Cry,My Beloved Mumbai.

Cry,My Beloved Mumbai.

Cry, My Beloved Mumbai, not for the ravaging floods as they are annual regular visitors to our city, but for the ravaging troika of politicians, builders and bureaucrats who made it possible.

Politicians of all hues want to make money for themselves and their parties, Mumbai be damned. The builders want to make quick-money without wasting even an inch of space for drainage and things like that, ecology be damned. Bureaucrats want to ensure their promotions (and also make some money on the side), by bending, if not breaking, rules and regulations to ensure safe passage for the politicians and the builders. Rules and regulations, like promises made by politicians, are made only to be broken.

A former Municipal Commissioner had once said, politicians used to make 5 percent on all contracts earlier, which became 15 percent at a later stage. A report on Thane Municipal Corporation a few years ago had revealed that about 35 percent had to be shelled out to politicians and bureaucrats. How can such municipal works stand the floods ?

This ravaging troika had the run of Mumbai for years, thanks to gullible voters who elect people of their caste, religion or region, not for development. So, who dumped Mumbai in floods ? The troika plus the voters.

We cannot forget the contribution made by another section of Mumbai, the trade unions. It is reported that 70 percent of the revenue of the city goes towards the pay and other perquisites of the municipal staff. What does the city and its citizens get in return ? Poor collection of garbage, choked drains and absenteeism. When you go to the ward office, there is nobody to register your grievances, leave alone redressing them. On top of that, they would go on strike when the city is vulnerable – during the monsoon for bonus when there is no surplus in the city coffers.

Mumbai could still be saved if people are awakened. If these floods could not do it, nothing else would. Now is the time for all enlightened people of Mumbai to come together and chalk out a plan for its development.

There cannot be an island of prosperity in the midst of floods. People of Malabar Hill and Pali Hill might have beeen saved from the floods, not from the lack of milk, vegetables and other everyday needs. They never had to suffer much earlier and may not be now as well. They cannot sit in their ivory tower for ever. Sooner they get rid of 'us' and 'them' syndrome, better for all. Let them take notice: If Mumbai falls, all fall down.

And one more thing : Let Mumbai be Mumbai and it does not need any model, Singapore or Shanghai, both dictatorial regimes. Mumbai needs a vision where everybody counts and where everybody has a place.

A report states that no women were harassed and many people came forward to help the stranded passengers in buses with biscuits and other eatables. An auto-rikshaw driver took care of his passengers in his house. There are many other tales of valour and civility which should give us hope for the future. Yahi hai Mumbai meri jan !

JRD and other industrialists had a Bombay Plan for India. Let today's young industrialists (including film stars, bankers, and others) should ask themselves 'What they have done for Mumbai ?' They can come together and prepare a Mumbai Development Plan, not a grandiose one but one that gives better civic conditions for its people. 'Keep to knitting', to use the management jargon. Where there are no new ideas, new vision, people perish either in corruption or floods or both.

There should be an election immediately for Mumbai Municipal Corporation where the only issue should be what each party is going to do for Mumbai's development and nothing else. Let every party come with its own blueprint after consulting the town-planners, ecologists and the common people – drainage, sewerage, water supply, electricity, and roadways etc.

It is a shame that 60 percent of the people in Mumbai live in slums, not because of the construction cost but because of land cost. It is possible to build houses for the poor people, ask Singapore. A Dutch construction company told me that it could construct two flats per day with its 'in-situ' construction machinery.

The rationale of any institution is its services. Municipal Corporations are mainly to provide sanitation, water supply, infrastructure such as roadways and electricity, elementary education etc. If the present dispensation does not serve these needs, we have to change the system. Privatisation of some of the services could be tried in some of these services as in many other municipal corporations all over the world.

There is an urgent need to rationalize the staff of the Municipal Corporation. The surplus staff should be retired with generous compensation and if willing, trained in other skills to get a job. They also should be encouraged to go back to their villages to start a new life and regenerate the villages.

Mumbai needs be de-congested and decentralized to be saved. Let there be many satellite towns. Let all the wholesale markets be shifted to Navi Mumbai. The daily commuting by millions in north/south direction in the morning and in the reverse direction in the evening can be reduced by shifting all the major government and private sector offices to the suburbs or to Navi Mumbai.

Having all the jobs in the Fort Area does not add to efficiency at all. With the telecommunication revolution (mobile, computer, internet etc) the whole world is a village now and it does not matter where the office is located. The government can give tax concessions to shift to suburbs.

Building a Third Mumbai on the mainland would not only de-congest Mumbai, it would develop the mainland. This new city planned in every detail could be the 21^st Century Mumbai. It should be a self-contained city where people live and work, not commute to work. There could be a Banking District, where all major banks can have offices or head-offices, which can become a major financial center like Hong Kong, Singapore or London. There could be a Hi-tech District where technology industry could be located. There could be a Biotech District.

All the MMRDA (Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Area ) should be one Greater Mumbai Municipal Corporation(GMMC). Each business district should have an elected small assembly with a mayor. GMMC should be a federation with these mayors as the members who can elect a Chairman. All the development projects have to be prepared by an expert committee and monitored by a voters' committee

The final question arises. How to fund these developments? Huge Dalton, economist and former Chancellor of Exchequer in the Atlee government in UK, had given an answer long ago. Problem of public finance is not of raising money but of spending it. If the money is well spent, raising funds is not going to be a problem at all. (August 1,2005).

De-congest Mumbai and build a Third Mumbai.

De-congest Mumbai and build a Third Mumbai.

Recent boycott by Western Railway passengers is a futile exercise. Mumbai is attracting jobless from all over the country for the last 100 years. First, it was the textile mills, and now it is the banking and commercial enterprises. Navi Mumbai was conceived to de-congest Mumbai by the visionary of Maharashtra, Y.B.Chavan. This was not allowed to happen by the politicians and the builders. They made it dormitory town.They created Nariman Point commercial centre which created more jobs in the fort area straining the infrastructure of the city – railway/bus travel by people from all over the suburbs. Now they are creating another Nariman Point on the Mill lands.

De-congestion is the only way we could solve many of the problems of Mumbai. All business enterprises should be given incentives to move away from the Central Business District. A third Mumbai on the mainland with a banking sector, a software sector, a garment sector, a diamond and jewelery sector, a film city etc would de-congest Mumbai and make both, Mumbai and the Third Mumbai, livable cities. Metros and flyovers or more trains would not solve the daily commuting by millions of people north to south in the morning and in the reverse direction in the evening. People will spend more time in traveling than working. People will be more tired by commuting than working.

As far as possible people have to work and stay within a short distance. Only this will ensure better health, and may be happiness to all. But then, we do not have visionaries like Y.B.Chavan. It has been well-said that where there is no vision, people perish, not only during floods, but everyday under the wheels a bus or a train. Of course, the politicians, the bureaucrats and the business tycoons have nothing to worry as they stay in their bungalows in Malabar Hill and Marine Drive. (December,12,2007).

How to stengthen the delivery system.

How to strengthen the delivery system.

