Bitter Seeds - How Indian development strategy has failed the poor.
It is officially agreed that almost 400 million people, one-third of
the population of India, are poor. The poverty is more in the villages
than in the cities. The overwhelming number of people living in
villages ( about 70%) depend on agriculture (about 60%) which
contributes only about 15% to the GDP. This gives an indication of the
poverty in rural India. It is in this context that we have to
appreciate the documentary, Bitter Seeds, made by the Israeli-American
filmmaker, Micha X Paled (India Abroad,June 22).
India had neglected the agriculture since the second five-year plan,
and had to depend on American wheat to feed its teeming millions - it
used to be said 'ship-to-mouth' existence. The Green Revolution
started in India in the late sixties with the high-yielding varieties
of seeds, increased use of fertilizers and expansion of irrigation.
Dr.Norman Borlaug and Dr.M.S.Swaminathan brought about this
revolution. The government set-up a network of extension services for
the distribution of seeds, fertilizers and introduced minimum support
price for the wheat produced.
This was not extended to all the regions of India but was confined to
mainly to Punjab and Haryana. The Green Revolution had its own adverse
effects such as degradation of of soil due to extensive use of
fertilizers and pesticides. It also led to depletion of water table.
The Green Revolution did not reach other crops such as cotton at all.
Bt cotton seeds introduced by Monsanto and its Indian partner,Mahyco
(Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Co.) assured higher yield. These seeds were
what are called, 'terminator' seeds - they cannot be used again and
the farmers have to purchase new seeds in every season at an increased
price. Cotton-growing area of Vidarbha in Maharashtra is a
drought-prone region. Many farmers have to depend on money-lenders for
loan. If the crop fails or if the price of cotton falls due to
over-production or import, these farmers find no alternative to
suicide.
The government has to increase irrigation facilities in the region. It
has to provide easy credit facilities through nationalized/cooperative
banks.Its agricultural research institutes have to develop new cotton
seeds or promote new crops such as soya beans or upgrade the
traditional crops such jowar (sorghum) and bajra ( pearl millet). It
has to facilitate formation of cooperatives of farmers to market the
produce. It is to be hoped the documentary wakes up the government to
the urgent need to attend to the problems of the farmers in Vidarbha.
http://www.indiaabroad-digital.com/indiaabroad/20120622?sub_id=z1RM6Qp6YN3y#pg36.
June 26,2012.
**********
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Philanthro-journalism - Is it the future of journalism ?
" Philanthro-journalism " - Is it the future of journalism ?
Newspapers in the West are in decline, thanks to the internet and TV
which provide instant news, 24-hours of the day. Now, newspapers too
are now available on the net. People need not wait for the morning
newspaper. Along with the readers, advertisers have also switched over
to the internet.This has affected not only reporting from abroad but
also investigative reporting,says the Economist of London (June
9,2012). In response to this new situation, a new type of journalism
has emerged in the West - " philanthro-journalism". Some
philanthropists have come to the rescue of journalism as watchdog of
public good by funding such efforts.
Under the headline, Reporters without orders, the Economist asks the
question, " Can journalism funded by private generosity compensate for
the decline of the commercial kind?" and concludes that
'philanthro-journalism' is not the complete answer to the decline of
newspapers.
ProPublica and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism.
It is estimated that American foundations have contributed at least
$250 million to non-profit journalism ventures since 2005.
'Philantro-journalism' has given rise to investigative reporting in
the USA. The best example is, ProPublica, established four years ago,
and is led by Paul Steiger, former managing editor of the Wall Street
Journal and its managing editor is, Stephen Engelberg, former
investigative editor of the New York Times.It is funded by the Sandler
Foundation and has 34 working journalists. It invites other newspapers
to 'steal' its stories, of course with some conditions such as the
acknowledgement of the source, not changing the content etc.
It has published 110 investigative reports and 25 in partnership with
other media partners.It has won two Pulitzer prizes already. Some of
stories are : Money power in the the 2012 presidential election;
Fracking - drilling's threat to environment; Disposable Army -
Civilian contractors in Iraq & Afghanistan; Foreclosure - how banks
and the government failed homemakers; Dollars for Doctors - How
industry money reaches physicians; Presidential Pardons; Pakistan's
Terror Connection - 2008 terrorist attack on Mumbai; Nuclear Safety
etc.
.Investigative journalism is too expensive to be sustained by the
commercial business model,observes Engelberg, and says it should be
considered to be a public good.This journalism does not seek to make
profit and try to ensure freedom from even the donors by inviting
public donations. It is more like the campaign of Anna Hazare against
corruption and of Baba Ramdev to bring black money deposited in
foreign banks.
The mission of ProPublica is : "To explore abuses of power and
betrayals of the public trust by government, business and other
institutions, using the moral force of investigative journalism to
spur reform through the sustained spotlighting of wrong-doing."
Another example is from UK. The Bureau of Investigative Journalism
(BIJ) was established in 2010 and funded by David and Elaine Potter
Foundation, and is based at the City University in London.Its editor.
Lain Overton, believes that newspapers now lack time and budget to
hold the powerful to account. Some of its reports are : House for Hire
- Lords used to wine and dine clients; Political donations etc. Its
reports cover topics such as health, corporate watch, human rights and
open society. Since its launch, its 45 reports have been on the
front-pages of newspapers and some of them have won awards for the
reports in the web, radio and TV.
Indian journalism
India has some 70,000 newspapers and journals with a circulation of
ten crore. While the newspapers in USA and UK are facing decline in
circulation and in advertisement revenue, Indian newspapers are flush
with increased circulation and revenue. This is mainly because of the
widespread literacy in the last few decades and the economic growth
since the liberalization of the Indian economy. It is also due to the
low level of computer literacy and internet connection.
However, the media - daily newspapers,magazines and TV - have not
rendered any great service to the general public. Newspapers have
almost become tabloids devoting more pages to films and fashions than
on the problems of the common man in a country where almost one-third
of the population is poor. TV media seeks to increase its TRP by
sensationalism. There is 'breaking news' every day and sometimes every
hour which do not enlighten the viewers but create controversies with
selective quotes from speeches and interviews. The burden of informing
and educating people is shared by some journals - weeklies and
monthlies - who carry on serious discussion on the problems of the
people and the country. The newspapers and TV have trivialized the
public discourse.
Thousands of farmers commit suicide but there is no in-depth analysis
and when it is reported, there is no follow-up on the action taken by
the government, whether the situation has improved, if not, why not ?
Maharashtra is a drought-prone area but it has a large number of sugar
factories which encourage farmers to grow sugar-cane, a
water-intensive crop. It is recently reported that the state has spent
about Rs.70,000 crore on irrigation projects without even one percent
increase in irrigated land.
