The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Protests to politics
Kejriwal faces numerous challenges

Arvind Kejriwal and his team have launched a political party with a promise to change the style of governance. Their vision document advocates free healthcare and education, promises a Lokpal in 10 days of being elected and stresses on public participation in policy-making, even in preparing the budget and fixing prices of essential commodities. It is possible to dismiss this bunch of public activists as idealists who came into the limelight through an anti-corruption movement led by veteran fighter Anna Hazare. They split on the issue of entering politics with Anna Hazare, Kiran Bedi and Justice Santosh Hegde going their separate ways. Arvind Kejriwal and Prashant Bhushan are leading the yet-to-be named political outfit.

Individually as well as collectively, they have raised issues of public importance and gained some recognition. But the rough and tumble of politics will weigh on their patience and resources. Their public acceptance as politicians is yet to be tested. The challenges before them are huge. It is one thing to lead street protests, dub all political parties corrupt and dictate laws from outside Parliament, but quite another to plan the organisational structure of a political party across regions, carry people along, deal with the nitty-gritty of running an organisation, and, most importantly, raise money to fund political activities without resorting to malpractices they have been publicly opposed to.

The leaders of the new party are knowledgeable, articulate, media savvy and aware of systemic flaws. They represent aspirations of a fast-expanding, post-liberalisation urban middle class which does not want to miss on opportunities for growth and is ready to take on inefficient and corrupt politicians and officials as well as well-entrenched interests manipulating the system to their advantage. What Arvind Kejriwal says appeals to young urbanites who are impatient of corrupt practices and strive for change. Whether this admiration translates into votes will be seen in the Delhi assembly elections next year. Leaders of the existing political parties cannot afford to continue with their old ways of promoting own kith and kin, fielding criminals, bypassing merit and playing caste-based or populist politics.

Urban reform in Punjab
Needs political resolve, money

The decision of the Punjab Cabinet to implement the 1995 rent Act is in line with the government’s newfound resolve on urban reform. It would spur private investment in urban infrastructure and housing. The state’s cities and towns remained neglected through the 2007-12 tenure of the SAD-BJP government, essentially for want of funds. There was no money as the populist approach of the government did not allow it to impose the taxes required. Some of it did not happen specifically because of the opposition from the BJP, which has its base entirely in urban areas. The SAD emerging stronger in 2012 may have something to do with it being able to push through reforms such as imposition of property tax.

Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal recently announced a Rs-3,561 crore “Mission Ludhiana”, an integrated development plan for the city and its adjoining areas. It will encompass all areas such as solid waste management, water supply, sewerage, sewage treatment and local buses. A Rs-1,100-crore announcement for urban local bodies under the previous regime had never come through, as there was no source of money. Despite some of the recent reforms, the money required for the new Ludhiana plan — as well as other cities, which are equally in need — too would be hard to come by.

The Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission has forced the state government into some of these reforms, which are a condition for the release of money for development under it. There is a lot more to do yet, such as starting full recovery of user charges for utilities like sewerage, water and electricity; public interface improvement; transparent land-use conversion policy; accrual accounting, etc. No development is possible without money — as the Central government too has made clear — and people would be ready to pay if they get the services in return. The long queues to pay one’s electricity bills — even in a showcase city like Mohali — are not what give any confidence to people, or investors that the state is so desperately seeking.

Thought for the Day

One touch of nature makes the whole world kin. — William Shakespeare

ARTICLE

China’s growth story
It may have to outsource production
by Jayshree Sengupta

China’s rise is apparent from the airport itself. Not just Shanghai and Beijing but also airports in smaller towns like Hangzhou, Guiyang and Wuhan are shining examples of modern airport architecture. They are spotlessly clean and well run. Then there is the amazing infrastructure even in a remote hilly place like Guiyang in southern China. Huge bridges connecting the hilly terrain have been built along the highway. Everything seems to run smoothly, and the hotels are also modern and clean.

China has invested heavily in building office space and housing, many of which are empty. No one, of course, can own a house. Everything is on long lease. The government has built for the future and even in a city like Shanghai, which has over 20 million people, there is no sign of congestion and traffic jams are mild compared to the jams in India’s big cities. It is a well-organised city where things work smoothly. From top of the Pearl Tower one can get an idea about the skyline of Shanghai which, to my mind, has more skyscrapers than New York. It seems like a city of the future.

