Indian state, Indian people and the terrorists.

Indian state, Indian people and the terrorists.

India has been the victim of terrorism for about two decades. First confined to Jammu & Kashmir and, later spread all over India including Houses of God, Houses of Learning and the House of the People. Somehow the Indian state has not come up with any strategy to cope with it. It is a sad reflection on our all-knowing political establishment – politicians, bureaucrats and political commentators.

After the recent blasts in Jaipur, there has been a revelation - that there is no co-ordination between the centre and the states, there is no actionable intelligence and dearth of dedicated pool of officers. This is how the war on terror is being fought. These comments are not from any opposition party but by the national security advisor, according to reports in the press. The Chief Minister of Rajasthan has called for stringent law to punish the terrorists and their accomplices. This of course should be done before we have any more blasts if not for anything else but to show to the world that we are not a soft state.

However, Indian people have shown a maturity which should be appreciated. In Jaipur, people have cooperated with the state agencies to provide help to all the victims. As one commentator puts it," Terror no longer has the capacity to shock. It is nothing more than another bus tragedy or train mishap that we read about everyday – however callous that may sound. The law of the diminishing returns has set in." This may be the gift of our civilization as in our long history we have had many invasions and many disruptions but the people have moved on.

The Indian state and the Indian people have to think of another way to bring about a change in the mind-set of the terrorists and their supporters. The clue for this has been provided by the preamble of UNESCO which states " since war begins in the mind of men, it is in the minds of men that the defense of peace must be constructed." Ours is a secular state which respects all faiths, we have teach our children in all our schools the essentials of all faiths to remove misunderstandings about other faiths. All religions stand for the brotherhood of man and the fatherhood of God. This is said in many different ways and different languages. This has to be highlighted in schools and colleges. Ignorance of other religions is not bliss, but a curse.

Then there is the question of injustice which is supposed to be one of reasons for alienation. Is there any section in our country which feels it has been treated justly - not Scheduled Castes, not Scheduled tribes, not Other Backward Castes, not Forward Castes, not Brahmins, not Muslims, not Christians, not Sikhs, not Buddhists. We are all sailing in the same boat. We all want good governance and we will get it if we insist on it by participation in governance – not just by voting, but also by asking for accountability from the elected representatives.

May 21, 2008

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The future is with solar-hydrogen energy.

The future is with solar-hydrogen energy.

The views expressed by Michio Kaku, co-founder of string field theory and professor of theoretical physics at City University, New York, (TOI, 19/5) has come as a breath of fresh air in the context of the UPA government's nuclear deal with USA as the solution for our energy problem. He said, " Going for nuclear energy is like jumping from the frying pan into the fire". Apart from the risk of proliferation, he mentioned vulnerability to accidents and meltdowns, radio-active waste disposal and the impossibility of increasing nuclear energy by 10 to 50 times to make a dent on global warming as reasons for his reservations on the use of nuclear power. He believes that the world has to go for solar and hydrogen for its energy needs within the next 15/20 years when it would be cost-effective.

The crude oil cartel has hiked the price and if we go in for nuclear energy we would be at the mercy of uranium cartel in the next decade. Energy security is as important as food security. If India was able to produce enough food-grains for its people with green revolution, it can also produce enough electricity, if there is a will to use our technical and human resources for that purpose.

Since we do not have neither crude oil nor uranium to sustain our growth, we have to encourage our people to use solar energy in a big way as have almost 300 days of sun shine in this country. Wind energy should be used wherever possible. Simultaneously, we have to do intensive research in hydrogen and geothermal energy. Solar energy and gobar-gas energy can provide electricity to all our village homes. Mass transport in all our cities and towns would go a long way in reducing pollution and reducing energy consumption. Energy conservation has not received enough attention both with the government and the people. The energy availability for all and energy security for our country should be our aim.

May 19,2008.

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What ails Maharashtra ?

What ails Maharashtra ?

The article by Kumar Ketkar, Uncle,nephew, people, (IE.dt.8/5/08) has highlighted the roots of Maharashtrian angst. It has many dimensions - cultural, economic and political. The Maharashtrian elite has neglected Marathi and the government of Maharashtra has done precious little for Marathi language (books, theatre, films). Economicaly, the Maharashtrians have not been empowered through education to avail all the opportunities thrown open by the liberalisation for enterprise and jobs. Politically also the Maharashtrians feel constrained. A finance minister once said one day a Singh may become the chief minister. 

Then there are many divides - rural and urban, English and Marathi, job-seeking and enterprise. Politicians of Maharashtra have failed to bridge them. There is a disconnect between the government and the business which is not there in Gujarat. The business in Gjarat has created jobs for all and there is no agitation against the outsiders.       

