The decision of Karnataka’s Congress government to celebrate the birth anniversary of Tipu Sultan has come in for scathing criticism from a wide section ofpeople in the state and elsewhere.Even the High Court in Karnataka has questioned the logic and justification behind the 2015 decision by the Siddaramaiah government.“What is the logic behind celebrating TipuJayanti? Tipu was not a freedom fighter, but a monarch who fought the opponents to safeguard his own interests,” said Chief Justice Subhro Kamal Mukherjee.

The Chief Justice made this observation during the hearing of a petition filed by a Coorg resident. The petition challenged the government’s decision and said that Tipuwas actually a religious zealot and a tyrant who forcefully converted or mercilessly butchered Hindus and Christians.In reality, who was Tipu Sultan who is described as a Tiger of Mysore and projected as a great freedom fighter?

History books, sponsored by the successive Congress governments and written by the so-called leftist intellectuals, would have us believe that Tipu was a great warrior and fought against the British.For the left-leaning historians, it was always (and still is) fashionable to eulogize Muslim rulers and fanatics because of their warped thinking. The Congress Party, which ruled the country for the first three decades uninterrupted, aided and abetted the distortion of our history books to please the Muslim populacewith an eye on their votes.

Though Muslims constitute less than 15% of the total Indian population (but their numbers are growing quickly as against a slower growth of other religions), their votes have often been crucial in deciding the winners in many constituencies because they have a tendency to vote en bloc for the political party that is amenable to their communal demands.Though the Hindus constitute an overwhelming majority in India, their votesgenerallyget splitbecause they are too secular and would never vote on religious lines.

Meanwhile, the Congress Party has always been willing to stoop to any level to come to power and ensure the survival of the Nehruvian state with its pronounced Muslim bias and clear antipathy towards Hindus. Historical records and books of the time have ample evidence, which shows that Tipu massacred thousands of Hindus and Christians in Karnataka and Kerala. He also ransacked hundreds of temples and destroyed many churches in these two South Indian states.

In fact, early in his career, he took the help of the British to plunder and invade Indian kingdoms. Later, when the British decided to side with the local leaders (to suit their own interests), Tipu fought the English East India Company with the help of the French. Here it needs to be emphasized that Tipu fought against the foreign powers, not because of any love for his country, but solely with the selfish motive of establishing Islamic rule all throughout.

When he invaded Malabar, he forcibly converted thousands of Nairs and Thiyyas.Those who resisted were tortured and put to the sword. Their women and children were taken away and given as slaves to Muslims.To the non-Muslims, he offered the choice between “the cap” and “the sword”. Many did convert to Islam in the Malabar region, as a result of which today one can see a large concentration of Muslims.

Tipu wanted to subjugate the whole of Kerala and made Palakkad his base. The Hindus of the region fled to Travancore in their attempt to escape from Tipu’s cruelty and brutality. This made him turn his attention to Travancore.When his father Hyder Ali died, Hindu chieftains and warriors asserted their independence in Kerala. When Tipu succeeded his father to the throne at Srirangapatnam, he wanted to teach a lesson to those who had revolted earlier.

However, Travancore was under the protection of Lord PadmanabhaSwamy of Thiruvananthapuram. All the Rajas there were ruling the kingdom on behalf of the Lord. When Tipu moved his army to the south, he tasted his first defeat near Aluva.The British, ever so cunning, saw an opportunity here and moved towards Tipu’s capital, with the help of the Nizam and the Marathas. Tipu had to rush back to Srirangapatnam. Unable to fight the combined might of the enemies, he sought peace because of which Hindus of Kerala were spared further brutalities.

When the combined forces put a siege on Tipu’s capital, he panicked. He wanted the support of local Brahmins and other Hindus. To ward off bad times, he is reported to have offered pujas and is even said to have fallen at the feet of Hindu sage, SringeriShankaracharya.This desperate act of the zealot is highlighted by the “liberal” historians to project Tipu as a secular king who believed in Hindu Gods and sages!

Tipu was also responsible for the large-scale massacre of the MandyaIyengars, and Kodavas of Mangalore. He was so inhuman and fanatic that he ordered the circumcision of even dead soldiers. During his reign of Coorg between 1785 and 1790, he destroyed more than 600 temples there.Several prominent Kannadigas have voiced their opposition to celebrating TipuJayanti. It is like “celebrating the anniversary of Aurangzeb, who was a tyrant Mughal emperor and staunch religious fundamentalist,” said Mohandas Pai, an eminenteducationist.

Noted historian RamachandraGuha saidthere shouldn’t be a celebration of a monarch or for that matter any kind of feudal lords. Emphasizing that such celebrations are a waste of money, popular writer Shashi Deshpande said they are just politically motivated and done with an eye on the vote bank. Even the United Christian Association in Mangalore is against any celebration. It pointed out that Tipu forcibly converted Catholics and destroyed churches during his reign.

Ancient Indian sages have said that even Amrit (Divine nectar), the ultimate panacea for all ills, can become poisonous if consumed in excess. They were advocating moderation in everything and counselling against over-indulgence. The celebrated American writer and entrepreneur Mark Twain also said the same thing when he wrote, “Too much of anything is bad.” The same applies very aptly to the Indian mainstream media (MSM).

There is no doubt that the MSM should be free and fearless. It is an important pillar of every democracy and has the responsibility to act as a public watchdog by keeping an eye on the proper functioning of the three arms of the government, namely the Legislature, the Executive and the Judiciary. In India, as indeed elsewhere in the world, the mainstream media has acted as a watchdog against the official excesses and institutional apathy of those wielding clout and power. Our newspapers and the electronic media have often forced the hands of the government as well as that of the political and judicial authorities to take positive action.

There are too many instances to quote, and some of the most recent cases where the MSM has played a crucial role were the Nirbhaya case, the various scams during the Congress regime and the Sheena murder case. If it were not for our vigilant media, probably these cases might have ended up as mere numbers in some dusty government files.

Because of the exemplary roles played by the newspapers and TV news channels, the printed word and the news broadcasts on the TV have had sanctity. There was a time when anything published in a newspaper or telecast on the TV were accepted as the ultimate truth. If anyone doubted what you were saying, you could counter it by saying that it is in the newspapers or was shown on the TV. Such was the authenticity of the mainstream media in India.

In those good old days, journalism was seen as a very noble profession. People took up the pen or became a broadcast journalist mainly because of their inner calling. They fought against injustice and often battled to set things right even against powerful enemies. Those days, the pen was indeed mightier than the sword.

However, lately, things have changed. Journalism has become a mere profession just like that of an accountant, bank clerk, and stock broker. Furthermore, commercialism and profit motive have become the watchwords of the media industry, and ratings and circulation have become its overriding concerns. For the sake of profits and personal gains, some media houses and journalists have made many compromises and given up its moral high ground. Phrases like “envelope journalism” and “paid news” entered the lexicon. Journalists could make or mar the career of people, particularly those in public life, read politicians and celebrities.

This led to an unholy nexus between the corrupt politicians and dishonest media persons. Politicians started using crony journalists to discredit their opponents. Some power-drunk journalists thought they could do anything and get away with it because no politician or government would ever dare to rub them on the wrong side. These journalists were very aware of their rights but often forgot their duties, responsibilities, and work ethics. Blinded by power, many of them became insensitive to our nation’s security issues, and unwittingly, allowed themselves to be used by the enemies. Personal glory and TV ratings were their only objectives. And they were safe because freedom of speech and expression is guaranteed by our Indian Constitution.

There have been several instances where some journalists have published or broadcast sensitive information. For example, then Navy Chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta had slammed sections of the electronic media for their reckless coverage of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks by saying that the manner in which some TV channels reported India’s worst terror strike had tactical implications and might have worked to the advantage of the terrorists.

Highlighting that some channels have traditionally not exercised any restraint in their coverage of events that have a bearing on national security, Admiral Mehta had singled out a lady journalist from the English news channel NDTV India and said that irresponsible coverage during the 1999 Kargil war had compromised the security of troops and led to the death of three soldiers. Similarly, General V P Malik (retd), who was the army chief during the Kargil war, has stated in his memoirs that the same female journalist had divulged classified information in her “professional enthusiasm” by revealing that the Army’s next target was ‘Tiger Hill.’

On November 3, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting asked NDTV to take its Hindi channel off the air for a day on November 9 after an inter-ministerial committee found that the TV channel had violated broadcast rules while reporting on the Pak-inspired Pathankot terror attack on January 2 this year by revealing “strategically-sensitive” details of the air base while relaying news from the spot.

Broadcasting rules in India prevent TV channels from beaming live feed of any anti-terror operations. However, this is not the first time a channel has been taken off the air for violating rules. So far, there have been 28 such cases against TV channels.

Furthermore, the media is often accused of character assassination. In Kerala, for instance, an eminent scientist was hauled over the coals a few years ago by the media, accusing him of espionage. Finally, after years of media trial and harassment, the courts absolved him of all the charges. By then, his life and career had been totally ruined, and he had been made a social outcast.

Currently, there is an on-going tussle between journalists and lawyers in Kerala. Journalists are debarred from entering several courts in the state after being accused of misreporting. True democrats will vouch for absolute freedom for the media, but at the same time, they will also insist that no freedom can be used irresponsibly. Hence, it is rightly said that the media which abuses its liberty or indulges in corrupt practices is one of the most dangerous threats to any democracy.

The article, titled ‘Yes, Kiren Rijiju, I Doubt You. Thank God for That’, which was published on NDTV on November 3, 2016 was a yet-another round of criticism of the ruling party in the center on the pretext of constitutional rights and civil liberties. It is the killing of 8 SIMI men by the Bhopal policemen in the aftermath of theirescaping jail post slaying one cop on duty that has been twisted in such a manner that all BJP leaders appear as supporters of totalitarianism, let’s however look at it through a lens of unprejudiced cognizance.

The author of the article is a member of West Bengal Legislative Assembly and also General Secretary of the party ruling the state, TMC. A member of the same political party, who is also a member of parliament and a regular blogger on same news house, attended the funeral of an army veteran (who allegedly committed suicide over the One Rank One Pension issue) the same day when the said article was published. Politics is running high in the country, be it the encounter of terrorists or the shocking and sad incident of a retired army man ending his life.

Has politics become so central that the grief of families (including that of the cop killed by SIMI terrorists in Bhopal Central Jail and of the army veteran who consumed poison to meet unfortunate end) has been overshadowed, and it is done so by politicians who either have lost ground or are about to lose their hold in the post-2014 milieu of better governance and reassured internal security.

Ever since the grand alliance triumphed in Bihar, the opposition is convinced that being united while accusing the central government can bring them political gains. Leaders from various political factions and with diverse ideologies (even contradictory at times) gathered for the funeral of the army veteran not to speak of and share the grief of the family, but just to make the best out of this opportunity. Let’s go back to the text of article and judge if it was an authentic act of discussing civil liberties or was it one moreshot in the series to condemn actions taken under the rule of one political party, BJP.

One reading through this NDTV article will inform the reader of the potentially dangerous context on which it is based. The statement of BJP leader referred to in the article goes as ‘First of all we should stop this habit of raising doubt, questioning the authorities and the police. This is not a good culture. But what we have been observing in India that the people have developed this habit of raising unnecessary doubts and questions’.

I have underlined two extremely defining and crucial words that are a part- habit and unnecessary. Is it not true that ever since the Modi-led government has taken charge, a section of the media and civil society, plus opposition parties have openly criticized the BJP’s stance on matters related to religion, human rights and freedom of speech? It was all there when many decorated writers returned their awards and when politicians shockinglysupported a scholar who raised anti-India slogans in JNU campus.

The two words resonate in this framework. There are no limitations on freedom of expression in the world’s largest democracy, not only by population but also by its track record of democratic values. But is this right so very capable of undermining the state itself? Encounters by policemen have happened in the past as well, some have also been declared fake by courts, but does that give an inalienable right to politicians to blindly come in support of criminals and terrorists? This is new trend indeed.

The minister of state for home affairs did mince his words while delivering that sentence by including ‘habit’ and ‘unnecessary’, the author of the article however did not think twice prior to recording in her writing the word ‘extra judicial’. Was it an extra-judicial killing by police of 8 terrorists? There may be doubts lingering over the incident, but declaring it as something not legally authorized (literal meaning of extra judicial) is clear political mileage sought by the WB politician.

Invoking Article 21 of the Indian constitution has become a day to day activity or a leisure work for politicians from opposition parties today. In its garb, they have been endorsing anti-social elements, and are even not letting the government deliver on Constitutional subjects like protection of animals and applicability of Uniform Civil Code cutting across all religions.

Why is it that sentiments of opposition parties arouse only when either the union government proposes an act that shall apply uniformly on all Indians or when state agencies perform their duties diligently?

It is so very easy to write endlessly on the Bhopal incident or to condemn union government by falsely accusing it of a role in the suicide of an army veteran. But do these so-called representatives of people realize that there are far many vital subjects awaiting their acquaintance, creating conducive environment for farmers and uplifting the poor are some. Have state governments achieved their part in amending respective APMC Acts to accord more freedom to farmers in marketing their produce? If not, please select this as your next topic for writing.

There is no defending of the union government on subjects like ease of doing business ranking and sluggish industrial and farm sector growth rates. The nation awaits wise writings and deliberations on these, the opposition, however, is busy exploiting sensational events. The NDTV article is an addition to this series, and it serves no purpose. On the contrary, the two words, habit and unnecessary, must be deliberated upon to pave way for real democracy, not a democracy of habitual and exacerbated disapproval of the government.

The article titled ‘Yes, KirenRijiju, I Doubt You. Thank God for That’ by MahuaMoitra can be read at, http://www.ndtv.com/blog/yes-kiren-rijiju-i-doubt-you-thank-god-for-that-1620821

A nation founded solely on the principle of religious majority and “superiority” of its people is but a hollow edifice, built on the shifting sands of political myopia. The end of colonialism in the Indian subcontinent witnessed the emergence of one such state that has eventually but inevitably degraded into a failed state that hosts the Ivy League of terrorism, as was reminded by India in the ongoing UNGA session. Having given a short shrift to communal amity, Pakistan is a unidimensional state, which has all but collapsed under its own weight. To make matters worse, Pakistan has been foolhardily strutting before the international community, covered with no honour but the fig leaf of the Kashmir issue.

Consequences of Spiritual Bankruptcy

Unlike India, the absence of inclusiveness, which is the sheet anchor of religious cosmopolitanism, has made Pakistan spiritually bankrupt, a veritable religious zombie. Extreme intolerance practised towards its own religious minorities has made that country a hotbed of fundamentalist elements on a perpetual spree of targeting and persecuting the minority communities like Hindus and Christians whose numbers have alarmingly dwindled over the years since partition. Human rights became the major casualty of the rabid advocacy of religious supremacy by Pakistan where the right to profess and practise a religion of one’s choice has remained mere words of guarantee in the Constitution.

Furthermore, religious schism in the state religion has not spared the majority community either from becoming a prey to the fanatic jihadists who joined the ranks of hardcore fundamentalist forces from within and across the border with the grandiose designs of spreading the aggressive doctrine of Sunni Wahabism by overrunning and prevailing over all other streams of faith in Islam and other religions in the subcontinent. Consequently, Pakistan is torn asunder by the religious terrorism of its own making. Terrorism is the single most commodity of export by Pakistan today. Evidently, bypassing of spirituality by the state has made overzealous foot-soldiers of hardcore religious beliefs lose sight of tolerance and yielded frightful results affecting the people of Pakistan, neighbouring countries, the world at large and, in a nutshell, humanity as a whole.

Despite the above fact, Pakistan misses no opportunity to lament at international fora that it is a major victim of terrorism! In the name of fighting terrorism, it applies all its might, military, political and religious, besides diverting monetary and logistical assistance generously pumped in by the West for combating terrorism, to liquidating the government’s political enemies, minorities and those who have been languishing under systematic isolation and persecution and consequently aspiring for and demanding liberation from the clutches of an evil empire of military, intelligence and political nexus. Simply put, the Pakistani society is sick with communal tension as the country has been at war with itself. Instead of dousing its fever with a generous dose of spirituality and communal amity, the forces that be in Pakistan are aggravating the condition by instigating further enmity among its own people and fomenting more trouble for them.

Modern India’s Spiritual Legacy

While Pakistan plummeted to the lowest levels of infamy and notoriety as a terrorist state and became an international pariah, the modern Indian state persisted with the legacy of the rich religious and cultural mosaic that it had inherited at its breaking free from the shackles of colonialism. It has gracefully accepted its religious diversity and proudly wears Secularism as a badge of honour. The state never allowed stray cases of communal riots or disturbances to alter its fabric of communal amity. A thousand-year subjugation by foreign invaders and colonialists had only contributed to the strengthening of its conviction in the lofty principle of “Vasudaiva Kutumbakam” (One World One Family) – a principle enshrined in the Upanishads and as old as the hills.

What was it that has made India immune and impervious to the turbulence and turmoil of wars, genocides, cultural invasion and religious dogmatism imposed by the marauding aliens? Evidently, the redeeming factor has been Spirituality that is found interspersed and deeply ingrained in the religious cosmopolitanism and cultural ethos, unique to India. It was Spirituality that united the peoples of regions spread far and wide, from the Himalayas to Kanyakumari and from Gujarat to Arunachal as one people who are the proud inheritors of the most ancient faith and value system in the world. People of no single region considered those of another as outsiders or aliens despite their being ruled by different rulers. Spirituality ruled while political differences paled into insignificance.

Tribute to India’s Spirituality

A generous tribute to India’s spirituality was paid by the 17^th-century French philosopher Voltaire who was a vegetarian and believer in animal rights. He firmly believed that the West was indebted to the East for the latter’s most precious gift of the Vedas. He regarded the people of India, whom he referred to as Hindus, as a “peaceful and innocent people, equally incapable of hurting others or of defending themselves.” He acknowledged that the Hindus’ treatment of animals showed “a shaming alternative to the immorality of European imperialists.” Apparently, he had taken into account other streams of faith such as Jainism, apart from Hinduism, while paying this generous tribute to the people of India for their simple non-violent way of life, which took into its fold the recognition of animal rights. Besides, his extolling of the conditions in India and its contribution to the world was most obviously more pertinent to the country’s spirituality and its pluralism.

Spirituality in the Changing Times

India has since come a long way. Religions like Islam and Christianity, which made their advent in India on a much latter time period than the indigenous religions of the country like Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism, etc, have taken deep roots in India and have gone into the making of a rich religious and cultural mosaic that independent India presents. Food habits, among other cultural aspects of the people, have undergone a tumultuous change making religious divides between vegetarians and non-vegetarians thin blurred lines. Likewise, the rigor of sartorial propriety is no more as rigid on community lines as it used to be in the past before the country became a melting pot of different cultures. In fact, from the clothes, food habits, languages spoken, body language and other aspects of one’s lifestyle, it is practically impossible to identify the community to which today’s Indian, male or female, belongs.

Even among those who vehemently negate religious orientation and proclivity to affiliation along communal and community lines, let alone those who are votaries of different religions, a spontaneous and deep subterranean flow of the country’s unique spirituality could be seen lurking about in their psyche. In short, the Indianness so obviously discernible in the people is not all about patriotism, pride in economic and social development that the nation has achieved over the years since Independence or the officially accepted concept of Secularism in a world full of strife. It is Spirituality that has always distinguished India throughout the country’s chequered history.

History of Spirituality in India

Spirituality has always held a place of importance in Indian culture right from ancient times. In fact, it is ingrained into the country’s culture and even today, it can be identified as one of the crucial building blocks of Indian history. India has always been known around the world for its sages, hermits, and ascetics. The practitioners and advocates of ancient spiritual techniques mastered the art of meditation to transcend to a higher level of consciousness and discover inner peace and mental balance. The Rig Veda, one of the oldest known texts believed to be written around 1500 BC, contains a treasure trove of information about spiritual enlightenment received through intense meditation. The various gods or deities mentioned in the Rig Veda are based on the elements found in nature – storms, fire and wind. However, there is no mention of a formal religion in the Rig Veda or any other Veda.

The Upanishads, written somewhere between 800 BC and 500 BC have provided valuable insight into philosophy, matters of the mind and how to attain enlightenment, much before formal language or different religions came into being. Whether it was to reveal the mysteries of life, or to understand the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, or the principles of karma, dharma, and moksha, these texts contain deep wisdom to help people walk on a spiritual path. Even in the present day, several spiritual texts and studies continue to cite the Upanishads as their source or reference of vital information. Hinduism as a formal religion originated from the ideas mentioned in the ancient Vedas, Upanishads and Puranas, thus revealing how in ancient India the concept of spirituality existed much before a formal religion came into being. Other major religions like Buddhism, Jainism were also offshoots of the same teachings and originated much later in the timeline of civilization.

Cornerstones of Spirituality

A case in point that illustrates the unique Spirituality of India is Yoga, which has been mistakenly and not infrequently identified by some as a Hindu religious practice. Yoga is today practised and even taught in schools in many parts of the world for all the right reasons although there are still some sections of the international community, which reject Yoga solely on account of its perceived religious connotations. The inability of a person to differentiate between Yoga and Hinduism is due to his failure to look beyond the narrow confines of religious orthodoxy and fear of the imaginary prospects of his culture or religion being gradually upstaged or subsumed by the Hindu religion at some point in time in the future. In the bargain, it is the non-practitioners of Yoga who end up as losers of a wonderful art form of a lifestyle exercise that helps one to achieve a crucial balance or harmonious alignment between the heart, mind, and soul, apart from the tweaking of the physical aspect of man’s overall personality.

Yoga could no more be slotted as a set of physical exercises or dismissed as a religious practice. It is truly a unique combination of the holistic wellness of the body, heart, and mind and a harmonious co-existence of the spiritual aspect of the soul. While an attempt at a detailed and yet precise description of the true nature of Yoga may fall short on account of the constraints of language or articulation, the benefits of the practice are something to be felt and experienced by one to attempt its appreciation in entirety. When the advantages and gains of Yoga become more and more tangible among its votaries across the world, the notional and potential loss on account of its absence would undoubtedly be felt among those who gave it a miss because of the apprehensions arising out of a closed mindset.

As mentioned earlier, meditation is yet another spiritual practice that has its origin and deep roots in India. It has been cultivated and fine-tuned over an extended period of time by the Yogis of India into a successful technique both for the spiritual upliftment and success in the pursuit of material gains. Meditation neatly dovetails Yoga for a comprehensive development of the spiritual aspect of one’s personality. Apart from helping in the release of stress and tension built over a period of time on account of pent up emotions like disappointments, frustrations and anger, and overcoming imaginary fears, baseless apprehensions and  phobias on account of physical or psychological debility, meditation coupled with breath control, helps the mind to focus on positive goals and remain unwavering.

This is a paramount prerequisite for students and people who are pursuing a career graph of success in their chosen field of vocation. Peace of mind, enhanced levels of self-confidence and positive energy are experienced by one and all. A man at peace with himself owing to the benefits of Yoga finds living in harmony with his neighbours a very logical corollary and a cornerstone of a life of spiritual upliftment.

Spirituality and Fight against Terrorism

Spirituality is the most effective antidote and counter-balancing factor to fight Communalism, which is a hotbed of hardcore religious beliefs and intolerance that breeds fanaticism and terrorism. An inclination to be spiritual in approach to matters of overlapping interests and concerns among members practising different religions, faiths and cults and proclivity to a religion of one’s personal choice or background are not mutually exclusive. In fact, the spiritual bent of mind on the part of the community elders of any religion empowers them to see the validity of the belief system of other communities of seemingly conflicting religious backgrounds.

In today’s world of extreme religious intolerance and terrorism, which owes much of its raison d’être to the belief in the supremacy of the religion of the jihadi elements that are hell-bent on destroying the world order, spirituality has made a rightful claim of its capability and power to nix the scourge of religious terrorism and push back the jihadi ideology of religious supremacy. While governments of the West are trying to fight their own war on global terrorism with their mighty armies, the world has witnessed a humble and yet bold attempt by the spiritual gurus of India to engage the community elders of the jihadi elements on the warpath for restoring world peace and communal amity between peoples professing different faiths.

Spiritual Giants

Modern India has produced spiritual giants like Swami Vivekananda, Swami Paramahansa Yogananda, Sri Aurobindo, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Osho, Mata Amritanandamayi, Sri Sri Ravishankar and Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev – to name but a few – each of whom has aroused the curiosity of the Western world in India’s spiritual wealth and captured their imagination in a big way by making significant contributions to the planting of the seed of awareness and nurturing of the growth of sustained interest in the philosophy and manifestations of spirituality that India has to offer. They have given the world a new perspective – how to overcome the burdensome cycle of leading a materialistic life and how to nurture the human mind to lead more fulfilling lives.

These spiritual gurus have thus enabled Indian spirituality to gain mainstream acceptance and advocacy. Their teachings have fostered a lasting impact not just on their followers, but also among the scientific community – from researchers to the medical community. Experts and healers have realized the power of believing in the higher power or the universe’s energy and have started using it to heal people’s minds and bodies. Furthermore, the twin beliefs of karma and reincarnation, which has formed the basic premise of Indian spiritual thought, coupled with the concept of non-violence as advocated by Mahatma Gandhi, have made this world more tolerant, purposeful and meaningful.

When India overtook China as the fastest growing major economy in the world earlier this year, the significance of the development did not go unnoticed. With this breakthrough, India had stormed the global scene to claim its rightful place among the world’s top economies. Its GDP had grown to 7.6% from 7.2% a year ago, consolidating its position as one of the few bright spots in a flailing global economy. The development gave cause for hope to the Narendra Modi government, which had introduced during the preceding two years several concrete measures to boost the economic growth of the country. Rating agencies such as Crisil have predicted a further growth in India’s GDP to 7.9% in 2016-17. The prediction is backed by good rainfall during the monsoon and an upward yield in agricultural production this year. Crisil has noted another positive development – sustainability of nominal GDP growth. Domestic credit growth has averaged 9.8% in the last two years, almost in lockstep with 10.2% nominal GDP growth.

Growth of the Economy

India had, in fact, been found firmly latched onto the graph of growth for quite some time, as a nation with a young workforce, a large English-speaking population, a stable government at the centre, rising forex reserves and related indicators conducive to the upsurge in capital investments. The investment growth had, however, become sluggish on account of daunting impediments such as the absence of bureaucratic reforms or a major breakthrough in the infrastructure development. The situation had been compounded by corruption, inflationary trends of the market, etc. When the new government at the centre blazed its way through in 2014 and dedicated itself to an inclusive growth backed by investment-friendly policies and schemes, the corporate houses at home as also their foreign competitors became witnesses to a new era of development – a period marked by structural reforms, the slashing of the mire of legislative bottlenecks and rejuvenation of a comatic bureaucracy that had ridden piggyback in the previous years on successive lacklustre governments that lacked the will to spur economic growth.

Observers of global financial and economic trends observed that India’s macroeconomic prospects had improved. This became possible on account of the relaxation of rules governing foreign investment in more than a dozen sectors including insurance, pensions and railways; cutting of red tape and pushing through of legislative proposals in a bid to simplify bankruptcy procedures and strengthen intellectual property rights. The Union government had also fast-tracked infrastructure development. Road-building as well as railway and highways expansion have also been accelerated. Notwithstanding the global buzz around India on account of the impressive performance of its economy, the nation finds it difficult to further the pace of its economic growth. This is owing to the inhibiting factors in an unsupportive global environment and stagnant investment in some sections of the private sector.

Race to the Top

According to many analysts, India stands poised to take over Japan’s place as the third largest economy in the world by 2020 from its current standing of tenth. Some analysts believe that India may grow even faster than that and beat the US to the second place. They cite India’s young and faster-growing population as the key factors that will contribute to this renewed rate of its economic growth.

How Soon Can India Become a Developed Nation?

Does this mean that India will become a developed country when it joins the august ranks of the top economies of the world, which at the current pace of developments is expected to happen by 2020, give or take a year? Unfortunately, the answer is in the negative. What makes a country truly eligible to be termed a developed nation is not an impressive economy alone. It covers a wide spectrum of human development indices in areas ranging from freedom from hunger, poverty and unemployment, social welfare, education, healthcare, gender equality, child mortality, freedom from religious oppression, etc. High forex reserves and business-friendly environment help but are not directly proportional to sound human development indices in crucial areas such as the ones mentioned above.

Programs and Policies

India government has already launched ambitious plans like the Jan Dhan Yojana, Beti Bachao Beti Padao, Swachh Bharat, rejuvenation of Ganga and other water bodies, Uniform Civil Code, unearthing of black money, etc, to lift the people from the abyss of poverty and raise their living conditions and standards that would entail robust human development indices. Implementation of these plans, programs and policies will not be easy or hassle-free. It calls for the strongest of political will, sagacity, egalitarian outlook, fortitude, vision, successful foreign policy and personal integrity on the part of the leaders in power and understanding, forbearance and unstinting support and cooperation on the part of the people of the country for the government’s programs.

People’s Role

During times of war, national calamities and strife, people sink their differences to come together and work for the common good. While leaders have to lead the people from the front, the latter should not lag behind in pitching in their individual and collective contributions to make the nation’s inexorable march towards development successful. In short, the inspiration for making our nation developed comes from the top while cooperation flows upwards from the last person down the line. In Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s words, “We must give our agenda of development a direction where the poor are empowered and where a poor man himself turns a warrior against his poverty; we all must strive to attain an India free of poverty.”

In this hour of the nation’s fight against terrorism and its global fountainhead, namely, Pakistan, the people of the country stand united in a show of political maturity and unstinting love for the country. Following the recent successful surgical strikes conducted by the Indian Army against the launch pads of terrorists across the India-Pakistan Line of Control (LoC), there has been a tremendous upsurge of patriotism among the people, cutting across their diverse political, religious and communal orientations. We hear about the boycott of products from China, the all-weather friend of Pakistan, by the Indian consumer fired with nationalist feelings and selfless love for the country.

There are, however, some political parties and sections of the media, which harbour fissiparous tendencies and lend their voice in support to the anti-national elements that are bent on thwarting the nation’s fight against terrorism. Their modus operandi is to discredit the Armed Forces and the establishment. This is unfortunate and untenable. We can’t afford a full-fledged war that may put our nation behind in its march to development by several decades. To avoid such a terrifying possibility, it is important that our Armed forces get all the support from the people in carrying out their overt and covert anti-terrorist operations with aplomb. Unity and political stability, especially in terrorism-hit areas like the Kashmir valley, are the need of the hour. 

Success in the Face of Terrorism

Following the recent dastardly attack by Pak-trained terrorists on the Indian Army camp at Uri, India has exercised remarkable strategic restraint. Unlike Pakistan, it has amply demonstrated its political maturity by refraining from jingoism and empty talks of its nuclear capability. At the same time, India has asserted its right to defend its territorial integrity by all means including pre-emptive military strikes. India has also been successful in unmasking Pakistan as a terrorist state in the international arena.  Pakistan has been isolated by means of India’s diplomatic forays in diverse fora such as the UNGA and SAARC. Reports on the revisiting of the Indus Water Treaty as well as the MFN status in bilateral trade by India have proved much too hard for that country to ignore while carrying on its usage of terrorism as a state policy towards India. Our country’s repeated warnings to Pakistan that the ceasefire violations by the Pak forces across the LoC will be returned in equal measure and kind has also sent that country into a tizzy.

The discrediting of Pakistan in the international arena for using terrorism against India as well as its own people in Balochistan, speaks volumes of the success of Prime Minister Modi’s astute political leadership and foreign policy and the coming of age of the nation’s defence capability. These are all milestones in the Modi government’s roadmap to the goal of the status of a developed nation. Modernization and upgrading of the Armed forces and indigenization and self-sufficiency of the weapons system are among the government’s priority areas. That India is steadily on its way to becoming a developed nation is an established fact. Given the tremendous strides it has already made in highly specialized areas like space science and information technology, its enormous soft power (culture, spirituality, religious tolerance, etc), and self-sufficiency in food, India can definitely hope to become entitled to the much-coveted sobriquet of a Developed Nation in a couple of decades, if not earlier.

Infrastructural development in India is oftentimes found to be fraught with flaws, crudity or lack of outstanding features and high standards. It is most certainly not on account of shortage of funds, workforce or the wherewithal. This has been despite the tremendous cutting edge technology and engineering skills and other resources available in the country in plenty. On the one hand, we have stellar projects of outstanding quality such as the Delhi Metro Rail and several prestigious ones taken up during the last two years by the Indian Railways like the Bullet Train, all of which showcase India’s capability to execute massive projects of international standards. On the other, we have a gaping hole in the country’s development in a huge area that is crucial and important to people’s health and hygiene and yet has been hitherto neglected – sanitation.

The basic requirements of toilets and safe drinking water have been unavailable to a large section of people living in the rural areas during all these years of our nation’s independence. The less said about solid waste management, the better. Whatever little had been done in this area in the past by the successive governments, with negligible exceptions, was totally inadequate and pitifully unsatisfactory. What was the reason for this glaringly anomalous situation? Evidently, rural sanitation was not considered a priority area all these years except during the short stint of the NDA government led by Atal Behari Vajpayee. What had been sadly lacking was a vision and the political will to translate it into reality. Matters became more difficult when the previous governments failed to rope in the cooperation and support of the rural populace for their programmes aimed at improved sanitation.

Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM)

With a less than satisfactory infrastructure apparatus in place, it was only after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the launching of the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) two years ago that the humongous task of keeping the country clean and hygienic was taken up for serious discussion and implementation. Sanitation in the rural areas is a cornerstone of the programme. With the introduction of SBM, India has woken up to the need to make a massive breakthrough and sustained development in the area of sanitation, especially in the villages. One of the most important tasks of the Swachh Bharat Mission announced on October 2, 2014, by Prime Minister Modi is to make our country totally open defecation-free.

For want of toilets, among other reasons, defecation in the open has been in practice all over India. According to a World Bank report, three out of five persons in the rural areas defecate in the open. As per Census 2011 data, only 30.7% of households in rural areas had access to toilets. A 2008 UNICEF study put the number even lower at a mere 21%. India holds the dubious distinction of topping the list of countries with the maximum number of people defecating out in the open. Needless to say, this practice causes public health problems with people defecating in fields, open trenches, rivers, and in close proximity to the living space of others.

With the clarion call of the Prime Minister for building toilets in every house and separate toilets for boys as well as girls in schools, the Government of India with the participation of the state governments and the corporate sector swung into action. Goals were fixed, parameters of the mission defined, funds allocated and the actors and stakeholders identified for the timely implementation of the Swachh Bharat Mission. The government undertook to build 11 crore 11 lakh toilets in the country, including 1.04 crore individual household toilets. The timeline for the completion of the Mission is the 150^th birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation, which falls on October 2, 2019.

In a bid to encourage greater public participation in its ambitious mission at the village level, right from daily wage earners to village panchayats, the NDA government introduced a performance-based incentive provision in the rural component of the scheme known as Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin (SBM-G). The World Bank announced a US$1.5 billion loan to support the country’s largest-ever sanitation drive. Under the mission, a whopping Rs 134,000 crore rupees would be spent for the construction of toilets across the country. Besides, technology would be used on a large scale to convert waste into wealth in the rural areas in the forms of biofertilizer and different forms of energy. The mission has been taken up for execution on a war footing with the active participation of every gram panchayat, zila parishad and panchayat samiti across the country, besides roping in large sections of the rural population, including school teachers and students in the endeavor.

Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin (SBM-G)

Under SBM-G, the Government of India has been releasing funds to the states for the construction of toilets in rural households, community centres, and zila parishad as well as gram panchayat offices. The mission is aimed at encouraging suitable safe sanitation technologies for toilets as well as solid and liquid waste management systems in the rural areas. By introducing a performance-based incentive provision in the scheme, the government has been trying to motivate the rural populace to show greater interest in it and realise the importance of having toilets in their households as well as in all offices dealing with the public, situated in villages and adjoining districts. In the Union Budget 2016-17, an allocation of Rs 9,000 crore has been made for SBM-G. Among the major components of the SBM-G, is the provision of Individual Household Latrines (IHHL).

Incentives for the construction of IHHL shall be available to all Below Poverty Line (BPL) households and also for Above Poverty Line (APL) households restricted to SCs/STs, small and marginal farmers, landless labourers with homestead, physically handicapped persons and women-headed households. The incentive amount provided under SBM-G to BPL/identified APL households is up to Rs 12,000 for the construction of one unit of IHHL and provide for the availability of water, including for storing, hand-washing and cleaning of the toilet. The Government of India’s share of this incentive for IHHLs is Rs 9,000 (75%) from SBM-G and the state government’s share Rs 3,000 (25%). In respect of the North Eastern States and Special category States, Government of India’s share is Rs 10,800 and the state government’s share Rs.1,200 (in 90:10 ratio). The beneficiary is to be encouraged to additionally contribute to the construction of his/her IHHL to promote ownership. Other APL households have to be motivated to construct toilets with their own funds or by taking loans from Self Help Groups, banks, cooperative institutions, etc.

Number of Toilets Built

The following figures depict the number of toilets built during the period 2013-15 (up to October 31, 2014):

Household toilets
49,76,294 (2013-14)
13,70,347 (2014-15)

School toilets
37,696 (2013-14)
8,748 (2014-15)

Anganwadi toilets
22,318 (2013-14)
3,325 (2014-15)

Rural Sanitation: Spurt in Progress

There has been a spurt in progress in rural sanitation since the launching of SBM-G. Narendra Singh Tomar, Minister for Rural Development, Drinking Water and Sanitation, informed the Rajya Sabha that as on July 27, 2016, as many as 17 out of the 686 districts in the country, 223 blocks, 31,077 gram panchayats and 68,808 villages had declared themselves open defecation-free (ODF). He also said that in rural areas, 207.49 lakh toilets had been constructed under the mission and that sanitation coverage had increased to 53.45%. Since sanitation is primarily a behavioural issue, the mission has been focusing on addressing the behaviour of communities to adopt safe sanitation. The states have been asked by the Centre to resort to community-led and community-driven approach for making behavioral changes possible in the rural areas.

States becoming ODF

Till now, Sikkim had been the only state declared ODF. The Government of India’s initiative and the concerted efforts under SBM-G have started paying dividends. It has been reported that Kerala is poised to become the first ODF state among the most populous ones in the country. According to Suchitwa Mission, the state nodal agency for sanitation, 1.90 lakh toilets will be constructed on a war footing in its 941 village panchayats by November this year. The drive has a total outlay of Rs 308 crore.

Jammu and Kashmir is also expected to become ODF by the end of this year. According to the state government, steps like the construction of toilets in rural areas have been taken to make the state free from open defecation and prevent the outbreak of diseases. About 1.33 lakh Individual Household Latrines have already been built by the state government during the current financial year and more toilets are on the way. Furthermore, people living in areas prone to water-borne diseases like jaundice have been sensitised by the authorities about the need to take preventive measures, use safe drinking water and dispose off the sanitary waste properly. People in rural areas are also being made aware, through door-to-door surveys and campaign, of prevention and transmission modes of viral Hepatitis.

