Rail rudiment

Rail rudiment

Rail development in the Southern-most State of Kerala is abysmally insufficient and  incompatible with the all-round growth elsewhere in the country.

True, Kerala is land-scarce and people are reticent to part with land for development. Still, it is possible to take over land for doubling and other works. But the Union and State Governments should be honestly committed to complete the work.

Usually politicians do not want to pursue a project, if there is a modicum of opposition from the local people. Sabarimala rail line project had cost Parliament membership for those who impishly continued with plans to locate the rails along certain areas. All people in that area turned against them in the hustings. But that is not the case with development projects which offer a bonanza for the people at large.

The assertion of Minister of State for Railways R Velu that there cannot be running of more trains in the State without doubling work is practically all right.

But what are the steps taken by the Union and State Governments for materializing the doubling work? Rail doubling along Kottayam has been namesake. With the developments taking place at a fast pace at Kochi, it is imperative that doubling along Kottayam should be taken up on a war-footing. Doubling a few kilometres of the total stretch is far from sufficient.

The challenge before the authorities is to budget the total amount for completing the entire doubling work at one go. This should be executed within a year. By completing the doubling work, the rail traffic can be quadrupled. Doubling alone is the panacea for all the ills plaguing the State in the matter of rail traffic.

Electrification work also should be taken up simultaneously. It would have been far better if the authorities planned the electrification work also along with doubling work.

My point is that doubling work should be taken up in its entirety and not in piecemeal. This requires bold decision on the part of the authorities.

Think of the qualitative change in passenger and goods traffic along the whole stretch from all other directions towards Thiruvananthapuram and back. It is true that because of the passenger density, people along majority of the stations demand a stop for the long-distance train. If double lines are available, no harm would come about even if there are many stops.

Kerala is not like other States in the matter of dispersal of population. In other Southern States, one can see a conglomeration of dwelling places in another village after travelling ,say ,100 kms. With regard to dispersal of dwelling places being closely packed, the entire Kerala looks like one town.

It is, therefore, the bounden duty of the Union and State Governments to make plans taking this point into consideration. But in the Rail Bhavan in Delhi and headquarters of Southern Railway in Chennai, the response is lukewarm to the peculiarity of the geographic and demographic paradigms.

If there is a will, doubling of the entire stretch at one go can be executed without delay. The State government should provide all help to acquire the land, if there is need for it. But not much acquisition may be needed as railways have already more land at its disposal all along the lines.

The geometric proportion of the benefits accruing from doubling at one go would augur well for the all-round development of the State.

What is wrong with

What is wrong with
tetrapack Onam?

All Malayalis, whether they are living in Kerala, in other States or are abroad, enjoy Onam times. It is a universal festival for Malayalis. It  reminds us of the harvest festival of yore, even though there is not much of harvest in Kerala now-a-days.

Communists would cut down any plantation  other than paddy in converted paddy fields. They want the farmers to cultivate paddy where there cannot be sustainable paddy cultivation. They want the farmers who hold title to these fields to allow it to remain fallow.

Plantains, coconut trees or other cultivations which offer potential yield should not be grown. At the same time, they turn a Nelson’s eye on filling of paddy fields everywhere. They are concerned only when there is some personal interest. Personal interests are taken up as party interests. Things are bad for the real farmers.

We may be bringing rice, bananas, vegetables, milk from outside the State. But we do not fail or faulter in the matter of celebrating Onam. A rightful King has been sent to the Hades by a usurper God. The good deeds of the King did not augur well for an Asura. Therefore, the Asura King had been damned. We don’t mind putting good people into the nether world.

What was peculiar about this Onam? Is everything okay after we have sent P J Joseph to the abyss of damnation? Those who have not sinned, let them throw the first stone against Joseph. It is good he has stepped down. He may not have been able to defend himself quite well, being a Minister. But outside the Minister’s world, everything has to be done to do justice. It has to be examined whether the woman was over-reacting.

I have seen it with my own eyes a woman over-reacting in a running bus. She abused a man standing behind her. The man was not a Minister. Therefore,  he could give a little bit of his mind to the woman. Those standing around were also convinced that the woman was hysterical for no reason.

Joseph is one person who cannot react like the man I pointed out. No man will do like what Joseph is alleged to have done, unless there is some provocation. If it is true that she was working earlier in a channel, she would definitely have identified Joseph as a Minister. No person who has worked in the media for a few days can fail to identify a Minister. All dimensions have to be scrutinised in detail. Passengers have not seen Joseph doing anything untoward. It was the hysterical outburst of the woman which had caught the attention of others. The opinion was made on the basis of the histrionics value of the woman.

Anyway, we have damned Joseph without causing a full-fledged inquiry.
Joseph is no more a Minister. Now he has to be afforded an opportunity to prove his point.  

I believe there is more to it than meets the eye about the Joseph episode.

We all celebrate Onam even if we don’t have the environs of yore. We get everything as neatly packed commodity for celebration. There is no harm in it, even if everything is artificial. There would be memories.

No haste but take su

No haste, but take sure steps
to  reach liberalism

There is no need to jump over the fence to bring in a quickie liberalism. That will only flop. But take cock-sure steps to herald  full liberalism as soon as the economy can hold it.

India is no banana republic where there can be all sorts of experiments, some of which may boomerang on the people.

I am referring to the Tarapore Committee report on fuller capital account convertibility.

Some enthusiasts are worried that the committee was reticent on bringing in fuller rupee convertibility at one go.

But economy watchers should agree with the committee’s recommendations under which full convertibility can be achieved by 2011. Mind you, that is way ahead of the deadline put by World Trade Organisation for zero duty on imports to be achieved in 2014.

Putting two and two together, it can be surmised that many of the Tarapore committee’s suggestions are cogent.

There can be to and fro transfer of money way ahead of the 2011 deadline for fuller capital account convertibility.

Outward remittances by individuals would have a ceiling of $ 50,000 a year by March 2007, $ one lakh by 2008-2009 and $ two lakh by 2010-2011.

NRIs can buy foreign shares. In addition, mutual funds can invest abroad up to $ 3 billion this year. This would be capped at $ 5 billion by 2011.

However, there is a dampener. The NRIs cannot directly invest in companies listed on foreign stock exchanges.

This might be altered when the review committee evaluates the situation at every milestone proposed by the Tarapore Committee.

There is a roadmap for the economic liberalisation being carried out, culminating in  free market economy by 2011. Everything is being done in a graded manner.

The first phase reforms are meant for 2006-2007. The second phase will start in 2007-2008 and end in 2008-2009. The final phase will take off in 2009-2010. The measures would square off in 2011.

Foreign Institutional Investors have to funnel funds in a more transparent manner. The concept of participatory notes, which does not require revelation of the indentity of the foreign investor, is being wiped out. The FIIs may not like it, but funding would be in an open manner.

They can invest in Indian stock markets. But it should be through SEBI-registered entities. The investments should be through bank accounts in India. This would take care of the stock market foul plays by unidentifiable foreign investors.

By the time we go in for total convertibility, the economy should be so potent to take care of the poor and the marginalised. There should be workable social security schemes for the unemployed as well as the unemployable.

No section of the people should feel that they are ignored. At the same time, it has to be taken for granted that there would be no going back. Open economies offer unbelievable scope for growth, if we look at it perceptively.

The spurt in prices of natural rubber, cash crops, export-oriented items has resulted in only because of the globalised market. The growers get comfortable prices only because of the open economies. When there is short-fall in wheat stock, it has been allowed to be imported duty-free. This is the way it should be done.

O J's Corner : Reflections

Partition policy boomerangs on U K

The United Kingdom may be ruing the day when it decided to go in for partition of British India into two countries. Mahatma Gandhi was totally against the division of the country. He tried every means to avert the tragedy of the people of one country being kept apart.

What was the price paid by the people during partition? Millions were killed on both sides of the border. The border itself was unclear. The Princely States, which showed one-upmanship, also had to pay a heavy price.

Kashmir problem was the child of partition. The Britishers thought that keeping India as one entity would act like having a continental power one day. Splitting the would-be powerful was the ad hoc solution they found.

India has been living with the tragedy ever since. Decades before America and Britain witnessed anything like terrorism, India had been the victim of foul play.

Britain did like that and left it to India to struggle with it. During the cold war era, Afghanistan’s Taliban was armed to the hilt. The former Soviet Union withdrew from Afghanistan. The Taliban had to use the weapons somewhere. All the Islamist terrorists group together one way or another when they face a common enemy. Civilised world is anathema to them. Pakistan has been used to aid and abet the Western world’s ploys. They are reaping the whirlwind.

Now the greatest threat, it appears, is not from Iran, Iraq or Afghanistan, but from British citizens who are from Pakistan or whose parents were from Pakistan.

The brainwashing occurs in Pakistan when they make a visit to their ancestral place in Pakistan. A phrase has come up in Britain, “Kashmir on Thames”.

Radicalised British Pakistanis develop a nexus with al Qaeda and Kashmir and they prove to be the greatest threat to the U S.

