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Futile exercise
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No excuse for terror
Teachers’ gain
Mumbai: the aftermath
Sound and fury
Illegal immigration
Recession’s silver lining
India falters on submarine induction plan
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Futile exercise
LOK SABHA Speaker Somnath Chatterjee could not have done anything other than refer the report of the House committee that looked into the cash-for-vote scam to the Home Ministry for necessary action. Unfortunately, the committee headed by Mr K.C. Deo of the Congress has failed to fix blame on anyone for the episode in which three BJP MPs displayed wads of currency notes in the Lok Sabha when the House was debating the confidence motion moved by the Prime Minister.
It seems the committee has sought to exonerate Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh and senior Congress MP Ahmed Patel and has asked for probe against other MPs. What’s worse, after five months of deliberations, it could not even ascertain the source of the Rs 1 crore displayed in the House and is now in the custody of the Speaker. It should not have been difficult for the committee to trace the source of the money which would have exposed the whole modus operandi used to tilt the scales either in favour or against in the voting that ultimately saved the government. The committee wants further investigations into the conduct of some people whose names figured in the scam as either collaborators or whistle-blowers. It has not even suggested whether action needs to be taken against the three BJP MPs who were the main actors in the Lok Sabha for breach of privilege. Strangely, it is not even sure whether displaying money was a breach of privilege of the House. In other words, the only clear finding is that Mr Amar Singh and Mr Ahmed Patel are innocent. The committee has proffered the claim that it could not summon these two leaders because they are members of the Rajya Sabha and not the Lower House. Small wonder that the findings of the committee have not evoked enthusiasm among the people who believe that they are akin to the House Committee report on the Bofors scandal. However, all this does not detract from the seriousness of the scam which was, perhaps, the dirtiest Parliament has witnessed during the last six decades. Whoever are responsible for the sordid drama witnessed by millions of people the world over on television have gone scot-free. They certainly cannot claim immunity from legal proceedings as any illegal act to influence the vote in Parliament is a serious offence. They deserve exemplary punishment, including dismissal from the House if they are MPs. For that, legal and parliamentary proceedings should begin in right earnest. The inquiries suggested by the committee are bound to delay action against the culprits. These inquiries may take months by which time this Lok Sabha would have completed its term.It is possible no one will ever be punished. So much for parliamentary rectitude! |
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No excuse for terror
IT was a coincidence but in the fitness of things that the two-day international conference on terrorism, rule of law and human rights was held in New Delhi. After all, India has borne the brunt of terrorism for long. And it was heartening that renowned jurists from all over the world unequivocally echoed the Indian stand that terrorism just cannot be passed off as freedom struggle. It was not a Pakistan-specific expression of outrage, but the fact remains that it is one of those countries which has been exporting terror under that pretext. It should heed the warning of the jurists that civilised society is going to judge every act of terrorism for “what” it is, and not for “why” it was perpetrated.
That is not only a legally sound response, but also conforms to common sense. If terrorism and freedom struggle are equated, then every criminal would find one excuse or the other to justify every wrong that he did. The jurists were of the view that the existing multilateral and bilateral arrangements were inadequate to deal with cross-border terrorism. They wanted effective mechanisms to overcome legal barriers which hinder investigation and prosecution. The experience so far is that such acts thrive due to mainly two reasons. One, some countries provide logistic and financial support to such groups. Two, some others are too soft on terrorism unless it hurts their own interests. The conference was a clear sign that the patience of the world is running out and in future, terrorism will not be able to find any fig leaves. Quite naturally, it was underlined that while the laws were in need of change to make them fit to allow sovereign states to defend their territory and people against such “non-state actors”, all laws should be in consonance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It is the duty of responsible governments that the laws are not misused for targeting any particular section of society. Only then can the war on terror succeed.
