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UPA-2 Report Card
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fifty fifty
On record
PROFILE: K. Subrahmanyam Tilak
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UPA-2 Report Card In its self-assessment for the third year in power, the UPA-2 sounded aggressively positive, with the PM saying, “We will prove the doomsayers who claim that India’s economy is in retreat wrong, as we have often done in the past. Most countries slowed down... we too slowed down, but our growth in 2011-12 at 7 pc remains one of the highest in the world.” It recognises inflation, but is silent on failures on major economic reforms expected. An assessment of the claims by The Tribune reveals it was more a year of well-intentioned attempts than achievements. If the government also had to tick ‘pass’ or ‘fail’ in its report card, it would be hard put choosing the former
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
A strategic partnership was formalised with Afghanistan. Cooperation with Bangladesh was enhanced with the PM’s visit to Dhaka in September 2011. With Pakistan, resumed dialogue resulted in economic cooperation. India continued its engagement with Sri Lanka on economic and development issues, while strengthening its strategic partnership with the US. With China, bilateral trade crossed $70 billion; initiatives for coordination on maritime security and border affairs. Reality check Relations with Pakistan did improve, with Islamabad committing itself to formally granting the Most Favoured Nation status to India for trade by 2012-end. However, Pakistan did precious little against perpetrators of the Mumbai attack. The PM’s visit to Bangladesh was marred by West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee’s objections to the Teesta water sharing agreement. Sri Lanka keeps assuring India it is committed to resettling displaced Tamils, but has hardly taken any steps. The tension with China over border has certainly reduced, but India still can’t trust Beijing. Similarly, China believes the US is using India to contain its influence in global affairs. After the 2008 nuclear deal, Indo-US relations also appeared to suffer, primarily due to differences over the Iranian issue. (Ashok Tuteja)
SECURITY
The claim The security situation has shows distinct signs of improvement. A number of initiatives were taken to strengthen the internal security architecture. Reality check Yes, terror attacks have come down - largely due to coordination between Central and state agencies. However, the UPA could have done better by finally setting up the internal security mechanism promised after the Mumbai attacks. The biggest setback has been the inability to set up a National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC). The Centre did not factor in the vociferous protest by states over the formation of the NCTC. Several of the mechanisms promised after the Mumbai attacks are still in the pipeline. The Crime and Criminal Tracking Network Systems has been given Rs 418. This will provide countrywide network for police stations to access; work on this is moving slowly even as the Home Minister is pushing hard. The National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) that will collate data from 21 sources is one credit the UPA can claim. It was pushed despite opposition from within, as the NATGRID would be a 'super watchdog' tracking every move of the citizens. Naxals continue to be a menace. In 2012, as many as 101 persons were abducted, and 14 of those were killed. In 2011, 329 persons were abducted, and 64 of them were killed. The claim There has been a special emphasis on preparedness. Agni-V successfully launched. Nuclear-powered attack submarine INS Chakra and Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas inducted. Reality check India's war-fighting ability, especially under a simultaneous two-front war scenario with Pakistan and China, can test the overstretched and ageing equipment. Yes, a few warships and a set of six new transport planes have been added along with radars mounted on special aircraft. However, there is a serious shortage of fighters and Army equipment, especially artillery guns. Only 33 IAF squadrons operate, instead of the needed 42. Though the launch of the big-ticket Agni-V was a success, the nuts and bolts of war are not the hi-tech long-range missiles. On the ground, the need is for more artillery guns, long-range radars, UAVs, tanks and infantry weapons. Plan for a new mountain strike corps is pending with the finance ministry. Most air defence guns are 30 years old, while artillery gun purchase is stuck since the time of Bofors, some 27 years ago. Radar coverage is just about improving, while 50 per cent of the T-72 tanks are incapable of night-fighting. (Ajay Banerjee)
Rural India
The claim Food grain production at all-time record of 250 million tonnes. The National Food Security Mission launched to increase production by 20 million tonnes by 2011-12 has already delivered additional 24 million tonnes. Reality check There is no reference to food grains rotting for want of storage. While the report talks of MSP having increased substantially, there is no mention whether the government is alive to the farmers' contention that the MSP should be actual production cost plus 50 per cent. There is no assurance on foolproof management of the grain produced. There is a promise of the creation of 2 million tonnes of storage capacity in the form of modern silos and 15 million tonnes under the Private Entrepreneurs Guarantee Scheme, but no deadlines. The claim The Bill was introduced in Parliament to ensure food for the poor. Reality check The Food Security Bill to provide food grains at subsidised rates to over 63pc of the population has been bogged down in controversies. While its format, huge costs (Rs 1 lakh crore) and limited reach have invited wide criticism from experts, there is uncertainty about when the Bill would be approved by Parliament.