The report, "40% of BPL cards with the rich, finds the govt.study" ( TOI dt.27/12/07) based on the findings of NCAER confirms the open secret that the system put in place by the authorities fails to deliver assistance to the poor. That the government goes on with this failed system without bothering to plug the holes is most disconcerting. Another article on the same day, Self-help works by Ajai Nair and Parmesh Shah, gives some hope. They say that over 16 lakh SHG households in 7000 villages in the Andhra Pradesh purchase in bulk from the PDS system and in the open market to distribute the same to their members. Another article by Ms.Yamini Iyer highglights the fact that the governments of Andhra and Rajasthan have been able to institutionalize social audit for NREGA (National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) with the help of civil society. She says that the audit culminates with a public meeting of about 500 to 1000 people where finding are shared with the officials and politicians. While an amount of over 60 lakhs of embezzled money been returned by local officials in full public view in the last five months alone in Andhra, the civil society organisations have been able to assure Rs.73 per day for workers including women. This is a piece of good news indeed.

It is clear that only such vigilance by civil society can help the poor to access what is meant for them. It is time that the central and state governments involve NGOs and the corporates in the national task of uplifting the poor with their cooperation both in formulating and implementing poverty alleviation programmes. It should be a partnership of the government (funds), the corporate sector (management) and the civil society (sympathy & understanding). Or is it just a wishful thinking ? (Dec.28,2007).

Bhagwadgita - The Hindu Vision of Life.

Bhagawadgita – The Hindu Vision of Life.

The Bhagawadgita sums up the Hindu Vision of Life as no other scripture does. It is not just a dialogue on the purpose of life between the Great Charioteer and The Great Warrior, but it is also a dialogue between a Every Man and his Deeper Self. Like any scripture Gita does not ask people to follow any commandments, but tells him how the choices one makes leads to certain consequences in this life and the subsequent lives. Its basic message is, the destiny of man is in his own hands: " uddared atmana'tmanam – only you can save yourself." (Chapter VI –5). If the man makes the right choices, it will lead him to fulfillment – self-realization, both in this world and the next.

" The concepts of right and wrong", writes Dr.R.Radhakrishnan, in his preface to the Bhagwadgita," do not belong to the sphere of science ; yet it is, on the study of the ideas centring round these concepts, that human action and happiness ultimately depend." The Bhagwadgita is truly a guide for a happy and harmonius life.

Some of the ideas and ideals propounded in Gita are :

(a) Unity and Divinity in all creation;

(b) Nishkama karma – selfless action;

(c) Stitaprajna – equanimity ;

(d) Divine & Demonic Qualities.

(a) Unity and Divinity in all creation :

" The very heart of the Gita's message is ", says the great sage and scholar Ekanath Easwaran, in his introduction to The Bhagawad Gita ( Penguin), " to see the Lord in every creature and act accordingly." There are many verses in the Gita which repeatedly emphasize this fact of Hindu intuition – one-ness of the mankind, nay the universe. It is no wonder that Hindu scriptures proclaim, " vasudaiva kutumbakam" – world is a family.

The Hindu sages in their mystical experience found something changeless in the universe and something that animates all creatures, which they called Brahman or God. They found the same divine spark in everything, both in the animate creatures and inanimate objects. This has now been well corroborated by the physicists when they say that there is no difference between matter and energy and they are interchangable. Water, if frozen, becomes ice, if boiled, becomes vapour. The ice and vapour are two different aspects of water.

The following verse in the Gita (Chapter XIII-28) vividly explains the one-ness of mankind :

samam pasyan hi sarvatra,
samavasthitam isvaram,
na hinsatay atmana'tmanam,
tato yati param gatim

It means 'Seeing the same Lord everywhere, he does no harm to himself or others, and thus he attains the supreme goal'.

(b)Nishkama karma – Selfless Action :

Karma is action and karma is also consequences of action. The law of karma is the law of cause and effect. Every action leads to certain consequences and the relationship between the two is that of a seed and its fruit. What you sow, you reap. Some action leads to its consequences immediately as in the case of fire - you touch the fire which will burn your finger immediately or when you sow rice/wheat you will get a harvest after four months. Some action bears fruit after a gap of time – a mango seed gives you mangos after three/four years.

Nishkama karma is doing action without selfish desire. Man cannot live without action and man cannot achieve without desire. It is the selfish desire which binds him, rather blinds him, to the consequences. It is the selfish desire that makes him use any means to achieve what he wants. Mahatma Gandhi always emphasized the need for purity of means and ends. The means and ends are like the seeds and the fruits. Ends do not justify any means. Action without selfish motive purifies the mind but selfish motive entangles a man into further selfish action – it is a vicious circle. It is like a telling a lie which makes you continuously lie to cover up the original lie.

Nishkama karma ( selfless action) has been explained as 'karmaphala tyaga' ( renouncing the fruits of action ) in the last chapter (XVIII - 2) of the Gita.

kamyanam karmanam nyasam,
samnyasam kavayo viduh,
sarvakarmaphalatyagam,
prahus tyagam vicaksanah

While 'samnyasa' is renunciation ( refraining from selfish acts ), 'tyaga' is renouncing the fruits of action.

In the next stanza, Krishna explains that some wise people say that all action should be renounced as evil while others say that some kind of action – self-sacrifice, gifts and self-discipline should be continued. Then he adds that self-sacrifice, gift and self-discipline purifies man. However, even these acts should be performed without any desire for selfish rewards. Earlier, in Chapter (II –47), Krishna has made it clear that man has the right to action but not for its results and so fruits of action should not be man's motive. He also does not approve of inaction.

karmany eva 'adhikaras te
ma phalesu kadacana
ma karmaphalahetur bhur
ma te sango 'stv akarmani

'Nishkama karma' is the essence of Gita, according to Mahatma Gandhi. Self-less action ( nishkama karma) is a natural step to those who have found divinity in everyone and everywhere. God manifests in different names and different forms and the mankind is a brotherhood of man.

( c ) Stithaprajna - Man of Equanimity .

Gita defines a wise man or stithaprajna, as a man of equanimity or as a man with even-mindedness. Perform work in the world without selfish attachment and have an even mind both for success and failure, and that is yoga, evenness of mind ( Chapter II – 48).

The wise man is not perturbed by success or failure, by pleasure or pain, by gain or loss, by victory or defeat. He accepts both with equanimity. Time passes, success too passes and failure also passes leaving behind some experience, if one is capable of learning. All action leads to either to success or to failure, and if it leads to success, you take the next step towards your goal. And in case it leads to failure, you learn from failure, and try again. So many times success leads to excess and failure leads disappointment, and both cloud man's judgement.

Gita advocates self-control of body, mind and senses. Attachment to sense-objects leads to a vicious chain reaction – the chain of desire, anger, bewilderment, loss of memory, and destruction of intelligence. ( Chapter II – 62/3). When the mind follows the dictates of senses, it is like a rudderless ship which is carried away by the wind (Chapter II – 67).

It is in this Chapter that Krishna explains the transient nature of life – the same person or soul resides in the body which passes through childhood, youth and old age ; after death, the same soul then acquires another body, just as a man abandons worn-out clothes and puts on new clothes. The only thing that clings to the person or the soul is his good or bad deeds (karma) which shape his future or his destiny.

( d ) Divine and Demonic Qualties.