SBM-G: Key Components

Apart from making the entire country ODF through construction of household toilets, the key components of SBM-G include:

● Start-up Activities
Activities include updating of Base Line Survey, an orientation of key personnel at the district/gram panchayat (GP) level and preparation of district plans.

● IEC Activities
IEC (Information, Education & Communication) is a very important component of the programme, which strives to bring about community-wide behaviour change and thereby trigger demand for sanitation facilities in Households, Schools, AWC, as well as promote Community toilets and Solid & Liquid Waste Management through the provision of information and awareness generation.

● Capacity Building of Functionaries
It aims to scale up the capacities of various stakeholders like PRI members, Engineers, AWW, ASHA, SEM, SWSM & DWSM members, BC, CC, Sanitation volunteers, SHG members, Masons, VWSC members, NGOs, etc.

● Construction of Community Sanitary Complexes (CSC)
CSCs comprising a requisite number of toilet seats, washing platforms, bathing cubicles, wash basins, etc have to be built in such a place in the village where it is acceptable and accessible to all the people. Such complexes can also be constructed at public places such as markets, bus stands, etc, where people gather in large numbers. The GP will have the responsibility for its operation and maintenance. The unit cost of CSC is Rs 2 lakh.

● Revolving Fund
It is established at the district level to assist Self Help Groups and others in providing cheap finance to their members.

● Rural Sanitary Mart (RSM)/Production Centre (PC)

RSM is supposed to be an outlet dealing with the material, hardware and designs needed for construction of sanitary latrines, washing platforms, soakage and compost pits, vermin composting, domestic water filters and other sanitation & hygiene accessories. Production Centres are the means to produce cost-effective and affordable sanitary materials at the local level based on local demand suitable for rural consumption. The RSM/PC caters to the need of sanitary materials of the local rural households.

● Solid & Liquid Waste Management (SLWM)
All Gram Panchayats are to be targeted for coverage by SLWM. The total assistance under SBM-G for SLWM projects is worked out on the basis of the total number of households in every gram panchayat subject to a maximum of Rs 7 lakh for a GP with up to 150 households, Rs 12 lakh up to 300 households, Rs15 lakh up to 500 households and Rs 20 lakh for GPs with more than 500 households.

Funding of SBM-G

Financing of SBM-G is through budgetary allocations of the Central and State governments, the Swachh Bharat Kosh, and multilateral agencies. Rs 1.34 lakh crore is the amount earmarked for the mission by the Central Government. To supplement the government allocation, a fund by the name of Swachh Bharat Kosh has been established to channelize philanthropic contributions for the cause, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) contributions and funding from other multilateral sources.

Goal of the Mission

The objective of the broader concept of rural sanitation as envisaged by SBM-G is to enhance the quality of life of villagers through improvement in personal hygiene, home sanitation, safe drinking water, waste water disposal, garbage disposal and excreta disposal as well as to provide privacy, dignity and safety to women who are prone to attacks by criminal elements when they go out to answer the nature’s call. Notwithstanding an odd voice of skepticism or cynicism over the efficacy of the cleanliness drive, there has been a tremendous welcome to the mission from its potential beneficiaries in the rural areas who feel that they are no more a neglected or forgotten lot and that their personal dignity and collective honour are at stake depending on the success of the mission.

Poised to Succeed

All the same, despite all the good work put in by the Central and state governments, district and village level authorities, corporate houses and other stakeholders, the mission can succeed only with the cooperation of the beneficiaries of the programme – the rural populace. An estimated 4.4% of the people living in rural areas are reported to be still defecating in the open despite having toilets in their houses. The people have to get over the cultural fixation of sorts that seems to dog them resulting in their preference for the open spaces even when they have access to household toilets. They have to make a conscious effort to break the centuries-old habit of answering nature’s call out in the open and settle for the dignified option of using the toilet at home.

Only a behavioural change in the people would ensure their choosing safe sanitation. People must realise that toilets must be used for keeping feces out of the environment and preventing the spread of diseases. Culturally ingrained behavioural barriers and a closed mindset that discourage a man from breaking the age-old habit must be demolished for the sake of his own dignity and the larger good of the community. However, such a change is not likely to come about simply in response to a government’s drive to keep the villages clean. The community and village elders, housewives, teachers and students can accomplish the task of dissuading the men at home from opting for open spaces through their power of reasoning and persuasion.

In any case, a change of heart is possible only when a man realises his own folly. And people must realise that the ODF status is only the starting point in the matrix of a revitalised programme of rural sanitation! Our wizards of technology have a vital role to play in shifting the gear for accelerating the pace of the mission by way of introducing innovative ideas, which will increase the appeal of the mission to the layman. On its part, the government has been fighting a valiant battle to bring about the much-needed change in the quality of people’s life. And the entire nation is quite hopeful of achieving the goal set forth before it by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with his tremendous faith in its people, in exactly three years’ time.

The age of colonialism is long over. The void created by the setting of the sun on colonialism has been filled by the dawn of the era of strategic, economic and cultural hegemony over smaller and less developed countries by bigger and more developed powers. The tools used by the global powers for the establishment and the furthering of their hegemony are the seemingly innocuous but extremely well-organized organs of democracy, namely the mainstream media (MSM) and the non-governmental organizations (NGOs), which mould and shape public opinion. In ideal circumstances, the MSM and the NGOs function as watchdogs of the social good and individual liberty. However, when they are tainted by corruption and allow themselves to play into the hands of the global powers of hegemony, they degenerate into veritable Trojan horses.

Enter Global Forces

The role of the MSM in keeping the people apprised of the local, regional, national and global developments in different fields on a regular basis is immeasurable. In this respect, the electronic media has a much bigger role to play, and a good deal of more responsibility than the print media as its impact on the society in general and the individual citizen in particular is tremendous. However, news seldom reaches the targeted viewers and readers in its pristine form, unbiased and unvarnished. The media houses are owned and run by corporates who are hamstrung by the harsh ground realities of TRP ratings and viewership/readership figures. Inevitably, their professional ethics in the course of the presentation of news are, more often than not, at variance with neutrality and objectivity. Apart from the sales-worthiness of their presentation, which becomes susceptible to greed and avarice and one-upmanship over their rivals, they are also prone to political and bureaucratic pressures and unethical attacks by influential elements whose nefarious activities they may try to expose. This is where the global powers, which bandy about their inducements for winning over the loyalty of the already-beleaguered MSM, appear on the scene.

Immurement of Truth

The behind-the-scene maneuvers and manipulations that take place in the newsrooms and printing houses of the MSM are largely a matter of conjecture left to the fertile imagination of the public, which soon becomes indifferent to the goings on. This, in turn, leads to the immurement of the truth in the studios and workstations of the concerned media houses. Consequently, news, doctored to suit the interests of the global powers, is flaunted as primetime truth. The discerning viewer or reader may learn to gauge the extent of the veracity of news presented by the MSM with a generous pinch of cynicism and alacrity before it is accepted. There are, however, large ill-informed sections of people who are too naive or gullible to see through the veneer of sensationalism. Consequently, they get caught in the trappings of the sound and fury accompanying the presentation of news by the MSM. It is these ill-informed sections of the society that are targeted by the unscrupulous segments with vested interests among the MSM.

The corrupt and unethical segments of the MSM do a great disservice to the nation by implanting false news and presenting biased reports inimical to national interests. Pseudo-secular political forces are promoted. Incapable and incompetent leaders are deified and paraded as national heroes for petty considerations and pecuniary benefits. Selfless nationalist political leaders and their parties dedicated to the development of the nation are subjected to a diatribe with the aim of defamation and vilification. When several journalists and media persons join the chorus, and launch a concerted attack of derision against a high-profile political leader or the government, the ignoble exercise succeeds in achieving the intended result of causing dent and damage to the object of attack among the gullible sections of the society susceptible to sensationalism.

Advent of Presstitutes

Even during the best of circumstances, there are divisive forces and fundamentalist elements practically in every nation, who are interested in wreaking havoc in the society with the aim of achieving some personal goals and reaping small gains. It is all the more so in troubled times of terrorism, which our country is currently passing through. Undoubtedly, India has its fair share of such enemies within and outside the country. Jihadi elements owing allegiance and loyalty to international terror networks are quite active even within India. A tremendous responsibility vests with the Media in exposing such dangerous elements and unravelling their evil plots to make the public wiser about the vulnerability of their safety and security as well as the territorial integrity of the nation. The role played by quite a few of the journalists and their media houses in this regard is, however, lamentable. Such spurious journos have been identified, named and shamed by politically conscious and active members of the public in the social media. In popular parlance, they have been appropriately named “Presstitutes”, since calling them journalists would bring dishonour and shame to the entire profession of journalism.

They have been unmasked and their nefarious activities, which include defending of rabid communalists and justifying of their spewing communal venom and inciting of mob fury over trivial incidents involving members of different communities, lionizing of divisive elements that raise anti-national slogans and tirades, be it on the hallowed premises of universities, or busy thoroughfares of national and state capitals, exposed. Instances are galore when these presstitutes have flagrantly depicted militants killed by the security forces in counter-insurgency operations in the troubled Kashmir valley as heroes and freedom fighters. They are known to have applauded traitors, mercenaries and separatist leaders who misguide the ill-informed youth with heady slogans and catch phrases into holding unlawful protest marches and attacking security forces and strategic assets. The unholy nexus between the presstitutes as well as the separatist elements and their paymasters across the border is now a fact established on the social media. Irresponsible reporting by the presstitutes regarding the country’s defence preparedness and combat operations by our armed forces have at times put the nation’s security perilously at risk. It is a matter of time before the long arm of the law catches up with these enemies of the nation. 

Clandestine Operations by NGOs

The presstitutes are not the only ones who misuse and grossly abuse the freedom of expression guaranteed by the Indian Constitution and thereby soil and sully their own profession. Nor are they alone in contributing to the subverting of the system and destabilization of the nation. There are quite a few NGOs that are openly and clandestinely funded by global powers for purportedly promoting social causes such as empowerment of women and preservation of ecology. The activities of these NGOs are, in reality, subversive and illegal in nature. In the name of protection of the nation’s ecological interests, they instigate disgruntled elements in the society against the government’s developmental programs like the building of dams, construction of nuclear installations for peaceful purposes, etc. They divert and channelise vast amounts of money received from overseas, into funding their illegal and subversive activities untenable in the eyes of the law.

In the name of providing basic facilities to the people and improving their living conditions in the impoverished tribal and other backward areas, and among insular communities, they have been known to organize events of proselytisation, which is strictly prohibited by the law and the Constitution. On the pretext of providing education and employment, they instigate gullible youngsters into disowning their faith and converting to a religion, the cause of which the instigators clandestinely serve and promote. They rush to areas affected by communal riots, purportedly to provide succour in the form of relief supplies. Their real motive is, however, to instigate the survivors of the riots and their sympathizers in the society on communal lines. Here also they explore, seek and find lucrative chances to convert the suffering people from their current faith to the self-proclaimed religion of “salvation” or “peace.” Here, one needs to recall that our Supreme Court has unequivocally declared that the right to profess, practise or propagate one’s religion does not mean the right to convert.

Check on Errant NGOs

Furthermore, the financial records of the errant NGOs are found more often than not highly suspect and incapable of scrutiny and audit. Their activities have also been found murky and far from transparent. Being the beneficiaries of some of the corrupt, selfish and unscrupulous political parties in power, such NGOs have caused much damage in the past to the society and the nation. For instance, several crucial developmental projects could not take off the drawing board on account of the subversive activities of these errant NGOs. Due to this, the economic and industrial development of our nation has suffered irreparable losses over the years. The worrisome trend has, however, been arrested during the last two years because of some legal measures introduced by the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government under the stewardship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. These measures seek to check the illegal inflow of funds from abroad to the NGOs and monitor their activities in strict compliance with the legal requirements. The activities of the NGOs have thus been brought under sharp scrutiny for transparency, accountability, and answerability. In the meanwhile, our nation’s growth story continues to engage the attention of an appreciative and friendly international community.

Currently, India’s share in global agricultural output stands at 7.68%, and it is easy to fathom the pivotal role this sector plays in the country. India has always been an agrarian economy, with the agriculture sector contributing nearly 17.9% to its gross domestic product, as per the Planning Commission statistics of 2014. Despite the sector’s contribution to the Indian economy being higher than the world average, it appears minuscule when correlated with its population. Nearly 60% of India’s population is associated with agriculture and allied activities. No doubt, the impact of the Green Revolution on Indian agriculture has been exemplary, but it has been languishing in the absence of any new development. As such, the sector is facing its worst crisis now as two consecutive droughts led to severe crop failure. This, in turn, has led to runaway inflation eating into the real income of farmers.

In 2011, the then Union government had allowed 100% FDI in the agriculture sector. This enabled the entry of global power brands into India with the right to stake a claim in some areas of the farm sector. Although it was envisioned that such companies would help enhance rural employment alongside providing competition, the reality has been a bit different. The relation between the farmer and his produce is no longer the same; instead, it has been replaced by the commercialization of produce and marginalization of the farmer. The dent, not surprisingly, has further aggravated the situation. Today this sector is in no position to share a status similar to industry or services.

The Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government has realized the severity of this precarious situation and has announced some measures to boost the sector. For example, in the Union Budget 2016, it has promised to double the farm income in the next six years. If the intent of the government is sincere, as seen in its Niti Aayog paper, it will go a long way in reviving the distressed sector. Another welcome step taken by the NDA government is the revamping of crop insurance. Although it will take some time to show results, the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna (PMFBY) will serve as a long-term and most exhaustive solution. The scheme aims to bring a large number of farmers under crop insurance by offering them lowest-ever premium rate. The previous crop insurance schemes have failed mainly because of high premium charges. With the government providing a single premium rate for each season by removing seasonal premium rates, a significant number of farmers may opt to get their crops insured. The revamped scheme has also announced coverage for inundation, post-harvest risks as well as unseasonal rains for the first time.

To supplement the above efforts of the Union government, enumerated below are a few recommendations that can make a positive and significant contribution to spur the growth of the Indian agriculture sector.

Increase Government Focus on Agriculture: Successive governments in India paid attention to the non-agriculture sector as the measure to boost the economy. The focus on manufacturing, particularly after liberalization of the economy in the early Nineties, helped rapid growth in urban employment while rural employment saw a steady decline. Only a very small portion of Indian agriculture produce is exported making this labour-intensive sector majorly depend on local demand only. Half-hearted government policies to drive this sector have led to disappointing results. For example, a severe shortage of water needed for irrigation in states like Maharashtra has not been suitably addressed. For a crisis as large as this, measures have to be taken up on a war-footing. However, there has not been any concerted effort to end the woes of the hapless farmers.

The rising cases of farmer suicide have been debated in Parliament, but there has not been much headway. As if the situation was not bad enough with recurring droughts, international markets also witnessed a decline in prices of agricultural products. A drought relief fund, demanded by the states to come out of the vicious circle of crop failure and to increase the burden of debt, is the need of the hour and has not been met by the Centre yet. Many may argue that it is a short-term measure, but if lives have to be saved, the farmers need immediate relief to help augment their income. Our government must do everything it can to fructify its much-talked-about proposal to double farm income by 2022.

Upgrade Storage Facilities and Eliminate Corruption: The sorry state of agriculture warehousing calls for immediate attention. Every year hundreds of tonnes of foodgrains are found rotting in godowns due to bad storage facilities, while villages keep reeling under hunger and starvation. Furthermore, this part of the supply chain is a hub of corruption. For instance, in April 2016, the Punjab government reported the disappearance of food grains worth Rs 20,000 crore from the Food Corporation of India (FCI) godowns in the state. Since the state government had used the public borrowing route to fund this program, this scam is the outcome of rampant corruption and lack of accountability prevailing in the Indian polity and bureaucracy. While some suspect that the scam happened at the stage of procurement itself, other say the missing food stocks have been siphoned off from the godowns. Meanwhile, the Punjab government has been asserting that all stocks procured over the years have been duly accounted for.

Improve Productivity per Hectare: There is an urgent need to improve the quality of the soil. Aggressive use of land to produce the crop with the help of chemically-aided fertilizers has significantly contaminated and depleted the natural quality of the soil. The harmful and toxic fertilizers that have been used have also promoted salinity, thereby making irrigation unsuitable. In developed countries, the government spends millions of dollars in Research & Development (R&D) of soil conservation systems to ensure that the productivity per hectare is retained. They also invest in irrigation systems, including cover cropping, to make sure that moisture and nutrients are retained in the soil. Our Central and state governments should take note of such international practices and adopt some of those measures.

Promote Use of Modern and Innovative Technology: To this day, Indian farmers are ill-equipped and practice traditional methods of farming. They remain unaware of large-scale and modern irrigation methods (except the use of tractors) primarily due to lack of knowledge and lack of funds. The Central and state governments should, therefore, promote the use of new and innovative farming technologies and provide the small local farmers with technical training and material assistance, including improved varieties of plants. The government should also set up “demonstration” projects that will benefit both small and big farmers.

Stop Procuring Agri Land for Urban Development: The phenomenon of acquiring agricultural land for putting up factories have driven many farmers away from their own land while adding to the number of unemployed people. Stripped of their small landholdings and with inadequate financial compensation, the landless labourers have no option but to migrate to cities to work in factories as daily wage earners. In the prevailing scenario, the government needs to step in with alternative farm income plans that can possibly start the reverse migration of these labourers. Such a move will also put an end to disguised unemployment.

Incentivize Small Landowners: One of the biggest problems related to Indian irrigation system is concerned with small personal land holdings. The size of their arable land has been dissuading farmers from investing in modern equipment and innovative methods of farming. Most of the high-end farm equipment are meant for large-scale irrigation practices and are beyond the financial means of small farmers. To overcome such limitations, the government should design policies that would encourage formation of Small Landowners Associations or Farmers Corporations so that a good number of small farmers can come together and collectively do cooperative or corporate farming. The government should also eliminate all kinds of restrictions that are prevailing on corporate farming.

Ensure Cheap Power and Water Supply: Though irrigation policies are already in existence, their implementation in an efficient and meaningful manner is utterly lacking. This has resulted in an imbalance in the distribution of relevant benefits. While the rich farmers having large commercial operations enjoy the benefit of cheap and uninterrupted water supply, many small farmers have been left out. Our government needs to ensure that such small farmers are also included in its policies and can reap the resultant benefits.

Provide Market Data and Supply Chain Info: Although natural calamities are responsible for rising food inflation, unavailability of real-time food supply chain is also to be blamed for price rise. Here too, the government has to step in with a system that showcases information on seasonal crops grown per hectare along with the expected prices. This system can help in eliminating the middleman, and the farmers will get their due. In the past, there have been efforts to do away with the middleman by establishing a centralized mandi. However, so far it has not yielded the desired results. The government can experiment by inviting the private sector to draw an online mechanism that will allow both producers as well as consumers to access real-time prices of commodities and agricultural produce. Besides, there should be a mechanism that enables consumers to find out about the existing food stocks in all godowns.

Conclusion

In the light of the above points, if the recommended measures are actually implemented there are very high chances that the neglected agricultural sector in our country, which has been reeling under various constraints, may witness a sharp revival, sooner than later.

It is perplexing that India, a civilization that is over 5,000 years old, has to struggle to embrace modernity. Most civilizations in history have transcended or have evolved into a modern nation by contributing collectively to society’s prosperity. However, India has somehow fallen behind.

Although experts are divided on assigning set rules for categorizing countries as developed or underdeveloped or developing, it is obvious that the development of a nation normally refers to its economic development. It is here that the Gross National Per Capita Income is said to play the crucial role of the key differentiator. However, there are other factors at play as well, such as population growth, education, human rights, health, political stability, technological progress, the level of industrialization, living standards, and so on and so forth.

While India has made significant inroads in some of these factors, it falls way behind in others. At present, it bears the “developing nation” status but manages to look promising with “one of the fastest-growing nations” tag. According to the IMF’s April 2016 World Economic Outlook, India ranked fourth among the world’s fastest growing economies. Myanmar sits on the top of the pile as the fastest growing economy with a projected GDP growth rate of 8.6% compared to India’s 7.5%. Ivory Coast and Bhutan hold the second and third positions.

Key Challenges Facing India

Meanwhile, the crucial issues and constraints ailing India, which continue to hold the country back from achieving its development goals, are discussed below:

Growing Population: Since independence, India has been fighting a losing battle in curbing its population growth. As per the last census of 2011, our country’s population stood at 1.2 billion. As on date, it has crossed 1.3 billion, which marks an annual growth of 1.2%. The growth of the economy in terms of Gross National Income or Gross Domestic Product has not been able to keep pace with this rapid rise in population. India may be clocking a growth rate of 8%, but this would be negated by the ratio of the contribution of our human resource to the development of the economy. Agriculture remains the mainstay of employment for the bulk of the population and accounts for 54.6% of total employment of the workforce.

However, productivity has not increased substantially even though over the years there had been a record production of food grains at 264.4 million tonnes. The skill factor of the population and the quality of the workforce is not enough to drive the nation’s economy. The quality of the workforce should be adequate to be able to produce goods and services in an efficient manner and for optimal use of resources. The service sector should provide and contribute more income to the economy to be able to rank with the tag of “developed nation”. India’s population is just not productive enough to contribute efficiently to the economy. Population control thus remains a critical area crying for attention.

Lack of Quality Education: The pathetic state of the education system in our country is lamentable. It does not prepare the workforce for efficient production or make the students industry-ready. What India needs today is good quality education right from the primary level, which will focus more on learning rather than schooling. Meanwhile, the students should be ready for skills development and simultaneously their knowledge of science and mathematics should be expanded sufficiently to prepare them for high school. From the high school level, the system should emphasize more on enhancing the creativity and imagination as well as critical thinking and problem-solving skills of the students. In this manner, they would be adequately prepared for taking up technical studies with a focus on efficient utilization of their skills.

Healthcare Crisis: Although India has shown responsibility in containing apparent epidemics through its public health programs, it has utterly failed in providing meaningful and effective healthcare schemes. To this day, silent epidemics such as smoking or fuel-transmitted gases are killing thousands across the country. For a workforce to efficiently contribute to the production of goods and services, they should not be bogged down with worries of healthcare for themselves and their loved ones. The sorry state of healthcare in India has led to an inefficient workforce and a drain of valuable resources. Primary public healthcare exists only in name, and high-quality specialized healthcare is available to only those who can afford to pay. As such, millions of Indians are unable to access India’s inadequate medical facilities and overburdened hospitals, a crisis aggravated by the fact that India is short by nearly 500,000 doctors, with the country having just one doctor for 1,674 people.

Accessibility to quality healthcare is one factor that can immensely contribute to the efficient production of goods and services thereby enabling the nation to achieve a developed nation tag. In a capitalist economy like the United States, healthcare can be too expensive and beyond the reach of the common man. However, it has a robust insurance system which covers 85% of its population and pays a whopping 90% of its outrageous hospital expenses. In contrast, medical insurance has not been able to penetrate all strata of Indian society. A mere 20% of India’s billion-plus population is covered by health insurance, says the April 2016 report of National Sample Survey. What’s worse, the poorer households, both in urban and rural areas are either unaware or “are beyond the reach of such coverage,” the report pointed out.

Extreme Poverty: Another major roadblock that holds back India’s progress is poverty. To this day, there are villages that are devoid of any sanitation facilities or potable water. There are villages in Bundelkhand region where families have been reported to survive on grass rotis and weed sabzis on account of severe drought. The problem of drought, which is a frequent recurrence in India, has seen farmers losing their livelihood and even their lives in states like Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Jharkhand. Such tales of impoverishment can be found in abundance in the 21^st Century India.

Rising Unemployment: India has more urban poor than rural, although the rate is growing in rural India. A CMIE-BSE India computation using 20-day moving average, as of August 2016, puts the rate of unemployment at 9.5%. When the statistics are split between urban and rural, the rate comes to 11.2% and 8.6%, respectively. Trading Economics — a leading global finance portal that provides information on economic indicators — projects India’s unemployment rate to go down to 4.6% by the year 2020 from the current 4.9%. It also predicts that the youth unemployment rate will move up to 13.5% in 2020 from 12.9% during the second quarter of 2016.

Income Inequality: As former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who has also been a leading Indian economist, famously said any economic reform should eventually strive to reduce income disparities. There is a collective failure in this field where reforms have failed to create permanent jobs or erase inequality. A recent IMF study of economic outlook of Asia points out at India saying its inequality is comparable to that of Latin American countries. The IMF has based its analysis on Gini coefficient, which is a widely-accepted tool to measure inequality. Gini coefficient for India moved northwards to 51 in 2003 from 45 in 1990 despite undertaking landmarks reforms in that decade. In contrast, similar exercises in other Asian countries like South Korea have successfully bridged the income inequality gap. The government of India’s Sixth Economic Census report released early this year noted that farmers who wanted to escape drudgery, sought employment with establishments who are themselves primitive in nature. As such, trying to find a better living remains a pipedream for many.

Rampant Corruption: The above aspects are a direct derivative of corruption. Despite many poverty alleviation programs implemented by the government, the ills of poverty have remained. The allotted funds under schemes such as midday meals or rural employment schemes have never really yielded any change in the society. During the last few years of the UPA-II regime, scores of scams were unearthed, and their beneficiaries were linked to government officials. Attempts to stop tax evasions and bribes have met with very little success. Corruption makes a handful of people wealthy and has a far-reaching adverse effect on poverty, which remain immeasurable. While corruption does exist in the developed world too, the average citizen remains somewhat insulated due to the high standard of living as well as high awareness level. For instance, in a country like India, a government official can easily hand over a job to his or her kin, but in a developed world, citizens will be quick to point out the conflict of interest clause. Most developed countries also have a very well-structured welfare economics in place, and corruptions in high places often do not disturb these structures.

Low Human Development Index: Widespread poverty, inequality, and resultant unemployment have been responsible for India’s low rate of human development. The country ranks very, very low on the United Nations Human Development Index. This index measures the value of human life based on life expectancy, schooling and also gross national income. In a highly advanced economy, human life is of immense value and is the direct result of cultural development. In the 2015 Human Development Index by UNDP, India appears at the 130^th position amongst 188 nations with a score of 0.609 and is categorized under Medium Human Development. The position is an improvement over 2014, where it was ranked 135^th with a score of 0.586. The increase in life expectancy at birth and gross national income per capita parameters look better than the previous years, but access to knowledge has been stagnant. This highlights the fact that basic schooling still remains a far cry. Furthermore, gender equality, which is a key parameter for earning the Developed Nation status, has hardly witnessed any meaningful progress.

(The article published in daily newspaper “The Statesman” on 12th September 2016)

http://epaper.thestatesman.com/c/13146348

The currency of a country is as individualistic and unique a symbol of its economy as its national flag, which marks its independence and sovereignty. On account of the fact that different countries have their own geopolitical, religious and demographic background, the contours and nuances of their economy are likely to vary from one another, depending upon the needs, requirements, priorities and preferences of the government and people of those countries. For instance, a landlocked country with a sea nowhere around its geographical location may not be in need of a Navy, at least not as big and powerful as that of a seaborne nation like Britain. A small Navy may still be needed by such a country, as in the case of Switzerland, to perform tasks in its lakes and rivers. Similarly, a small nation like Nepal or Bhutan, hemmed in by bigger countries would rather be inclined to build bridges with its powerful neighbouring nations rather than match in vain the expenditures of the latter on a mighty Army of its own. Citing once again the example of Switzerland, that country has a unique foreign policy of adopting a neutral stance on world issues and therefore goes easy on its defence policy in relative terms while education, health, hygiene, social welfare, infrastructure development, tourism, etc are quite likely its priority areas of expenditure.

On the other hand, a country like China, which has hegemonic ambitions in its neighbourhood, has no pretensions about investing heavily on its defence outlay. Likewise, countries that have longstanding feuds on account of religious schism within their own society, a sham democracy for governance or feigned differences with its neighbouring states, are quite likely to funnel their resources on building a war machine at the cost of the social development of their people. Pakistan is a case in point. The very existence of Israel as a modern nation-state has been dependent on its defence preparedness, being surrounded by hostile neighbours bent upon its obliteration. On another level, in keeping with its Superpower status, the US is expected to go ahead with its space and defence research programs at astronomical costs. While commonalities would be several, no two economies could be termed identical twins. Suffice it to say that economies of no two countries are likely to be more identical than two freshly fallen snowflakes!

The Euro Model and Dollarization

Having stated the above, one cannot duck or prevaricate the question of the desirability or feasibility of having an ideal world economy where all global transactions are managed by a supranational currency in terms of expediency and transparency of the transactions rather than through a maze of several national currencies. Notwithstanding their peculiarities, the economies of nations are irrefutably interlinked and interdependent. Hence, this proposition of a world currency is worth considering and implementing. The European Union, for example, has a single common currency (Euro), which is as strong a contender as the other hard currencies that go into the making of a reserve currency adopted by the Bretton Woods Institutions. All the same, Britain, which has recently voted in favour of exiting the EU, retained its own currency concomitant to its full-fledged membership of the Union. This was partly on account of the fact that Britain was feeling upbeat about the strengths of its own economy and wary about hitching it to the new currency of the nascent Union, which had in its fold fledgling economies of smaller member-states susceptible to market turbulence and inflationary trends.

In fact, only 19 out of the total 28 member-states of EU have adopted the Euro although most of the other member-states, which chose to remain out of the Eurozone and have been using their own national currencies, are obliged to adopt the Euro at some point of time in future according to a timetable. Quite a few Central European and East European countries, the transition economies of which were in flux, went for the hard pegging of their national economies to Euro. There were some other countries like Ecuador and El Salvador, which dollarized their economies by taking their national currencies out of circulation and replacing them with dollar. But the more widely prevalent practice has been the acceptance of the US Dollar by countries for usage in addition to their national currencies for financial transactions.

We are Asia, No Euro Model Please

It is noteworthy that unlike the European Union, other regional groupings like BRIC, ASEAN or SAARC have not been able to come up with a program of economic integration among the member countries or a common currency on the lines of Euro. This could be on account of varied reasons and factors such as overlapping of political interests among the constituent units, the absence of a common economic agenda or a simple lack of will to coalesce the national economies for the common good of the grouping. The bursting onto the centre stage by international terrorism in the recent past has vitiated the overall atmosphere on the economic front in the case of countries with common porous borders and shared cultural milieus like India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. These countries are perforce required to spread their resources ever so thinly on the strengthening of their defence and security mechanism to fight the spectre of terrorism in preference to considering proposals for the integration of their national economies into a regional common currency zone on the lines of the euro zone.

The religious and political slant of Pakistan in selectively addressing the phenomenon of terrorism (in keeping with its position on the issue to align with its contention of “good terrorists” and “bad terrorists”) makes the complexity of the issue much more confounded for anybody’s comfort. In such a biased and vitiated atmosphere, it would be too tall an order for regional groupings to consider the integration of their national economies and consolidation of the system. Resultantly, a common currency which can make the trade and financial transactions among member-countries of the regional groupings so much more smooth flowing and easier, remains a veritable chimera. So is any idea of a political-cum-economic federation of the countries of the Indian sub-continent, no matter how loose or flexible, despite the amazing commonalities such as language, culture, religion, etc to be found among the people of these countries. National economies of the affected countries sorely lose out in the bargain, having to reckon on their own with their own market turbulence, and run-away inflationary trends, on top of the political uncertainties peculiar to the region.

Keynes for Supranational Currency

An international currency acceptable to the major trading partners of the world that are set on the course of ensuring a global economy involving production and exchange, pursuant to globalization and privatization in the bastions of the government-controlled national economies, seems to be in the order of things. It would appear to be both a logical and pragmatic step towards facilitation of the process. However, it is by no means a recent phenomenon. On the contrary, its concept and desirability were first felt quite some time ago. The idea of a world currency was thought of and presented at an international forum as early as 1944. At an international conference held that year in New Hampshire, legendary economist John Maynard Keynes who headed the British delegation came up with the idea and even named the currency ‘Bancor’. It was at that conference that the establishment of the Bretton Woods Institutions saw the light of the day.

The proposal, however, lost out to the US Dollar in the face of the resurgence of the US, flush with its successful bombing of Japanese cities. The proposal envisaged the setting up of an ‘International Clearing Union’ or a Central Bank of all central banks to ensure the stability and integrity of the international payments system. The envisaged Central Bank would issue a new monetary unit to be called ‘Bancor’. If it had come through, the proposal would have likely helped alleviate the problems faced by the trade deficit countries. The emergence of the US Dollar as the currency for international trade and financial transactions rendered the national currencies of smaller economies float against the Dollar or attach themselves to other stable currencies like Euro or float on their own. The extensive usage of the Euro and the US Dollar across several countries either on the merits of their own strength or in concomitance with the national currencies has given cause to a fresh round of debate on the viability of a supranational currency as enunciated by J M Keynes.

For and Against a Supranational Currency

There have been arguments for and against a world currency. In the words of Robert Mundell (1995), ‘‘The missing ingredient [in present international monetary arrangements] is a world currency, and until such a facility is created, the existing arrangements, while likely to continue, will be, at best, second best.” Former Fed Chairman Paul Volcker summed it up succinctly as follows:  “The global economy needs a global currency.” The prospect of a single world currency was, however, viewed by Milton Friedman as a ‘‘monstrosity’’ based on his expectation that control over it would be vested in ‘‘a small group of unelected officials … who are not accountable in any meaningful way at the ballot box.’’

US Dollar versus Renminbi

How strong or unchallenged is the US Dollar as an international currency? It is only one of the dominant world currencies that go into the formulation of Special Drawing Rights (SDR), a weighted index of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the other currencies doing the honours being the Euro, Britain’s Pound Sterling and the Japanese Yen. There is already a move afoot to float the Chinese currency against the US Dollar. In geopolitical terms, China has, of late, been unabashedly making aggressive postures in the troubled waters of the South China Sea. Now, it is feeling upbeat about the aggressive way in which its bullish economy has panned out in the international arena. China’s Central Bank announced earlier this year that it had released data regarding its forex reserves by valuing it in terms of SDR, apart from the usual practice of doing so in US Dollar and Renminbi terms. On its part, the IMF has declared that October 2016 onward SDR would also consist of China’s Renminbi, as it believes it would help bolster the role of SDR as a unit of account. With the recent announcement of the IMF, Renminbi has been anointed for joining the hallowed club of the dominant world currencies – not a mean feat for the growing global economic power that China represents. Now, has China consciously set out in the course to shift the world currency order from being unipolar or bipolar to multipolar? Alternatively, could it be a case of overestimation of the strength of the Chinese currency by international experts?

The hegemony of USD in the reserve currency order accords it multiple benefits that include the easy sale of US sovereign securities to foreigners, thus lowering the cost of borrowing for the country and the risk-off investments flowing to the world’s largest economy as it is being professed as a safe haven during times of global turmoil. Comparatively, how sound is Renminbi? With the shifting goal posts of its economy, which is the second largest in the world, China is set to become a consumption-driven economy from being an investment-driven economy, in a few years time. When investment inflows start making their mark, how would China cope up with the situation with the overburden of funds, which has necessitated the act of the rebalancing of its economy? Apart from Renminbi, the national currency of no other economic power seems to be in the reckoning for consideration as a reserve currency. Should Renminbi, however, be recognized as a world currency, the way would be paved for the review of other national currencies, the intrinsic worth of which in the face of local market tremors or international turmoil is questionable. It has rightly been said by the Chief of the Central Bank of China that not every national currency is cut out for the role of a global reserve currency since the nation’s central bank would need to simultaneously balance the problematic domestic monetary goals as well as international demand for the currency.

Long Wait for a World Currency

In the prevailing circumstances, the prospect of the emergence of a single world currency for the smooth conduct of international trade and financial affairs appears feasible only in the long run and not in the near future. This will remain so until the major international trading partners and stakeholders in global financial transactions come together to give the proposal of Keynes a nod, which is not an immediate priority on any country’s scheme of things. Until the time a single world currency makes an appearance on the horizon of the international economy, SDR would have to do its best to serve the purpose of integrating global economy, involving production and exchange. In any case, the world economy deserves a single robust and dynamic global currency, no matter how far away. But how long it will take to become a reality is anyone’s guess.

Termed as historic, the passage of Goods and Services Tax or GST Constitution Amendment Bill in Rajya Sabha will not only unite the country with one taxation rate but also empower states and increase their revenues. Although it is not very clear at this stage what will be the GST rate, there were requests to cap it at 18%. The Constitution (122nd) Amendment Bill, 2014 for Goods and Services Tax got passed with an absolute majority in the Rajya Sabha after the Union government dropped the contentious 1% additional inter-state tax and also agreed to pay full compensation to the states for five years towards revenue loss if any. After a seven-hour debate, the legislation was approved in the House with 203 votes in favour and none against. With the GST passing the Upper House test, the NDA government’s hope to implement the same from April 1, 2017, may become a reality. However, the document needs ratification from atleast 16 out of the 31 states (including Pondicherry and Delhi) for it to go forward. At this stage, it is important to understand what is GST and what it is expected to do.

What is GST?

GST is envisaged to be a single umbrella tax that will replace multiple state and central levies. It is a tax on each and every economic activity, namely `supply of goods’ and `supply of services’, undertaken in the distribution chain. Aimed at simplifying the tax regime, GST will thus subsume all the indirect taxes like excise duty, service tax, Countervailing or Additional Customs Duty, Special Additional Duty of Customs, etc levied by the Centre and State.

Theoretically, GST is a value added tax levied on the intrinsic value of goods and services, designed to give credit input stage taxes to the entire distribution chain. As a consequence, the ultimate consumer bears the entire tax burden. When implemented, the single unified value-added tax system will help India transition into the world’s biggest single market. To put it simplistically, GST will make India one large marketplace where goods and services can seamlessly flow from one state to another by paying only one tax.

At present, the cost of doing business in our country is high because companies cannot avail of credits for taxes paid at the sources nor can they accumulate credits. Shifting to a GST regime would mean pass-through of all credits wherein the incidence of the tax is shifted to the final consumer without any cascading effect.

Since India has a federal structure of governance, there will be two components of GST – Central GST (CGST) and State GST (SGST). As such, both the Centre and the States will simultaneously levy GST across the value chain on every supply of goods and services. While Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) will be levied and collected by the Centre, SGST will be collected by the State on all transactions within. The input tax credit of CGST will then be available for discharging the CGST liability on the output at each stage. Likewise, the credit of SGST paid on inputs will be allowed for paying the SGST on output. However, no cross utilization of credit would be permitted.