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Teachers’ gain
Nearly five lakh teachers of over 6000 colleges and 400 universities stand to gain, as the Union Cabinet has approved a 70 per cent hike in the salaries, making teaching attractive. The University Grants Commission Pay Review Committee for teachers headed by Prof GK Chadha had made the recommendations, which but for a few changes have been accepted. Undisputedly the new pay scales answers a long-felt need. The pay hike for teachers was on the cards for sometime, although the delay had forced certain sections of teachers to protest. Ironically the clearance came on the day when Delhi University teachers began an indefinite strike against the delay. But now several teaching bodies have welcomed the move. The slew of measures also includes many non-monetary benefits. Besides, quicker promotion, the age of retirement has been increased to 65 years, sensibly so, for today life expectancy has increased and teachers can be gainfully employed for a longer period. Women teachers have more reasons to smile, as there is a recommendation that they can take a two to three year sabbatical, over and above the maternity leave. Over the years, teaching has not been attracting the best of talent. It is estimated that in Central Universities and constituent colleges, approximately 25 per cent of posts of teachers are lying vacant. Hopefully, the new measures will help improve the standards of higher education. Teachers shape the future of the nation and deserve to be highly paid as well as respected. At the same time the quality of the teaching can’t be compromised. With the new scales, it is only befitting to expect the teaching community to take their jobs more seriously and conscientiously. |
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People who fight fire with fire usually end up with ashes. — Abigail Van Buren |
Mumbai: the aftermath
Perhaps a fortnight after the terrorist-commando attack on Mumbai when the sharp edges of the horrors of those three days has begun to be somewhat blunted, is a good time to look a trifle more dispassionately not only at what happened, but at the several sub-narratives that emerged after the event.
That the attack this time was different is obvious. It was an act of war on the country’s sovereignty and the precision of the commando attack on civilians, the terrorising of the population of a mega-city and the holding of civilian hostages for a prolonged period of time by perpetrators who made no effort to hide themselves, distinguished it from the what now appears as random bomb attacks perpetrated on groups of civilians by anonymous persons or groups. In fact, the Mumbai attack would appear to be more like the Kargil attack, except it was on the civilian population of the country. What was started in Mumbai is still on-going and forms the main narrative of the Mumbai attack. Today, it is still not clear how this narrative will unfold, both domestically and internationally, and what its consequences are likely to be. My intention today is to try and understand the sub-narratives that emerged in the aftermath, narratives that may have the potential of affecting our lives in the future. The public reaction, the outrage, the expressions of anger and grief is perhaps unprecedented. There were no calls for revenge but an outpouring of frustration at the authorities which had failed to protect citizens whose “servants” they are mandated to be. Some have sought to dismiss these protests as “the rich protesting” because they have been hit for the first time; what about the poor, is the cry. What is missed in this reaction is that the poor are underprivileged because they have no voice that can be heard either by the media or the authorities. The poor are not used to organising themselves to demand their rights. Sectional protests by wealthy farmers or protests instigated or supported by political parties usually do not benefit the public at large, certainly not the poor. These protests, however, gave them a voice; it was not just the Mumbai attacks that were being mourned; it was the 16 other attacks this year on Indian cities and towns as well. Perhaps it was because the so-called elite had been hit that there was such a sharp reaction, so sharp that at least some heads — though not enough—rolled. Revolutions are not led successfully by those who do not have a voice; it is the elite who do that and it is because they are the elite that their protests are powerful. (I use the term “elite” rather loosely.) This evolution of societal responsibility, from the activities of middle class persons acting, whether as activists or development workers, through NGOs to give a voice to the powerless, to the middle classes finding common cause with society at large, grieving and protesting against incompetence and apathy, is a significant move. Whether this will be sustained is another issue, but perhaps that cynicism is my generation speaking. There is another vibrant generation out there who believe that they can change things and it is on them the country will have to rely. A second sub-narrative is the evolution of our media, particularly the electronic media. Much criticism has been leveled at them, some perhaps with justification. The 24-hour news coverage of the attacks had their highs and lows. It did occur to this viewer that the ubiquitous authorities should perhaps have guided the media on what could or should not be telecast, that too many persons were speaking to the cameras, perhaps satisfied just to get their images on TV, like those scruffy persons who constantly peer over the shoulders of a TV reporter, waving their paws at the camera. The areas should surely have been cordoned off, as much for safety as to keep the media at a respectable distance? The excitement, agitation and emoting was perhaps tasteless, but that is an individual failing, not a national tragedy.