Every human being is born with good and bad tendencies. Since man has a choice, it is for him to choose either of the tendencies, and of course, reap the consequences. The Chapter XVI explains these tendencies in detail.

The qualities of Divine nature are : Fearlessness, purity of mind, devotion to knowledge, concentration, charity, self-control,, sacrifice, study of scriptures, austerity and uprightness, non-violence, truth, freedom from anger, malice and covetousness, renunciation, compassion and gentleness, modesty and steadfastness, vigour, forgiveness. These qualities lead to freedom and happiness.

Ostentation, arrogance, excessive pride, anger, harshness and ignorance are the qualities of demonic nature. These lead to bondage. Of course the doors of God are open to him if and when he repents and reforms himself.

Further, Krishna says lust, anger and greed are the three doors to hell which a man should not enter at all costs. The man who enters these gates will not achieve lasting happiness, leave alone the life's final goal – moksha ( liberation).

The Hindu Vision of Life.

The above four ideas or ideals from the Gita present the Hindu Vision of Life and if followed, would lead to a happy and harmonious life. When you see Divinity everywhere in the world and realize that you are a part of that Divinity, selfishness loses its meaning and nishkama karma ( selfless service) becomes meaningful, stithaprajna ( equanimity ) becomes natural and the man would embrace all the divine qualities.

Gita is a ocean of wisdom and the above four are but a few pearls. When a seeker of truth immerses himself in this ocean, he will find many more. " I find a solace in the Bhagwadgita," Mahamtma Gandhi wrote in Young India (1925), " that I miss even in the Sermon on the Mount. When disappointment stares me in the face and all alone I see not one ray of light, I go back to the Bhagwadgita. I find a verse here and a verse there and I immediately begin to smile in the midst of overwhelming tragedies – and my life has been full of external tragedies – and if they have left no visible, no indelible scar on me, I owe it all to the teachings of the Bhagwadgita."

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A Misleading Portrait ?

June 4,2007.

A misleading portrait ?

Under the headline, "A misleading portrait ", Jotirmaya Sharma reviewed the book by Sudhir Kakar and Katharina Kakar entitled, The Indians: Portrait of a People, in DNA(15/4/07). He said "the projection of a 'Hindu' identity on all that goes in the name of the Indian past is hugely problematic and needs careful delineation...this book will be immortalised by the pamphleteers of the Sangh Parivar for a very long period of time to come."

Sharma's comments made me read the book which I found not merely readable but a guide to understand India and Indians. Sudhir Kakar's Inner World, along with Ashish Nandi's The Intimate Enemy, had '"emancipated us from the certitudes of a popular brand of economic determinism on the one hand, as well as well-worn nationalist pieties on the other " says Sharma, but finds the thesis of the above book that Indian identity is mainly based on Hindu civilization," problematic". After reading the book, I find his comments are more ideological than logical.

The book is a guide to Indian life – what animates it ? What ideas and concepts shape Indians' thoughts, feelings and actions ? It covers all aspects of life : family, caste, role of women, sexuality, health and healing, religious and spiritual life, conflict between Hindus and Muslims, and finally, the Indian Mind.

The authors have provided many insights into Indian life - family is a ' glue that holds Indian society together' which also reflects the fact of lack of faith in other institutions of society; subordination of women ; how the caste is different from clan or tribe due to the phenomenon of untouchability, the biggest blot on Hindu society, as Mahatma Gandhi observed. On Ayurveda, the authors quote Sri Lankan anthropologist Gananath Obeyesekere who said, " Without some awareness of the theory of Ayurveda medicine it is not possible to understand much of what goes on in the minds of men in the South Asian world."

The chapter on ' Religious and Spiritual Life' analyses the response of Hinduism to the disruptions wrought by modernity – by traditionalists, the Hindu nationalists and 'flexible Hindus'. While the traditionalists are struck in the old world, the Hindu nationalists promote a singular identity for all the diverse sects and traditions of Hindu society to stem the tide of cultural alienation through missionary religions and globalization. The 'flexible Hindu' confronts modernity by adapting religious heritage to the new situation.The authors observe that the militancy of outlook and actions of the Hindu nationalists are constrained by the two binding elements of Hindu religion and culture : tolerance and universality.

The best chapter is on the Indian Mind. It summarises the basic ideas and concepts which shape the mind of Indians : moksha, dharma and karma. The belief in the 'ultimate reality' is a beacon of 'higher feeling' in the lives of most of the Indians irrespective of class and caste, rural and urban, literate and illiterate, the rich and the poor. The Indians have conviction that there is an order or a design in life over-riding all transitory problems or difficulties.The divinity immanent within each human being nourishes individual's self-worth.

Dharma which can mean moral duty, right action, conformity with the truth of things, is another idea which permeates Indian mind. " The relativism of dharma supports tradition and modernity, innovation and conformity", observe the authors. Karma ( what you sow, you reap) and reincarnation are also part of the Indian mind.

A modern Indian will have some reservations regarding the authors' rather pessimistic view of Hindu-Muslim relations.After enumerating the reasons for the conflict between Hindus and Muslims, the authors feel that India is moving towards a multicultural society rather than a 'composite' culture – salad bowl, not a melting pot ; ghettoism, not a meeting of minds and hearts. If efforts are made to highlight the common human values ( equality, liberty – freedom of thought & expression- , fraternity, compassion and charity, non-violence etc ) which inform all religions and conveyed to the people, especially to the younger generation, India should be able to lead the 21^st century with a new society where acceptance of different ways of life is a part of life. The values of religion are more important than the rituals, customs and practices which have outlived their utility to the religion, society and the individual.

Sharma's misgivings about the portrait drawn by the Kakars may be due to the absence of the contributions made by Muslims and Christians to the making of the modern India in the book. Muslims have contributed immensely to art, architecture, music and dance. Similarly, Christians have made enormous contribution to modern education and health. These have not found a place in the book as the Kakars are portraying the basic features of the Indian social structure and its basis in Hindu religion and philosophy – family, caste and culture. The caste which is not a part of Muslim and Christian religions is prevalent among Muslim and Christian communities as well. This make them both part of the Hindu social structure. The book brilliantly portrays the Indian way of life and view of life.

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The 'untouchables' of India.

The 'untouchables' of India.

The Wall Street Journal (Sept.19) has published a long report under the title, The 'untouchables', Converts to Christianity face extra bias, by Yaroslav Trofimov. Briefly,he makes the following points :

Under India's constitution Dalits are entitled to affirmative actions - federal government jobs and government-funded universities. These provide escape from traditional occupations - emptying village latrines, burying cow carcases, tanning animal hides. However, these facilities are only for Hindu dalits, not for those who are converted to Islam and Christianity. "The plight of India's secret converts, ignored for decades, is now at the forefront of national politics. Partly, driving the change is Indian Christians' new partnership with Islam, a religion frequently at odds with Christianity elsewhere in the world."

The Ranganath Mishra Commision concluded that Dalits retain their stigma even after converting and recommended scrapping the ban on privileges to non-Hindus."The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination earlier also formally rebuked India for denying affirmative action benefits to Dalit converts Christianity and Islam and recommended that the prohibition be removed."

