O P I N I O N S

PERSPECTIVE

Afghan opposes Pak plan to fence Durand Line
by I. Ramamohan Rao
NEW DELHIi: There is a deep mistrust in Afghanistan about Pakistan’s intention to introduce a permit system for persons crossing into its territory from Afghanistan, as also a move to fence and mine the Durand Line. The move by Islamabad to consider fencing is being seen in Kabul as propagandist ploy to counter the allegation that Pakistan has been giving shelter to the Taliban.

SC order leaves no option before CMs than to reform the police
by Kiran Bedi
WE as citizens could not have waited for more! And as cops, something, we had waited for last 30 years or since our Independence in 1947.The Supreme Court in its judgement of January 11, 2007, reiterated seven categorical directions which it had delivered on September 22, 2006.

Look long-term for food security
by P.S. Rangi
AGRICULTURE is the backbone of Punjab’s economy. It contributes almost 40 per cent of the state gross domestic product and supports a large number of rural population. In the past four decades, Punjab has been contributing about 50 per cent towards the country’s food stocks.

OPED

On Record
Free and fair polls not possible under Musharraf, says Sharif
by Prashant Sood
Q: How is your party preparing for elections in Pakistan?

A: We are always ready for the elections. In 1997, we created a record in the last 60 years.

Profile
Runaway success for ISRO Chief
by Harihar Swarup
BEWARE tax evaders! You could be detected by an orbiting satellite if you have built a house and not paid the income tax. The actual plan of houses up to one-metre accuracy could be found out from the space. The satellite images could as well be used in town and rural planning; the boundaries of each land area could be easily identified.

Don’t forget your soldiers
by Lt-Gen Vijay Oberoi (retd)
JANUARY 15 is Army Day, the 57th since its inception in 1950, when the first Indian General (later Field Marshal) K.M. Cariappa assumed the prestigious office of the head of the Indian Army. The day is marked by remembrance of officers and jawans of the Army, who had sacrificed their lives and limbs in the service of the nation.

PERSPECTIVE

Afghan opposes Pak plan to fence Durand Line
by I. Ramamohan Rao

NEW DELHI: There is a deep mistrust in Afghanistan about Pakistan’s intention to introduce a permit system for persons crossing into its territory from Afghanistan, as also a move to fence and mine the Durand Line. The move by Islamabad to consider fencing is being seen in Kabul as propagandist ploy to counter the allegation that Pakistan has been giving shelter to the Taliban. It is universally accepted that it is physically impossible to fence and mine the Durand Line, as the terrain consists of jagged mountains and rugged geographical expanse.

Pakistan has been home to thousands of Afghans since the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in late 1970s and early 1980s. Pakistan used its territory as a launching pad for Jehadis. Many of these Afghans have made the border villages and towns their permanent homes, and the feeling in certain quarters is that a permit system will exacerbate existing problems.

The fencing and mining of the Durand Line is a virtual red herring for Afghans who have never accepted the controversial geographical demarcation as a permanent border with its eastern neighbour. Pakistan’s plea that the fencing is being undertaken to check cross border terrorism has been termed by Afghanistan as nothing but a ploy.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai threw away all diplomatic niceties at a joint press conference in Kabul with visiting Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz when he bluntly said that what Pakistan was indulging in, is not on.

The fencing and mining of the 2,640-km-long ‘Frontier’ cannot
prevent terrorism, but “will have deadly human consequences, he said. “Afghanistan is asking for other means..Let us work against places where training and funding for terrorism is taking place and where supplies are given.” “The fencing or mining of the border separates families, communities and people rather than ending terrorism.

We also oppose mining the border from a humanitarian perspective, as mines have killed or maimed many people, children and women of this war-torn nation,” Karzai said.
Pakistan has not been able to digest losing its “proxy” rule over parts of
Afghanistan. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that in a very systematic
manner, Pakistan first provided shelter to Taliban leaders and their cadres in 2001, and then organised their regrouping.