Now a section of the Americans are blaming the British for rearing a Kashmir on Thames. Violent extremism is fomented by these Islamic fundamentalists.

They got nurtured in Britain which considers itself the cradle of civilisation and democratic polity. That is all good. But extremists utilised the situation to the maximum extent.

The result is that America’s closest ally is becoming the greatest threat for the Americans by way of the fundamentalists getting a haven in the U K.

Al Qaeda  got reorganised in Pakistan after U S troops deposed Taliban regime in Afghanistan. They were quick to bank on the ethnic Pakistanis settled in the U K. They speak good English and can travel on British passports.

Mind you, British passport holders are allowed visa-free entry into the US.
There is an argument that the visa-waiver scheme should be scrapped. British citizens like these are as strong a threat as any other countrymen.

The terrorism has its roots straight from the Talibans fighting the former Soviet Union in Afghanistan. Al Qaeda was fighting along with Taliban and Lashkar-e-toyiba, according to the findings of the group in America.

It is a case of the Empire striking back. The world is an uncomfortable place with all these Islamist terrorists let loose everywhere.

Bugti’s murder a mad act

India has to be careful, for Pakistan is itching for an alibi to create trouble with India to douse the embers created by the mad act of killing Baluchistan’s revered leader, 79-year-old Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti.

The elder statesman, who was synonymous with the aspirations of Baluchistan, was murdered along with two grand-sons and associates by Pakistani military in the Marri tribal area.

The Oxford-educated tribal leader was the undisputed leader of Baluchistan for half a century. Baluchi people will not forgive the heinous act of the military.

Musharraf’s Army, which has been doing the bidding of the General and President, might be gloating over the elimination of a cancer in his scheme of things. The grand old man of Baluchistan was bombed in his mountain hideout in Bhambore Hills.

It is fitting to remember that he was for Baluchistan a person like Mujibur Rahman for Bangladesh.

Pakistan’s influential newspaper, Dawn, has reminded the people about the hoary past of the country. “Our troubled political history has shown that whenever force has been employed to solve a political problem, it has recoiled with terrible consequences on Islamabad”.

It was Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti who had invited Mohamed Ali Jinnah to come to Pakistan during partition in 1947. Bugti was in national politics, but later confined himself to Baluchistan, being its grand old entity.

Baluchi nationalism will not let Musharraf go that easy after his exterminating the be-all and end-all of Baluchistan.

India, in its humble wisdom, responded saying the killing was unfortunate. It emphasised the need for dialogue to address the grievances and aspirations of the people of Baluchsitan. India has the responsibility to respond, as the consequences of Pakistan’s misdeeds would ultimately fall on India, one way or other.

The typical Musharraf regime asked India to mind its business, for Baluchistan problem is an internal matter of Pakistan. Musharraf’s modus operandi is to crush dissidence by force.

Bugti has, for some time, been Chief Minister and Governor of Baluchistan Province.
Baluchistan’s assets consist of mineral and gas deposits. The Baluchi grievance has been that Islamabad has been exploiting its resources without paying back by way of development.

The present deliberate bloodshed is a precursor to Musharraf’s intention to postpone the democratic process of election next year. The US has been insisting on Musharraf holding elections. The Americans have not been enamoured of his Army fatigue while he is holding the post of President.

Bugti’s murder has sparked large-scale riots in Baluchistan and other parts of Pakistan. Clearly, Musharraf will resort to gimmicks to deflect world attention on the ruthless killing of the Baluchi leader and his grand-sons.

Commando-like reaction could be expected from Musharraf, who somehow wants to cling on to power as President and General. He would try to inflame Pakistani passion against India.

Let us be wary. Musharraf will not be able to camouflage the rage hovering around the people of Baluchistan. Bugti was not a terrorist, but a mass leader espousing the cause of regional aspirations of the people.

Pakistan is in for trouble. India cannot be complacent, but it should enhance its vigil. Terrorist activities in India, perpetrated from across the border, could spiral to an unprecedented level.

O J's Corner : Reflections

Family fiefdom

Expressions like dynastic rule, family fiefdom have been ruling the roost in Indian politics for a long time. Mahatma Gandhi never had a regime of his own in the country. Neither did he nurture his progeny to don his legacy. Nobody could carry on his legacy. That is a different matter altogether.

Jawaharlal Nehru did not foist any position on Indira Gandhi, except Congress presidentship, when she was instrumental in causing the dismissal of the first Communist Ministry of E M S Namboodiripad in Kerala.

Indira Gandhi found youngest son, Sanjay Gandhi, good enough to rule the country, but fate would not allow him to continue for long. The unwilling eldest son, Rajiv Gandhi, took over where Indira Gandhi had left the legacy behind.

His widow, Sonia Gandhi, has been holding the reins for long to have either her son, Rahul, or daughter, Priyanka, to take over the lineage of Rajiv Gandhi. The electorate had given Sonia the mandate to rule the country. But her foreigner-tag was too much for political rivals to digest.

Now Dr Manmohan Singh is keeping the position in tact for the Rajiv progeny. No doubt, they would take over sooner than later.

Many politicians had opposed the dynastic rule of the Nehru family. Some of the leading politicians had broken off from the Congress opposing the dynastic regime.

Sharad Pawar was one among the opponents of family fiefdom. Quite paradoxically, he himself is choosing his daughter to don his mantle at the earliest.

His daughter, Supriya Sule, is being groomed to take over the Sharad Pawar political lineage. As a prelude, she is being inducted into the Rajya Sabha on a Nationlist Congress Party ticket.

The Rajya Sabha by-election for the seat vacated by Vasant Chavan, a Dalit NCP MP, is being held on September 18.

Earlier, several party functionaries had approached Sharad Pawar for the seat. He apparently told them to keep off as it would be better to have a Dalit candidate for the vacancy caused by the death of  a Dalit MP.

Now he has changed tack allowing his daughter to contest the by-election for the Rajya Sabha seat. This would make things clear. His daughter, who is a greenhorn in politics, is going to be his heir-apparent.

Till now, it has been a foregone conclusion that his nephew, Ajit Pawar, would be his successor. Ajit Pawar is a senior Minister in the Congress-led Government in Maharashtra.

Pawar would like to have his daughter as well as his nephew to hold court in the whole of Maharashtra, which has been his fiefdom.

Afterall, what is wrong with influential politicians grooming their wards to lead us all? Anyway, before long, the people would have a feel of the practices of the fledglings.

Charan Singh’s son, Ajit Singh, had carved a niche for himself in north Indian politics. Devil Lal’s son, Chautala, did not lag behind. Jagjivan Ram’s daughter, Meira Kumar, is doing well as a Minister in the U P A Government. Earlier, E M S’ son could not fare quite well.

Examples are umpteen by which the progeny have been exemplary. Some have flopped. Let those who can take on the rough and tumble of politics flourish.

Consumer affairs again

No amount of writing on consumer affairs would be a waste. For, even if a minuscule of consumers get enlightened about the latest trends in the field, its spiralling effect would trickle down on the general populace as well.

Manufacturers, traders, service-providers and the like would be careful too.

Indian economy has been opened up. It has been a gradual process. It officially started in 1991, but then the doors were being opened little by little every year. It is only a question of time when the country would offer full convertibility in all respects as in a capitalist economy.

Unfortunately, we did not have corresponding positive changes in the consumer affairs wing. Anyway, salubrious changes are in the offing. The Consumer Protection Act is being amended substantially to include wide-ranging reforms. There are new provisions as well.

In a transaction between an individual and a mighty seller, the individual is a puny figure. In the normal course, he would not be able to take on the powerful seller when there is a dispute.

There are chit funds and private financial institutions which got away with a scheme they presented before a court of law, which appears to be taking care of the depositors. Years pass by, the depositors are left high and dry. There are not cogent laws taking care of the depositors.

At least the consumer sector is being taken care of now. When the consumer is arguing his own case, the affluent seller cannot hire a lawyer, as per the proposed amendment. Only if the complainant retains a lawyer, or if the complainant himself is a lawyer, can the seller engage one.

The consumer court will have to decide on merits, based on the complaint itself, even in the absence of the complainant. Coercion will not work out. Even if a complainant withdraws the petition, an organisation or an NGO can intervene in the interest of the community.

There can be only one adjournment of the case on each side. Delay is thus taken care of. Each party will get 30 minutes only for oral argument. The rest should be in written form. There can be video-conferencing as well.
Compensation will not be meagre. The court can award a refund with interest. Compensation will be adequate. Compensation should not be meagre to discourage the consumer.

The district fora would be headed by district judges and not a person qualified to be a district judge. No political person would be allowed on the bench.

The bench size is being increased to accommodate more women and judicial members.

The scope of consumer protection is being enlarged. Real estate promoters, builders and property dealers are being brought under the purview of the consumer protection law. Those having transactions with them can approach a consumer forum, if there would be a deficiency in service.

Education, internet purchases and municipal services are being roped in . In the light of burgeoning e-commerce transactions, tele-sales and so on, greater importance is being given to consumers. Those having international headquarters would have to open offices here or they should have agencies in India to conduct trade here.

