O P I N I O N S

Perspective

More gate, less way
Perneet Singh
Partition, wars and dark days of terrorism, Punjab has seen it all. The relative peace over the past decade and a half, and the new Integrated Check Post at Attari raised fresh hopes of trade flourishing with Pakistan. A limit on the items of import via the land route by the neighbour has, however, dampened spirits in the state

Hurdles on trade route
Bilateral trade through the Attari-Wagah land route has come a long way since it first started, but it is still battling impediments in flourishing to the maximum. Apart from customary hurdles like bilateral policy mismatch and lack of political will that have marred Indo-Pak ties since Independence, new hindrances like Pakistan lacking a matching infrastructure for trade via land route and restricting the “list of importable items from Wagah” to a meagre 137 pose a fresh challenge.

This above all
Over ninety–and going up
Khushwant Singh
Smitha Verma of The Telegraph of Kolkata called on me with a fascinating project in mind. She was planning to write a series of profiles on nonagenarians who are still working and making their mark on society. On top of her list was the name of Zohra Sehgal, who will celebrate her 100th birthday this month. Others on the last are Alkazi, Ravi Shankar Raza, Mahasweta Devi, K.G. Subramanyam – and yours truly.

OPED

Fifty fifty
The ‘token’ woman President
Kishwar Desai
I don’t know how many people, if one took a straw poll, would say that they like or even admire Ms Pratibha Patil, our esteemed President. Haven’t you often wondered how she reached where she is today — because she appears to be spectacularly lacking in any specific talent, apart from dressing in the 19th century long-sleeved blouses? Only someone who has dwelt for a long time in air-conditioned rooms could cover herself from head to toe the way Ms Patil does. But sadly she could not cover up the many scandals which have dogged her tenure with the same ease.

PROFILE
Brush with stone, life
by Harihar Swarup
There is a giant-sized statue of Mahatma Gandhi sitting cross-legged in front of Gate No.1 of Parliament House, as if warning lawmakers to do, see and hear no evil. MPs often squat in front of the statue to raise their issues. However, few know who created the impressive black-stone sculpture? In one corner is engraved the name of the master craftsman — Jatin Das. In still smaller letters is inscribed “Mohanjodaro to Mahatma Gandhi: Five thousand years of India”.

On the record
Ladakh’s education man, anything but an idiot
by Varun Suthra
Sonam Wangchuk, the man who first raised a voice against the faulty education system in Ladakh and is believed to have inspired the character of "Phunsuk Wangdu" in the Bollywood blockbuster "3 idiots", played by Aamir Khan, is carrying on his mission with utmost dedication. Founder of the Students Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL), and adviser of Green School, Nepal, Wangchuk is also reaching out with his ideas to Ladakhi students pursuing higher education in various cities of the country.

Perspective

More gate, less way
Perneet Singh

Partition, wars and dark days of terrorism, Punjab has seen it all. The relative peace over the past decade and a half, and the new Integrated Check Post at Attari raised fresh hopes of trade flourishing with Pakistan. A limit on the items of import via the land route by the neighbour has, however, dampened spirits in the state

While exporters from the rest of India can send at least 5,600 items to Pakistan, Punjab traders can send only 137 items via the Attari route. Photo: Vishal Kumar

Following the inauguration of the Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Attari on the India-Pakistan border in Amritsar, the question doing the rounds is what will Punjab, or North India, gain from it. Not much, to begin with, but the potential is huge if the two sides tide over a few glitches.

Pakistan, for one, has not extended its “negative list” for trade to the Attari-Wagah land route. It is only for trade by other means — air or sea. It has a “positive list” that allows only 137 items for import by land from India. That does not meet Punjab’s heightened expectations from the massive infrastructure created at the ICP.

A few additions to the list, such as newsprint or paddy harvester and dryer, however, will benefit Punjab. Besides that, 22 categories of perishables will continue to be the mainstay of the state’s exports to Pakistan via the land route, as it produces a huge quantity of potatoes and other vegetables that feature on the list. But these perishables comprise a major chunk of the exports the state was already doing to the neighbouring country.