The claim In 2011-12, the scheme provided employment to more than 4.4 crore households. More than 161 crore person-days of employment were generated at a cost of Rs 27,000 crore. Average wage rate increased from Rs 65 in 2006-07 to Rs 116. For transparency, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Audit of Schemes Rules, 2011, have been notified. Reality check There have been several reports of large-scale corruption in the programme, with authorities misappropriating funds and even threatening workers who complain. Lacunae in the flagship scheme were even pointed out by Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who said corruption could not be ignored. (Vibha Sharma)
Telecom
In 2011-12, telephone connections went up from 846.33 million to 943.50 million. The teledensity increased from 70.89 per cent to 78.10 per cent; wireless connections went up from 811.60 million to 911.18 million. Broadband connections increased from 11.87 million to 13.54 million. The government brought out the outline of the new National Telecom Policy. Reality check Controversies hounded the sector — 2G spectrum licences, 3G roaming pacts, licence cancellation and fresh recommendations of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on the auction of the vacated spectrum. The cancellation of the 122 licences issued during former telecom minister A. Raja's tenure overshadowed all achievements. It led to a slew of arbitration notices from international operators, putting a question mark over the future of the industry. With the TRAI recommendation of a 10 times higher base price for pan-India licence for the vacated spectrum that is to be auctioned, the operators are up in arms, seeking some way out to retain their pockets of subscribers. (Girja Shankar Kaura)
EDUCATION & HEALTH
The claim As many as 5 lakh new classrooms built and more than 51,000 new primary and upper primary schools opened. Additionally, 6.8 lakh teachers have been appointed in the past two years. Reality check Buildings schools is not enough. The goal of the RTE Act was universal retention of children, reduction in dropout rate and completion of school infrastructure targets by March 31, 2013. As of 2011, half of rural schools did not have boundary walls; only 40.7 pc had met pupil-teacher ratio norms; only 74.3 pc had met the goal of one classroom per teacher. Average annual elementary school dropout rate reduced marginally from 9.11 pc in 2010 to 6.8 pc in 2011. Goa and Karnataka have not notified RTE rules; there is no mechanism to map 8 million children out of school.
The claim To improve access, quality and equity, 16 Central universities have been established, eight new IITs, and seven new IIMs. Reality check For 138 million higher education aspirants, India has only 20 million seats. As against the global average of gross enrolment ratio of 24 pc, India has 17 pc for boys and 12.6 pc for girls. There is also lack of equity. In IITs, girls make up around 12.3 pc, SCs 14.7 pc, and STs about 5 pc. Faculty shortage in Central institutions is 56 pc.