The great visionary of Maharashtra and the first Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shri Y.B.Chavan, initiated many new ideas for the development of Maharashtra – he set up SICOM, Thane-Belapur Industrial Estate and other industrial estates to promote industry and enterprise among the Maharashtrians. If his project of making entrepreneurs out of technocrats had materialised, there would have been more Maharashtrian businesmen and more employment.  

The politicians who followed Shri Y.B.Chavan had no vision – they promoted sugar industry which guzzles water in a state where there is very little rain, they devised monopoly procurement for cotton which drained the exchequer but never encouraged diversification, and the result is there for all to see - more poverty and more suicides. An official of YASHDA ( Yashwantrao Chavan Academy of Development Administration) states that " much of the state expenditure goes in poorly-conceived infrastructure projects such as the irrigation projests or to fund populist announcements such as the continuation of the cotton procurement scheme or free power to farmers, which won them votes." The report states that expenditure on education and health, which empower the people, has been shrinking over the past five years. Last year a report mentioned that only one-third of allotted expenditure on social welfare sectors was utilised in 9 months  - public health, tribal development, social justice, environment, dairy development, fisheries etc.     

The only initiative that has come from the Government of Maharashtra is the promotion of vinery and wine. The real path-breaking initiative that has a great potential has come from the farmers and that is, Magarpatta Township, where the farmers have pooled their land to build a township which now brings them very good returns on their enterprise and inititaive.

The remedy for all these issues is, good governance. Of course, there is no good governance in Bihar and UP. Both these states are blessed with water and good weather but bad governance has ruined them and their people seek manual jobs elsewhere. It is a vote against the bad governance. It is a vote by the feet. The permit-license raj, over-manned public enterprises and corruption have denied good governance to all Indian citizens. If people are empowered with education and if enterprise is promoted with incentives, the face of Mahrashtra and India would change within a short period. The real villains are the politicians who have mislead a whole generation with easy options - subsidies, freebees,reservations. Our people are intelligent and hard working. All they need is good education, health, good roads, electricity. If the state could provide this, people will bring in prosperity. Our politicians lack the vision to provide these essentials. 

May 9,2008

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GOM - Management by Objectives.

GOM - Management by objectives

 

People of Maharashtra should thank Chief Secretary Johny Joseph (TOI, March 6) for devising a set of five parameters to assess the performance of bureaucrats - disposal of files, utilisation of development funds, filling up vacancies, compliance of assurances made by the ministers in the state legislature and timely response to the audit objections. I am wondring whether we can expect similar parameters for the performance of ministers as well so that people would be able to appreciate the work undertaken by the ministers. This will make the Government of Maharshtra a responsible government and a responsive government.

 

Some time ago the Times of India had published the number of files pending in the various government departments. This should be a periodical exercise. I know of a case of an NGO whose lease renewal which is pending for the last 8 years. It goes from one department to another, from the state government to the BMC, from one secretary to another. The trustee has met many secretaries and ministers but the file does not move. Like a dynamic private sector company, it is high time the Government of Maharashtra adopts MBO - Management by objectives. The GOM can publish the results every three months. If all the ministers fully use development funds and dispose of files quickly, it would get more votes than all the public meetings, hoardings and advertisements.

 

May 2,2008.

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Tibet and Kashmir.

Tibet and Kashmir.

Your edit, 'Spot the difference '(22/4) is on the spot. It is sad to note that in spite of working and benefiting from the democratic framework of our country for 60 long years, CPM has not yet appreciated the value of democracy. As you have pointed out, " While China's belligerent project in Tibet hinges on complete assimilation by the Han Chinese, India can survive difference, and thrives precisely because it allows democratic pluralism." Extermination or assimilation is the solution offered by many societies all over the world and all through the history. Indian way has been one of harmonization. Pluralism of democracy has been a part Indian way of life. That is the reason why democracy has been so successful in India in spite of poverty and illiteracy.

Next is the stance of CPM in particular and leftists in general who seem to be more loyal than the king. We all know what they did during 1942 and 1962. Chinese or Iranian atomic weapons are to be welcomed, India atomic weapons are to be opposed. While the Communists in China have Sinified communism – communism with Chinese characteristics, our communists also write it in Chinese characteristics, not in Indian idiom or democratic idiom. Our communists admire Chinese economic success achieved through liberal economy but they are averse if India follows suit. It is very difficult to fathom the aims and attitudes of our communists – is it subservience or inferiority complex ? I wonder. May be all Indians who observe the current political scene have no clue either.

