higher castes. Others focus on the limited benefits those who need reservations most have received. But the manner in which reservations have been effected represents a larger failure. It is self-evident that the best way to lift the disadvantaged is to start at the primary and secondary levels of schooling. India’s record in this area has been dismal and while private schools of all descriptions and centres of excellence in higher education have proliferated, the poor, often synonymous with lower castes, have been left to the mercies of under-funded, ill-tutored government schools. There are super achievers who surmount these hurdles to make good, but they are the exceptions to the rule. To start at the top in reserving places for the disadvantaged is putting the cart before the horse. To pull down institutions that are universally recognised as centres of excellence will do no service to the disadvantaged and the country. And expanding them overnight, as the government is attempting to do, is no solution because major institutions are organic beings, which cannot be arbitrarily stretched to meet political demands at a time they cannot fill the existing vacancies in their faculty, in view of the demand for competent higher instructors. Given the fury of the demand of medical students and others who fear that they will be made sacrificial goats at the altar of political expediency, the ruling political establishment must temper its policies to a more rational level. Despite the rhetoric, the government cannot please all. It must formulate a policy that will help the disadvantaged over time without sacrificing the excellence of institutions of higher learning by fixing arbitrary percentages. The one great benefit of the present debate, in spite of the disruption of medical services, is that there is a new focus on the plight of the other half. The Bharatiya Janata Party found to its cost in the general election two years ago that India couldn’t shine as long as half the country remains poor. Perhaps as a rebound, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has been emphasising the needs of the poor, even broaching the question of reservations in the private sector. This has elicited a reaction, in terms of the private sector seeking to formulate programmes for the poor on a voluntary basis. This is all to the good. Competition in electoral politics and the privileged elite that has benefited most from caste-based reservations have served to accentuate, rather than diminish caste differences. In a sense, this was unavoidable as is the arrogance of intermediate castes in oppressing the lowest castes. But the authorities can learn some lessons from a half-century of experience in bettering the lot of the poorest. Doubts arise from the nature of the political equations. It is easier for the government to impose reservations, courts permitting, than to work out longer-term remedies that are more sustainable. India has made progress in many fields, but it has failed in providing universal primary education of even basic quality and has not effectively improved secondary education. The rhetoric of equal opportunities presents a stark contrast to the situation on the ground. Perhaps the fault lies in the mindset of the establishment, essentially elitist in character. Any country aspiring to greatness needs centres of excellence in education and scientific research, but progress in the long term and equity depend upon a sound underpinning in primary and secondary education. Other countries in the developing world such as Indonesia have been far more successful in giving their peoples universal primary education than India. The reservations issue will be resolved after a fashion, but the ghosts of past failure will continue to haunt the Indian establishment. After the Supreme Court struck down the latest bout of reservations in educational establishments, the government hurriedly brought a Bill in Parliament making new reservations for Other Backward Castes, in addition to the existing reservations for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes. There seems to have been little inclination then to think through the consequences of such a measure. The South might be used to absurd levels of reservations, given the background to the Dravidian movement, but the rest of the country signalled that piling up reservations at the expense of others outside the net is unacceptable. How the government will square the circle remains to be seen, but the larger establishment must put heads together to find an equitable way out of the cul-de-sac. The shriller the rhetoric from the two sides, the more difficult it will be to find a solution that does good to the underprivileged without creating new
problems.