The other major benefit for traders from the ICP is quicker and easier handling of cargo. However, the ICP’s potential will be exploited to the maximum only when Pakistan expands its import list, which could open a gateway of opportunity for Punjab, which has a wide variety of products to offer.

The expansion of the list will usher in a new era of growth and prosperity for Batala’s floundering foundries, Ludhiana’s hosiery and engineering units, Jalandhar’s sports goods expertise, and Mandi Gobindgarh’s steel industry, says Gunbir Singh, member of the CII National Council on Public Policy.

Inclusion of petroleum products in the list would be another boost for the state, with the upcoming launch of Guru Gobind Singh Refinery in Bathinda. Similarly, it can be a boon for Amritsar’s textile industry, which is battling for survival. With its various machining and other ancillary offshoots, it offers everything from shawls, carpets and blankets to dress materials and tweeds.

The decade of militancy notwithstanding, manufacturers in Punjab have struggled hard to retain their foothold in various niche markets. Considering the fact that nearly 70 per cent of what Pakistan consumes is from import, the opportunities that expansion of the import list will result in are enormous.

On the other hand, inclusion of items such as livestock and meat/carcasses in Pakistan’s import list is not expected to bring gains to Punjab. “Exporting livestock to Pakistan is not workable due to two reasons — their devalued currency and the increase in livestock prices in India. Also, Punjab doesn’t have large meat plants that may supply Pakistan,” says leading exporter Rajdeep Uppal. However, the inclusion of newsprint will benefit both the countries, as unlike India, newspaper cost is very high in Pakistan, says Suneet Kochhar, former CII Zonal Council president.

Besides economic gains, there are other advantages too that will flow from the ICP. The foremost is employment opportunities for the youth in the border belt, who are falling prey to drugs. Also, once the visa regime is liberalised, it will give a fillip to tourism in Amritsar, besides medical tourism in Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Amritsar from across the border.

“In the current scenario, major commercial potential will be reaped by the sea ports of western India, Pakistan Sind, as well as the barter trade between the two Kashmirs. The Punjabs on both sides of the border will have to wait till this disadvantage is removed and the playing field levelled, with Pakistan applying the negative list to the Wagah post as well,” Gunbir Singh says.

NEW GATEWAYS

The inauguration of the country’s only ICP planned by the Union government on the Indo-Pak border has prompted Punjab to also seek the opening of the border at Hussainiwala and Fazilka for trade, a demand that has also found favour with Pakistani Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif.

These routes could brighten the trade prospects for “white gold” (cotton), produced in abundance in the Malwa region of Punjab. At present, cotton from Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan is exported through the Attari-Wagah land route. The new routes would make the freight cost-effective, which could result in better rates for farmers too.

GOODS TRADED AT PRESENT

EXPORT: Tomatoes, onions, potatoes, cotton, jute, meat, ginger, garlic, green chillies and soyabean. IMPORT: Cement, chemicals, gypsum, dry dates and dried fruits from Afghanistan.

But before that Pakistan will have to extend its negative import list to the land route too, as opening more routes and restricting imports will not make sense. According to former president of the North India Cotton Association Ashok Kapur, India has surplus cotton production of 1 crore bales, while Pakistan has a huge import potential. “That will boost the gloomy cotton trade. Cotton rates are hovering around Rs 4,000 per quintal, as against Rs 7,000 last year despite India exporting 90 lakh bales,” he says.

PUNJAB’S EXPORT WISHLIST

Tractors, auto components Bicycles and bicycle parts Chemical products Food products Light engineering goods Metal and alloy products Pharmaceuticals Paper and paper products Sports goods Textiles Petroleum products Fruit Wheat and paddy

GET ON RAIL

While India and Pakistan have turned a new leaf by beginning trade via the ICP, the trading community is now demanding that the rail line leading to Pakistan should also be brought in the ambit of the ICP by extending it up to the railway track, which is a stone’s throw away. The state government too has raised the issue with the Centre.

Traders argue that until the railway line is also brought under the ICP, rail cargo, including perishables like gypsum and cement, will continue to suffer the vagaries of weather and the archaic Customs checks.