Down below the tall towers, people are walking about in clean streets and city squares. There is always a ubiquitous woman with a dust pan and a long brush trying to clean every piece of litter. One wonders why these women are constantly working because nobody is watching them! The railway station at Shanghai is also like the best in Europe with everything well organised and good seating arrangements for waiting passengers. The high-speed train to Hangzhou is amazing, as it is very well furnished and comfortable inside.

No doubt China has an authoritarian government. Decisions are taken at the top and by the Politburo consisting of seven members and its top leaders. The head of each organisation, whether it is a university or a village governing body, is an official of the Communist Party. Land acquisition is not a big problem. Beautifully built flats have been allotted to peasants whose farms have been acquired for industrial use. One village we visited was being industrialised according to a plan and the share of agriculture was being reduced to around 2.5 per cent of the total output of the village. This is because the silk industry is important in the area and other types of manufacturing is also being expanded.

In another village, contract farming is the norm and farmers produce honey suckle flowers for herbal tea manufacturers in the city. Yet all villages are not equally prosperous. All efforts are being made to bring the backward village inhabited by a minority community near Guiyang city into the mainstream. The instrument of change has been education. It has led to the migration of workers to the cities, and only women and senior citizens have remained to tend to farming and handicrafts.

One is struck by the high level of literacy everywhere and the health insurance schemes for village-dwellers. We visited one primary health centre which was well stocked with all kinds of medicines. As a matter of policy, the medicine prices were not marked up and were the same as the companies’ factory prices. It was a no-profit dispensary. Each village worker was also insured against unemployment and accident.

Women have to observe the one-child policy in the villages. To ensure this, there is the president of the local Women’s Federation who rides a scooter and visits families. She also, very importantly, looks after the welfare of migrant workers’ children. She coaxes women not to have more than one child. If they still have more they are fined. She also enables the women of the village to undertake gynaecological tests to ensure their good health.

Among intellectuals, there is some reservation which they are afraid of expressing clearly. There is no doubt that a top-down approach is being followed everywhere though the Dean of the Fudan University, Shanghai, argued that he is researching into the “Bottoms up” approach of China’s development. He stated that no Western model is being followed in attaining China’s fast growth. It has its own pattern. But, clearly, it has gone about in the right direction because every development model emphasises that infrastructure facilities, both social and physical, like roads, bridges, railways and housing, have to be built first. They have also achieved a high degree of human development.

One noticeable sight in smaller cities is the rapid pace of demolition of old buildings that are lying in a heap of rubble and construction of new high-rise apartments in their place. China is growing vertically in most places. A huge Walmart store is present in the centre of Shanghai. Naturally, they like the store because all things available in it are made in China. But street markets and corner stores remain popular.

Lastly, China today is about young people and their aspirations. They are into pop music and their own social media. TV has many channels but all in Chinese. CNN, BBC, etc, are available only in five star hotels. Censorship is strong and many young people who can speak fluent English miss having access to the Western media. This could become more pronounced over time as people demand more freedom of speech, expression and access to international news and views.

The Chinese growth story is truly amazing and has been triggered and driven by its industrial growth. Now that industrial growth is slowing down because of higher wages and higher standards of living, to remain competitive, China would have to outsource its production to cheap labour countries or move to another growth area — services. It is more and more aware of the immense pollution problem that rapid industrial growth has created and almost all new houses/buildings have solar panels on the roof. It has also invested heavily in alternative sources of energy. What is striking is that no city or village has either power or water shortage.

With corrective steps, China can keep on rising. Corruption is a big issue and the growing inequality. China’s new-found prosperity is apparent in the number of luxury cars on the roads in the cities. Rich people live in fancy houses and the luxury market of Western branded goods is flourishing. It would be a difficult task indeed to control the lifestyles of the rich in the future. Currently, one can see only a few beggars on the streets.

The young women are mostly stylish, clad in trendy western clothes. There are fewer women in China than men; so, they are empowered and confident. Another observation was that there were hardly any animals in the countryside as compared to India and there were no stray dogs in the cities.

MIDDLE

Troubled times
by Rajbir Deswal

Only fools burn fingers to know that fire burns. But certain things happen, as they say, by themselves, staring starkly and stunningly at ones own doings, which just went wrong, unintended and unapprehended. Yes, I broke my hand thrice (God forbid not again!) and burnt it once (again, God forbid, not again!) — unwittingly.