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Not my foot! A Parisian rich heiress in her early 30s was hosting a formal sit-down dinner for some VIP guests. The meal proceeded in good order until a while later a maid came in and stood near the table as if asking for instructions. The hostess looked surprised and said: “No, thank you, I did not want you”. On this the maid left the room. A few minutes thereafter, however, she appeared there again awaiting orders. Now the hostess thought for just a moment end understood what had happened. She sent the maid away and turned to the guest sitting next to her. “Sir”, she said, What you are pressing is the bell in the floor, and not my foot”. A young man of rather modest means thought it was likely to be a useful investment for him to send a present to his very rich elderly aunt: it would at any rate brighten the prospect of his figuring in her will with a generous bequest. So he was very glad to find an exceedingly expensive-looking vase in a store marked with a nominal price. The reason for the marking down of the price was that the vase was badly cracked, and in fact the broken pieces had been reassembled and made to stand on the shelf for appearance sake. To our young hopeful this looked like a veritable windfall. The present would cost him little to buy, while the aunt would be much impressed: she would think the vase had broken while in transit. So he quickly handed over the price to the salesman and gave him the address to which the parcel had to be forwarded. Things, however, then decided to take an unexpected turn. Allowance had apparently not been made for the super-efficiency of the packing department of the
store. There each broken piece was carefully wrapped up separately before being dispatched. When the nephew happened to meet the aunt next, he was surprised to see that there was a distinct chill in the air. Tailpiece: a couple in China has hit the headlines for almost making a habit of marrying — and divorcing — each other time and again quite rapidly. Their first marriage came to an end after a violent quarrel during the honeymoon, while the divorce after the second one was mother-in-law induced. “Love” apparently surfaced again and now they are in their third innings having tied the knot the third time. All this they “accomplished” in a mere 11
months!
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Hurriyat fails the test THE shameful, condemnable terrorist attack on the Congress party rally on May 21, aimed at stalling the peace talks between India and Pakistan, has rightly been defused by the Prime Minister’s courageous and immediate response. He has said that notwithstanding this dastardly attack, the round table talks with the various leaders of Jammu and Kashmir scheduled to take place in Srinagar will continue. Of course, it calls for a more incisive look into the attitude of Pakistan to these attacks. It is also a matter of concern that our security forces and intelligence agencies have been taken totally by surprise. There were too many coincident instances of gruesome tragedies happening on this date, that is May 21, in earlier years. Maulvi Mohammad Farooq, father of Mirwaiz Umer Farooq was shot dead by two assassins at Srinagar on this date, as was Abdul Ghani Lone, Chairman of the People’s Conference. With this background, the intelligence agencies and security forces should have taken more secure steps. The newspaper reports that all this mayhem was carried out by just a couple of terrorists dressed in police uniform, makes one wonder as to what kind of security and intelligence arrangements are made for a meeting which was to be addressed by top leaders, including the Chief Minister of the State. Surely, at such a meeting, the police and security personnel on duty must have some special identity indicators to separate them from intruders who might break into the security cordon. From reports in the press, it appears that the terrorists, dressed in police uniform, were spraying bullets at random without any obstruction. As a matter of fact, one of them was helped even by a random public person, assuming he was a policeman Of course the probe will follow. But let us be clear that some more solid, concrete measures will have to be evolved to prevent these kinds of tragic incidents. There is no doubt that such vicious armed attacks do strain the credibility of Indo-Pak parleys. The talks between Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and the Jammu and Kashmir leaders has assumed further significance because of this gruesome attack. The Hurriyat had been publicly showing its insensitivity about its having talks with the Prime Minister. The present attack gave an opportunity to the Hurriyat and leaders like Yasin Malik and Shabbir Shah to react with substance. Instead, they are merely taking cover under an excuse that talks are taking place with other political parties and groups too, and not exclusively with the Hurriyat, and that there is no necessity for these leaders to participate in talks at Srinagar. Their refusal to participate has cast great doubt on their genuineness and commitment to the peace process. It tends to suggest that possibly, they are under some extraneous influence – a situation hardly befitting a group which claims to be carrying on a struggle for the dignity, self-respect and rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Possibly, the Hurriyat has worked out this strategy with a view to presumptuously proclaim itself as a bigger and more exclusive group, with whom alone the government of India has to come to a settlement. It is understandable that for some time, the government of India may continue to have talks separately with the Hurriyat and other leaders like Yasin Malik and Shabbir Shah. But there should at least be a reciprocal courtesy by the Hurriyat. When the Prime Minister is sitting with other representatives of Jammu and Kashmir, these organizations should also participate in it. Whether they participate actively by joining the deliberations or keep quiet and just listen is their own choice. But normal courtesy and protocol should be observed by the Hurriyat, and it should not pretend to arrogate to itself the right to hijack such vital talks on Kashmir by claiming an exclusive privilege to settle the matter, and purporting to suggest that it has the backing of Pakistan and General Musharraf. The privilege of the Indian Prime Minister and General Musharraf to continue the peace talks belongs exclusively to them. Of course, they will necessarily decide their strategy and course of action in consultation with the people of J&K. But surely, the Indian government does not need any mediatory group to talk with General Musharraf, nor does the latter require the services of Hurriyat to talk frankly with the Indian Prime Minister. The rapport and understanding between the Prime Minister and the General is well-known. Here was a real test for the Hurriyat and other leaders to show their mettle and to prove that they stand for a peaceful outcome of the J&K problem. It could only have been done by joining the talks as this would have sent a message to the militants that it condemns their action, which is harmful to the interests of the people of J&K, that the Hurriyat is willing to take on the onslaught of the militants, and is not caving in by not joining the talks because of the fear of reprisal. The refusal by Hurriyat, Yasin Malik and Shabbir Shah to join the talks shows them as craven people who refuse to take on the fight against the militants. By this attitude, they run the risk of thoroughly disappointing their friends and well-wishers.
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A new heroine in Myanmar SU Su Nway was orphaned as a child and has a heart condition. But that hasn’t kept her from challenging one of the most brutal regimes on Earth. The soft-spoken 34-year-old, who lives just outside Yangon, thought it was wrong that local officials forced her and her neighbors to work repairing a road without pay. So she took them to court under a 1999 law, never enforced, that banned compulsory labor. To the surprise of many, a judge convicted the town chairman and a deputy last year and sentenced them to eight months in prison. It was the first time a government official had been jailed in Myanmar, also known as Burma, for the widespread practice of making citizens work for free. But in the end, Su Su Nway paid a bigger price. The new town chairman accused her of harassing him by shouting and swearing at him. She denied the charge, insisting, “As a Burmese Buddhist girl, I would not do such things as they said I did.” But she was found guilty by a different judge of “insulting and disrupting a government official on duty.” She got 18 months. “That this would be grounds for an intimidation case is ludicrous,’’ said Richard Horsey, the chief representative in Myanmar of the United Nations’ International Labor Organization. “She’s about 5 feet tall with a heart condition. The idea that she would yell obscenities and that village leaders are going to be intimidated is highly unlikely.” After taking the mayor to court, she challenged the regime further by speaking out on the Democratic Voice of Burma, an opposition radio service that is operated from Norway and broadcasts in Myanmar despite strict censorship laws. With her arrest, Su Su Nway joined the more than 1,100 political prisoners in Myanmar. The best-known is opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, 60, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate who has been detained for more than 10 of the last 16 years. Su Su Nway, part of a new generation of activists, is a youth leader in Suu Kyi’s political party, the National League for Democracy. Her courage in challenging the regime has won her international attention. A resident of Htan Manaing village near Yangon, the former capital, she was the first to file a complaint under the 1999 law — five years after it was passed. Her case opened the door for other complaints to be heard, and within months, 10 officials had been sentenced to prison for forcing citizens to work. One of those she sent to prison was her cousin. The regime has long relied on forced labor to carry out public-works projects and fill the ranks of the army. Children as young as 12 have been forcibly recruited as soldiers, said Horsey, the International Labor Organization liaison officer in Myanmar. By some estimates, as many as 800,000 people have been forced by the regime to work without compensation. The practice is most common in areas with a significant military presence, such as in ethnic-minority regions where the army is fighting separatist rebels.