What was more of concern was the immediate aftermath of the event, some TV channels appeared to be pushing public opinion to war. Having tried to play investigator, prosecution and judge in criminal cases such as the infamously- labeled Arushi case, there seemed to be an attempt to mould foreign policy. We cannot have forgotten the media frenzy when IC 815 was hijacked, the pressure on the government of the day to save the 165 passengers and the devil take the consequences. It wasn’t the devil who took the consequences, it was the country. Fortunately for us, that particular effort, made more dangerous by election fever in the air, has been somewhat modulated and one now hears of “channeling” the anger, being constructive and so on. The media has still a role to play, the role of sustaining the short attention spans of the middle classes, of the elite. The focus on better governance, better accountability from those responsible, better security for ordinary citizens, more humility and less arrogance from our political and bureaucratic classes needs to be maintained till change is achieved, if not in full measure, then at least at acceptable levels. Surely the media will itself introspect, surely covering this major tragedy will be a part of its growing-up. There are many other sub-narratives, but I would select only one, for obvious reasons. Since we cannot change geography, what should we do about Pakistan — and Bangla-desh, if it comes to that. An unstable neighbour, in dire economic straits, with State control over only parts of the country, with an Army determined to hold on to power at all costs even if the country itself pays dearly for it, a country with nuclear weapons and groups of fanatic terrorists hurting them and hurting us, how should we deal with this longer-term problem? I am assuming, of course, that a diplomatic way will be found to deal with the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks; will that, even if that goal is achieved rule out future attacks? Civil society in that country, even with several brave voices, is fragile and easily coerced; war is not a solution, at least not an Indian one. We are not a Western country, we are India. We are a large country with, even in these troubled economic times, looking forward to a 7 per cent growth rate, a growing military power, a democracy, however fractious and turbulent our polity, with institutions which are strong even if sometimes stained with charges of corruption. How are we going to deal with our neighbours, those smaller but no less lethal countries that make up our neighbourhood? This is a matter on which there has to be a consensus, not only in the public but among our political parties. This consensus has to be carefully and painstakingly built, but the final decisions and therefore the responsibility will have to be left to the government of the day and implemented by the professionals. This narrative is one which has the potential of changing the way we view not only the world around us, but
ourselves. |
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Sound and fury
I
MET Dr M.S. Kang, Vice-Chancellor of Punjab Agricultural University, during the Christmas celebrations at Christian Medical College, Ludhiana, early last week. At the very mention of The Tribune, he reminisced about how as a student he would contribute to the ‘Letters to the Editor’ column of the paper. His fondness for the printed word stood him in good stead when he went abroad to pursue his academic career. “I am grateful to The Tribune for publishing my letters which helped me in readily accepting assignments of editing scientific journals while I was in the United States”. Enjoying as I was the melodious carols sung by the faculty and staff choirs, all I could tell him was that I, too, began my journalistic career with a letter to the editor in The Hindu, known as the old lady of Mount Road. For want of time, I could not tell Dr Kang what prompted me to send the epistle that brought out whatever little journalistic talent I had. I was the only subscriber of The Hindu at Valanchoozhi in Pathanamthitta in Kerala. Eighteen paise per copy was actually beyond my means. In order to get the maximum out of the newspaper, I would read every word in it, including even classified advertisements. That was how I read a six-part article on everything under the sun by Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer. It was as bombastic and scholastic as his speech when he inaugurated the students’ union at my alma mater - Catholicate College. I found something amiss in his sentence, “This reminds me of Swinburne’s famous line, ‘sound and fury signifying nothing”. A student of English literature, I knew it was from William Shakespeare’s Macbeth. I had vicarious pleasure when I wrote a letter to The Hindu to point out the error in Justice Iyer’s article. A few days later, I found the letter in print and spent a whole evening in the panchayat library to check whether anyone else read the letter. Not one person who picked up the paper seemed to read the letters column! I realised