O P I N I O N S

EDITORIALS

Staggered elections
Long wait for results leads to inertia
The Election Commission deserves to be commended for the manner in which it has tightened its grip over malpractices in elections over the years. That ills like booth capturing and brazen intimidation of voters have been substantially controlled across the country is a feather in the cap of the commission.

Ageing population
Their concerns need to be addressed
In a country which has conventionally respected the elderly, the need for a senior citizens council to address their welfare issues may seem ironic. 

Protecting deserted wives
Women too need to be cautious
Wife deserters are not new to Indian society. Even when NRIs were not many in numbers, they used to practice bigamy, by hiding the fact of having a mem (foreign wife) abroad.

• Thought for the Day

ARTICLE

CBI not subordinate to CVC
Supreme Court order not a reflection on its working
by R.K.Raghavan
A very significant part of the Supreme Court’s February 2 order in the 2G scam case is the direction that the CBI should submit its future progress reports to the court through the CVC. The latter will in turn transmit them to the court within a week.

MIDDLE

Jostling with celebrities
by Rajnish Wattas
We literally landed amidst Jaipur literature festival celebrities. At the airport, Vinod Mehta,  senior journalist and writer of best-seller ‘Lucknow Boy’, looked lost searching  for his suitcase. It  turned out that his charming wife  had been smarter and  had already carted it out from the baggage area.

OPED youth

Wanted: Role models that inspire
There is no denying the fact that we are bequeathing our children — youngsters who arguably need to have role models — a landscape bereft of influencing figures.
Barnali Saha
An appraisal of the modern e-centric society that we live in would suggest that even though we may not exist in the hardest of times in the true Dickensian sense, tribulations afflicting our generations aren’t scarce.

EXPERT SPEAK
Of icons and followers
Simmi Waraich
Personality largely is an interplay of genetic factors modified by environmental influences. Though traits such as extroversion/introversion, passivity/aggression, risk-taking/cautious etc remain largely stable throughout life, personality does keep changing even after adolescence through the the course of one’s life. An important factor influencing personality also comes from role models.

EDITORIALS

Staggered elections
Long wait for results leads to inertia

The Election Commission deserves to be commended for the manner in which it has tightened its grip over malpractices in elections over the years. That ills like booth capturing and brazen intimidation of voters have been substantially controlled across the country is a feather in the cap of the commission.

The visible symbols of opulence in elections like huge cut-outs of leaders, extensive use of banners and posters are also on a distinctly lower key with the expenditure ceiling law being more keenly watched. This is ofcourse not to say that money power is not a major factor in polls.

There are any number of ways that parties and candidates find to circumvent the expenditure rules but the Election Commission on its part is doing all it can within its powers to curb over-spending. Yet, there still are grey areas. For instance, the commission has done well to require all candidates for elections to file a declaration of assets but the deterrent for concealing information or under-valuing assets is sorely lacking.

It would be worthwhile for the Election Commission to consider, however, whether it really needs to stagger the polls to the extent it does. In the current round of assembly elections, on the one hand while Manipur went to polls on January 28 and Punjab and Uttarakhand on January 30, the elections in U.P. spread across seven phases will culminate only on March 3.

The assembly elections in Goa are also slated on March 3. It is only after completion of polls in all five states that counting will take place for all on March 6. It is hardly surprising that in the states where polling has been completed, work in government offices is virtually at a standstill. A report in The Tribune on Friday indicated that most ministers in Punjab are out of the capital and officials are either out on holiday or not attending to work. The lame duck administrations in Punjab, Uttarakhand and Manipur are biding their time with little serious business being transacted.

The question needs to be addressed whether the election process in the five states could not have been compressed even making allowance for the movement of security personnel to guard the polling stations. The Election Commission would do well to look into this aspect closely so that the loss of manhours is minimized. 

Ageing population
Their concerns need to be addressed

In a country which has conventionally respected the elderly, the need for a senior citizens council to address their welfare issues may seem ironic. But, there is little doubt that the concerns of the ageing population have only been growing, almost in direct proportion with the increase in the number of senior citizens. The Prime Minister’s approval of a National Council for Senior Citizens has to be thus viewed in the light of the host of problems the senior age group faces which sadly among other things also includes mental and physical abuse.