Consumers can no longer be taken for granted. Opening up of the economy has justifiably been too good for entrepreneurs. Consumer protection provides a balancing act.

O J's Corner : Reflections

Western world’s distrust of Muslims

The Western world always says there is no cultural discrimination against Muslims. But the truth is they have lost confidence in Muslims after September 11, 2001 and subsequent terrorist attacks. There are terrorists among  Muslims who are out to wreak vengeance on the civilised world. Since they have got a target in the form of the civilised world, they are now concentrating on it.

When the target gets diverted, they would fight among themselves challenging the threadbare differences over their own faith. The paradox is there are crores of Muslims in this world who are innocent, who would not hurt any other being. They are the most benevolent and noble people. The problem is that the community could not identify the black sheep among them. There should be a concerted effort within the community to isolate the evil and keep a distance from them.

There is fear and panick about an impending danger, an attack, an explosion, a chemical weapons’ spray, liquid explosives, cell phone detonators and what not. No one knows where the evil lurks.

The other day the pilot of the North-West Airlines flight which took off from Minneapolis in the US to Mumbai got panicky and landed the plane at Amsterdam airport, escorted by two F-16 military aircraft. Twelve passengers, belonging to Mumbai, were detained for two days before releasing them. The initial apprehension was that there were circumstances to have suspicion about the in-flight conduct of these passengers.

All the 12 passengers were Muslims. The suspicion is conspicuous. The Indian Government had alerted its embassy in Amsterdam to secure consular access for the passengers. Lately, it has registered its protest with the Dutch authorities for detaining them.

There are international issues for the fundamentalists among the Muslims to wage a war against the civilised world. They have the Palestine problem, the Kashmir problem, the Afghan problem, the Iraq problem and what not. They draw financial sustenance from the oil money from various Arab countries.

The best way to weaken the extremists is to see that their funding is stopped. So far as the oil-rich nations are flush with funds, the extremists would easily get money by way of gratis or extortion.

After a few decades, the world is not going to depend on oil or other fossil fuels. The fossil deposits are fast depleting. It is best for the world to devise alternative ways to fuel the engines. I would say, they should not wait for the entire fossil fuel desposits to be used up to put alternative ways into practice. Gradually, the oil-arrogance would evaporate into thin air. The terrorists would not get so much of funds to carry out filthy deeds in this world.

In the prevalent circumstances, terrorists would not call it a day. They have people waiting to do their bidding, to sacrifice their lives, on the pretext of saving Islam. The schooling itself is on religious lines. General education is only a minuscule part of the religious education. No wonder many of the youths get astray.

Salvation does not flow from the barrel of a gun. Destruction of lives and properties would not fetch any good for any community on the long run. But the world is turning topsy-turvy. It has to be re-railed.

O J's Corner : Reflections

Ayyappa Paniker, the genius

In the death of Dr K Ayyappa Paniker, we have lost a Kerala’s son with world vision, a genius, poet, critic and teacher. The compendious personality was so frugal-looking, yet majestic. There was an aura about him, with academic, literary, poetic and intellectual acumen all rolled up in one.

Superficialists know him as post-modernist poet in Malayalam who has crafted lines without meter, rhyme and framework, yet full of irony and satire. Maybe, this was the popular perspective as well.

He was a person who imbibed a wealth of knowledge in classical literature before doing the never-attempted post-modern creations. He became the pioneer in that branch where several others bloomed  later. Others did not have his depth of knowledge and erudition.

His was a full life, always engaged in studies transcending literary straitjacket.

We are getting starved of towering personalities who are academically brilliant and monumentally well-read.

Power and position were nothing to them. Sitting in the guest house of the American Studies Research Centre in Hyderabad years ago, Dr Ayyappa Paniker had told me of the plus point of being a teacher. Once he was at the Delhi airport on his way abroad, when a young woman came forward and introduced herself. She was the Collector in some north Indian district. She was the student of Dr Paniker.

Great personalities behave like simple beings. They are inscrutable in many ways. I was a student of the first batch of Diploma in English for Communication of the Institute of English, Thiruvananthapuram, where Dr Paniker was the head of the department handling written English and Dr Elias Valentine guiding phonetic English, among others. The course was over, but the examination dates were not fixed by the university. By the time, I chose apprenticeship in an English daily in Hyderabad. I had told the teachers about my difficulty in appearing for the examination as getting leave during apprenticeship in a newspaper was unthinkable. I had given a go-by to the course mentally.

A few days later I got a letter from Dr Paniker saying that he was visiting the ASRC, Hyderabad. “Perhaps we may meet”, he wrote. I knew the meaning. I went there to meet him. While conversing he asked for the address of the Editor. I went back. A few days later, I was summoned by the Editor saying he got a letter from Dr Paniker requesting them to allow me to appear for the examination. I was given leave instantly.

Think of the affable, considerate ways of a great personality. He had not mentioned about his intention to make a request to the newspaper authorities. Milk of human kindness was flowing from his heart and innate being.

Awards, accolades, encomiums have all surrounded him. But he was never arrogant about the recognition.

Initiating his studies at Kavalam, continuing it at Malabar Christian College, Kozhikode, University College, Thiruvananthapuram, Central Institute of English, Hyderabad, becoming a teacher at CMS College, Kottayam, MG College, Thiruvananthapuram, he had ended up his academic career as the head of the department of the Institute of English, University of Kerala. He had humbly turned down an offer of becoming the Vice-Chancellor of Kerala University.

He had taken his MA and PhD from the Indiana University, and had done further research at Harvard and Yale Universities.

Persons with depth of knowledge are vanishing. May his soul rest in peace.

O J's Corner : Reflections

Open up with a human face

It is time one made up his mind about liberalisation, globalisation and privatisation.
There can be no going back from the liberalisation process officially set in motion in 1991. I would say the seeds of liberalisation were sown during the Prime Ministership of the dynamic  Rajiv Gandhi.

All the same,it is officially believed to be during the Prime Ministership of P V Narasimha Rao in 1991 that the process got started through budget proposals. Dr Manmohan Singh was the Finance Minister then.

It was a churning process for a country which has been following the socialist ideals for a long time. For geopolitical reasons we were close to the Soviet Union by virtue of which the leftist thoughts had an upper hand.

It is all gone now. Even Russia and other independent States which broke off from the Soviet Union have been depending on the US for a lot of affairs.

Every country is aspiring to be part of liberalisation, opening up and thereby growing up. Russia has been attempting to join the World Trade Organisation, but it did not get admitted for want of proper democratic processes kept in place in that country.

India is the world’s largest functional democracy. It can withstand any pressure on the strength of the will of the people.

The suggestion is: by all means open up, liberalise and go in for competition. We are going by the example of countries which have been following open market policies.In the West, there are in-built policies and programmes to take care of the citizens who are bereft of employment.

First of all, let us have an educational system under which the meritorious students should get good education. The economically weaker students coming from poor families should be given all support.

Mind you, a few thousands of the young people who excelled in education are holding the reins in various companies and business conglomerates as managers, leaders, idea generators and think-tanks. They preside over compendiums that generate multiples of crores of dollars worth of goods and services.

Unimaginable levels of prosperity have been created by these intellectually-rich genre. Of course, they have the bounden duty to care for the society which provided them opportunities.

They should be roped in to contribute part of their profits to research work in educational institutions where the youth would get good education.

Simultaneously, in a country like India where majority of the people depend on farming, agriculture sector should get priority just like the education sector. The government should follow the example of the developed countries and implement schemes to make farmers self-sufficient. There can be prosperous farmers, if the inputs are provided to them.

The control regime in the education sector should go. There are a lot of agencies which, in the name of overseeing, put hurdles in the way of progress of private education.

There can be colleges and universities and research institutions in the private sector. The existing rules which provide the control agencies with the tool to stymie the growth of education should be amended.

Foreign universities should be allowed to function in the country. Expertise from anywhere should be welcomed so that our youth would share the knowledge and experience. Afterall, we want to become a developed country. The elements which contribute to all-round development should be welcomed.

O J's Corner : Reflections

Self-financing muddle

The LDF Government in Kerala has been gloating about the turn-around it would fetch to the education sector in the State. Justice, fairness and social equality were being imposed on the education sector at one go, disregarding the prerogative of the minorities.

The attempt was to tame the private educational institutions run by the minorities and to force them to dance to the tune of the Communists.

Where does the government stand now? The main question to be decided in the court of law was the constitutional vires of the new legislation. But the other day, the State Government was pleading before the Supreme Court about the irregularities prevalent in the mode of selection of candidates to professional courses by the minority managements.

The Government had no cogent answer to a salient point raised in the court. The State Government had no objection to the selection of candidates by the managements for the last two years.

In between, the State Education Minister has been proclaiming the big brotherly attitude  saying whatever be the decision of the court, the party would not allow the managements to run the course as they liked.

The Justice P A Mohamed Committee had asked for the records available with the managements to vet the manner of selection of candidates to the management quota. The details have been submitted by the managements to the Supreme Court.