The media is also prone to 'paid news' which can be described as
'advertisement appearing as news'. This was exposed by some
journalists during the recent assembly elections in Maharashtra,
Haryana and UP. It started with gifts and junkets to reporters, now
the media organizations have 'private treaties' which provide stakes
in the companies who get free publicity. A Report on Paid News,
prepared by the Sub-Committee constituted by the Press Council of
India,has collected and compiled details on this from various sources,
and suggested some remedial measures.
No wonder, people have lost trust on the media.Edelman,an independent
public relations firm, in its 2010 report, Trust Barometer Survey ( in
22 countries) states that the Indian media has lost credibility and
trust among the people - from 61 percent to 40 percent in newspapers;
61 percent to 36 percent in TV; and 72 percent to 47 percent in
business magazines.This decline in trust was confirmed by another
survey conducted by the Readers' Digest magazine where the people
ranked journalists 30th among the 40 professionals listed in the
survey, next only to barbers and bus drivers.
How to regain the trust ?
During the freedom struggle, many patriots started news papers and
magazine to encourage people to participate in the movement started by
Mahatma Gandhi under the banner of Congress. At that time, journalism
was a mission. After Independence, journalism became a profession but
it continued its mission as well - the mission of economic development
of India.
During this time, the government tried to undermine the freedom of the
press through restricted import of newsprint and its distribution. It
also used advertisement of the government departments and the public
sector enterprises to discourage critical reporting on the ruling
dispensation.The newspapers who criticized the government were branded
as 'jute press' by the then prime minister. With a large circulation,
newspapers became an industry.
Today it has become not just an enterprise or a industry but a
profiteering industry. It is true that all enterprises have to sustain
themselves with a surplus but they cannot pollute the fountain of
public trust. Media is called the fourth estate because it is one of
the pillars of the democratic system along with the legislature, the
Constitution, the Court. The citizens should have access to unbiased
information to make an informed judgement on the issues of the day.
The daily newspapers and TV news should reflect all the viewpoints of
the various sections of the people. Our press has failed in this
primary task.
The newspapers should provide a platform for a dialogue and
discussion among the people. Our newspapers are like a lecture in a
school where the teacher talks and the students listen. No student is
encouraged to ask question. Our newspapers have little space for
readers to comment. While the newspapers in the Western countries
provide half-a-page for readers, our newspapers have only one column
for it. Now people use internet to express their views.
Can ' philanthro-journalism' be the answer to the lost trust of the
media ? Concerned citizens can come together to form a non-profit
organization with a contribution/donation every year to sustain
newspapers, magazines and TV for unbiased news and views in every
state and every language. India too should explore this avenue to
preserve its democratic system.
June 26,2012.
******
Newspapers in the West are in decline, thanks to the internet and TV
which provide instant news, 24-hours of the day. Now, newspapers too
are now available on the net. People need not wait for the morning
newspaper. Along with the readers, advertisers have also switched over
to the internet.This has affected not only reporting from abroad but
also investigative reporting,says the Economist of London (June
9,2012). In response to this new situation, a new type of journalism
has emerged in the West - " philanthro-journalism". Some
philanthropists have come to the rescue of journalism as watchdog of
public good by funding such efforts.
Under the headline, Reporters without orders, the Economist asks the
question, " Can journalism funded by private generosity compensate for
the decline of the commercial kind?" and concludes that
'philanthro-journalism' is not the complete answer to the decline of
newspapers.
ProPublica and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism.
It is estimated that American foundations have contributed at least
$250 million to non-profit journalism ventures since 2005.
'Philantro-journalism' has given rise to investigative reporting in
the USA. The best example is, ProPublica, established four years ago,
and is led by Paul Steiger, former managing editor of the Wall Street
Journal and its managing editor is, Stephen Engelberg, former
investigative editor of the New York Times.It is funded by the Sandler
Foundation and has 34 working journalists. It invites other newspapers
to 'steal' its stories, of course with some conditions such as the
acknowledgement of the source, not changing the content etc.
It has published 110 investigative reports and 25 in partnership with
other media partners.It has won two Pulitzer prizes already. Some of
stories are : Money power in the the 2012 presidential election;
Fracking - drilling's threat to environment; Disposable Army -
Civilian contractors in Iraq & Afghanistan; Foreclosure - how banks
and the government failed homemakers; Dollars for Doctors - How
industry money reaches physicians; Presidential Pardons; Pakistan's
Terror Connection - 2008 terrorist attack on Mumbai; Nuclear Safety
etc.
.Investigative journalism is too expensive to be sustained by the
commercial business model,observes Engelberg, and says it should be
considered to be a public good.This journalism does not seek to make
profit and try to ensure freedom from even the donors by inviting
public donations. It is more like the campaign of Anna Hazare against
corruption and of Baba Ramdev to bring black money deposited in
foreign banks.
The mission of ProPublica is : "To explore abuses of power and
betrayals of the public trust by government, business and other
institutions, using the moral force of investigative journalism to
spur reform through the sustained spotlighting of wrong-doing."
Another example is from UK. The Bureau of Investigative Journalism
(BIJ) was established in 2010 and funded by David and Elaine Potter
Foundation, and is based at the City University in London.Its editor.
Lain Overton, believes that newspapers now lack time and budget to
hold the powerful to account. Some of its reports are : House for Hire
- Lords used to wine and dine clients; Political donations etc. Its
reports cover topics such as health, corporate watch, human rights and
open society. Since its launch, its 45 reports have been on the
front-pages of newspapers and some of them have won awards for the
reports in the web, radio and TV.
Indian journalism
India has some 70,000 newspapers and journals with a circulation of
ten crore. While the newspapers in USA and UK are facing decline in
circulation and in advertisement revenue, Indian newspapers are flush
with increased circulation and revenue. This is mainly because of the
widespread literacy in the last few decades and the economic growth
since the liberalization of the Indian economy. It is also due to the
low level of computer literacy and internet connection.
However, the media - daily newspapers,magazines and TV - have not
rendered any great service to the general public. Newspapers have
almost become tabloids devoting more pages to films and fashions than
on the problems of the common man in a country where almost one-third
of the population is poor. TV media seeks to increase its TRP by
sensationalism. There is 'breaking news' every day and sometimes every
hour which do not enlighten the viewers but create controversies with
selective quotes from speeches and interviews. The burden of informing
and educating people is shared by some journals - weeklies and
monthlies - who carry on serious discussion on the problems of the
people and the country. The newspapers and TV have trivialized the
public discourse.
Thousands of farmers commit suicide but there is no in-depth analysis
and when it is reported, there is no follow-up on the action taken by
the government, whether the situation has improved, if not, why not ?