In the traditional Indian scene the elderly merged with the family set-up were given due regard and were suitably cared for. With nuclear families becoming a norm, both physical and financial insecurity has cast an ominous shadow on the unprotected lives of senior citizens. Loneliness and neglect add further to their woes. On paper, according to the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, neglect of parents might be a cognizable offence. Yet an overwhelming majority of parents are not even aware of the Act, what to talk of seeking redressal under it. It is such gaps and other lacunae which come in the way of welfare measures that the council is expected to fill.

The moot point, however, is would the council be able to play a constructive role when other welfare policies targeted to help the elderly have failed to make any impact Since a large percentage of parents are financially dependent on their progeny, children can’t be allowed to forsake their responsibilities. Yet at the same time, the government too must frame polices that are amenable to the needs of the elderly more so with regard to healthcare which is of paramount importance to them. Existing schemes, including old age pension, are too measly to be of any significant import. As a society we owe it to our elderly that old age remains but another milestone in the cycle of life and does not become a debilitating disease. In the last lap of their lives they have every right to dignity including the right to be engaged in fruitful pursuits. 

Protecting deserted wives
Women too need to be cautious

Wife deserters are not new to Indian society. Even when NRIs were not many in numbers, they used to practice bigamy, by hiding the fact of having a mem (foreign wife) abroad. They would marry an obedient Indian wife to look after the old parents back home. With the growing number of Indians emigrating in search of greened pastures, cases of women being subjected to cruelty of false marriage, cheating and dowry extortion have increased in proportion. Over 30,000 women are deserted by their NRI husbands, according to an estimate. At times, children too are victims of desertion.

If the grooms and their families are charged of greed for cheating the brides of their dowry and in denying their basic rights, in the eagerness not to let go of a lucrative marriage offer, the families of the girls too ignore even the common cautions that are observed in traditional matchmaking in India. The girls too are victims of the lure for an El Dorado, which, often lands them in a hopeless situation. The newly married woman has no recourse to justice, which is constrained by her being ‘isolated’ in an alien land, facing communication problems, lack of proper information about the local criminal justice, police and legal system. Worse, the woman faces lack of support network of friends and family and monetary constraints which leaves her completely stranded.

The Centre has now revised the assistance offered to the deserted wives, by extending legal services, which would accept applications from victims of up to 15 years of marriage, instead of two, as was the case earlier. Though other suggestions like marking marriage status on the visa, liaison with foreign governments to book the grooms on bigamy charge, and to restrain the grant of ex-parte divorce by foreign courts have long been discussed and in parts accepted, what is needed is better preventive acts, like a thorough check on the groom’s background, before a girl is married to an NRI.

Thought for the Day

No man has received from nature the right to command his fellow human beings. — Denis Diderot

ARTICLE

CBI not subordinate to CVC
Supreme Court order not a reflection on its working
by R.K.Raghavan

A very significant part of the Supreme Court’s February 2 order in the 2G scam case is the direction that the CBI should submit its future progress reports to the court through the CVC. The latter will in turn transmit them to the court within a week.

The apex court was quick to add that this was in no way a reflection on the CBI. This rather generous comment was possibly to dispel any wrong impressions which could circulate from its order that the court was possibly dissatisfied with the investigating agency.

There could also be the laudable intention to take the sting out of any negative feelings within the CBI that it was being subordinated to the vigilance body. In any case the court was looking for an alternative to a SIT (special investigation team) that one of the petitioners in the case was demanding. This was a convenient arrangement which few could find fault with. There is also nothing negative about the CVC as presently constituted that could militate against this arrangement working and delivering goods. Perhaps it could become a pattern for future overseeing of crucial investigations.

What are the implications of the prescribed CVC route for the CBI? What value addition could the vetting by the CVC bring to the task of monitoring investigation in cases of great importance to the nation? First, the judicial order adds legitimacy to what the CVC Act 2003 and the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act 1946 (as amended in 2003 by the CVC Act) provide for; viz., the CVC has the power of ‘superintendence’ over the CBI. (‘The superintendence of the Delhi special police establishment insofar as it relates to investigation of offences alleged to have been committed under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (49 of 1988), shall vest in the commission’ : Section 4(1) of the DSPE Act..) Mind you, this was done under the NDA government. So you cannot blame the UPA alone for having made inroads into the investigating agency’s freedom of action.

