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The naysayers
This above all |
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TOUCHSTONE
On record PROFILE: Uthradom Thirunal Marthanda Varma
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The naysayers Dr Singh looks flustered at times and sad at other times. Gone are his witticisms and relaxed smiles. The tag of the ‘weakest’ prime minister of independent India has apparently stuck, and his feeble attempts to flex his muscles have invariably come to naught. Critics say, with ample justification, that he should have been more assertive, but the damage is done, and having had their way, the more belligerent allies won’t take ‘no’ for an answer on any rollback or demand to scuttle a proposed policy initiative.
Kolkata calling Time and again, the stormy petrel of West Bengal politics, Mamata Banerjee has had her way, scuttling proposed reforms and making the government look spineless and worse. But this time around, the government seems to have had the last laugh, on the nominee for the country’s President. Mamata Banerjee looked triumphant as she spurned Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s suggestion to support Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee for Presidency and instead flaunted her own list of three names with former President Abdul Kalam as the most favoured. She did this in conjunction with Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, but at the crucial moment Mulayam ditched her, leaving her abjectly isolated. The dramatic shot in the arm for the Congress cannot wipe out memories of how Mamata earlier made the UPA dance to her tunes because having given the impression that it can be pushed around, the Manmohan Singh government still looks vulnerable to pressures from regional satraps. Two weeks ago, like many times earlier, a policy initiative fell by the wayside. The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Bill was brought before the Cabinet to counter growing talk of a policy paralysis and to show that the reforms agenda was on course. However, at the end of the day the bravado stood badly deflated and the credibility of the government before the global investor community stood seriously compromised. It has indeed been one long saga of how regional satraps have been ruling the roost in this coalition era, sometimes gently pushing, at others virtually blackmailing the UPA government into submission. On the pension Bill, as with earlier reforms, Mamata, who had won the West Bengal Assembly election by a steamroller majority, was not willing to go along. Therefore, the reform stood ‘deferred.’ In fact, it was not even taken up for discussion at the Cabinet meeting. But why was Mamata Banerjee unrelenting? While the Trinamool Congress supremo has claimed that throwing open pension funds to private players and to foreign investment would jeopardise the post-retirement future of millions of retired employees (a grossly misplaced apprehension), the real reason was that she was piqued with the Centre for not having given in to her demand for relief to West Bengal from its Rs 25,560 crore annual debt burden despite her having set a deadline that had passed. As one newspaper put it, Mamata’s Trinamool was holding a Rs25,000-crore gun to the UPA’s head.
Barter system The Congress had its eyes on the impending presidential election in which the support of the Trinamool Congress was deemed vital. It was prepared to bend over backwards to appease its mercurial leader. It was then that Mamata crossed the ‘Laxman Rekha’. That indiscretion of Mamata has cost her dear and has been a blessing in disguise for the Congress. It bears recalling that Ms Banerjee had earlier forced the government to put on hold a move to allow 51 per cent foreign investment in multi-brand retail, opposed the land acquisition Bill, rejected foreign investment in aviation, forced a delay in hike of petrol prices and is still holding out on moves to raise diesel and cooking gas prices. More than anything else, she had forced the resignation of her own nominee as Railway Minister, Dinesh Trivedi, for having proposed an increase in railway fares, replacing him with a more pliable Mukul Roy who rolled the fares back. That this caused grievous harm to railway finances mattered little to her. It was a measure of the way UPA-2 is perceived even abroad that US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made a visit to Kolkata, ostensibly to cajole Mamata and to soften her opposition to multi-brand retail being allowed in India and to interject on behalf of the governments of Bangladesh and India on the sharing of Teesta waters between the two neighbours, which Mamata had earlier stalled. So much for foreign policy being a preserve of the Centre!