It is evident from the definition that specific cost-benefit analyses for input and output taxes have to be calculated for each industry. The overall impact of a simplified tax regime will lead to lower compliance costs for industry. Inevitably, the ease of doing business parameter will be favoring businesses. Analysts say GST could boost India’s annual India’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth by one to two percentage points.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has said the new national sales tax would bring down manufacturing taxes and VAT, but the same for service tax will be decided by States and Centre. While hailing the biggest tax reform since Independence, industry body FICCI said the most significant advantage for consumers would be a massive reduction in the overall tax burden on goods, which is estimated at 25-30%. GST would make products competitive in both domestic and international markets, FICCI added.

Confusion over Securities

Actually, the release of Model GST Law on June 14, 2016, had pushed India within the striking distance of the much-awaited tax-reform. It also conveyed the Union government’s intention of seeing it through. However, the model law also fueled speculations among brokers, mutual funds and retail investors that transactions in the capital market may invite levy of additional tax. The way it is worded, securities do appear to fall under the ambit of model law. The draft law had clubbed securities with goods, which is the genesis of this speculation.

So far securities have been deemed as investments and all state VAT legislations currently exclude it from the ‘goods’ bucket. Hence, its sale and purchase have never attracted any service tax or VAT. Interestingly, the current service tax categorizes securities under `goods’ simply to exclude it from the `service’ bucket since trading in goods does not attract service tax.

Since securities cannot fit in the `service’ compartment, it must come under `goods.’ According to the Finance Ministry website, the definition of goods includes every kind of movable property other than actionable claim and money. It includes securities and growing crops as well as grass and things attached to or forming part of the land that are agreed to be severed before supply or under the contract of supply.

However, there already exists a levy of 0.1% securities transaction tax (STT) on delivery-based trades and 0.025% STT on the intraday transaction. As mentioned earlier, securities are investments, while GST is a destination-based consumption tax. If the government indeed imposes value added tax on investments, the very purpose of switching to a reformed tax regime will be questioned.

Furthermore, there are charges such as Krishi Kalyan Cess, Swacch Bharat Cess, Sebi turnover charges, stamp duty, etc, which are levied on the transaction of every share. Although it is highly unlikely that the government would want to add another tax over and above the existing ones, some industry experts are of the opinion that services such as brokerages and commissions along with bank charges may fall under the purview of GST. The argument for this case is that brokerage, bank charges, etc are services accompanying securities’ transactions and are in service tax net.

In a note decoding the draft GST, international consultant PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) says: “Presently, the definition of the term, ‘service’ specifically excludes actionable claim, whereas under the Model GST Law, the term, ‘service’ specifically includes actionable claim. The Banking and Other Financial Services (BOFS) sector is facing significant NPA challenges, and securitization is critical to address the NPA issue. It seems that by including the actionable claim, transactions such as securitization could be subjected to GST. However, it is possible that the securitization could get covered in the negative list.”

Meanwhile, experts following the draft GST say there is a big possibility of it finding a spot in the exemption list since higher taxes could be an added deterrent.

The dual nature of GST

Proper functioning of all the aspects of CGST and SGST are crucial for the success of GST. It is a very complicated procedure and needs explanation. For all inter-State supplies of goods and services, the Centre would levy and collect taxes through a new mechanism called the Integrated Goods and Services Tax (IGST). CGST and SGST together are equal to IGST. Since GST is actually a destination-based tax, all SGST on the final product will rest on the consuming State. To put it simply, the inter-State seller will have to adjust IGST, CGST, and SGST credits on purchases before paying IGST on the sale of goods to the Centre. The exporting State will transfer SGST credit to the Centre, and the importer can claim the credit of IGST after bearing tax liability in the home State. The Centre will, of course, transfer IGST credits to the importing State for payment of SGST.

Sectors that will benefit from one-nation-one tax regime

Indian industry has been rooting for GST for a very long time in a bid to take advantage of economies of scale. Most analysts examining the new tax suggest a mixed impact of GST in the short-term, but they assert that gains will be immense in the long term. This key constitutional amendment will benefit sectors like Automobile, FMCG, e-commerce, telecom, media and cement. However, GST will make aviation and insurance more expensive.

Automotive companies may see a demand surge if vehicle prices decline 8-10% because of the GST, according to a report released by Motilal Oswal.

FMCG is also considered a clear winner under the new tax regime as GST will remove multiple sales depots. This will result in enhanced savings in logistics and distribution costs and also see gains from warehouse rationalization. Currently, FMCG companies pay a huge chunk in indirect taxes, which will get significantly reduced.

E-commerce, similarly, will become cost-effective post GST since goods can move freely between states. With the elimination of cascading impact, cost at the final destination will be much lower.

Telecom manufacturers will focus on consolidating their warehouses resulting in cost benefits. They may also choose to pass on the benefits to customers. Specifically, handsets are likely to get cheaper under GST.

Media, such as multiplex operators and DTH providers will see happy days ahead. Multiplex companies currently shell out close to 25% of the ARPU (average revenue per user) in taxes. GST is expected to reduce entertainment cost, VAT on F&B and service tax on input costs.

Cement manufacturers are likely to shell out much lower than the current 25% effective tax once GST is implemented. Transportation charges, which make up over 20% of cement companies’ revenues, will fall sharply under GST. Analysts say the benefits are likely to get passed on to the consumers.

However, when the new law comes into effect, one will have to pay more for certain goods and services. Eating out, phone bills, flying, insurance, jewellery, etc are likely to become more expensive than they are now.

Implementation Challenges

After the Rajya Sabha had passed the GST Bill with amendments on August 3, 2016, it was again taken up by the Lok Sabha to approve the changes made in it by the Upper House. After a six-hour debate on August 8, 2016, the Lower House passed the Bill as amended by the Rajya Sabha, with all the 443 members present voting in favour after the AIADMK members opposed the measure and staged a walkout. Now, the bill will have to be ratified by at least 16 of the 31 State Assemblies. So it will now head towards the State legislatures, where it will face the next acid test. If a minimum of 16 State Assemblies of the 31 states ratify the constitution amendment, then the Bill will get the presidential assent and become law.

A key challenging element in the GST Bill is the fixing of the Revenue Neutral Rate (RNR). The rate at which the government will undergo zero revenue loss is called RNR. A National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP) study has worked out an RNR of 27%, but the Economic Advisor Panel has advised a much lower RNR of 15% or 15.5%.

On the logistics front, IT infrastructure will have to be upgraded massively because the success of GST implementation lies in strong technology. A common GST technology platform would mean all states get to upgrade their systems. This will mean that taxpayers can access a standard interface wherein they can register, file their returns and pay taxes. Although, the States have revamped their IT systems for VAT computation, a lot more sophistication is required in the case of GST. Moreover, the States are technologically modern in varying degrees. For instance, Maharashtra tax filing system is much faster than those seen in the North Eastern states. A central portal called GSTN was created to carry out this exercise of guiding States towards a GST technology.

GST will pose a significant challenge to small traders who are not dependent on computers to run their businesses. After the GST comes into force, small traders and shopkeepers will have to maintain a computerized account of all transactions. This complexity had prevented the Value-Added Tax (VAT) from being implemented in the small-scale sector. Many experts also fear that GST will push up inflation.

The Road Ahead

The most crucial point for GST implementation is meeting the deadline of April 1, 2017.  Analysts and industry observers think the set date is too ambitious. Let us explore some of the important facets below.

1. The industries and businesses are looking forward to a GST rate of 18%. But the government is not ready to commit a number. If GST rates are finalized higher, say 20%, the States are likely to cry foul over revenue losses. The matter will be debated at the GST Council. The rate will also depend on the list of exempted items and demerit commodities, which is yet to be finalized. However, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has assured that the rate will be reasonably lower for the manufacturing sector.
2. For the bill to become law, States will have to agree to the proposals enlisted in the Bill. Although a consensus has emerged between the two parties (the Centre and the States) to raise the revenue threshold under the new tax law to Rs 25 lakh, we will have to wait for the eventual decision.
3. Mindset change will play a prominent role going ahead with GST. Not only is the government required to embark on a humongous staff training exercise at the Central and State level, but also adopt a strategy to include the industry and trade of all sizes in the new tax net. Here it needs to be recalled that the government has always found it impossible to levy value added tax on small and medium industry.
4. The current proposal under GST exhibits a sharp spike in tax rates for the Services sector. But the government cannot allow a high level of taxation on such an important sector and is likely to look for ways to ease it out while finalizing the rate structure. The input tax credit on goods against services is one such way to give relief. Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia has said the Union government would fit in services in a slab, which is neither very high nor very low.
5. A full-fledged GST implementation will see the end of manual filing of returns. The entire process will be handled electronically without involving any paperwork at any stage. Most returns would be self-assessed, and all mismatched returns would be auto-generated. There would be no reason for manual interventions. Further, we will have a single-point interface for challan generation – GSTN 12. GST will ensure ease of payment, which can be made through online banking, through Credit Card/Debit Card or NEFT/RTGS or via cheque/cash at the bank. One can look forward to a common challan form with auto-population features, a common set of authorized banks and standard accounting codes.
6. There is a strong plea to bring CGST and IGST bills as finance bills, but the government is reluctant to make a promise.
7. At the current stage, it is not entirely clear how will cross empowerment of the two parties work. There are talks to impose a threshold limit of Rs 25 crore and do away with dual control.  Only in due course of time, we will know if the states are willing to accept such a proposal.
8. In future, we may also see the rationalization of various tax departments. The Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) looks after custom, excise and service tax department. Thus, the CBEC will need to be revamped once the GST is legislated.
9. There is a possibility that the government may keep some of the cesses and surcharges out of the purview of GST for the purpose of financing chosen initiatives. It may also be possible that all kinds of surcharges get subsumed under GST. Whatever be the case, it will be recommended by the GST Council.
10. 10.  Compensation aspect of GST is what thawed the earlier bottleneck. The States had rejected the Standing Committee recommendation of a staggered payout plan for five years and won the argument for full compensation. In the days to come, the Centre will have to work out a methodology to calculate this compensation.

Conclusion

Since the passing of the Bill in Rajya Sabha, there has been an endless debate regarding the implementation of the GST. Here, it is important to note that many states offer tax benefits to bring in manufacturing units. It is not yet clear as to what will happen to such incentives in the GST era. Similarly, one is not sure if special economic zone will continue to be relevant once GST is implemented.

As India is due to adopt dual GST model, it will have Central GST (CGST) and State GST (SGST) components. However, it will have to be seen what provisions the new legislation contains to account and utilize credits across locations.

Furthermore, to make GST effective, the government will have to train both the Central and the State tax administration staff as the process is radically different from the ones they are currently used to. The staff would have to unlearn before they start to understand the concept, the law as well as the method involved.

The customary climate summit, held every year to draw an agreeable framework to lower worldwide greenhouse gas emissions, has seldom been a success. However, the Paris Climate Change Convention, known as COP-21, broke the jinx. Held during the final days of 2015, the Paris climate summit saw as many as 196 countries agreeing to adopt clean energy sources to lower carbon emissions and contain global warming. The convention produced an agreement that all nations, developed and underdeveloped, will limit global temperature increases to 2 degree Celsius and an aim to further limit it to 1.5 degree Celsius. This was in accordance with the clause mandated under Kyoto protocol. Despite being transformative, the `Paris Agreement’ cannot claim to see the end of fossil fuel altogether. Interestingly, the carbon reduction commitments will kick in five years later, in 2020.

The Paris Agreement states it will become binding only when countries accounting for 55% of global greenhouse emissions join in. In April this year, as many as 34 countries accounting for 49% greenhouse gas emissions formally committed to adhering to the agreement, bringing it closer to the critical threshold of making it operational. Academics around the world say the ‘Paris deal’ flagged as a super success is actually flawed. Many scientists have dismissed the Paris solution saying it gives false hope. Instead, a number of them believe that the time has come to manipulate earth’s climate system by adopting the controversial geoengineering technologies.

The UN Climate Conference should have trained its sight on adopting climate-change mechanisms suitable for all. Instead, such summits have always remained rigid in believing that the contribution of rapid industrialization in the past is irrelevant. According to aid charity group Oxfam, the cost of climate adaptation measures cited at the Paris Conference remains prohibitive for poor nations. It states that the governments must return to the negotiating table before the new agreement takes effect from 2020 to strengthen the pledges of emission cuts and agree to new finance levels. Oxfam reminds that the wealthy nations had vowed to help poorer countries cover the cost of investing in climate-saving measures such as designing drought-resistant crops, etc, but not much has happened on that front.

It claims that the rich nations have not fully honoured the pledge taken in 2009 Copenhagen summit to help poorer countries adapt to climate change and cut carbon emissions by providing US$100 billion annually. Of that US$100 billion a year pledged, only 16% has been paid so far. While a recent OECD report claims the wealthy nations are providing US$62 billion every year, critics rubbish such claims saying the double counting of existing loans and aids make the figure look big. According to a UN report, adapting to climate change could cost as high as US$500 billion per year by 2050.

Developing countries like India have always stressed on common but differentiated responsibilities in its effort to contain global warming. There is always an expectation that demands from the developing and underdeveloped countries will be measured differently. For example, India may not be in a position to assist poor nations in transitioning to non-fossil fuel but most European countries can. It is important to note that the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change does not think that cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 will be sufficient to limit global warming

What is Kyoto Protocol?

The Kyoto Protocol adopted in Kyoto on December 11, 1997, is an international agreement and an extension of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that commits the members to cut down on greenhouse emissions. The protocol assumes and recognizes the existence of global warming and blames man-made carbon dioxide as its root cause. India is among the 192 countries that have signed and ratified the Kyoto Protocol.

What’s the Fuss?

When a big chunk of the world agrees that climate change is for real and decides to fight the menace unitedly, the issue must have some merit. But the cost of keeping the planet safe is very high for the not-so-developed nations. Although India has agreed to cut down its carbon emission output per unit of economic activity, there is no denying the fact that it feels cornered by the global climate politics. For instance, India wants the review period for such activity to be held every 10 years, but the affluent nations are fine with a five-year review. India is also resisting undue pressures and bullying tactics adopted by the advanced countries for achieving the desired goal.

The legally binding clause has severe repercussion on emerging economies like India, which is banking on the fossil fuel coal, regarded as a key agent of climate destruction, to produce electricity. So when India was told it cannot step into the shoes of the US, Europe, and China by burning an absurd amount of coal, India retorted that it could stop doing so if rich nations offer fat climate aid of over US$160 billion every year to fill the gap. Early in 2015, analysts had warned that growth in India and China would exponentially raise emission discharge. However, India accounts for as little as 3% of global greenhouse emissions annually, way below neighbouring China’s 28% and United States’ 27%.

India rightfully wants the developed nations to take ownership of the global warming induced by heavy industrializing in the past as well as accept responsibility for the incremental use of energy in the future. But the bullying nature of member nations comes to the fore when they insist that all countries should contribute equally to prevent global warming. Experts say this approach is extremely flawed because accepting such a clause would keep poorer nations poor and underdeveloped for an extended period of time in future.

For instance, fossil fuel like coal is regarded as a key element responsible for climate destruction. But India needs to significantly increase the use of coal to generate power. Electricity is critical for developing any economy and India is not rich enough to invest in clean energy drives in tandem with the developed economies. Despite that, it is doing its bit in that area too. The total apathy of the handful of industrialized nations towards the development needs of countries like India is appalling. Fossil fuel is a relatively cheap source of energy and is expected to be in use for many more years to come.

India is in the throes of a big demographic change. It is a young country with a substantial size of its population hovering around the age of 30. This highlights the fact that massive job opportunities are required to be created every year for it to become a prosperous nation. However, the cost of building basic infrastructure to support India’s economic goals and raise the standard of living cannot be done without ample generation of electricity. India has over 300 million people, around 24% of the global population, living without electricity. In 2011, India consumed only 0.6 ton of oil equivalent (toe) per capita on an average, which was much lower than the global average of 1.88 toe per capita.

Here, it should also be noted that India has an abysmally low score in Human Development Index (HDI), holding the 135^th position in the global ranking. The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) defines the Human Development Index as a summary measure of average achievement on key dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, being knowledgeable and having a decent standard of living. The UN states that HDI was created to highlight that people and their capabilities should be the crucial criteria for assessing the development of a country and not economic growth alone.

Countries with very high human development have an HDI of 0.9 as compared to India’s 0.586. However, for any country to achieve a 0.9 HDI or more, uninterrupted annual supply of at least 4 toe per capita is required. So armed with only 0.6 toe per capita if India is dithering to bite the bullet on the Convention’s hard and binding clauses, the reason is legitimate. Indians or citizens of any other developing or under-developed nation have the same right to a dignified life as their rich counterparts. Thus, India needs a massive quantum of energy to undertake its gigantic development plans, and therein lies the big climate problem.

Finding Energy

Just before the Paris convention, it was decided that member countries would draw individual plans under the umbrella of Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC) to tackle carbon emissions. India in its INDC plan said it is game for increasing its use of non-fossil fuel manifold aided by technology and cheaper international finance. In fact, India is brave enough to project that by 2030, the fossil fuel free (FFF) energy will contribute 40% of its total energy needs. In September 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had pointed out that India’s energy efficiency focus will lead to a sustainable path of prosperity.

True to its commitment, India has started to focus on renewable energy sources like wind and solar. India is currently ranked as the fifth largest wind power producer in the world and has a target of achieving 60 GW of wind power installed capacity by 2022. The government has also undertaken an ambitious solar expansion project. It aims to develop numerous solar parks, ultra mega solar power projects, and solar pumps. Additionally, the government has solarized 3,135 petrol pumps and aims to bring all the 55,000 petrol pumps under the scheme. Besides, there are efforts to promote the use of biomass energy, hydropower and also nuclear energy. If the present government can accept the challenge and deliver, not only will it benefit the solar and wind energy companies but it also has the potential to displace equivalent to the entire emissions of South Africa in 2030. As such, this would indeed be a significant global contribution.

Role of Coal

Despite the efforts mentioned above, coal will continue to be a dominant power generation source in the future. At present, coal-based power accounts for a whopping 60.8% of the country’s installed capacity. Between now and 2030, India will continue to turn to coal to provide its population with better living conditions. According to a study conducted by the New Delhi-based think tank Centre for Policy Research, “To meet India’s energy needs, coal use will have to increase, although the magnitude of the increase depends on India’s future energy demand patterns. Significantly, even with added coal, India’s emissions per person in 2030, at about 4 to 5 tons per capita, are likely to be less than the current global average of 6.6 tons per capita. Importantly, the projected increase in India’s emissions is far less than the corresponding figure of 12 tons per capita in 2030 for the US and China.”

But India is not sitting idle. It realizes that lowering the use of coal will benefit local environment. In accordance with the clean coal policy, the government has undertaken many initiatives to cut carbon footprints of coal-based power plants and make them more efficient. The modern, large, coal-based power generating stations have been ordered to lower carbon emissions with the help of technology. Simultaneously, the existing coal-based plants are being modernized in phases. The government has also set energy-efficient targets for 144 old thermal stations and is looking to introduce further stringent emission norms. Alongside, there are talks to launch ultra-supercritical technology that will be made available to the plants.

Looking for Pragmatic Solution

Many experts have suggested that the countries devise a strategy in which rich countries pay for their past and recognize the energy needs of the weaker economies. In case, efforts are sincere and motives are free of bias, then it would not be difficult to find ways wherein individual nations chalk out their individual needs to go for low-carbon alternatives. To its credit, India is actively pursuing a policy of exploiting the benefits of renewable energy both to address climate change and promote economic growth. It has voluntarily agreed to lower the emissions intensity of its GDP by 20% to 25% over the 2005 levels, by the year 2020.

Here, it is worth noting that India is doing so without any binding obligations. The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) has lauded India in its Emission Gap Report 2014 saying it is one of the countries on course to achieving its voluntary goal. And despite its obvious flaws, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the Paris climate deal has no winners or losers and to a great extent has served “climate justice.”

Europe is awash with refugees. Separated from the calm shores of Europe only by a sea, thousands of desperate men, women and children from the war-torn West Asia and the internal-strife-and-violence-prone North Africa braved the elements of nature and sailed or swam across the Mediterranean since 2014 to take refuge in the relative safety of an alien land of mainland Europe. According to an estimate by the International Organization for Migration, over one million refugees had arrived in Europe by sea and about 35,000 by the land route last year. All of them had experienced a harrowing ordeal in the course of their arduous journey to safety and security. Hundreds of their family members and companions had perished in the sea before their own eyes when the dinghies or small boats carrying the ill-fated refugees capsized; many others succumbed to hunger and extreme weather conditions on the way, children and women being the most vulnerable segment of those who failed to make it to their destination.

The situation reached alarming levels when five boats carrying as many as 2,000 migrants to Europe sank in the Mediterranean Sea, and the combined death toll likely to be more than 1,200 people. It is estimated that, in all, 3,700 people died or went missing in 2015, trying the hazardous journey, with another 2,510 suffering the same fate in the first five months of this year. The photograph of the lifeless body of Aylan Kurdi, a three-year-old Syrian boy who had drowned in the Mediterranean, that was washed ashore on the Turkish coast of Bodrum on September 2, 2015, contributed in no small measure in speeding up the review of its refugee policy by the European Union.

EU Formula of Redistribution

The previous year had also witnessed the migration of thousands of refugees, although lesser in number. By June 2016, about 1,56,000 refugees had crossed into Europe, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The overall refugee situation posed a challenge to countries like Hungary, Sweden, Germany, etc, which had initially started receiving the hapless visitors in trickles and subsequently in hundreds and thousands. With the affected countries being far from prepared or willing to cope with the flood of refugees, Europe was faced with the moral dilemma of how to curb and regulate the human tides, if not completely shut its door on a poor vulnerable segment of people, representing the underbelly of a misfortune and misery of man’s own making. Riding the crest of a wave of stiff opposition from her local political detractors, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany called for quotas to be fixed for each European country to take a share of the displaced people, including from Syria.

This led the European Union to step in to work out a formula acceptable to all its member-States for distributing the influx in some equitable manner. However, the EU formula of distribution of the refugees came in for heavy criticism from former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who compared the EU migrant plan with mending a burst pipe by spreading the water around the house while leaving the leak untouched. Chancellor Merkel, however, warned that freedom of travel and open borders among the 28 member-states of EU could be jeopardized if they did not agree on a shared response to the crisis. She was criticized by Sarkozy who said that it would attract an even larger number of people to Europe, where a major part would “inevitably” end up in France because of EU’s free movement policies as well as the French welfare state. There has, in fact, been no dearth of anti-refugee rhetoric throughout Europe. Meanwhile, Germany, Sweden, and Austria, which had taken large numbers of refugees, came in for intense criticism.

Torrents of Refugees

Unlike Germany which was prepared to take what was perceived as its fair share of the refugees, eastern European neighbours Hungary, Greece, Macedonia, etc were wary and reluctant to accept torrents of refugees and put up fences and barriers to check their unregulated entry. Germany had taken up 98,700 refugees from Syria alone as of September 2015. Vice Chancellor Sigma Gabriel was quoted as saying that there could be 800,000 applications for asylum in Germany in 2015, and the country could take 500,000 refugees annually for several years. Germany was followed by Sweden, Denmark, and the UK. Other European countries like Spain, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Italy and Greece also received applications for asylum from several thousands of refugees from Syria and the other disturbed countries in the Middle East and North Africa.

The easiest option for a destination for the displaced persons from Syria and Iraq was, however, the neighbouring Turkey, which was flooded by 1.9 million refugees, with 14% of them sheltered in refugee camps. According to a UN estimate, Greece alone had accounted for over one million arrivals out of the 1.2 million refugees who had sought asylum from the EU countries. Matters were precipitated when over 40,000 refugees who had arrived in from Turkey were marooned in Greece, with its neighbours having closed their borders. Eventually, an ambitious plan of resettlement of the refugees was worked out between the EU and Turkey in Brussels in March 2016. In terms of a controversial agreement hammered out at the summit, all migrants and refugees arriving in Greece beyond March 30 this year would be returned to Turkey.

Merkel Suffers Setback

Thanks to her liberal policy of taking large numbers of refugees, Chancellor Merkel experienced a setback to her position both within Germany and as a doyen and unchallenged leader in EU. Germany and France have become estranged over the issue. The East European countries have put up fences and barriers, effectively closing the Balkan route for refugees. This is in stark contrast to Merkel’s mistaken belief that Germany’s generosity bug and open border policy would positively influence the refugee policy of the other EU states. Merkel had announced more intake of refugees and provided for €6 billion in emergency aid. Germany had, in brief, undertaken a moral leadership role, which had taken a severe beating from the other EU states that assumed a stance of pragmatism rather than generosity in the refugee issue. Fortunately for Merkel, the contentious refugee resettlement agreement between the EU and Turkey, wangled out by the former by means of tiresome and tedious rounds of diplomatic maneuvers, came as a face saver.

More Waves to Follow

Notwithstanding the fact that the EU had tried hard to come to grips with the issues like national security, terrorism, etc that flew from the refugee crisis, the absence of a solid legal foundation for a harmonized immigration and asylum policies, proved too inadequate for it to handle the crisis. The member-states, which had asserted themselves and demanded autonomous powers in this area, had only themselves to blame. In any case, even as the dust of the individual and collective efforts of the EU member-states to tide over this round of the refugee influx settles down, the nightmarish scene of more such waves of refugees emanating from Syria for some more years and even decades rears its ugly head. As of early 2016, Syria itself has been home to some seven million displaced persons, while Lebanon, Jordan, and Turkey had over four million Syrian refugees.

All these desperate people are likely to attempt to enter Europe, which would pose a much harder task for the EU to tackle when it happens, than this time around. Meanwhile, after overcoming the diplomatic wrangling during the last one year, these EU member states now have to attend to the residual task of settling down the refugees who are already there within their national borders and also ensure their integration into the wary nationalist society, which eyes the hapless newcomers with mixed feelings. Furthermore, they are saddled with the possible unenviable task of having to repeat their efforts with more attendant problems and difficulties during a foreseeable period, year after year. After all, despite the persistent diplomatic efforts by the international community with the involvement of major stakeholders in the issue, there is no telling when the Syrian crisis is likely to end.

Refugees and International Law

Apart from the humanitarian aspect attached to the issue, why do the European countries go to great lengths to accept the refugees from the Middle East at considerable political and economic costs? The UN’s Refugee Convention of 1951, which had laid out the process of claiming and granting asylum and the subsequent 1967 Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees, have ingrained in them a clause relating to the duty of “non-refoulement” – which says a country can’t force refugees to return to a nation where they could be at risk. Every European country, whether it is a member of the EU or not, is a signatory to these treaties and is, therefore, legally bound to accept the refugees from the Middle East facing a grave threat to their life.

Notwithstanding these accords, which are based on international law, and the European Council’s decision to redistribute the refugees among the continent, Britain has dragged its feet to accept a far lesser number of refugees than the other EU member-states and European countries like Norway and Switzerland, which are not members of the EU. Britain had also invoked the Dublin Regulation to deport over 12,000 refugees to the first country of their entry into Europe. Now with the Brexit having happened, Britain will cease to be a member of the EU in two years time, and it will be unable to take recourse to the Dublin Regulation. In any case, the EU is contemplating revision of the Dublin Regulation and imposition of penalties on its member-states, which have not accepted the number of refugees allocated to them under its redistribution formula. At present, it is not very clear how Brexit would affect the issue of refugees in Britain and which policies of free movement Britain would follow concerning the refugees.

Brexit and the Refugees

The new British Prime Minister Theresa May had called, in her previous capacity as Home Secretary, for Britain to leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), which is separate from the EU and gives asylum seekers increased appeal rights and legal protections, particularly against forced removal. With such developments as Brexit and the call for quitting the European Convention on Human Rights, Britain could no more be considered a safe haven for refugees, although it had never claimed or pretended to be that. What is of a worrisome concern is how the European Union leaders, primarily nationalistic politicians of their respective countries dependent on national elections for their political survival, look at Brexit.

According to Alexander Betts, Director of Oxford University’s Refugee Studies Centre, Europe’s politicians will look at what has happened with Brexit and probably recognize that there are votes to be garnered by exploiting the sentiments of fear and alienation, and scapegoating the EU and immigration. A disturbing factor indeed which indicates that there would be trouble ahead for refugees and asylum seekers if Eurosceptic right-wing political parties in other European countries like France, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Austria, rise to the fore on the lines of Britain, leading to further fragmentation of the EU. As such, the moot question is whether Brexit would lead to a lesser collective commitment on the part of the remaining member-states of the European Union.

Uncertainty Ahead

The fissures in the ineffective EU, which had failed to address the refugee crisis successfully, came to the fore more than ever in a recent media interview by Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz who said that Europe could collapse because of the refugee crisis and uncontrolled immigration. In the harshest criticism of EU’s refugee policy yet, he denounced the policy as a “dramatic failure” and blamed it for the outcome of the UK’s referendum on whether to continue within the Union. The refugee crisis has now become an emotional issue for the people in Europe, and it has eventually had a crucial impact on the outcome of the British referendum, he said. He further added that the unlimited acceptance of refugees, coupled with the incompetence of the EU, was in the meantime shaking the very foundations of the European Union. Such indictments hardly bode well for the solidarity of the European bloc, noted for fissiparous tendencies running deep over the divisive refugee issue.

In the meanwhile, Austria has tightened measures in the name of national security. It introduced border controls and deployed troops to the border with Italy. It even contemplated closing the Brenner Pass in the Alps by constructing a fence of around four meters height, causing concerns among Italian politicians. It passed a law which allows the government to prevent refugees seeking asylum if their levels posed a threat to national security. It further imposed a refugee cap, restricting the number of applications for asylum that can be processed to 80 a day. Certain parts of Austria reduced the quantum of welfare allowance payable to the refugees who are already in the country, compared to the allowance paid to the locals. Foreign Minister Kurz further reiterated his earlier proposal of sending all refugees coming illegally into Europe back to their nations of origin or to special camps in the transit countries. A very real hardening of stance indeed! With a pall of gloom and uncertainty already hovering precariously over the head of the refugees, any domino effect that Brexit and the hardening stance of Austria might have on the other European countries, would as surely turn the tide against the refugee boat as the divisive issue would knock the bottom out of the political fortunes of the European states.

At the cost of belaboring an obvious truth, it must be stated at the outset that the common man in our country has a lot of faith in the Indian judiciary. Even for the hardcore cynics who are exasperated with the meandering ways of the political system, bureaucracy and the media, which have lost much of their sheen and credibility since independence, partly on account of their inherent flaws exploited by corrupt politicians and inept bureaucrats and partly owing to the lackadaisical attitude of the people at large, judiciary is the last frontier of democracy that provides hope and faith in political and social fair play. However, when litigations drag on for years albeit for legitimate reasons, the common man’s faith in law courts is shaken and the glimmer of hope for justice wanes by the day.

Therefore, it is imperative to keep intact the pristine glory of our judicial system, both for the sake of sustaining the democratic system of governance of which judiciary is a pillar and for upholding the majesty of the law, especially in times of political turbulence. To this end, grey areas of our judicial system have to be identified and addressed well before a systemic failure brings huge discontent and consequential loss of faith in the Indian judicature among the citizens. This calls for an outreach of sweeping measures of reforms, cutting across various aspects and segments of the entire gamut of judiciary.

Huge Backlog

Currently, what ails the Indian judicial system? For starters, there are far too many cases to be handled by a far too few number of judges. There are only 12 judges per million people in the country. Former Chief Justice of India (CJI), R M Lodha, has been quoted as saying that judges are currently handling five to ten times more cases than they could. When judges are swamped by a flood of cases, the resultant situation leaves little scope for hope for the litigants. Alarm bells rang in 2014 when the CJI expressed concern over a backlog of more than three crore cases in courts across the country and asked the Chief Justices of all High Courts to ensure expeditious disposal of cases, which had been pending for five years or more.

This overall pendency of over three crore cases includes close to 70,000 pending in the Supreme Court, more than 40 lakh cases in the 24 High Courts and around 2.6 crore with the lower courts. Hence, it is imperative to reduce the staggering pendency of cases on a war footing. Despite the exhortation of the CJI for expeditious disposal of cases by setting up a special ‘Social Justice Bench’ to deal with the pendency of cases having social issues as well as criminal matters and other civil disputes through Lok Adalats as an alternative dispute resolution mechanism where decisions are arrived at amicably and cannot be appealed against, it has been noticed that the pendency of cases in the subordinate courts has remained the same, at least since 2012. As judges cannot be expected to handle an unlimited number of cases, it is important that the optimum number of cases that a judge could handle be fixed by the competent authority. The apex court has reportedly taken up the issue for consideration and is expected to follow up the decision with a judicial order.

Vacancies Galore

Directly proportionate to the huge backlog of cases is the inadequate number of the judges, resulting from the enormous numbers of unfilled judicial vacancies. In terms of the Law Ministry data of January 2016, out of the approved strength of 1,044 judges in 24 high courts, there are 443 vacancies. With an approved strength of 31 judges, the Supreme Court has two vacancies. There are 30 vacancies in the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal. Similar is the case with other tribunals. Unless these vacancies are filled up expeditiously, speedy delivery of justice would be adversely affected, as recently pointed out by CJI Justice T S Thakur.

Deficient Infrastructure

Adding to the woes of the judiciary is poor infrastructure. There are not enough buildings and attendant amenities for judges to conduct the proceedings. Several court buildings are well past the prime condition. Consequently, there have been instances of judges having to conduct cases in such unlikely premises as verandahs of the doddering old courthouses or even under a tree. Hardly the kind of environment where the judiciary is expected to discharge its onerous duties, let alone to its optimum efficiency.

Adjournments, Stays, and Quashing of FIRs

The atmosphere currently prevailing in the corridors of the Indian judiciary is further vitiated by the inordinate delays in deciding a case, whether it is civil, criminal or public interest litigation. Apart from the mountains of pending cases that cause inevitable delays in the taking up of a case by the court, the legal fraternity has its own ways of prolonging the number of hearings and the time taken between hearings, for augmenting the scope of their remuneration. The enormous time taken in completing the motions that the legal proceedings entail, result in strange and piquant situations wherein the total duration of the case spawns over a litigant’s lifetime and key witnesses die before they get an opportunity to depose.

Furthermore, Indian courts grant unlimited adjournments, stays, the quashing of FIRs and exemptions from personal appearances on the flimsiest grounds in the name of permitting fair justice. It is also observed that once stays are granted, it is hard to vacate them. There is an urgent need to look into these malpractices and ensure that adjournments, stays, the quashing of FIRs and exemptions from personal appearances are given only in very valid cases and not indiscriminately.

These delays further complicate the situation when in such cases the litigant becomes frustrated and disillusioned about the outcome. Such delays not only cause anguish and agony for those whose last step in their quest for redressal of grievances is the judiciary, but they also inflict insurmountable financial burden. Every day spent in the corridors of a court translates in real terms into no work done and, therefore, no income, for the poor litigants. In contrast, for the lawyers who are paid by the day or hour, more and more delays mean a lucrative supply line of assured remuneration disproportionate to the efforts put in by them to fight the case.

For the judges, postponement of cases could mean a welcome break by way of interim relief, albeit unintended, from the strain and stress they experience in the arduous discharge of their duties on a practically continuous basis. Lawyers tend to ask for an adjournment of hearings on the slightest of excuses such as they not being well and, therefore, not being available. In the case of litigations in which the State is a party, the government counsel may be seen not infrequently pleading that crucial documents are not forthcoming from the concerned government department and, therefore, a fresh date be granted for hearing.

Vacations and Holidays

Currently, civil courts and higher courts have the rather incongruous practice of going on long vacations while they are hard put to liquidate huge numbers of pending cases. As such, our courts are crippled because of lack of time and the high rate of pendency of cases because of which majority of the cases drag on for decades, which is the root cause for people taking law in their hands. If people could get an impartial ruling within a few months, once all supporting documents are available, a lot of crime can be easily prevented. To make it happen, there is an urgent need to curtail the vacations and the number of annual holidays enjoyed by the courts in India. If the Summer vacation and other holidays that are currently being availed by the Indian courts are considered, on an average the Supreme Court works only for about 190-195 days, High Courts for around 210 days and trial courts for 245 days a year. In other words, our courts function for less than nine months every year, despite there being a strong case for keeping them open 365 days in a year, just like the emergency services.

Live Streaming of the Court Proceedings

Another step that can help in curbing corruption is by bringing in transparency and accountability in the judiciary. To make it happen, live streaming of the court proceedings on televisions should be allowed. Obviously, there would be stringent opposition and resistance against this move of allowing television cameras into the courtroom from vested quarters across the judicial spectrum. But the government and top legal authorities should be determined to counter such opposition as it is good for the public and will help a wider audience to understand and see for themselves how the judges and lawyers conduct themselves and how the Indian courts work. Such telecasts and coverage would be live civics lesson as it would give the people unfettered access to the arguments of the lawyers and the verdicts delivered by the judges. This, in turn, would make it harder for journalists to add their own spin. Live coverage would also help everyone visualize what’s going on much more than words can, which in turn would boost public trust in the judiciary. Here it should be remembered that nothing builds trust like openness, and nothing builds openness more than transparency and access.

Contempt of Court Charges

One more disgusting thing that needs to be immediately abolished are the sweeping contempt powers granted to the Indian courts as it restricts free speech and immunizes the judiciary from any semblance of accountability by way of criticism or comments, thereby causing much resentment among citizens. Law of contempt is one of the legacies of the British Raj, and it has to be remembered that the administration of justice in the free Indian Republic cannot have the same connotation as in the days of the erstwhile British colonial rule, especially when our Constitution enshrines fundamental rights in respect of freedom of expression and speech. To ensure that the judiciary functions under the active vigilance of the people and public opinion, it should adjust itself to comments and criticisms without being overly sensitive. England, which was instrumental in formulating the contempt of court offence that India had incorporated into its law, had stopped prosecuting people for it since 1931 and has formally abolished it in 2013. Even the United States has rejected sweeping contempt powers as unconstitutional. As such, the abolition or reform of the law of contempt is long overdue.

Justice Linked to Purchasing Power 

Furthermore, Indian Judiciary has an uneven and inconsistent track record in addressing social inequity and safeguarding the constitutional guarantees given to common people as legal representation and justice is directly linked to their purchasing power. The rich and powerful can afford to hire the best-rated and hot-shot lawyers, whereas because of their high fees they remain inaccessible to the poor people. As such, since the outcome of a case substantially depends on the caliber of the lawyer, it is an accepted fact that the Indian legal system serves only those who have money and power.  Not just the poor, but even the middle and the upper middle class who don’t have deep pockets, face major financial limitations when hiring a senior lawyer in higher courts, whereas justice comes easily for those with unaccountable income. Though the Indian constitution talks about equality before justice and also asserts that it is the state’s responsibility to ensure free legal aid to those who cannot afford it, the reality is that the free legal aid services offered by the state either don’t reach majority of the poor litigants and under trials or the quality of such legal aid is very poor. As such, the competent authorities jointly with the Union and state governments should explore ways and means and address this lacuna in our legal system.