The claim The National Rural Health Mission initiated in 2005 has been catalytic in bringing about a perceptible change. A Bill to set up a National Commission for Human Resources in Health has been introduced in Parliament. Reality check The crude birth rate declined 1.7 points over 2005. The crude death rate during the same period declined by 0.4 points. Infant mortality declined just 3 points, and was 47 per 1,000 live births in 2010. However, the maternal mortality rate remains high at 212 deaths per 1 lakh births, far from the target of 135 by 2015. There has been no concrete progress on the Human Resources Bill. India's doctor-patient ratio is a poor 1:2,000, which it aims to improve to 1:1,000 by 2020. Rural areas are short of 12,000 specialists. (Aditi Tandon)
Transport
During the year, 62 projects for 7,957 km were awarded, 53pc increase over last year. Besides, 854 km of roads in Maoist-hit areas and 992 km under the Special Area Road Development Programme-North East awarded. An Electronic Toll Collection System has been introduced. The Railways maintained 5.2pc growth in freight and 5.29pc in passenger traffic. Earnings grew 9.13pc. More than 700 km of new lines were added. Another 752 km of track was doubled and 1,165 km electrified. As many as 129 new trains were introduced. Reality check Road construction has slowed down considerably, and daily target has come down to almost 3 km. After nearly a decade of not hiking passenger fares, then Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi proposed raising fares by 5-15 per cent. But he paid for going against his party (Trinamool) chief Mamata Banerjee, and was forced to resign. The rollback announced by his replacement, Mukul Roy, meant a loss of more than Rs 5,000 crore in the passenger segment. A committee headed by Sam Pitroda has said the Railways needs Rs 1 lakh crore to deal with safety concerns. (GSK)
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This
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However, our Muslim brethren welcomed their invasion. They went up on their rooftops with bedsheets to trap as many as they could. They stripped them of their wings and roasted them in a platter. They then ate them with great relish. The very thought of eating insects brought vomit to my throat. Then I recalled that Jews, Christians and Muslims living in the Middle East had always relished feasting on locusts. The Old Testament records of people living on locusts and wild honey. The girl child
Whenever a girl is killed we go wild/ Lament the burning of a bride —/And mourn the death of a girl child./ Battering of a daughter by a Tamil father/ Or foeticide in South Delhi,/ We condemn most loudly,/ We go hammer and tongs against dowry/ But six functions in Five Star hotels/ And a helicopter given by the girl's family/ Are a mark of honour, setting a wonderful example/ For the rest of society./ We must celebrate the birth of a girl child/ Because she brings a bill of a few lakhs with her,/ Because our customs provide her succour./ Because our society provides fool-proof security/ Because we are completely free from hypocrisy/ And worship Vaishno Mata (Courtesy: Kuldip Salil, Delhi) Profitable thieving
"Jesse Dimmick broke into our office," Jared Rowley told Shawnee county District Court in Kansas, "and threatened my wife and me at knifepoint. He told us he was being chased by the police, and ordered us to keep him hidden, which we reluctantly agreed to do. We calmed him down by eating Cheerios with him, then we all watched television until he fell asleep. Then we fled the house and called the police, who arrested him. Dimmick had threatened us with a knife, and inflicted great emotional distress on us, so we're astonished to find he's now suing us for 235,000 pounds for breach of contract." In his notarized legal submission, Dimmick (a fugitive murder suspect at the time of his arrest) claimed that "I entered the Rowleys' house, and asked them to hide me from people who appeared to be police officers. I offered them an unspecified amount of money and they agreed, thereby forging a legally binding oral contract. Later, the Rowleys reneged on said oral contract by telling the police where I was. And I, the defendant, was shot in the back by the authorities, which almost killed me". Speaking on behalf of the Rowleys, Attorney Robert E. Keeshan asked for Dimmick's legal action to be dismissed, saying "in order for parties to form a binding contract, there must be a meeting of minds on all essential terms, including an agreement on price. And although the Rowleys agreed to the contract, they were hostages, so the agreement was not legally binding, because it was given under duress". (Courtesy: "Private Eye",
London) India vs Pakistan
Q: Which couplet best sums up the situation when leaders of India and Pakistan meet in each other's country? A: Aap bhi aatey rahiyae, Hamay bhi bulatay rahiyae / Dil se dil miley na miley, Haath milatay rahiyae (You are welcome here, Also write to us to visit you/ Even though our hearts do not meet, Our hands should meet.) Made in India
Q: What distinguishes Indian corruption? A: In other countries, corruption is either over the table or under the table, in India it includes the table. (Contributed by K.J.S. Ahluwalia,