Now the Justice Mohamed Committee would be able to secure the documents only after the apex court released the same. This committee should have disposed of the complaints against irregularities in admission. Time is running out fast.

Without looking into the constitutional validity, the state government has framed the law to rein in the professional courses run by minority communities.

Even before this, there were cases going on in the Supreme Court involving self-financing professional courses. The State Government had not won any case.

The State Government and the private managements had incurred heavy expenditure by way of proceeding with the litigation. Lawyer’s fee is exorbitant at the apex court level. Senior lawyers of the Supreme Court were being retained by private managements and the government at the High Court level incurring heavy  expenses.

Chaos has been prevailing in the professional courses sector as far as students and their parents were concerned.

Constitutional questions were discussed at length in the T M A Pai case, Islamic Academy case and P A Inamdar case at the Supreme Court level.

Afterwards the UDF government had framed a legislation in 2004 which was challenged at the apex court. The High Court had dismissed the petition challenging the verdict that was in favour of the managements. This had again been challenged  in the Supreme Court.

Now the LDF Government’s legislation is under challenge. Moreover, minority institutions are queuing up before the National Minority Commission to get a declaration to the effect that the institutions are minority-run. As the State Government also comes in the picture, it has to argue its case before the Commission. Altogether, the scenario is dismal.

Creative energy is being wasted at various levels to open up settled issues like the prerogative of the minorities. The attempt by the LDF Government to re-define the minority has landed it in a quicksand from which it is difficult for the regime to emerge unscathed.

O J's Corner : Reflections

Close confidants had betrayed Rajiv

Everyone was baying for his blood. All of them were his close confidants. I am speaking about the vibrant young leader of the country, Rajiv Gandhi, who was betrayed not by the common man, but by his trusted lieutenants. In conformity with the public- school-days-like camaraderie, the young Prime Minister had full faith in them. But they had not done service to him as their friend and leader.

It was too much of V P Singh who was one of the senior Ministers to have taken cudgels against Rajiv Gandhi. Political ambitions are all right, but the attitude of V P Singh was reminiscent of having inflicted the “most unkindest cut of all”.

V P Singh, Arun Singh, Arun Nehru had all left him in the lurch. They had turned against him in the name of Bofors scandal.

Recently, the Delhi High Court had chided the CBI for prolonging the investigation into the alleged pecuniary benefit of Rs 65 crore in the Bofor’s gun purchase muddle. As much as Rs 2,500 crore had been spent for the investigation which reached nowhere.

Ostensibly, the investigation was stretched to this extent to bring discomfiture to the Rajiv/ Sonia Gandhi family.

Remember the time when P V Narasimha Rao was ruling the country as Prime Minister. Whenever Sonia Gandhi raised her head in the political spectrum, something or the other of the Bofor’s case would spring up. That was the way Sonia Gandhi was put down.

Then all the Congress leaders had gone down on their knees to beseech Sonia Gandhi to lead the Congress Party. She has been doing exceedingly well.

But when she was chosen the Prime Ministerial candidate, all hell broke loose and bayed for her blood. Rashtrapati Bhavan had not invited her to form the Government. She was invited for discussions to form the government.

All the anti-Gandhi family forces had united themselves to thwart the chances of Sonia Gandhi to become the Prime Minister. These forces knew it well that she would have offered the best governance the country can aspire to. Others could not stake their claims to rule the country, once this Iron Woman took over.

Nobody could rake up any scam against her. So they spread themselves far and wide to nip her chances in the bud by raising the foreigner bogey. For everything else this foreigner is okay. It is a pity that vested interests in this country have not accepted her as the daughter-in-law of Indira Gandhi. She has been here throughout after her marriage with Rajiv Gandhi. Her children have been born and brought up here.

Now, it appears, V P Singh is remorseful. He is trying to gravitate towards the Gandhi family as a well-wisher. At least he is considerate now. But Arun Singh and Arun Nehru have still been antagonistic. Arun Nehru is entertaining hopes of becoming part of the non-Congress governance at some point of time in the future.

Considering the immensity of the scandals that broke out in the recent years like the fodder scam, the hawala transactions, the share scam, and the like involving thousands of crores of rupees, would the politicians who got away with all these irregularities think for a moment about the way Rajiv Gandhi was persecuted and done away with? Even the LTTE now says the killing of Rajiv was unfortunate.

AIDS, the destroyer

Communities are not closed anymore. Societies have been thrown open. The number of working people of both sexes are on the increase. Opportunities for unprotected sex are also on the rise.

In the circumstances, the Devil operates in the shape of AIDS, acronym for Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome. There is something devilishly peculiar to the condition. AIDS is not the name of a particular disease. It is a condition synonymous with total lack of immunity. Any disease can attack a person with this condition. No drug will work against the disease. It is devilishly all-embracing dearth of stamina. It is caused by the virus, HIV (Human Immuno Virus).

But then even the Devil cannot be cast off. There should be salvation for one and all.

The estimated HIV-infected population is 40 million in the world. Half of the HIV-infected people live in the Sub-Saharan Africa.

But what about India? It is home to 5.7 million HIV-infected people, as per the estimates taken in 2005. We stand diseased next only to South Africa.

We are sitting on a powder keg. It would explode any time, unless we take preventive measures.

More than a million people are receiving anti-retroviral drugs treatment in African countries. A few years ago such anti-retroviral drugs treatment was confined to the rich. Over 6.8 million people need treatment urgently. WHO funds and private trust funds such as those from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation could be effectively used to cover the infected people.

UN-inspired global fund and the US President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief have also been contributing significantly to tackling the menace.

The fact that 76 per cent of the infected people still remain untreated presents a dismal scenario.

If drugs are given to infected pregnant women, the disease would not be transmitted to the children. No infected pregnant should remain untreated.

It is understood that before long the virus would develop resistance to the basic drugs the patients need. Thousands of patients would need second-line drugs, which still remain unaffordable.

Undiagnosed and untreated HIV infection is tantamount to humanity committing a sin.

Prevention is always better than cure. The sections of society which are over-exposed should be told that they are vulnerable.

Lately, the Business Process Outsourcing industry in India is being cautioned to be careful about contracting the dreaded virus.

They would be taught how to avoid the risk of contracting HIV.The new-found social freedom of call centre employees makes them vulnerable to contract the virus. Awareness programmes are on the way to caution them. This is part of the joint initiative of the Global Business Coalition and the Confederation of Indian Industry.

Since the BPO industry is booming all over the country, spread of virus can also be on a large scale.

Call centre management groups are aware that the environment in their workplace is conducive to youngsters getting attracted. It is, therefore, imperative that these youngsters should be made aware of the danger looming large before them.

HIV is here to stay. There can be no going back. But there is a sure way to prevent it.

Farming should be lucrative

Fragmented farming, low productivity, and unsustainability mark the plight of the agriculture sector in Kerala.

The farmers do not have the option to go in for alternative farming in paddy fields.
Thereby, optimum use of land is a far cry for the ryots.

There should be minimum extent of land and the per-acre productivity should be such that it should fetch remunerative income for the farmer to see him through the whole year.

For the small farmer, finance may not be forthcoming from the banks, unless he provides collateral security. Even if he manages to fulfil all the conditions for a loan, it may not be available on time. Therefore, most of the time, he has to depend on private financial firms which charge exorbitant rate of interest. The borrower would land up in a soup, for he would be going on paying interest and compound interest. The principal amount would remain unpaid.

We speak about the Land Reforms Act and the conversion of farm hand into owners of a plot of land. This has helped fragmentation and unsustainable ownership.

It is time we took stock of the situation about the nationalisation of kayal(backwater) land. The government had dubbed the Murickens as kayal kings as they had been doing paddy cultivation profitably. One fine morning, the government took over the paddy fields from the family.

The State cultivation of paddy fields resulted in it being non-remunerative. For years together the contiguous paddy fields had remained fallow.

Ultimately, the kayal land has been given over to landless labourers in small plots. How these small plots can be cultivated profitably is anyone’s guess. The government has mismanaged the situation.

The government cannot hold sway over everything. It cannot be owning everything. It can function as a regulator, but the main functions should be carried out by private players. Government property is public property. No one considers it as one’s property. Therefore, accountability, propensity to earn profit and judicious management are lacking.

Paddy cultivation was spread over 8,81,000 hectares in the State in the nineteen seventies. The extent of paddy cultivation came down to 3,47,000 hectares in 2001. In 2002, it got reduced further by 25,087 hectares.

Per-hectare tea production in Kerala is 1,600 kg while it is 2000 kg in Assam. Production of natural rubber per-hectare here is 1,800 kg, while it is 4,600 kg in Malaysia. Coconut yield is 6,188 nuts per hectare in Kerala, while it is double in Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra.

Low productivity, high wages, uneconomic holdings and lack of proper technology are looming large before the farmers in Kerala.

Farmers should not be subjected to forcible cultivation of particular crop. He should have the freedom to utlilise his plot of land for any purpose that would fetch him good returns.