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Getting into Politics

Getting into Politics

It is good to know that we still have youngmen who want to serve our nation through politics inspite of the fact that it has been reduced to power politics and corruption. We have to admire the courage and conviction of Pavan Kumar to get into politics without any godfather or dynastic connection

We all should bless him to be a successful statesman rather a mere politician. Statesmen, they say, look at the next generation while politicians look to the next election. So, he should start from the begining. As Mahatma Gandhi said everything starts from one. Later you can add zeros and it multiplies. Journey always starts with the step in the right direction. That first step is to be among the most dispossed - unto the last. Work for them and work with them for their welfare. With a solid constructive work, he will find people coming to help him and support him. Then he can expand his sphere of work - the local body election and so on. He has build his credibility with the people.

This way, he need not go to any party but he can start his party or parties will com to him to join them. He has to have vision. Mahatma Gandhi had a vision - gram swaraj. Our leaders after indepndence had a different vision - industrialiization. Even now India still lives in the villages. Since villages were neglected, they all started coming to the cities and live in the slums. The Green Revolution was was for villages and agriculture. It was a brief interlude. We are back to square one. Agriculturists are committing suicide. Food-grains are not sufficient.

Our former President Abdul Kalam has a vision - providing urban facilities in villages. Villages do not have even primary health care centres or primary schools and if it there school teacher is missing. There are many problems. He has come up with practical sollutions and inspire others to join him. There is not short cut.

Is he up to the challenge ? He will have to confront vested interests and power brokers ? Is he ready to have a simple life ? He will have to aske these questions and then he has to plunge into politics.

His attitude should be one of nishkama karma - selfless service.Work itself is a reward. Otherwise he may be disaappointed. It is a long way.

Of course, there is a easier way - join one of the established political parties. They have all ready made solutions. He wil be a cog in the wheel. He may be able to tinker, not change anything.

Good luck to him.

Sent to karmayog.com on April 5,2008 in response to a young software professional's desire to join politics " to do something for India" and ' bring some radical change in the society'.


May 1, 2008

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'Functioning anarchy' to democratic functioning.

'Functioning anarchy' to democratic functioning.

The former US Ambassador John Kenneth Galbraith had famously described Indian democracy as " functioning anarchy" long ago. This has been repeated recently by our Vice-President Hamid Ansari and the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Somnath Chatterjee, of course, in different words. The Vice- President lamented " the decreasing credibility of our legislatures as effective institutions capable of delivering public good" and the " damage to the institution of elected legislatures and to the functioning of Indian democracy". The Lok Sabha Speaker was more forthright. He said, " You are working overtime to finish democracy" after he was not able to stop members of the parliament from shouting slogans.

Things have not improved after that event. Now the newspapers are full of another story of Union Minister T.R.Baalu's letters to PMO to help his sons' companies with gas allocation and the opposition's agitation to get a statement from the Prime Minister. This again has disrupted parliament's functioning.

India has been a democracy for the last 60 years. It has adopted one of the finest constitutions based on the experience of some of the established democracies of the world conferring on all its citizens the fundamental rights of liberty, equality and fraternity in 1950. While India had adult franchise in the first election itself in 1952. Women in UK and African-Americans in USA had to fight for their right of franchise. India conducts periodical elections, mostly free and fair, thanks to the vigilant Election Commission. Misuse of money power and muscle power has been reduced, if not eliminated altogether, over these years.

Bribing the electorate and concessions to selected sections with an eye on the election has made its appearance in recent decades. Free electricity to farmers has been one of the sops offered by many political parties. In the recent election in Tamil Nadu DMK promised to give a TV set for all poor families and got elected. However, it is not clear whether it is due to this promise or otherwise. Surprisingly Congress has made a similar promise to the Karnataka electorate which is going to elect a new government. With the increasing education and reducing poverty, it is to be hoped that these sops may not work in the future.

When we come to the functioning of our legislatures, there seems to be a big gap between the ideal and the real. The newspapers are full of statistics on the sittings of the legislatures, time spent on discussions on various bills and the time wasted on slogan shouting or going down to the wells of the legislatures.

The number of Lok Sabha sittings have come down drastically by about one-third from 124 during the years 1952-61 to 81 between 1992 and 2001. The number of annual average bills passed have been reduced from 68 to 50 during the same period. It has been pointed out that the British and Canadian parliaments are in session for about 140 days while the US Congress works for over 150 days.

A report states that only five percent of the grants for various ministries are debated in the House while 95% of the demands for grants are passed passed without any discussion. The total demands for grants are in the region of Rs.18,00,000 crore a year ! All these grants are discussed in the standing committee of each ministry but it is no substitute for a proper discussion in the House itself.