Procedure and Mode of Appointment of Judges

There is also an urgent need to bring in massive improvements in the procedure and mode of selection as well as in the appointment and promotion of judges. Generally a Judicial Officer who joins as a Civil Judge (Junior Division) gets promoted up to the post of District Judge. In exceptional cases, some of them may get a chance to reach the High Court. But none of them have any scope of becoming a Supreme Court Judge. Lack of adequate promotional opportunities is alleged to be one of the significant factors for corruption seen in the Indian Judiciary. Every officer seeks reasonable career progression because it fetches him a higher salary and also gives him a chance to occupy a higher position of power and responsibility. If that is not forthcoming, then he gets demoralized and the chances of his becoming corrupt increases. To avoid such long-term stagnation, the system should evolve a proper selection and promotion policy taking into account the seniority-cum-merit criteria so that every judicial officer has the opportunity to reach the highest cadre in Judicial Service before retirement.

Under the present scheme of things, the system of promotion and appointment of judges to the High Courts and Supreme Court is handled by the collegium system headed by the Chief Justice of India. Under this system, which was introduced in 1993 following an order by the Supreme Court, a panel of senior judges are entrusted the entire selection process. Although it was supposed to ensure a selection process that would be free from interference by the legislature or the establishment, in actual practice, there have been complaints of political meddling. Justice Markandey Katju, a former judge in the Supreme Court, had some time ago made disturbing statements regarding the alleged elevation of a district judge in Tamil Nadu facing corruption charges to the Madras High Court during the UPA rule. There has also been widespread dissatisfaction with the actual working of the collegium system as the appointment process adopted by it is completely opaque and plagued with problems of unaccountability.

Moreover, there have been serious allegations that unsuitable candidates who are the sons, daughters, relatives and juniors of former judges and Chief Justices get selected based on favoritism and without reference to their merit. The Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association had even passed a resolution supported by over 1,000 lawyers alleging that nepotism and favoritism are writ large in the appointments made by the collegium system. To eliminate the culture of secrecy and nepotism that envelopes the selection and appointment of judges by the collegium, the Union Government on April 13, 2015 notified the National Judicial Appointments Commission Act, which provided for the constitution of a National Judicial Commission (NJC) to replace the present collegium system. However, this new law that sought to overturn the collegium system was struck down by the Supreme Court on October 16, 2015 and the old collegium system of appointing judges to the apex court and the 24 High Courts once again made a comeback.

However, appointments of around 100 High Court judges recommended by the collegium headed by the CJI are currently held up and the matter is lying in abeyance because of difference of opinion between the collegium and the Union government over a debatable clause in the Memorandum of Procedure (MoP) for selection of judges. To avert such situations in future, it is suggested that whenever the Union government rejects the recommendations made by the collegium, the relevant reasons for such rejections should invariably be recorded in writing. Furthermore, if any recommendation for appointment is made and then reiterated unanimously by all the member judges of the collegium, it should be binding on the Union government to accept it.

In view of the shortcomings of the collegium system, in the long run there is a dire need to replace it with an appropriate selection process that will ensure transparency and openness in the appointment and promotion of High Court and Supreme Court judges while also establishing judicial accountability, upholding the independence and impartiality of the judiciary as well as checking corruption in our judicial system. It should simultaneously dilute the lingering bad faith and tug-of-war between the government and the judiciary by ensuring total freedom from political interference and political domination. Furthermore, it should address concerns with regard to the nomination of retired judges as the heads of various Tribunals and Commissions and also ensure that only eminent, honest, impartial and incorruptible judges with an impeccable track record are selected for appointments to top positions in the Indian judiciary.

Fighting Corruption

On another level, the court serves as the watchdog of the fundamental rights of the individual citizens, the bulwark against corruption especially at high places, the ultimate interpreting authority of the Constitution and the touchstone of the Constitutional propriety of the laws adopted by the government and the implementation of legislation by the establishment. In short, we can say that the judiciary is the conscience keeper of the people, society, and the nation.

The revocation of 122 telecom licenses issued in 2008 to eight companies under the corruption-tainted 2G Spectrum sale and the scrapping of allocations of 214 coal blocks under the Coalgate scam were just two instances when the Supreme Court came down heavily on corruption at no less a level than the Union government in the recent past. In the 2G spectrum case, the apex court declared the licenses illegal and quashed, and stated that the process of awarding the licenses “was wholly arbitrary, capricious and contrary to public interest apart from being violative of the doctrine of equality.” The ruling was hailed as historic, and it was also lauded for trying to break the corrupt nexus between business and politics and for being one step closer to transparency in policy making.

Apart from Norway’s Telenor, which threatened to quit the Indian market, carriers whose licenses were ordered revoked, included Russia’s Sistema as well as of a local joint venture of Abu Dhabi’s Etisalat. Furthermore, the apex court’s ruling sent almost 80 million customers; banks which lent Rs 30,000 crore to five firms; companies which shared infrastructure; and foreign investors into a tizzy. What was more, this was not a solitary incident that led to an environment wherein stakeholders were caught in a sudden cloudburst of uncertainty over investments and lost trust in the Indian market.

While it was argued by some that the verdict was good news for the established incumbent operators and that it could also build confidence in the role of the judiciary and broader efforts to crack down on corruption, it could not be denied that the court ruling dented India’s image as an investor-friendly destination. Foreign investors expressed dismay at being heavily penalized for no breach of law on their part. They claimed that their role in the entire deal was limited to partnering with Indian companies, investing lots of money and following the process of the time. They made no secret of their frustration over being given perceived short shrift in the bargain.

Impact on the Economy

There could, however, be no argument about the judiciary’s upholding the majesty of the law. The upshot of the scenario was that the prospects of further speedy growth of the country’s economy and industrial development were caught between a rock and a hard place. The situation was summed up in the words of Justice A K Ganguly, who stated in the verdict, “I am only doing my job,” while being acutely aware of the kind of portentous impact that the judgment would likely have on the Indian corporate sector.

The law is impervious to pecuniary losses and hardships caused in the course of doing business and incidental setbacks and inconveniences suffered by the stakeholders. But how the whole scenario pans out at the end of the day in consequence of the blow dealt by the judiciary to business security, albeit in the course of rooting out corrupt practices, impinges on the country’s economy. This is a case in point for serious consideration by the legal luminaries and champions of industry.

In the case of the Coalgate scam, while scrapping licenses for 214 coal blocks allocated since 1993, the Supreme Court stated in its landmark verdict that the licenses had been granted in an illegal and arbitrary manner without following a transparent process for their bid. The court upbraided the Screening Committee, on whose recommendations licenses had been issued, for not being consistent or transparent and failing to exercise proper application of mind.

The court gave the companies, which had been allotted licenses, six months’ time to wind up and allowed the auction of all the cancelled blocks by the government at the end of six months in March 2015. Moreover, the court also decreed that the companies which ran the blocks pay Rs 295 per tonne of coal they extracted during the next six months; furthermore, the companies had to pay the same amount per tonne for the coal they had already extracted from the blocks.

Shock waves and Trepidation

The court’s ruling was received in the industry circles with trepidation. It was felt that the court’s decision had created uncertainty and would likely impact key sectors including power, steel, and mining. The power sector being the largest consumer of coal in the country, this development was likely to aggravate the shortage of fuel for the power sector. Another sector that was expected to be impacted by the ruling was the financial sector as the exposure of public sector banks to the power and steel sectors was considerable, with banks accounting for over 60% of the overall investments in these blocks.

Business Security

The verdicts of the Supreme Court in the 2G scam and Coalgate have amply demonstrated that the effect of the apex court’s rulings in such cases on the nation’s economy could be both portentous and egregious. Apart from sending shock waves among foreign investors, the very question of the government’s credibility in implementing scam-free decisions of vast financial import and ability to stand by its decisions without having to undergo the uncertainties of the hassles of court proceedings came under the scanner. This is hardly the kind of congenial atmosphere in which any nation can look forward to having a propitious industrial growth and robust economy.

Apart from coming down with an iron fist on the fountainhead of corruption in the country and sending the corrupt elements to the jail, no matter how high and mighty they are, the judiciary would be doing yeoman’s service to the nation’s economy if it went the extra mile to consider providing some kind of insulation to its rulings for drastically reducing the monetary loss of the stakeholders and softening of any unintended blow to the interests of foreign investors, unlike in the 2G scam and Coalgate. Such ingenuity and out-of-the-box thinking on the part of the judiciary would help promote a climate of business security that is a sine qua non for making Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ scheme a success.

No matter how much the overseas fund providers are receptive to and enamored by the positive signals emitted by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre, they would settle down at the end of the day for nothing less than shockproof ground realities before sinking in vast sums in business ventures in the country, no matter how lucrative. For this purpose, the judiciary and legislature could put their heads together and strive to come up with an appropriate mechanism that would generate the much-needed business security.

For instance, a threshold limit could be decided for setting up high ticket business ventures involving the government and private stockholders, with a judicial supervisory board at its head to ensure a scam-free project. The supervisory board could have as members, representatives from the legislature and the judiciary, and be tasked with preparing a due diligence report for high-end projects. A judicial authority could supervise the whole operation at the end of which international investors should be free from hassles and harassment.

For the sake of advising domestic and foreign investors and resolving their grievances as well as making good, the loss incurred by them in the case of unforeseen legal proceedings, an Investor Education and Protection Fund could be set up. And it can be funded by the compulsory CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) aid. In any case, whatever be the final shape of the mechanism to be devised and its mandate, the court would be doing the right thing by keeping in its view the twin aims of ensuring that decisions taken by the government after due diligence are unalterable and foreign investors who are not guilty of procedural or legal transgressions are adequately compensated and not penalized or harassed.

Out-of-the-box Thinking and Sweeping Reform Measures

The flaws and inadequacies in our judicial system, which have remained on the back burner since long, brook no further delay and call for redressal on a war footing. A comprehensive review of suggestions made above for timely intervention by the judiciary for the robust growth of the country’s economy along the lines of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambitious program would help bolster the efficacy of the system.

The reform measures proposed above are sure to bring in a breath of fresh air to the Indian judicial system, in the face of an overgrown body of responsibilities of the system in tune with the changing times. Unfortunately, its arteries are currently clogged with cobwebs of an archaic system. Hence, only such sweeping changes are capable of cleansing the system, which is not a mean task given the resource crunch staring the government in the face, and rejuvenating the common man’s faith in the judiciary as an article of faith and not a mere fig leaf.

Too many voices, rather noises, can be heard post the dramatic turn of events in the United Kingdom that saw a four decades old association of the country with world’s most influential economic union coming to an end. All, leaving few, are decrying the crash on global stock markets, plunge in currencies and shift of investors toward safe havens; many have feared an upcoming recession and a deteriorated growth and job market. Is that it? Wasn’t there a world before 1973 when the UK joined the EU, or before the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community, the precursor to EU? Why not then ponder the possible good consequences that can be an outcome of the collective voice of the voters of United Kingdom?

Indeed, one picture cannot be overlooked while analyzing Brexit- Rise of nationalist and populist forces in not only Britain but all across Europe, specially Poland and Austria, the United States and the already quasi-autocratic Asia, barring some Southeast Asian countries and India. But will this rise in isolationist ideal bring fortune to GOP’s candidate Donald Trump, a man who has exploited fear of his countrymen for immigrants and resultant job losses in making a smooth road to challenge politically established rival Hillary Clinton? And if experts commenting on Brexit say ‘Yes’, perhaps that is where they might all go wrong. When Scotland boiled down to a ‘No’ when asked to leave the UK and when an alteration in parliamentary voting method was rejected by the Britons some years ago, they weren’t indicators of Brexit (assuming that Britons believe in status-quo rather than disruptions), in the same context, Brexit isn’t a gauge for Trump’s victory.

The country I belong to has been reeling under similar pressures post the landslide victory of the ruling BJP party in 2014 general elections. The Prime Minister has been forging new and valuable ties with economies around the world, has been working to improve India’s image in terms of business regulations, the other side of debate is pessimistically focused on nationalism vs. anti-nationalism, the opposition isn’t leaving any stone unturned in categorizing every national event in terms of patriotism and have blamed the government of promoting Hindu nationalism that downplays the interests of minorities. While far right parties in some European countries have invoked nationalism to win votes of those bored of centrally inclined left and right groups, in India this nationalism is being used as a weapon against a centrally inclined right party government.

On the economic front, only because the UK will now not be one of the constituents of the European Union, with which governments across the world have entered into free trade and security arrangements, it does not mean that the hold of London, or for that matter, the existing pacts have suddenly come to an abrupt and ill-fated end. Can’t we construe simple sentences? ‘Formal exit of the UK from EU will take two years as per clauses of the agreement’, this means that until a few years status quo will be maintained, and even the later years can see similar arrangements between isolated UK and other economies; who knows they may even be more conducive to businesses and economies than the existing EU ones!

Then are there fears of corrosion of atmosphere of free movement of people, capital and finance towards the UK and vice-versa. Let me tell you that last year India welcomed more than USD 50 billion in foreign direct investments, that millions of Indians are expatriates to Gulf and European nations plus to Southeast Asia, Australasia, US and Canada, and that although India isn’t a member of the EU, tens of Indian corporates have their offices in the UK which employ a handsome share of the workforce there. Now stop saying that since the UK is now detached from the EU, Tata’s JLR will suffer billions of dollars in losses, market scenarios are bound to shift, the onus is on the management to strike best deals when such incidents occur, and businesses in the UK, Indian or otherwise, will follow the same call, after all they have hired B-school graduates and financial experts to tackle with similar events, this is a time of test, prove yourself!

A few not-so-encouraging facts that cannot be ignored are the wipe off of trillions of dollars from the market in just one day and historic drop in the UK currency. Wait a second! It was energy that cannot be created nor be destroyed, money can be created, of course by labor, but can it be destroyed so easily? Did the markets set ablaze a trillion dollar currency note? No. It was only valuations that have corrected, and the drop in UK currency can also prove to be a blessing in disguise for the economy that has seen stagnated growth; with exports becoming competitive, increase in tourism and a spike in economic activities since the value of money with people has dropped significantly that will persuade them to work extra. The investment that has shifted from risk-on to government bonds and gold are bound to return to the market once dust settles, we all know that meagre interest rates, even negative in some cases on these bonds aren’t what global investors burn their sweat for.

Brexit hasn’t resulted in any bifurcation, split of properties or something alike and disturbing. An economy, which was independent for centuries until some decades ago and was the initiator of Industrial Revolution in the 18^th century, has just opted for an exit from a union of economies. For actual analysis of the negative fallouts of Brexit on European and other economies, if any, experts will need to assume a world without Britain in EU from 1973 till 2016, then compare it with the one that actually was, which suffered from all security and economic downturns, let’s not forget the 2008 global recession and Russia’s tension with Ukraine, and finally reach a clear and comprehensive verdict as to whether Brexit is so bad that international media is laden with all negative and depressing writings.

My country has been trying to sign a free trade agreement with the EU, things aren’t working out since a long time, may be the British exit prove a trigger. The UK contributed to the EU fund more than what it could extract, may be country’s exit restructure its finances. And EU countries had been yielding to UK pressure while dealing with global projects like its aid programs in African countries, may be UK’s exit give more teeth to France and Germany.

In India, liberalization of FDI regime, reforms in labor and taxation laws, the lately declared seventh pay commission award for central government employees, flagship programs like Make in India and Skill India will decide the direction of economy and job growth, no, Brexit is no factor in this regard. The Indian media too was stormed with negatives on RBI Governor’s sudden call to exit, termed as ‘Rexit’, today, corporates and investors are only looking for a prudent and audacious new Governor to take over from Rajan, Rexit will soon disappear in dimness, no one even remembering it two years from now. Similar is the case with other countries reeling under the so-called shock of the alleged ‘moment of the year’, Brexit. You may either blame all your misfortunes on the way the Britons voted in the June 23 referendum, or can make such structural shifts that will take your economy from the red to green zone.

The real monster today, I tell you, is the overflow of news channels and experts who need something to speak about and deliberate incessantly, and their focus these days is Brexit. The world’s economy was already going slow, and no UK within the EU could prevent that, let us also then believe that the exit wouldn’t slow it further, given policies and their directions in individual economies and as a global whole are re-oriented, worked out quickly and astutely. Even the much-condemned atom bomb stopped the World War II, believe it, Brexit is no apocalypse.

India decisively put itself on the world map as the fastest growing major economy in the last quarter of 2014 when it grew at 7.3% outpacing the People’s Republic of China’s GDP growth of 7% in that quarter. Though our country further improved its GDP growth to 7.5% in the following January to March quarter, the overall GDP growth for fiscal 2014-15 stood at 7.3%. Then, in fiscal 2015-16, India’s economy grew at 7.6% establishing itself as the fastest growing among the world’s major economies. Meanwhile, China’s GDP growth in 2015 stood at 6.8% and that of the US at 2.6%. In the closing days of the year 2015, it was increasingly becoming clear that outpacing China was not a fluke and that India’s domestic growth story was here to stay. Furthermore, at the beginning of 2016, the World Bank predicted that India would be the fastest growing economy during the next three years owing to a steep fall in global oil prices, growth in agricultural and corporate sectors, and fabulous contribution from urban households, which took the driver’s seat during the year.

In its ‘India Development Update’ released in April 2015, the World Bank had pegged India’s economic growth rate at 7.9% in FY17 and 8% in FY18. However, these projections were not up to the expectations of the Government of India. On the other hand, a dramatic slowdown in China’s domestic growth rate has been on expected lines. It is impossible for any country to keep up the crazy pace of growth for more than a decade. This year, China has said it will grow between 6.6% and 7%, with 6.5% scenario more likely. In the meantime, India continues to hold the title of the fastest-growing economy in the world as it clocked a GDP growth of 7.9% in the quarter ended March 2016. The acceleration in growth is unlikely to see any dent and the government now estimates full year growth at 7.6%. The World Bank too has retained India’s growth rate at 7.6% in this financial year, which ends on March 31, 2017.

“FY2017 has a robust outlook. Indian economy can keep its 7.6% GDP growth even if there are some slowdowns,” asserted Frederico Gil Sander, Senior Country Economist, World Bank in the ‘India Development Update – Financing Double Digit Growth’ report. The Update, a twice-yearly report on the Indian economy and its prospects, has recently revised the figures and said: “India’s economic growth is expected to be at 7.6% in 2016-17, followed by a modest acceleration to 7.7% in 2017-18. The 7.4% expansion in manufacturing and 8.9% growth in services sectors helped create urban jobs. Besides, lower inflation raised real incomes and allowed RBI to cut interest rates“.

Meanwhile, Sander, who is the main author of the India Development Update, observed that India’s financial sector has been performing well on many dimensions and can be a reliable pillar of future economic growth. However, speeding up structural reforms as well as addressing the non-performing assets (NPA) challenge remain the most urgent tasks. World Bank’s Chief Economist Kaushik Basu is quite confident that India can continue to top the charts by clocking the fastest growth among all major economies.

The step taken by the Union government to devolve Centre and state spending has had a remarkable effect on the economy with states contributing 57% of all spending, translating into 16% of GDP. Meanwhile, a state-wide breakup shows Maharashtra as the wealthiest state with an annual GDP of US$220 billion, which is equivalent to the annual GDPs of many small European economies. Maharashtra accounts for 12% of our country’s GDP followed by Tamil Nadu (US$140 billion) and Uttar Pradesh (US$130 billion).

Evolution of GDP as a Tool to Measure Economic Activity

Wars have been great for innovations. GDP, as we know today, was developed as an indicator during the Great Depression after World War I and further used as war planning tool in World War II. Governments of those days used the method to gauge the feasibility to stimulate industrial production. Despite its obvious shortcomings, the indicator found favour and the US adopted it in 1946 as the official instrument to frame economic policies. With time, this simple tool to measure market activity transformed into a device to measure both financial wealth as well as human welfare. However, GDP has its fair share of criticism since it fails to differentiate between productive and destructive activities. In fact, American economist Simon Kuznets, who is known to have developed the concept of GDP, was himself known to have been wary of its limitations as early as 1934.

Calculating India’s GDP

Conforming to international standards, India introduced some changes in the calculation of GDP in January 2015. It now calculates GDP at market price for which the Central Statistics Office (CSO) updated the base year to 2011-12 from 2004-05. This was done because products previously used might not be used by consumers today. The measurement is done at gross value added (GVA) at market prices and not at factor costs. It means now subsidies are no longer added, and taxes are not deducted from the gross value. In calculating GDP, the CSO has increased its coverage area by including more services and informal sectors.

Earlier, we used to derive GDP at factor cost. Simply put, it is the sum of factor or input costs incurred during the process of turning out economy’s output in a particular year. It includes wages, interests, salaries, profits, etc. Here, it is important to know that agriculture, textile, manufacturing, information technology, telecommunication, and petroleum are key sectors contributing to the growth in GDP. With the focus on digitalization, India is on the threshold of being counted amongst the world’s leading economies.

Positives from New Method of GDP Calculation

Adoption of the new method will enable economists to make an international comparison of data. It will give the true picture of India’s standing in the world. Also, the collection of market price data is much easier. The wider coverage has resulted in an increase in GDP allowing the government to draw long-term policies instead of focusing on short-term measures. Lastly, a growing economy brings in dollar investments, which is what we see currently happening around us.

The reasons for the rise in growth for manufacturing sector at the new base are structural as well as a change in compilation methodology. The methodological changes include the shift in approach, better coverage, use of new valuation methods and introduction of new concepts. Last year was tough for India as its economy was hit by drought, stressed rural households, weak private investments, and falling exports. Therefore, it is commendable that India has managed to convincingly stay ahead of the curve despite weakness in some of the key growth engines. The India Development Update from the World Bank says in order to remain on this growth path and sustain a 7.6% growth the government must activate the abovementioned stalled engines. It must also ensure that demand from urban households and public investments do not get exhausted. As we move ahead, demand from urban households and higher public investments will continue to propel the economy to a higher growth path.

We Remain Northbound

Government spending is a great propeller for private spending. Pause a while to ponder the massive outgo of government expenditure on public services in the current fiscal year: Jan Dhan, Aadhar, Swachh Bharat, Stand Up India Scheme, Skill India Mission, and many other such schemes. The investments and expenditures towards these schemes will contribute towards stimulating production in the manufacturing sector. For instance, the huge spurt in the construction of toilets in all the states had spurred the local economy because of higher demands for relevant materials and inputs. Jobs at this level will be created, and weaker sections of the society will benefit. One policy stroke achieves two results – jobs and social impact. Social investment impact is what the government aims to achieve and is in a hurry to do so. These accelerate social betterment. With the mandatory provision in the new Companies Act for spending as corporate social responsibility (CSR), a notable increase is observed in the adoption of such government social welfare schemes by corporates.

Corporates are latching on to these schemes to complete this statutory obligation. More investment is infused in the social sector, which contributes to the GDP and also creates a direct effect on the quality of living of the weaker sections of society. New developments and research have been stimulated in the field of filtering of water for drinking purposes and as a related development, recycling of water and conservation of water. A significant contribution has been made towards increasing of such services, which are a direct development of public policy. Furthermore, the special schemes for the education of the girl child have generated a fair amount of interest. Expenditure on this scheme has also increased. This has led to growing demand for bicycles, laptops, tablet PCs and other similar products thereby stimulating demand for such products.

When compared to Western countries, India’s propensity to save is higher than consumption. This is a result of the absence of social security. The recent implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission Report for enhanced pay of Central Government employees will provide a substantial amount of disposable income in their hands. State governments will also follow suit in the near future, and their employees are also likely to get a raise very soon. This will translate into increased demand and consequent expenditure on consumer goods as well as more savings. The industry is keenly awaiting this development. Demand, as well as the production of consumer goods, will go up proportionately, thereby contributing to the increase in GDP. Finance companies are also gearing up with new financial products to woo the Central Government employees to park their funds in various savings schemes. This fact cannot be ignored.

The Union government, if the indicators of the last budget are examined, is focused on job creation. This has been the constant bickering point of the Opposition with various claims and counter claims being exchanged. The impact and viability of the Mahatma Gandhi National Employment Guarantee Scheme are constantly being assessed. After more than ten years of existence, the impact cannot be discounted on the weaker sections. This scheme has contributed significantly to poverty alleviation.

The systems aimed to be out in place by the government for achieving the direct benefit subsidy transfer have also added to the GDP. The opening of bank accounts and the linking of Aadhar cards need a good amount of investment in technology which has stepped up the demand for production of the state-of-the-art payment transfer systems with very high security. This has involved the corporate sector in a big way. Research and development are constantly being encouraged for improving the methods. The ambitious project of the Reserve Bank of India for the Unified Payment System is another development in this direction.

The Government policy of opening up of the economy to Foreign Direct Investment in sectors like retail, aviation, and media will go a long way in achieving the goal of increase in GDP. It would not be premature to analyze the impact of this policy on job creation. Lower and middle-level jobs will get generated as industrial production increases. This can be gauged by the expressions of interest signed by a number of foreign entities with Indian corporates for new ventures. However, the country will have to better its score on the ease of doing business scale to make this policy a reality. Only then the Indian economy will get to see the crest of the business cycle curve.

In spite of the positive impact foreseen on the macroeconomic front, Indian policy makers will have to tame the niggling factor of inflation. Monetary policy alone cannot bring this rate down. Production of more goods and services and more exports of goods and services will be a game changing factor. The ‘Make in India’ campaign aims at boosting the manufacturing of products within India. In spite of so much being touted in the campaign, actual investments have not reportedly happened as expected. The thrust of this campaign should also focus on total quality management wherein the goods produced should also meet the international quality standards prescribed for exports, especially for the European and American markets. As on date, the exports of Indian manufactured goods and even textiles to these countries are falling short of expectations. Indian manufacturing should be battle-ready for the international market and compete on price as well as on the quality of the products from the South Asian countries.

Improving the standard of living of the poor and the underprivileged is the catch-line of the government. With its massive majority in Parliament, it is definitely aiming high, but the journey is still halfway. Analysis of the performance will seem like the proverbial glass – half full or half empty, depending on whether we view it as a skeptic or an optimist. In truth, as significant steps have been taken, it is hoped that with two and a half years to go, India will reach that level for the ordinary people to experience and enjoy a much better quality of life in the coming years.

‘Vox populi, Vox Dei’ (Voice of the people is the voice of God) is an age-old aphorism that exemplifies the cardinal principle of the democratic system of governance. This Latin phrase has been in vogue at least since 798 AD, when it was first used by English scholar Alcuin in his missive to Charlemagne, King of the Franks, albeit in a negative connotation, urging the latter to resist the idea of listening to the voice of the people since “…the riotousness of the situation amounted to madness”. History has since come a full circle. The scope of direct participation of people in formation of the state apparatus and the conduct of its affairs has been increasingly felt and has become more and more pronounced over the years of political churning to the extent that in a true and practising democracy like India, the sovereignty vests with the legislature elected by the common man.

The voice of the people echoes in parliamentary debates through their elected representatives over the business of lawmaking taken up in a dispassionate manner with all the seriousness that the situation demands. Herein lies the catch, with the efficacy of the system being attributed to the alertness and awareness of their rights by the people, overlooking the fact that there are extraneous factors too at play that enhance or vitiate the performance of the legislature. With a worrisome decline in the serious nature of Members of Parliament (MPs) that the people elect, the quality of discussions and debates on the floor of the legislature over matters of the advancement and progress of the State tends to go south. And ruckus and ramblings on the part of the honorable members over matters of petty personal interest as well as the safeguarding of the interests of their party and its leaders replace a healthy exchange of ideas.

This happens at the cost of serious debates and meaningful discussions on the basic and fundamental issues affecting the immediate and long-term interests of the electorate, over a broad spectrum of crucial issues ranging from education to employment, economy to the environment, living standards to law and order, etc. This has become all the more so in the case of Rajya Sabha, the members of which are elected not directly by the people but by the representatives chosen by them for the state legislatures. To that extent, the dismal state of affairs often found prevailing in the Upper House in the recent past may not even be directly attributed to the people who are reduced to a helpless situation where they are mute witnesses to the churlish and portentous behaviour on the part of an increasing number of irrepressible and irascible members resorting to highly objectionable acts of disrupting the proceedings of the House without any provocation.

Clamour in the Well

On occasions of such a sorry spectacle often caused by some statement or the other made by a minister or member of their rival party over a corruption charge or scam or scandal involving their party leaders, they rush to the well of the House. In a despicable fashion and deplorable manner, they then stretch their larynx, snatch the business papers from the hands of the rival party members, not infrequently, even from the table of the honourable Speaker and unceremoniously tear and throw them in the air. In the ensuing din and cacophony, the statement of the minister or the rival party member is drowned. There could hardly be another act which could match in gravity in downright contempt to the gravitas of the Rajya Sabha proceedings! Then they stage a walkout, severely hampering further proceedings, and the rest of the session becomes a complete washout with little legislative work to talk about. The Opposition members typically resort to such pathetic gimmicks as they fear that the charges made would irreparably damage the reputation of their leader or the interests of their party in the eyes of the public who get to watch the live proceedings of the House on television.

The voice of reason gets drowned in the heckling and cackling of such unruly members. The solemnity and splendour of the House are scrunched and unceremoniously thrown to the winds by the jeering and joustings of the charging brigade, not unlike the fate meted out to the papers snatched from rival party members and flung away. What a vulgar display of lung power and tyranny of numbers! The futile attempt of the NDA government to get legislation of crucial bills like GST, Land Acquisition, etc passed in the Rajya Sabha despite their comfortable passage by the Lok Sabha, that triggered the overrunning of the proceedings by members of the principal Opposition party and its allies trying to sidle up to it in a vulgar display of the you-scratch-my-back-and-I-shall-scratch-yours syndrome, is a case in point. All due to the recalcitrant behaviour of the spiteful members of the Opposition bent upon establishing their supremacy of numbers and scoring brownie points to which national interests became evidently subservient!

Time Lost, Money Wasted

There are currently over 45 bills pending in Rajya Sabha compared to a mere 11 in Lok Sabha to be taken up in the forthcoming monsoon session. Wastage of colossal amounts of money spent on the conduct of the House and loss of inestimably precious time were wilfully and wantonly precipitated in the previous sessions by Opposition members who had the benefit of numerical strength over the ruling coalition. To give an idea about the kind of public money that goes into the drain, it costs about Rs 2.5 lakh per minute to conduct a parliament session. This makes the loss incurred for every wasted hour Rs 1.5 crore. Winter Session 2015 of the Rajya Sabha had lost 47 hours, resulting in a whopping loss of Rs 70.5 crore, which the state exchequer can ill-afford.

All the same, notwithstanding the deplorable situation, it would be too superficial an exercise to attempt calculating the loss in monetary terms as compared to the unquantifiable loss of the sanctity and majesty of one of the two organs of the highest law making body of the land. In a dire contrast, the British House of Commons is reputed to have lost not a single day of any of its sessions throughout its long history! Extremely unhappy with the situation, the Chairman of Rajya Sabha observed that the session seemed extremely unproductive in terms of legislative work. He further expressed distress over repeated disruptions and called upon the members of the House to “introspect on this state of affairs” and to abstain from practices and approaches that lower the stature of the Upper House of Parliament.

Crossing the Rubicon

Shortage of a few members on the treasury benches had the disconcerting and desultory effect of holding the government to ransom by the Opposition, which could not rise above petty and pernicious considerations. And surprisingly, this is happening to a government that has been overwhelmingly voted to power with absolute majority. If opposition to crucial bills were to be established in the well of the House on the sheer strength of lung power and the adamant attitude of some stubborn members who do not follow the norms and decorum of the House, what is the need for such an august platform? This is the disturbing thought that would cross the mind of any ardent votary of democracy. Why not settle scores with the help of clashing mobs of political party supporters via confrontations on street corners?

Why spend colossal amounts of money and waste precious time and collective manpower of honorable members of the Upper House only to witness the self-esteem and pride of the nation getting a severe beating time and again, session after session, just because of some unruly members resorting to grandstanding over matters of national interest? How serious is the situation? Have those responsible for this sorry state of affairs crossed the Rubicon? How long before the frustratingly blatant situation is addressed for rectification in terms of hard political measures, if only to put an end to the agony and misery of the futile exercise of self-defeatism? Do we need the Rajya Sabha at all, at least as it exists today? These are some of the questions currently engaging the mind of the common man whose vote is as equal in weightage and as valuable a tool in the hands of his illustrious peer of intellect.

Are Candidates Truly Representative of States?

The germination of the idea of Rajya Sabha was the fallout of a proposal contained in the Government of India Act 1935 to form a Council of States. The Act envisaged deputation of a delegation from every princely state to the Council of States while elected members were to be sent to the Lower House by British India. However, the proposal turned out to be a non-starter. The Rajya Sabha, fashioned after the Council of States that failed to take off, is expected to have for members the representatives of states. However, in actual practice political parties nominate those candidates in whom they have their own interests, and which has nothing to do with the interests of the state from which they are returned.

Generally, it is seen that some of the eminent personalities, including party stalwarts, who do not enjoy grassroot support and popularity among the masses are accommodated in the Rajya Sabha, thanks to the overwhelming numbers of the parties in different state legislatures. Here, suffice it to say that the Rajya Sabha has largely become an exclusive club of unelectable personalities of prominence. The unfortunate outcome of this development is that such members are bound to end up woefully beholden to the political party that nominated them more than the full-time member candidates of the party. That explains the diehard loyalty of Rajya Sabha members to the confrontational posturing adopted by the Opposition party on the flimsiest of grounds.

Centre State Cooperation

When the legislation of crucial bills aimed at promoting the economic development of the country gets stalled in the Rajya Sabha, it makes inclusive growth and speedy progress of the country’s economy a tall order. In such cases, the union government is constrained, at least on some occasions, to take the speedy route of ordinances. When the Parliament is in session, if a law of considerable importance cannot be enacted because of the repugnant behaviour of some renegade members and the government has to adopt it on the strength of an ordinance, it does not reflect well on the Parliament and does not augur well for the healthy growth of democracy. This is where the states should rein in the members of the Rajya Sabha whom it returns and ensure that they fall in line punctiliously to carry out the onerous task of lawmaking. But being nominated by parties for their own considerations and convenience, members are beholden to the parties instead of being concerned about the interests of and matters of concern to the state.

Lack of cooperation on the part of the states with the Centre in the implementation of national projects as well as the obsolete nature of their own archaic laws render alignment and sync with the Union government’s projects and plans for transformation of the nation’s economy on a fast track, a cry in the wilderness. This anomalous situation can only be rectified if the state governments willingly cooperate with Centre for the betterment of condition prevailing at the state and national level. The Rajya Sabha, which should ideally have representatives who are absolutely committed to the development of their states, is the most befitting organ that can ensure harmony and sync with the central government’s ambitious endeavours for economic reforms and transformation. This, in turn, can help improve the quality of governance and benefit all the states across the country as well as every citizen.

Need to Amend Whip System and Anti-Defection Law

Currently, political parties in the Rajya Sabha follow a practice of issuing whips directing their MPs to stick to the party’s stand and to vote either for or against a bill according to the party line on the issue. Under the Tenth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, which is commonly referred to as the anti-defection law, an MP can even lose his seat in Parliament if he votes against the party whip. As such, the MPs have to necessarily follow the whip, or else they risk losing their seat in Parliament. Because of this whip system, the party MPs have no freedom to vote according to his or her individual conscience in matters concerning important bills.

To eliminate the disadvantage mentioned above, the issuance of a whip in the Rajya Sabha should be limited only to those bills that can threaten the survival of the government, such as in the case of no-confidence motions. In other legislative business of Rajya Sabha, every MP should have the freedom to exercise his judgment, articulate his opinion and vote as per his individual conscience taking into consideration the merit of the issue, while remaining absolutely free from the influence of party politics. To ensure this happens, there is an urgent need to appropriately amend the anti-defection law as well as the whip system that currently reduces the MPs to a mere headcount on the floor of the House and also deters them from exercising their judgments on major issues. Furthermore, in the case of important issues, the Rajya Sabha should invariably depend on Secret Voting or Closed Voting so that only the number and not the names of members voting for or against gets recorded. This will ensure that the MPs cast their vote based on the merit of the issue and not under the influence of party politics.

Gordian Knot

All the above are matters of immediate and tremendous national importance that need to be addressed in real earnest. Neither delay nor reluctance should be brooked in setting things right about the Rajya Sabha, which has become a victim of the tactics of procrastination and subversion by spiteful and vengeful members raring to up their ante at the least of provocations to bamboozle the government’s relentless efforts in the service of the nation. Unless and until the situation is brought under control and the House proceedings are allowed to be carried out peacefully through a healthy exchange of ideas, the situation is likely to deteriorate further to the hopeless point of no return. Anybody in a hurry can cut off the Gordian Knot straight away and demand the dissolution of the institution of Rajya Sabha to make the business of legislation a smooth and speedy affair.

The better thing would be to unravel the knot by going about the task of improving the conditions in the Upper House by introducing the requisite reform measures. A high power committee, with the participation of main political parties and other stakeholders such as the Election Commission, can be constituted for studying the situation and suggesting remedial measures. A nationwide consensus would be necessary too to make the required Constitutional amendments. Although painstaking and arduous, introducing reforms to make the Council of States true to its name would be in the fitness of things. Let us not overlook the wisdom of the founding fathers of our Constitution in whose scheme of things the Upper House was not merely an elitist club of unelectable personalities but an integral part of the system of checks and balances in the crucial business of legislation. Prudence calls for baby steps toward an enhanced and empowered Rajya Sabha instead of throwing the baby away with the bathwater.

PM Modi is not the first Indian head of the government to have addressed a joint session of the US Congress. He is also not the first who has emphasized on the result-driven bonding between the two countries that share so much in common, from democracy to liberal markets, from cultural richness to innovative and intellectual vibrancy. This, however, was the first time that foreign media, and not just of the India and the US, was flooded with reports on Modi’s speech. The analysis that followed invited many admirers, a few critics too. Although there is much to be discussed about PM’s recent 5-nation diplomatic tour, let us try to decode this most talked-about event. In the very beginning, it can be easily said that this was an inclusive speech, a perfect 10 out of 10, not only because it invoked many celebrated US and Indian leaders, but also for its coverage of topics ranging from India’s rural and renewable energy commitment to security concerns in the Asia-Pacific region. Standing ovations and thunderous applause were a part. Let’s explore in-depth.

Reiterating Commitment to Democracy and Liberty

India’s name is synonymous with the tag ‘world’s largest democracy’, whilst the US was the first country to have a written constitution that promised equal rights within a democratic setup. Having recalled Abraham Lincoln at the very opening, the Indian PM ensured that all critics back home know his belief in the notion of ‘all men are created equal’. He was historically correct in remembering how the world doubted our capability to provide a just and democratic state after 1947. He was also not flawed when he told the same world, from a pulpit that is most watched and heard, owing to its power, that India lives, grows and celebrates as ‘one’.