" The Government of India seems quite sympathetic" to such demands, says Sardar Buta Singh, a minister-level official who heads India's agency which overseeing Dait affairs, the National Commission for Scheduled Castes. " All the parties have started thinking about this problem, and it can be solve."

The report further states that the low status of Dalits is the punishment for sins in a previous life, according to Hindu scriptures, and they embraced caste-less religions. It adds, " .. great many Dalits are now turning to Christianity, attracted by benefits like education and health care that are sometimes offered by Western-funded congregations." The report then goes on say, " Much to the dismay of Hindu nationalist groups, the number of India's secret Christians has claimed in recent years to an estimated 25 million people, about the size of the officially registered Christian population."

The vote-bank politics has now global ramifications. An Indian commission urging reservation for converts and then an UN body recommending it, and an international daily high-lighting it. I sent some facts to put the issue in perspective to the newspaper which was not published, not even acknowledged .

The report has missed one important fact of life in India - Christianity and Islam in India are as caste-ridden as Hinduism. In spite of professing egalitarianism by these religions, many Christians and Muslim do not inter-marry. " In many Churches in Tamil Nadu, Harijans were seperated from the rest of the congregation by a screen. ..special parts of the cemeteries were set apart for them.." This is from the book, The Defeat of a Congresman ,by the famous BBC correspondent of yesteryears Mark Tully (Alfred A.Knoff,New York, 1991, see pages 63 &64 for more details).

This is what R.L.Francis, President of Poor Christian Liberation Movement (PCLM) has said, " On the one hand, the Church demands reservation for Dalit Christians from the government while on the other, it opposes and refuses to provide reservation in the Church structure." Missionaries have been the pioneers in introducing modern education in India and have a large number of educational institutions including medical and engineering colleges.

Contrary to what the author says, there is no scriptural sanction for caste system and the practice of untouchability in Hindu scriptures. Gita and Upanishads, the great scriptures of Hindus, proclaim that man is the spark of the Divine. Valmiki, the saint-poet who wrote Ramayana, was a hunter. Krishna, incarnation of God, was cow-herd. The caste system which started off as the division of labour solidified into rigid social structure due to the repeated invasions of India for almost a thousand years. Author has also not noticed the changes that have occurred in India since Independence. India had a Dalit President and many dalits have been ministers in the central and state governments. Almost 25 percent of the sweepers in the public rest-rooms in Delhi are Brahmins.

What Dalits and the poor in India require is education to empower them and not reservation or charity. This is where the government has failed them. The government is more bothered about the 'commanding heights' of the economy than serving the poor. Of course, the Church has not done much for the poor or dalits.

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God needs no passport.

God needs no passport and man needs no certificate from the gate-keepers of God.

It is very refreshing to read the interview of Arthur J.Pias with Peggy Levit ( India Abroad,Aug10).Her enquiry into the religious traditions of the immigrants, especially Hindus and Muslims, reveals changing nature of the faiths and how they cope up with the new environment in which they have to function. As she observes, they reinvent their faiths. Women take major part in all religious affairs which is not the case in the Indian sub-continent.

Ms.Levits reply to the last question about " Cafeteria Hindus/Muslims" like" Cafataria Catholics" who pick and choose religious doctrines ( abortion, divorce) is a pointer to the future of faith not merely in USA, but in the world itself. She says, " I think there is something unique about what some would call the American religious marketplace. Its myriad religious choices empowers people to grapple with and shape their own relation to their faith without simply accepting what is handed to them by their parents or religious leaders on a platter. I found lots of people who were reinventing their own version of Hinduism or Islam in America. And they are, in large measure, the future of these faith traditions in this country".

I believe that 'God needs no passport', but also man needs no certificate from the gate-keepers of God - acharyas, the priests and the maulavies of the world. God is Word - in the Gita, in the Bible and in the Koran. Everybody has a right to read, understand and interpret the Word in his own way.The gate-keepers of religion/faith have taken away this right of the people, and now, in this age and time, people have to snatch this right from these gate-keepers. Jesus Christ says, love your neighbour like yourself. Gita says, man/woman is the spark of the Divine. Koran upholds human equality and fraternity.Christianity is known for charity while Hinduism is known for non-violence and Islam,solidarity. Let the followers of these religions learn these quality from each other. The world would be better place to live.

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Dalits in India.

Dalits in India

It is not clear what purpose is being served by passing a resolution on the plight of dalits by the United States House of Representatives ( India Abroad,August 3). The plight of dalits was recognised by the founders of the Indian Republic and reservation in government services, and later, in educational institutions were provided for in the Indian Constitution itself. The affirmative action on behalf of African-Americans started here in the USA much later, after Reverend Martin Luther King started fighting for it with his battle hymn, " We shall overcome one day.....". By the way, Reverend King got inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi and his 'satyagraha' – non-violent fight for Truth.

India had a Dalit President, now a Dalit Chief Justice, many Dalit central and state government ministers. One of the chief architect of the Indian Constitution itself was a Dalit – Dr.B.R.Ambedkar . I do not know how many governments in the world today - including the United States - have their under-privileged sections represented in the top decision-making positions. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayavati is aspiring to be the Prime Minister of India. Is ther any chance for an African-American to become the President of USA ?

USA would have served the cause of freedom and democracy as well as the cause of Dalits in India, if only it had not bolstered the military machine of Pakistan over the last few decades. India was attacked by Pakistan at least thrice with American military equipment – 1965, 1971 and in 2001 in Kargil. If USA had given the same amount money to Pakistan for its educational and economic development, both Pakistan and India would have had a better social indicators especially in health and education including the Dalits. But, alas, US priorities are different !

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India is an unnatural nation & unlikely democracy ?

"India is an unnatural nation & unlikely democracy" ?

" India is an unnatural nation & unlikely democracy',says Ramachandra Guha, in his interview with Arthur J.Pais (India Abroad, New York,Aug.17). Earlier in the year he had expressed similar views in his interview in the Indian Express. The interviews were conducted during the release of his book, India After Gandhi – The History of the world's largest democracy.

It is a fashion among the Anglicized Indians to deride India, especially Hindus. Remember they called India's low economic growth as Hindu rate of growth though it was the secular Congress government borrowing the Soviet model was responsible for it. They have no time to delve deep into India's history. They borrow views and perspectives on India from the British and the Orientalists.

Why he says India is an unnatural nation is not clear. Is he worried about the diversity of India ? If yes, is there any nation in this world which is not diverse ? You find diversity or even conflict in United Kingdom between England and Scotland, even Wales. How united is United States of America ? What is common between WASP and the African-Americans or the Mexicans in USA ? If diversity makes a nation unnatural, all nations are unnatural.

A nation as defined by the Concise Oxford Dictionary is " congeries of people, either of diverse races or of common descent, language, history, etc inhabiting a territory, bounded by defined limits". J.S.Mill, in 'Considerations on Representative Government' (1872) says, " A portion of mankind may be said to constitute a nationality, if they are united among themselves by common sympathies, which does not exist between themselves and any others...Community of language, and community of religion vastly contribute to it.. But the strongest of all is identity of political antecedents, the possession of a national history and comanility of recollections, collective pride and humiliations, pleasure and regret, connected with the same incidents of the past." If we accept these definitions, India is a nation like all other nations. Guha believes that British created India and fostered by the founding fathers of the Indian constitution. Like all good secularists he forgets to mention the Hindu origins of India in spite of the fact that the Hindu civilization and culture had a long and continuous history in India which binds Tamilians at Kanya Kumari to Kashmiris in Jammu & Kashmir.