Even after decades of its launch, the rail cargo service hasn’t improved in terms of infrastructure, as goods from Pakistan are still imported in rickety wagons and stored in the open in India due to lack of a proper warehouse. There is a need to replace old bogies with containers, for which installation of scanners will also be required.

Hurdles on trade route

Bilateral trade through the Attari-Wagah land route has come a long way since it first started, but it is still battling impediments in flourishing to the maximum. Apart from customary hurdles like bilateral policy mismatch and lack of political will that have marred Indo-Pak ties since Independence, new hindrances like Pakistan lacking a matching infrastructure for trade via land route and restricting the “list of importable items from Wagah” to a meagre 137 pose a fresh challenge.

Unlike India, which has raised a massive infrastructure in the form of the ICP spread over 118 acres at Attari, Pakistan has a check post that operates in an area of 9 acres. Even as the Punjab trading community was worrying about this factor, Pakistan dealt another blow by coming out with a notification that limited import through the Attari-Wagah land route to only 137 items. Interestingly, the same notification declared a list of 1,209 items that cannot be imported from India, which means everything else can. Thus, while Pakistan did shift to negative a list regime for trade with India, it stuck to the positive list regime in the case of trade through this land route. The move has generated a sense of discrimination among Punjab’s trading community, which says that while exporters from the rest of India can export around 5,600 items to Pakistan, they have been denied a share in the pie.

What has peeved them further is that even the list of 137 items is actually inflated, as many items are merely various classifications of one item. Had it not been for these categories, the number of items could have been counted on fingers. While Pakistan is blaming infrastructural constraints for restricting the import list for Attari-Wagah, a section of Punjab traders suspect it is the doing of strong trade lobbies operating from Mumbai and Karachi ports. Whatever be the reason, the bottom line is that the governments of India and Pakistan, as well as the trading community on both sides, must work together to resolve these issues.

ROAD THUS FAR

Indo-Pak trade via the Attari-Wagah route has come a long way over the past five years. The first major step towards boosting bilateral trade through this route had come 60 years after Independence. On October 1, 2007, an Indian truck laden with tomatoes crossed Attari into Pakistan to mark the beginning of truck movement across the border. Earlier, goods were exported by porters exchanging their loads on the Radcliffe Line (border). At the time, only 10-15 truckloads of goods were sent from either side. When truck crossing started, the number immediately went up to 30, which then grew to 100-150. With the ICP, the figure is set to increase manifold in near future.

This above all
Over ninety–and going up
Khushwant Singh

Smitha Verma of The Telegraph of Kolkata called on me with a fascinating project in mind. She was planning to write a series of profiles on nonagenarians who are still working and making their mark on society. On top of her list was the name of Zohra Sehgal, who will celebrate her 100th birthday this month. Others on the last are Alkazi, Ravi Shankar Raza, Mahasweta Devi, K.G. Subramanyam – and yours truly.

Zohra Sehgal

Zohra is a unique personality. She has a formidable repertory of Urdu poetry at her command. I asked her how she managed to keep her memory alive at her age. She told me that she was an early riser. Every day before there was any sign of light on the eastern horizon, she went up to her roof and kept walking round and round reciting poems she knew by heart. Apparently, her sister married to a Pakistani living in Karachi does the same. Some years ago Harjeet Kaur Charanjit Singh, proprietor of Le Meridien Hotel, had the two sisters together on the stage to perform a play written by them “Ek tthee Naanee’ — there was a granny, a mother’s mummy. It was hilarious and a huge hit with audience. From the time the curtain went up to the time it came down, everyone was in splits of laughter. I do not know if a film version exists. If not, one should be made before it is too late.

A group is planning to film my reciting Mirza Ghalib’s couplets which I knew by heart. Zilla Khan, singer of classical Hindustani music, will then render the same in her melodious voice.