As citizens of India, and being ones who are buffeted by different political positions, we need to acknowledge that our Prime Minister cannot speak on every incident, good or bad, either in the Parliament or in the media. Asking for his intervention in every matter is impractical if not injudicious, and for those who urged for his intervention on the alleged rising intolerance and debate on anti-nationalism, his statement that the Constitution is the real holy book of the present government is a thought-provoking reply, you just need to have courage to accept it.

At the same time and amidst all the glorious words of the PM in the US Congress, any act of any leader of the ruling party or its allies ought to be in line with the principles of the Indian Constitution. Of course, the PM himself and other senior leaders have sent across a strict message down the line regarding discipline in actions and speech, but the real result is expected out of leaders at the provincial levels. ‘Toilets before Temples’was an assuring slogan by Modi before 2014 polls; its relevance hasn’t lost sheen until today, nor has BetiBachaoBetiPadhao movement or the Jan DhanYojna. PM’s wordsin the US Congressional speech, echoing freedom and inclusion for all 1.25 billion Indians, applies to all Indians despite their religion, caste, colour, sex or ethnicity.

Natural US-India Ties

An extraordinarily capable politician and one of the most illustrious Indian PMs, Atal Vajpayee underlined the natural alliance between the two countries, and PM Modi reiterated the commitment. India’s supreme law of the land. Our Constitution owes much to its US counterpart, and how the time spent in the US impacted Dr. B R Ambedkar’s view of liberty and equal rights for all. Pointedly referencing the inspiration drawn by Martin Luther King (a name synonymous with working for the rights and equality of blacks in America) from India’s Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, and Swami Vivekananda’s Chicago speech on humanity and religion, are all evidences that humans from both the countries have a natural inclination towards shared culture and embracing our unity in diversity, something that PM Modi emphasized to the US politicians.

Today, the US is the world’s largest economy and India the world’s fastest growing major economy; these economic advantages and financial vibrancy would never be possible unless there was an unmitigated force in the background to move us towards the ambition of eradicating poverty and inequality. While the US has long achieved the goal of providing assured basic amenities to its citizens, PM Modi ignited the spirit of shared humanitarian values by making person to person comparisons. Thus calling upon the US to take a big leap forward in helping India attain its part of ambitions. The Green Revolution of India executed by the then PM Jawaharlal Nehru and American biologist Norman Borloug took India towards food security; alliance, thus, is the best road to success. And the statement of PM Modi that drew maximum applause, that we haven’t yet claimed IPR for Yoga, which is practiced by more than 30 million Americans, was an impeccable shot.

Economic Partnership of the Two Countries

This may merit primary consideration, since whatever may be the force exerted by other factors, unless mutual economic benefits are at stake, no partnership can thrive. The civil nuclear deal between the two countries, and the two-way flow of people, capital, ideas and technology have shaped economic ties between India and the US. Prime Minister Modi, by adding these to his speech, ticked the right box at a time when it was much needed. The world is slowing down, including China, Japan and European countries, and India remains the sole shining spot. By impressing upon and assuring the US political and business milieu, India can attain not only capital, but also jobs and technical know-how to take our economic growth to yet another level.

In this context, as highlighted when the PM included his ambitions of a better India in his speech, the goal of attaining and adopting some successful US models in the fields of public health, education , housing and basic infrastructure are something that cannot be ignored. If the policymakers want farmers, job-seekers, students and workers to grow in a robust manner, borrowing the US model of inclusive growth is indispensable. PM Modi acknowledged how Indians are shining in the US, even in spelling bee; however with ignominious cases like that of Bihar toppers, we should take a critical look at our institutional framework and not refrain from any possible help from other countries including the US.

Global Security and collaboration on foreign missions

There is no denying the fact that terrorism is nurtured in India’s neighborhood and PM Modi, by including this expression in his momentous speech, warned not only Pakistan but also its allies. Freedom of navigation in international waters and the security of the Indian Ocean, combined with other areas of global relevance were an indirect warning to China which is not only claiming others’ territories in South China Sea but is also directly confronting India by working in the Pak-occupied Kashmir for its One Belt One Road project. At the other end of the spectrum, India has supported not only Afghanistan in its struggle for re-building the war torn country, but also played a role in peacekeeping missions of the UN, which makes India one of the most actively concerned and participative nations in the arena of international peace and stability. It was important for PM Modi to tell this to the world, which he did quite appropriately.

Climate change is a major talking point in the US political discourse, and a mutual concern; with the focus on renewable energy, India and the US are jointly tackling this menace, PM Modi stated unambiguously in the US Congress. Additionally,there was an urgent call to nations for an upgradation in the constitution and structure of international institutions and groupings. PM Modi’s speech included this point; this will open doors for India in NSG, APEC, UNSC and similar other important unions which hold unparalleled significance in decision making and impact global politics.

PM Modi’s address was exceedingly reassuring to all Indians, which includes opposition parties in the Parliament (only if they want to do away with their unwarranted reluctance in the interest of the country) and the media (which is busy discussing irrelevant topics like nationalism vs anti-nationalism). This was also the one time when an Indian leader did not talk of dependence on the world leader, but talked of connectivity, cooperation and partnership, sending a clear message that as much India needs the world, the world needs the fastest growing economy and its vast market as well. We do not look to become a NATO-partner or imitate UK or Australia in being an ally of the US; we are what we are, independent yet collaborative in race to global development. We must applaud that all this came from a person who was denied a US visa some 11 years ago but was subsequently given a warm welcome after a landslide victory in 2014 general polls.

For PM Modi, having invoked former PM Atal Vajpayee was praiseworthy; had the non-BJP leaders who addressed the US Congress in the past also been acknowledged with reference, the much-needed symphony in the Indian Parliament could be accomplished in coming days with a harmonious note. It cannot be overlooked that PM Modi’s attendance and address owes much to the works of earlier leaders ranging from former PM Rajiv Gandhi (credited with paving way for high technology transfers from the US to India by shaping ties with the then US President Reagan) to another Indian genius, Dr. Manmohan Singh (credited with making the civil nuclear deal with the Bush administration possible in the face of strong opposition from China and the Congress party itself); inclusion of their names in PM Modi’s speech could have filled the gulf of the so-called ‘bi-partisanship’ in Indian Parliament. Finally, hailing PM Modi’s address cannot be termed as anything except very genuine and non-partisan, for even the US has acknowledged the ‘Modi Doctrine’.

In a country like India known for its vast human resource potential, market reform measures and industrial climate favourable for foreign direct investments, ushered in by the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, education plays the primary role in preparing an individual for the fulfillment of his career ambitions as well as for the betterment of the nation’s economy. In such a scenario, a man without a sound formal education and a professional orientation has a limited range of employment or vocational opportunities available for realizing his full potential or proving his innate skill. Moreover, several doors of career prospects in the corporate sector remain closed to him.

By and large, though free education at primary and secondary levels is available to children all over the country, poverty turns away any number of poor children from the portals of learning. Notwithstanding several welfare schemes and incentives introduced by the government, such as midday meals and waiver of school fees, for weaning the maximum number of children to schools, the inability of poor parents to provide minimum sustainable living conditions make education a distant dream for their children. As a result, many children from low-income families succumb to the harsh economic pressure and become yet another pair of working hands desperate for lifting the family from the depths of crushing poverty.

There are other factors too, such as lack of basic infrastructural facilities like classrooms, poor transportation facilities, etc, which stand in the way of a child’s basic right to education. A child denied of basic education, is seriously hampered by the non-availability of jobs of one’s liking and aptitude, forcing him or her to become a victim of exploitation by unscrupulous elements, who manipulate and thrive on stark market forces. The street kids, whom we get to see in our everyday life, are the unfortunate ones deprived of basic education.

Where do these children who offer to clean the car windows at traffic lights and hold up their dirty hands for a coin, go at the end of the day? What do they do? What is their life like, with no one to take care of them? They often end up as beggars, petty thieves, drug pushers, prostitutes, juvenile delinquents, mountebanks and peddlers of unlawful and undesirable activities. They are often brainwashed and converted into terrorists. They also work as petty labourers, household help and do hazardous work in factories that employ them against the law. Utterly neglected by the society and swept under its collective conscience like so much of dirt under the carpet, amelioration of their abysmal living standards becomes the sole responsibility of the government.

Timely Intervention

Even if a fraction of the resources and efforts collectively spent by the nation on solving the law and order problems arising out of the vulnerability of the street children and their rehabilitation on a later date, is spent on providing the economically less privileged children compulsory and free education with focus on vocational and industrial training, the future of the hapless children would become a whole lot brighter and the society a good deal less despondent. The Prime Minister’s repeated exhortations of foreign industrialists to set up manufacturing plants and production units in India for a profitable venture are primarily based on the availability of a young workforce, both skilled and semi-skilled, in plenty. In terms of human resources, India has much more to offer than any competing country. In fact, India’s potential in this regard is promising and yet to be fully tapped.

In view of the above facts, our Union government is currently in the process of drafting a new National Education Policy, which is likely to be unveiled in the near future. The new Policy should strive to address some of the basic concerns with quick endeavours, and in this context, skill development and producing of job-generating entrepreneurs are the most crucial. With so much of manpower available that could be converted into a vast army of skilled and semi-skilled workforce, the sheer dimensions of India offer a tremendous scope for infrastructural development on a humongous scale. For this purpose, making vocational training compulsory for all the children across the country, especially the economically underprivileged ones, who would otherwise slip through the gaping holes in the safety net of the education system currently in place, is absolutely essential both for the good of the individuals and for the betterment of the nation.

Skill Development

Of equal importance to making vocational training compulsory and universal is synchronizing the education system with skill development and industrial sector’s requirements. It is imperative that these three components of the nation’s growth engine are in alignment for a sustained economic growth. An estimated 12 million people join the nation’s workforce annually. The average growth rate of the agriculture sector is expected to hover in the range of 4-5%. Our country’s economic development would, therefore, devolve upon the industrial sector in future. In line with the government’s call to create and sustain a climate congenial for the healthy growth of the economy, it is required to make concerted efforts to keep the industrial sector chugging along the growth curve.

For this purpose as well as to make our Prime Minister’s ‘Make in India’ program a success, the Central and State governments should make integration of skill development, education system and industry a national priority. Accordingly, a training program for skill development should be introduced to run concurrently with vocational training to instill in the students participating in the training program, a sound practical experience that would complement the theoretical knowledge acquired in colleges of professional courses, polytechnics, etc. The NDA government currently in power is committed to pushing through an aggressive economic agenda to carry the nation to an altogether new level of development.

Such an ambitious program calls for rapid development of infrastructure in a big way to meet the changing requirements of the industrial sector. Construction of roads, bridges, railway network, shipping, power plants, communication network, solid waste management, etc envisages a vast pool of comprehensive workforce that comprises skilled and semi-skilled workers and trained labour to meet the needs and requirements of the developmental work. The government, which is the primary stakeholder in the evolving scenario of the nation’s economy, has to lay the much-needed groundwork by striking a healthy partnership with the corporate sector for making industrial training an integral part of vocational training and the education system.

Business Education and Entrepreneurship Development

The National Standards for Business Education is an exercise in the US, where business educators play an important role in preparing students to become responsible citizens, capable of making intelligent economic decisions. Similarly, the curriculum of primary and secondary education in India should incorporate lessons on basics of decision-making techniques required to be wise consumers, economic codes of an increasingly international marketplace and the processes by which businesses operate. A science stream student cannot be just confined to physics and chemistry as a solid educational foundation for our students demands knowledgeable and ethical decision-making capabilities, leading to skilled participation and competency in the economic system.

How can we expect Indian citizens to abide by the laws of the country if they are unaware of fundamental norms? As such, law-related education and teachings of moral values and ethics should also be made compulsory. In the elementary school system, constitution, civic engagement, law, and society, as well as separation of powers, should be made a part. At middleschool level, lessons on dispute resolution, environmental laws, human rights, intellectual property, justice, voting rights and international issues should be imparted. At the high school level, teachings on amendments in the laws, legal history, law and war, and upgraded level of other laws should be included. When the students are well-aware of their rights and obligations, only then we can expect them to abide by the legislation of the land.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship should rope in experts to design and develop a world-class entrepreneurship development program into the mainstream curriculum in all the colleges across all states in India. Entrepreneurship development courses should also be delivered in all the industrial clusters across the country. Universities and academic institutions should also be encouraged to introduce programs on Social Entrepreneurship.

As part of the Digital India initiative, the government should also develop and maintain an electronic database of the education system of India. Our country should also become part of the web-based resource for the evaluation of foreign educational credentials such as AACRAO Electronic Database for Global Education profile. The Ministry of HRD and the Ministry of Skill Development should collaborate to boost the efficacy of our education system from the very beginning of child education. This will also eliminate duplication of efforts on the part of these two ministries. The Labour Ministry can also start sharing the needs of today’s corporate world so that our education system can focus on churning out skilled jobseekers as well as employment-generating entrepreneurs.

Financial Literacy and Lessons of Life

To create financial awareness among our youth, a Personal Financial Management Program should be incorporated into the school curriculum so that the students can emerge as independent adult consumers, fully prepared to take wise decisions for a lifetime of economic well-being. An evolving state of competency will enable individuals to respond effectively to ever-changing personal and economic circumstances. The sustained financial well-being of Indian individuals and families can thus be ensured.

Our education domain should also embrace lessons on life and career skills, learning and innovation skills as well as information, media and technology skills, which are a must for leading a happy and contented life in the modern world. Creative thinking, problem-solving, communication and collaboration are to be made part of our education curriculum. Another key area is home-schooling of Indian kids, which has so far been an overlooked aspect. In case, the demands of such parents are considered, proper rules should be put in place with respect to qualifications of teachers imparting home education and affiliations of students with boards of education in India. Furthermore, to ensure accreditation of Indian academic programs so that they are recognized in foreign countries, we need to be a part of agreements such as the Seoul Accord.

Knowledge for Knowledge’s Sake

It would, however, be a folly to squarely equate education with jobs or vocations. Such a narrow approach and simplistic attitude to education would be far from conducive to a positive outlook that enjoins a broader vision of acquisition of not only skill or talent but also knowledge for the evolution and enlargement of one’s mental faculties and a healthy respect for the cultural and religious diversities of different societies. Study of Pure Sciences, Arts and Humanities, Theology, and such other areas of absolute knowledge and information tends to promote the dictum ‘Knowledge for Knowledge’s Sake’. In short, education adds an extra dimension of appreciation to the mind, of the kaleidoscopic cultural and spiritual mosaic that the rich social milieu prevalent in India represents and transforms a man into a well-rounded personality endowed with enhanced mental horizon.

As man does not live by bread alone, he should have access to the portals of learning for quenching his thirst at the fountains of knowledge. Education being a multi-pronged quest for acquiring academic knowledge about matters of particular interest to individual students, besides becoming proficient in the professional or vocational courses, extensive ground-level reforms in the system of education are necessary. The idea behind the Right to Education (RTE) Act was to bring in the much-desired changes in the system of teaching. It is imperative to spread awareness among children and parents about their rights in terms of the Act. This would enable children to look forward to the fulfillment of their legitimate aspirations under the auspices of the RTE Act.

Some Reform Measures

State-of-the-art schools should be constructed to provide hassle-free universal quality education. The schools currently run by the government should be improved upon and sufficiently upgraded. There should be an audit of the condition of the schools with specific recommendations to plug prevalent loopholes and address existing lacunae. The shortcomings and problem areas found in the running of the schools should be overcome by the authorities in a time-bound manner by leaving the task to the professionals and experts answerable to the concerned state government and the Union HRD Ministry.

Some of the areas that need immediate attention are construction of regular classrooms in place of the shoddy or makeshift ones, facilities for providing books and uniforms free of cost to children, facilities for clean drinking water and nutritious midday meals prepared in clean and hygienic conditions, proper transport arrangements for ferrying children, construction of separate toilets for girls and boys and regular maintenance of the school premises. It is of utmost importance to monitor the attendance of teachers on a regular basis to ensure that the classes are conducted without dislocation. Teachers should be encouraged and motivated to be thoroughly professional so that they meet the highest standards of discipline and decorum.

In any case, the teacher-student ratio should not exceed 1:30. There is also another string attached to this. Ask a question from a bunch of youth about their career goals, and assuredly there wouldn’t be a single person aspiring to be a teacher. And those teacher entrance exams and trainings at state levels are riddled with corruption, this is an open truth. Doesn’t this boil down to a gloomy fact that the most vital pillar of the complete education landscape, the Guru, is the one who couldn’t be absorbed in the corporate world, and hence opted for teaching? Make teaching profession lucrative and rewarding; and recruitment of teachers at any level a fair and transparent process. In a country that has so many teachers imparting lessons in schools, when and how private coaching centers became a necessity, with Kota a synonymous of IIT, needs justification? Why can’t we have our universities produce an RBI Governor from their faculty? The question seeks deep introspection from policy makers and the present lot of teachers.

Schools should have a policy of zero tolerance in matters related to harassment of children and inappropriate behaviour by the staff towards children. Parents, as well as teachers should be encouraged to air their legitimate grievances at parent-teacher meetings, which should be held periodically. The school should have appropriate arrangements to provide counseling to children who lag behind in studies, or are wronged sexually or otherwise. Children should be taught in gentle and subtle ways about the evils of gender discrimination as well as discrimination on the basis of caste, creed, religion, colour, race or social standing. Successful imparting of right values at impressionable age would help them comprehend the real meaning of that beautiful dictum of ancient India – Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. The bottom line is that a child’s school life should be both rewarding and enjoyable.

Besides imparting theoretical and practical knowledge of various subjects, children should be exposed to a wide range of extracurricular activities like sports, yoga, etc, which should be included in the curriculum as compulsory. Children interested in learning about their favourite hobbies and pastimes should be encouraged to do so, and they should be allowed to pursue extracurricular activities without prejudice to their principal subjects of study. Students should also be taught about social and topical subjects such as patriotism, keeping the public places and rivers clean, etc.

At the school level, there should be a single Board of Education, a uniform curriculum at par with global standards and practices, with a special focus on the specific needs of Indian society and economy. There should also be a uniform system of grading and differential and innovative methodology of teaching throughout the country. Extra focus on the regional language and local history may, however, be allowed as an add-on. The thrust of education at school and university levels as well as at vocational training centres, polytechnics, etc should be on skill-based education, creativity, research, and innovation. A centralized agency on the lines of the University Grants Commission (UGC) should be constituted to execute RTE and coordinate, monitor and maintain standards of primary and secondary level education across the country in a uniform manner.

In keeping with the changing times and requirements, internet-enabled learning and smart digital classrooms may be introduced to replace conventional and traditional style classes in high schools. Apart from the use of computers, tablets, etc, visual e-learning could be introduced by uploading lectures on every subject on the Board’s website and use of e-boards in the classroom. This would enable speeding up of dissemination and receiving of information. Furthermore, free availability of lectures online would be a great help to students who could avoid the hassles of private tuitions and coaching. No college or university should be allowed to be set up unless they meet stringent standards prescribed by the UGC.

This would forestall the prospects of setting up of shops by unscrupulous peddlers of spurious quality education bent upon making a killing on the sly. Another useful and innovative reform measure would be to digitize the academic records of the students. The database of the students containing their personal particulars, including a unique identity number allotted to each one of them and their academic rundown should be available on the portal of the HRD Ministry for easy retrieval of information pertaining to any student throughout his academic career. This would prove useful as testimonials such as birth certificate, school leaving certificate, degree certificate, etc. Furthermore, the students would not be required to submit them every time they seek admission in a different university or institution since the desired information regarding their qualification, etc would be readily available online. This would also pre-empt someone taking recourse to furnishing fake certificates.

Investment in Tomorrow’s Leaders

Last but not least, there is a distinct possibility of the state governments pleading a resource crunch while addressing the implementation of sweeping changes and reform measures in the education sector. In case, the governments find it difficult to enhance their outlay to make conditions optimal for providing universal, quality education free-of-cost, then they should consider roping in private investors and innovators and provide them a level-playing field. Why not bring in CSR funds in this crucial sector, and strictly make education a not-for-profit institution at all levels? No amount of investment in education could be considered too much, nor should any efforts be spared to find the required funds, because finally it is education that moulds and shapes the character and personality of the future leaders of our country

There could be no two opinions about the need for the political leadership and the bureaucracy in a functioning democracy like India, to work in sync for the optimum implementation of the government’s programs. Unless the two wings of the democratic system work in tandem, implementation of the programs would be fraught with the prospects of the watering down of the effect of the result when it trickles down to the common man who forms the fulcrum of the system of governance. A flawed officialdom, with uncooperative civil servants in its ranks, is the biggest handicap that any government that aspires to translate into action the lofty principles of the ruling party for the betterment of the masses it is mandated to serve could be saddled with. A recalcitrant civil service is far worse than a vindictive political Opposition, which goes at the ruling party hammer and tongs at every available opportunity, with or without provocation.

While the ruling party could add, in the course of taking on a vindictive Opposition, strength to its political muscles and ideological armour by devising ingenious counter measures, a flawed administration would turn out to be its very undoing by failing or refusing to carry across to the public the government’s message of development in real terms. And yet, it is the party in power that would be upbraided and penalized by the voters at the next round of hustings for failing to fulfill its mandate, leaving the faceless bureaucracy out of the pale of accountability. The secret of successful governance is, therefore, for the political leadership to keep an alert and watchful eye on the bureaucracy for ensuring the vindication of its raison d’être.

No government worth its name could afford to be far too heavily dependent on the officialdom for the effective dissemination of its policies and programs in absolute terms among the voters; nor could it completely divest or distance itself from the motions that the administration meanders through. Aside from the inept and corrupt officials who owe their selection and induction into pivotal positions in the system and survival to an erstwhile political dispensation, a top heavy system of administration with reluctant bureaucrats at the higher levels, with ideological proclivity and leanings of loyalty towards a party in the Opposition, is fraught with the risk of the frustrated elements working against the political interests of the prevailing dispensation. It is, therefore, important that the inept and corrupt elements in the civil services are identified and rendered harmless by a government immediately on its induction into power. It is for this purpose and in the overall interests of the nation that timely reforms in the bureaucracy assume relevance and importance.

Integrity and Loyalty

Officials who constitute the bureaucratic machinery are not expected to have political leanings or strong ideological proclivities. In fact, they are supposed to be apolitical and concerned only with the implementation of the government’s policies and programs. However, being the products of high portals of learning and academic milieu that are usually a hotbed of conflicting political ideologies and diverse economic theories and being endowed with bright minds given to free thinking, they frequently find themselves in a quandary of having to merely execute the programs and schemes conceived by their political masters. Having been pitch-forked to the pinnacles of the prestigious administrative service, their rise at a fairly young age to the much-coveted positions of power makes them feel quite at liberty to weigh the merits and demerits of a governmental program albeit within the confines of their own mind. Hence, unless totally convinced about the desirability, viability and feasibility of the program, they would find it extremely difficult to throw themselves headlong into its implementation.

A half-hearted or ham-handed attempt to implement the programs or schemes is a surefire way to make them turn into fiascos. Nevertheless, the certain prospects of career progression, compounded by the proximity of the political leadership and its dependence on the officialdom, which is the solid bedrock of the system of governance, has the corrupting influence of infusing the public servants with a numbing sense of complacency with regard to the their secure positions and a false sense of unbridled power. Being not always a party to the process of decision-making despite being the sword-wielding arm of the executive authority for the implementation of schemes that they might personally not approve of in toto, civil servants often find themselves caught between a rock and a hard place.

Notwithstanding the unenviable position they find themselves in, unless the bureaucrats are alive all the time to the fact that they are a mere cog in the wheel of the administrative machinery and that the power they wield flows from the service that they get to render to the nation and its populace, they become victims of arrogance and corruption, which bring them perilously close to the shifting sands of the political quagmire. Out of self-interest, an indifferent or corrupt government official tends to drift away from loyalty to the nation and may become close to a powerful politician who is interested in the pelf and not in the policies. Hence, it is important that at the very initial level of their induction into the administrative service, the candidates are sensitized about their loyalty having to lie with the nation and the Constitution and nowhere else. Their performance should be result-oriented, and the end result of the service they render should be for the welfare of the public and the interests of the nation.

Extraneous considerations such as promotion of the interests of the self-serving politicians or the narrow, selfish goals of the corporate behemoths who underwrite the corrupt politicians should not be allowed to cloud their perception or taint their performance. In addition to putting in place an effective mechanism to ensure selection of the right candidates who do not owe allegiance to political parties, it must also be ensured that the entrants to the civil service do not become votaries of alien ideologies like religious fundamentalism and loyalty to regional or international forces that are inimical to the territorial integrity or cultural ethos of India. It is equally important to monitor their objectivity in the carrying out of their functions throughout the duration of their career. To this end, the system in place should be fortified with reform measures.

Once inducted into the services and deployed in positions of power, administrators should dedicate themselves to the service of the nation. They have no choice but to toe the line of the government so long as its programs do not militate against the Constitution, the law of the land or prescribed financial norms and propriety. The more a bureaucrat is motivated by the bonafides of a program and convinced about its viability and usefulness for the targeted section of the society, the more successful would be the scope for implementation of the program. This does not call for the civil servant to go out of the way to identify himself with the political ideology of the government. A total application of his concerted efforts to making a success of the programs is, however, absolutely necessary.

It would, therefore, be appropriate in this scenario to consider “party-line bureaucracy” for a workable solution while deciding on the appointments as well as the transfers and postings of senior officers. This calls for the appointment of civil servants not only on the basis of their professional competence but also on the basis of their affinity, enthusiasm and ideological orientation for the economic policies and political principles of the party in power. This measure would not only ensure that candidates with right credentials and qualities are posted at the right place and at the right time, but they work at optimum efficiency and propitious productivity as well on account of their total commitment to their work.

Flab and Deadwood

A peevish or petulant civil servant whose loyalty lies with the forces that are working for the debunking of the government’s credibility or a timeserver who believes in merely enjoying the pecuniary benefits, perks and privileges that his position entails constitutes the flab of the system or deadwood that has to be weeded out for the overall good of the system. Security of a job, no matter how high, should not be at the cost of its incumbent having to be carried along at enormous costs to the nation.

Responsible Bureaucracy

When a welfare scheme announced by a government is promptly taken up for implementation and relentlessly pursued till its completion, it is not only the end users but also the political party in power that conceived and carried out the scheme that ends up as the beneficiaries. Should the implementation of the scheme, however, turn out to be a fiasco either on account of administrative bottlenecks or the lackadaisical attitude or indifferent approach on the part of the administrators, much disenchantment follows, resulting in the political disposition drawing flak. While politics is universally derided as a major breeding ground for corruption and politicians, cutting across the party spectrum, heckled as unscrupulous wheeler-dealers, government officials stay firmly ensconced in a relatively safe reproach-free zone of officialdom.

Individually, government officials are seldom held responsible, either by the administrative machinery or the media, for their lackluster performance, let alone for procrastination or peevish disposition about the government’s ambitious programs. Such a lopsided state of affairs hardly augurs well for the equation between the government and the civil services to remain on an even keel. Suffice it to say that for the sake of maintaining a harmonious working relation between the two wings of governance, the current state of affairs wherein the administration is hardly held responsible for the failure of the government’s programs and schemes should be reviewed and suitable reform measures introduced. This would make the officialdom accountable for its actions and non-actions and also answerable to the government in a more explicit manner than at present.

Whistle Blowers

Equally important to making public servants responsible for their actions and answerable to the people’s representatives in power is to insulate them from the whims of self-serving politicians who might try to implicate them in dubious deals, murky scams and insidious scandals of financial impropriety. Unless bureaucrats feel totally safe about their positions in service, they may hardly be expected to have the cojones to resist the pressure tactics of corrupt politicians, let alone expose their corrupt deals. It is, therefore, absolutely necessary to have a system of protection of the whistle-blowers. The absence of such a system and an appropriate mechanism to monitor it would likely result in the withering away of honesty in the most spirited civil servant of unimpeachable honesty and stoutest integrity. Suspension, frequent transfers and maligning of the image and personal reputation are some of the risks that the honest and upright government officials dread at the hands of vindictive politicians in the event of their choosing to spill the beans and unearth corruption in high places.

Measures to Boost Performance 

Once an appropriate mechanism is put in place by the government to create a fear-free atmosphere for the administrators to operate, it would have already traversed half the way to creating the right conditions for the enhancement of the performance of the officials. The process would be complete when the government creates a framework wherein the public servants are called upon to think, plan and execute projects a la CEOs in the private sector companies. Furthermore, officials who are credited with outstanding results in their assignments should be generously rewarded with promotions, plum postings, etc. Needless to say, encouragement of honest and enterprising officers with such rewards is as vital as weeding out the deadwood to make a viable system of bureaucracy

Priority Areas for Reform Measures

The system in vogue at present to assess the performance of the government officials is for the Performance Management Division of the Cabinet Secretariat to gauge the work output by the use of Result Framework Documents (RFD). This system pegs the weightage to processing goals at over 80% and that of the outcome goals at less than 20%. Consequently, there is hardly any pressure on the administrators to be result-oriented as their performance is not assessed solely by the results generated. This is not a very happy situation for the system to differentiate between the achievers and the deadwood. The situation could be ameliorated by improving upon the current practice. Appropriate RFDs, having some Measurable Time-bound Real Outcomes (Metros), could be designed and used to boost the performance of the government officials and make them more accountable to the system.

The officials should also be sufficiently empowered to be able to achieve the targets. Induction of well-qualified and motivated candidates in high places of hierarchy, ensuring that they do not become victims of shifting goalposts of loyalty, safeguarding the interests of the honest and upright officers who not only refuse to kowtow to corrupt politicians but also have the cojones to expose corruption in high places, rewarding achievers and performers, weeding out of the deadwood as well as periodic and prompt monitoring of the efficacy of the system are some of the priority areas for the introduction of administrative reforms. This will make the bureaucracy a lean and mean fighting machine.

The earlier the reform measures are initiated and seen through, the healthier the condition of the administration. Otherwise, it become more and more of an end of the road for the hopes of honest and upright officers and a stagnant pool of corruption and mediocrity on the part of inept and indifferent officers under the watch of self-serving politicians. This would be to the disadvantage and dismay of the nation, which would end up being the ultimate loser in spite of the ingenious and lofty schemes of the political leadership.

Social drinking became an acceptable norm of life for an entire generation of Indians as soon as the first flush of the fulfillment of a lofty ambition and national pride, which had come to the fore with the nation’s independence, started subsiding. With the disappearance of the respected leaders of the Independence Movement, who had willingly sacrificed their youth, personal liberty and family life for the sake of the country’s freedom from the colonial yoke, there was a void of men and women of great trust and moral stature for the youth of the day to emulate. English became the official language and lingua franca that united different parts of the country. The country’s education system that was a takeoff on the British legacy contributed in no small measure to the imbibing of the values of the West by the Indian youth. They got lured by the down-to-earth pragmatism of the Western lifestyle as opposed to the philosophical and cultural moorings of the Indian concept and perception of life.

English newspapers, magazines, novels and movies, and subsequently satellite television, which had generous dollops of Western inputs, captured the imagination of the Indian youth in a big way and stoked the fire of curiosity in them about life in the Western world. With a shift in focus of development from agricultural to industrial economy, to smoke and swig became the hallmark of one who had arrived in the changing cultural milieu of a nation in transition in its march to a brave new world. Romantic film heroes or macho villains were seldom seen on the screen or the cover of a glossy film magazine without a cigarette precariously dangling from their lips, a liquor-induced dreamy look in their eyes or a drink ready at their elbow.

Diehard fans of dashing film stars, wanting to be cast in the same mould as their heroes, or anti-heroes took to smoking and drinking as a fashion or style statement.  Pictures of spiritual and nationalist heroes like Swami Vivekananda, Rabindranath Tagore and Mahatma Gandhi adorning the walls of the rooms of youngsters gave way to those of film heroes or sexy vamps who were depicted on screen as hearty tipplers. With the preceding generation of Indians having already won for them a hard-earned independence by foregoing personal comforts and liberty, the youth of the day deemed it fit to bounce into the scene and allow themselves to a relaxed lifestyle of which social drinking was a cornerstone. Whether their spirits were soaring on joyous occasions or plummeting on gloomy ones, drinks provided a solid support and companionship.

Globalization and Alcohol Industry

By the time globalization dawned and Indian economy opened up in a big way, the liquor industry in the country had come of age. Indian-made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) started doing brisk business, elbowing out the cheaper brands of ‘desi’ drinks like ‘feni,’ ‘toddy,’ ‘arrack,’ etc. Growing disposable incomes, rapid urbanization of rural populations, greater acceptance of social drinking, lowering of age-limit for the youngsters to drink as well as commitments to the World Trade Organization to reduce quantitative restrictions on alcohol imports, had the cumulative effect of multinational liquor companies identifying India as an attractive market for their wares and entering the fray by starting their own production plants in the country. The local alcohol industry, on its part, was quick to seize upon this emerging market and introduced new products such as flavored and mild alcoholic products, aimed at attracting young women and men among the non-drinking sections of the society.

Opportunities and Excuses Galore

Pubs started dotting the cultural horizon to cater to upmarket customers, yuppies and celebrities who needed exclusive and secluded waterholes, away from home, to thrash out a sticky point, clinch a business deal, settle a personal score or merely do some networking, with their contacts, all over a glass of the amber liquid or frothy beer. You don’t do these things over a box of laddoos or glass of sherbet to the accompaniment of a ‘Badai Ho!’, do you? It does not measure up, by any stretch of the imagination, to the ambience created by the proposing of a toast followed by the clinking of glasses and a throaty unison of “Cheers!” The longer the time spent in a pub and the more the liquor passed around, the more garrulous the actors became and stronger and deeper their bonds of friendship or association!

To complete the predictable cycle of human behaviour, when a clean, good guy was betrayed by an unscrupulous business partner or a scheming friend or rejected by his lady love, his first port of call was a pub for drowning his sorrow in a glass of liquor, with an invisible and inaudible guitar gently weeping in the background. With the availability of a stage for a wide array of occasions ranging from love to business to hatching conspiracies to clinching deals, people found no dearth of opportunities to hang out at their favourite pubs. The more affluent and well-connected people had their exclusive clubs where liquor opened and closed doors of fabulous opportunities. It even became fashionable for a young man to be seen sporting a brooding and sombre look and ever so gently disheveled at the workplace in the mornings and exude a nonchalant demeanor despite the telltale signs of a hangover of the previous day’s party scene.

Where men are pushing the envelope, could women be far behind? Indian women do not lag behind their male compatriots either in education or career or other fields any longer. Besides, the shackles of matrimony have been loosening up. The joint family system where there was a careful monitoring of a young lady’s movements and whereabouts has long gone by into the dustbins of history, never to come back. Working women stay away from home with friends or colleagues. The concept of live-in relationship has caught up and is very much in vogue; and for all intents and purposes, the practice is here to stay. An evening with friends, male or female, at the pub is no different for a self-perceived emancipated working woman from quality time spent at the coffee house. What is more, why should the boys have all the fun?

The new found joy of earning one’s own income, albeit by dint of hard work,  independence from the watchful eye of elderly relatives and the absence of family encumbrances make a deadly cocktail for the hard-to-resist temptation of asserting one’s personality, both for young men and women who find nothing wrong in aping the West. Booze emboldens them, more often than not, from going the whole hog although they might not be inclined to do so initially. The descent down the slope is, however, often slippery. What starts off as fun ends up as pain, often unstoppable. And one finds, to one’s horror, that there is now no going back home.

Boozing at weddings, openly or discretely, has always been considered part of the scene in many an Indian state just as firing into the air by macho men in a boisterous mood. Nor is drinking frowned upon anymore on festive occasions like Diwali or Holi. The ushering in of the New Year is incomplete if you are not part of a gala party where the chimes of the clock at the midnight are drowned by the uncorking sound of champagne bottles! Liquor carries you on its crest from the year that is no more to the year that is just born. Not to belabour a point, suffice it to say that drinking has been accepted as a behavioural norm or part of Indian lifestyle, although there is still many a household in the country, especially in the middle class, where drinking is considered a social evil and alcohol a taboo.

Reason for Farewell to Prohibition

The people are, however, desperately holding on to their modicum of the principle of abstention from alcohol despite having lost hope that the society would ever be rid altogether of the evil phenomenon of drinking. The reason for this feeling of despondency is that except Gujarat, Nagaland and parts of Manipur and the Union Territory (UT) of Lakshadweep, the rest of the country has already given up on the policy of Prohibition. The Constituent Assembly of independent India had included prohibition as one of the Directive Principles of State Policy. In practice, however, alcohol policy devolved to individual States with the aim of enabling them to formulate their own regulations and levy their own taxes. Many states get 15–20% of their revenue from taxation on alcohol, which happens to be their second largest income after general sales tax/VAT.

The revenue aims of state governments are in conflict with their health and welfare aims as they strive to boost sales by imposing annual incremental quotas on production and sales of alcohol. The reasons advanced by the states or UTs, which have allowed manufacture and sale of liquor, span an entire gamut of excuses. They include the spectre of bootlegging threatening to haunt in the absence of regulation on manufacture and sale of alcohol, hardcore drinkers becoming victims to illicit liquor, inability to strictly enforce Prohibition on account of shortage of Police personnel and drain on the state’s scarce resources and the likely ensuing of law and order problems. Furthermore, some states also highlight the absurdity of enforcing the virtue of abstention from alcohol in this age of changing times and outlook of people in matters of food and drinks. However, the most important and valid reason advanced against bidding farewell to Prohibition is the lure of revenues that the states find too difficult to resist.

A Case Study

Tamil Nadu, for instance, has found a veritable milch cow in not allowing the sale of alcohol by the private sector. Instead, the state government itself is managing the liquor business. Control over the wholesale and retail vending of IMFL is exercised by the state government-owned Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) through a network of nearly 7,000 outlets through the length and breadth of the state. The earnings of TASMAC during 2013-14 amounted to a staggering figure of Rs 23,400 crore. The revenue is utilized by the state government for defraying the costs of its subsidies and freebies, needless to say, all to the advantage of the ruling party and publicity of its populist schemes and measures. Despite vigorous opposition from various quarters, the State government is finding it too difficult, nay, unwilling to forego the lucrative revenue by introducing Prohibition and is relentless in its current policy of allowing the sale of liquor. Similar is the case of all the other States where Prohibition is not in force.

Central Government to Act

Whatever the excuses for not having Prohibition in force or explanations for a State’s inability to implement the policy, it is evident that allowing manufacture and sale of liquor especially by the state itself, is both unethical and inadmissible. This is primarily on account of the irrefutable fact that the principal role and responsibility of the government is to ensure the welfare and collective good of the people. A government is not a mere agency to facilitate the availability of alcohol, tobacco or such addictive and harmful substances to which people easily get addicted. If a considerable number of people in a State want to commit despicable crimes like foeticide or infanticide, it would be unthinkable for a government to allow the commissioning of such crimes, let alone assist or abet the acts.