The government cannot run farms profitably, but it is sitting in judgement over the experienced farmer and asking him to do its bidding. This is unheard of in democratic countries.

Unless farmers have manoeuvrability, his plight would be precarious.

Strive for moderation

The country is going through a critical phase in terms of the challenge raised by terrorists. It is true we have been the butt of attacks made by terrorists being fuelled by forces across the border since Independence.

By quirk of circumstances, the very birth of the nation has been embroiled in communal conflagration. Its fall-out has been tormenting the country ever since 1947.

We wish Raja Hari Singh had not wanted Jammu and Kashmir to be an independent country when the princely states were integrated into India after Independence. Ultimately, neither could the whole of his area of operation remain independent nor was he able to ensure its territorial integrity. For, within no time, elements supported by Pakistan had cornered roughly half of his fiefdom.

Ever since, there has not been peace of mind for the whole of India as well as Pakistan. Over a period of time, militant Islamic forces the world over supported fundamentalist forces to corner Kashmir. Moderate elements, of course, remained pro-Indian or non-committal.

Now the destructive forces are raising their heads globally. They won’t leave us alone in this matter. At this crucial juncture, political persuasions within the country should be united to ward off terrorist tendencies and divisive forces.

Alas, last week, Parliament was witness to undesirable tendencies. Without blaming anyone, the citizens wish that extreme posture could have been avoided.

Justice G S Pathak Committee had indicted former External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh for misusing his office in helping a person to secure coupons from Saddam Hussein for securing fuel under the oil-for-food scheme. Those who got the coupons could exchange them with oil companies for money.

The UN-appointed Paul Wolcker Committee had raised the issue in his report pinpointing all those persons who had received benefits under the scheme. Natwar Singh and Congress Party had found a mention in his report.

Now Justice Pathak has gone through the papers and found that Natwar was involved. He was using the position in the Congress to secure the benefit.

The day the report was presented to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, it got leaked. The infuriated Natwar Singh made a great scene out of this incident.

The Opposition NDA wanted to move an adjournment motion. The fact that Speaker Somnath Chatterjee did not take a decision forthwith was not liked by the NDA which decided to keep off the House.

Somnath Chatterjee, thinking that former Prime Minister A.B.Vajpayee, one of the senior-most members, would appreciate his letter invoking him not to boycott the proceedings of the House, received a shock treatment.

The response of Vajpayee was in the form of a strong letter imputing bias on the part of the Speaker. To add fuel to the fire, the letter was released to the Press.

The letter was to the effect that the NDA lost confidence in the running of the House by the Speaker.

It was a sorry state of affairs when the ruling party and the Opposition had to slug it out regarding the conduct of the Speaker.

The nation is facing a perilous situation. There is no room for haggling on issues such as a privilege motion. NDA should consider whether they could not have raised the issue in many other forms in Parliament.

Strive for moderation

The country is going through a critical phase in terms of the challenge raised by terrorists. It is true we have been the butt of attacks made by terrorists being fuelled by forces across the border since Independence.

By quirk of circumstances, the very birth of the nation has been embroiled in communal conflagration. Its fall-out has been tormenting the country ever since 1947.

We wish Raja Hari Singh had not wanted Jammu and Kashmir to be an independent country when the princely states were integrated into India after Independence. Ultimately, neither could the whole of his area of operation remain independent nor was he able to ensure its territorial integrity. For, within no time, elements supported by Pakistan had cornered roughly half of his fiefdom.

Ever since, there has not been peace of mind for the whole of India as well as Pakistan. Over a period of time, militant Islamic forces the world over supported fundamentalist forces to corner Kashmir. Moderate elements, of course, remained pro-Indian or non-committal.

Now the destructive forces are raising their heads globally. They won’t leave us alone in this matter. At this crucial juncture, political persuasions within the country should be united to ward off terrorist tendencies and divisive forces.

Alas, last week, Parliament was witness to undesirable tendencies. Without blaming anyone, the citizens wish that extreme posture could have been avoided.

Justice G S Pathak Committee had indicted former External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh for misusing his office in helping a person to secure coupons from Saddam Hussein for securing fuel under the oil-for-food scheme. Those who got the coupons could exchange them with oil companies for money.

The UN-appointed Paul Wolcker Committee had raised the issue in his report pinpointing all those persons who had received benefits under the scheme. Natwar Singh and Congress Party had found a mention in his report.

Now Justice Pathak has gone through the papers and found that Natwar was involved. He was using the position in the Congress to secure the benefit.

The day the report was presented to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, it got leaked. The infuriated Natwar Singh made a great scene out of this incident.

The Opposition NDA wanted to move an adjournment motion. The fact that Speaker Somnath Chatterjee did not take a decision forthwith was not liked by the NDA which decided to keep off the House.

Somnath Chatterjee, thinking that former Prime Minister A.B.Vajpayee, one of the senior-most members, would appreciate his letter invoking him not to boycott the proceedings of the House, received a shock treatment.

The response of Vajpayee was in the form of a strong letter imputing bias on the part of the Speaker. To add fuel to the fire, the letter was released to the Press.

The letter was to the effect that the NDA lost confidence in the running of the House by the Speaker.

It was a sorry state of affairs when the ruling party and the Opposition had to slug it out regarding the conduct of the Speaker.

The nation is facing a perilous situation. There is no room for haggling on issues such as a privilege motion. NDA should consider whether they could not have raised the issue in many other forms in Parliament.

O J's Corner : Reflections

Terror networks

There would be no end to terror networks as long as humanity prevails on Planet Earth. But for the present, sane people will have to take measures to ward off the danger from terrorists.

The Americans never thought that terrorists would strike at them at their core centres, including the twin towers of the World Trade Centre in New York and the Pentagon in Washington, DC. In fact, the intention of the terrorists was to attack the White House as well on September 11.

This has transformed the perception of the Americans globally. Earlier, they were rather soft towards various entities which they thought were mere pressure groups, so far as these groups targeted other countries. By the time, the pressure groups had grown to gigantic terror organisations, with network the world over. Since most of these had the added advantage of brainwashing young people on the plea of protection of faith, their strength grew in geometric proportions.

The quick spread of terrorist networks was on account of the pre- 9/11 complacency of the developed nations in dealing with terror outfits.

It is common-sense knowledge that non-democratic countries have been the hub of terrorists of all hues. Military juntas, Islamic regimes, Communist autocracies all harboured terrorists. Those who reaped rich dividends were those of the Islamic variety.

This is not to cast aspersions on the majority of pious Muslim brethren who would not cause injury to a fly. They form the vast number the world over among the followers of Prophet Mohamed. They cannot kill, they cannot harm others.

But the terrorist variety are taking advantage of the sea of humanity of real faith-holders. Even on flimsy grounds, terrorists act in haste to score brownie points.

Under-world dons are operating in the name of faith. Actually, they flourish by cheating, extortion and intimidation.

The non-Muslims have done mischief to provoke the fundamentalists. What was the necessity for the extremists among the rival faith-holders to dismantle Babri Masjid in Ayodhya? Did they achieve their aims in constructing a mandir? Or, was it not possible to construct a mandir with the co-operation of all others concerned? Sane voices were absent during the Babri masjid demolition.

Congress Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao was one of the villains of the piece. He did nothing to block the dismantling of the Babri masjid. He had everything at his disposal to disperse the kar sevaks before they reached the volatile spot. He was sleeping like Rip van Winkle. The country has been paying dearly ever since Babri masjid demolition.

The plea that the BJP had gone back on its promise of not causing any harm to the structure cannot be accepted. The acumen of an administrator depends on various plans at his disposal to deal with a volatile situation. Indira Gandhi had lot of guts with her to perform the most risky tasks.

Khalistan was being announced inside the Golden Temple by those who would barge into the area from the Pakistan side using women and children as a shield, according to intelligence inputs she was supposed to have got from national and international sources. She lost no time in attacking the extremists.

In the present-day world, terrorists are hiding in non-democratic countries, fully prepared to launch attacks anywhere in the world. They are inter-connected. Dealing with them should also be joint efforts. Otherwise, the attempts would not be successful.

O J's Corner : Reflections

August’s cruelties

April is the cruelest month, according to T S Eliot. What about August. It seems there is nothing august about August.

It was on August 2, 1990 that Saddam Hussein conquered Kuwait. A lot of people living in Kuwait suffered immensely. George Bush, Senior, had had ordered the US Armed Forces into Kuwait, captured it and handed it back to the Emir. There was a lot of bloodshed.

August 6, 1945 had seen the first use of atomic bomb in Hiroshima, Japan, killing close to 1,30,00 innocent people instantly. How many more thousands were maimed, ands others rendered sick for the whole of their life-term? That was the mischief of the “Little Boy”, the nick-name of the bomb.

August 9, 1945 witnessed a repeat performance of the atomic bomb called “Fat Man”which killed 45,000 people on the spot. The injured and the disabled confronted life without living it out happily ever after.

August 8, 1988 was a day of hope for the pro-democracy protesters in Myanmar to see and end to the decades-old military regime.