Amritsar)
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fifty fifty As the Bhutanese respect their natural flora and fauna and worship their mountains, the dense jungles, which have practically vanished from neighbouring India, are still very visible. From my window at the hotel in Thimphu — and later in Paro — I would see the clouds rolling down gently over the mountain peaks, and soon it was impossible to just sit indoors and listen to the various (though fascinating ) discussions. I, too, got lured into the countryside — and we were even able to climb to Tigers Nest in Paro. This is a 17th century monastery, also known as Taktsang Palphug, commemorating the cave where the great guru Rinpoche lived in the eighth century. Tigers Nest looks even more daunting than it sounds. From the ground it is impossible to visualise the path to the monastery — as it is hewn out of a wall of sheer inhospitable and impenetrable rock. Its very existence appears to be a miracle and the steep climb took us more than two hours of struggle. The Bhutanese monks and guides, on the other hand, seemed less perturbed, scampering up and down with only the occasional heavy breathing! Because the Bhutanese do not tamper with nature we were able to admire bushes ablaze with red rhododendron, towering oak trees, whispering forest streams — and even angel hair moss dangling mysteriously, like something out of a fairy tale, from the branches of pine, cedar and hemlock. Possibly the only parts of the forest which are displaced by the Bhutanese are the small stones and pebbles. These are used to build tiny symbolic stupas on rocks and within crevices for protection and wish fulfilment. Again, unlike the messy Indian pilgrimage, there was no litter, as rubbish bins have been strategically placed along the well-trodden route. According to the many tales that surround the monastery, Tigers Nest was named after one of the consorts of the original guru, who had changed her shape into a tiger and flown him to this destination. The caves where he — and other gurus who followed — are said to have lived, are still visible. Now there is a beautifully constructed monastery — complete with paintings, frescoes and highly detailed woodwork. The mountain gods of Bhutan, (like Shiva and Parvati) also had a tempestuous love life, which is apparently responsible for some of the features we see in the mountains today. And so the ice-cold stream near the monastery, which gushes down in a tremendous torrent, was supposed to have been created when (after a lover’s tiff) one of the angered consorts snatched the guru’s prayer beads and threw them against the rock. Where the beads struck — water erupted! This is considered one of the most holy and blessed places by the Bhutanese. Little surprise then that all us authors who managed to make it there are sharing a quiet glow of achievement: pleasantly enlightened that we are capable of more than just pushing our cursors across computer screens in search of words! But despite my new-found passion for clambering up and down mountains there were many other, less physically taxing, aspects to the festival. It is an Indo-Bhutanese effort (organised by the very efficient Mita Kapur and her team) but nurtured by the constant support of the beautiful and intelligent Chief Royal Patron, Her Majesty the Queen Mother, Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuk. It is her presence that has provided the festival with the space to grow, allowing it to thrive in a country which is extremely traditional, but through which the winds of modernity are unmistakably blowing. Her patronage has imbued the festival with elements of majestic grandeur, and we were all able to dress up in our finery to attend some of the glittering events at India House (with author and ambassador Pavan Varma providing a deeply literary touch) and elsewhere. And could any festival be complete without Bollywood? Even though Bhutan does have a rather quaint and thriving film industry, Indian cinema is very popular now that television has been permitted into the country. It was wonderful to listen to Gulzar Sahib, who treated us to his moving non-film poetry, as well as the very erudite Sharmila Tagore (whom the Queen Mother referred to, quite befittingly, as a ‘Sapnon ki Rani’), Arshad Warsi, Vishal and Rekha Bhardwaj, and Tisca Chopra, among others, on various aspects of cinema. The importance of bringing together cinema and literature has been experimented with very successfully at the Jaipur Literary Festival, and now some of the same magic was infused here. Personally, apart from climbing mountains and visiting beautiful monasteries, I thoroughly enjoyed my interaction with writers Namita Gokhale and Kungzang Choden on “First Person Feminine”, one of the few sessions where gender was discussed. Thus I was really thrilled when many of the young Bhutanese girls attending came to meet me separately to say how much they could relate to what we had discussed. And our happiness was complete when on our return flight we managed to even get a glimpse of Mount Everest. A perfect end to a wonderful festival that not only sharpened our intellectual debate but also got us cutting down physical flab by racing up mountainsides!