If large numbers of Indians are getting accustomed to consumption of alcohol, it is because of the easy availability of drinks and lack of awareness of the evils of alcohol. As such, the Central Government should take immediate steps to introduce a blanket ban on the manufacture and sale of alcohol throughout the country except for medical or industrial purposes. There should be a nationwide imposition of Prohibition and transgression of the relevant laws should be viewed seriously and entail stiff penalties. For this purpose, the subject matter should be brought under the legislative powers of the Central Government, which could at least partly alleviate the financial hardships faced by the State Governments owing to loss of revenue on account of closure of liquor shops, with health subsidies.

Some Suggested Measures   

It is incumbent on the government that has the welfare of the people as its goal, to spread the awareness of the evils of alcohol, especially among the students and youngsters of vulnerable age groups and enlighten them of the virtues of abstention. The awareness campaigns should enlist the support of artists, intellectuals, sportspersons, media, doctors, teachers, community elders, eminent persons and most importantly, individuals who had become victims of addiction to liquor and were weaned away from the addiction. Case studies of individuals harmed by addiction to alcohol should be undertaken and widely disseminated among the members of the public.

Corporate houses should take the responsibility of chipping in by joining the awareness campaigns and encourage their staff to abstain from alcohol. The Ministry of Health should organize, with the active participation of corporate houses, periodical health check-ups for the personnel of the government and private services who are in the habit of drinking with the idea of weaning them away from alcohol. A similar nationwide exercise should be carried out for the benefit of the people at large. Quality education, awareness campaigns highlighting the evils of drinking and periodical health check-ups complemented by timely medical treatment would, over a period of time, result in the fructifying of a climate of temperance for the overall good and welfare of the people.

The idea of India has been distorted, it is persistently being denigrated with attempts to glorify the perpetrators, and this has brought us on the brink of severe national crisis. It was not just a lone occurrence in the JNU, a prestigious Indian university, it is rather happening everywhere, in all parts of the country, rural or urban, advanced or under-developed, and the same is being repeated despite its cruel impact on the socio-political landscape of the nation. News reports are chockfull with anti-national happenings, and what worries more is that the journalism of independent India, along with many from the intelligentsia, is behaving in an exactly contrary manner to how it worked in the pre-independent India.

Difference with the past performance of media

Those were the days when print media ushered in a new wave of nationalism in the society that was oppressed at the hands of colonial rulers; I fear, had the same electronic media, which is sensationalizing all events in today’s India, been a part of India’s struggle for freedom, personalities like Mahatma Gandhi, Tilak and Motilal Nehru would be projected as villains, and people like Jinnah and other advocators of partition be portrayed as heroes of the mass. True, Jinnah and other Muslim League leaders had their part of contribution in the nation’s fight against imperialism; however it was the Indian National Congress and its socialist and secular leaders who can be justly regarded as the genuine forefathers of the Indian populace.

A similar milieu exists today when the voices of rebellion are strong enough and adding to them is the illicit support of Indian media and handful of intellectuals. Pre-1947 was a fight against the tyrannical rule of the British, but we are democratic country today, we elect our leaders, are free to express our views, can choose any profession we like, can visit any part of India we wish, and above all, dignity is a fundamental right bestowed upon us all. Then does it seem logical to bluntly defy the state in the bid to show our anger against sporadic incidents of caste and communal inequity, which you have to agree, will be a part of Indian society unless we attain the kind of socio-economic development that we envisaged while framing the secular and socialist Constitution.

What after all is ‘Freedom of Speech’

Indeed, if construed in the broadest sense, the right to free speech should not be infringed and ‘dissent’ should be viewed as a permissible extension of freedom of expression. True, when Indians weren’t contented with the British rule, which was superficially the legal order of those days, they dissented, demanded freedom, and used words, speeches, petitions and processions as the way to achieve liberty. That dissent was different to today’s defiance.

The tribal rights issue that has culminated into an uprising for rights can be understood in this context, their demands, which deserved a legal entitlement have been incorporated in many government’s policies; at the same time, however, when the media or intellectuals sympathize with the cause of Naxalites, accord justifications to their violent struggle, it isn’t dissent or right to free speech, it is a clear disregard to the legally established law of the land, an attack on country’s legitimate state of affairs. Similarly, according rationalizations to what happened in JNU or to the demands of Kashmiri separatist groups or of north-east tribal groups is nothing more than allowing and endorsing anti-national movements.

Portraying anarchists as Heroes

Yakub Memon, Afzal Guru, Syed Geelani or Yasin Malik weren’t natural heroes, the media and our intelligentsia created them- media to tap the benefits of TRP and intelligentsia to extract recognition and some political mileage. It can even be said that many political leaders of today, many of whom are known offenders and indulged in cases of corruption owe their birth to this sensationalist media. Yakub Memon’s funeral procession, where thousands of supporters vowed end of Indian supremacy, was nothing but a slap on the face of those who until the last day appealed for commutation of his death penalty. But they want more of this.

Why is education regarded as the most crucial pillar to development- since if the youth knows about history, science and social landscape, he will be able to bring in advancement. But what we are imparting to the youth of today in the name of education and journalism is a sheer feeling of discord towards the government, a sensation of separatism and anarchism. This is the very defeat of the Constitution which anti-nationals try to illicitly invoke when charges of sedition are framed against them; this is the failure of the expression, ‘Union of States- India’, as conceived by our forefathers.

Why isn’t the media able to realize that the environment that they have created today will one day eat up even their own presence, for violence and the wave of mayhem spares none- the media, the opposition political parties, the so-called intelligentsia and with them the common Indian will bear the brunt of this knowingly committed felony.

Even then, the Indian Democracy will never fail

The Indian democracy and its dominance aren’t so delicate. They have survived many attacks from across the border and also from within, they will not fall prey to the tactics of pseudo-seculars and so-called neo-nationalists. Still, those who aren’t capable of reaping the benefits of independence from foreign rule even until this date- the impoverished and socially backward- demand from the media and its panelists an atmosphere where rightful demands are raised, they demand a platform where chronic poverty, malnourished children, gender inequity and crimes against Dalit are judicially deliberated, not just JNU incidents and Hurriyat’s agenda sensationalized and endorsed.

Take on the enemy in your own fold

Be it the BJP or the Congress or any other government, they need support from the public and all other stakeholders so that the dreams of the founders of Indian Constitution be realized. Sadly, many of these stakeholders are busy creating heroes out of anti-nationals and in this blind race are forging an alliance with the perpetrators. Rightly said, you can defeat the enemy on the other side of the border since he has a different appearance, but the one who is on your side of the line will hold the key to your defeat, since he will be concealed, yet will be the decider of your failure.

The ones out on bail have been reprimanded by the judges in their judgments; hailing them as heroes in campuses and on news channels will be like chopping off the branch you are resting on. Lastly, we urgently need to demarcate our real heroes, Gandhiji, Tilak and others from the ‘created ones’, if we are to attain the highest echelons of growth and dignity.

Naming the JNU scholar, charged with sedition and now set free on bail, may bring me more viewers, more supporters, more criticizers and even some political mileage. But I will refrain from creating on more Neta in the country which is already so messed up these days. Indeed, whether or not did the so-called scholar, whose primary task was to undertake research, raise the anti-national slogans is sub judice, the ongoing debates and heated exchange of arguments from the intelligentsia have accorded this issue a national status. So, the outcome is the same as it was some years ago when Indians collectively backed the proponents of Jan Lokpal Bill, or decades ago when we saw in the so-called socialist Janata Party leaders anew ray of inclusive development- The very process of concocting a new face for Indian political arena is underway, the face has started wielding power by way of speeches and rhetoric, and many Indians, some seeking advantage and othersignorant of the underlying threat, are backing this face.

All in all, the stage is set for a new communist-cum-socialist, with the much-needed flavor of controversy, to set his march in politics, drums and trumpets being blown by the Indian media. But let me ask you all- Are we ready for yet another leader, a Neta, who, as usual,will defy the current authority, who will relate the misery of peasants and the labour class with the capitalist approach of ruling government, who will have no other goal than to bring down the elected government and who, I challenge, has no vision, no idea, no defined plan of action that can help even a bit in overcoming any issues facing contemporary India. But, sadly, politics in India has become so easy- Your Resume for a political seat doesn’t need experience and qualification, it only needs a list of confrontations you have had with the government of the day, the lengthy and controversial the list, more are your chances to progress as a Neta in this country.

The pre-independence Indian National Congress had in its ranks leaders and intellectuals of caliber; they had no other means to challenge the mighty colonial power than by way of propaganda which included speeches, articles, rhetoric, promises of democracy. This, however, became the criterion for acceptance as a public figure, a politician, and since independence we have an exhaustive list of leaders, some socialists, claiming equitable distribution of national resources but in the end eating up the same by way of illicit paybacks from public exchequer, some communists, advocating workers’ and farmers’ rights but ending up degrading their lives even further, and others relishing power by enticing one community/ caste against the other, alleging the other intolerant. To this already dense list, these days, in the name of alleged intolerance and curbed freedom of expression, faces are popping out of every nook and corner of the country, are rallying on wide public and political support, are hoping to being elected sooner than later, and then give us the same old governance- aimless, below par and corrupt.

The recent JNU controversy has grabbed the attention of us all, and we are judging conditions basis what is being expressed by political men, journalists, and intellectuals. In all the brouhaha there is one person who has emerged as a clear winner- the JNU scholar arrested for organizing the event where anti-national sloganeering shamed the country. After being granted bail, he immediately took it to mics, was aired by news channels, and defamed the ruling government with all wit and humor and in the end vowed to bring this government down. This may remind us of the days when INC leaders gave public speeches to propagate anti-colonial sentiments, but this time, this is all ill-motivated and will yield only regretful outcomes. Finger pointed towards the sky, voice as loud as thunderstorm and words as magical as penned by poets- THIS ISN’T SOCIALISM, THIS IS CLEAR,BESMIRCHED POLITICS.

Coming to the very recent debate on tolerance in Kolkata, an affair that turned political rather than an intellect deliberation, some questions in my mind seek answers from so-called speakers at the event. Let me also in the beginning make it clear that a question for the last speaker at the event, a female journalist from NDTV, doesn’t mean that I will take a pro-BJP stand in this matter. Hence, in the beginning, let me, along with praising the realistic gestures of Anupam Kher, also tell him that the Prime Minister of India HAS the liability to work incessantly, for he holds such an office and obligation, this doesn’t make him extraordinary. For the last speaker, who was also the first journalist to meet the JNU scholar after his release from jail, questions are many. You may have now opted for ‘pluralism’ after the word ‘secularism’ was tainted by Indian political parties, but let me as a citizen of India dare you not to replace ‘nationalism’ with any other word, since it reminds us that we are a UNION of states and not purely federal as is the United States of America, since it prevents all constitutional rights (to which you related the so-called ‘Azadi’) bestowed upon all Indians, and since it allows the incident of Delhi, related to Kashmir, to be discussed in Kolkata, and aired even in Mizoram.

It is nothing more than a nexus where leaders are created, projected to the public, publicized and subsequently put to power, which then is misused by all the units in this nexus. Also, it is imperative to know what constitutes anti-nationalism, which the last speaker at Kolkata, found vague, a tool used by authority to suppress freedom of expression. If the Tamil Nadu or Punjab CM have expressed view on pardoning of militants, if the J&K separatists were to be brought to discussion tables as per BJP-PDP alliance condition, this is not comparable to what happened in JNU; in JNU, let me remind you, Afzal Guru was hailed, Supreme Court’s verdict was libeled, the Indian unity and sovereignty wascriminally dared in a way that enticed the crowd, put India’s reputation to loss and bypassed the bounds of genuine freedom of expression. And if people of your caliber and public standing fail to comprehend this simple difference between right to ask and being anti-national, I have no doubt that India’s supremacy is surely being eroded.

The media, political men, intelligentsia are all funding, knowing or unknowingly, the making of yet another new face in Indian political battlefield, a face that will repeat the same old tactics of struggle between proletariat and bourgeoisie and will subsequently become a Neta of the mass, will then use that position to enrich himself and will devoid the countrymen of whatever little or more they own and hold today. As wise citizens, let us take the initiative of neither loving, nor hating, but ignoring such neo-nationalists. India cannot afford more Netas and their rhetoric; it is time that properly devised and deliberated policies are put to work, honest endeavors of state endorsed and unwanted criticism of government functioning snubbed.

Why cry over dearer air travel, restaurant bills?

What gets dearer and what becomes cheaper isn’t a real issue as far as the Union Budget of India is considered. Most of these are market oriented and anyhow all governments want to increase revenue income so as to pave way for spending on development and ensure equitable distribution of income. So even if eating out, buying a car or air travels get costlier, no mark cuts for PM Modi-inspired budget presented by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. So is the case with status quo on income tax slabs for individuals and an addition of 0.5 per cent Krishi Kalyan Cess on services with an aim to refining agriculture and boosting farming.

For those who were looking for more income tax concessions, you need to know that while tax-GDP ratio of France and Denmark stands at 45 per cent and 48.6 per cent respectively, the same for India is a meagre 16.7 per cent; contribution of Indians’ by way of taxes is what is holding the pace of infrastructural development and revival of banking and other sectors.

Shift of sentiments towards rural India

Ideologies and the Right-Left-Centre inclination of political parties has faded in contemporary times and the result is that all parties, not just in India, but around the world, whether labeled as socialist, capitalist, communist or conservative or liberal or democratic or republican, focus both on boosting the urban economy and the labour-farmer community. A direct beneficiary of the 2016 Union Budget, and something that was much-needed looking at the distress of rural economy and failure of crops and incessant suicides of farmers, is the farming community. Here too, while the allocation of INR 5500 crore to Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana will serve as a deterrent to unpromising times during monsoon, the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sichai Yojana and provision of INR 15000 crore towards interest subvention for loan repayment for farmers will prevent continuous degeneration of farming.

There is a proposal to double income of farmers in five years, along with electrification of all Indian villages by May 2018; then is the spending on roads in rural areas and affordable housing scheme, all that was needed looking at the vulnerability of rural India. The allocation to MGNREGA has been increased by 11 per cent; experts view this as a win-win situation, however, reports of ghost workers and high corruption at the implementation level has been ignored as usual, sad that this isn’t a matter of concern as far as yearly financial statement is concerned. What instead the government could have done was to stick to the same allocation to MGNREGA and spend the remaining of this amount on fortifying the scheme’s execution, by way of infusing technology and real-time reporting of wages paid and beneficiaries added under the scheme.

Fiscal Deficit and PSBs Revitalization

The 3.5 per cent target of fiscal deficit is welcome, more so when it has a bearing on currency, equity and bond markets, even more when Central Bank’s rate cut in the coming policy review will be a direct outcome of this move. Banks, more specifically, the public sector ones, are the backbone of the economy and the government realizes that this backbone is scuffling with mounting NPAs; the INR 25000 crore allocated for recapitalization of PSBs is a welcome move, though was known even prior its declaration, but is that amount sufficient for banks with mounting bad assets is a question that stands erect and unquestioned. It is agreeable that the Amnesty Program, which is to encourage black money holders declare assets and pay 45 per cent tax on them, will give some elbow room for government’s spending on social sector, but will such high rate actually call upon defaulters is again suspicious; any rate between 35-40 per cent would have been apt.

Social Spending

Where the government has scored full marks are the announcements of National Health Insurance Scheme with provision of INR 1 lakh for BPL families with an additional INR 30000 top up cover for senior citizens (boosting the shattered health sector of India), 3000 stores under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi Yojna (giving new life to the unhealthy poor) and National Dialysis Services Program through the PPP route (recognizing the need of millions). But will all social spending and rural programs end up taking the country to the target of inclusive growth and dignified life for all? The answer lies in the budget where education, skill development, entrepreneurship and research have been accorded the needed impetus.

Digital depository for school leaving certificates, college degrees and marksheets will help improve the process of applications for higher education and jobs. Law to protect investors from Ponzi schemes, legal identity to AADHAR for preventing any leakages in flow of subsidy to the real needy and making brail paper and sanitary pads cheaper will have an impact no less on the lives of common Indian. The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, pet scheme of the new BJP government gets INR 9000 crore; it may raise questions however with reports coming from many states about number of toilets on papers vis-à-vis toilets actually constructed, thus depicting how budget promises many a time remain elusive.

Few areas of concern

Now some areas of worry come from statements like the government is committed to providing a stable and predictable taxation regime, when recently a reminder was sent to Vodafone for the pending retrospective tax dispute which is under consideration, provide a blurred picture on whether policy makers are serious enough on assuring a stable ground to foreign investors. The New Dispute Resolution Scheme for disputed tax with no penalty on disputed amount up to INR 10 lakh and 25 per cent of minimum imposable penalty on amount above INR 10 lakh needs more clarity. Also, to reduce the ever-high burden on tribunals and courts, all pending tax-related litigations, whether direct tax or indirect, should be decided under the scheme.

Real success of any budget, Railway or General, lies in its implementation, timely allocation and dispersal of money to the chosen sectors and clusters. The sunset clause envisaged by the FM will fix an end date, the sunset date, of the government scheme, a novel inclusion in any budget in the country. Indeed, success of the government will be measured in terms of real numbers achieved and not just through budgetary allocations. Yes, the programs for rural India and allocations to social schemes will be cheered, the government will have to think out-of-the-box in terms of effective implementation. Commissions and statutory agencies to monitor success of programs of farmers and poor, and also to advise most urgent areas of spending can help the government deliver on this front. As per government reports, the farmers of India earn less than INR 1700 per month on an average, a double of this will still be a meagre amount post-5 years; this leaves the policy makers with much to think about.

Final Verdict

What the government could have avoided is the declaration of contribution to provident fund of new government employees for first three years taking into consideration the increased burden on the exchequer owing to seventh pay commission recommendations and the OROP. Tax on provident fund withdrawals on contributions after April 2016 also hasn’t convinced the salaried class. Also, while surcharge on superrich has been increased from 12 to 15 per cent, which seems OK, the additional 10 per cent tax on the gross amount of dividend in cases where it is in excess of INR 10 lakh per annum for the recipient poses a question as to whether the ones investing in corporate growth of India should solely bear the burden of development and subsidies.

All in all, the union budget 2016 has something for all, especially for the distressed rural and agriculture sector, first-time entrepreneurs who are promised the ease of registration, tax concessions to small enterprises, and the enhanced HRA deduction for the salaried class. Indeed, once the infrastructure and rural economy are made intact, other sectors and clusters will see an all-around advance in the economy as a whole and in their disposable incomes.

Whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s unscheduled halt at Lahore en route from Kabul to Delhi on December 25 last year caused more ripples in India or Pakistan has been a matter that set off a series of high-octane debates on and off Media in both the countries. Modi’s out-of-the-box diplomacy was, in fact, an act of goodwill and friendship borne out of an abiding interest in bringing about peace on both sides of the border. It has apparently stemmed out of the realization that the manmade line had not always been there and the conviction that it would quite likely not be there forever once the peoples of the two nations decide to ditch it in favour of the ties of friendship and fraternity binding them together.

While the above scenario may sound too farfetched, history has not been without instances of the reunification of countries divided by borders and walls of hatred and hostility, such as Vietnam and Germany, to name but two. The hug witnessed at the Lahore airport between Narendra Modi and Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on the former’s landing at the airport, made the place sizzle with warmth on that wintry morning and left the Opposition parties in India and the non-State players and other potential spoilers in Pakistan gawking in disbelief. One wall down, many more to go, gloated peace-loving sections of the media and the society in both the countries. Indeed, one small step for man and a giant leap for the cause of enduring peace and friendship in the subcontinent. Only a mind which knows no fear could have conceived such a move.

Aftermath of Visit to Lahore

Even before the media had stopped glossing over how Nawaz Sharif had sported at his granddaughter’s wedding the pink turban presented by Modi, and the Opposition parties had stopped feigning horror over the Indian Prime Minister’s ‘audacity’ of making an unprecedented visit to an enemy country without the trappings of elaborate security arrangements and rigmarole of protocol that is fine-tuned by countless official meetings on both sides, terror struck at the Pathankot air force base. The dark deed dealt by the Pakistani terrorists of the Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) network had all the portents of derailing the Foreign Secretary-level talks between the two countries.

The naysayers had a field day, laying thick their distrust of Pakistan’s sincerity to hold the talks. They recalled Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s statements regarding India’s readiness to give Pakistan a befitting reply, made on similar occasions in the past, and harped on military action against Pakistan for its overt asymmetric operations. The least that India could do, they said, was to call off the FS-level talks to redeem its image as a country that would not compromise its territorial integrity. The Modi government did not, however, succumb to the temptation of playing into the hands of the jingoists. It plodded on in its pre-determined course of action and demanded action from Pakistan, that too immediately, to bring the perpetrators of the dastardly act in Pathankot to book. The Sharif government agreed to cooperate with India and in a seemingly swift move in departure from its dismal track record in the past, took necessary action to raid several offices of the banned terror network JeM, arrest its chief Maulana Masood Azhar, his brother and several operatives connected with the incident at Pathankot and seal off the terror network’s facilities ahead of an investigation into India’s complaint.

It also proposed deputation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to Pathankot to collect evidence which, it said, would strengthen the legal case against the perpetrators. India welcomed the first right steps made by Pakistan. However, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar subsequently made it abundantly clear that no Pakistani team of sleuths would be allowed access to the airbase. India nevertheless assured Pakistan that the FS-level talks would not be linked to the SIT’s proposed visit. In fact, the Indian side provided more proof sought by the Pakistani authorities to pin the culpability of the foot soldiers of JeM to the dastardly attack.

FS-level Talks Rescheduled

Meanwhile, India and Pakistan have agreed to defer talks between their Foreign Secretaries while an investigation into the deadly Pathankot attack is carried out. It seems the Indian authorities are cautiously moving forward in keeping with Prime Minister Modi’s advice: “Trust, but verify”. To this end, they have asked their Pakistani counterparts to provide documentary evidence and proof, like the FIRs filed against the JeM leaders, details such as the sections of law under which the accused are booked, locations of their cells and their photographs in custody, etc to convince themselves that concrete action has indeed been taken against the culprits. It has also been made very clear to Pakistan that unless this documentary and supporting pieces of pieces of evidence are received, it would be difficult for the Foreign Secretary to travel to Islamabad.

It should not be forgotten that following the detention of JeM chief Maulana Masood Azhar, Lt Gen (Retd) Abdul Qadir Baloch, Pakistan’s Minister for Frontier Regions, said that Azhar had been taken into “protective custody.” This statement exposed how hollow Pakistan’s official claim that Azhar had indeed been arrested. What both India and Pakistan have agreed upon as of now is that the proposed meeting of the Foreign Secretaries must take place as it is the first step towards the restarting of the dialogue process necessary for the officials to start ministerial meetings and subject-specific discussions. Pakistan is, however, yet to set the stage for the talks by providing the proof of its seriousness to punish the culprits of the Pathankot incidence as well as the perpetrators of the Mumbai massacre. It also has to carry out its international obligations by outlawing the various terrorist networks operating on its soil, overtly or covertly.

Talks, Only Course of Option

Be that as it may, a war is no substitute to talks. That is the reason for the guarded position taken in unison by the Modi and Sharif governments over the Pathankot incident. The government of Pakistan took the rather unusual step of promptly denouncing the incident. India held JeM responsible for the dastardly act and provided the government of Pakistan all the evidence and proof to substantiate its charge. It took great care not to accuse the government of Pakistan or any of its agencies of complicity. Pakistan, on its part, did not dismiss the charges against terror operatives based on its soil, like it used to in the past and apparently got its act together by cracking down on JeM. Nawaz Sharif expressed determination to act against the perpetrators of terror in India operating from the Pakistani soil once the documentary and supporting pieces of evidence provided by India were verified. An irksome factor that should not be lost sight of is that in the past no amount of evidence supplied by India in such cases was considered ‘adequate’ by Pakistan.

Furthermore, the evidence and proof provided by India, this time around, is considered adequate and what eventually comes out of the investigations as well as what action the Sharif government takes against the perpetrators as and when their guilt is proved in the Pakistani courts, remain to be seen. It is in this context that the Pakistan government has stated that additional information would be required for which it is considering sending an SIT to Pathankot in consultation with the government of India. In terms of its international obligations, Pakistan is required to follow up the leads contained in the actionable intelligence provided by India. Whether the Sharif government proves strong enough in real terms to withstand the pressure likely to be mounted by the Pakistan army and ISI, which have been underwriting the terror networks thriving in Pakistan, is yet another moot point that begs an answer.

As of now, the most heartening development concerning the Pathankot incident has been the condemnation of the incident by the government of Pakistan as a subversive tactic by forces bent on the derailment of the peace process between the two countries to be put in motion. The Sharif government has also stated that no terror group would be allowed to derail the dialogue process. Irrespective of whether Pakistan’s  determination to push the talks through, as articulated by Nawaz Sharif, flows from the understanding between the two Prime Ministers at Lahore or on account of pressure from the US and China, so long as Pakistan delivers on the creation of conditions congenial for the FS-level talks, it would augur well for further forward movement. It is distressing to note that Pakistan’s track record of recalcitrance and reluctance to break away from its old ways of fouling up the atmosphere on the eve of peace talks became once again evident when there was yet another terror attack on an Indian establishment – the Indian Consulate in Mazar-e-Sharif.

Furthermore, the Ministry of External Affairs has stated that the trial of the Mumbai attack case was a “test” of the sincerity of Pakistan in combating terrorism directed against the country.  According to the Ministry, while it was decided that the issues pertaining to terrorism would be handled by the National Security Advisers of the two countries, it was obvious that at the meeting of the Foreign Secretaries the Pathankot attack would be raised by India. Our country is also expected to take up the incidence of the shooting down of a US-made Helium-filled balloon flying at about a height of about 25,000 feet on January 26 in Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan when it was picked up by the Air Force radars, which were on high alert in view of the Republic Day celebrations. The balloon had come from Pakistan and Indian authorities believe that it could have been floated in an attempt to gauge India’s response time. It could be a wanton act of kite flying to test the troubled waters. Besides, there have been reports about failed attempts to infiltrate into India by a couple of terrorists from across the border after the Pathankot incident.

India’s Position on Talks

India’s position on peace talks with Pakistan has been succinctly put in the following words by President Pranab Mukherjee in his address to the nation on the occasion of the country’s 67th Republic Day: “There will be disputes among nations; and, as is well-known, the closer we are to a neighbor, the higher the propensity for disputes. There is a civilized way to bridge disagreement; dialogue, ideally, should be a continual engagement. But we cannot discuss peace under a shower of bullets.” This was precisely the stance that Narendra Modi had taken as his party’s Prime Ministerial candidate in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. It has thus been made abundantly clear to Pakistan and the rest of the world that there has been no shift in India’s principled stand on the issue of resolution of differences with Pakistan.

Meanwhile, if the latest news reports are any indication, Pakistan seems to have made a complete U-turn on promises made in the Pathankot attack case and decided to follow the familiar pattern of letting terrorists who have targeted India off the hook. Terming the evidence provided by India as insufficient, the Pakistan government has reportedly given a clean chit to Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Maulana Masood Azhar in the case and claimed that some lower-rung members of the terrorist organization could have been involved in the Pathankot assault. Though India has not responded or reacted to these latest developments, the clean chit to the JeM chief seems to have upset the Indian security establishment that was looking for stringent action against the Jaish and its chief.

Now it is up to Pakistan to take a principled stand in the matter of taking stern action against the terrorists operating from its soil in keeping with its assurances repeatedly made to India as well as the international community in the past. In short, Pakistan is obliged to walk its talk before there could be any more meaningful talks on peace at any level. It is now Pakistan’s call to accept India’s offer for peace talks in real earnestness so as to live in harmony with its conjoined sister nation. Should it, however, decline India’s offer, it would slide back into a position where it would end up a prisoner of its own making, having to deal with the various terror networks on its soil. As for India, it is, in any case, a win-win situation. If Pakistan chooses to carry out the much-needed course correction of its policy on terrorism for its own good as well as the good of the region, it would be the beginning of a realistic exercise in the quest for lasting peace. Else, Pakistan’s bluff would be called, reducing it to the Emperor with no clothes.

It may be an over assumption to think of an acute civil unrest in the country owing to the incessant fight over reservation, where not just governments, judiciary and commissions have played a decisive role, but distinct communities too have waged a war alleging their backward status and need for quota. The agitations by anti-reservationists in 1990 in opposition to the recommendations of the Mandal Commission, and other random instances of violence and protests by pro-reservationists and anti-reservationists may culminate into a severe disaster if not arrested by the government. Let’s study this from the very scratch to get a fair idea.

Two currents are flowing in the contemporary India when reservation is talked about. One that we see these days as cartoons and provocative writings on our Facebook pages or as messages on mobile- a large tank of opportunities belonging to the government from where the first tap delivers fluid to the SCs, then a subsequent tap to the STs, then to the OBCs and finally to the ones from the General category; this seems catchy, a lot to the people belonging to the General category, and then it passes on the first current to the population- ‘End Reservation’. Second is the one that we have recently seen in Haryana where members of a particular community took to streets to demand their exclusive right, ‘reservation’, in public services and so on.

Analyzing these currents, not with the eyes of a member from any of the groups but with the eyes of a nationalist and reformist, will take you back to the pre-independence days. Mahatma Gandhi, Father of the Nation, initiated a reform movement for persons, belonging to the most disliked caste, members of which he named as Harijans (children of God). The movement, one of those which filled in the vacuum between the active (direct action on British Raj like civil disobedience) and passive phases ignited the spirt of humanism and nationalism in all Indians, and this drive was the only reason why literally no one opposed the reservation proposed by Ambedkar in the Constitution. Such was the coercion of backward sections that as an act of correcting all wrongs done on them by the upper castes, reservation for them in jobs and other avenues was hailed than being criticized.

The father of the untouchability movement was Gandhiji, not Ambedkar. Gandhiji did not hail from the backward section yet he fully grasped their suppression and brutal repression. He was the one to realize that not just economic backwardness, but also social degrading, which instills in a person a feeling of dejection and depression, was responsible for the tyranny they faced. Now relate this with the first current I stated above. The one that shows a member of the SC or ST community as a fat man relaxing on a chair of a dominant public office and still relishing the ongoing benefits of extended reservation since 1960 (the Constitution allowed it for initial ten years). This man in reality isn’t fat, he isn’t arrogant as depicted, he is just contented and he also realizes the pluses of a socialist and democratic state, which we as condemners fail to realize.

So if you simply ask for absolute ban of the reservation policy, you are at fault. You will also be at fault if you advocate financial criteria as the only parameter of backwardness. A member from the currently reserved classes may be financially sound, but he could be dejected, shamed by the society full of hypocrites and self-declared saviors of the Varna system. Thus, he/ she may still qualify to be in the reserved classification; same being the case with educational backwardness that cannot be compared with economic soundness of anyone. Having made a point on the first current to devoid the readers of the so-called ‘No Reservation’ idea and the tank and tap theory, let’s move to the second scenario.

In a landmark judgment in 2014, the Supreme Court not only identified transgender or hijras as the third gender, the Hon’ble court also placed them in the OBC category and this extended to them reservation for being socially backward. If you can relate even a bit with the verdict of the court, you would agree that although this cluster cannot be said as economically deprived, yet on the grounds of their discrimination in the society, they are justifiably suited for inclusion in the OBC category. This is a concept that will encourage acceptance of socially backward classes in the mainstream, thus enhancing their social quotient.

But what was the Jat community asking when they stalled all state and public machinery and quashed the law and order situation in Haryana? Let’s also take on this issue of frequent violent processions on the sidelines. Rails, roads and essential commodities’ supply blocked, hundreds of vehicles burned and buildings vandalized, still the government has ultimately said a yes to negotiations and an unheard no to any investigations into crushing of law and order. In case the Indian Penal Code doesn’t sanction indictment in such cases (which though is not the case), why can’t the government frame a special law that can come into force during such violent demonstrations and processions, sometimes in name of religion and at other times in name of demanding rights and special privileges? The Supreme Court can take a suo motu call indeed!

This apart, may be the Jats are demanding their right in services and other avenues basis their 27 per cent contribution in the state electorate. But are other parameters in order?

As per verified reports, the Jat community has given seven chief ministers to Haryana and in the current legislative assembly they occupy one-third domination, also the leaders of two main opposition parties of the state hail from this community. Then are other educational and social parameters which never seem fulfilled, so as to be categorized in the OBC list, either by the Jats of Haryana or by the Patidars of Gujarat (the mid-2015 Gujarat reservation crisis). Also to be noted, the Supreme Court quashed the Congress government decision of allowing the Jat community quota under OBC grouping declaring that the community is not backward. The review petition by the current government in this case is still under consideration.

So while the right to assembly and freedom of expression was assigned to all in the Constitution in the backdrop of democratic and participative governance, groups of post-independence era have taken this to another horizon, a level of brutality and crushing of law and order, even challenging the sovereignty of the country and defaming courts’ judgments. Coming to reservations, some parameters are decided by the National Commission for Backward Classes for inclusion and exclusion of castes from the list of OBC. These parameters are based on social, economic and educational backwardness of community in question. Why couldn’t the Jat or the Patidar agitation take this route for their inclusion in the list is beyond understanding, but yes it is well within the four walls of vote-bank and appeasement politics.

In terms of violence depicted by Jats in recent demonstration and subsequent kneeling of the government to the pressure exerted by the group (that will give teeth to others as an example to be followed while demanding privileges), questions should be raised on the intent and approach of governments during such incidents. In terms of these currents of reservations, one can dream of a judicious system in India that includes differently-abled, children of martyred soldiers, the third gender and genuinely economically backward households (no matter to which caste or community they belong) in the subsidized list. Also can one envisage a better nation with SC’s creamy layer criteria being judiciously applied in cases of OBC and no backdoor attempts in breaching the 50 per cent limit imposed by the SC on overall reservation (as was done by the Tamil Nadu government).

For all this to happen, political parties need a resurgence of their ideologies, voters need revival of their preferences, and a common Indian needs to be a proud and dignified Indian, not a beggar of quotas.

The outpouring of support and solidarity from a wide array of political groups in cases like the Rohith Vemula’s suicide and the arrest of a student leader of JNU on charges of sedition reflects sheer hypocrisy, double standards that we were caught into even in the pre-independence era and even today when democracy and parliamentary form of governance are counted as our pluses. To begin with, a very simple question seeks a clear-cut answer. ‘Kitne Afzal Maroge, Har Ghar Se Afzal Niklega’, ‘Pakistan Zindabad’, ‘Judicial Killing of Afzal Guru’- Are these slogans and expressions under the ambit of freedom of speech or are they anti-national?

A lot many can say that they fall under the right to freedom of expression but no one can deny their absolute anti-national sentiment. All parties, be it the Congress, CPI, CPM or AAP, have condemned the sloganeering; but why then their top leaders united at the JNU campus and advocated the release of the arrested student leader? This is what that symbolizes the hypocrisy of Indian national politics and also of the campus politics, which in case of Jawahar Lal Nehru University has always been Left leaning, more because of not only the students’ inclination towards communism but also because of most of the teachers finding their interests in Left’s ideology.

Why then the ‘Save JNU’ campaign launched by JNU’s extreme Left leaned students’ unions and teachers’ association doesn’t pay heed to the severe case of sedition that occurred in their campus is clearly evident. Rather, they feel worried of the raid by the Police that they say would hurt the academic excellence and rapport of their esteemed university. No one, and this is so miserable to notice, is even slightly bothered about the prevalence of anti-national elements in the very campus of a university that receives such high allocations from the government to back academic distinction; ‘free Kanhaiya’ is sadly the call in JNU, with just ABVP and other Right leaned groups opposing this. Also, had the first arrest been of Umar Khalid, organizer of the JNU shocking event, politicians would have given it an appalling communal color, similar to how Rohith’s alleged Dalit link was politically exploited against the ruling government.

Let’s know that this is not the lone incident in JNU that aimed at diminishing the sovereignty of India. Cases of hailing the deaths of terrorists have occurred on numerous occasions in the campus of the university, all owing to student politics that seeks votes from minority group students; the university administration, however, didn’t take cognizance of the matter. And see where have we landed today- Teachers and students of JNU are not demanding penal action for the accused, they rather are mobilized towards protecting the university from any external intrusion, the underlying motive of which is to keep JNU confined in the locks of extreme and ill-version of communism that does not recognize uplifting of poor as its target, its sole goal now is to divide the country and rule these parts in the name of a socialist state.

This is not the pity fight for some seats in DU or JNU students’ union election; this is not the battle of ABVP, NSUI, AISA or some other student associations; this is a clear and well-drafted attack on the country’s supremacy and sovereignty and the same has to be dealt with under the provisions of law of the land, not through rhetoric politics or through a university committee. Agreed, the Indian Constitution has bestowed upon all the right to freely express their opinions and concerns; the same Constitution of Ambedkar makes the Supreme Court its protector, and the same Court has convicted and sentenced the terrorist who was hailed and commemorated at the so-called ‘Country without a Post Office’ demonstration at JNU. The evokers, or shall we say ’Hypocrites’, of Ambedkar have failed him.

Politics is so very inimitable. While laws of science do have standards and longevity, laws of politics are ever-changing, specifically in India, where Communism, Socialism, Capitalism are re-defined to suit the needs of various political groups. No wonder why the likes of Marx, Lenin and Stalin have been replaced by Yakub Memon and Afzal Guru. The same Rahul Gandhi who was opposed by the Left groups from delivering speech at the JNU campus some years back, the campus that hated Congress, today sees the same Rahul sharing dais with Left leaders and together they have a sole opposition- the union government of India led by the BJP.

Then are also many alleging that speech cannot form a part of sedition unless it incites the public to become violent. Really? And if so is the case, tomorrow the same cluster of people would go to streets, will hail not just Afzal or Yakub but also Hafiz Saeed and Lakhvi, they will also show solidarity with Pakistan and will welcome them to bring down India’s democracy. It is happening though, inside one of the most prestigious Indian universities, the JNU, and the participants are from all opposition parties claiming to be seculars and real nationalists. They may not be directly celebrating the hangings of Afzal or Yakub; their cohesion with Kanhaiya and other perpetrators is indirectly leading towards the same end.

Freeing campuses of JNU, DU, Hyderabad University and other places of education of dirty and seditious politics has become an imperative need, something that if not actively and quickly taken care of, will not only brainwash the entire youth studying at these centers, but will also eventually take us to a milieu of divided India, ruled by such perpetrators and mutinous elements. Re-thinking the recommendations of the Lyngdoh Committee and re-working the norms of selection of teachers at JNU (who in most cases not only follow but also propagate the Left ideology) is what should be the first step after the anti-national elements of JNU incident are brought to justice.

Institutions of education and learning are disrespecting country’s sovereignty and communal harmony, they have given distorted and ill meanings to Marxism and Maoism, this demands our timely intervention. The youth is our future, let’s not make this future politically and morally corrupt. Ambedkar’s legacy is to be protected from the madness of so-called neo-nationalists and advocators of treasonable freedom of expression.