Maharashtra is a drought-prone area but it has a large number of sugar
factories which encourage farmers to grow sugar-cane, a
water-intensive crop. It is recently reported that the state has spent
about Rs.70,000 crore on irrigation projects without even one percent
increase in irrigated land.
The media is also prone to 'paid news' which can be described as
'advertisement appearing as news'. This was exposed by some
journalists during the recent assembly elections in Maharashtra,
Haryana and UP. It started with gifts and junkets to reporters, now
the media organizations have 'private treaties' which provide stakes
in the companies who get free publicity. A Report on Paid News,
prepared by the Sub-Committee constituted by the Press Council of
India,has collected and compiled details on this from various sources,
and suggested some remedial measures.
No wonder, people have lost trust on the media.Edelman,an independent
public relations firm, in its 2010 report, Trust Barometer Survey ( in
22 countries) states that the Indian media has lost credibility and
trust among the people - from 61 percent to 40 percent in newspapers;
61 percent to 36 percent in TV; and 72 percent to 47 percent in
business magazines.This decline in trust was confirmed by another
survey conducted by the Readers' Digest magazine where the people
ranked journalists 30th among the 40 professionals listed in the
survey, next only to barbers and bus drivers.
How to regain the trust ?
During the freedom struggle, many patriots started news papers and
magazine to encourage people to participate in the movement started by
Mahatma Gandhi under the banner of Congress. At that time, journalism
was a mission. After Independence, journalism became a profession but
it continued its mission as well - the mission of economic development
of India.
During this time, the government tried to undermine the freedom of the
press through restricted import of newsprint and its distribution. It
also used advertisement of the government departments and the public
sector enterprises to discourage critical reporting on the ruling
dispensation.The newspapers who criticized the government were branded
as 'jute press' by the then prime minister. With a large circulation,
newspapers became an industry.
Today it has become not just an enterprise or a industry but a
profiteering industry. It is true that all enterprises have to sustain
themselves with a surplus but they cannot pollute the fountain of
public trust. Media is called the fourth estate because it is one of
the pillars of the democratic system along with the legislature, the
Constitution, the Court. The citizens should have access to unbiased
information to make an informed judgement on the issues of the day.
The daily newspapers and TV news should reflect all the viewpoints of
the various sections of the people. Our press has failed in this
primary task.
The newspapers should provide a platform for a dialogue and
discussion among the people. Our newspapers are like a lecture in a
school where the teacher talks and the students listen. No student is
encouraged to ask question. Our newspapers have little space for
readers to comment. While the newspapers in the Western countries
provide half-a-page for readers, our newspapers have only one column
for it. Now people use internet to express their views.
Can ' philanthro-journalism' be the answer to the lost trust of the
media ? Concerned citizens can come together to form a non-profit
organization with a contribution/donation every year to sustain
newspapers, magazines and TV for unbiased news and views in every
state and every language. India too should explore this avenue to
preserve its democratic system.
June 26,2012.
******
Monday, June 25, 2012
Rashtrapati.
Rashtrapati.
Sudhindra Kulkarni (Indian Eepress,June 24) has made a very good suggestion to
expand the electoral college to include the representatives of
Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) for
the election of the President of India. It would represent the
totality of the democratic system of the country and make the
president a true representative of India. Every village and town would
feel that their vote/voice has value.Election Commission and the
political parties should take up this issue in the interest of
deepening the democratic roots in India.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/rashtrapati-rashtrapita/965971/0
June 24,2012.
*******
Sudhindra Kulkarni (Indian Eepress,June 24) has made a very good suggestion to
expand the electoral college to include the representatives of
Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) for
the election of the President of India. It would represent the
totality of the democratic system of the country and make the
president a true representative of India. Every village and town would
feel that their vote/voice has value.Election Commission and the
political parties should take up this issue in the interest of
deepening the democratic roots in India.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/rashtrapati-rashtrapita/965971/0
June 24,2012.
*******
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Farewell to Incredible India.
You have rightly pointed out, in the above leader, that Rahul Gandhi
has been a " disappointment. " He has not come out with a single new
idea to unleash India's latent potential.While describing Narendra
Modi as " the best administrator" , you have added that he is
"divisive and authoritarian". He may be authoritarian, but he is not
divisive.He has promoted both agriculture and industry in Gujarat.By
providing facilities for industry, he has created employment
opportunities for people.Narmada canal has provided water to the arid
areas of the state.There is 24-hour electricity in all villages of
Gujarat. His latest is to cover the Narmada Canal with solar panels to
provide electricity to the surrounding villages while preventing
evaporation of water from the canal.Nobody else has thought of this.He
is imaginative and has a vision for the development of India.He is the
Man for India.
( The text of the letter to the Economist of London on the Leader,
India's slowdown, Farewell to Incredible India ,June 9,2012).
June 12,2012.
*******
- 400 093..
has been a " disappointment. " He has not come out with a single new
idea to unleash India's latent potential.While describing Narendra
Modi as " the best administrator" , you have added that he is
"divisive and authoritarian". He may be authoritarian, but he is not
divisive.He has promoted both agriculture and industry in Gujarat.By
providing facilities for industry, he has created employment
opportunities for people.Narmada canal has provided water to the arid
areas of the state.There is 24-hour electricity in all villages of
Gujarat. His latest is to cover the Narmada Canal with solar panels to
provide electricity to the surrounding villages while preventing
evaporation of water from the canal.Nobody else has thought of this.He
is imaginative and has a vision for the development of India.He is the
Man for India.
( The text of the letter to the Economist of London on the Leader,
India's slowdown, Farewell to Incredible India ,June 9,2012).
June 12,2012.
*******
- 400 093..
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Amul : A Legendary Fable.
Amul is a great successful story of a cooperative society. It could be
or should be extended to fruits and vegetables as well. Dr.Jain feels
that politicians do not encourage such cooperative efforts as at the
dawn of Independence. He tells us that it took almost 20 years to
achieve to be profitable for Amul. Agreed. However, the fact remains
that it could be achieved if entrepreneurs are determined to do it.
There is no lack of resources, there is no lack of human resources but
there is lack of will.
" Amul has a world-class back-end infrastructure that processes 100
lakh litres of milk gathered from 30 lakh farmers across 15,000
villages twice a day. We didn't need any foreign capital or expertise
to accomplish this. Besides, we involved the community instead of
excluding it", says R.S.Sodhi, Managing Director,GCMMF ( Gujarat
Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation) on asked about FDI in retail ,
and adds " FDI in retail.. will increase the glamour quotient of the
economy. Beyond this, there is little usefulness of this step." (
Indian Express December 4, 2011).