Regional terrorism Significantly, another initiative piloted by the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram which proved stillborn was the setting up of the National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC). The fine print of the executive order setting up the NCTC may have had some objectionable portions for states, but the manner in which the move to set up an apex body for anti-terror intelligence was scuttled smacked of political expediency to show the Centre in poor light. It was the satraps of regional parties like Jayalalithaa of the AIADMK, Mamata Banerjee of the Trinamool Congress, Naveen Patnaik of the BJD, Nitish Kumar of the Janata Dal (U), and Parkash Singh Badal of the Akali Dal, combined with two regional bigwigs from the BJP — Narendra Modi from Gujarat and Raman Singh from Chhatisgarh — that forced the Manmohan Singh government to backtrack on this move. There was no visible earnestness to cooperate in setting up such an outfit with safeguards built-in to prevent its misuse, even though a coordinating agency to combat terror was sorely needed in the light of several intelligence goof-ups. A worthy move was therefore torpedoed at the altar of political opportunism.
Chennai charge Another example of arm-twisting by a regional satrap, Karunanidhi of the DMK, was the government’s decision in March last to vote against Sri Lanka on a US-sponsored UN resolution asking Sri Lanka to investigate alleged war crimes against Tamils in that country. Whatever be the merits of the resolution, the fact was that the Indian government angered a strategically-important neighbour to appease a regional satrap who was pandering to his vote bank within the state. In the bargain, the concerted efforts of India to wean Sri Lanka away from falling into China’s lap came to naught. That Ms Clinton chose to go to Chennai and hold consultations with Karunanidhi was again an index of the growing clout of regional satraps and the diminishing hold of the Centre even in foreign policy. With the growing clout of regional parties (the seeming Congress triumph on the Presidential issue looks more like an aberration) and the helplessness of both the Congress and the BJP in not being able to do without them for government formation, there apparently is no escape from the regional bosses. However, the type of federalism mooted for India by our pragmatic Constitution-makers demands that the Centre assert itself. The more the Centre gives in to regional satraps who often have only the interests of their own states in mind, the farther would we depart from our federal model which preserves the country’s integrity and plurality.
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This above all Corruption should never be forgiven. They are not aware that the principal cause of corruption is the enormous disparity of wealth between the haves and have-nots. While the boss earns over Rs 2 lakh a month, he pays his domestic staff no more than a pittance: his car driver gets around Rs 10,000 per month, his khansama, baihrah, ayah of the children around half that sum. The temptation to steal becomes irresistible. The best our governments could think of doing something about it was to ask employees to register names of their servants. That had a negative effect. The police harassed private domestic staff and extorted money from them. I come to the conclusion that the only way to tackle endemic corruption is to narrow the gap between the rich and the poor by speeding up the pace of development. At present it moves at a snail’s pace; it should be going at the pace of a horse in full gallop. We should take a lesson from the advanced democracies of the world. The servant class has disappeared in all of them. People have learnt to look after themselves and not rely on their relations or the government to do so. If the State or relations give them assistance, it should be treated as a bonus. A line from the Gurbani neatly sums it up: “Apnee hathee aapna apey hee kaaj savaari” (Improve your state of affairs with your own hands). JOURNALISM TODAY Journalism is the Profession that gives us today’s News/ That which is Fact not fiction and definitely not Views./ Today we get news from media, the types are so many/ But news we read, see, or hear is so much not that, it’s not funny./ We have written media that by public is read/ But it seems good journalists are all gone, or are dead./ Though reading is decreasing, newspapers increase much faster than/ Colleges produce journalists even when as fast as they can./ What makes it worse, media units multiply at a much faster rate/ Than our population can race to education’s gate./ But reading is quite different from viewing and hearing/ The last two are such, they can be enjoyed with little school or learning./ So when TV news readers read you the news/ You find fair maidens who give you their Views/ They smile and giggle, smirk, wiggle, and wink, raise eyebrows/ Are they acting or what or does someone have them in tow!/ Gone is the principle, read news with a straight face/ Showing one has an opinion is newsreader’s disgrace/ When giving news, careful! It cannot be conjecture/ News is Fact, not Maybe, I think, I heard, I’m not sure./ Last but not least news photos are visuals of what actually happened/ Not pixels or bytes, a pictorial put together, a photo pre-planned. (Contributed by Stanley Joseph Nazareth, Nagpur) CHENNAI JOKE Subramanium Swamy, as usual, went to the police station and lodged a complaint against his wife and wrote: “With little altercation she hurls her sandals at me”. Inspector: Since when? Swamy: For the last five years. Inspector: Why are you coming now? Swamy: Because now she is more accurate and never misses her target. TAJ MAHAL Buta Singh’s English tutor once asked him: Explain Taj Mahal in brief. Buta Singh replied: “Simple, it’s the largest erection of a man for a woman”. (Contributed by Ramesh