Two recent happenings bear a very strong, yet undeliberated, connection. One is the sale of eight F-16 fighter jets by the US to Pakistan in the name of assisting the latter in combating terrorism, and the other is the protest march carried out by a group of students in Jawaharlal Nehru University followed by charges of sedition levied against them and subsequent outpour of support for the guilty from various political parties. As we know that the JNU protest, led by president of JNU student union was to mark the death anniversary of a terrorist, Afzal Guru, hanged by the Indian government over charges of militancy, we can relate the two events cited above with no trouble. Pakistan has been using its land and resources to target India’s sovereignty, and this work, when financed by foreign nations like the US, is executed by men like Afzal Guru and Yakub Memon. Then there is another incident of the avalanche in Siachen that took away from us men of courage safeguarding us from any external attempt aimed at our peaceful existence.

The irony is that all political parties, activists, journalists and intellectuals will condemn unanimously the sale of fighter jets to Pakistan, they will also recognize the martyrdom of soldiers of Siachen, but they will be divided over the issue of protests by students in campuses that are undoubtedly a slow and silent war on country’s sovereignty, this contempt of court will escape the eyes and wrath of so-called seculars and neo-nationalists. And when backing for such appalling and seditious events comes from political parties, the milieu becomes even more worrisome since men from these parties are eventually in the race to represent us in state’s and union’s legislatures, are then liable to protect the country from any external threat, leave aside the economic gains, which after decades of independence are left to the sole shoulders of the general public. Finding support in procession and demands of JNU protesters by popular mass leaders like Rahul and Kejriwal tells how bad we are sunk in political play. Ill-interpretation of our rights to protest has led to a condition that religion, caste and class have emerged as sole political weapons to grab power.

Let’s analyze this. In the pre-independence India, nationalists were able to communicate their ideas and mobilize the mass through freedom of speech and expression. Whenever the colonial government proposed any legislation that was to curtail the liberty of Press and freedom of speech, it was solidly opposed by mass movements. Nationalists of that era, even the socialists and communists, knew what freedom of expression is all about and they used this weapon to free India of the clichés of imperialism and foreign domination. But what have the socialists and communists of today made of this freedom? Or should we not say that they are just using these universally acclaimed ideologies of Marxism, Socialism and Communism to propagate just their lone idea of power and corruption. While Jawaharlal Nehru and Lala Lajpat Rai infused in the youth the spirit of Swaraj (self-rule), the so-called communists and secularists of today are instilling divisive politics and anti-nation belief in the same youth through campus politics. Sad that men like Marx and Lenin are being replaced by Afzal Guru and Yakub Memon.

Not all men from politics had the time to deliberate the conditions of soldiers fighting at the highest battlefield in the world, the Siachen Glacier, but they obviously had enough time to say that the suicide of Hyderabad University student, Rohith Vemula, was linked to oppression of the backward and to political vendetta, they had all the courage to condemn government’s action against Kanhaiya Kumar, the student leader who is linked to Left wing and was the hero of the ‘The Country without a Post Office’ exhibition that reminisced the death anniversary of Afzal Guru, the conspirator in Indian Parliament terrorist attack. No one asked for an unbiased investigation into the matter of Vemula’s suicide and his protest against death penalty for Yakub Memon, but yes, so many leaders called it an institutional murder, an evidence of oppression of Dalit. Sad, Indian politicians have such devotion for any incident that can bring them political advantage; they however have no concern for anti-India happenings and the grave misuse of freedom of speech.

Campus politics in India was endorsed by the pre-independence nationalists who saw youth as the driving force for democracy and socio-economic betterment. And that happened as well. Ills like untouchability, child marriage, landlordism and communalism were fought by politically educating the universities of India of that time, and even today we are reaping the benefits. In the post-independence India, however, when politics shifted from nationalism to attaining votes and majority, universities became a fertile ground for class-based and religion-based politics; violence and use of muscle and money power in university elections are enough to substantiate this. Slow and steady shift like this has brought us on the verge of encouraging anti-national protests in campuses with backing of the constitutional right, the freedom of expression. It is a shame that once known for its sheer academic excellence, the JNU today is infamous for scandals ranging from sex to drugs and violence to anti-national protests.

Charges have also been levelled against daughter of one of the influential communist leaders of being a part in the anti-India sloganeering in JNU. Not hard it is to imagine an India that would one day be led by student leaders with such seditious vision, if they are let free to propagate their ideas, as demanded by activists. Think of a time when these people would represent us in state legislature and in the Indian parliament; and then a bill tabled before them to exclude the judiciary from trying terrorists in courts and a provision in the same bill that would empower MPs and MLAs to set free any anti-national element and even declare the formerly hanged ones as martyrs, on public demand; and selling of fighter jets to Pakistan in the name of helping our neighbor in counter-terrorism, and also allowing undeterred infiltration at the borders. Yes, this can be a milieu one day if the government is condemned, not commended, for arresting people like Kanhaiya Kumar and for booking SAR Geelani (acquitted in Parliament attack case) for sedition. Had the Vemula suicide case been left to the discretion of media and opposition, not far was the day when the imagination as above would have turned to reality.

The legacies of Swami Vivekananda, Ambedkar, Mahatma Gandhi, Patel and Bose have time and again been evoked by all, do we, however, truly represent and adhere to their idea of India? Communists, who have proven themselves highly inept after decades of ruling in Bengal, have disremembered that communism was about bridging the divide between bourgeoisie and proletariats, it was never an expression of support for anti-national elements, it was never about obstructing the government from functioning inside or outside the parliament. Processions carried out in campuses or in any of the Indian states endorsing the acts of terrorism and terrorists are a shame for those who call themselves the adherents of Gandhism. Literature on ideology of Mahatma are in abundance and they are enough to tell these so-called neo-nationalists that decades of his struggle was for the betterment of the mass, for all classes, communities, castes, it was never in favor of a divided India. As proponents of civil liberties, Gandhi, Nehru, Patel or Tilak, never endorsed anti-India ideas.

There is a lot that can be state-sponsored- art, literature, sports, science and invention; why then allow these anti-nationals seek state-sponsored acts of sedition? They want the state to allow protests and processions that celebrate acts and death of terrorists, they desire freedom of speech and expression to cross all legitimate boundaries and become a weapon for political advantage. They want India to be divided basis caste, religion and class, they want nation to remain in the grip of communalism, so as to serve their political goals. Now it is up to the common man to either view acts of JNU and Hyderabad University as anti-India or as freedom of speech. It is up to you to decide whether the government is right in charging JNU conspirator for sedition. The burden is on us to protect the sovereignty of India, to respect the martyrdom of soldiers of Siachen and Kashmir, it is on us curb this rising sabotage; else, the parliamentary dream of Ambedkar will be devastated by many more Afzal Gurus and Yakub Memons.

As many as 250,000 killed and millions turned refugees at the last count, with the toll continuing to mount. That is the kind of a humungous conflagration that the nearly five-year-old civil war in Syria has been threatening to engulf the entire region in. Besides the US and its Western allies such as France and the UK, quite a large number of militant groupings like the Islamic State (IS) and al-Qaeda have been fighting the war. The assorted forces that are fighting for dislodging the government of Bashar al-Assad have been receiving armed and financial support from the Sunni-dominated countries in the region like Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar. Legitimacy was the watchword used by Vladimir Putin of Russia while his country swaggered into the Syrian quagmire over three months ago, to play the devil’s advocate and rescue the Syrian government.

Tagged by the Assad government, desperate for military help against rebel and jihadist groups, Russia threw itself headlong into the imbroglio. Joining forces with the Syrian army, Iranian Revolutionary Guards and the Hezbollah, Russia directed the ire of its aerial supremacy on Syria’s principal tormentor, the ISIS, which Putin had sworn to annihilate. Several other military groupings like Al-Nusra Front and the Army of Conquest, locked in a bitter war with the Syrian government, got pounded too in the bargain much to the chagrin and discomfiture of the US and its allies, which had been backing non-ISIS militants fighting for the ouster of the Assad government. The Russian President defined at the outset his country’s role in the multi-pronged war as helping in the stabilization of legitimate power in Syria and the creation of conditions favorable to a political compromise.

The Russian move came neither as a startling development nor as a coup d’état conceived overnight. The military operation had been thoroughly prepared – none too imperceptibly – well in advance. In any case, Russia had, as a staunch ally, already been supplying arms to the Syrian army particularly for the purpose of countering terrorist threats that had reached “insurmountable sizes” in Syria, which was being torn asunder by a gruelling civil war. During a ten year period starting 2000, the quantum of arms supplied by Russia to Syria amounted to US$1.5 billion, making the latter the seventh-largest client of Russia. Besides the continuance of supply of weaponry, Russian assistance included training of Syrian military personnel and deputation of military advisors notwithstanding the ongoing strife. Russia further supported the Assad government by vetoing Western-backed resolutions in the UN Security Council in 2012, which envisaged economic sanctions and military intervention.

Scope of Campaign Enhanced

Earlier, Russia’s call for the formation of a united front against the ISIS had been turned down by the US and its allies, which were against the inclusion of the Assad regime in the front. This bolstered Russia’s claim that the US was in covert operation in cahoots with the non-ISIS military groupings fighting against the legitimate Syrian government. On its part, the US expressed its doubts and misgivings about the motivation behind the Russian military intervention. The US had reasons to believe that Russia’s aim was not merely restricted to the annihilation of the ISIS but the vanquishing of all the Syrian militant groups fighting for the ouster of the Assad government and the very democratic process in that country that had triggered the civil war. The misgivings of the US gained currency when the Russian aerial bombings targeted, besides the ISIS, all opposition forces that were party to the nearly five-year-old civil war, and tilted the balance in favour of the Assad government.

Furthermore, the Russian military operations were not restricted to a mere three-month period as had been initially stated but became an open-ended campaign. The range of the aerial assaults mounted was enhanced both in terms of the types of the modern fighter aircraft used and the number of Syrian bases covered. In short, the Russian military engagement has been augmented both numerically and in substantive strategic terms. Furthermore, Russia’s military presence in the region became a prolonged affair with a speculative agenda.

Old Allies and Self-Interest

Russia and Syria have remained staunch allies all along. Their support for each other had withstood the tests of time, including the cold war period when Syria braved the Western opposition to its open support for the erstwhile USSR. In the backdrop of such a scenario, where bilateral relations between the two nations have grown from strength to strength notwithstanding the vicissitudes of the global realpolitik, it would be far too simplistic to expect Russia to yield ground to the pressure by the regional militant forces and the US and bring the curtains down on its time-tested ties with the beleaguered nation. Now both Russia and Syria need each other much more than ever before – the former for the strategic assets that Syria has to offer and the latter for its very survival against the burgeoning menace of Sunni dominance in the region, which the Caliphate of ISIS menacingly foreshadow.

Russia’s interest lies in the retention of the naval base on the Syrian coastline and the eavesdropping centres within the Latakia mountains intact. Besides, having just emerged victorious from its military campaigns in its Ukrainian backyard and the surrounding East European areola and emboldened by having successfully called the bluff of the EU-NATO clique, Russia was in no mood to let its guard down and allow the Western dominance of the Middle East and the Gulf region go unchallenged. Remaining a silent spectator to the unfolding of the regional developments that would help the perpetuation of the US hegemony in the Middle East and the Gulf would entail Russia’s forfeiture of easy access to the strategic Afghan theatre of the global war on terrorism.

Putin was well within the realm of reason to believe that the lengthening shadow of the US influence in the region and the impetuousness of the Western powers to overthrow the legitimate governments of the region like those of Saddam Hussein of Iraq and Muammar Gaddafi of Libya in the past and the regime of Bashar al-Assad that is currently perilously close to doom, constitute an ominous sign of a grandiose design against the legitimate and yet autocratic rule of Moscow. In the circumstances, it would not be too wild an exercise in speculation to surmise that it was Putin’s acrimony to the bellicosity of the Western powers, which had his position of authority in the crosswires that led to his belligerent move in the Middle East.

Limited Success

Although Russia has succeeded in clipping the wings of a rogue ISIS albeit with the help of Iran and the legitimate Syrian armed forces, and dented other Syrian military groups as well, the war is far from over. Aerial attacks by the US and its Western allies have also had a limited dissuasive effect on the winning streak of ISIS, which has managed to retain its hold on vast swathes of territory in western Syria and northern Iraq, including oilfields. The foot soldiers of ISIS have managed to dig in their heels by taking cover in the thickly-populated Syrian cities of Raqqa, Homs, Ramadi and others, making it increasingly difficult for the enemies of ISIS to flush out its cadres from their hiding holes without inflicting heavy casualties on Syria’s civilian population. The aerial campaigns by Russia and the Western coalition seem to have thus hit a plateau, with the scope for a comprehensive victory becoming lesser by the day.

In the Eye of Terrorism

In any case, even the limited success accomplished by Russia in its aerial campaign was by no means easy. Nor did it come without a hefty price. The shooting down of a Russian passenger aircraft over the Sinai Peninsula by ISIS has enlarged Russia’s susceptibility to international terrorism like never before in the past. Its fight against terrorism had thus far been restricted to the anti-Russian forces of the North Caucuses. The opening of a new front in Syria has brought Russia closer to the web of international terrorism.

In fact, Putin has unambiguously stated that Russian military action in Syria was essential for protecting Russia from extremists based there, and the primary goal of the air campaign was to fend off that threat. He has further revealed that Russia has also been assisting some units of the opposition Free Syrian Army that were fighting “terrorists” in Syria by offering them air cover and supplying them with weapons. In a nutshell, Russia is fighting along with the legitimate Syrian forces and the Western coalition, with ground support from some anti-Assad militants, a common enemy in IS, al-Qaeda and assorted terrorist groups, with its own interests back home being of supreme concern.

Bilateral Relations Nosedive

The Russia-Turkey bilateral relations nosedived when a Turkish Air Force fighter jet shot down a Russian Sukhoi Su-24M bomber aircraft, in a case of the first destruction of a Russian or Soviet Air Forces warplane by a NATO member-state since the Korean War, near the Syria–Turkey border on November 24, 2015 for allegedly flying into Turkish airspace despite repeated warnings. While US sources supported the Turkish charge that the Russian aircraft was indeed flying over Turkish airspace, Russia categorically refuted the charge and claimed that its aircraft was actually flying over Syrian airspace while it was shot down. It also stated that the US had the flight path of the ill-fated aircraft and should have informed the Turkish authorities of the same. The US promptly denied that the flight plan had been intimated to its authorities by the Russian military. Charges and counter-charges between all the three dramatis personae flew thick and fast, vitiating the overall atmosphere. The unusually harsh expression used by President Putin while lashing out at Turkey – that it was trying to “lick the Americans in some of their private parts” – was indicative of the abysmal low to which the bilateral relations had plummeted.

Atmosphere Surcharged

Bilateral relations between Russia and Turkey, which had started picking up momentum after the US-USSR Cold War, began souring after the shooting down of the Russian Air Force jet. The Russian and Turkish governments, however, assuaged the feelings of each other by stating that they would refrain from initiating a war just because of this incident. Nevertheless, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov spoke of a serious reevaluation of his country’s relationship with Turkey. Military contacts between the Turkish and Russian Armed Forces were snapped by the latter. The Russian Ministry of Defence announced that future airstrikes in Syria would be escorted by fighters. It also announced that Russia would deploy S-400 surface-to-air missile systems to Khmeimim airbase in Syria, where the Russian Aerospace Forces group was stationed.

On its part, Turkey countered the Russian move by installing the KORAL electronic jamming system along its southern border with Syria. In a subsequent development, a Russian destroyer fired warning shots at a Turkish vessel in the Aegean Sea purportedly to avoid a collision and Turkey’s military Attache at Moscow was summoned by the Russian Foreign Office over the incident. Notwithstanding the fact that this incident further exacerbated tension between the two countries, authorities in Ankara made light of the situation by asserting that the Turkish vessel was a mere fishing boat, and the Russian reaction was exaggerated. The Turkish Foreign Minister did not stop short of warning Russia that the patience of Turkey had a limit. With the heightening of tension and mutual distrust between the two sides, the situation is as fraught with uncertainty as is a tinderbox.

Russian Sanctions

There were developments on the consular and economic fronts too. Alleging that Ankara had become a conduit for terrorists, Moscow charged that it had been reluctant to share information with the latter about Russian citizens accused of involvement in terrorist activities. Moscow announced that it would halt the existing visa-free regime with effect from January 1, 2016. Putin signed a decree imposing economic sanctions on Turkey. In terms of the decree, chartered flights from Russia to Turkey were banned, tour firms selling holidays in Turkey prohibited, Turkish imports of certain commodities outlawed, and the economic activities of Turkish companies and nationals halted or curbed.

Russia went on to blame Turkey for being the biggest buyer of “stolen” oil from Syria and Iraq. The Kremlin also accused the family of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of being directly involved in the trade of petroleum with the Islamic State. These sanctions are bound to have an adverse impact on the bilateral relations between the two feuding nations, which had steadily improved during the last ten years, leading to Turkey becoming one of Russia’s principal and permanent energy markets. Besides, notwithstanding the NATO-Russia tiff over the Ukrainian issue, Turkey had come forward to compensate Russia’s needs for agricultural products that used to be imported in the past from Europe but discontinued due to the massive European sanctions imposed on Russia. Against the backdrop of the blooming economic cooperation between the two nations, Russia’s economic sanctions are likely to entail its forfeiture of the benefits from the thaw in relations in the post-Cold War period.

No Russian Roulette, This

Vladimir Putin is, however, characteristically upbeat about the damages inflicted by the Russian air power on IS and has warned that its air campaign in Syria would continue until the start of a political process. Conceding that the Western economic sanctions over the Ukrainian issue had begun to hurt Russia, he has called the EU sanctions a “theatre of the absurd” and asked the Western countries to collaborate more willingly with Moscow in the fight against IS.  The President has also stated that Russia and the US agreed on a general approach to settling the Syrian crisis and expressed Moscow’s readiness to improve ties with Washington. Meanwhile, he has also welcomed a US-drafted UN Security Council Resolution on solving the Syrian crisis, presented by US Secretary of State John Kerry during his visit to Moscow in mid-December 2015.

The Russian leader further said his country’s approach coincided with the US vision in terms of joint work on a Constitution, the creation of tools of control over early elections as well as holding the vote and recognizing its results on the basis of that political process. His comment on the fate of President Bashar al-Assad was both guarded and loaded, when he said, “The Syrians themselves must determine who rules them.”  In simple terms, Moscow’s concern was about the continuance of a pro-Moscow dispensation at Damascus, Assad or no Assad. To this end, Moscow was willing to cooperate with Washington. This is part of a cautious diplomatic manoeuvre by Putin, who is in no mood to play Russian roulette or place his bets on an Assad, with dark clouds of uncertainty looming over his head, which lies uneasy with the crown of Syria perilously perched.

Pandemonium, bedlam and pell-mell – such is the terminology used by the mainstream media to describe the proceedings in the Indian Parliament that has lately become more a place of sound and fury than one of sensible discussions and sedate action, which it used to be till not very long ago. Intermittent light-hearted banter and bonhomie, which used to mark serious discussions between the opposition and ruling party members on the floor of the Parliament, now seem to have given way to a frosty chill between the two. Nor is there the traditional camaraderie of the past any longer to bind the lawmakers of conflicting ideological orientations together in the name of their common avowed goal of service to the nation.

Palpable is the animus between groups of members who seem to be intent on settling political scores on the floor of the legislature and those who are serious about legislation. A healthy rivalry between the members to bring about radical changes, by means of legislation, to the existing conditions that impede the nation’s advancement and progress, seems to have given way to personal animosity and party-based claims of monopoly over honourable intentions to serve the nation. Ideological differences never seemed perilously sharper and more pronounced in the past than they are now. In both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, the well of the House has become the scene of frenetic action where honourable members converge to demonstrate their lung power.

Over the smallest of differences in matters and issues of tremendous significance and importance to the nation, dissenting members jump to their feet, rush to the well, wave a fistful of papers in the air and vie for the attention of the Chair. In the process, the arguments of the members who introduce bills and those who support the bills are drowned. The upshot of the ensuing bedlam is the stalling of the session and the staging of political drama. Over some perceived injustice or other meted out to a member of the opposition albeit outside the Parliament or the unwillingness of the ruling party to accede to the opposition’s demand for the ouster of a minister or disciplinary action against a member of the ruling party, entire sections of the opposition stage a walk out.

In winter session 2015, disruptions were caused on account of excuses such as the raging nationwide debate on intolerance, alleged political vendetta of the government against Congress President Sonia Gandhi and her deputy Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case and alleged involvement of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in what the Aam Aadmi Party claimed were corrupt deals of the Delhi and District Cricket Association. In the monsoon session of 2015, disruptions were caused by the opposition parties seeking the ouster of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Chief Ministers Vasundhara Raje and Shivraj Singh Chauhan. In such an oft-repeated scenario, healthy debates become well nigh impossible. When emotions rule the roost, reason takes a back seat, and the Parliament becomes dysfunctional. With the lawmakers being hardly inclined to pass bills and enact laws, people who elected them to carry out the onerous task cannot help wondering if the colossal amounts of money being spent by the nation on the holding of the sessions are worth the exercise since it does not serve the intended purpose of the legislation.

Disruptions Galore

The winter session of the Parliament that ended recently is a case in point. The functioning of the two Houses is a study in contrast. The Lok Sabha had 20 sittings, worked extra hours, scored 100.46% in terms of the number of hours it functioned and passed 14 bills. The Rajya Sabha, on the other hand, worked 60 hours and scored barely 46%. It lost as many as 47 hours in disruptions and passed a mere nine bills. In the words of the Chairman of the Upper House, the just-concluded  Rajya Sabha session seemed “singularly unproductive in terms of legislative work” and had “redeemed itself somewhat” in the last three days. Expressing distress over repeated disruptions, he called upon the members of the House to “introspect on this state of affairs” and to abstain from practices and approaches that lower the stature of the Rajya Sabha.

Since a functioning legislature is an essential concomitant of the principles of the Constitution to which the members are committed, and disruptions of the sessions negate these principles, recourse to disruptions for stalling the sessions is in violation of the spirit of the Constitution and commitment of members to that sacred text of the premier democratic institution of our country. Furthermore, since the rulings and repeated exhortations of the Chair to the members for observing decency and decorum are ignored during such interruptions, they tend to lower the dignity of the House in public perception.

Tyranny of the Minority

The legislation was no cakewalk in Lok Sabha either. The Lower House also witnessed vociferous members of the principal opposition party trooping to the well of the House time and again in a bid to stall the proceedings. It was in spite of such not-too-infrequent disruptions that the House saved the day by working overtime to pass bills. The Parliamentary Affairs Minister described the repeated attempts of the opposition parties to cause disruptions and stall proceedings in the Lower House as “tyranny of the minority”.

The principal casualty of the non-functioning of either House of the Parliament is legislation. The frosty winter session of 2015 had the dubious distinction of seeing the lowest number of bills passed since the winter session of 2010. As part of an apparently well-thought-out strategy conceived even before the session begins, the opposition parties, which do not have sufficient numbers, try to stall the proceedings by causing repeated disruptions. The ruling party bills and private member bills become casualty alike.

During the zero hour, members find themselves unable to raise questions that impinge on the nation in general and their constituencies in particular. In the case of lapses and failures in the implementation of policies, it becomes impossible for members to hold the Establishment and their political masters responsible. Out of the nine bills cleared by the Rajya Sabha in the just-concluded session, four were passed on the last day without discussion. How truly representative and meaningful would be the laws that are passed without discussion albeit for want of time?

Why the Disruptions?

Why do political parties resort to disruptions in our Parliament?  The answer lies in the answer to a counter question, namely, what do these parties gain out of a stalled session? Evidently, the opposition parties want, out of spite, to paralyze the Parliament and reduce the ruling party’s ability to get crucial bills passed for implementation of their policies and programs. Such an eventuality would inevitably result in stagnation of developmental work promised by the ruling party in its pre-poll campaigns. Out of peevishness, cussedness and callous disregard to the development and progress of the nation, the opposition parties engage in such counter-productive activities albeit through means, which are on face value not inadmissible in terms of the parliamentary rules and norms.

Money No Consideration!

It costs the exchequer Rs 2.5 lakh per minute to conduct a parliament session, which translates into a loss of Rs 1.5 crore for every wasted hour. Our Rajya Sabha lost 47 hours in the winter session this year, causing the nation a loss of Rs 70.5 crore, which is indeed a lot of money for an earful of gobbledygook! This is nothing but taxpayers’ money going up in smoke to the accompanying cacophony of the protesters!

Malice and Methodology

Colossal amounts of money have thus been lost in session after session of washed-up parliamentary proceedings, which add up to missed opportunities to pass much-needed legislation of crucial bills like the General Services and Tax (GST) Bill, Land Acquisition Bill, etc. And the mainstream media (MSM) has been ranting and raving about the insensitivity of the lawmakers to the need of the hour, which is to shore up the gains of economic reforms the common man’s way. Every move proposed by the government to introduce economic reforms is a backup measure to vindicate in legislative terms Prime Minister Modi’s repeated assurances to potential foreign investors about the nation’s preparedness to welcome them to do business in India. Every such wasted opportunity is a setback to our nation’s goal of expanding the parameters of its economic policy for the purpose of pitchforking business opportunities in modern India to international standards.

Meanwhile, the whole world has been waiting to see how Prime Minister Modi captures the mood of the nation and garners its collective preparedness to upgrade India’s economy to a higher level. The world’s expectations and the nation’s hopes have been repeatedly belied not on account of a lack of merit of the case, but on account of lack of fortitude on the part of some elected representatives who do not deem it fit to subjugate their own personal or party’s agenda to the common good of the nation. Another wasted session, another dream dashed to the ground! After ten years of misgovernance by a scam-ridden coalition that seemed totally fazed in the face of the daunting tasks ahead and was hopelessly immobilized, the people had voted en masse for a party that spoke the refreshing language of developmental politics and hoped for a breakthrough in the impasse the country had found itself in.

What has ensued is only a valiant jump from the political quagmire to a logjam in the Parliament! The opposition parties, led by Congress, obviously could not reconcile to their collective defeat in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Hence, they seem determined to sabotage the attempts of the NDA government to stabilize itself by means of good governance. Narendra Modi’s successful foreign policy forays and the consequent worldwide goodwill and support for his landmark initiatives, especially on the economic front, from leading economic powers as well as the extremely positive forecasts from the international rating agencies, corporate giants and business honchos, have had their unintended share of exacerbating the sense of acrimony on the part of opposition parties against Narendra Modi and his government.

Unable to pin a single charge of corruption or scam on Modi, these parties, with the Congress and the AAP at the vanguard, have been relentless in their attempt to rain on the Modi government’s parade. Hence, the uproar and ruckus on their part to hold up the Parliament! Their immediate takeaway of the stalemate in the Parliament is government’s inability to usher in economic reforms and score international acclaim as well as approbation from the people of the country. They are wishful of a bigger takeaway in the medium and long terms, namely, the opprobrium not unlikely to sidle up Modi’s international image by his ‘inability’ to carry the conflicting political forces of the nation together and ensure the successful functioning of the Parliament. Every bill passed by the ordinance channel would be held up against him as a chink in his armour. This would further bolster the charge of the opposition regarding their claims of searing levels of intolerance in the country.

Suffice it to say that Modi would be alienated more and more from the gullible sections of the masses, foreign governments and international business circles looking for lucrative openings for investments in a stable country that promises conducive economic and business climate, free from political bickering notwithstanding possible political upheavals in the country in the future. What better way to depict a nation in unflattering colours as a failed state than by painting its Parliament as a hostile and truncated law-making body and the Prime Minister as a partisan leader incapable of carrying progressive political forces along?  That the image of the nation is bound to be castigated in the process is apparently immaterial and of no consequence to those who resort to the tactics of interruptions.

Reforms and Relevance

Consider the already dented image of the beleaguered Indian Parliament, which has been rendered dormant, in contrast to the House of Commons in Britain. The latter takes pride in its claim of having lost not a single day in any of the sessions in its long history. In the case of the Indian Parliament, any further damage to its battered image is likely to cause further dismay among the people of the country and accelerate the process of attrition of their faith in the efficacy of the legislature. Reforms to set the Parliament back on the rail is the need of the hour. Timely action to introduce reforms to strengthen the due role of the Parliament is crucial for the healthy growth of Indian democracy. The reforms should be based on the bedrock of the dictum that legislation is the raison d’être of the Parliament and the assemblage of the honourable members of the august body. Failure to carry out this onerous responsibility due to the tactics of some members should be viewed seriously. There is already a nagging doubt engaging the people’s mind regarding the need and usefulness of the Upper House, members of which are not directly elected by the masses.

There have been silent talks of considering presidential system of government in India where the executive wing will be independent of the legislative. Dr. Shashi Tharoor has also recently talked about the recommendation of one of the members of the Simon Commission for presidential system for India; to this the then leaders of the INC did not respond favorably. It is sure that if the makers of the constitutions and even the then members of the Indian National Congress would have envisaged such disrespect to the parliamentary system, they would have given a second thought to the system of governance. In the upcoming budget session, the Congress and other opposition parties are yet again equipped with the Arunachal Pradesh’s President Rule issue, which they will make a matter of alleged intolerance on the part of the ruling government. A recent survey conducted by one of the national new channels has depicted that the people of India view the Congress as the one to blame for the ongoing brouhaha and resultant legislative and economic defeat of the country. It is time for Congress and its partners to realize the same. Also is the time apt to think over either a fortified parliamentary system or take a tougher route of deliberating presidential system of government for India.

There is currently a proposal receiving the Government’s consideration to grant a hundred percent hike in the salary of the honourable members of Parliament. The proposal further envisages enhancement in the other allowances and perks. All this should be linked to the good work that the lawmakers are supposed to do albeit in the service of the nation. Failure to work should entail a loss in pecuniary benefits. There should also be a system to monitor the persistent behavioral pattern of the members not conducive to the work culture. Further thought should be given by experts to hold the honourable members accountable for their performance, or the lack of it, and answerable to the people. Unless such drastic redressal measures are brought about, without any further delay, to make our Parliament infallible, the relevance of the august body will only become more and more of a subject matter of a growing sense of skepticism and cynicism in public perception. After three long decades the people of India gave the requisite majority backing to the Modi-led government, disrupting its functioning and reforms agenda is an evident murder of people’s aspirations.

20वीं सदी में दुनिया भर की दुकानों, राशन दुकानों, दवा की दुकानों और अन्य व्यावसायिक प्रतिष्ठानों में सामानों के साथ मुफ्त में या मामूली कीमत पर दिए जाने वाले प्लास्टिक थैलों का प्रचलन बहुत तेजी से बढ़ा। हालाँकि, 21वीं सदी की शुरुआत के साथ ही इन थैलों की किस्मत या सर्वोच्चता पर तेजी से ग्रहण लगा और वे ग्राहकों के साथ-साथ विक्रेताओं के लिए सबसे महत्वपूर्ण साधन नहीं रह गए। प्लास्टिक कैरियर बैग और एक बार इस्तेमाल किए जाने वाले थैलों को लेकर किए गए नए प्रयोगों ने खरीदारी के तरीके को पूरी तरह से बदल दिया। इन प्लास्टिक के थैलों को खरीदारी का सामान घर ले जाने और उन्हें सहेज कर रखने के लिहाज से उपयोगी, भरोसेमंद और कम खर्च वाला पाया गया। उन्हें न केवल टिकाऊ, भारी सामान ले जाने के उपयुक्त, स्वच्छ, वाटरप्रूफ और आकर्षक माना गया बल्कि उन पर छपे अलग-अलग प्रकार के लोगो और स्टोर के नाम के चलते भी ग्राहकों ने उन्हें अपने मन में बसा लिया।

एक भारतीय गृहणी के लिए उस बैग के अनगिनत इस्तेमाल थे, जैसे पति को ऑफिस के लिए उस बैग में लंच रख कर देने से लेकर, अपने किसी नए और शानदार व्यंजन को, अपने पसंदीदा गजल गायक की सीडी को या चैरिटी बाजार में खरीदे गए आलू छीलने वाले को या फिर विदेश में छुट्टी मनाने के दौरान अपनी दोस्त के लिए खरीदे गए वहाँ के खास तोहफे को कुछ ब्लॉक दूर रह रही दोस्त तक भिजवाने या धोबी को धुलाई के लिए गंदे कपड़े भिजवाने तक के लिए उनका प्रयोग किया जा सकता था। घर पर कोई भी सामान आपको काम के लायक दिख गया और मन में ख्याल आया कि उसे संभाल कर रख दें, तो भी वह बेचारा बैग आपकी सेवा में हाजिर हो जाता है। अगर आपको यह महसूस हो कि कोई चीज आगे काम आ सकती है और आप उसे जल्दबाजी में फेंकना नहीं चाहते, तो भी फिक्र करने की ज़रूरत नहीं। उसे बस किसी प्लास्टिक बैग में डाल दीजिए जो आपके आस-पास कहीं न कहीं पड़ा दिख जाएगा और फिर जब जी चाहे फुर्सत के पलों में आप अपनी सहेजी गई चीज को तसल्ली से देख सकते हैं।

लंबा समय गुजर जाने के बाद, जब आप किसी आलस भरी दोपहर में अलमारी खोलते हैं और इन साफ-सुथरे भरोसेमंद थैलों में कभी संभाल कर रखी गई इधर-उधर की चीजों को पाते हैं, तो आपके अंदर का बचपन इस उम्मीद में छलाँग लगाने लगता है कि शायद कोई गड़ा खजाना मिल जाए या कोई ऐसा उपयोगी सामान जिसकी आपको न जाने कब से तलाश थी! आप बैग खोलते हैं और पाते हैं कि आपके बच्चे ने कार्डबोर्ड से कभी एक फोटो फ्रेम तैयार किया था जिसमें एक प्यारा सा जन्मदिन का ग्रीटिंग मढ़ा गया था। क्या बात है! यह सोचते हुए आप बरसों पहले की यादों में खो जाते हैं और दोपहर का वह समय बीते दिनों की सुखद बातों को याद कर बीत जाता है! वह चीज जो आपको अतीत की सुखद यादों का एहसास कराती है उसे इसी बेचारे और संकोची बैग ने संभाल कर रखा था। इस्तेमाल के लिए सदैव तैयार रहने वाला यह बैग आए दिन काम आने वाले एक साधन के तौर पर हर घर का एक हिस्सा बन गया और एक वरदान माना जाने लगा जिसने जीवन को आसान बना दिया। इसके अलावा, राशन के प्लास्टिक बैग को तैयार करने में पेपर के थैले बनाने की तुलना में 70% कम ऊर्जा लगती है। इस कारण, प्लास्टिक के बैग संसाधन की दृष्टि से भी उपयोगी हैं, लगभग मुफ्त में मिल जाते हैं और इतने इस्तेमाल और लंबे जीवन के बावजूद इनकी देखरेख में भी कोई खर्च नहीं लगता। हालाँकि,  इस चैंपियन बैग की बहुमुखी प्रतिभा को एक दूसरा पहलू जबरदस्त नुकसान पहुँचाता है।

बहुमुखी प्रतिभा वाले प्लास्टिक बैग का दूसरा पहलू

अपने मूल उद्देश्य, या फिर गृहणियों की सोच के अनुसार, अनेकानेक उद्देश्यों को  पूरा करने के बाद, सबसे बड़ी समस्या इस प्लास्टिक बैग के निपटारे को लेकर खड़ी हो जाती है। इसका जीवन अनंत और कभी न नष्ट होने वाला लगता है। कचरा फैलाने वाले प्लास्टिक के इन थैलों को बिना समझे-बूझे यहाँ-वहाँ और कहीं भी फेंक कर अराजकता का माहौल बना देते हैं। बिखरे पड़े प्लास्टिक के थैलों की वजह से सार्वजनिक स्थल देखने लायक नहीं रह जाते, खास तौर पर एक बार इस्तेमाल किए जाने वाले उने थैलों के कारण जिन्हें दवा बेचने वाले, फल-सब्जी या अनेक प्रकार के सामान बेचने वाले फेंक देते हैं और वे हवा के साथ चारों तरफ उड़ते नज़र आते हैं।  कचरे के ढेर पर फेंक दिए जाने वाले ये थैले हवा के हल्के से झोंके के साथ उड़ने लगते हैं, जिसका एक बड़ा कारण बनाए जाने के दौरान इसे दिया जाने वाला वायु-गति-विज्ञान संबंधी गुण है, हालाँकि ऐसा किसी मंशा से नहीं किया जाता है। इस प्रकार अपनी निरुद्देश्य उड़ान के क्रम में वे कभी किसी बाइक या स्कूटर चलाने वाले के चेहरे से भी लिपट सकते हैं, जिसके कारण वह अपना संतुलन खो सकता है, और मुमकिन है कि इसका नतीजा किसी जबरदस्त हादसे के तौर पर सामने आ जाए। इससे राह चलते लोग भी नहीं बच पाते। तूफान आने पर इधर-उधर बिखरे थैले उन से चिपक जाते हैं और दूर हटने का नाम नहीं लेते।

इस प्रकार, हर जगह मौजूद इन प्लास्टिक थैलों के प्रकोप से आम लोगों को दोचार होना पड़ता है तथा इसके अवगुण अनेक रूप में सामने आते हैं। लापरवाही से फेंके गए प्लास्टिक बैग नालों को जाम कर देते हैं या नालियों में फंस जाते हैं, जिसके कारण भारी बारिश होने पर जलप्लावन की स्थिति उत्पन्न हो जाती है। बंद नाले और जाम नालियों के कारण मलेरिया फैलाने वाले मच्छर पैदा होते हैं। ऐसी विचित्र और परेशानी पैदा करने वाली घटनाएँ भी हो चुकी हैं जिनमें शिशुओं और बच्चों ने उत्सुकतावश या खेल-खेल में चेहरे पर प्लास्टिक बैग पहन लिया, जिससे दम घुटने से उनकी मौत तक हो गई। आवारा पशुओं को उन फेंके गए प्लास्टिक थैलों को चबाते आम तौर पर देखा जाता है, जिन थैलों में खाने का सामान रखा गया था और उन्हें कचरे के ढेर में फेंक दिया गया। उन बेचारे जानवरों को गंभीर बीमारी हो जाती है क्योकि उनके पाचन तंत्र में पहुँचा प्लास्टिक शरीर से बाहर नहीं निकल पाता, और फिर उसे ऑपरेशन के ज़रिए ही निकाला जाता है। रिपोर्ट बताते हैं कि भारत में हर दिन लगभग 20 गायों की मौत प्लास्टिक बैग खाने के कारण होती है। पशुचिकित्सक अक्सर पशुओं पर बिना किसी मंशा के ही होने वाले इस अत्याचार को मूक दर्शक बनकर देखते रह जाते हैं। ऐसा उन लोगों की वजह से होता है जो एक नागरिक होने की जिम्मेदारी नहीं निभाते और लापरवाही से प्लास्टिक के थैले यहाँ-वहाँ फेंक देते हैं।