Any hurt feeling within the CBI from the February 2 order is legitimate because all these days the ‘superintendence’ was just pro forma. I am not very sure that the CBI ever shared its investigation reports with the CVC. (There is however unconfirmed information that, in the past, on one or two occasions, courts did ask the CVC to comment on CBI reports.) ‘Superintendence’ is such a vague expression that an authoritarian and capricious CVC could demand that he should be privy to sensitive CBI reports on day-to-day investigation. My only fear therefore is that taking advantage of the recent apex court’s direction, an unconventional CVC, even without the specific authorisation or direction from the apex court, could start requisitioning such reports. I know my fears are just now imaginary. But who can vouch for the future? A maverick CVC could wreck a well-established tradition. When a CVC wants to see CBI reports on investigation, he will be within his right to do so. But will such action be conducive to fearless investigation? I am not very sure.

There is next the question of the quality of the CVC intervention. How equipped is the CVC to undertake this task? The CVC is invariably from the IAS. A former police officer and a banker constitute the rest of the commission. The first two have a rich experience in government. The third member will be valuable whenever there is a major investigation into a bank fraud that focuses on the role of bank officials. For taking a view on the progress in the 2G scam, the Chairman and the member from the police could play a leading role.

My hunch is that they will generally go by what the CBI had done. The CVC will have an occasion to comment on the investigation only in respect of some conclusions drawn by the CBI during the course of its investigation. I do not rule out candid discussions between the CVC and the CBI Director wherever there is a gray area. This kind of interaction should greatly reduce the scope for differences between the two organisations while the CVC finalises its comments.

Where honesty of purpose dominates perspectives, the scope for conflict is minimal. The apex court does not have the time or the expertise in mundane matters of investigation. It is these two factors that probably influenced the court to indent upon the CVC’s services. This is a good experiment. It could well become the pattern for future. The CBI should not feel aggrieved. It should welcome such a move because whatever it puts on record for the consumption of the highest court of the land gains in credibility after it passes through the CVC scanner. There is no place here for egos.

In the final analysis, what does the apex court aim at in such major investigations? It expects an objective and fearless investigation in accordance with the law so that the guilty are brought to book and no innocent gets framed. In opting to monitor a criminal investigation, it takes care of the oft-held belief that persons in high places can somehow influence the investigator and go scot-free. This is absolutely relevant to the Indian situation where money power and political authority can see a criminal element through any misdeed, however grave it might be. But then, is the CBI insular enough to ward off unethical suggestions from those close to the establishment? I am afraid it is not, because its hands are so badly tied by several restraints placed on it whereby it is an appendage of the executive. Three facts alone would confirm this. It cannot go ahead suo motu looking into the misdeeds of anyone of and above the rank of Joint Secretary without the government nod. (This includes serving ministers.) Otherwise, could Raja have got away with all that he did until fate caught up with him? Secondly, even when an investigation has established guilt, the government will have to accord sanction for prosecution. The apex court recently directed that governments cannot sit on requests for sanction for eternity and that such sanction should be accorded or denied within three months. But this possibly requires an amendment to the Prevention of Corruption Act. Whether Parliament will agree to do this is a moot question. Finally, when a case fails in a lower court, the investigating agency can go on an appeal only with the leave of the government. Instances are not few when such permission has been denied for extraneous considerations. If in spite of all these limitations, the CBI has given a fair account of itself, it speaks for a certain quality of investigation and the dedication of its overstretched personnel.n

The writer is a former Director of the CBI

MIDDLE

Jostling with celebrities
by Rajnish Wattas

We literally landed amidst Jaipur literature festival celebrities. At the airport, Vinod Mehta,  senior journalist and writer of best-seller ‘Lucknow Boy’, looked lost searching  for his suitcase. It  turned out that his charming wife  had been smarter and  had already carted it out from the baggage area.

Turning around, there was Deepak Chopra!  The new-age health guru was calmly waiting  besides the baggage carousel -- going round and round -- akin to one’s ‘karmic’ cycles, and still not  spotting his lost bags. And then there was the tall, gaunt historian-scholar John Keay trying to discover both India and his elusive belongings!

And before we could recover from this surprise ‘Celeb darshan’ two  young, pretty  girls from Patiala accosted us. Since  they had been overhearing us  talking books on the flight from Chandigarh, they had quite innocently  surmised that perhaps we too were some known writers and, therefore, wanted to be photographed with us! We happily let the delightful confusion prevail.