Here is a ready-made nucleus for a start - 30 lakh farmers most of
them must be cultivating fruits and vegetables. It requires a series
of refrigeration facilities across 15,000 villages, grading and
packing, refrigerated trucks for distribution to the retailers.
I do hope GCMMF would approach the state and central governments to
get tax holiday for a period of 5 to 10 years and low interest loan
from banks, as a priority sector, for this venture since it may take
some years to be profitable.
June 10,2012.
*********
or should be extended to fruits and vegetables as well. Dr.Jain feels
that politicians do not encourage such cooperative efforts as at the
dawn of Independence. He tells us that it took almost 20 years to
achieve to be profitable for Amul. Agreed. However, the fact remains
that it could be achieved if entrepreneurs are determined to do it.
There is no lack of resources, there is no lack of human resources but
there is lack of will.
" Amul has a world-class back-end infrastructure that processes 100
lakh litres of milk gathered from 30 lakh farmers across 15,000
villages twice a day. We didn't need any foreign capital or expertise
to accomplish this. Besides, we involved the community instead of
excluding it", says R.S.Sodhi, Managing Director,GCMMF ( Gujarat
Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation) on asked about FDI in retail ,
and adds " FDI in retail.. will increase the glamour quotient of the
economy. Beyond this, there is little usefulness of this step." (
Indian Express December 4, 2011).
Here is a ready-made nucleus for a start - 30 lakh farmers most of
them must be cultivating fruits and vegetables. It requires a series
of refrigeration facilities across 15,000 villages, grading and
packing, refrigerated trucks for distribution to the retailers.
I do hope GCMMF would approach the state and central governments to
get tax holiday for a period of 5 to 10 years and low interest loan
from banks, as a priority sector, for this venture since it may take
some years to be profitable.
June 10,2012.
*********
Amul : A Legendary Tale.
Dear sir
Vegetables & fruits are perishable item.Milk self life is increased
due to pasturising technique. Moreover,in 1948, people were not as
selfish as today. Now-a-days, everyone wants a quickmoney. In the case
of Amul, it has taken almost 20 years to get the profitable
output.Even the politician were encouging such projects which is
missing in theses days
Dr N C Jain
8-6-12
--- In karmayog@yahoogroups.com, MD Kini <mdkini@...> wrote:
>
> This is a wonderful and inspiring story. I wonder why Amul does not
> enter the field of vegetables and fruits through a cooperative on
> these lines ? There is 25 to 30 percent wastage in these fields,
> according to experts. Now the government is keen to bring NMCs to
> provide logistics to collect and market fruits and vegetables from our
> farmers. This does not require any foreign technology and investment.
> It is a shame that none of the Indian companies in consumer goods are doing it. It is also a challenge for Indian MBAs to show their
> enterprising acumen.
.
June 10,2012.
********
Vegetables & fruits are perishable item.Milk self life is increased
due to pasturising technique. Moreover,in 1948, people were not as
selfish as today. Now-a-days, everyone wants a quickmoney. In the case
of Amul, it has taken almost 20 years to get the profitable
output.Even the politician were encouging such projects which is
missing in theses days
Dr N C Jain
8-6-12
--- In karmayog@yahoogroups.com, MD Kini <mdkini@...> wrote:
>
> This is a wonderful and inspiring story. I wonder why Amul does not
> enter the field of vegetables and fruits through a cooperative on
> these lines ? There is 25 to 30 percent wastage in these fields,
> according to experts. Now the government is keen to bring NMCs to
> provide logistics to collect and market fruits and vegetables from our
> farmers. This does not require any foreign technology and investment.
> It is a shame that none of the Indian companies in consumer goods are doing it. It is also a challenge for Indian MBAs to show their
> enterprising acumen.
.
June 10,2012.
********
Friday, June 08, 2012
Do justice to Mahadalits.
Do justice to Mahadalits.
The report on the plight of Mahadalits in Bihar ( I.E. dt.7/6/12) is
slap on the face of the bureaucracy of India, especially in Bihar. It
was very imaginative on the part of NItish Kumar, the Chief Minister
of Bihar, to empower the poorest of the poor, through this programme
of handing over a plot of land to build a home for themselves. Your
report makes it clear how the bureaucracy and land mafia cheat these
poor people.All programmes of social welfare should be monitored by
local NGOs and political activists to ensure that it reaches the poor
people. It appears that Mahadalits have been given plots in isolated
areas. There could be cluster of huts/homes near their village so that
they can come together and help each other. It would be good idea if
National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme was used to construct
houses to these people. I do hope this reaches those who are in charge
of uplifting the poor.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/they-got-a-plot-but-sleep-on-the-road-cook-in-the-open/958915/0
June 7,2012.
********
The report on the plight of Mahadalits in Bihar ( I.E. dt.7/6/12) is
slap on the face of the bureaucracy of India, especially in Bihar. It
was very imaginative on the part of NItish Kumar, the Chief Minister
of Bihar, to empower the poorest of the poor, through this programme
of handing over a plot of land to build a home for themselves. Your
report makes it clear how the bureaucracy and land mafia cheat these
poor people.All programmes of social welfare should be monitored by
local NGOs and political activists to ensure that it reaches the poor
people. It appears that Mahadalits have been given plots in isolated
areas. There could be cluster of huts/homes near their village so that
they can come together and help each other. It would be good idea if
National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme was used to construct
houses to these people. I do hope this reaches those who are in charge
of uplifting the poor.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/they-got-a-plot-but-sleep-on-the-road-cook-in-the-open/958915/0
June 7,2012.
********
Thursday, June 07, 2012
Amul : A Legendary Tale.
This is a wonderful and inspiring story. I wonder why Amul does not
enter the field of vegetables and fruits through a cooperative on
these lines ? There is 25 to 30 percent wastage in these fields,
according to experts. Now the government is keen to bring NMCs to
provide logistics to collect and market fruits and vegetables from our
farmers. This does not require any foreign technology and investment.
It is a shame that none of the Indian companies in consumer goods are
not doing it. It is also a challenge for Indian MBAs to show their
enterprising acumen.
June 7,2012
Amul: A Legendary Fable
Posted: 16 Nov 2011 07:01 PM PST
On a beautiful evening in a small remote village in Gujarat, a farmer
who owns some buffaloes goes to a dairy cooperative society (known as
Sahakari Mandali) in his village to sell milk. He collects his
passbook that records the milk poured, fat percentage and money he
would earn. He happily goes back home satisfied with the income his
buffalo is generating. After some time, a growing child in Kolkata
licks the last drop of milk; a family in USA eats a delicious slice of
cheese, while a girl in Australia is delighted to have an ice-cream,
all made from the same milk the farmer gave to the Sahakari Mandali!