Karzai and NATO Commanders have repeatedly accused Pakistan of following a dual policy. On the one hand, it claimed to have deployed 70,000 troops on the border and being the frontline nation in the fight against terrorism and, on the other, supported the Taliban in a clandestine manner.

To deflect the accusations, Pakistan had also been claiming that the Afghan refugees in Pakistan are providing fighters to the Taliban cadres. This has also been disproved when the refugees arrested and sent to Afghanistan were all found to be innocent. The Karzai Government and the Afghan public have clearly seen through Pakistan’s designs.

The boundary dispute has its origin since the 18th Century when the Mughal empire was on decline after Aurangzeb and the regional satraps usurped the provinces. It was in 1897 that the British forced the then Afghan King, Abdul Rehman to sign an agreement to create the Durand Line. It was only on the map that the 2460-km-long line was shown. In its over 100-year-old history, the line has never been demarcated on the ground. The Durand Line dissects the powerful Pushtun tribes right in the middle. Moreover, the Durand Line treaty was never binding on successive Afghan Kings or Governments and had to be re-ratified each time there was a change in kingship or government.
The Afghans argue that that Afghanistan got its full independence following the First Anglo-Afghan War in 1819, and there is not even a mention of the Durand Line in the Rawalpindi Treaty of 1921.

Afghanistan nullified all of its treaties and agreements with the British in 1949 on the plea that one of the two signatories — the British Indian Government — ceased to exist after India’s Independence. The Afghan Assembly passed a resolution to this effect, which was later approved by the Loya Jirga (the traditional Grand Assembly of Afghan Tribal elders). Earlier, their plea to allow NWFP to join with Afghanistan or grant it independence was ignored by the British. Instead, the British held a referendum giving the choice of only to join with India or Pakistan. The Congress and the Sarhadi Gandhi, Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan and his Khudai Khidmatghars boycotted it. With hardly any people voting, Pakistan got the nod by default leaving the NWFP Pushtuns led by Badshah Khan fighting for their elusive Pakhtoonistan and at the mercy of Pakistan.

Afghanistan has always supported the Pakhtoon cause and Pakhtoonistan Day is observed in Kabul’s Pakhtoonistan Square every year. The vacuum created by the Russian withdrawal and the US disinterestedness in the 1980s, provided Pakistan with an opportunity to extend its tentacles into Afghanistan through its creation — the Taliban. The rest is recent history.

The new Pakistan proposal is not likely to cut much ice even with the US and its NATO allies whose soldiers are dying daily with the bullets supplied by Pakistan. They seem to have thoroughly seen through the Pakistani game. Ironically, most of this arms and ammunition has been acquired with the US dollars received by Pakistan as aid for its much-trumpeted “frontline state in fighting global terrorism.”

The move to fence and mine the border is also likely to be very strongly opposed by the tribals living on both sides of the Durand Line. The Governors of the nine Afghan provinces, sharing a border with Pakistan, have rejected the fencing and mining proposal. They believe that any unilateral effort on the part of the Pakistan Government might sabotage the efforts to convene the Peace Jirga agreed upon between Presidents Karzai and Musharraf in Washington in September last.

Ominously, the Taliban is mum on the fencing/mining proposal and have not opposed it. They seem to have been assured by Pakistan that the entire exercise is to befool the US and international opinion, and to deflect the criticism. — ANI 

SC order leaves no option before CMs than to reform the police
by Kiran Bedi

WE as citizens could not have waited for more! And as cops, something, we had waited for last 30 years or since our Independence in 1947.

The Supreme Court in its judgement of January 11, 2007, reiterated seven categorical directions which it had delivered on September 22, 2006. The Apex Court categorically rejected all arguments of modifications or reservations expressed by very senior counsels, representing the Central or the state governments, against these directions. Instead, it only gave them time till March 31 to comply with or face contempt.

Since I was present in the Supreme Court, I heard it for myself.

Let me walk you through the directions so that as citizens of this country we all know what our respective governments are bound to comply with, and what must expect.

lSetting up of a State Security Commission (Compliance by March 31): To ensure that the state governments do not exercise unwarranted influence on the State Police and for laying down broad guidelines so that State Police always acts according to the laws of the land. It shall be a watchdog body headed by the State Chief/Home Ministers, which would have officials, (police and the civil service), the Leader of Opposition, a senior retired member of the judiciary, besides other independent members from civil society.