Demonstrations by unarmed men and women rattled the streets for a few days. These were only to be crushed by the military junta. There would not be a worse evil regime in the world than this military regime.

The democratic developed world raises a chorus every now and then asking the military rulers to release pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. For the last 18 years she has been under house-arrest.

The people have to secure permission from the military rulers for doing anything in life. One has to explain where he is going, what he is doing and who he is seeing.

There cannot be a worse hell than being in this undemocratic state of affairs.

Myanmar people are mostly poor under decades of military rule. That is inexplicable as the country is rich in natural resources. Once Myanmar was a flourishing economy in South East Asia.  But that was before the military clamped its network on governance.

One would say military stands for discipline and orderly life. But the military should confine itself to the barracks. It should not play the godman for the people.

Democracy with all its faults, drawbacks and corruption is far more acceptable than the junta’s regime.

People should be able to breathe fresh air, speak whatever they want, decide for themselves the ways for development.

The sad plight of Myanmarese is that they lead a cloistered life in this globalised world. What is the concept of a global village for these people.

It was said that the people of China were not aware of the visit of President Richard Nixon as he drove past the well-laid roads to an official reception by the rulers. All the information was being given out by the official media. They were not allowed to tell the people that Nixon had come calling on them.

Take the case of India. Nothing goes unnoticed. Even in adversity, people are aware of the developments in the country. Numerous channels, print media and what not inform the public of the developments. When would the people of Myanmar know the latest that is happening in the world?

O J's Corner : Reflections

Natwar’s  antics

Former External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh would not give up without a fight, it seems. He would flaunt any convenient card, of being a Jat or having a royal lineage.

The Congress would not have him anywhere near its vicinity, after Paul Volcker Committee and R S Pathak Committee found him wanting in doing public service. His involvement in procuring coupons from Saddam Hussein for oil has been exposed. Now that the wrong-doing has been doing the rounds the world over, it would be next to impossible for his being reinstated by the Congress, either in the party or the government.

When he was the External Affairs Minister, he was not amenable to function in close proximity with Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, who was considered inferior to him in matters of foreign affairs. Therefore, he should not expect the Prime Minister to sympathise with him for rehabilitation. Natwar Singh was close to the Nehru family. All these years he has had access to 10 Janpath, Sonia Gandhi’s residence. Now it would be unwise for the Congress and Sonia Gandhi to project him as the victim of conspiracy. The mischief has been done and he should bear with it.

In this connection, one should salute Madhav Sinh Solanki who was once the External Affairs Minister. His involvement in getting the Bofors investigation delayed on the Swiss side was exposed. He lost no time in putting the papers. The nice guy he was, he did not go about justifying his action. For every action, there should be accountability. Solanki took the responsibility on himself. Now Natwar Singh should pay the price.

One may argue he did everything for the Congress. The fact that he was following the advice of someone in the Congress would not absolve him of responsibility. One may be following the diktat of another, but that does not mean he is innocent.

Natwar Singh’s antics in moving a privilege motion against the Prime Minister, attempting to corner the support of Opposition parties and playing the part of the innocent may not win him laurels.

Samajwadi Party is welcoming him with open arms. It has an axe to grind with the Congress. Natwar Singh is also trying to woo the left parties by joining the anti-American bandwagon. By now it is not clear what the attitude of the BJP would be.

BJP itself is in discomfiture at present, with former External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh making a fool of himself by projecting the mole-in-Narasimha Rao government theory. He was not able to spell out the mole when confronted to do so by Manmohan Singh. Instead of going round and round, Jaswant Singh should have blurted out the name. But he chose to leave a nebulous apparition in the polity and governance.

In the churning process, we chance upon so-called entities of bloated intellectual acumen falling flat on the reality ground. They are paying a price for their adventurism.

Samajwadi Party may cash in on some Jat votes. This is only temporary gain.
The Left may get one more voice against America. But reality cannot be ignored.

O J's Corner

Communists over-reacting

Communists see red whenever a mention is made about the U S. Whoever acts against the U S appears to be a friend of the Communists. To them, former Soviet Union was a land where milk and honey was flowing. Even after the people of the former Soviet Union rejected the claims of their governments from time to time, Communists in India would not fully agree with reality.

China has also been the bosom friend of Indian Communists. China’s Communists made friends with the U S, but Indian Communists would have nothing of the sort of bonhomie with the Americans.

Communists have no place in Russia, but when that country raises some issues, Indian Communists support them thinking that Communists are there in Russia. Sure enough, they have a mind-block about America. No one can help them.

One simple question should be raised to the common people. If America cannot solve the problem of terrorism, who else would have the capacity to take up the issue?

We know Pakistan has been harbouring terrorists of all sorts. Because of the intervention of the U S, Pakistan is taking some measures to contain international terrorism being launched from hubs in its territory. Certainly, it would not listen to anyone else in this regard.

Coming to India, we have seen militant trade union activists of various parties raising full-throated slogans and blocking functioning of transports, offices, and some times destroying public property.

Shiv Sena, BJP, CPM, CPI, CPI (ML), and others are capable of stalling public life on the days on which bandhs and hartals are called.

Do we see any of their activists, who can destroy public property, do anything cogent to deal with terrorists?

There are cadre parties like the CPM, Shiv Sena and the like. Why can’t they detect nefarious activities going on in their localities, if they are smart enough to raise a hue and cry against anything other than this?

Shiv Sena enthusiasts sing songs and play on cymbals on local trains in Mumbai to show off their allegiance. Muslim organisations had also started singing their songs, following which all the cacophonies were stopped. One-upmanship is there everywhere, except when dealing with terrorists.

Is there any harm in allying with America, Israel or any other country capable to take on terrorists. It is well known that America and Israel have the wherewithal to deal with terrorists.

Also the world is sitting on a critical issue. Fossil fuels are going to last for humanity only for a few more decades. We have to plan for the future of the next generation to have alternative energy. As of now viable alternative energy can be generated from nuclear reactors using uranium. We are in dire need of uranium. But the nuclear supliers’ group has not been giving us uranium as we have not signed the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

The U S has gone out of the way to give exemption to India on certain conditions to get the supply enabled. The civilian nuclear reactors for which the nuclear suppliers’ group is supplying uranium will be subjected to inspection by the International Atomic Energy Agency. The nuclear wherewithal of the military would not be opened up for inspection. What is the harm in having such alliances?

It is time the Communists are shown their proper place in the national polity. If a mid-term election is ordered now, they would not get as many MPs as they have now.

After me the deluge, say all autocrats

President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan says if the army is sought to be downsized and kept of governance, there would be a Lebanon-like situation in Pakistan.

The statement is a euphemism for his assessment that if he is not there to rule the country, there will be chaos.

He has been synonymous with the Army, be it in the title of the General or the President of the country. He cannot dispense with the military flourishes. For him, peace comes through force. Which means when he is there at the helm of affairs, Pakistan will be peaceful. Otherwise, there would be the deluge, if his argument is to be taken at face value.

There has not been peace as claimed by Musharraf. India had to wage wars with Pakistan when Generals were calling the shots there.

It seems Musharraf does not subscribe to the view that the star-studded Generals are becoming a rarity in the globalised world in which democracy, with all its faults, is the beacon light for the people.

Any power-monger does not give up authority, once he tastes brutal supremacy. He would invent reasons to cling on to power. He would not admit that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

In the face of human propensity to keep the post for eternity, what a marvel we have in the American system where the President can enjoy power only for two consecutive terms!

If the system allowed, Bill Clinton would have continued as President for many more terms, in spite of his peccadilloes, which the people forgave.

If history allows a sort of peculiarity, perhaps Bill Clinton would be able to make a visit to White House in a different capacity, as the spouse of the American President.

For the first time in the history of America there might be a woman President. The next election is scheduled to be held in 2008. It is most likely that Hillary Clinton would be a candidate. Condoleeza Rice could be her opponent. I believe if they contest, Hillary Clinton would walk away with the post. Well, this is only an aside.

Why the U S President, the most powerful person on Planet Earth, does not feel like Musharraf about retaining the post for eternity?

Musharraf’s “elder brother” has been there in Cuba, at the backyard of the US. During the cold war era, he enjoyed much of the publicity blitzkrieg of a puny country taking on the most powerful nation. But then, he had the backing of the former Soviet Union and the entire Eastern bloc. It is a mystery how he managed to survive after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Forbes magazine had given out information about Fidel Castro being a billionaire. Castro had promptly denied the allegation. Now when he is not physically fit to rule, he has handed over power to his younger brother Raul Castro . He gets the reins of the ruling Communist Party, the post of commander in chief of the armed forces and president of the executive council of the state.

The 80 year-old Castro has been ruling Cuba for the last 50 years. He has not found anyone else fit to rule the country than the 75-year-old Raul Castro, his brother. What a tragedy it is for the countrymen of Cuba? What a tragedy would it be for the countrymen of Pakistan if Musharraf wants to continue for eternity !

O J's Corner : Reflections

How prepared are we to face a nuclear attack?

Going by the total unpreparedness, we are living with uncertainty about facing a nuclear attack.