The Lok Sabha Speaker made the above comments during the recent Budget session of the Parliament. According to the newspaper reports the loan waiver for farmers became an open secret before it was announced by the finance minister. The opposition members indulged in what the reports described as ' a game of one-up-manship to voice their demand lest the government walk away with the waiver credit'. One of the opposition member called it the manifesto of the ruling party for the coming general election.

Many times in the past the Lok Sabha and other legislatures have been disrupted by the opposition for not discussing issues which they sought to do with adjournment motions.

Democracy, by definition, is a rule by the majority and it also requires the acquiescence of the minority in the decision of the majority. Democracy respects view of every individual and every party however unpalatable they are to the ruling party. It has been well expressed in these words : " I detest your opinions, but I will fight till death for your right to express them". Tolerance, restraint and compromise are the necessary conditions for the success of democracy. However, our elected representatives have not acquired these qualities in sufficient measure. The shouting and the disturbance that we see in the our legislatures hardly to be seen in UK or US legislatures.

There has been some efforts to make the functioning of the parliament smooth. The members of all the political parties had come together to evolve a code of conduct, sort of a Laxman Rekha which no member of the legislature should cross. This was during the Golden Jubilee Session of the Parliament in 1997 and the Ethics Committee. However, it has not been observed by the members.

There has to be a Laxman Rekha both for the ruling party as well as the opposition. The government has to allow the opposition to have its say and the opposition has to allow the government to have its way. While dissent is essential but the disruption is a a distraction – it changes focus from the issue to the unruly behaviour and devalues the dissent.

Supposing the opposition parties were allowed to speak on the waiver of agricultural loan before the presentation of the budget and were assured by the government that it would be given consideration in the budget, most probably the shouting match would not have taken place. Supposing the government of the day allows all adjournment motions and discusses the issues which the opposition raises, it should be possible for the legislature to take up the legislative business after dealing with the issues raised by the adjournment motions. While the opposition has the right to take up the grievances of the people and put forward its views and suggestions, the oppositions has to allow the government to govern.

The newspaper reports also say that all the bills are discussed at the standing committee meetings of the various departments without any disruption while members disrupt the functioning of the legislature to draw the attention of the voters in their constituencies and supporters in the country.

Media has a great role to play in moderating the behaviour of our representatives in the legislature. However media has to change the definition of news. Media follows an old definition of news – man biting the dog is news. New definition should be : governance, both good and bad, should be news, grievances of the people should be news and new ideas should be news. Developmental activities by the government, NGOs, corporates should be news as well.

If the news channels show the same dog biting repeatedly it gives an impression that many dogs have bitten many people. It magnifies a single episode. Strikes, processions and disruptions of normal life gets instant publicity. And this publicity encourages people to resort to them. If media reports all grievances of people and views of the various sections of people, they would not not disrupt normal life. The media has to listen to the people. Some have already written that they prefer the lack-lustre DD news to the so-called 'breaking news' purveyed by the news channels.

The media – the newspapers and TV channels - should have extensive discussion and discourse on all the points of view. This would also be an exercise in educating our electorate on the current affairs.

The political parties have not yet realised the adverse impact their behaviour in the parliament has on the country at large – on the students, trade unions and local bodies. The disruption that the people see on the TV or read in the newspapers gives some sanction to such behaviour in public life. Indiscipline has become hallmark of our public life. Not a day passes without some disruption of normal life of towns and cities. There are processions – political, religious, even marriage – which prevent normal flow of traffic. Then there are strikes and bundhs though the Supreme Court has banned bundhs. VIP traffic is another disruption. The political parties and the parliamentarians have to introspect whether they are setting a good example to our society which they claim to lead.

Time has come for the leading lights of public life such as former presidents, former justices of the Supreme Court, political leaders, religious heads, top businessmen, legal luminaries, editors and professors to form a forum and to evolve a code of conduct for a civilized way of life and a cultured discourse. Our civilization had a code of conduct called Dharma – that which sustains life and society. Dharma is right conduct which is not imposed but which is evolved with a consensus.

We have to evolve new methods of protest such as black batches, placards, silent marches which do not disrupt normal life of the citizen or the normal functioning of the parliament and other democratic institutions. Since political parties and trade unions resort to disruption of parliament or normal life to get attention, it is the duty of the media to give voice to the grievances raised by them when they use civilised way of protest. Disruption hurts us all. It disrupts our life and our progress. Let us agree to disagree without being disagreeable. Let us be a mature democracy. At least at sixty one has to be mature. Noise and chaos of infant democracy should be replaced by self-restraint of a mature democracy. Let us go from 'functioning anarchy' to functioning democracy.

May 1,2008

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