At the festival venue we walked into the first session after braving the serpentine  queues. Pages from the notoriously famous work, ‘The Satanic Verses’, were being read out!  While Amitava Kumar and Hari Kunzru were holding forth to a big crowd, most of us jostling at the rear end had  no clue that we were witnessing  a media-shaking  free-speech  crusade! It was only later  when a heavy police force arrived that some suspicion was aroused.

But then there were other more pressing needs to take care of like queuing up for a sandwich with brooding Garish Karnad behind you; trying to find a vacant seat for the next session whose venue had been suddenly shifted; and finding a vacant  loo!

One could easily strike a conversation with a forlorn Shobha De trying hard to catch attention with her oversized hat and goggles, but doing a poor job of  hiding the furrows of age. A glum-looking Suheil Seth sought attention with his hallmark curly, silvery mane and round, dark glasses stretched out lazily on two chairs, but journos had bigger fish to catch.

A trim and fit looking Dr Naresh Trehan, the eminent cardiologist, looked desperately for a seat while his suave  wife Madhu rigorously interviewed Amy Chau of the ‘Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mom’ fame! Amidst the over-spilling crowds  were eagle-eyed parents hoping to learn the mantra of successful parenting from her, when all the while poor Amy kept reminding everyone that the ‘cult’ book was merely a light, satirical view of a Chinese mom’s parenting!

It was certainly one of the most democratic of  festivals, as there were no VIP seats reserved nor any preference of any kind amidst the endless, relentless queues! Even the Pakistan High Commissioner, Shahid Malik, jostled among the crowds without any security or diplomatic protocol.

Amidst all this where was the time to think of Salman Rushdie and his flag-bearers! The Jaipur Lit-fest was not a  closed circle, but an open book  for all  book-lovers.n

OPED youth

Wanted: Role models that inspire
There is no denying the fact that we are bequeathing our children — youngsters who arguably need to have role models — a landscape bereft of influencing figures.
Barnali Saha

An appraisal of the modern e-centric society that we live in would suggest that even though we may not exist in the hardest of times in the true Dickensian sense, tribulations afflicting our generations aren’t scarce.

The presence of a role model, a figure inspiring respect and motivating people to emulate his/her footsteps, has always been regarded as influential in our culture. Right from a young age we are taught to look up to certain individuals who have set themselves on a high pedestal because of their exceptional performances as human beings. In our current unsettling culture, however, the lack of such positive role models has generated considerable debate as to the importance of role models in our lives.

Malini Dutta, a software professional living in the USA, says: “I never had a role model. I wanted to live my live in my own way, not just blindly follow someone.” Nivedita Chowdhury, a young homemaker proposes another view, “My mom is my role model. Nothing awe inspiring and sensational about her but she gave me a direction in my life.”

With media obsession of physically appealing, rich and delinquent public figures gaining its height sport stars, pop icons, film stars and even social pariahs have taken over traditional role models like parents and family members. The Telegraph, UK, reported in an article on working class boys being let down by the “lack of male role models” that “media portrayals of celebrities meant pupils craved instant success without hard work” and that pop stars, footballers and other celebrities were often held up as role models, despite the fact that some have been “in court on drugs charges or because they have thumped a photographer.”

Nikhil Verma, a business professional from Delhi says, “When I grew up my role model was Gandhi; but now situation has changed. Our priorities were different than that of our children who claim public limelight more than anything else; hence it is not surprising that my son would choose David Beckham or Tom Cruise as his role models over Vivekandanda.”

Anubhab Acharya, a student from Kolkata says, “I think Anna Hazare and Sachin Tendulkar are our role models. They have shown us that with hard work you can achieve everything you desire.” When asked if he is inspired by his role models every time an exercise demands hard work, he replied in the negative. Priyanka, another student from Bangalore says, “Role models are like accessories, good to carry but not useful in our demanding lives.” Then does it mean that quintessential youth icons like Rabindranath Tagore, Netaji Subhas Bose and others have lost their importance and relevance? “Certainly not” says Abhinaba Chaudhuri, a software engineer, adding “they still inspire us, secondarily however, their life experiences are so removed from our own that it is difficult for us to draw inspiration.”