TYGER TYGER BURNING BRIGHT

One of my life’s ambitions which will remain unfulfilled was to see a tiger in the wild. I have never been to Corbett Park, which I am told is the best bet to see one crossing the road. Most people do so seated in a howdah on the back of an elephant. However, I did spend a morning in Kaziranga as a guest of Dr Lakshmi Goswami of Tezpur. She sat comfortably in the howdah; I sat behind her astride, as if I were riding a horse. An elephant’s backside is more than double that of a horse. By the time it was over, I felt I had been split into two.

All I saw were rhinos, wild boards and a variety of deer.

Once while living in Bhopal, I was assured that tigers visited a small lake near Sanchi. So did herds of deer. There tigers could get venison to eat as well as water to slake their thirst. So we had a “machan” made on the branch of a tree from where we could watch the scene. A moonlit night came on when we could see herds of deer. In frustration one from our party shot a deer. The next day we had venison for lunch and dinner. I did not like its taste.

I have a relative Valmeek Thapar, who runs a highly profitable hotel made of tents close to Ranthambore. He is on talking terms with a few tigers living in the surrounding forest. They drew a rich clientele of visitors. I am told none of them are disappointed. I am now too old and decrepit to make the journey. I have to make do watching them on TV and reading about them. My favourite poem about them is William Blake’s (1757-1827), which was in the anthology prescribed for undergraduates in Panjab University. I quote:

Tyger Tyger, burning bright,/ In the forest of the night;/ What Immortal hand or eye;/ Could form thy fearful symmetry?

It is most unlikely for Blake to have seen a tiger or tyger in the wild.

LIMERICKS

In the UN, FM read someone else’s draft/ When called to explain, he said I am not daft;/ it is no big deal/ And I do not conceal/ That I am quite new to the diplomatic craft.

***

Our NCW Chairman was being a little bit pesky,/ Saying — women shouldn’t mind if called sexy./ It is not our concern/ If she is being modern/ Next she may say — wear mini and shun the maxi.

Work This One Out

Telecom is raising a lot of rubble;/ 2G is causing too much trouble/ Now 3G is in the ring/ And 4G is in the offing/ 2G is such a mess; with 4th, will it double?

Contributed by J.K. Mathur, Lucknow

OPED

Fifty fifty
The ‘token’ woman President
Kishwar Desai

I don’t know how many people, if one took a straw poll, would say that they like or even admire Ms Pratibha Patil, our esteemed President. Haven’t you often wondered how she reached where she is today — because she appears to be spectacularly lacking in any specific talent, apart from dressing in the 19th century long-sleeved blouses? Only someone who has dwelt for a long time in air-conditioned rooms could cover herself from head to toe the way Ms Patil does. But sadly she could not cover up the many scandals which have dogged her tenure with the same ease.

President Pratibha Patil, checking out tulips at Rashtrapati Bhavan, will also be remembered for the rather grandiose retirement home she has chosen in Pune.

It remains a complete mystery why, in a country which has so many better qualified and much more deserving women (if Ms Patil was indeed chosen on the basis of gender), it had to be her? Did the Congress party simply want someone who would acquiesce to its requirements? Even if a ‘figurehead’ president had to be chosen — couldn’t they find someone who was not so obviously chosen for what she would not do? Ms Patil will be remembered mainly because she has had no memorable impact on anything.

But what a wasted opportunity her five years have been!

In an India where women are being abused and battered, and where the sex ratio is getting alarmingly skewed — we desperately needed not a demure and diminutive (pun intended) figure —but someone who was bold and outspoken on issues of gender. Or someone who took an imaginative lead on what the President could achieve on social change, if not on political issues. She could have taken the lead and used Rashtrapati Bhavan, as the highest office of the land, and become pro-active in creating a gender-neutral environment. She could have even announced how she is changing the staffing pattern of Rashtrapati Bhavan, making it more favourable towards women. She could have used the many rooms within the Bhavan to hold regular brainstorming sessions with members of the public about why this wonderful country’s gender ratio is reaching dangerous proportions. She could have even tried to suggest important policy changes in this matter — and made the governors of all states, who report to her, follow a gender neutral agenda and take on a stronger social role in promoting equality between the sexes. Not as an academic exercise, but as a passionate piece of advocacy, where they could have supported social change whilst not interfering in the political agenda of the states. But alas, Ms Patil chose to turn the proverbial blind eye — quite forgetting that apart from her docility, she was also chosen because she is a woman.