This implies that the Security Commission headed by the Chief Minister or the Home Minister with the Leader of Opposition, judicial member with Chief Secretary or the Home Secretary along with the DGP of the state, and the independent members will address law and order issues collectively.

There will be no scope for politicisation of issues with this system in place. (See what has happened in the Nithari killings). There will be a commission which is collectively responsible to plan and implement the rule of law. There will be no scapegoats but solutions which anticipate, provide for and take responsibility.

lProvide for selection and tenure of DGP (Compliance within four weeks): The direction is to select the DGP from amongst three senior most officers of the department who have been empanelled for promotion to that rank by the Union Public Service Commission on the basis of their length of service, very good record and range of experience for heading the police force. Once selected, he shall have a minimum tenure of two years.

This means that the selection of the head of the police force cannot be imported from outside the state anymore as used to happen earlier even when their were officers capable and senior enough to lead from within.

Also with this system only the meritorious and the senior best will be appointed, without any need for external support or outside influences. This provides the much required political insulation recommended time after time, by various Commissions.

lSimilarly, the same selection process has been provided for the IGPs and other field officers, including the Station House Officers for the same reasons as for the Chief of Police. Removal will be only for specified reasons of corruption or incapacitation. By this all the overhauls which used to take place before or after elections or even with the change of police leadership will go.

lFormation of a Police Establishment Board (Compliance within four weeks): Consisting of four senior most officers, to decide all transfers, postings, promotions, and other service related matters of and below the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police and make recommendations of Superintendent and above. This provision restores leadership and internal accountability to the service, almost lost by now from the police headquarters in various states and places.

Owing to this, the rank and file was openly known to be cultivating godfathers outside the system. This dilution had perpetuated a hiatus between the seniors and the juniors. They hardly met on credible grounds. One avoided the other.

lSeparation of Investigation (Compliance by March 31): To ensure speedier investigation, better expertise and improved rapport with people. To start with, the Apex Court said the separation be done in towns and urban areas which have a population of 10 lakh and above.

This will bring forth the much needed focus and specialisation in the police investigation which was suffering for want of attention, resources, capacity and acceptance. This will naturally enhance the conviction rate and expedite justice.

lConstitution of Police Complaint Authority (Compliance by March 31): To look into complaints against police officers of and above the rank of Deputy Superintendents of Police, both at the State level and the District level. Both headed by members of retired judiciary with a panel of other experts duly selected.

This direction will severely enhance accountability of the police and truly empower the people. Outdated methods of interrogations and policing now will have no place in catching of criminals.

lSetting up of National Security Commission (Compliance within four weeks): To prepare a panel for selection and placement of Chiefs of Central Police Organisations, who too once selected will have a fixed tenure of two years. The commission shall be headed by Union Home Minister and consist of heads of CPOs and a couple of security experts, with Union Home Secretary as Member Secretary.

(The Central Government had instead constituted a Committee and excluded the heads of CPOs as members). By this reiteration, it shall have to be corrected. The impact of this judgement will clearly restore leadership with responsibility back to Police Headquarters and the field formations which had got severely diluted, blurred and blanked. It also opens up policing for the civil society to alongside participate and fulfill its long felt responsibility.

Most of all it now places all under the law equally — those in power or outside. Both will be responsible for good and fair policing. All concerned have only one choice now. Which is — to deliver.

The writer is Director-General, Bureau of Police Research and Development, Government of India, New Delhi

Look long-term for food security
by P.S. Rangi

AGRICULTURE is the backbone of Punjab’s economy. It contributes almost 40 per cent of the state gross domestic product and supports a large number of rural population. In the past four decades, Punjab has been contributing about 50 per cent towards the country’s food stocks. India’s food security largely depends upon the procurement of food grains mainly from Punjab and Haryana.