We have neighbours, particularly Pakistan, which has made it clear that it won’t mind using a nuclear weapon against India.

At the same time, India has made it clear that it would not go in for first use of nuclear weapon against any country.

We know that Pakistan is a volatile country, mesmerised by religious bigotry. President Musharraf may be listening to the advice of President Bush. We may not know when a religious fanatic would catch hold of the reins and threaten India.

We are slowly gravitating towards the U S, which is the only super-power, in spite of India having been very close to the former Soviet Union. That time is past. The India-U S nuclear pact testifies to the special relationship we have forged with the US. This is not liked by Pakistan as it thinks its predominance with the US is ebbing away.

Iran is attempting to go nuclear. With the sort of help it has received from rogue scientists or even certain nations, Iran is moving heaven and earth to make nuclear weapons, even in the face of stiff opposition from the U S.

India had voted against Iran in the International Nuclear Energy Agency twice, perhaps going by the advice of the US. Iran does not mince words to convey the message to India that the old camaraderie is no more.

Pak’s nuclear arsenal sitting pretty close to India, and that too belligerently, Iran not amiable with India, North Korea inclined to be opposed to anyone pro-American, Islamic fundamentalists having a nexus world over and proximity to Israel, the sworn enemy of Islam all underscore the fact that it is high time India be prepared to face a nuclear attack.

It is positive thinking and diplomatic prudence in the analysis of world affairs that nuclear weapons are for safe keeping. But there are perverted minds the world over these days. They don’t care anything about etiquette, human rights or the cataclysmic consequences of a nuclear attack. They don’t mind their own people getting burnt out.

Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence has come out with a report asking the government to spell out a scheme by which we can withstand a nuclear attack. The threat perception has been viewed very seriously.

The army has set up nuclear quick reaction teams in all commands. There would be a special unit of the kind in Delhi, being the capital. They will be armed with special equipment anti-nuke gear.

An Armed Forces Institute of Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Protection has been set up.

The knowledge acquired by the personnel is being disseminated everywhere and skills of nuclear, biological and chemical protection are being imparted to people.

I consider all these contemplated steps as officialese. We should have underground safety rooms, tunnels and a large number of anti-nuke gear supplied to the people.

People should be taught about the quick pace of evacuation and movement towards safe places. There can be umpteen number of safety measures. The important thing is to equip ourselves for the worst. India is no more a minuscule democracy. It is going to be an economic giant, poverty notwithstanding. We have to think big to protect ourselves.

O J's Corner : Reflections

Congress cocksure of seizing power
after the turn of the Communists in Kerala

It has been only 70 days since the V S Achuthanandan Government of the CPM-led  LDF assumed office in Kerala. The LDF had got a brutal majority to rule the State.  Achuthanandan, a no-nonsense leader, wanted to judiciously rule the State, but circumstances are not conducive to call the shot as he cares. His party is riven by ideological and petty group differences.

Afterall, we are living in a democracy, and Communists have also a penchant for people’s pulse, although they would whole-heartedly approve of the action of Fidel Castro of Cuba having handed over power to his brother.For them, there is no need for democracy when someone sitting in the backyard of America goes all-out against colonialism!!

Let us not digress from Congress affairs. There was an axe to grind for various leaders. A K Antony, who had thought that there was no alternative for him except Karunakaran, had an unceremonious exit following the debacle of all Congress candidates during the last Lok Sabha elections.

Antony-Karunakaran ambience was the backbone of Congress politics in Kerala. The myth has been shattered. Oommen Chandy, ably supported by KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala, had his innings, I would say, colourfully. All talks about the UDF coming back to power was unrealistic, given the political reality of the LDF and the UDF alternating governance.

Antony wanted Karunakaran in the UDF. There was some sort of a vague understanding with his fledgeling party, the DIC (K). After the electoral debacle in the Assembly elections, the whole gamut of understanding and alliance changed drastically.

Now various Congress leaders are gunning for the scalpel of Ramesh Chennithala-Oommen Chandy axis. Oommen Chandy, being the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, has nothing to worry as of now, even though his chances of becoming a member of the Congress Working Committee have been nipped in the bud.

Perhaps Chennithala would find a berth, that too an upper berth, at the AICC. He has had the work experience there earlier too. He can relate to the leadership in Delhi quite amiably.

The High Command may not be amenable to the proposals of restructuring offered by Oommen Chandy and Chennithala. The leadership would weigh in with other factors too.
The situation has come to such  a pass that if the KPCC has to be revamped, its president should go as well.

Is there anyone to fill the bill forthwith? Antony camp has a name in its ready-reckoner. The person is none other than V M Sudheeran, who dons an idealistic robe. Sudheeran has cogent vision about issues agitating the people at large. Many of his ideas may not fructify, once he leads an alliance regime. Still everyone can be given a chance.

As of now the UDF would romp home to victory in the next Assembly elections, provided it keeps a low profile. It does not have to agitate much on issues that get whipped up politically. The LDF regime would have a natural death.

Regime change will come to the UDF on a platter. But the leaders should agree among themselves not to vitiate the atmosphere with too much ambition. If at all there is change, the High Command’s suggestions would have to be gladly accepted. And let them wait for good times to come naturally.

Trigger-happy terrorists

India does not have the wherewithal of the US, the UK or other developed nations to effectively nip terrorism in the bud. The country has been hit by the jihad variety of terrorists in connection with the Jammu and Kashmir issue right from the days of Independence.

That the trigger-happy terrorists can hit targets at their will and pleasure underscores their invincibility. Leaders like Osama bin Laden take refuge in the depths of untrodden caves and crevices and let loose the ‘worker-bees’ on innocent people to protect faith. The fidayeens or sacrificial lambs are told that they would attain instant salvation, if they carried out the orders of the leaders. Is it that the leaders would not like to get instant salvation?

Take the case of the vast city, Mumbai, for instance. Terrorists master-mind bomb explosions whenever they want to.

This reminds me. The Intelligence network has been digging deep into the revelations made by some of the terrorist infiltrators. Their plans to target super-stars Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan, industrialist Mukesh Ambani and cricketer Sachin Tendulkar reveal the fact that terrorists are active behind the curtains. They are only biding for time to hit the bull’s eye.

Terrorists are gunning for Mother India now as never before on account of the changing international perception of the evil. The US and the UK had thought that they would never be targeted within their territories. September 11 has changed all the impractical concepts to which the super-power was clinging on.

The US and its allies are taking all measures to protect themselves. They would help out countries like India as well.

Now that the India-America nuclear deal has been sealed, those terrorists who are opposed to the US have turned their guns on India as well. We cannot take on the enemies by ourselves. If we have decided to go with the Americans in the fight against terrorism, it would be wise to go the whole hog with them. Unconditional support can be extended to the super-power in the joint fight against terrorism.

We have supported the resolution against Iran at the International Atomic Energy Agency. The message was to urge the Iranian regime to stop the nuclear programme and to fall in line with international protocols. In fact, Pakistan, Iran, North Korea and other renegade countries cannot be believed to be reliable as non-proliferation votaries.

After we voted against Iran, it is natural that the evil forces are looking with vengeful eyes to hit India. Osama bin Laden and others of his sort would not hesitate to take extreme measures against India. Pakistan has been harbouring various hues of terrorists in its territory. Even the al-Qaeda variety has been hiding in the mountains bordering Pakistan and Afghanistan. The al-Qaeda and Taliban veterans could be made to intrude into Jammu and Kashmir to launch terrorist attacks.

India’s national security adviser M K Narayanan has hinted at the terrorists’ intention to blow up one of the nuclear reactors of the country.

Sensitive institutions should be put on high alert against the depredations of the declining tribe of terrorists. The peculiarity is that once a category of terrorists have been immobilised, another variety would arise from the ashes of the ones who have perished. Let us be always on our guard against the evil.

O J's Corner : Reflections

The left wants to win
a brownie point

The Left Democratic Front Government in Kerala is vitiating the education sector by prolonging the self-financing colleges issue without settling it on its own.

A series of court interventions have gone against the arguments of the State Government. Still it is going ahead with its rigidity. It thinks that political rhetorics can salvage them.

When the Supreme Court asked the parties concerned to have the trial of the self-financing colleges legislation in the High Court first, the left parties went all out in jubilation saying the apex court had done something in their favour. The court had only referred the matter to the High Court.

The single bench of the High Court, in its well-considered interim direction, wanted the State Government and the private managements to proceed with admission as was done last year levying the fee in the same pattern.

The government saw some loophole in the situation prevailing at that point of time. Only engineering and nursing colleges had approached the High Court against the legislation passed by the Assembly.

The government wanted to take advantage of the situation even as the High Court directive was in existence. It went ahead with counselling for MBBS and BDS admission. The students were told that those who did not respond would lose their chance. They proceeded with counselling and paid the fee in bank.

When the government challenged the order of the single bench, it tried to project the situation as though all the students have accepted the government’s action.

The division bench directed the government to get clarification from the single bench, which reiterated the fact that the earlier order was relevant to all self-financing professional courses.