And now of course, she will also be remembered for the fact that she has chosen a rather grandiose retirement home in Pune. But why would we have expected anything different? After all, this President showed no interest in frugality during her tenure. Whilst at least the leader of the Congress Party, Ms Sonia Gandhi, did press for less luxurious living for all those in government (and even travelled economy class), it made little difference to most members of Parliament and certainly not to the President. Given that at least 30 per cent of the population of this country lives on under Rs 30 a day, she has been known to routinely hire private aircraft on presidential visits. The argument that the prestige of the country is at stake if the President travels with less pomp and entourage does not hold up. One forgets that personality often dictates the reception one gets: if Mahatma Gandhi in his loincloth could raise the profile of India, why couldn’t Ms Patil with her nine-yard silk saree? But it is certainly a tempting argument to fall for, and the bureaucracy and spokespersons at Rashtrapati Bhavan will no doubt give an interesting spin why so much had to be spent on Ms Patil’s travels. The fact remains that this is a figurehead President who got very lucky in being chosen for a post she would have never got in an open selection.

So is this time, therefore, to take stock and find out if we need to change the way in which our President and governors are chosen? Why are we, the taxpayers, spending so much on these motley men and women who are merely given sinecures by their grateful political masters, but have nothing to contribute towards the well-being of the country?

Indeed, the saga of Ms Patil’s retirement home fits in very well with the tragic way in which Presidents are selected. While Rashtrapati Bhavan’s spin masters have again leapt to her defence stating that she needs this large (2.60 lakh square feet, according to one estimate) estate to live in comfortably, shouldn’t the taxpayers of this country have at least a right to ask why she needs such a large space? According to one report, if a ready bungalow is not available for the President’s retirement, the leased area taken for her would not exceed 2,000 square feet (living area). Even by those standards, by knocking together two bungalows the living area here seems much more than 2,000 square feet.

It is also astonishing that so much has already been done to accommodate this President’s retirement plans, including the destruction of a British-era bungalow on defence land. Usually there are very strict rules about this.

Perhaps this is a ‘Thank you’ note from the government for services well rendered? But what has she done for the country that we should gratefully bestow this prestige and honour upon her?

PROFILE
Brush with stone, life
by Harihar Swarup

There is a giant-sized statue of Mahatma Gandhi sitting cross-legged in front of Gate No.1 of Parliament House, as if warning lawmakers to do, see and hear no evil. MPs often squat in front of the statue to raise their issues. However, few know who created the impressive black-stone sculpture? In one corner is engraved the name of the master craftsman — Jatin Das. In still smaller letters is inscribed “Mohanjodaro to Mahatma Gandhi: Five thousand years of India”.

Jatin Das is no ordinary artist. He was decorated with Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian award, on Republic Day this year. Besides Mahatma Gandhi’s statue and many murals, he has also executed steel sculptural installations.

Artists have strange hobbies. Jatin’s is to collect “pankhas”, hand fans, from various parts of the country and world. He has about 6,500 by now. These have been exhibited in Kuala Lumpur, Manila, London and Belgium.

Someone asked Jatin appeal he finds in a fan. “It creates air, which is energy-giving. It’s cooling. It’s cajoling. It has romance. The electric fan is monotonous.” Are some fans more romantic than others? Jatin says some fans are made of certain roots that are fragrant. You sprinkle water on those and you get a fragrance. “I have fans from Africa, China, Japan, Egypt, Korea and Southeast Asia. I also one from Sweden, which they use to fan the cold!”

Of his most treasured fans, Jatin says: “One favourite is a Rs 2 fan made of a grass that grows in water. I also have favourites among fans that are worth Rs 1 lakh or Rs 2 lakh, with handles made of silver, ivory or lacquer.”