However, all this has been achieved at a high cost of the natural resources of the state, especially land, water and environment. Currently, the annual paddy-wheat yield in the state is about 10.3 tonnes a hectare, the highest in the world per unit of area and per unit of time. Thus, it is putting a heavy on burden on the state’s natural resource base.

Soil and water should be properly conserved and utilised to make agricultural production sustainable in the long-term interests of the state and its farmers. The Punjab government, the Punjab Agricultural University and the Agriculture Department have been advising the farmers to restrict the area under paddy at a sustainable level. However, because of non-availability of technology, profitability and market certainty at remunerative prices for alternative crops, the farmers did not accept the advice. They have continued with rice, unmindful of the water crisis.

A multi-dimensional approach aiming at conserving water and maintaining food production level is necessary. The government should ensure marketing and remunerative prices and alternative crops like maize, pulses, oilseeds and develop the processing industry for these crops which consume one-sixth of water requirements of the paddy crop.

The proposed Punjab Preservation of Sub Soil Water Bill must be enacted so that farmers cannot sow rice nursery before a particular date. This will delay paddy transplanting. If paddy is transplanted after June 25, it won’t affect underground water but improve the yield. Such a legislation is in vogue in Pakistan’s Western Punjab. The farmers should co-operate in this regard.

The government has made it mandatory to mix ethanol in petroleum form November 1, 2006. Ethanol can be prepared from maize as in the US, China and other countries. A large-scale maize-based ethanol plant which is economically viable and technically feasible should be installed in Punjab. Maize can be grown on 5-6 lakh hectares as high yield hybrids are now available. The demand has to be increased and marketing ensured.

We should promote subsidiary farm enterprises like diary, poultry, piggery, mushroom, bee-keeping, fishery, cultivation of vegetables under net house, etc. by providing capital subsidy and institutional and marketing support to increase farm income through diversification to high value crops.

Intensification of research on management of crop residues and agricultural by products for production of energy and improving the soil health are equally important. Research must focus on developing techniques for improving water use efficiency in all dimensions and improve productivity. Punjab must develop a long-term policy on groundwater use and recharge so that water balance is maintained.

The writer is Consultant, The Punjab State Farmers’ Commission, Mohali 

Profile
Runaway success for ISRO Chief
by Harihar Swarup

BEWARE tax evaders! You could be detected by an orbiting satellite if you have built a house and not paid the income tax. The actual plan of houses up to one-metre accuracy could be found out from the space. The satellite images could as well be used in town and rural planning; the boundaries of each land area could be easily identified. The satellite (Carto-2 images) could also be useful in road and drainage alignment, and studying the passage of communication lines.

All these gains flow from India’s space programme which culminated in the roaring success of PSLV-C7, having put four satellites in orbit. The hero of the huge success is ISRO Chairman G. Madhavan Nair and his dedicated band of fellow scientists. Of the four satellites, ISRO’s Cartosat-2 is for mapping purposes. Though the launch was a runaway success, another challenge has begun for Madhavan Nair and Project Director of India’s first recoverable satellite known as the Space Capsule Recovery Experiment (SRE), A. Subramonion.

After staying in space for 11 days, the SRE will re-enter the atmosphere and splash down into the Bay of Bengal, 140 km east of Sriharikota island. “There are lot of technological challenges in bringing back an orbiting satellite because we are doing it for the first time”, says the ISRO Chairman.

Scores of messages of congratulations poured in for Madhavan Nair but an outstanding one was from the space itself. “First of all congratulations, what a great accomplishment!”, a message beamed from the International Space Station by India-born American astronaut, Sunita Williams, said. Sunita is
part of the American crew that has travelled to the International Space Station on a US shuttle.

Most elated at the PSLV-C7 success was President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, who is himself known as the ‘Missile Man’. He can never forget Madhavan Nair because Kalam was years back Nair’s first boss. Both Kalam and Nair then worked at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in Thiruvananthapuram. Nair was ISRO’s early recruits. He joined the space programme in 1967, after being trained at Mumbai’s Bhabha Atomic Research Centre.