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On record Dr Ahmed has received training in research and conservation of wildlife in India as well as the US, UK, Thailand and Malaysia. He is credited with discovering several new amphibian and reptile species in North-Eastern India. He spoke to The Tribune of various conservation challenges: Tiger as a species is given huge importance worldwide, how important is it in the animal kingdom really? The tiger is a charismatic and flagship species, used for protection and conservation of ecosystems in Asia. Being at the top of the food chain, tigers help maintain the delicate balance in the ecosystem. Long before we can feel an imbalance, disappearance of tigers can indicate the problem in a forest. Many rivers and streams originate deep in tiger habitats, which are legally or community protected. That is a side benefit as we protect the tiger and its habitat. What is the current state of tiger conservation in the North-East, particularly Assam? Trends over the past few years do not present a very happy picture. Habitat loss is happening incredibly fast as compared to earlier. Low-lying habitats are denuded as demand for land increases and unplanned cash crops are promoted. Arunachal Pradesh is the worst affected, where people are migrating from higher hills to towns. The Kaziranga National Park in Assam has the best and healthiest source population of tigers in the region, though growing populations are also observed in Orang, Manas and Pakke-Nameri forest areas. The Namdapha Tiger Reserve has chronic protection and conservation issues, as the 2,000 sq km area has nearly lost all its tigers. The Dampa Tiger Reserve in Mizoram has good potential, and efforts are being made to evaluate its tiger population. What are the numbers for tiger population in the North-East available with you? Kaziranga has approximately 100 tigers. Adding other smaller populations in the region, the total would be between 140 and 170. We are planning to bring some more areas under research during 2012-14. What is the biggest challenge in tiger conservation? Habitat and prey protection. When given an inviolate area, free of human interference, tiger and prey animals build their populations at considerably rates. Connectivity of habitats is going to be a major challenge in future, as more areas come under human occupation. How do you rate the conservation efforts in the region? While Assam and Meghalaya lead in the conservation effort in the region, the remaining states have a lot to do. For most tribal areas in the region, conservation is a new word, and communities are yet to welcome the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, as it takes away their hunting rights. Only increased awareness, ownership of forest and wildlife by the natives, and community regulation of natural resource exploitation, including hunting, can help, not the Act as it is implemented today. How trustworthy are the population findings of camera trap studies? This is one of the most reliable techniques in tiger population estimation. It is flawless in determining the minimum number of tigers in an area. Just as the fingerprints of two humans do not match, the stripes on two tigers also do not. These are photographed by strategically placed cameras in a forest. However, counting the exact number of most animals in a forest is near impossible, and tigers are rather elusive. Do you have sufficient resources and expertise for this exercise? Funds are always scarce. We are assisting some of the tiger reserves and national parks in counting tigers with support from donors. However, the National Tiger Conservation Authority has decided to support the monitoring in Orang and Kaziranga. Our first camera trap study in 2008-2010 was with very basic facilities. Subsequently, funds became available, but lack of skilled manpower to conduct such large-scale operations remains a challenge. Poachers and other intruders have also been stealing our cameras.