If the farmer had lived in a bygone era more than half a century back,
his buffalo would generate lesser milk, most of which would be spoiled
due to lack of proper chilled containers. He would have to travel long
distances to deliver the milk to the only dairy in vicinity, Polson
dairy in Anand and face the unfair and exploitive practices to get
meager amounts. India then was not even capable of fulfilling its own
milk needs. About 60 years later, India today is the world's largest
producer of milk and milk products. How this turnaround happened is
now a legendary story with Dr. Verghese Kurien as its hero and
millions of farmers supporting him to launch a white revolution.
The Amul dairy plant at Anand
The origins
Inspired by India's freedom struggle, it all began when farmers in a
small town near Anand city in Gujarat made milk as a symbol of
protest. They approached Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel for a solution to
combat monopolistic practices of the Polson Dairy. He inspired them to
be united and fight by removing the middle men and supply milk
directly to Bombay. In 1946, under the guidance of Morarji Desai
(Ex-prime minister of India) and Tribhuvandas Patel (local farmer
leader and also the first Chairman of Amul Dairy), this group of
farmers from two villages formed their own cooperative now known as
Anand Milk Union Limited – AMUL. They were then joined by Dr. Verghese
Kurien in 1949. They designed a 3 tier model with milk collection at
village level Dairy Cooperative Society, milk processing in plant at
district level milk union such as Amul and milk distribution plus
marketing done at state level milk federation.
The then Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri studied the Amul Model
during his visit to Anand and impressed by the whole setup and asked
Dr. Kurien to replicate this Amul model in entire country. In 1965,
National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) was formed and Operation Flood
program was launched to make similar cooperative dairies across the
nation and fulfill India's growing milk needs. Dr. Kurien and his team
deliberately lobbied to keep the headquarters of NDDB in Anand, away
from the power hungry and bureaucratic Delhi, and also aimed to draw
the already accumulated expertise at AMUL. It was observed that while
the milk collection is undertaken through various village level dairy
cooperatives, milk products and milk distribution plus marketing must
be through a single entity. Thus Gujarat cooperative Milk Marketing
Federation (GCMMF) was setup in 1973 in which all co-operative dairies
of Gujarat state became members and it has been marketing and managing
Amul brand since then. GCMMF is today, India's largest food product
marketing organisation with a turnover of US$ 2.2 billion in
2010-2011. A host of other organisations have sprouted due to the
white revolution spearheaded by Amul. Indian Dairy Machinery Limited
(IDMC), Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA), National
Cooperative Dairy Federation of India (NCDFI), Dhara Vegetable Oil and
Foods Company Limited (DOFCO), Mother Dairy Fruit & Vegetable Private
Limited (MDFVPL), Animal Breeding Centre (ABC), Tribhuvandas
Foundation etc. all have their roots in the operation flood and have
provided job opportunities to thousands.
Outside view of the Amul office
Amul in popular culture
Amul is also credited with a Guiness world record for longest running
ad campaign of the world for its Utterly Butterly girl portraying
day-to-day issues since 1967. In 1977, the Amul story was showcased
through a Hindi movie titledManthan directed by Shyam Benegal starring
Naseeruddin Shah, Girish Karnad, Smita Patil and Amrish Puri which
also won National award for best film. The movie again demonstrated
the power of collective might as the movie was financed by a
contribution of Rs. 2 by 5 lakh farmers.
The contribution of Amul in development of rural India as well as
economic growth of nation is unquestionable. But despite having such a
successful business model with powerful social benefits, this model
has not been successful in any other sector. Why hasn't India
witnessed an Amul in agricultural products, packaged food items,
consumer goods or any other sector?. The co-operative model has been
tried but failed number of times throughout the world in numerous
fields. Then what made Amul so successful which is so difficult to
replicate? What did other equally dedicated efforts lack which Amul
didn't? The answer probably lies with the people behind the efforts.
The people behind Amul's inception
While there are innumerable heroic deeds and stories surrounding Amul,
the two main individuals behind Amul were Dr. Verghese Kurien and Mr.
Tribhuvandas Patel. In 1949, Dr. Kurien, was a 28 year Old Mechanical
Engineer from Kerala posted in Anand as a dairy engineer in government
research creamery. While Mr. Tribhuvandas Patel was a local leader who
had been imprisoned number of times during India's struggle for
freedom. With the help of his supporters, he found a dairy
co-operative in 1946 in Anand. Fed up with his monotonous and
unchallenging job, Dr. Kurien was to leave Anand when Mr. Tribhuvandas
Patel expressed his desire that Dr. Kurien stay back for few months as
they needed an engineer who could oversee installation of the newly
ordered machineries. No one then knew that Dr. Kurien would never
leave Anand and make it the milk capital of India. The strength of
Amul has been this strong bond of friendship between 2 very different
individuals – One in his 40's, born and brought up in a village as
farmer inspired by Gandhi and Sardar while another an engineer in late
20's having done masters in Michigan University, USA, believer of
democracy, already sick of dull government job and looking for a
challenge in life. One united more and more villages to set-up
co-operative societies, while other brought technology and
professionalism to the table. One brought people, other brought
processes. One brought grassroots penetration in supplying milk while
other brought knowledge and expertise in processing and delivering
milk, both keeping bureaucracy and politics at an arm's length.
Together they led a revolution where true power lied in the hands of
people who followed them, a revolution that envisioned national growth
by giving justice and opportunity to the poorest farmer in the
remotest village. Both Mr. Patel and Dr. Kurien have been widely
praised for their efforts. Mr. Patel was awarded Ramon Magsaysay award
(1963) and Padma Bhushan (1964). He has also been member of Rajya
Sabha twice. Dr. Kurien is already a world famous personality and has
received number of national and international awards. The most notable
ones being Padmashri (1965), Padmabhushan (1966), Padmavibhushan
(1999), World Food Prize award (1989), International person of the
year award (1993) etc.
The future
Today, GCMMF collects approximately 12 million litres of milk from
15,712 village cooperatives with 3 million milk producers daily. It
has 47 sales offices and 10 lakh retailers in India. Its product range
has expanded from milk and ghee, butter to cheese, health drinks,
ice-cream, paneer, chocolates, curd, butter milk, and sweets to now
yoghurt and pizza. NDDB now integrates 96,000 dairy co-operatives
across India. Amul is one of the most well-known and trusted brand
names in India. It has already entered various overseas markets such
as USA, Australia, China, Hongkong, Singapore, UAE, Bangladesh, South
Africa etc. Having already achieved all this, what's next for Amul?