I was in my 7th standard when playing a prank with my elder sister, I literally ran for cover, fearing a bashing. That she wouldn’t hurt me to the extent of going hard even on the skin, wasn’t discounted though, yet what happened left me bound in a plaster on my right hand for nearly three months. The period included my exam days too when, trust me, I wrote them with my broken hand.

My sister was apologetic when she ‘just pulled my legs’ making me slip from a block, just about a foot high. Now, on hindsight, I recall a Haryanvi saying — You may survive a fall from a camel and may get hurt hurling down a donkey. Yes, the plaster did add to my arm’s strength to take on the bullies. When it was removed, I found long hair on a relatively fairer portion of the hand.

The second time I invited a fracture in my left hand. Now again if you think I should have been conscious of at least my 45 springs’ maturity then, you would only be embarrassing me, for what I was then demonstrating to my children was how a frog jump-walks. I had some initiation into yoga earlier, and thus I could, putting my elbows in my stomach, make the entire body-weight rest on the palms, spread on the floor, with legs suspended in air behind me, very much like a frog, ready to leap.

During the ‘show’ a gap that settled in my wrist-bone, to let me experience a hand frozen in plaster for six weeks. Well, it was in the month of January and all my coats and jackets had either to be left-arm-altered or relegated for another season — something I always dislike due to my aestheto-sartorial indulgence.

Before I talk about the third break, let me have a break to recall how once an old matron in a hospital almost rubbed salt against my injured hand — this time by burning. On that Divali, I was just taking stock of the previous year’s leftover crackers as usual. Without realising that the firepower or the fuses must have gone weak, I put one sparkle-pots to fire. Phushhh-Boom! It went deceitfully. Claiming my entire palm. The old nurse then could not help restraining herself in her dressing-down of a “grown up man who should himself set examples for others to not pollute the environment and say bye to crackers!”

The last break — let it be the last, O’ Lord! — happened just as a happenstance. I had no role to play except that during an electricity failure in the night, while sitting on the bed, I leaned to have some support of the hand which landed on the glazed bedsheet. Slipping from there on to the floor with my entire bodyweight, wisdom included, I fell on a joint between the wrist and the thumb, who could not coordinate to take the fall in their stride. Something between them went amiss. The ortho people labled it a freak-fracture and did not consider not putting me in plaster, although I was to set foot for the US of A.

But misery has its better side too. All through the flight and at the immigration counter, I had people giving way and offering their sympathies largely with ‘sawrees’ and ‘Oops’ . Now here I am in Seattle, the City of Starbucks, Boeing and Microsoft — handicapped! Typing with one finger. Despite breaks and burns!

OPED GOVERNANCE

The BJP wants to paralyse the parliamentary process by organising ‘bandhs’, both within and outside Parliament, says the Congress. A debate divorced from accountability renders democracy vulnerable, counters the BJP
BJP paralysed Parliament with an eye on elections
Kapil Sibal

Both the government and Opposition accuse one another of undermining Parliament’s dignity.

In parliamentary democracy the role of a robust Opposition is essential. It brings alternatives to the table, questions the Government on its policies through debate and discussion and brings to its attention issues which the nation needs to address. Over the years, the BJP has become a party bankrupt of ideas. Has the BJP since 2009 raised any issue on its own, whether inside or outside the House for which it can take credit? It has been riding on the coat-tails of agendas set by others. All the issues in the last couple of years which the BJP has latched on to were not driven from within, but outside Parliament.

The 2G allocations became a national issue only in August 2010. Before that the principal Opposition party did not raise this issue in Parliament, or outside, though 2G licences were granted in January, 2008. Only when the report of the CAG, presented to Parliament on November 16, 2010, was leaked to the media in March, 2010 did the BJP seize upon it.

Parliament paralysed

That too after the media went into a frenzy about the ‘presumptive loss’ figure of Rs.1,76,000 crore. A. Raja resigned. The Opposition decided to paralyse proceedings in Parliament. The entire winter session of 2010 was lost. The legislative business of the House suffered. Important decisions in various sectors could not be taken.

There was a clamour for a JPC. On February 24, 2011 it was constituted. The intent of the BJP was to use the JPC as a platform to keep the 2G issue alive and far from attempting to get at the truth, use the JPC as a forum for attacking and embarrassing the leadership of the UPA.

