Monday, April 28, 2008

O J’s Corner

Essentials ditched,
trivia played up

These days when we tune in to channels and go through the print media, instances of trivia being played up are mounting at the cost of essentials being put in a corner.

I know the superficial items are an essential component of globalised world. Therefore, these can find a place in the channels and papers. But should these be given the importance as is being bestowed now? Mind you, this playing up is at the cost of marginalising the quintessential.

Harbhajan Singh slapping Sreesanth, Shilpa Shetty presenting her beau, Paris Hilton disfiguring the toilet walls are all blown out of proportion. I have no doubt these should be made known. But there is no justification for giving so much of space and time for the trivia. India’s achievement in sending 10 satellites at one go deserves better display.

Harbhajan and Sreesanth appear to be both hyper-sensitive. Their pranks should not be allowed to corner much of the space and time, even in a world where 24-hour channels and multi-edition papers are in competition to grab fresher and latest incidents.

We give so much space for globalisation and privatisation and liberalisation. That is fair enough. But we are not giving justice to the marginalised in an equal measure. Those countries which have capitalism and liberalised economy have fool-proof social security system to take care of the jobless, incomeless people. Do we have a comprehensive scheme like this, even as we have liberalised most of the sectors? We are ignoring the victims of liberalisation even as we allow economic giants to reap all the benefits. Even the leftists and the opponents of liberalisation do not highlight this aspect.

Every newspaper and channel should have a daily dose of instances of denial of social security measures to those who are already poor and are becoming poorer on account of these measures.

Liberalisation does not mean there should be a system by which all the benefits should go on mounting to the enterprises, leaving the hapless like that.

Sunday, April 20, 2008

O J’s Corner

Rhetorics would not do on the supply side

The Government’s view that the price situation would be okay as there would be good monsoons, promising good crops, would not do good for the people reeling under price rise now. It is perfect optimism that should wire us with steely traps of will-power to face difficulties. But pragmatism demands that we should act here and now.

The Government of India, which is a mega entity among the comity of nations, should keep the supply side well-oiled, even at the cost of heavy losses for securing edible items for the people.

At least a year ago, world reports started showing signs of dearth of edible items like grain, wheat etc. There should have been long-term planning to insulate the country from grain shortage at any given situation. Wheat, rice and needed edible items of anticipated short supply should have been imported in bulk. True, the Left parties, on whose support the UPA Government of Dr Manmohan Singh survives, had objected to imports from the US. The Government should have convinced the Left of the impending danger embedded in the food crisis.

Globalisation and privatization had been given near-free ride assuming that the benefits of freeing the market would naturally flow to the economy and the people. We have seen that distributive justice is not an automatic result of opening up. Strong measures should be taken to carry the fruits of market profits to all echelons of the society. Ignoring the farming sector, which constitutes at least 60 per cent of the total human resources in India, has proved to be a bane for a healthy and prosperous country. Sensex indices may be roaring, Nifty points may be on the rise, but the common man’s bellies cannot be filled with stuff flourishing at Wall Street or Dalal Street.

What we should have ensured was to allow free market to function and to corner a fair share of profits amassed all on a sudden by booming enterprises for the welfare of the have-nots. Why do we have the number of billionaires rising rapidly? All on a sudden the markets were opened up, controls were removed, and they reaped skyrocketing benefits. That is fair enough. But the government should have made provisions to secure from them a fair share for undertaking welfare measures.

Why do the US, UK and other European countries have all-encompassing social security schemes? A single department takes care of the social security by providing ID numbers to the needy and the jobless, incomeless people. The department encourages them to find suitable employment. When we free the markets and allow firms to reap all the profits, the government should get back a fair share from them and this should be provided to the people with distributive justice.

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

O J’s Corner

Politicised curse

One cannot aspire for a divine rule in earthy lands, but the abominous politicised environs calls for consensus to be achieved by hooks or crooks for the development of Kerala. Otherwise, whatever is mooted by one political persuasion is questioned by the rivals and development gets thwarted. No one is willing to give credit to the rivals, even if beneficial projects are being implemented.

In a democratic society, politics cannot be given a go-by. Political involvement would help to solve many a problem, compared to the mechanical type of vetting and resolution of an issue by the bureaucrats.
There were many drawbacks to the people’s plan implemented in Kerala. But no one can deny the fact that a lot of innovative schemes were introduced as people’s representatives at the local level were involved. I don’t think officials at panchayat offices would have been able to craft and execute these schemes.

So there can be no two opinions that political involvement is a must. But politicians of all hues and persuasions should decide not to oppose beneficial schemes.