In 1954, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan had published a book, Fundamental Unity of India by Dr.Radha Kumud Mookerji, well-known historian and Professor of History in Mysore University and later, Lucknow University. He has enumerated all the elements that bind India together in that book. Of course all of them are of Hindu origin – Hindus invoking all the seven rivers of India ( Ganga to Kaveri )in all auspicious occasions and millions of Hindus going on pilgrimage from Haridwar to Rameshwaram. Then there is largest congregations of world during the Kumbha Mela. He also mentions the four 'maths' (religious/ spiritual centers) established by Adi Shankaracharya – Haridwar in the North, Dwaraka in the West, Puri in the East and Shrangeri in the South. Though India lacked political unity many times in the past except during the time of Chandragupta Maurya, Ashoka and Akbar, it had a continuous cultural/religious unity. Dasra and Diwali are celebrated all over India in some form or the other. You will find Ramayana, Mahabharta and Gita in all Indian languages. And this cultural unity is the basis of the political unity.Annie Besant said long ago, ' India without Hinduism is a geopraphical expression".

As far as democratic system is concerned, we can give only two cheers even to USA where not all the votes were counted when it elected George Bush. As even Amartya Sen has conceded that the democratic system saved India from famine whereas it was unreported in China where it claimed many lives. Periodic elections, freedom of expression and freedom of association ( and agitation) have ensured that the cry of the poor is not a cry in the wilderness. It is a tribute to Indian democracy.

Guha has no idea that the germ of equality, liberty and fraternity and democratic rule is in the Vedic hymn – every human being is the spark of the Divine. He has no idea that another is in praise of diversity and freedom of thought & action - just like all rivers lead to the sea, all faith leads to God. That is the reason why all Indians, including the illiterate, took to democratic rule like a duck to water. These Vedic hymns have seeped down to the consciousness of all Indians, especially Hindus. These ideas and ideals have been erased from the memory of the people of other countries in the Indian Sub-continent. That is why democracy is not to be found in India's neighbourhood.

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National effort for nation-building.

National effort for nation-building.

Management Guru C.K.Prahlad, while speaking at a seminar organised to celebrate India@Sixty, has rightly pointed out that India needs ' national aspiration' like Purna Swaraj to change India (India Abroad,New York,Oct.5). He said that we have to have shared commitment to goals as well as creativity, innovation and enterprise. He has also shown how corrupt countries have low level of development.

Our national goals have been enshrined in our constitution. We have to devise ways of achieve them. We all know that Indian governments, both state and central, allot considerable amount of money to improve the welfare of the poor people through many schemes. So many times all the alloted money is not used and also misused by the politicians and the bureaucrats. If we can combine the management skills of the corporate sector and the selflessness of the voluntary sector with the aims of the government sector, we may be able to acieve the goal of empowering the poor irrespective of their caste,creed or religion. Only such a national effort can build our nation.

Today, many people think that the citizen's duty is over if he pay his taxes and votes in the elections. Of course, many people do not do even this minimum duty or responsibility of a citizen. This has not prevented our people from complaining about corruption and misuse of power by the politicians, bureaucrats and the wealthy. This limited engagement of the citizens with the society is the root of all our problems.

The cover story, " The Case for National Service " by Richard Stengel in the Time Magazine ( Sept.10) gives some ideas how this could be achieved in the US. He observes "A republic, to survive, needed not only the consent of the governed but also their active participation. It was not a machine that would go of itself; free societies do not stay free without the involvement of their citizens." He says that more than 61 million Americans dedicated 8.1 billion hours to volunteerism in 2002 and 27% of Americans engage in civic life by volunteering. In a poll in 2002, 70% of Americans thought universal service was a good idea.

Stengel has suggested a 10-point plan which is summarised here:

(1) A National-Service Baby Bond – When a baby is born, the Federal government would invest $5000/- in the child's name which would be $19,000/- when the baby reaches 20 years. That would be available to the person when he/she completes one-year of national or military service. Money is to be used for education, start a business or for housing. " If you invest in your country, your country will invest in you."; (2) Make National Service a Cabinet-level Department – The Corporation for National and Community Service created in 1993 to manage AmeriCorps,Senior Corps, Learn and Serve America, is a small and independent department. By upgrading it to cabinet level, it would get importance - " recognize that service is integral to how America thinks of itself".; (3) Expand existing National Service Programmes – Since 1994, 500,000 people have gone through AmeriCorps programmes teaching in urban schools, managing after-school programs,cleaning up playgrounds, schools and parks, caring for elderly etc.; (4) Create an Education Corps – Create a cadre of tutors, teachers and volunteers who can help the 38% of fourth-graders who cannot read at a basic level. They can also conduct after-school programmes to reduce teen parents and drop-outs ; (5) Institute a Summer of Service – Summer holidays, especially between middle school and high school, to run summer programmes for younger students in exchange for a $500 college scholarship ; (6) Build a Health Corps. - Nearly 7 million American children who are eligible for but not enrolled in government sponsored health insurance programmes. The Health Corps volunteers could assist low-income families accessing available public insurance offerings like the Children's Health Insurance Programme. ; (7) Launch a Green Corps – The Civilian Conservation Corps of Franklin Roosevelt put 3 million "boys in the wood" to build the foundation of the modern park system in USA.The Green Corps could reclaim polluted streams, blighted urban lots, repair and rehabilitate railroad lines, ports, schools, hospitals, energy-efficient housing for elderly and low-income people.; (8) Recruit a Rapid-Response Reserve Corps – 9/11 and Katrina have highlighted the disarray and lack of coordination in emergencies.This Corps would help in coping up with these sort of emergencies.; (9) Start a National-Service Academy – On the lines of West Point, but not for war but to learn how to transform a failing public school. The Academy would give undergraduates a four-year education in exchange for a five-year commitment to public service after they graduate – to create a new generation of people who are idealistic about government.; (10) Create a Baby-Boomer Education Bond – In the next 10 years, 78 million baby boomers will be eligible to retire. Many senior citizens like to help people in their community. The baby boomer volunteers could designate a scholarship of Rs.$1000/- for every 500 hours of community service they complete. This could be used by the volunteer's children/ grand children or a student they designate.

" The courageous souls who signed the Declaration of Independence pledged 'our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.' The least we can do to keep the Republic is to pledge a little time", concludes the author, Richard Stengel. I may add, the Founding Fathers of our Constitution would be delighted and honoured if we in India too enlist the enthusiasm of the young and experience of the old to promote liberty, equality and fraternity propounded in our Constitution. It would be a better tribute to them than all the statues, roads and museums that we dedicate to them.

Of course, the ten-point plan would not suit our people and our country. We have to have our own priorities and our own plan of action. We have to bring together the strengths of the corporate sector, voluntary associations and the government to evolve programmes and implement them.