Where does GCMMF go from here? While GCMMF plans to enter newer global
markets and launch more products such as Juices and Jams to leverage
the brand name of Amul, there are number of ignored avenues which Amul
can enter. Most of the focus in the past decade has been in
diversification in terms of products and geographical reach. In short,
the focus is in increasing the number of customers and the number of
products used by existing customers. GCMMF has a huge network of
suppliers at grassroot level. While Amul has done tremendous work for
their economic upliftment, there is a need now to alleviate their
educational and healthcare needs. Certain work along these lines is
already done by the Tribhuvandas Foundation, a NGO that primarily
focuses on healthcare of women and infants in few districts. This NGO
is funded by village level dairy cooperative societies and Amul. This
could be the perfect platform to expand into various other districts
on a larger scale and broadening their horizon to provide complete
healthcare services to poor farmers.
Amul has come a long way since its inception. And we hope there are
many more such success stories in India that can then become fables
for future generations to read and get inspired.
Swapnil Shah is an engineer from NIT, Surat currently pursuing an MBA
from Nirma University, Ahmedabad. Inspired by the rising number of
social enterpreneurs across the globe, he wishes to do his bit in
making the world a better place. He is currently involved in two
student social initiatives – Nirvana at NIT, Surat and the Saral
foundation at IMNU, Ahmedabad.
*******
enter the field of vegetables and fruits through a cooperative on
these lines ? There is 25 to 30 percent wastage in these fields,
according to experts. Now the government is keen to bring NMCs to
provide logistics to collect and market fruits and vegetables from our
farmers. This does not require any foreign technology and investment.
It is a shame that none of the Indian companies in consumer goods are
not doing it. It is also a challenge for Indian MBAs to show their
enterprising acumen.
June 7,2012
Amul: A Legendary Fable
Posted: 16 Nov 2011 07:01 PM PST
On a beautiful evening in a small remote village in Gujarat, a farmer
who owns some buffaloes goes to a dairy cooperative society (known as
Sahakari Mandali) in his village to sell milk. He collects his
passbook that records the milk poured, fat percentage and money he
would earn. He happily goes back home satisfied with the income his
buffalo is generating. After some time, a growing child in Kolkata
licks the last drop of milk; a family in USA eats a delicious slice of
cheese, while a girl in Australia is delighted to have an ice-cream,
all made from the same milk the farmer gave to the Sahakari Mandali!
If the farmer had lived in a bygone era more than half a century back,
his buffalo would generate lesser milk, most of which would be spoiled
due to lack of proper chilled containers. He would have to travel long
distances to deliver the milk to the only dairy in vicinity, Polson
dairy in Anand and face the unfair and exploitive practices to get
meager amounts. India then was not even capable of fulfilling its own
milk needs. About 60 years later, India today is the world's largest
producer of milk and milk products. How this turnaround happened is
now a legendary story with Dr. Verghese Kurien as its hero and
millions of farmers supporting him to launch a white revolution.
The Amul dairy plant at Anand
The origins
Inspired by India's freedom struggle, it all began when farmers in a
small town near Anand city in Gujarat made milk as a symbol of
protest. They approached Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel for a solution to
combat monopolistic practices of the Polson Dairy. He inspired them to
be united and fight by removing the middle men and supply milk
directly to Bombay. In 1946, under the guidance of Morarji Desai
(Ex-prime minister of India) and Tribhuvandas Patel (local farmer
leader and also the first Chairman of Amul Dairy), this group of
farmers from two villages formed their own cooperative now known as
Anand Milk Union Limited – AMUL. They were then joined by Dr. Verghese
Kurien in 1949. They designed a 3 tier model with milk collection at
village level Dairy Cooperative Society, milk processing in plant at
district level milk union such as Amul and milk distribution plus
marketing done at state level milk federation.
The then Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri studied the Amul Model
during his visit to Anand and impressed by the whole setup and asked
Dr. Kurien to replicate this Amul model in entire country. In 1965,
National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) was formed and Operation Flood
program was launched to make similar cooperative dairies across the
nation and fulfill India's growing milk needs. Dr. Kurien and his team
deliberately lobbied to keep the headquarters of NDDB in Anand, away
from the power hungry and bureaucratic Delhi, and also aimed to draw
the already accumulated expertise at AMUL. It was observed that while
the milk collection is undertaken through various village level dairy
cooperatives, milk products and milk distribution plus marketing must
be through a single entity. Thus Gujarat cooperative Milk Marketing
Federation (GCMMF) was setup in 1973 in which all co-operative dairies
of Gujarat state became members and it has been marketing and managing
Amul brand since then. GCMMF is today, India's largest food product
marketing organisation with a turnover of US$ 2.2 billion in
2010-2011. A host of other organisations have sprouted due to the
white revolution spearheaded by Amul. Indian Dairy Machinery Limited
(IDMC), Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA), National
Cooperative Dairy Federation of India (NCDFI), Dhara Vegetable Oil and
Foods Company Limited (DOFCO), Mother Dairy Fruit & Vegetable Private
Limited (MDFVPL), Animal Breeding Centre (ABC), Tribhuvandas
Foundation etc. all have their roots in the operation flood and have
provided job opportunities to thousands.
Outside view of the Amul office
Amul in popular culture
Amul is also credited with a Guiness world record for longest running
ad campaign of the world for its Utterly Butterly girl portraying
day-to-day issues since 1967. In 1977, the Amul story was showcased
through a Hindi movie titledManthan directed by Shyam Benegal starring
Naseeruddin Shah, Girish Karnad, Smita Patil and Amrish Puri which
also won National award for best film. The movie again demonstrated
the power of collective might as the movie was financed by a
contribution of Rs. 2 by 5 lakh farmers.
The contribution of Amul in development of rural India as well as
economic growth of nation is unquestionable. But despite having such a
successful business model with powerful social benefits, this model
has not been successful in any other sector. Why hasn't India
witnessed an Amul in agricultural products, packaged food items,
consumer goods or any other sector?. The co-operative model has been
tried but failed number of times throughout the world in numerous
fields. Then what made Amul so successful which is so difficult to
replicate? What did other equally dedicated efforts lack which Amul
didn't? The answer probably lies with the people behind the efforts.
The people behind Amul's inception
While there are innumerable heroic deeds and stories surrounding Amul,
the two main individuals behind Amul were Dr. Verghese Kurien and Mr.