In the early part of 2011 Anna Hazare led an agitation to remove corruption in government. His prescription was the enactment of a Jan Lokpal Bill. Till Anna Hazare went on fast at Jantar Mantar in April, 2011, the BJP had over the years been silent on this issue. In the absence of a political consensus, it had failed to push for a Lokpal Bill both in 1998 and 2001. For the next ten years it was not heard in Parliament seeking legislation on the subject. Nor did it take to the streets. Its own moral bankruptcy would not have persuaded it to do so.

Cleansing government of corruption with a Jan Lokpal Bill attracted the people’s attention. The ‘aam aadmi’, rightly concerned about corruption in everyday life, sympathised with Anna Hazare’s movement. The BJP used this opportunity to fuel the movement through logistic and other support. The cadres of the BJP joined the so-called civil society on the streets. The RSS openly proclaimed that without them Anna Hazare’s stir would have been unsuccessful.

Civil society to the fore

Then in June, 2011 came Ramdev’s captive crowds as representatives of the general public and portrayed by the media as such. Leaders who proclaimed that Parliament alone had the exclusive jurisdiction to frame laws and that Parliament cannot be pushed from outside were seen sharing platforms both with Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev. Some of the Opposition leaders were seen touching the feet of Baba Ramdev as if the Opposition was dysfunctional and civil society had taken over.

Much of the proceedings in the House through 2011 were on issues raised outside the House. Much of what happened within the House was an adjunct to what happened outside the House. It was clear that the BJP was using both Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev to serve its political objectives. Its leaders were clandestinely collaborating with these forces.

The bankruptcy of the BJP is further reflected by the fact that while it wished to destabilise the polity, it was hesitant to accept the solutions held out by the so-called members of civil society. The BJP realised that in adopting their solutions, they would themselves become victims of the movement they wanted to pay lip service to. The BJP gave up its commitment to the ‘sense of the House’ resolution, moved amendments to the proposed Lokpal Bill that no government could accept, and tried to use the national mood against corruption for its political ends.

They were cognizant of the fact that their party, which is neck deep in corruption in Karnataka, in Gujarat and other BJP-ruled States could not have, on its own, raised the issue of corruption in the House. All of 2011 was lost with Parliament battling with the issue of an anti-corruption law, which is still an unfinished agenda. The BJP no longer seems to be interested in that agenda because Anna Hazare’s movement has disintegrated and Kejriwal has shown his real intent. We do not hear BJP leaders talk of the Jan Lokpal Bill any more.

Yet another salvo was fired recently by the calculations of the CAG on allocation of coal blocks. Realising that this could be another opportunity for political one-upmanship, the principal Opposition party yet again paralysed proceedings in the House and did not allow significant legislation to be passed. It also refused a debate on the issue. In fact, in the aftermath of the session, the BJP and other opposition parties organised a ‘bandh’ with Advaniji demanding a special session of the House to have a discussion on FDI in multi-brand retail.

Call for special session

It is ironic that a party that paralysed the House wants a special session to debate a particular issue. The Opposition party must decide what it wants to do. Does it want to be part of the parliamentary process or does it want to paralyse the parliamentary process by organising ‘bandhs’, both within and outside Parliament?

Both in the case of 2G as well as allocation of coal blocks, the extant policies during the NDA regime were followed by the UPA. It brought in greater transparency in the case of coal block allocations. Had there been a debate in the House, the Government would have demonstrated how the Chief Ministers of the BJP-ruled States were lobbying for individual allocations of captive coal mines. It is a known fact that most of the recommendations made by state governments were accepted by the Screening Committee, which was represented by the States, the ministries concerned and public sector companies. It is because a debate would have exposed the BJP that they chose not to allow Parliament to function.

Clearly between 2010 and today, all issues raised in Parliament were not at the instance of the principal Opposition party. In fact, the BJP has no agenda. It has no issues to raise. It is obvious that it paralysed Parliament in the last session without debate with an eye on elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh.

The writer is the Union Minister for Human Resource Development, IT and Communications

UPA runs away from accountability
Ravi Shankar Prasad

Parliament is indeed an institution for debate and it must happen. Our Parliament has a great tradition of having outstanding debates over the years. It is equally relevant to remember that it is the most important institution to determine accountability. A debate divorced from accountability renders democracy vulnerable.