Born in Mayurbhang, Orissa, 71-year-old Jatin Das has been painting for 50 years. He has held over 55 solo exhibitions in India and abroad. He works in oil, water colour and ink, besides doing graphics. His works have been auctioned by major international auctioneers like Sotheby’s, Christie’s and Osian’s.

An innovative explorer of the human figure in terms of linear structure and breezy brush work, Jatin Das focuses mainly on man-woman relationship in varying situations of contact, revelation or emotional tension.

Jatin was fond of village fairs as a child. Growing up in Odisha, he would return from fairs with armfuls of bright handcrafted toys. Thus began his odyssey as a collector. His artistic ambitions led him to the prestigious JJ School of Arts in Mumbai, and subsequently to establish a home and studio in Delhi.

The father of a young son from his second wife, Jatin has two adult children from his first marriage. Sporting a bushy white beard and a puff of thinning white hair, he is older than many of his contemporaries, but retains a vitality no less.

On the record
Ladakh’s education man, anything but an idiot
by Varun Suthra

Sonam Wangchuk, the man who first raised a voice against the faulty education system in Ladakh and is believed to have inspired the character of "Phunsuk Wangdu" in the Bollywood blockbuster "3 idiots", played by Aamir Khan, is carrying on his mission with utmost dedication. Founder of the Students Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL), and adviser of Green School, Nepal, Wangchuk is also reaching out with his ideas to Ladakhi students pursuing higher education in various cities of the country. His wish is to see Ladakhi students contribute with their learning to the development of region.

The film was not entirely based on my struggle; of course, the character of Wangdu was inspired by my life. Art in any form is a strong influence on the audience, films particularly so. My work, however, has all along remained the same — yes, the responsibility has increased manifold with dissemination of the concept. The makers of "3 idiots" tried to underline the flaws in the education system, which is what is being done at our institutes practically.

Yes, I attended a few meetings with the creative team of the film in Mumbai. They discussed my education movement in Ladakh.

With increased incomes, people have started spending more on education. Ladakhis have also started sending their children to private schools, which was not the case earlier. While we are trying to promote government schools, the change happened because of poor results in government schools.

Are private schools necessarily better? Is there a difference in teachers in private and government schools?

Government school teachers in Ladakh today are highly qualified and local. They can do wonders if given a free hand, but there is a lot of political and bureaucratic interference that kills their spirit. Earlier teachers used to be from outside Ladakh, which was a problem since they did not understand the children, and vice versa. Private schools perform better in exams despite having poorly trained staff. In fact, the better among the private school teachers join government service whenever they can, but there they fail because of the system

I had consistently observed that many students despite working hard did not perform well in exams. I had myself hit the bottom, barely managing not to fail. It was hard to decide who exactly was at fault, students or the system. Then I realised it was the system. Ladakhi students were made to study Urdu and English, neither of which was their mother language. Moreover, the criteria for assessment were also faulty. A student not performing well in a language is not necessarily a weak student overall.

Established in 1988, SECMOL was aimed at improving the education system of Ladakh. Over 90 per cent of Ladakhi students used to fail the Class 10 exam every year. In 1994, SECMOL launched "Operation New Hope" in Leh district. We focused on training teachers, motivating them to enhance their skills, and then pass it on to others. We were helped by the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council reach the remotest areas. Our efforts brought about visible results, as the majority of teachers are now trained, primary-level children have locally relevant textbooks, the language confusion has been reduced. A few years ago, as part of the campaign to build awareness on education and environment, students reached all villages of Leh-Ladakh in just one week. They reached all areas of the country’s largest district, even crossing Khardung La (a pass at 17,582 ft), and walking for days to reach remote villages. The result of all this effort is that the matriculation pass percentage went up to 55 per cent in just seven years. In fact, many of the students who were dejected with the system have turned out to be successful academicians, artists, civil servants or journalists.

We also have an "Alternative Institute", where we take failed Class 10 students. From being rejected by the system, they have successfully taken up various professions, including filmmaking and politics. One student from a remote area who had failed Class 10 six times worked hard and joined one of India’s best journalism institutes. Later he joined politics and became Ladakh’s minister for education.