Tribhuvandas Patel. In 1949, Dr. Kurien, was a 28 year Old Mechanical
Engineer from Kerala posted in Anand as a dairy engineer in government
research creamery. While Mr. Tribhuvandas Patel was a local leader who
had been imprisoned number of times during India's struggle for
freedom. With the help of his supporters, he found a dairy
co-operative in 1946 in Anand. Fed up with his monotonous and
unchallenging job, Dr. Kurien was to leave Anand when Mr. Tribhuvandas
Patel expressed his desire that Dr. Kurien stay back for few months as
they needed an engineer who could oversee installation of the newly
ordered machineries. No one then knew that Dr. Kurien would never
leave Anand and make it the milk capital of India. The strength of
Amul has been this strong bond of friendship between 2 very different
individuals – One in his 40's, born and brought up in a village as
farmer inspired by Gandhi and Sardar while another an engineer in late
20's having done masters in Michigan University, USA, believer of
democracy, already sick of dull government job and looking for a
challenge in life. One united more and more villages to set-up
co-operative societies, while other brought technology and
professionalism to the table. One brought people, other brought
processes. One brought grassroots penetration in supplying milk while
other brought knowledge and expertise in processing and delivering
milk, both keeping bureaucracy and politics at an arm's length.
Together they led a revolution where true power lied in the hands of
people who followed them, a revolution that envisioned national growth
by giving justice and opportunity to the poorest farmer in the
remotest village. Both Mr. Patel and Dr. Kurien have been widely
praised for their efforts. Mr. Patel was awarded Ramon Magsaysay award
(1963) and Padma Bhushan (1964). He has also been member of Rajya
Sabha twice. Dr. Kurien is already a world famous personality and has
received number of national and international awards. The most notable
ones being Padmashri (1965), Padmabhushan (1966), Padmavibhushan
(1999), World Food Prize award (1989), International person of the
year award (1993) etc.
The future
Today, GCMMF collects approximately 12 million litres of milk from
15,712 village cooperatives with 3 million milk producers daily. It
has 47 sales offices and 10 lakh retailers in India. Its product range
has expanded from milk and ghee, butter to cheese, health drinks,
ice-cream, paneer, chocolates, curd, butter milk, and sweets to now
yoghurt and pizza. NDDB now integrates 96,000 dairy co-operatives
across India. Amul is one of the most well-known and trusted brand
names in India. It has already entered various overseas markets such
as USA, Australia, China, Hongkong, Singapore, UAE, Bangladesh, South
Africa etc. Having already achieved all this, what's next for Amul?
Where does GCMMF go from here? While GCMMF plans to enter newer global
markets and launch more products such as Juices and Jams to leverage
the brand name of Amul, there are number of ignored avenues which Amul
can enter. Most of the focus in the past decade has been in
diversification in terms of products and geographical reach. In short,
the focus is in increasing the number of customers and the number of
products used by existing customers. GCMMF has a huge network of
suppliers at grassroot level. While Amul has done tremendous work for
their economic upliftment, there is a need now to alleviate their
educational and healthcare needs. Certain work along these lines is
already done by the Tribhuvandas Foundation, a NGO that primarily
focuses on healthcare of women and infants in few districts. This NGO
is funded by village level dairy cooperative societies and Amul. This
could be the perfect platform to expand into various other districts
on a larger scale and broadening their horizon to provide complete
healthcare services to poor farmers.
Amul has come a long way since its inception. And we hope there are
many more such success stories in India that can then become fables
for future generations to read and get inspired.
Swapnil Shah is an engineer from NIT, Surat currently pursuing an MBA
from Nirma University, Ahmedabad. Inspired by the rising number of
social enterpreneurs across the globe, he wishes to do his bit in
making the world a better place. He is currently involved in two
student social initiatives – Nirvana at NIT, Surat and the Saral
foundation at IMNU, Ahmedabad.
*******
Is a US-India strategic partnership viable ?
Is a US-India strategic partnership viable ?
The three reports in India Abroad (June 8,2012) on the conference on '
Power, Identity and Security in Asia : Views on Regional Cooperation
and the US Role' are illuminating as they throw light on different
aspects Indo-US relations. There are many things in common between the
USA and India - democracy, free press, judicial independence,
acceptance of diversity and religious freedom. They should have been
the natural partners since India's independence. That did not happen
as USA looked at all countries from the cold war perspective - with us
or against us. Remember John Foster Dulles ? India was not ready to
join the cold war but was content to build its own economy, and later,
it joined other newly free countries in the non-alignment
movement.Rest is history.
After the collapse of the Berlin Wall and the Soviet Communist system,
the Cold War and two-polar world came to an end and USA emerged as the
sole super power. With the rise of China, interestingly with the help
of USA, there is now another power which seeks to dominate the world.
The GDP of China has surpassed that of Japan to emerge as the second
largest economy in the world. Its military spending has gone up to
$89.8 billion, next only to USA with $739.3 in 2011. It is investing
heavily in " asymmetric capabilities" to blunt overwhelming US
capacity, as a report in the Economist reveals. It is not inclined to
settle its differences on territorial waters with the neighboring
countries such as Vietnam, the Philippines and Japan.It has not yet
settled its territorial dispute with India since the conflict in 1962.
All this naturally make many doubt 'the peaceful rise' of China.
This scenario was envisaged by Henry Kissinger, who as the Secretary
of State of USA, had sent the 7th Fleet to Bay of Bengal in 1971, when
Indira Gandhi helped Bangabandhu Mujibur Rahman to free East Pakistan
from the Pakistani military atrocities and to become Bangla Desh . In
his book, Does America Need a Foreign Policy ?, published in 2001,
Kissinger writes that " India is a democracy by far the best
functioning and genuine free system of any of nations achieving
independence following the Second World War." and admits that the
alliance with Pakistan " blighted America-India relations during the
cold war". He also says India and USA have common interests which
should not be jeopardized by over-emphasizing the nuclear issue and
that " a closer cooperative relationship between the two countries is
in their mutual and basic interests". He supports India's need to
protect its interest in the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea through
the naval supremacy from Singapore to Aden.He advocates cooperation
with China, India and Japan but proposes that there should not be any
domination by one single nation in Asia and that should be thwarted.He
is a farsighted statesman.
India is a peaceful nation which has not invaded any other country in
its long history. It is true that Indian kings had extended their
regime to South-East Asia ( Cambodia, Indonesia, Thailand), it was
more a cultural conquest than military. Buddhism spread to China,Korea
and Japan not by military means but by the Buddha bikkus
(missionaries) of India. India is a reluctant military power, not a
militaristic power. Souresh Roy is right when he says, " India will be
driven into an alliance with the US only when it sees China as an
existential, imminent danger and not before that." It sought US
military help only after the Chinese attack in 1962. Dr.Deepa
Ollapally is right in observing that " Even though India is one of the
most consistently biggest arms importers and is building up its army
capability,international reaction is quite favorable for India,
compared to China's rise. And I suspect, most people would say that's
something to do with India's democracy, which goes right to the matter
of the nature of India, rather than the raw power." Success of
democracy in India owes much to the Hindu ethos of acceptance of
diversity and freedom of thought. This is evident if one looks around
India who were free at the same time.