that Justice Iyer had indeed read the letter when his rejoinder appeared in the paper a few days later. He explained that he had dictated the article and the error was committed by his secretary. That prompted me to write another letter to ask Justice Iyer how a stenographer could have mistaken Shakespeare for Swinburne. Everybody knew Shakespeare but few knew Swinburne, a minor Victorian-era poet. In his abundant wisdom, The Hindu editor did not publish my second letter. Probably, the paper did not want to hurt the erudite writer known for his “purple prose”, who as Vacation Judge of the Supreme Court in 1975 gave the historic judgment that allowed Indira Gandhi to stay on as Prime Minister but not vote as a member of the Lok Sabha following the Allahabad High Court verdict against her. It ultimately led to the imposition of the Emergency. Readers may wonder why I have recalled this four-decade-old episode. I remembered it when I read on Friday last an article in The Hindu by Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer quoting yet again the famous Shakespearean line. But he did not attribute it to any poet, minor or major. Instead, he put it in safer quotation marks. This time it provoked me to write a middle, rather than a letter to the
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Illegal immigration
Conservative estimates indicate there are about two crore Bangladesh illegal immigrants in various states in India. The most adversely affected are the bordering states of West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya and Tripura. Large pockets of five to ten lakh Bangla-deshis are reported to be in Mumbai and Delhi and substantial numbers in cities of Rajasthan. The daily influx of Bangladeshis is 500-1,000 into West Bengal, Tripura and Assam. Reasons for the illegal immigration are mostly economic. A large population, under development, lack of cultivable land and job opportunities in Bangladesh pressurise the poor to migrate and make their living by settling in the large fertile land of north-eastern states of India in general and Assam in particular. West Bengal is attractive since it allows illegal migrants to merge with the local population due to cultural, ethnic and linguistic similarities. Frequent natural calamities in Bangladesh are also instrumental for the drift of people into Indian territories where protection and safety are comparatively better. Further, illegal immigration continues since support from the already settled illegal migrants exists in India. Bangladesh has become a natural base for Pakistan to foment trouble in the north-eastern states and ISI agents are already active from Bangladesh territory. Further, Bangladesh provides safe sanctuaries/camps to virtually fall insurgent groups. The unchecked influx of illegal immigrants facilitates the movement of anti-national elements. This scenario suits Pakistan’s long-term designs of destabilising India through this low-cost option. Towards this end, Pakistan’s intention will be to create a Kashmir-like situation for which the migratory population from Bangladesh is likely to be utilised. Illegal immigrants, in the garb of a floating population, are likely to acquire useful information about vital installations and may act as sleeper agents to be activated during conflicts with an adversary. They may also indulge in fifth columnist activities. Due to economic, social and cultural backwardness, illegal immigrants are prone to criminal activities, thereby disrupting the social fabric. Besides depriving locals of their jobs, they are also a drain on the Indian economy and thus have become an instrument of great social tension. There is an absolute necessity to seek active and effective cooperation of Bangladesh to prevent the influx of illegal migration from that country. Their economy needs to pick up and India should provide as much help as possible in starting joint economic ventures in that country. We should also encourage Indian private sector for investment in Bangladesh so as to create opportunities in terms of employment and earning within Bangladesh itself. The private investor will certainly need an assurance and insurance from both the governments for the safety and security of their investment. Adverse effects of polarisation of their society on ethnic and communal lines are now obvious to Bangladesh people under which prosperous Hindu employers were forced to flee from Bangladesh Joint ventures with a security guarantee from both countries will be a welcome step under the present conditions. Pro-duction of gas, oil, consumer goods, cheap meat, fish, jute, tea and trans-border communications are some of the suggested fields for joint collaboration. Pakistan needs to be isolated from Bangladesh. This is possible by developing very close bonds of friendship and understanding and signing treaties and agreements on issues of common interest with Bangladesh. Regular consultations on international matters to develop a common approach should be formalised. We have a stake in every development/activity in Bangladesh and