— By arrangement with
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Delhi Durbar AFTER the recent thumping victory of Congress President Sonia Gandhi from Rae Bareli in the Lok Sabha by-election, the spotlight is once again on the Gandhi family. This is being taken in political circles as the first signs of a possible expansion of the Congress in the Hindi heartland, particularly Uttar Pradesh. The television media was going ga ga about Rahul Gandhi’s poll management and repeatedly flashed Priyanka’s comment appreciating the efforts of her brother as their mother’s poll manager. One of the politicians known for his witty comments observed: “If Robert Vadra (husband of Priyanka) has to shift the media’s attention towards him he should contest the election from Robertganj. It will have a dual effect. Robert will steal media attention and the Congress could expand in at least one more constituency in Uttar Pradesh!” In the wake of the anti-reservation movement gaining ground, the Human Resource Development ministry has been coerced to take counter action. Senior officials of the ministry have directed autonomous bodies under their purview to do their bit for the cause of the disadvantaged groups. This explains why an autonomous body meant for fostering research recently lent out its premises to a social group for organising a seminar in favour of reservations. Not only were the organisers accommodated in the main building instead of a community hall in its precincts, the autonomous body even spent a neat sum to spruce up the lecture hall where the speakers extolled the merits of reservation. Comrades in arms If the Left parties have played their part in the restoration of multi-party democracy in Nepal, certain other political parties like the NCP are not far behind in doing their bit with politicians in the trouble torn neighbouring country. It is not that union Agriculture minister Sharad Pawar’s NCP has any special interest in Nepal but Tripathi has his connections in that country. During his student days in the Jawaharlal Nehru University, Tripathi made friends with many Nepalese students who are now playing a key role in their country. Tripathi, Maoist leader Baburam Bhattarai and Sitaram Yechuri were together at NU around the same time. Tripathi was also the president of the JNU students union. Recently, Nepali Maoist leader Prachanda reportedly had a secret closed door meeting at Tripathi’s house, along with Yechuri. Urban
angst Urban Development Minister Jaipal Reddy was put on the defensive by the BJP during the debate in the Upper House on the bill proposing a one-year moratorium on punitive action against unauthorised construction in the national capital. Picking up on Reddy’s comments that the poor provided services to the rich in cities, BJP leaders accused him of supporting moves that perpetuate poverty. Those who thought that Delhi would follow Shanghai or Beijing in urban planning in the years ahead should look elsewhere. The Urban Development Ministry does not believe that Delhi can or should be like the two burgeoning Asian cities known for their fast growth. The Ministry apparently feels that following examples of such foreign megalopolises would require large scale dislocation of the poor. Mr Reddy says that the strength of the country’s system is that the poor co-exist with the rich.
***** Contributed by S Satyanarayanan, Prashant Sood and Smriti Kak Ramachandran
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From the pages of APPEAL TO REFUGEES
In the New Year Day messages our leaders have made passionate appeals to Hindus and Sikhs of the West Punjab, who have suffered colossal and irreparable losses during the last six or seven months, to forget the past and bend their energies to the creation of a strong and prosperous East Punjab. The tragic happenings in the West Punjab, following the establishment of Pakistan, have left Hindus and Sikhs of that province prostrate. Having been forcibly deprived of their hearths and homes and driven out of the land of their birth, they are seeking succour and shelter in the East Punjab. We also have a word to say to the refugees themselves. They have one and all suffered terribly…they should stop brooding over them and start reconstructing their life in right earnest. They should abandon the spirit of grab, and realise that there are lakhs of other sufferers who need help more urgently than they do.
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Some of us realize the goal of life through our work, that is karma. They are the karmaygonis. They work for the pleasure of working and achieve full happiness in having done their best. Working devotedly is the same as worshiping God for them. — The Bhagvad Gita God cannot be realised through scholarship. He is beyond the scriptures, the Vedas, Puranas and Tantras. — Ramakrishna The force of spirit is ever progressive and endless. Its full expression makes it unconquerable in the world. — Mahatma Gandhi Deals made without forethought becomes entanglements. — Guru Nanak They who hearken to the Name of God, are beyond the reach of death. — Guru Nanak Forsake not words; forsake only words of envy and greed. — The Upanishads
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