However, Jonah Blank of Rand Corporation, who was a journalist in
India for some time and has written books on the Indian sub-continent,
now called South Asia, seems to have missed the point altogether. He
is surprised that autonomy is the core of India's position. What is
the meaning of independence of a state without autonomy or freedom -
to decide its economic,political and strategic affairs.India has the
potential to regain its past prosperity - its GDP was 27 percent of
the world in the 17th century, according to the British economist
Angus Maddison.
As has been pointed out by Kissinger, interests of India and USA are
parallel, not in conflict. Both share many common values. Both can
join hands for peace and prosperity for all its people.
http://www.indiaabroad-digital.com/indiaabroad/20120608/?pg=5&pm=1&u1=friend
June 6,2012.
******
The three reports in India Abroad (June 8,2012) on the conference on '
Power, Identity and Security in Asia : Views on Regional Cooperation
and the US Role' are illuminating as they throw light on different
aspects Indo-US relations. There are many things in common between the
USA and India - democracy, free press, judicial independence,
acceptance of diversity and religious freedom. They should have been
the natural partners since India's independence. That did not happen
as USA looked at all countries from the cold war perspective - with us
or against us. Remember John Foster Dulles ? India was not ready to
join the cold war but was content to build its own economy, and later,
it joined other newly free countries in the non-alignment
movement.Rest is history.
After the collapse of the Berlin Wall and the Soviet Communist system,
the Cold War and two-polar world came to an end and USA emerged as the
sole super power. With the rise of China, interestingly with the help
of USA, there is now another power which seeks to dominate the world.
The GDP of China has surpassed that of Japan to emerge as the second
largest economy in the world. Its military spending has gone up to
$89.8 billion, next only to USA with $739.3 in 2011. It is investing
heavily in " asymmetric capabilities" to blunt overwhelming US
capacity, as a report in the Economist reveals. It is not inclined to
settle its differences on territorial waters with the neighboring
countries such as Vietnam, the Philippines and Japan.It has not yet
settled its territorial dispute with India since the conflict in 1962.
All this naturally make many doubt 'the peaceful rise' of China.
This scenario was envisaged by Henry Kissinger, who as the Secretary
of State of USA, had sent the 7th Fleet to Bay of Bengal in 1971, when
Indira Gandhi helped Bangabandhu Mujibur Rahman to free East Pakistan
from the Pakistani military atrocities and to become Bangla Desh . In
his book, Does America Need a Foreign Policy ?, published in 2001,
Kissinger writes that " India is a democracy by far the best
functioning and genuine free system of any of nations achieving
independence following the Second World War." and admits that the
alliance with Pakistan " blighted America-India relations during the
cold war". He also says India and USA have common interests which
should not be jeopardized by over-emphasizing the nuclear issue and
that " a closer cooperative relationship between the two countries is
in their mutual and basic interests". He supports India's need to
protect its interest in the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea through
the naval supremacy from Singapore to Aden.He advocates cooperation
with China, India and Japan but proposes that there should not be any
domination by one single nation in Asia and that should be thwarted.He
is a farsighted statesman.
India is a peaceful nation which has not invaded any other country in
its long history. It is true that Indian kings had extended their
regime to South-East Asia ( Cambodia, Indonesia, Thailand), it was
more a cultural conquest than military. Buddhism spread to China,Korea
and Japan not by military means but by the Buddha bikkus
(missionaries) of India. India is a reluctant military power, not a
militaristic power. Souresh Roy is right when he says, " India will be
driven into an alliance with the US only when it sees China as an
existential, imminent danger and not before that." It sought US
military help only after the Chinese attack in 1962. Dr.Deepa
Ollapally is right in observing that " Even though India is one of the
most consistently biggest arms importers and is building up its army
capability,international reaction is quite favorable for India,
compared to China's rise. And I suspect, most people would say that's
something to do with India's democracy, which goes right to the matter
of the nature of India, rather than the raw power." Success of
democracy in India owes much to the Hindu ethos of acceptance of
diversity and freedom of thought. This is evident if one looks around
India who were free at the same time.
However, Jonah Blank of Rand Corporation, who was a journalist in
India for some time and has written books on the Indian sub-continent,
now called South Asia, seems to have missed the point altogether. He
is surprised that autonomy is the core of India's position. What is
the meaning of independence of a state without autonomy or freedom -
to decide its economic,political and strategic affairs.India has the
potential to regain its past prosperity - its GDP was 27 percent of
the world in the 17th century, according to the British economist
Angus Maddison.
As has been pointed out by Kissinger, interests of India and USA are
parallel, not in conflict. Both share many common values. Both can
join hands for peace and prosperity for all its people.
http://www.indiaabroad-digital.com/indiaabroad/20120608/?pg=5&pm=1&u1=friend
June 6,2012.
******
Tuesday, June 05, 2012
Affirmative Inaction.
Affirmative Inaction.
This is with reference to the the brilliant analysis reservation
politics, Affirmative Inaction, (IE,4/6/12) by Pratap Bhanu Mehta.
What is the goal of reservation ? Is it just a tool to redress the
discrimination of the past ? Or is it a measure to restore social
mobility ? Or else, equal opportunity for all ? There is no precise
answer to these questions.When the Constitution was framed the eminent
legal luminaries such as Dr.B.R.Ambedkar and others it was restricted
to the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes as they were the most
backward groups of people in the country and it was restricted to ten
years.Now it has been extended to OBCs and one more category is being
added and that is,minorities. Reservation is being used for political
purposes, not to benefit the poor. Our Constitution envisages a
class-less and caste-less society. The reservation seems to perpetuate
our divisions rather making us a 'one nation'. Why not make
reservation only on the basis of income alone ? This would benefit all
poor, not just some privileged poor.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/affirmative-inaction/957413/
June 4,2012.
******
This is with reference to the the brilliant analysis reservation
politics, Affirmative Inaction, (IE,4/6/12) by Pratap Bhanu Mehta.
What is the goal of reservation ? Is it just a tool to redress the
discrimination of the past ? Or is it a measure to restore social
mobility ? Or else, equal opportunity for all ? There is no precise
answer to these questions.When the Constitution was framed the eminent
legal luminaries such as Dr.B.R.Ambedkar and others it was restricted
to the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes as they were the most
backward groups of people in the country and it was restricted to ten
years.Now it has been extended to OBCs and one more category is being
added and that is,minorities. Reservation is being used for political
purposes, not to benefit the poor. Our Constitution envisages a
class-less and caste-less society. The reservation seems to perpetuate
our divisions rather making us a 'one nation'. Why not make
reservation only on the basis of income alone ? This would benefit all
poor, not just some privileged poor.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/affirmative-inaction/957413/
June 4,2012.
******
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