Within months of graduating from Kerala University, he joined the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station in
1967. Nair was, in fact, recruited by Vikram Sarabhai’s protégé, R. Aravamudan, himself a distinguished space scientist. One of three bright young men
picked up at that time, Nair was designated to work under Kalam, who headed the Payload Integration Section from 1967 to 1972. Kalam was greatly impressed by Nair’s dedication and hard work on a project to develop sounding rockets in collaboration with Japanese scientists. Nair was also closely associated with the development of the first Indian Satellite Launch Vehicle - SLV-3.

Later, as Project Director, he led the development of India’s first operation launch vehicle, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). With seven successful flights, PSLV became operational. He led the Space Research in the areas of System Design, Avionics, Integration and checkout and multi-disciplinary areas.

As Director, Liquid Propulsion System Centre, during 1995-99, Nair contributed to the indigenous research and development of liquid propulsion technologies including the cryogenic engine. He was also responsible for charting the road map for future development of ISRO’s activities.

Madhavan Nair is fully a home-bred scientist, having lived in Kerala all through his 35-year-long tenure with ISRO. He only shifted to Bangalore
after being appointed the ISRO Chairman. His wife, Radha, too is a scientist and worked with ISRO. The fact that Nair was chosen to head ISRO is a break from tradition. It was after a long time that a scientist not based in Bangalore was named its Chairman. It was also the first time in two decades that a scientist not working on satellites — Nair specialises in rockets and launch vehicles — has been chosen.

Both Prof U.R. Rao and Dr Kasturirangan were directors of the ISRO Satellite Centre in Bangalore before they took over as Chairman. Besides, it was rare for a scientist without a doctorate to be chosen to head ISRO. Nair’s elevation to the top post raised the morale of workers considerably; his selection seemed to underline that knowledge and work experience were more important than degrees on paper. And, it proved to be so.

Don’t forget your soldiers
by Lt-Gen Vijay Oberoi (retd)

JANUARY 15 is Army Day, the 57th since its inception in 1950, when the first Indian General (later Field Marshal) K.M. Cariappa assumed the prestigious office of the head of the Indian Army. The day is marked by remembrance of officers and jawans of the Army, who had sacrificed their lives and limbs in the service of the nation.

It is also a day of introspection and celebrations. Both are important as the officers and men draw their strength from both. Introspection reveals both strengths and weaknesses and is a time-tested method for commanders at every level to gauge the proficiency of their commands. When the Army Chief reviews the Army Day parade at Delhi Cantonment on the 15th, he also introspects on how his army has fared in the service of the nation in the preceding year.

The two main functions on Army Day are the Army Day parade in Delhi Cantonment and the At Home at Army House, the Army Chief’s residence. The parade is held in the backdrop of a cold wintry morning. On a number of Army Day parades in the past, the entire parade, comprising both marching and mounted columns is hidden from view, on account of a thick curtain of fog.

Many years back, the Army Day was a major media event, with both the print and electronic media giving extensive coverage to the finer aspects of both the parade and the At Home. However, over the years, the interest of the media has waned.

The Army Day is again being celebrated with continuing heavy commitments of the Army. The officers and jawans are continuing their fight against the enemies of the nation, external, externally sponsored or the homegrown ones, without any thought to their own safety and comfort. They do deserve the nation’s gratitude, but is it forthcoming, in the manner and to the extent it should be? I do not think so. After all, one remembers God and soldiers only in adversity, when there is fear, uncertainty and danger!

Notwithstanding the above, the Army will once again rededicate itself to the nation and to the safety and security of its citizens. It shall come to their succor whenever an adverse situation develops. The Army will also remember its martyrs and heroes, even if the nation does not have the time for such reflections. They will have their own celebrations and their own remembrances, while their compatriots go about living their own lives in the comfort of their own environments.

Such are the cynical views that veterans like me have been forced to articulate, for I do see a large measure of indifference to the vicissitudes of our simple but brave soldiers. Despite this, they continue to do their duty with a smile; let their tribe increase. 

The writer, a former Vice-Chief of Army Staff, is currently Director, Centre for Land Warfare Studies