therefore, strong contacts at the government and private sector levels should be built in the political, economic, social and cultural fields. In fact, stakes of mutuality of interest are so high that we must build a treaty organisation with Bangladesh in matters of defence, security and economic matters. These agreements will enable The issue of work permits to Bangladesh citizens to work in India should be tried out to contain and control the menace of illegal migration. At least, it will provide us a check mechanism which must have a renewal clause so as to deny permission to doubtful cases. It will also check infiltration by ISI agents as permits will be subject to verification of personal particulars. There is an inescapable need for effective border management. For this, we must fence the entire border along Bangladesh, not withstanding their objections. These measures have been partially implemented on the West Bengal-Bangladesh border, but remain a non-starter along the international borders in Meghalaya, Assam and Tripura. Areas up to 10 km along the border on own side should be designated as a no-man’s-land. There should be selective deployment of the Army along the no-man’s-land in addition to police posts on the border. I am not suggesting depopulating these areas. There is an immediate need to prepare fresh census rolls and keep these updated regularly. Identity cards should be issued to the population staying along the international border. The writer is a former Chief of Staff of the Eastern Army and Vice-Chancellor of Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak. |
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Recession’s silver lining
CALL it the gospel of hard times. With all this bad economic news, we’re starting to hear a chorus of voices preaching the cultural benefits of financial crises.
Surely it has reached your ears: A recession could force us to spend more time with our families. It could curb the excesses of our consumerist culture, make us learn to live within our means. Heck, it could purify our greedy capitalist souls. A Temple University English professor even has pointed to all the great literature produced during the 1930s: James Agee, Nathanael West, Henry Roth. The list goes on.
“If it’s true that adversity can bring out creativity,” the professor said recently, “then the Great Depression was one of the great creative periods of our time.”
Gee, too bad the housing bubble didn’t burst earlier! All kidding aside, along with our abiding fear of hard times, there also seems to be a real hunger for, in Thomas Paine’s words, the times that try men’s souls. President-elect Barack Obama has earned stature points as he wraps himself in the iconography of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal. Two national magazines have gone along for the ride, mixing FDR’s patrician chin with Obama’s ears, topped off with spectacles and a cigarette holder. But it’s more than just a presidential hero whom people are seeking. It’s the individual and collective heroism that adversity can sometimes inspire.
Last week, a baby-boomer friend sent me an e-mail about how much
he was looking forward to Obama’s inaugural address. “This country needs a sense of national purpose,” he wrote, “and I think that will emerge from the challenges of this terrible recession. ... This might sound weird for me to say, but I yearn to be led as an American. I am excited about the ways in which we’ll find our collective purpose. ... It is time for a new Greatest Generation — you watch.” In some ways, all this redemptive talk in the face of the evils of capitalism ought to sound familiar. In a kind of regular “market correction” of the heart, Americans want to believe that it is possible to mitigate the sins of their own economic system. I would go so far as to identify rituals we use, even in good times, to exorcise the demons and soften the harsh realities attendant on living and dying by the market. Last week, I saw a community theater production of “A Christmas Carol,” and it finally struck me that what millions of Americans sit down to watch every year is the supernatural tale of a hyper-capitalist chastened into generosity and kindness. It’s not just about the money, Ebenezer! It’s about family and love and fat geese! And don’t forget what is perhaps the most popular Christmas movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” in which George Bailey reassures us that regular Joes can triumph in the never-ending struggle between self-interest and what’s good for the whole. The FBI labeled the movie “communist propaganda.” It didn’t understand that it was only one of the many narratives that we need to make capitalism more livable. — By arrangement with
LA Times-Washington Post |
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India falters on submarine induction plan
A terse set of warnings by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) on Indian naval submarines has startled the country’s thinking class and exposed the nation’s incapability in carrying around an ageing undersea fleet.