The last few years have seen some of the most notorious scams and monumental corruption in the history of independent India, which has brought shame to the country. In all these cases the UPA Government led by Dr. Manmohan Singh and under the overall leadership of Sonia Gandhi has reluctantly agreed to debate but brazenly run away from taking responsibility and determine accountability when lakhs of crores of public money was pilfered. Some specific instances will surely confirm this.

CWG scam

Let us examine the scam in the organisation of Commonwealth Games in which an amount of Rs. 76,000 crore is allegedly involved. We had many debates in Parliament and the Prime Minister assured the House that he had set up a committee under Mr. Shunglu, the former CAG, and he will take action in the light of its recommendation.

The report severely indicted the working of the Sheila Dixit Government in this connection and observed that there was a method in the madness in the loot of public money. It also recommended a thorough criminal investigation. Leave aside taking action against Delhi CM Sheila Dixit, the CBI did not find it fit to charge-sheet even Suresh Kalmadi, the Congress MP who became one of the most ugly faces of this corruption. This is the level of accountability in spite of an assurance by the Prime Minister in Parliament.

Let us take the case of 2G scam. When the matter was raised in Parliament the Prime Minister repeatedly gave a certificate of innocence to the disgraced former Telecom Minister, Mr. Raja. It was only when almost the entire Parliament, barring the UPA, repeatedly protested that he was made to resign.

The CAG assessment of a loss of Rs 1.76 lakh crore was ridiculed by senior ministers that there was a zero loss. Now even a not very fair CBI investigation has demonstrated the extent of corruption. The PM himself publicly declared that he is willing to appear before the Public Accounts Committee but when an attempt was made to summon even his Principal Secretary, the Congress members repeatedly created chaos and tried to reduce the proceeding of the PAC to a farce.

JPC undermined

Similarly, in another important parliamentary institution, the JPC, any attempt to examine the Prime Minister and the then and present Finance Minister, Mr. Chidambaram, is being brushed aside in the most arrogant manner.

There is repeated correspondence between Mr. Raja and the Prime Minister in the 2G matter and in any fair investigation any parliamentary institution entrusted with such task is certainly entitled to ask very legitimate questions from Dr. Singh as to why he kept quiet when such a massive loot of public money was going on. Similarly, there is a Cabinet decision of October 2003 that Spectrum pricing would be determined in consultation with the Finance Ministry. There is a well-known statement of the Prime Minister in Parliament that when Mr. Raja and Mr. Chidambaram agreed on 2G Spectrum pricing, he accepted it. Mr. Raja went to jail and is suffering trial and a parliamentary committee does not have the right even to question Mr. Chidambaram.

This is the dismal record of the Congress as far as parliamentary accountability is concerned. The latest 2G spectrum prices fixed by the GoM headed by Mr. Chidambaram at Rs. 14,000 Cr. per circle as the base price in a very adverse market condition in 2012 confirms that the spectrum at Rs. 1,658 crore. in 2008 when the market condition was favourable was indeed a sell-out and the CAG estimation of loss of Rs 1.76 lakh crore. was absolutely correct.

Coal auctions delayed

It was in this context of repeated lack of accountability by the Congress-led UPA that the biggest scam “Coalgate” involving a potential loss of Rs 1.86 lakh crore exploded. By deliberately delaying the auction mechanism for more than eight years in spite of acceptance of this policy, huge coal blocks were allocated in the most arbitrary manner to private companies for captive use. These companies had questionable records and had powerful links.

All this was done when Dr. Manmohan Singh was also the Coal Minister. It was in this light that we in the Opposition demanded accountability from the Prime Minister and in order to have a meaningful debate further demanded that all these coal blocks must be cancelled and an independent probe ordered by the SIT. Except the Congress, all the parties were agreeable but the Congress backed out. This was conveyed to Sonia Gandhi by the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj, herself. The Congress was never interested in a meaningful debate along with determination of accountability.

The Congress strategy is very clear. First, deny the allegation, then abuse one who exposes corruption. In this even a constitutional body like the CAG has been condemned in the most abusive terms by Congress leaders, including ministers. The last part of its strategy is to cover the flanks and shield the corrupt. Accountability is brushed aside with impunity. This is the true record of the Congress.

The writer is an MP and chief spokesman of the BJP