Health, education and environment should be the focus. Primary education and primary health care centres should be set-up in all villages. The Corporate sector and the voluntary sector should be involved in Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan as well as in providing health-care in all villages. Empowerment of villages through education and health would provide a good foundation for economic and social growth of the country. The Central and State governments should have Advisory Committees consisting of experts, representatives of the chambers of commerce and NGOs to formulate schemes and implement them.

We have to chanelise the energy and idealism of youth with the experience of the old. It is necessary for all graduates to devote one year for social service activities before being given their certificates – legal graduates to provide free legal service ; medical graduates to provide medical service etc. All retired executives of the private and public sectors to be provided with retirement benefits after they serve one year in social service. This is a debt they owe to society which has provided them with opportunities to prosper in life.

Every citizen should be provided opportunities to grow to his full potential, and this is the only way the country can grow to its full potential. This is the real foundation of a great country and a great society. Nation building requires national effort.

A Vision to transform India.

A vision to transform India.

Indian will be celebrating its 61^th Independence Day on August 15, 2007. India has made many gains during these years – maintained its democratic system, attained self-sufficiency in food-grains; made tremendous growth in industry; sent satellites round the earth and planning to send one to the moon; produced atomic weapons and missiles; one of the fast-growing economies of the world ; a middle-income country with per capita income of about $1000.

India is also beset with many problems – one-fourth of the population is poor, health and education is not universal, stagnating agriculture, while service industry has made impressive progress manufacturing industry is lagging, economic reform agenda is floundering, Naxalite and Jehadi violence is increasing, unemployment is still a problem, corruption has seeped every sphere of life and poor governance due to lack of accountability and transperancy among the politicians and the bureaucrats.

India now requires a new vision to transform the dream and mandate of our Constitution - liberty, equality and fraternity to all citizens. Political parties and politicians have divided our people into castes and religions. Our Constitution envisages a casteless society and a secular state. The politicians have promoted caste and religion to the detriment of the nation and the progress of the country. The new vision to transform India has to recapture the spirit of our Constitution.

The vision which can transform India has three components - Economic Vision, Social and Political Vision, and A vision for International Relations. (1) The Economic Vision would focus on agriculture, infrastructure, health and education ; (II) Social and Political Vision would turn the challenges into opportunities – reservation issue, creation of smaller states, Naxalite & Jehadi violence, Kashmir issue and secularism ;(III) The Vision for the International Relations would strengthen UNO, extend co-operation to all countries especially to USA, Russia and other powers, reciprocity of relations with China and Pakistan and friendship with South Asian countries.

Part I The Economic Vision.

(a) Agriculture :

India still lives in the villages though almost one-third of our population is in the cities and towns. Sixty percent of our population still depends on agriculture though its contribution to GDP is only 20 percent. Any economic development which does not touch their lives cannot be called economic development. The irrigation dams built during the First Year Plan, and later, techonological changes (hybrid seed, fertilizers, extension services etc.) made during the Green Revolution, have transformed the lives of many farmers in various parts of the country. However, it has not made any difference to the vast majority of the farmers who have small farms and no irrigation facilities. Dairy farming has not covered many areas in the country. Horticulture, which has a vast potential, has yet to take-off. Dr.M.S.Swaminathan, one of the founders of the Green Revolution, has been advocating Special Agricultural Zones to promote agriculture. In a recent inter-view he said that certain areas such as kuttanad in Kerala or Indira Gandhi Canal Area can be provided with common facilities for cultivation to help farmers to grow more. He has suggested mobile soil-testing vans, rain-water harvesting, credit & insurance, technological inputs and remunerative markets to make farmers prosperous. The food processing industry should be harnessed for this purpose. Aim should be to make small farms profitable. When farmers prosper, industry prospers.

(b) Industry & Infrastructure :

Manufacturing industry and services industry do not require much assistance from the government except moderate taxation and progressive policies. The real issue before the country now is the infrastructure – electricity, roadways, railways, airways and ports - which has become a constraint on India's economic growth. Here the public-private partnership is the way forward. Infrastructure is labour-intensive and it can generate employment. Housing is another industry which has a multiplier effect – it not only generates employment but also boosts many other industries. All these sectors require proper enabling legal structure and fiscal incentives.

Electricity is one of the most important infrastructure which has become drag on India 's economic growth. There is a perpetual shortage of power supply in parts of the country. The politicians have used it to cultivate vote-banks with tariff lower than generating costs for some sections of our population – farmers, handlooms. The lower PLF (plant load factor) and coal of high ash content have increased the generating cost. High transmission and distribution cost plus rampant theft of electricity have compounded the problem. Though the government has given up the monopoly of generation, it has still kept the monopoly of distribution. This has prevented many private sector companies from investing in this industry. The only solution to the shortage of power is to allow both private and public sector companies generate and distribute power. A statutory authority headed by a retired high court judge to determine cost and price of electricity for the public is also imperative. If any state wants to give subsidy, the same should come from the budget of the state, not from the power company. Subsidy should always be for a short period.

The state should promote non-conventional energy – solar, wind, wave, bio-gas - in every possible way. Every new construction – housing, commercial, industrial – should use non-conventional energy to the maximum extent. The construction law should prescribe the necessary guidelines.

Another major decision which any liberal government has to take is with regard to PSUs – public sector undertakings. Most of them have become a burden on the exchequer. Now the time has come to take a bold decision to exit from all business enterprises by the government and use the proceeds for the primary task of any government – universal primary education and primary medical facilities in every village.

Part II Social and Political vision.

The social and political vision should focus on a consensus on major issues – reservation, smaller states, internal & external security. Sixty years of Independence has not brought all castes, communities and states together. There is no realisation that we are all in the same boat, and we have to sink and swim together. A new vision should give hope and scope for progress to everyone in our country irrespective of caste, creed or community.

( a ) Reservation :

Reservation has become a millstone round the neck of India. Reservation, as envisaged our constitution, was meant for scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, who were neglected or even condemned to marginal existence for ages. Now that it is being extended to OBCs, it has lost its focus and relevance. Even the well-off castes want to get in this 'backward' list. As the Supreme Court observed there is a competition to be a 'backward' class or community. The only way this challenge could be turned into an opportunity is by extending primary, secondary, vocational and college education in every nook and corner of our country without any discrimination. Since majority of our people depend on agriculture, free agricultural education – soil-testing, rain-water harvesting,selection of seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, grading, marketing, credit/insurance etc - should be made available. Education should be employment-oriented, and here the government should seek the co-operation of the organised industry. Entrepreneurship should be encouraged. Every young and eduacted person should be able to access credit at a low rate and even get a subsidy. Banks should be equipped to guide and monitor young entrepreneurs.

(b) Smaller states :

Smaller states may not be politically stable, but they have shown economic progress, whether it is Punjab, Haryana or Goa. In view of this, forming smaller states should be pursued – not merely in Telangana and Vidharba, but elsewhere as well. The smaller states bring government and governance to everybody's doorsteps. To ensure political stability, all defections should be banned and all defectors should be disqualified for five years immediately. There should not be any mid-term elections, but the President's rule till the five-year term is over.

