Sense, Non-Sense and Common Sense: June 2013

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Drip irrigation is the key to prosperity.

Drip Irrigation is the key to prosperity.

Agricultural miracle in Gujarat with about 10 percent growth per year is driven by water management promoted by the Gujarat government led by Narendra Modi. R.N.Bhaskar has thrown light on this aspect in his report (Drip Irrigation key to productivity, DNA, June 24). The state has built 8 lakh check dams. In addition to that the state has made subsidy for drip irrigation equipment conditional on the advise to farmers on the cropping pattern on the suppliers of the equipment. With this, it has ensured that farmers use rip irrigation equipment and also have good advise. It is very imaginative. The chief minister is also promoting solar power panels on the Narmada canals to provide electricity to the villages around and prevent evaporation of water ! Earlier, he had invited Ratan Tata to set up his Nano factory by an sms. There are very few chief ministers in our country who take such initiatives.

http://epaper.dnaindia.com/story.aspx?id=47471&boxid=30542&ed_date=2013-06-24&ed_code=820009&ed_page=14

June 25,2013.

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Sunday, June 23, 2013

Secularism & Development.

The never ending debate on secularism seems to have trumped development in our country. While common man is asking for development which creates jobs, electricity, water and roads, the so-called secular parties are telling people which riots are secular and which are not. Surjit S.Bhalla has hit the nail on the head when he said " Mumbai riots are secular and Godhra riots are not secular." ( Tell me I am mad,IE,June 22). Riots are a failure of good governance and good governance needs functional autonomy ( power to act promptly and to take responsibility law & order) to police. While Modi is challenging these parties on development by providing 24-hours of electricity and water to the farmers to increase the productivity of agriculture, and invites industrialists to set up factories create employment, the secular parties creating vote-banks by distributing freebees, quotas and reservation. Youth of the country want opportunities for growth, not a begging bowl. Girls from J&K are coming to Kota for education, according to a report. That should tell our parties what people want.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/tell-me-i-am-mad/1132235/

June 23, 2013.

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Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Advani & Modi, not Advani Vs Modi.

The credit for cresting a bi-polar polity in India should go to Lal Krishna Advani. He exposed the slogan of secularism that Congress proclaimed with his thesis of 'pseudo-secularism' and 'cultural nationalism' which touched heart of the vast silent majority of India. He succeeded in building a strong opposition which Ram Manohar Lohia and Jaya Prakash Narayan could not do, as pointed out by Ashutosh Varshney ( IE,June 18). Lohia and Narayan had seen the growing corruption in the country which the Congress spawned with its monopoly of power. The Congress had clothed itself in the false garment of socialism and secularism, and weakened both the Communists and the Socialists. Vote-bank politics is the politics of division and diversion from good governance.

Today India has the youngest population in the world and it is yearning for opportunities which only good governance can provide, and Narendra Modi by providing 24-hour power, and water (extension of Narmada canal and thousands of check-dams & bunds) which boosted agriculture while inviting industry to create employment, has caught the imagination of people everywhere. It is a part of the vision of Advani who has been promoting the cause of suraj, good governance. Modi is a true follower of Advani, and Modi has the experience of good governance which could be replicated all over India.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/advani-moment-nation/1130187/

June 19,2013.

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Thursday, June 13, 2013

Dalits, Caste & Capitalism.

The Indian Express published a transcription of the interview its Editor-in-Chief, Shekhar Gupta had with Milind Kamble, founder of the Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DICCI) and Chandra Bhan Prasad, its mentor,(Walk the Talk, IE,June11,2013) under the headline, " Capitalism is changing caste much faster than any human being.Dalit should look at capitalism as a crusader against caste."

Kamble and Prasad made some comments and statements which highlight how the lives of Dalits are changing for the better after 66 years of Independence. The affirmative action included in the Constitution of India by the founding fathers has borne fruit by empowering SC & ST with education. The Constitution had envisaged reservation for 10 years, and now these Dalit businessmen tells us reservation has outlived its utility.

It is tribute to the Indian democracy and its Constitution that today 10 percent enterprises (1,64,000) registered with the Ministry of Micro,Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) are owned by Dalits. The largest enterprise which is affiliated to the Dalit Chamber is by Rajesh Saraiya ,who hails from Sitapur (UP). His company is registered in London,Ukraine and six other countries, and his company has a turnover of Rs.2000 crore.

Dalits and Tribals are the most oppressed people in this country, and today they are part of the Rising India. This is the real India story.

The comments made by these Dalit businessmen are worth pondering:

SG : So markets have become bigger than caste, bigger than Marx.

CBP : Yes, Bigger than caste, bigger than Marx, bigger than everybody because in this market place,only your ability is respected.

SG: Let me put this metaphorically.If market is bigger than Marx, is market a better equaliser than Marx, is the market a better equaliser than Mayavati?

CBP: Most certainly. So far, we held a belief that only an individual can liberate society. Now we see that there is an economic process, that capitalism is changing caste much faster than any human being. Therefore,in capitalism verses caste, there is battle going on and Dalits should look at capitalism as crusader against caste.

Dr.B.R.Ambedkar had exhorted dalits to educate, agitate and organize to find their place in society. Education is a liberating force, so also enterprise. Kamble and Prasad are right that capitalism can destroy caste and discrimination more than Marx and state capitalism.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/capitalism-is-changing-caste-much-faster-than-any-human-being.-dalits-should-look-at-capitalism-as-a-crusader-against-caste/1127570/0

June 13, 2013.

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Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Autocratic MMRDA.

MMRDA has been not merely autocratic ( as pointed out by Jyoti Punwani,DNA,June 12), but highly bureaucratic and unsympathetic to needs of the public. It constructed many sky-ways in the suburban railway stations without surveying or consulting the railway commuters and now, many people do not use them. When it widened the M.V.Road ( Andheri-Kurla Road, I had written about need for having a proper pavement and to entrust the upkeep the corporate sector to maintain it. The pavement now has potholes and full of hawkers as ever. The widened road has become a parking place for school and factory buses. It has not insisted on the builders of the Metro to clean up debris and maintain road below the metro. Road has become nightmare both for the pedestrians and the motorists.

The British political philosopher C.E.M.Joad had said that the basic principle of democracy is " wearer knows where the shoe pinches". It is government by consent. In a democracy, the most affected people have to be consulted before any change is undertaken. In our country consultation comes after agitation, not before construction. Both our politicians and bureaucrats need to have refresher courses on democracy and good governance.

http://epaper.dnaindia.com/story.aspx?id=46843&boxid=16774&ed_date=2013-6-12&ed_code=820009&ed_page=10

June 12,2013.

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Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Dalits & Capitalism.

It is tribute to the Indian democracy and its constitution that 10 percent of the MSME ( Micro,Small, and Medium Enterprises) are owned by Dalits, after 66 years of independence ( Walk the Talk with Milind Kamble & Chandra Bhan Prasad,IE,June 11). Dalits and Tribals are the most oppressed people in this country, and the Constitution had incorporated some affirmative action for the upliftment of this section of our society. It is also heartening to know that these entrepreneurs believe that enterprise empowers them rather than the welfare measures such as reservation which have outlived their utility. Dr.B.R.Ambedkar had exhorted dalits to educate, agitate and organize to find their place in society. Education is a liberating force, so also enterprise. Kamble and Prasad are right that capitalism can destroy caste and discrimination more than Marx and state capitalism.