With rampant corruption, violence among teenagers, poverty, educational challenges, the lack of inspiring figures to direct our lives is felt more than ever, especially for women. With television soaps and movies portraying ideal women as physically attractive sex-kittens or subservient eye candy, the lack of strong feminine figures who might lead us towards the goal of equal representation is strongly sensed. Even though personal success stories of certain women may appeal to young women, most of them are deluded by the Barbie-image of women as represented by Paris Hilton, Katrina Kaif and the likes.

Sneha, a teenager says that she regards Katrina Kaif as her role model, “because she has a lovely figure and she is very pretty.” When asked how Ms. Kaif has influenced her, the teenager seemed bemused at first and then said, “All my friends like her. That’s why I like her too.” So, is it the need to conform and fit in that is driving youngsters to choose celebrities as their role models or is it that they are blithely unaware of the other options that might be present? “Both,” says Meenakshi Bhatnagar, a mother of two young children, adding, “I don’t believe that we have ever had a dearth of progressive role models for women. We have Kiran Bedi, Shabana Azmi, Oprah, etc., but nowadays girls prefer Miley Cyrus and Britney Spears. They are ignorant of the presence of these inspiring figures. I blame the internet and the social networking sites for deluding our children.” May be it is the media picking out wrong role models for our children, public figures who seldom wish to hold that post, but who being, by default, what the youngsters see and hear, dominate their personality and perspective. Here the role of responsible parents comes into question. What, if anything, are they doing to correct their children? “Mothers who stay at home have the option of correcting their children; however, working parents are helpless. They must depend on the discretion of their kids in choosing their role models,” says Shivani Mehta, a school teacher.

The presence of healthy role models is imperative for the wholistic growth of youngsters of both sexes, particularly for children from a deprived background. Rashid Iqbal of The Children’s Society’s National Mentoring Initiative, UK said in an article published by the Press and Journal: “Both parents and society at large have a responsibility to enact a change of heart in our society and actually live by the values that they espouse and be strong and positive role models, providing continuity and support to a child or young person’s life.” That way we can hope to counter detrimental influences negative role models might have on the youth.

EXPERT SPEAK
Of icons and followers
Simmi Waraich

Personality largely is an interplay of genetic factors modified by environmental influences. Though traits such as extroversion/introversion, passivity/aggression, risk-taking/cautious etc remain largely stable throughout life, personality does keep changing even after adolescence through the the course of one’s life. An important factor influencing personality also comes from role models.

If one asks 40-year-olds who their role models are- they may answer Kapil Dev, Imran Khan, Amitabh Bacchan, Dev Anand, Mahatma Gandhi, Bhagat Singh, Jayaprakash Narain etc. Ask a 20 year old and he /she may venture names of Sachin Tendulkar (Or God as many call him!), Dhoni, various film stars, Anna Hazare, A.R. Rahman etc. 

Many celebrities come under fire for being poor role models when they smoke in public or run over pavement dwellers in their big cars.

Though banning smoking etc in films may be carrying it too far for young people though being malleable do have their own mind and can decide if something is wrong themselves, yet subconsciously they may imbibe many characteristics.

Famous film stars and musicians such as Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrisson, Janis Joplin, Heath Ledger etc and closer home Meena Kumari, Shiv Batalvi, Surjit S Bindrakhiya and now SaifKareena etc may affect how youngsters view drugs like marijuana and live-in relationships etc. So it becomes cool to smoke pot or drink alcohol and for a youngster live in relationships may not be that big a deal.

Who is a role model? Why are there no politicians etc who figure in the list or why dont so many people mention Baba Amte, SS Bahuguna (the Chipko Movement leader ) ? The media plays a major role here. When you wake up and see daily pictures of good looking film stars in newspapers, television etc, not many people will flip the page of the newspaper to page 7 and read about social issues. Also the disillusionment with politicians is largely because they are seen as self-serving, politically expedient who change statements like a chameleon changes colours. So while Nitish Kumar may be respected, many don’t know much about him. A self-aggrandising Narendra Modi may end up becoming more of a role model for a youngster with high aggression and fascist leanings unfortunately enough.

Erik Erikson had written about the stages that humans go through. For adolescents, the stage of identity versus role confusion, wherein they form a self image of their own with identified goals or can end up with role confusion which later leads to upheaval is important.

Forming a philosophy of life gets influenced by various role models. Parents too are  strong role models depending on the relationship they share with children and many youngsters imbibe many of their values from them. Watch what you say. Your teen maybe taking in more than you realise.

The writer is a consultant psychiatrist, Fortis, Mohali