( c ) Naxalism & Jehadi problems :

Naxalite menace and jehadi terrorism has weakened Indian state. Both require two-pronged attack – disarming/eliminating the groups that indulge in violence and to solve the social/political causes that give raise to them. State has to be firm in punishing perpetrators of crime against innocent people everywhere. It should equip police with adequate legal and material support. The socio-economic issues that give raise to these actions by the misguided people have to be tackled with tact and sympathy. Land distribution, empowerment of people through education and employment would give a stake to the people who feel left-out of the economic progress of the country.

(d) Kashmir :

Kashmir problem has allowed many powers ( USA,UK,USSR,China,Pakistan) to meddle and muddle in India's internal affairs. This should be stopped. Everybody knows that Jammu and Ladakh have no problem in completely merging with India. It is just the Kashmir valley. Let the valley be a state with maximum autonomy. Ladakh can be given the status of Union Territory, and Jammu can be merged with Himachal Pradesh. All this should be done only after consulting the people. Kashmir problem should be solved once and for all.

(e) Secularism :

Secularism is the most misunderstood concept and most misused word by the politicians in India. India's constitution assures equality,liberty and fraternity to every citizen. It envisages a secular ( separation of the state and religion) state. Hinduism, which not merely accepts but respects other faiths, is inclusive and secular. No Hindu king has imposed his religion on others. Hindu scriptures proclaim that God is one but wise call him different names, just as all rivers flow to the sea, all faiths lead to the same goal – God. Look at all the countries of the world and count how many are secular. See how many countries have minorities in the top positions. India is secular because Hindus are secular.

(i) Equal freedom to all educational institutions : However, many legislative measures taken by the successive governments have widened the gap between the followers of various religions by creating special dispensations. Religious and linguistic minorities have been given special privileges which make even Hindu institutions like the Ramakrishna Mission to claim minority status. The legislation which debars state intervention from minority educational institutions should be extended to all private educational institutions.

(ii) Freedom from state interference : In the name of administration of temples state has been interfering in the religious affairs of Hindus. Secular state has taken over the administration of temples and politicians have used temple trust funds for their private educational institutions. ( The misuse of Sidhi Vinayak Trust funds by politicians is in the Bombay High Court). Andhra Pradesh and Karnatak governments have used the temple funds to renovate churches and masjids when Christian Missionaries and Muslims are trying to convert Hindus. Hindu temples should be administered by a committee elected by the devotees of each temple or a group of temples belonging to the same deity or the same sampradaya ( faith). Shiromani Gurudwar Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) is a good model for this purpose. Hindu temple funds be should be used for the upkeep of temples and the promotion of Hindu religion and culture – through books, promotion of classical music and dance. Surplus funds could also be used for the promotion of education and hospitals for all people. Temples should be liberated from politicians and the secular state. The secular state should be truly secular.

(iii) Promote better understanding of faiths : Secularism has been well-defined by our former President Dr.S.Radhakrishnan as " sarva dharma sama bhava " - equal respect to all faiths. The secular fundamentalists have turned the Indian state into anti-religious state – nay anti-Hindu state by giving special status to the minorities. This is the root of all religious strife in India today. If India has to become great country, it has to inculcate respect for all faiths among its citizens. This can be done only by educating our children ( and others) on the fundamentals of all religions and their contribution to the Indian civilization. Our children and their parents have to be told about basic values promoted by religions – brotherhood of man fatherhood of God, love, truth, charity, restraint, non-violence etc. When people realise that religions stand for some basic values of humanity inspite of expressing the same in different languages and idioms through different religious rituals, they would shun quarrels on petty issues and ' live and let live' becomes the norm.

Part III A vision for International Relations .

(a ) United Nations :

The United Nations Organisation(UNO) was created to save succeeding generations from the scourge of wars such as the first and second world wars of the 20 ^th century. It has been successful in preventing another world war and has doused many smaller conflagrations. However, unilateral action, especially by USA, dented its reputation and has reduced its effectiveness in the world. Another factor which has affected its effectiveness is the unrepresentative character of the Security Council. Expansion of the Security Council to include countries such as India, Japan, Germany, South Africa and Brazil would enhance its decision-making process. The Security Council should take a lead in making the world safe for environment, ensure energy security and abolish poverty. India should take its rightful place in the UNO and strive for a world free from war and want. As Mahatma Gandhi said long ago, there is enough in this world for everybody's need, not everybody's greed.

(b)United States of America.

USA is the only super power in the world today. India is an emerging great power, thanks to its economic progress, democratic polity and the military might. Both the countries share the same democratic values and economic interests. This has been highlighted in 2001 by Henry Kissinger, the former Secretary of State of USA, in his book, Does America Need a Foreign Policy ?. He is the man who sent the 7^th Fleet to the Bay of Bengal when India helped Mukti Bahini of Bangabandhu Mujibur Rehman to liberate East Bengal from the genocide by the Pakistani army. But, he is a realist and votary of 'balance of power'. His Asian policy prescription to USA is very sensible : no domination by any single power ; superior American military establishment to thwart hegemonistic threats; alliance with Japan; constructive dialogue with India; China to be the indispensable component of a constructive Asian policy; preventing or at least limiting nuclear weapons; and promoting human rights. Kissinger also believes that Indian security interests demand Indian naval supremacy from Aden to Singapore. He does not subscribe to the nuclear theology that only five permanent members of the Security Council are entitled to the atomic weapons. He also feels that rolling back of Indian nuclear capability is tilting against the windmills. Apart from what is called ' superior American military establishment', no Indian would have any objection to Kissinger's Asian policy.

India should continue to have good relations with all countries of the world especially Russia, (which has been a friend in need) Germany, Japan, South Africa, Brazil, UK and France.

( c ) Pakistan :

Pakistan came into being from the irrational fear, hatred and the distrust of the Muslim elite to the Hindu majority of India. The Muslim League never fought for freedom. It fought for parity with Hindus which later resulted in partition. It joined US military alliance not to fight the Communism, but to confront India. Now it is with China, again to fight India. All these three powers – UK,USA, China – have not helped Pakistan to be a normal democratic state which looks after the welfare of its citizens but have strengthened its irrational fears. They have used Pakistan to stifle India's economic and political stature. Kashmir is not the real issue of contention between India and Pakistan, but Pakistan's antipathy to India is. Its infrastructure of terror created by the Army and ISI with the support of the Islamic fundamentalists has become a Frankenstein which may devour its creators sooner or later No nation or state has become great being a pawn in the hands of big powers or by instituting a theocracy. Just as Soviet Union realised the futility of military competition with USA without the welfare of its citizens, Pakistan too is in for a similar reality check. We have to wait for a Gorbachev to emerge. Only thing India has to do is to be firm with Pakistan.

( d ) China :

China, with its great past, vast land and natural resources, huge population, is bound to be a great power. The Chinese leaders have shown their will to be a great power – military and economic. The leadership has not bothered about human cost – during the collectivization, the cultural revolution, and now, in its special economic zones. In its frenzied effort to overtake USA, both economically and militarily, it has not cared for environmental impact on its land and people. Though all its neighbours have good trade relations with it, they are not highly appreciative of its political and military activities. It periodically rubs Japan on its imperial past. It has disputes with some of its neighbours about the oil prospecting around their waters. Its 1962 invasion was just to teach a lesson to Pandit Nehru and his policy of non-alignment. It still covets Indian territory. Its political and military moves around India – in Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal – looks like a containment policy. India has to wake up to this reality and devise a suitable policy to protect its interests.