Kotian, Udupi)
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TOUCHSTONE
THE Indian way of recording history is quite unique and follows a different code from the more well-known western module, which is rooted in dates, details and empirical fact. Several cultural historians have commented upon the rich history that is hidden in folk songs, folk tales and mythology, since the human sense of history is wider and more digressive than the precision required by academics and historians. This is perhaps why we are able to tap those ineffable depths of a cultural past that often cannot be seen by more conventional methodologies. In India, faith, belief, mythology and a common racial memory are considered almost on a par with archaeological evidence and it is difficult to make the ordinary Indian change his mind about the authenticity of an event or historical fact unless all the other aspects of his belief are also addressed. The Ram Janmabhoomi imbroglio is just one example where empirical fact was defeated by faith and mythology. How many times have we listened to a ‘guide’ at a historical site begin his oration with, ‘It is said that…’ and listened enraptured to reported conversations between a king and his queen who may have died centuries ago? Clearly, myth and historical truth can coexist in our mind and more colourful information is contained in folk songs and tales than we realise. One reason for this perspective on history is due to the fact that ours is primarily an oral culture and we carry information from generation to generation by word of mouth. Indian languages are rich in imagery, sense impressions and sounds and when we speak we use our hands and faces with unabashed restraint. That these are an important and legitimate source of information is what subaltern historians have slowly taught us to accept. This is how the spoken memories of ordinary men and women are now being tapped to discover the soul of an institution. Oral history is a discipline in itself and I had the good fortune of experiencing its magic when I was interviewed for a project to archive the history of India International Centre on the occasion of its golden jubilee. My interviewer, Indira Chaudhuri, is among the finest in this field and has executed a similar project for the Bhabha Atomic Centre in Mumbai a few years ago to mark Homi Bhabha’s birth centenary. Her excellent work there resulted in the creation of a rich archive of letters and documents dug out of hitherto ignored sources that later led to an exhibition and a commemorative volume. More importantly, her work focused attention on every aspect of this remarkable institution, from its magnificent art collection to its architecture and a record of all luminaries who have graced its past. For some time now, she and her team have been quietly documenting various aspects of the IIC: the collection of rare volumes in its library, IIC’s own publications, the original architectural drawings and garden layout plans, its trees and plants, recipe books and furniture, designed by some of the greatest names of the Sixties (Charles Eames, Joseph Stein to name a few) — the list is endless. Often, some old gardener would remember who planted which tree and why, the chef could recall which recipe was created for which visiting dignitary, the clerk at the reception desk could remember who came and stayed at the hostel. I can tell you that all of us who have been associated with this institution suddenly developed a new sense of pride at its rich and distinguished history and became aware of our surroundings in a manner we had not been until the project activated our interest. The most interesting part of this archiving project has been recording of the memories of its members and Indira was full of an interview she had done with Zohra Segal the other day. At 100, Zohra Segal is among the oldest members of the Centre and her sharp wit, clear memory and naughty sense of humour make her an interviewer’s delight. Balanced against the rather solemn roster of the Centre’s visitors and speakers, her memories are sure to highlight the human side of this venerable institution. It is a fact that many of us take what we see around us for granted, forgetting that one day they may acquire an importance that we cannot see. I wish that someone would commission a similar project for Chandigarh’s architectural history. I know of several visiting architects who make a pilgrimage to Chandigarh to pay homage to Corbusier’s city. There are still so many who had the good fortune of having worked with him and can recall much of him that we often forget. I believe that it would be a good idea to focus attention on what treasures the city has apart from its buildings. I can recall chairs in the staff room in Panjab University that were originally designed by Corbusier and his nephew, Pierre Jeanneret. When the old cane weaving wore out, they were stacked in a forgotten store-room and perhaps auctioned off later with other ‘junk’. Today they are eagerly sought after by collectors who are ready to pay a fortune for an original piece. Not long ago, e-bay was auctioning for a substantial sum old sewer covers he had designed. No doubt they were replaced by newer, uglier ones when they were declared worn out by some municipal officer without realising their worth. A pride in one’s environment can only come from a sense of its history. Will someone form a citizen’s group to preserve our past for our future?