When compared with China — a major threat in the adjacent waters — the Indian fleet is no match for its sheer size. All this even as China needs to patrol a much smaller coastline than India. The CAG has said “the number of submarines with the Indian Navy was way below the required level” and, secondly, it says: “Some of the vessels have outlived their maximum life”. All this will hamper operational preparedness. The CAG had reviewed the Navy’s functioning and reported to the Rajya Sabha a few weeks ago. It goes on to say “with serious slippages in the induction plan, the Navy is left with an aging fleet”. The shocker was that more than half of the 16 submarines owned by India have completed their 75 per cent of the operational life. India operates all the machines on diesel while China, that is now touted to posses the second largest submarine force behind the US, has several nuclear-powered vessels in its fleet. These are virtually noiseless and operate without being detected. At the last count the Chinese had 65 subs of various types and the number is expected to go up to 95-100 by 2015. Actually, the induction plan of submarines is the one area where India had faltered badly in the past two decades or so, says a serving officer. The author of the Navy’s 30 years future plan, Vice Admiral A.K. Singh (retd), says even in building the now under-construction Scorpene submarine we are late by at least seven years. By now we should be building at least one submarine a year. Ideally, India needs anywhere between 24 and 30 conventional submarines that should have the “air independent propulsion system” which allows a sub to be under water for 10-15 days at a stretch. Pakistan already has such a vessel. Conventional subs have to resurface once after 24-28 to “breathe” and this exposes them to the enemy, he explains. India’s shortcoming in submarine building was aptly summed up by Jean-Marie Poimboeuf, Chairman-cum-CEO of the French company, Direction des Constructions Navales Services (DCNS), that is jointly building the six Scorpene subs with India. After holding a meeting with Mazagon Docks Limited in July, he told the media: “We are training technicians from scratch. There has been no experience in the past as India has not made a boat in the past 20 years.” Poimboeuf had a point. The last submarine built in India was in the late 1980s when under licence two German HDW submarines were built at Mazagon Docks. The CAG in its report says either the construction plan of inducting the Scorpene submarines should be speeded up or fresh acquisitions be done immediately to tide over the shortage. The first of the six subs is expected to be inducted in 2012. By then 63 per cent of the existing fleet of 16 would have completed its prescribed life, points out the CAG report. Vice Admiral A.K. Singh says total indegenisation of submarine building should have been concluded by 2012-13 and here we will be inducting the first one in 2012. Acquisition of some vessels may be required. The CAG has also suggested that the ministry should take immediate steps to acquire or construct new submarines in accordance with the Navy’s submarine construction plan. The CAG goes on to say that for the Navy that is aspiring to have vast operating capabilities, submarines are a crucial element in attacking surface and sub-surface enemy vessels and landing to teams for intelligence gathering. The submarine arm of the navy was functioning without a deep submergence rescue vessel. The Navy, however, has a tie-up with the USA that will provide a fly away kit within 24 hours in case of any mishap. The missile firing capabilities on three submarines are functioning at sub-optimal levels. This was blamed on the erratic performance of “inertial navigational system of navigational complex”. This was procured at a cost of Rs 108 crore. Between January 2002 and December 2006 the average availability of submarines was only 48 per cent. Also the submarine operating standards should be achieved. The delay, however, has a small silver lining. This means the Navy will now have a generational leap as the new submarines will have the very latest in sensors on board armaments and stealth capabilities and also nuclear-powered subs. |
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