( E ) South-Asia :

India should be able to rally all countries of South Asia into a trade bloc with or without Pakistan. Mutually beneficial trade is a great unifier. Economic inter-dependence and prosperity always promote peace in any region. The European Union and ASEAN – Association of South-East Asian Nations - are good examples. India should lower tariff and non-tariff barriers for trade and investment for all its neighbours on a reciprocal basis. It should also share scientific knowledge on energy security, protection of environment, agricultural and medical research with the countries of the region.It should encourage exchange of students, journalists, scholars, politicians and tourists to foster better understanding among the member states.

IV The Vision of India.

Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru dreamed of a modern India. Wiping tears of the poor was the dream of Mahatma Gandhi. He said, unto the last (antyodaya) - reaching out to the last man. Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore dreamed of an India " where the mind is without fear and the head is held high .. where the world has not been broken into fragments by narrow domestic walls". Our ancient sages prayed for all - " sarve jana sukhino bhavantu" ( Let all people be happy). All these dreams have found their expression in the preamble of our Constitution : " We, the people of India, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a Sovereign Democratic Republic and to secure to all its citizens : Justice, social, economic and political ; Liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship ; Equality of status and of opportunity ; and to promote among them all Fraternity assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity of the nation." The preamble envisages an India which secures liberty, equality and fraternity to all irrespective of caste, creed and religion. This is the true vision of India.

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Freedom at Sixty - A Balance Sheet.

India at Sixty – A Balance-Sheet.

On this 61^st Independence Day, August 15, 2007, India has much to rejoice and celebrate. An ancient civilization and a new nation, has regained its confidence to take its rightful place in the comity of nations.Of course, we have to reflect upon the tasks unfulfilled, which are too many. It is also the time to recall the blunders and avoid them in future.It has been well-said "Those who do not learn from history are bound to repeat it". This ia a portrait of India, warts and all.

First, the achievements, and they are many. Some of the outstanding among them are : (1) The democratic system. Our founding fathers – Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Dr.B.R.Ambedkar and many others - framed a constitution which assures liberty, equality and fraternity to all its citizens. The ancient wisdom of our civilization (Every man is the flame of the Divine ) and the modern thought ( Man is the measure of everything ) has been brought together in this Charter of Freedom. It had withstood the ravages of time. The framework is still intact – we have elections periodically which reflects the will of the people, though distorted by caste/ religious divide. The only interregnum was during the Emergency. (2) Unity : Integration of princely states, thanks to Sardar Patel's sagacity and Princes' wisdom. (3) Individual Freedom : Freedom of expression is the core of a free society. This has been guarded by the free press and free judiciary. (4) Food self-sufficiency : Green Revolution has ensured that India is not a basket case. This is followed by the White Revolution which can provide sufficient proteins to children and livelihood to farmers. (5) Atomic and Space technologies : These have been achieved in spite of 'the denial regime' of Western Powers. The atom bomb exploded by the Prime Minister Atal Behari Bajpayee has exploded the myth that India is a soft state. (6) The Economic Reforms : The credit for them should go to the late Prime Minister Narasimha Rao and his Finance Minister Manmohan Singh. Indian people were freed from the economic bondage called 'the permit-license raj'. This has released the creative energy of the people – initiative and enterprise. See the telecom revolution and the software revolution. Message is, 'let thousand enterprises bloom'.

The tasks ahead : (1) Education and Health : Universal primary education and universal primary health-care facilities in every village.(2) Agriculture : India still lives in its villages.Sixty percent of our people are dependent on agriculture.Any economic reform which does not touch the lives of our villagers is not a reform at all. A cluster of villages should have an agricultural school with short courses in modern agriculture taught free of charge – soil testing, rain-water harvesting,seeds, fertilizers, loans, insurance, marketing etc. If the state can do this, there is no need for subsidies which usually goes to the rich farmers.(3) Infrastructure : Our state has to give up its fascination for 'commanding heights' of the economy and concentrate on infra-structure – deplorable state of our roadsways, raliways, airways, ports is a shame.Public-Private partnership is the way forward. The state has to take a bold decision to get out of all business enterprises, and the monopolies should be corporatized with powers to take investment and marketing decisions.(4) Police & Judiciary : Police should be freed from the clutches of politicians. Only then we can expect the rule of law. There should be a Central and State Commissions for police and judiciary to ensure efficient police and speedy justice. (5) Social Justice : Naxalite violence and Jehadi terrorism has its roots in our socio-economic issues.While violence has to curbed with an iron hand, social and economic development should reach these villages where people fall prey to the violent agitations. Empowering people in these areas with land distribution,education and employment should receive our urgent attention. (6) Corruption : This is the cancer which is corroding our nation. There should be summary trial and punishment in all these cases, not just to the peons in the office but all the higher-ups. De-centralization of power, computerization of information ( rules & regulations, applications & decisions, list of authorities etc.) and updating all out-dated laws are some of the ways for the state and the people to confront this menace.

Our Blunders : (1) Partition : Not because the British India was divided into India and Pakistan. That could have been done in a civilized way. Mass exodus and slaughter have made it a tragedy beyond imagination. It was a conspiracy to keep both countries down .(2) Kashmir : After the Maharaja signed the Instrument of Accession and was supported by all the political leaders of the state there was no need for the Kashmir issue to go to the UNO. Indian army should have been allowed to clear the state of all invaders.This pestering sore still refuses to heal. (3) The Chinese Invasion : Our euphoria about the non-imperialistic character of socialist countries and the effectiveness of the non-alignment movement was shattered at one stroke by Mao. Even peaceful countries have to be strong. India has been invaded with superior arms many times in the past. (4) Planned Economy : Our mixed economy gave us the worst of the both the worlds. When politicians and bureaucrats decide what is to be produced and distributed, it led to corruption and monopoly. Let us hope that chapter is over.(5) Religious and caste divide : Pandit Nehru always tell us that we are building a classless, casteless and secular society. Now we have a new class of politicians and bureaucrats. So many cases have been filed against them but few of them have been convicted. Caste have become a badge of honour, more backward the better.Secularism has been so much distorted that Ramakrishna Mission and Arya Samaj educational institutions want to be 'religious minorities'. Hindu temple funds are misused by politicians, and one case is pending in the Bombay High Court.(6) Indo-US nuclear deal : It looks more like a trap to prevent India entering the club of five than a way to solve our energy problem.

Future Beacons : India was great,and its time has come to be great once again. India was a wonder, and now, with India Unbound, it will shine again.Pandit Nehru wanted to build a modern India. Gandhiji wished to reach the last – antyodaya ( unto the last). Rabindranath Tagore prayed Indian mind to be without fear and hold its head high by breaking narrow domestic walls, and enter that heaven of freedom. Our ancient sages said "Lead us from darkness to Light" – the Light of Freedom – Liberty, Equality and Fraternity which has found its expression in the Preamble of our Constitution. These are the ideals of our nation and let us strive to achieve them.

M.D.Kini

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