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On record How much is the IMD under pressure regarding monsoon predictions? The secrecy surrounding the affair at times is curious. Monsoon accounts for almost all annual rain in 75% of the geographical area, and 78% of the gross cropped area in the country. Its contribution to the GDP is substantial. Therefore, yes, there is pressure on the department, particularly when it is a bad monsoon year. It is not just agriculture, but the general sentiment in the country that is hinged on its progress. Right from the government and the media to the common man, everyone wants to know what is happening. There are also issues like the commodity market. Any wrong information can lead to hording, resulting in price rise and inflation. Besides, it is not just about the country’s macro-economy, a hint of bad monsoon can also have adverse effect on the village economy. Farmers may not be given loans and they may have to postpone family events like weddings. Therefore, any information on monsoon should be correct, and shared through the right channel. How would you rate the IMD’s predictions? It has many times had to face flak for ‘wrong’ predictions. Seasonal forecast of the summer monsoon rainfall is our top priority, the preparation for which begins as early as January. We issue monthly and seasonal forecasts based on seven India-specific predictors, which in turn are linked with eight world-wide predictors. Operational forecasts for the June-September rains as a whole are issued in two stages. The first long-range forecast (LRF) is issued in April, and updated in June. The LRF is used for strategic planning like the optimal time for sowing, while for technical points like when to irrigate, apply pesticides or fertilisers, we issue medium-range forecasts. For farmers’ benefit, we also give agro-met advisories. We are the only department in the world which is issuing LRFs. All other forecasters give medium-range forecast, which is far more accurate. I can say with confidence that the IMD’s medium-range predictions are quite accurate. We regularly review our operational models, and improve upon them through in-house research. While there is always scope for improvement, the fact remains that a forecast will be a forecast. Atmosphere is chaotic, and to draw a signal from this chaos is a tough job. Is India’s technology in keeping with global developments in the field? In spite of its regularity, monsoon exhibits large variability. Two main approaches are used for the LRF — the empirical statistical model and a dynamical method. The statistical approach uses historical relationship between monsoon and predictors derived from global atmospheric-ocean parameters. The dynamical model is primarily driven by ocean parameters, such as sea surface temperatures, having a definite bearing on monsoon. Despite certain inherent problems, statistical models have proved better for seasonal forecasts, and we use those. But looking into the potential of the dynamical model, we have established one system based on that in Pune. We will be using a dynamical coupled-mode prediction system for monthly and seasonal forecast. What are the plans for upgrading agro-met services? Can we have micro-level forecast for farmers on the lines of cyclone warning for fishermen? In the 12th Plan, we are contemplating block-level forecast and consolidating our mechanism for generating agro-met advisories. The idea is to advise farmers correctly and help him curtail costs by linking weather forecast with the application of irrigation, pesticides and fertilisers. How real is the threat of global warming to Indian agriculture? It is my personal opinion that it is not a threat that cannot be managed with correct strategies. Wheat is cultivated all over from Maharashtra to J&K, as also across the world, such is the genetic diversity of the crop. So if we are able to select the right variety for the right place, we should be able to mitigate the impact. But water management is an issue that needs focused research. The availability of fresh water on earth is limited and enhanced variability in rainfall will put pressure on water resources.