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PROFILE: K. Subrahmanyam Tilak A law graduate, Tilak was jailed for taking part in the Quit India Movement. Originally a Congress leader, who later became a socialist, he worked as interpreter to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and Dr S. Radhakrishnan. Tilak did not contest the election for the second time as a matter of principle, as he wanted to give younger people a chance. Tilak was born at Visakhapatnam, and educated at Maharajah’s College, Vizianagaram; Banaras Hindu University; and Raja Lakhamgonda Law College, Belgaum. He worked with noted leaders like Pattabhi Seetharamayya, Konda Venkatappaiah and Duggirala Gopal Krishnayya. Tilak was a member of the Congress from 1939 to 1947, but later joined the Socialist Party of India at Visakhapatnam. On August 15, 1958, when “speed post” was first dedicated to the nation, one person in a remote village in East Godavari district sulked. Tilak told his associates, a bunch of social workers in their teens, “From today, the rich will receive their letters fasters, while the poor will receive them late.” At the age of 10, Tilak walked with his uncle, Kandala Sarveshwar Sastry, a noted freedom fighter, for about 5 miles to participate in the Salt Satyagraha, before he was sent home. At 18, Tilak was elected student leader on the BHU campus, organising public meetings of stalwarts like Bose, Jawaharlal Nehru, Maulana Azad and Gandhiji. But the people who “made a difference in my life were Jayaprakash Narayan, Vinoba Bhave and Dr Ram Manohar Lohia”. Though he revered Gandhiji, he believed individual Satyagraha was not the right tool to attain freedom. He was for mass movement. Despite being in the Socialist Party, he says, “I worked for the Congress. The Quit India call given by Gandhiji in 1942 and the slogan ‘Do or die’ gave a huge boost to my nationalist ideas, and I returned to Vizianagaram to organise a student movement.” He was sentenced to four months’ jail for leading a strike at the college. There he suffered severe humiliation and beatings. Post Independence, he was Member of the first Lok Sabha (1952-57). To serve the poor and downtrodden, Tilak at the age of 64 launched an NGO, Spandana, in 1984. He adopted 50 tribal villages at Shankavaram Mandal in East Godavari district. Tilak now lives in Adivivaram, behind Simhachalam Hill, with his wife, daughter and son-in-law. He spends his time reading and serving his visually impaired wife.
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scene which has never left my mind since schooldays is of locusts invading northern India. They came in their millions from Africa to Asia and swept across the whole of northern India. At first I thought they were dark clouds bringing rain. They blotted out the sun, and daylight turned into a pitch black night. They descend on trees and bushes and stripped them of all their greenery before they left for greener pastures. For good reason, the phenomenon was described as a plague of locusts. In Punjab, it was known as the Tiddee Dal —locust army.
THERE would be few literature festivals in the world where out-of-shape authors would climb over 2,000 feet to a monastery and consider it as one of the highlights! Of course, this was not a compulsory expedition of the Bhutan literary festival, Mountain Echoes, nonetheless it was something that many of the writers at the festival, including me, could not resist doing. How could we? The temptation to walk into the thick forests and explore the tall encompassing mountains beckoned throughout our literary journey in Bhutan.
BORN in 1975, Dr M. Firoz Ahmed is one of the leading wildlife conservation researchers, specialising in monitoring the tiger population in North-Eastern India, a biodiversity hotspot. He has been involved with Aaranyak, a scientific non-profit organisation, and various other forums since 1994. Over the past few years, he has been leading expeditions to monitor tigers and prey animals in the Kaziranga National Park, Orang National Park and the Manas Tiger Reserve in Assam on an annual basis. He is also been advising the forest departments of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh and the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
THE function to mark the 60th anniversary of Parliament was a big occasion. Four surviving members of the first Lok Sabha were felicitated by the President. Among them was 92-year-old socialist K. Subrahmanyam Tilak, who represented Vizianagaram constituency 60 years back. In spite of his advanced age, there was a glow in his eyes, as if he would like to demonstrate his oratory skills once again.