Now it was the turn of the division bench to consider all aspects in detail. After hearing the issue in depth, the court issued the fiat that, in the interest of the students, admission should be made following the procedure adopted last year.

Meanwhile the larger issues can be agitated before the court in September.
Again the government is approaching the Supreme Court challenging the order of the division bench. That is fair enough. All avenues should be pursued to get at the constitutionality or otherwise of the piece of legislation made in haste challenging the very core of  rights enjoyed by minorities for the last half a century.

Some of the CPM leaders thought that intimidation would work out well to browbeat the managements. Actually that would prove counter-productive.

The fact that the medical college under the co-operative sector had demanded Rs 25 lakh for an NRI seat proved the hollowness of the government’s argument. Now it is clear that the government was taking on the private managements, particularly those belonging to the minorities.

The government wanted to bring the institutions run by the minorities under its control one way or other. It is becoming clear day by day that it is simply impossible to do so.

The financial muddle in admissions should have been treated in a different way. A new legislation was not needed to handle corruption. Instead, the government wanted to go in for sweeping changes dismantling the structure that was available with private managements for more than five decades.

In the bargain, certain silver linings in the stream of thought given out by the government relating to education also got dissipated.

O J's Corner : Reflections

Will man survive this
destructive tendency?

Science-based futurologists predict a fine moment for human kind outside of Planet
Earth. They affirm that there will be several living stations on moon, mars and some other planets.

There could be locations outside the Solar System. There would be inter-planetary community. Mankind could even transform themselves into beings without the body form we have now. These could, in course of billions of years ahead, become spirits as well, according to certain futurologists.

Futurology is a very interesting subject for the thinking beings. At the same time, it is a very difficult subject.

Various philosophies speak about the progress of  human beings in course of time, leading to ultimate destruction.

Jesus Christ spoke about men finding locations outside the Earth, while He was replying to queries by the disciples about the end of the ages. There could be destruction of the earth.

It would be worthwhile for intellectuals to ponder over the pounding of the planet by cruel people. God created the Earth as a special protective gear for mankind. The land mass, the oceans, the atmosphere all protect human beings from degeneration. The elements shelter us, but we shatter them, so much so that depletion of ozone layer and global warming would ring a death-knell for all beings.

Gradual rise in atmospheric temperature would result in the melting of icy continents. Water level in the oceans would rise and engulf coastal areas, whose inhabitants would be gobbled up. A deluge might swallow up the lands as in Noah’s time.

I sometimes think, with the sort of greed doing the rounds everywhere, the resources would be eaten away within no time, in terms of ages, and mankind would wither away.

Or maybe, pugnacious world leaders would set one country against another and in a chain reaction of a network of manoeuvres, the globe would explode with flashes of nuclear weapons pounding various continents at one stroke. All the talk of destroying missiles halfway before hitting the target might come to nought.

Would there be an end of racial culturalism? Human beings, in their wisdom, are keenly vying with each other to protect the faith of all sorts, Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism and what not. We think Gods cannot fend for themselves. Forces of the Universe do not need the protection of puny human beings.

God Almighty had told Job He would hand over the Universe to him for a few moments. Let him try to run the Universe. Job could only apologise for his ignorance.

When would world leaders imbibe this higher knowledge so that they would not preside over the dismemberment of Planet Earth.

Human beings have already eaten away the resources. Fossil fuels would last only for a few more decades. With the pace of quarrying of coal, iron, steel and metals, these would last for a few more years. Maybe, the oceans would be home for the homo sapiens for some more time.

But  one man cannot suffer another. He would go on torpedoing the welfare of the other. Ultimately, there would be an all-out destruction. Only God Almighty can save us. By that time, we may have become souls.

O J's Corner : Reflections

Jaswant’s   cannonball

As a former Army man, Jaswant Singh is supposed to go in for precision strike. There should be no beating about the bush. A soldier is not known to go round and round and leave the target unhit.

Jaswant Singh has been doing precisely that these days. He is cock-sure, on the basis of a letter he chanced upon, that someone in the office of Prime Minister Narasimha Rao was a mole for America.

Initially, people thought he meant some junior Minister in the-then PMO. Jaswant turned around to say the fellow was a top civil servant. He is not in service now. Neither is he in the country at present. Everyone can draw his own conclusion. Or he would tell Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, if the PM invites him to do so.

Jaswant himself says information about the technology to produce a nuclear bomb can be downloaded from internet. So passing on information about concocting a nuclear device is not that important. But this mole informed his American contacts the exact schedule of Indian plans to explode a nuclear device.

Whether the mole’s trick worked or not, Americans were known to have pulled up Narasimha Rao for thinking about testing a nuclear device. Narasimha Rao had to beat a hasty retreat.

The NDA government led by A B Vajpayee, in whose Cabinet Jaswant Singh was External Affairs Minister for some time and Finance Minister later, did not give any chance for the US to trawl the secret about nuclear testing.

Close on the heels of our nuclear “blast”, Pakistan retaliated by exploding its devices.

India had an upper hand in traditional warfare with Pakistan. After both countries turned nuclear, there cannot be any more adventures. The BJP, to which Jaswant is a senior leader, used to refer to “hot pursuit” as allowed by the U N to chase and capture terrorists from their hideouts, even if these are in enemy territory.

After turning nuclear, the NDA government could not go in for hot pursuit. For Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf had explained that he would not mind using nuclear weapons, if India would do any adventure against his country.

India’s nuclear device is only for safe keeping, for we have extended a noble international gesture asserting that India would not resort to first use of nuclear weapons against any country.

Jaswant knew the implications of the helplessness. As External Affairs Minister he had to escort three hard-core terrorists, got released from Indian jails, in his plane to Kandahar to secure the release of hostages from the skyjacked Indian Airlines plane. He says he had not paid Rs 900 crore ransom. Neither did he carry a red bag containing explosives to the hijackers, who escaped to the safety of Pakistan. He could not launch a hot pursuit.

After Indira Gandhi’s assassination, it was known that some of her PMO staff were passing on intelligence to our enemies. The high-profile and seemingly meticulous principal secretary, Dr P C Alexander, could not have a modicum of intelligence about the wrong-doings of people sitting right under his nose.

Jaswant’s book, A Call to Honour, might get sold like hot cakes. But India was not shining when he had to escort terrorists to Kandahar. There was no other choice. But can we pour out encomiums on ourselves for the weak-kneed disposition?

O J's Corner : Reflections

George Fernandes, the adviser

Whenever he got an opportunity, George Fernandes did not lose any time to castigate Sonia Gandhi. In a democratic set-up, political rivals should oppose prevalent policies and programmes. Fernandes has been doing more than that.

One can understand the vengeful feelings of Fernandes, who was ill-treated during the 1975 Emergency proclaimed by Sonia Gandhi’s mother-in-law, the-then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

Without going into the merits of the incidents which occurred during those days, it should also be pointed out that Fernandes was involved in a criminal case.

A lot of people had suffered under the Emergency, which taught a lesson to Indira Gandhi herself. She was also arrested by the Morarji Desai regime . She was a mellowed leader after losing power and regaining it next.

Is there a semblance of the ideological, ethical, moralist views held by Fernandes of yore, compared to his postures doing the last few years? Many of the Jayaprakash Narain acolytes have become opportunists afterwards. Passage of time transforms people. Some of the sublime ones turn tainted, and a few wayward ones turn saintly.

Let us come to the point. When Fernandes was the Defence Minister in the NDA dispensation of A B Vajpayee, he threw his bungalow open for anyone to meet him. “Acting” military stuff “wheeler-dealers” of the Tehelka sting operators could not meet Fernandes, instead they met his life-partner for help in getting orders for military equipment. The same sting operators had bowled BJP’s president Bangaru Laxman over with wads of currency.

Fernades had offered justification for the doings of Laxman and Jaya Jaitley.

The same person is now offering Sonia Gandhi seemingly wise pieces of advice. She should act on office of profit bill as desired by President Dr A P J Abdul Kalam.
Sonia’s no “not only blatantly insults our patriotic President” but also sets a dangerous precedent for the law-makers of the future that “the Constitution could be shamed and sullied as per their whims and pleasure”.

Fernandes would say that the President was fulfilling his paramount duty towards the country and acting as per the oath of his office by returning the bill that was calculated to defeat the sacrosanct intention of the framers of the Constitution.

Fernandes conveniently forgets that the same Constitution calls upon the President to sign on the dotted line when the returned bill is sent back to him in the same format. Is Parliament’s wisdom inferior to anyone else’s wisdom?

What is the intention of NDA and people like Fernandes? Do they want 56 MPs elected by the people to be thrown out at one go? It was true, the executive did not meticulously exempt the offices of profit held by certain MPs from time to time.

Please note these MPs have not been charged with corrupt practices when they held dual positions. Parliament had, from the very beginning, exempted a lot of MPs from holding simultaneous positions.

Was it the intention of political rivals to unseat 56 MPs so that pressure would be built on the UPA regime to quit? The natural corollary would be a mid-term election.
What if Sonia Gandhi does not heed to the unwanted advice?