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PROFILE: Uthradom Thirunal Marthanda Varma Reports suggest a tiff between Varma and an advocate led to the latter filing a petition in the high court. When the court ordered takeover of the temple by the state government, Varma went to the Supreme Court, following which Vault A was opened. The government was not keen on taking over the temple. Ever since the treasure was discovered, all eyes have been on the Travancore royal family, which runs the temple. While the family is tight-lipped, no one knows the wealth held in Vault B. Varma, however, has been quoted as saying, “I know what is in Vault B. But what is the necessity for everyone to know?” Legend has it that a serpent guards the vault and evil luck befalls anyone trying to open it. Varma's advocate has told the court that no part of the property belongs to any member of the family. It is a public temple and they are only trustees. Marthanda Varma feels the treasure should be used judiciously for religious and social uplift. The 90-year-old Varma looks less like he’s sitting on $22 billion, and more a retired scholar. He has not seen the treasure, but acknowledges he had known the vaults contained gold and other valuables. He goes to the temple every morning to pray. The head of the family has to visit the temple every day, a ritual when not observed entails a fine of Rs 157.35. Growing up in a matrilineal family, Varma graduated in 1943 with a gold medal in economics, history and Sanskrit. He married in 1945 and moved to Bangalore in 1952 for his children's education. He subsequently returned to Kerala to take over as head of the family. Varma's many interests — from photography to maintaining news clippings — keep him busy. He collects watches too, all gifted. His first watch, a Mappin, which he got in 1929, is still intact. A passionate driver, he was presented with 10 medals by Mercedes Benz because he had clocked 40 lakh miles. His poor health, however, has put a stop to the driving. He suffered his first heart attack in 1982 following the death of his guru, another in 1991 after the death of his brother, and a third after the death of his wife in 1993. He is still a busy man, being chairman of Aspin Wall Company, which trades in coir, coffee, rubber, tea and other goods. His children, a son and a daughter, live with him.
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In or out of power, J. Jayalalithaa is a
leader who cannot be ignored. Few can match her communication skills
— both verbal and written. Jayalalithaa has a razor-sharp memory, a
deep understanding of issues and clarity of expression that has few
parallels. Jayalalithaa does not trust easily. She has virtually no
friends other than her longtime associate Sasikala, with whom she had
fallen out recently only to make up after Sasikala profusely
apologised to her.
Now out of power, Karunanidhi is
as much a regional satrap as his bête noire Jayalalithaa. It was his
stern message to the Centre not to vote against or abstain on the UN
resolution for a Sri Lanka investigation into alleged war crimes
against Tamils that led India to vote in favour of the resolution.
Karunanidhi is a scholar and writer par excellence. His biggest
strength is his perfect time management. And his biggest failing is
his inability to rise above family loyalties which translates into
nepotism.
Mamata Banerjee is adored by her
numerous admirers for her simplicity and incorruptibility. That she is
genuinely humble and down to earth is evident from the fact that she
has lived all through her life in a small two-room house with her
mother, shorn of basic amenities like an AC. Having an opposing and
contrarian view has been her nature and she is distrustful of people
in general.
Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mayawati are
UP’s brand of regional satraps. Since the time they emerged on the
political stage, they have relegated the national parties the Congress
and the BJP to also-rans. Bitter rivals as they are, they both have
their own goonda brigades. With Mulayam’s Samajwadi party in power
in UP now, he is pursuing his prime ministerial ambitions more
aggressively than Mayawati. Both are smart operators, unscrupulous and
wily. 
The NDA is not without its share of
regional satraps — Narendra Modi in Gujarat and Nitish Kumar in Bihar. Both have rare administrative acumen and have taken their respective states to sustained double-digit growth. Modi is a great organiser and strategist but is dictatorial and a megalomaniac. Nitish is amiable and also a shrewd strategist. He is a good administrator and is endowed with great common sense.
THERE are a few men and women who manage to hog the limelight by telling us every day what we have known all our lives. They tell us we are a corrupt nation. We have always been a corrupt nation from times immemorial. Even during the British Raj, while a corrupt Englishman was a rarity, non-corrupt Indians were hard to find. Two men who have cashed in on telling us day after day we must do something about corruption without spelling out what that something is are Anna Hazare and Swami Ramdev. Their approach to the problem is utterly lopsided. They appeal to religion and conscience. Religion is the most corrupting phenomenon in our social lives because it pleads for forgiveness.