Kerala is lacking in essential raw-materials for big manufacturing sector. We don’t have coal, iron deposits. Perhaps we can think about supporting big budget schemes using coastal sand full of ilmenite, titanium and other rare elements.

But then there is no consensus among political parties. Why can’t we think about supporting companies manufacturing computer, electronics, nanotechlogy, biotechnology hardware? But then you cannot oppose the very thought of involving companies from developed nations.

There should not be ideological opposition to inviting firms to the state to manufacture devices that are products of hi-tech innovations. We don’t have companies based in Kerala manufacturing mobile phones, landline handsets, television sets, DVDs, computers, refrigerators, cars, two-wheelers and what not.

Politicians should delve deep into the situation that has come to being in Kerala where no big company is prepared to set up its manufacturing unit.
The root of the matter is deeply entrenched in opposition from all political sides to welcome manufacturing companies to set up shop here.

Monday, April 14, 2008

O J’s Corner

Kerala’s paradox

Kerala is poised to face the worst of the times when a food shortage would hit the country. Already it is short of grains and vegetables. The supplies from other states are dwindling as they also find it difficult to meet their commitments to their own people.

Actually there was a global warning by international agencies the previous year that food production the world over would hit the bottom due to environamental vagaries and climate conundrums.

In the beginning of this year the Manmohan Singh Government of India had planned to import large quantities of wheat from America. The Communist and left allies had taken cudgels against the UPA Government saying, it was a tactic for lifting unwanted wheat from the US at hefty prices to help the farmers of that country. Actually now we are witnessing a different scenario in America, Brazil etc where wheat and maize are converted into bio-fuel. Their production is well utilised one way or other to take care of their farmers. But the people of other countries would find it difficult to fill their tummies as wheat and maize are being converted into bio-fuel.

Let the Commies scratch their backs and get grains and food stuff from Communist countries if there are any pure genes available. Perhaps Cuba has the mind to help. But they don’t have enough to eat for themselves. Our leftists would like to have the stuff from China, but that country is only a namesake Communist regime. In certain respects they have gone over the standards of the copy-book capitalists. China is peculiar only for its lack of genuine democracy.

Let us come to the grain problem of Kerala. There is no easy way out. The Communists-led government now says it would supply rice through ration shops. But where are the supplies? Many states which can help Kerala are going to the polls this year itself. The ruling dispensations in those states are hankering after subsidized supplies to fetch votes from the poor people. Tamil Nadu is already supplying rice at Rs two a kilogramme. Andhra Pradesh has decided to provide rice at the same rate.

Kuttanad , the rice bowl of Kerala, has been inundated with flash floods caused by untimely summer showers. The farmers were frantically searching for harvesting machines, but then the trade unions of the Commies would not allow farmers to use harvesting machines. The farmers lost all their belongings. Ideology won, farmers lost. In course of time, the ideologues would also have to starve, for there won’t be rice coming from other states either.

Tuesday, April 08, 2008

O J’s Corner

Disorder everywhere


The world is in turmoil, more than ever before. We may think the world was worse in the past, during World War I, Hitler’s annihilation of the Jews, World War II and the like. I believe the situation is still worse. World War III does not take place only because the players and those itching to foment trouble know it for a fact that there would be nothing left on earth. Planet Earth itself would be wiped out, if the nuclear arsenals rip open their armoury of destruction.

This thought got doubly enforced when the world witnessed terrorists’ strike on the US on September 11, 2001 without sparking off a third world war. I believe world leaders have become wiser with the knowledge that no war can be won anymore.
The US is trying to keep up its supremacy sustainable. Russia shows flashes of might, judging by Putin’s ability to ward off US intention to expand NATO by roping in certain former Soviet Union states. China is intent on emerging as one of the superpowers. US is trying to keep India in its kitty, simply to strengthen its bulwark against the namesake Communist regime. Taiwan, Hong Kong, Tibet, and the like would keep China always engaged.

When nations are vying with each other to tone up their brute force, Nature is playing its cards with justifiable ingenuity. Global warming, natural calamities and famines churn the planet questioning its very survival. Infrastructure development is skyrocketing. Man-made structures would be a plaything for the elements when they are messed up. With all the achievements in space science and the efforts to colonise the galaxies, one has to take note of the fact that the rockets, satellites and space gadgets can be launched from earth only when the climate is conducive. Squalls, thunder showers and a minor fury of nature are sufficient to block lift-off. Things are not easy as science-fiction gazers imagine.

Kashmir, Palestine, Tibet and the like, coupled with Iraq, Iran and the forces arrayed against civilised world are enough to undermine man-made achievements.

Sunday, April 06, 2008

O J’s Corner

Farmers urged to cultivate,
without providing for
crop losses


Urging farmers to undertake paddy cultivation intensively, without providing for crop loss security, is just like driving them to suicide. We have found that agricultural production has been sliding down. Therefore, the government and the state agencies have been coaxing and cajoling farmers to sowing and planting. The farmers genuinely believed they would reap rich dividends. Their hopes were not unfounded, for the paddy plants were flushed with grain. That is the story of Kuttanad and elsewhere in Kerala. But then the unseemly summer showers poured out. There were floods all around. The standing crops were inundated. The farmers have been clamouring for introducing harvesting machines for reaping the ripe paddy. The CPM workers union would not allow them to bring in harvesting machines. They claimed if the machines were allowed in, they would lose their work. They would not reap and they would not allow machines to take over. The whole crop was lost.

Now the clamour for compensation rose to the crescendo. The State government is telling the farmers that the paddy harvested would be procured by the government at Rs 10 per kilogramme. Everyone is offering the moon. But the farmers are at their wit’s end, for they do not know how they would be able to launch agricultural operations during the next season.

The State government is putting the onus on the Central government to pay full compensation. The clamour is for additional allotment under the Calamity Contingency Relief Fund. The Central government has devised certain norms for payment under this head. Also when the State government is yet to finish off the amounts in the head, the Union Government cannot sanction additional funds. Central teams come and go. They make recommendations. But no government can provide more when there is balance in the budgeted provision.

The process appears to be a vicious circle. The farmers’ lot is not that salubrious.

Saturday, April 05, 2008

O J’s Corner

Good times for Kodiyeri


The quality of politics in Kerala is taking a curious turn with the elevation of State Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan as a member of the CPM politburo at its recently concluded Party Congress in Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu.

Two senior contenders Paloli Mohamedkutty and M A Baby who belong to Muslim and
Christian minorities weres signaled to sit still.

It is quite clear from the choice of Kodiyeri by the central leadership of the party that the next Chief Minister of Kerala from the LDF side would be Kodiyeri, if it comes to bid adieu to the regime of V S Achuthanandan.

Kodiyeri has been playing his cards quite well by not distancing himself too far from CPM State Secretary Pinarayi Vijayan and not completely disowning Pinarayi’s bete noire V S Achuthanandan. The personal rife between Pinarayi and V S was so acute that the state administration had come to a grinding halt many a time, even though the party leaders would not admit it publicly.

V S has had his innings, as he could don the mantle of Chief Ministership, opportunities for which had fallen by the wayside on many occasions in the past. It would be beside the point to argue whether V S would complete his full term or not. But his successor has apparently been named, with the induction of Kodiyeri as a member of the PB, ignoring the seniority of many others.

It should be an eye-opener for Pinarayi as well. There cannot be an automatic walk-over for him post-VS times.

As for M A Baby and Paloli, they should very well come to terms with the fact that they are not suitable boys for the party beyond the realms they are occupying.

Tuesday, April 01, 2008

O J’s Corner

How long will the farce continue?

Sonia Gandhi has said elections would be held when these are due, Prakash Karat has expressed relief about it in spite of spiting Congress about its gravitating towards the US.
The intention is to see through a few months of budget passing and completing other constitutional procedures.

How long this farce of covering up an impending election will continue? The Congress-led UPA Government has decided to befriend the farmers by announcing loan-waiver scheme, appeased the Central Government employees with scaled-up pay, and goes the whole hog to be seen as a popular entity. It is yet to be seen how many of the farmers will be actually benefited from the loan-waiver sops. The Indian enigma has been skewed execution of welfare schemes, not dearth of devising projects. Bureaucratic bungling has seen to it nothing works as desired. And political will has often been lacking to spruce up the administration to the level of efficiency. P V Narasimha Rao-style procrastination (otherwise there would not have been demolition of Babri Masjid when he was the Prime Minister) has penetrated the minds of many of the political masters. Not many are prepared to take risks. Therefore, without the propensity to take risks, the situation refuses to be seen as challenging.

I believe, now the Congress Party, particularly its leader Sonia Gandhi, is keen to call the bluff of the CPM controlling the UPA dispensation from outside without taking responsibility for any decision of the gpvernment and go in for elections at the earliest.

But the latest worry is the increasing prices of essential commodities. By the time the Central Government employees receive more cash from the pay hike, inflation would hit the roof resulting in a worsening scenario of price rise. Anyway, the Union Cabinet appears to be seized of the matter and can be expected to initiate some measures to contain the deleterious impact.

The people cannot be fooled around for much longer regarding the election guest waiting outside our front –door.