पर्यापरण को खतरा

प्लास्टिक के थैले अपनी जाल में चिड़ियाँ को भी फंसा लेते हैं। पक्षियों को उड़कर पेड़ पर आए प्लास्टिक थैलों को देखकर भ्रम होता है कि वे कोई फल हैं और वे उन्हें मजे से खाते हैं जिसके भयंकर परिणाम होते हैं। यह थैले जब नदियों और समुद्र तक पहुँच जाते हैं, तो जलजीवों पर भी एक बड़ा खतरा पैदा कर देते हैं। यूएन पर्यावरण कार्यक्रम के मुताबिक, वैज्ञानिकों का अनुमान है कि समुद्र के प्रत्येक वर्ग मील पर लगभग 46,000 प्लास्टिक के हिस्से तैरते पाए जाते हैं। दुनिया भर में निर्मित प्लास्टिक का 10% समुद्र तक पहुँच जाता है, जिनमें से 70% समुद्र की सतह पर आ जाता है, जहाँ वह किसी भी हाल में कम से कम 500 वर्षों तक समाप्त नहीं होगा। महासागर संरक्षण की वार्षिक अंतर्राष्ट्रीय तट सफाई एजेंसी दुनिया भर में समुद्र में फेंकी जाने वाली दस सबसे अधिक वस्तुओं में निरंतर रूप से प्लास्टिक के कचरे को शामिल करती रही है। प्लास्टिक के थैलों के नष्ट होने की निराशाजनक और बेहद सुस्त रफ्तार उन्हें बरसों तक महासागर में इधर-उधर तैराती रहती है।

समुद्री कछुए, सील और व्हेल जैसे समुद्री जीव, चमकदार प्लास्टिक थैलों को जेली फिश समझने की भूल कर देते हैं और उन्हें निकल जाते हैं, जिसके भयंकर दुष्परिणाम सामने आते हैं। प्रकृति के लिए विश्वव्यापी निधि के एक आकलन के अनुसार, प्रति वर्ष 100,000 से अधिक व्हेल, सील और कछुओं की मौत प्लास्टिक बैग खाने या उनमें फंसने के कारण हो जाती है। मीडिया ने पिछले कुछ वर्षों में ऐसी अनेक घटनाओं की खबर दी है जिनमें प्लास्टिक के थैले को जेली फिश समझ कर खा लेने के बाद, व्हेल खाना-पीना छोड़ देती है और उसकी मौत हो जाती है। व्हेल प्लास्टिक के थैले को नहीं पचा सकती। यही नहीं, उनके केमिकल आंतरिक अंगों पर नकारात्मक रूप से प्रतिक्रिया करते हैं। वर्जिन द्वीप संरक्षण समिति की ओर से 4 जनवरी, 2015 में जारी एक रिपोर्ट का उल्लेख करें, तो साफ हो जाएगा कि प्लास्टिक के थैलों (तथा अन्य प्लास्टिक कचरे) ने महासागर को किस हद तक दूषित कर दिया है:
“हाल ही के एक अमेरिकी वैज्ञानिक लेख ने बताया है कि दुनिया में प्रति वर्ष 260 मिलियन टन प्लास्टिक तैयार होता है, और उसमें से अधिकांश महासागरों तक पहुँच जाता है। हम प्लास्टिक शॉपिंग बैग का प्रयोग न कर कुछ मदद कर सकते हैं।”

सरकारी अधिकारियों की मुश्किल

सरकारी अधिकारी अक्सर समझ नहीं पाते कि प्लास्टिक कचरे का निपटारा कैसे किया जाए। मनुष्य के आधुनिक जीवन में जिस प्लास्टिक बैग को वरदान समझा गया, वही अब एक अभिषाप बन गया है। यह थैले पॉलिथीन से बने होते हैं जिसमें प्राकृतिक गैस और तेल का इस्तेमाल किया जाता है। बड़े पैमाने पर प्लास्टिक के थैलों के निर्माण में प्राकृतिक गैस और तेल जैसे गैर पुन: प्रयोज्य ऊर्जा स्रोतों को निकालने को लेकर भारी दबाव रहता है। वॉल स्ट्रीट जर्नल के एक अनुमान के अनुसार, केवल अमेरिका में प्रति वर्ष 100 बिलियन प्लास्टिक बैग इस्तेमाल किए जाते हैं और फेंक दिए जाते हैं, जिन्हें तैयार करने के लिए 12 मिलियन बैरल तेल की आवश्यकता होती है। चाइन ट्रेड न्यूज के अनुसार, उनके देश में प्रति दिन तीन बिलियन प्लास्टिक बैग का इस्तेमाल किया जाता है। अर्थ पॉलिसी इंस्टीच्यूट के अनुसार, दुनिया भर में हर मिनट करीब दो मिलियन प्लास्टिक बैग का इस्तेमाल किया जाता है और एक बार इस्तेमाल किए जाने वाले तीन ट्रिलियन प्लास्टिक बैग हर साल इस्तेमाल में लाए जाते हैं।

स्वाभाविक रूप से न सड़ने वाला

यही नहीं, प्लास्टिक बैग सड़ते भी नहीं। ये थैले रि-साइकिल किए जा सकते हैं, जो पुराने थैलों के निपटारे का सबसे सुरक्षित और आदर्श तरीका होता है, लेकिन सच यही है कि वे खाली जमीन को भरने के लिए फेंक दिए जाते हैं जहाँ सड़ने में उन्हें बरसों लग जाते हैं। इस कारण, पर्यावरणविदों के लिए भी यह बहुत बड़ा सिरदर्द साबित होते हैं। प्रति वर्ष लगभग 3,960,000 टन प्लास्टिक बैग, जो थैले और लपेटने के रूप में इस्तेमाल किए जाते हैं, उनमें से 90% फेंक दिए जाते हैं। प्लास्टिक का जब विघटन होता है, तब वह जैविक रूप से नहीं सड़ता बल्कि फोटोडिग्रेड होता है, मतलब उसके तत्व छोटे-छोटे टुकड़ों में बँट जाते हैं और तेजी से विषाक्त पदार्थों को सोख लेते हैं। फिर वे मिट्टी, जलस्रोतों, और उनके संपर्क में आने वाले जानवरों को अपनी चपेट में लेते हैं। यह जानकारी अर्थ911 ने जुटाई है। यह एक ऐसा अंतर्राष्ट्रीय संगठन है जो लोगों को जानकारी देकर धरती की रक्षा करने के साथ ही उन्हें उनका कचरा कम करने में मदद करता है।

बचने का बस एक ही रास्ता

प्लास्टिक के थैले ग्रेड 2 और ग्रेड 4 प्लास्टिक से बने होते हैं। आसानी से रि-साइकिल होने के कारण, इन्हें अक्सर ठोस लट्ठे में बदल दिया जाता है जिनसे अनेक प्रकार के सामान बनाए जा सकते हैं। अंतर्राष्ट्रीय वैज्ञानिक समुदाय को जब तक किसी सही उपाय नहीं मिल जाता, तब तक इन फेंके गए प्लास्टिक थैलों को रि-साइकिल करना ही इनके निपटारे का एकमात्र प्रभावी उपाय है। हालाँकि, बीबीसी और सीएनएन का अनुमान है कि कुल निर्मित थैलों में से सिर्फ 3-5% बैग ही रि-साइकिल किए जाते हैं।

दुनिया भर में स्थिति  

जैविक रूप से गैर-सड़नशील प्लास्टिक थैलों की समस्या से पूरी दुनिया परेशान है। इस स्थिति से निपटने के लिए तमाम देश समस्या की गंभीरता को देखते हुए मुनासिब कदम उठा रहे हैं। बांग्लादेश, रवांडा, चीन, ताइवान और मैसेडोनिया ने हल्के वजन वाले थैलों पर पूरी तरह प्रतिबंध लगा दिया है। कुछ अन्य देश भी उनकी राह पर चल पड़े हैं और ग्राहकों से हल्के थैलों पर पैसे वसूल रहे हैं या उन्हें बेचने वाले दुकानों पर टैक्स लगा रहे हैं। अमेरिका में, पिछले साल कैलिफोर्निया पहला प्रांत बना जिसने प्लास्टिक थैलों के इस्तेमाल पर पाबंदी लगा दी। अन्यथा, ऐसे कुछ ही शहर और देश हैं जिन्होंने उनके प्रयोग को अवैध करार दिया है।

भारत में फिलहाल प्लास्टिक के थैलों की स्थिति

रि-साइकिलिंग की सुविधा व्यावहारिक रूप से कहीं भी न होने के कारण, भारत ने 20 माइक्रोन से पतले प्लास्टिक थैलों पर पाबंदी लगा दी है। गोवा और दिल्ली जैसे राज्यों तथा मुंबई शहर में भी अलग-अलग किस्म के प्लास्टिक थैलों पर बैन है। इस प्रकार की पाबंदी को लेकर कानून तो बन जाते हैं लेकिन उन्हें लागू करना आसान नहीं होता।

सरकारों को क्या करना चाहिए?

ग्राहकों के दृष्टिकोण से देखें तो भारत में फिलहाल प्लास्टिक बैग के विकल्पों के तौर पर कागज के या जूट के थैले उपलब्ध हैं। चूँकि इस प्रकार के थैलों के निर्माण और लाने ले जाने का खर्च प्लास्टिक बैग की तुलना में बहुत अधिक है, इस कारण यह उनका चलन में आना और प्लास्टिक के थैलों के एकाधिकार को समाप्त कर देना संभव नहीं है। फिर भी, एक बार इस्तेमाल किए जाने वाले प्लास्टिक के थैलों के दिन व्यावहारिक तौर पर लद गए हैं। प्रधानमंत्री नरेंद्र मोदी की ओर से शुरु किए गए स्वच्छ भारत अभियान के कारण इनके प्रयोग पर पाबंदी लगाने की आवश्यकता पर विचार किया जा रहा है। हालाँकि, इस बात की आवश्यकता कहीं अधिक महसूस की जा रही है कि केंद्र और राज्य सरकारों के साथ ही गैर-सरकारी संगठन, तथा दबाव बनाने वाले समूह जैसे छात्र समुदाय, खिलाड़ी, कलाकार, मीडिया और अन्य लोगों द्वारा देश की जनता के बीच इस बात को लेकर जागरुकता पैदा करें कि प्लास्टिक के शॉपिंग बैग के लगातार इस्तेमाल से कितनी बड़ी समस्या खड़ी होती है। पर्यावरण, स्वच्छता, पक्षियों, पशुओं और समुद्री जीवों के जीवन के साथ ही नदियों तथा अन्य जलस्रोतों को कितना नुकसान पहुँचता है।

लोगों को यह समझना होगा कि पर्यावरण का प्रदूषण एक टिक-टिक करते टाइम बम के समान है और वक्त आ गया है जब प्लास्टिक के थैलों पर बैन लगाने पर बहस करने की बजाए कुछ ठोस किया जाए। जहाँ तक सरकार की बात है, तो उसे सभी प्रकार के प्लास्टिक शॉपिंग बैग पर पाबंदी लगा देनी चाहिए। यही नहीं, उस पाबंदी का सख्ती से पालन भी कराना चाहिए। इस समस्या से उसके स्रोत तक जाकर ही निपटा जाना चाहिए। उत्पादन इकाई बंद हो तो हो जाए लेकिन इन थैलों का उत्पादन नहीं होना चाहिए। उल्लंघन करने वाली कंपनियों और स्टोर्स पर भारी जुर्माना लगाया जाए तथा बार-बार गलती करने वालों को कठोर दंड दिया जाना चाहिए। कानून बने तो उसमें प्रदूषण नियंत्रण का उल्लंघन करने पर सजा के भी प्रावधान हों। इसके साथ ही, सरकार को रि-साइकिलिंग इकाई की स्थापना के प्रावधान बनाने चाहए जहाँ लोग अपने पुराने प्लास्टिक के थैले रि-साइकिल करा सकें। बड़े स्टोर्स के लिए यह अनिवार्य कर दिया जाना चाहिए कि उनकी अपनी रि-साइकिलिंग इकाई हो जहाँ ग्राहकों को अपने पुराने थैले जमा कराने के लिए उत्साहित किया जाए। सरकार चाहे तो हर उस बिंदु पर शुल्क लगाए जहाँ किसी नए प्लास्टिक बैग की बिक्री होती है और इस प्रकार इकट्ठा किया गया धन एक पर्यावरण कोष बनाने का काम आ सकता है जो पर्यावरण के प्रदूषण से लड़ने में मदद करे। इन सबसे कहीं अधिक, प्लास्टिक उद्योग को निर्देश दिए जाने चाहिए कि वे प्लास्टिक कचरे के निपटारे के प्रति जवाबदेह बनें और प्लास्टिक के कचरे को इकट्ठा करने के लिए एक समर्पित सफाई बल का गठन करें। इस समस्या से निपटने की शुरुआत प्लास्टिक शॉपिंग बैग के निर्माण, बिक्री और इस्तेमाल पर पूरी तरह प्रतिबंध लगाने से ही हो सकती है।

(The article was published in weekly Hindi magazine Uday India in January 3-9, 2016 edition on page 36-39) http://www.udayindia.in/hindi/?p=5493

The Malda violence by a mob of over 2 lakh law-breakers isn’t any single incident to be afraid of. With political patronage to minority (Muslims), a warning bell rings for Hindus. Incidents of violent protest in areas where the minority community is a weighty portion of total population are common, yet Indian media, most political parties and the intelligentsia remain silent on the issue. With this unending uprising at one end, the other end depicts a dark picture for the Hindus, who are not fortunate enough to relish the same privileges, rights and freedom as are being enjoyed, many a time illegally, by the minority. Indeed, an eye for an eye is no answer, but for Hinduism to survive this phase, Hindus are to realize that intrusions in their religion may have significant fallouts; even the return of the oppression and ransacking as witnessed in the Mughal rule or during the Delhi Sultanate can be predicted. Until the Indian Muslims of today rid themselves of the influence of Mullahs, who need a pity reason to come down to streets and demand death for the defamer of Prophet, thousands and lakhs of men from this religion will keep falling prey to violent parading and ransacking in the name of religious pride and honor. When did you last see Muslims in such numbers asking for betterment in education, personal law and for modernization of their Madrasas? You are to realize that you are intruding into Hindus’ rights, which too is a defamation of the law of the land, the Indian Constitution.

Identifying this Intrusion

While many gaps have been created and can be rightly attributed to the so-called secular fabric of India, some have arisen owing to the lack of agreement between different schools of thought, castes, sub-castes, leaders, cultures, living standards and other contrasts in the world’s third largest followed religion, Hinduism. Politicians and other communities have thrived on this rampant divide, new social norms have been created where non-Hindus are relishing the fruits of secularism and the majority religion is losing its command. It is not to be repeated how India was woven into an all-inclusive and embracing culture under the rule of Hindu rulers and what devastations did the country see when Muslim invaders ransacked places of inhabitation and worship; but what they could not change even after so much oppression and bloodbath was the now-forgotten dedication of Hindus, something that played a crucial role in our independence from the Islamic and colonial rule. The datum of Hindus’ inclination towards tolerance and harmony is substantiated in the Indian Constitution that was framed in Hindu-majority nation and accorded freedom of religion to all. While many Islam-majority nations chose Islamic legal system, the Sharia, as the law of their lands, India respected the tenets of all religions and even until today, the Uniform Civil Code (law not based on any religious preference) seeks approval from legislators.

Political Intrusion – An Outcome of Vote-Bank Politics

Focusing back to the divide we realize today among followers of Hinduism, it is time to throw light on not just why these divides were even allowed in the first place, but also to assess how Hindus are losing their very basis of existence and dignity because of such events. Experts have debated and assessed the recent Bihar legislative assembly election verdict as a battle between the BJP and the non-BJP conglomerate. From where has the political troposphere of India become so Modi-wave centric is a worrisome notion and this ‘one-man for or against’ mindset has to be changed since the same has led to a misbelief that one of the Indian political parties is for the Hindus while the rest are against them or to be particular are for the minorities. When U.P. gave an overwhelming verdict for the BJP in 2014 general elections, the media, which finds it lucrative to construe election results as caste/ religion shifts, alleged swing of sentiments of Hindus towards the so-called ‘saffron’ party, and the same media and its experts, after the Bihar legislative elections, spared not a single chance to blame the BJP top leadership for the debacle. For any conscious mind, which has even a trivial understanding of Indian politics, it is clear that Bihar state polls became a battleground of caste and communal differences, where the Hindu lower castes and sub-castes and the minorities took shelter in the RJD or the JD(U) camp.

The outcome – you can find it in all newspapers which carry daily reports of murders and abductions, a clear sign of return of jungle-raj in Bihar. Up next to go to elections later this year is the state of West Bengal. Mamta Banerjee, who was capable of turning the wind against the communists in Bengal is sadly riding on the same formula of divide and rule politics. In the month of December 2015, a leader of Akhil Bhartiya Hindu Mahasabha purportedly said some words that are said to have hurt the sentiments of Muslims. Some protests, which weren’t at all violent, were carried out in many parts of the country; however, in the Malda district of WB, a mob consisting of more than 2 lakh men from the minority community took the protest further in January 2016 by thrashing policemen and setting ablaze BSF vehicles and a police station in Kaliachak. The incident (if justly investigated will come out as a planned one by the locals to destroy evidences of illegal opium poppy cultivation and fake currency racket in Malda), which failed to make it to front pages of news websites and the Breaking News or Prime Time Debate fragments of elite news channels of the country, is a clear example of deviation of interest of political men towards appeasement for votes rather than ensuring a just environment for all castes and religions. Sorry to say, Muslims and Hindus are facing more or less the same brunt, still, Muslims are more united, the Hindus are scuffling with the divide in the name of castes, sub-castes, tribes and living standards.

Tolerance of Hindus, and the Sensational Media

It is a fact, widely known but rarely accepted, that after independence Muslims have been on an advantageous side due to the secular and all-inclusive nature of the Indian Republic. The Hindus, on the other side, have lost the ground, some because of their fate of being the majority religion and some because of the internal rift among them. The statistics of progress, however, indicate that Muslims are still lesser developed than Hindus, be it in education, employment or on other economic parameters. The reason for this is the patience and tolerance of Hindus that help them steer clear of dirty political turnarounds and concentrate on the well-being of their own and their families. But the same patience has had an adverse impact on the entire Hindu religion, and Hindus are still not aware of the same. When some men killed a Muslim man in Dadri for beef consumption even the international media talked and debated the issue. Violence of any nature and against any human is condemnable but according sensationalism to any such event just to reflect your concerns for any particular religion is even a more violent attack on the harmonious fabric of the society. Was a mob of 10-20 men a more terrifying one or was the one that engaged lakhs of men in Malda more perilous? In fact, both of them are equally prohibited, cannot be allowed in any society where peaceful existence is a constitutional right of all.

It took a lot of pain and time for the sensational Indian media to report the violence of Malda and when they did it, it was centered on the upcoming state elections and the role of Muslim and Hindu votes in deciding the fate of contestants. Lakhs of men thrashing the state police and toppling the law and order situation weren’t a matter of worry for the media, for the opposition parties that have been crying over rising intolerance since the BJP has come into power. If this is what secularism and all-inclusiveness mean then we have all the reasons to worry about our peaceful existence. For Muslims, even many of their religious leaders and thinkers have spoken about the concern of rising Islamic-centric violence in the country, and how this has brought more pain to Muslims than any good to the religion. Malda, which has 51 per cent Muslim population (proximity with Bangladesh can be understood as the cause), has so many promises for political parties that follow the appeasement route for victory, and owing to these reasons the mob was and will be allowed to vandalize more public property. Muslim thinkers have realized that this extra-judicial freedom of expression is of much harm to the community, Muslim men are failing to grasp this thought, owing to their easy brain-wash by corrupt leaders both within their religion and in political parties they lend support to.

Hindus’ Obliviousness and the Impact

But it is also time for Hindus to consider these facts and bring about a shift in their approach towards what is happening in the country as well as outside India. ISIS, al-Qaeda, Jaish-e-Mohammad and other terror outfits are not that big a danger, the rift among Hindus is a much bigger one. How many Hindu children and even adults know about the rich Hindu past during the reigns of King Ashoka and Vikramaditya? How many of us remember the teachings of Swami Vivekananda and Gautama Buddha? How many of us are truly proud to be a Hindu? Somewhere we are lost. And this has given an opportunity to traitors to take away our unity and thus our dominance; dominance in sense of our harmony with other religions and a fear among traitors to dare think of subjugating the rights and freedoms of Hindus. Today, even the temples of Hindus are subject to interference and dominance of governments who can take over their control and thus manage the utilization of temple receipts the way they want. While our Constitution guarantees right to religious freedom to all faiths, invasion by the government of Hindu religious institutions is a clear example of contrary government policies for different faiths. And most of the Hindus are still unaware of this intrusion, also that their donations to temples, which shall be utilized for their well-being and for promotion of their faith, are being diverted to other sites, even for endorsing other religions.

Why the political party, the chief of which was convicted by the court won the maximum seats in the Bihar legislative polls is the outcome of the divide among Hindus on lines of castes and sub-castes. The incessant mentality to back caste leaders, even the ones engaged in criminal activities, is the one that has failed the country, has failed its majority. Then is the mindset of better-off segment of Hindus, who are mostly not concerned with the social and political state of affairs of the country, and are thus indifferent towards the allegations and attacks on and sacrilege of their own religion. The middle-class is just trying to maintain the living standard and speaks only when inflation rises, the upper-class is concerned about corporate laws and the policy making aspects of governance, and the underprivileged section seeks shelter in caste-based political structure in the hope of relishing some benefits, which although come at the cost of other castes. Hindu politicians aren’t dedicated towards saving the temples and beliefs of their community; they are rather encouraging other religions towards supremacy and violence. Such is the irony that the only concerned and devoted cluster is being named as right-wing and supporter of intolerance towards the minorities. The same cluster, comprising of RSS, VHP and other Hindu groups are never praised for their selfless service towards mankind and country.

Instances like the one in Malda, which was followed by violence in Purnia district of Bihar (involving ransacking of Baisi police station and setting vehicles and other state property on fire), will never make it to headlines and prime time debates in India unless the Hindus, be them from any caste, political or non-political, or from the media or otherwise, underprivileged, middle-class or upper-class, are concerned about rectifying the mistakes of the past. And this rectification does not call for any hatred towards the minority; it calls for introspection and realization of the fact that Hinduism today is craving for some loyalty and perseverance. The political parties (leaving aside the ones like AIMIM which are growing on support from Muslims), which have Hindu office-bearers and leaders, are to identify the thin line of demarcation between secularism and fake secularism; they are to comprehend the ill-effects of their actions and appeasement on future generations of Hindus, similar to how we are planning for a better tomorrow in terms of global warming and climate change. What news channels of India are broadcasting in the name of journalism is pure commercialization of news and the misuse of media for political and financial gains. Hindus, yet again, fall trap to reports, and this helps a new political party win Delhi polls and a Grand Alliance win Bihar polls.

Non-violent Uprising of Hindus- Need of the Hour

The entire system has derailed. And both on the accused end as well as the receiving end are the followers of Hinduism, their interminable silence and tolerance is the reason. Both silence and tolerance are the pillars of the Indian democracy; they, however, cannot outshine Hindus’ unity and dignity. The shift from this silence and tolerance does not seek swing towards violence or intolerance; this seeks active engagement in comprehending and responding to social and political events in a shrewd manner, a manner that can inform the world of Hinduism’s vigor and devoutness. For this to happen, the intrusion in Hinduism by political men, by division in names of castes and tribes, by violent mob of other religions, by our indifference towards the blasphemy of Hinduism and by governments in administration of Hindu’s places of worship has to end. Even Muslim scholars have endorsed peaceful existence only under the majority of Hindus in India, any extra-judicial powers and freedoms to minority will lead us to experiences of Middle East countries. The persecution of Hindus, which lasted for centuries prior to the independence in 1947, is still ongoing in suburbs of many Indian states, sorry to say, but in places where Muslims are a substantial part of population. Then is the infiltration in Indian parts bordering Bangladesh and political patronage to such infiltrators and the Saudi or ISI-funded Madrasas. Introspection and non-violent uprising of Hindus is the need of the hour to curb these fallouts of fake secularism.

Bilateral relations between any two contiguous countries that are asymmetric and share a wide spectrum of commonalities, ranging from religion to culture as well as from traditions to history, could sometimes be dicey. It is definitely so in the case of India and Nepal, which have a big and powerful China, as a common neighbour for comfort.  An economically dominant and politically over-ambitious and hegemonic China tends to lean none-too-gently on its geographically smaller neighbours and casts its hulking shadow on their bilateral relations at the best of times. India’s relations with Nepal are currently passing through a disturbingly low phase.

Since September 23, there has been an economic blockade of essential commodities from India, with protests being held at the border on the Nepalese side hindering smooth transit of lifeline supplies. This has resulted in an economically vulnerable Nepal compelled to look the Chinese way for vital supplies. Not a propitious state of affairs for the healthy growth of India-Nepal relations, with India’s archrival looking at the fluid situation askance. In the ensuing scenario, nobody has been any wiser nor has been the beneficiary of the imbroglio. Indian National Congress and other parties like JD (U) and CPI (M), which share space with it in the Parliament, have characteristically been unsparing in their castigating of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his foreign policy team for the current impasse on the Nepalese front.

Efforts to revive bilateral relations

After the change of guard at the Centre in 2014, relations between India and its northern neighbour got a new fillip with the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Kathmandu last year – the first by an Indian Prime Minister in nearly 17 years. The high point of the visit was the emotional appeal made by Modi when he said, “This is the land of Sita and Janak. Nepal-India relations are as old as the Himalayas and the Ganga.” He then asserted that ever since he became Prime Minister, one of the top priorities of his government has been to strengthen the relationship with Nepal.

The warm sentiment was translated into substantive terms with India’s grant of a US$1 billion concessional Line of Credit to Nepal. This was followed up by the signing of a deal between the two sides in terms of which India would build a 900MW hydropower plant at a cost of another US$1 billion. Earlier this year, India provided an assistance of US$1 billion for the reconstruction of the quake-hit Nepal, backed by a solemn assurance by Narendra Modi that India would try to wipe out the tears of all the people of Nepal in distress. Despite such a flying start that went into further cementing of the relations between the two nations, what was the dampener that spoilt the show for the two? It was the internal political developments in Nepal, which can be summed up in one word – Constitution.

Protests over New Constitution

The turbulence in relations started with the adoption of a new Constitution by Nepal on September 20, 2015, by replacing the Interim Constitution of 2007. The new Constitution turned out to be anything but inclusive as it failed to address the concerns of the marginalized sections of the Nepalese society such as the Madhesis, Janjatis, Tharus, women and Dalits, thereby polarizing the society along regional and ethnic lines and causing disaffection among the affected sections. The Madhesis of the Terai region, who had already been agitating, seeking redressal of their long-standing grievances, intensified their agitation in protest against their interests being given a short shrift in the new Constitution that was in the making for the last nine years. They imposed a blockade of lifeline supplies from India at the Raxaul-Birgunj check post, which is used for the transit of 70% of Indian supplies. Since Nepal heavily relies on Indian supplies of fuel (nearly 100%), the blockade has caused immense hardships to the people of Nepal and disruption of the country’s economy.

The demand of the Madhesis is threefold. Firstly, they have been asking for more constituencies for the Terai region that accounts for 51% of the country’s population. As per the new Constitution, the Terai region would likely get only 62 out of the total 165 seats under the first-past-the-post system instead of 83 as per its population. Evidently, the new Constitution has not taken into account the factors of population and geography and does not give weightage to proportional representation in the sparsely-populated trans-Himalayas districts to ensure that they are not left out of the democratic process. Secondly, the protesters have been demanding proper demarcation of provinces. A third demand is a more liberal citizenship policy, which would not discriminate between the offspring of Nepali men with a foreign spouse (mostly Indian women) who are considered Nepali citizens by ‘descent’, on the one hand; and the offspring of Nepali women with a foreign spouse (mostly Indian men) who are considered ‘naturalized’ Nepali citizens on the other. Groups of human rights activists and ethnic women of the immigrant Madhesi community have dubbed the new Constitution as gender-discriminatory. The protesters are unrelenting on the resolution of these three demands.

Special Relationship

India’s relationship with Nepal has been special. Both the countries have open borders for the citizens of each other for visa-free travel. Nepali citizens are allowed to appear for top-level competitive examinations to the Indian Civil Service, Police Service, etc. The Gorkha Regiment is a niche space in the Indian Army for the Gorkhas of Nepal. The number of Nepalis living and working in India is estimated to be around six million. There are many families in the two countries tied by marriage. Nepal, a landlocked nation, is surrounded by Indian land mass on three sides. The bulk of its trade is with India. With such unique attributes marking the special relationship between the two countries, India could not help being concerned about crucial political developments in its neighbouring country.

Source of Discord

Following the handing over of power by King Gyanendra in 2006 in the wake of a mass movement for democracy, an interim Constitution was promulgated in 2007. A Constituent Assembly was mandated with the task of drafting a comprehensive Constitution. As the Constituent Assembly failed to come up with a draft Constitution within the mandated period, a second Assembly was constituted. The Constitution of 2015 was drafted by the Second Constituent Assembly and promulgated by the Parliament. Although 84% of the lawmakers, including a large number from the Terai region predominantly inhabited by the Madhesis, voted for the passing of the new Constitution, sections of the country’s population have been unhappy about the new Constitution being framed without the participation of the people at large. As such, they consider the document an exclusive product of political parties and, therefore, not truly reflective of the people’s will and aspirations.

Consequently, there has been a lot of confusion and disaffection over the introduction of the salient features of Federalism and Secularism in the new Constitution. In the Nepal government’s attempts to quell the protests and the attendant violence, over 50 Madhesis have been killed and several injured. The Nepali media and the establishment have been critical of India’s alleged role in the instigation and the spreading of violence. Although their attempt to placate the restless Nepali population by blaming the violence and “unofficial blockade” on India is understandable, nothing could be farther from the truth.

Hope in Vain

During his landmark visit to Nepal in August 2014, Prime Minister Modi addressed the Constituent Assembly and expressed hope that Nepal’s new Constitution would be like a bouquet of flowers representing the different shades of that country’s communities, regions and opinions – and reflecting a broad national consensus. This was followed up by the voicing of India’s concerns to prominent political leaders of Nepal who visited India for consultations. The Nepali political leaders positively responded to Narendra Modi’s exhortations and gave enough indications about the likely emergence of a Constitution acceptable to all sections of the society. On her part, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj recalled “the encouraging voices… from Nepalese leaders” that “the Constitution will carry along all regions and sections.”

Expressing India’s concern over the ongoing protests and strife in many parts of Nepal, she called for flexibility on the part of all concerned political forces in a bid to address all the unresolved issues through dialogue and widest possible agreement, in an atmosphere free from violence. A last-minute visit to Kathmandu by Foreign Secretary Jaishankar to explore the possibility of salvaging the situation before matters got out of hand proved futile. The much-awaited Constitution turned out to be a damp squib – a letdown for the marginalized communities of Nepal and a disappointment for India, which merely “noted” the Constitution but stopped short of welcoming it.

Bid to Tarnish India’s Image

Following the outbreak of protests and blockade of Indian supplies by the Madhesis, the arterial supply lines of Nepal were choked causing all around hardship, inconvenience and logistical problems on both sides of the India-Nepal border. Prices of fuel and other essential commodities shot up in Nepal much to the bewilderment of the people of that country, with the lifeline supplies from a friendly India piling up at the border on account of the impasse. The Indian government conveyed its helplessness in transporting the much-needed supplies across the border pending resolution of the impasse by the Nepal government through dialogues with the protesters.

India’s stance of non-interference in the domestic affairs of the friendly neighbouring country was made amply clear. In such circumstances, it would be foolish on the part of the anti-India elements in the political and establishment circles as well as the media in Nepal, to hold India responsible for the “unofficial blockade” and attendant violence. Such an exercise will be nothing short of a deliberate attempt to malign India’s image and besmirch its honourable intentions to put the India-Nepal relations back on an even keel.

Nepal Relents

Even as the situation in Nepal was getting murkier by the day, with the protesters further intensifying their agitation and the Nepal government digging its heel in, there was a sudden letup, giving forth a glimmer of hope for the return of normalcy. In an unexpected positive development, the Nepal government agreed to amend its new Constitution to address two key demands of the protesters regarding proportionate representation and constituency delineation. This was conveyed to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj by Nepal’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Kamal Thapa on the telephone on December 21. As such, the Nepal government has agreed to amend the Constitution to provide for participation in state organs by proportionate inclusiveness and delineation of electoral constituencies on the basis of population. It has also decided to address the demarcation of provinces through an arrangement in the Constitution based on political consensus.

Other demands, including that of citizenship, are to be resolved through negotiations and agreement. India has welcomed Nepal’s decision and has also urged all political forces in Nepal to demonstrate “maturity and flexibility” to find a mutually acceptable solution to the ongoing crisis. India has also indicated that it wants to see an end to the Madhesi agitation and expressed confidence that a return to normalcy in Nepal will create a more secure and conducive ambience for unhindered commerce between the two countries. Although the leaders of the United Democratic Madhesi Front have expressed doubts about the commitment of the Nepal government to follow up its assurances with concrete action within a reasonable timeframe, the government of India has reasons to believe that the 12-week old stalemate will soon become a thing of the past.

One More Feather in Modi’s Cap

Be that as it may, the Nepal government’s decision to bow to vox populi is as welcome a development as it could get, to put its bilateral relations with India back on the track – not a day too soon. However, it is unlikely to go down well with the Opposition parties in India, which have been using a purely domestic issue of a neighbouring country for political grandstanding against Prime Minister Modi. The charges of our Opposition parties that India acted clumsily by doing too little too late in the course of the drafting of Nepal’s new Constitution and that India has been acting in a big brotherly fashion by using strong arm tactics, instead of displaying magnanimity, with its smaller neighbour, have been exposed as being hollow and baseless. Incidentally, the course of action pursued by India in the matter, marked by abiding patience and implacable correctitude, has vindicated its position as a benign soft power neighbour of a fledgling democracy. In fact, it has proved to be a battle of wits in which both the nations have emerged victors – which is yet another diplomatic coup by Prime Minister Narendra Modi!

In the meantime, Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli telephoned Narendra Modi on December 31 and apprised him of the latest measures his government has initiated to resolve the predicament triggered by the Madhesi agitators. KP Oli assured the Indian Prime Minister that his government has introduced a new bill in the Nepalese parliament on December 15 with the aim of amending Nepal’s new Constitution, which will address the two demands of the Madhesi people related to proportional representation and redrawing of the electoral constituencies based on population. Conveying his strong support to the said consensus-based solution that is seen emerging to the current crisis in Nepal, Narendra Modi invited Prime Minister Oli to visit India soon, and the latter responded positively, saying he would do so after the situation in his home country eases. Meanwhile, the impending amendment of the new Constitution after the proposed bill gets passed, is expected to diffuse the ongoing crisis between Kathmandu and the Madhesi agitators.

When Arvind Kejriwal, whose election campaign during the Delhi Assembly elections 2014 was marked by incessant coughing and choking due to respiratory problems, won with a massive mandate and became the Chief Minister of Delhi, very few people were surprised at his making it to the top job despite his not enjoying the pink of health. For he was not the only one coughing his way to work in Delhi, which has earned the dubious distinction of being the most polluted city in the world in terms of air quality. Delhi’s depressing air pollution level is highly harmful to the health of its inhabitants, particularly children and senior citizens who are much more vulnerable than the others. It increases the threshold of their susceptibility to respiratory diseases, cardiac problems and lung cancer.

The acuteness of the situation is highlighted by the fact that immediately after the polls, Kejriwal had to rush to Bengaluru to catch a breath of fresh air and undergo an expensive course of medical treatment – a luxury that every Delhiite cannot afford. Besides, it is not as if the rest of India is much better off than the national capital in the matter of air quality. It is simply a matter of one city doing relatively better than the other, with the seriousness of the problem differing not very substantially from one another. Suffice it to say that air pollution is the fifth largest killer in India. Taking cognizance of the “very serious problem” of rising pollution and regretting that Delhi is earning a bad name as the most polluted city in the world, the Supreme Court urged the Delhi government and the Centre to sit together and devise a multi-pronged policy to tackle the issue.

Dubious Distinction

The alarming disclosure of Delhi beating about 1,600 cities in 91 countries to secure the unenviable position of numero uno among the most polluted cities in the world was made by World Health Organization (WHO) on the basis of a study it had conducted last year. The Ambient Air Pollution database, covering the period 2008-13, with the majority of the values for the years 2012 and 2013, revealed that Delhi was suffering from very severe air pollution. The city had, during the study period, particulate matters to the alarming level of PM2.5 concentration of 56 micrograms and PM10 concentration of 120 micrograms. What made the situation acutely deplorable for Delhi was that its particulate matter concentration levels were much worse than those of Beijing, which was once considered one of the most polluted cities in the world. While Beijing seems to have learnt its lessons and has taken steps to control the situation, Delhi appears to have ignored the gravity of the issue.

Causes for Concern

Referring to the worsening levels of air pollution, the WHO study said that many factors contributed to this alarming situation, including reliance on fossil fuels such as coal-fired power plants, too much dependence on private vehicles, inefficient use of energy in buildings, and the use of biomass for cooking and heating. Experts have voiced their considered opinion that there are several causes, ranging from burning of leftover crops after every agricultural harvest, carried out in the adjoining states of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, to the burning of garbage in Delhi, the use of fuelwood and charcoal for cooking, vehicular emissions and the widespread presence of dust due to construction activities. All these have been responsible for the turning of air into toxic fumes.

A very familiar sight that greets a visitor to Delhi immediately on his arrival is the absence of the flashing of a customary smile of welcome by the inhabitants of the city. This not because of lack of hospitality or bonhomie but because people of a wide spectrum of society, ranging from the police personnel managing the traffic to two-wheeler riders, pedestrians and school children, are going about doing their daily chores, wearing surgical masks. A smile behind the mask would be no different from a wink in the dark! It would appear to a less-informed visitor that the city is sitting on a time bomb of some epidemic ticking away silently. Maybe the city actually is waiting for a catastrophe to happen. Years of accumulated neglect and indifference by the previous governments are weighing heavily on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, which was the least prepared to address the issue, let alone take it on by the horns.

Odd-Even Number Scheme

Pushed to a tight corner where pretending to ignore the reality of the problem was no more an option, the Delhi government put its best foot forward and made its first tentative move ever so hesitantly – but not before the Delhi High Court pulled up the authorities for not having a concrete plan to tackle the dangers of air pollution in the Capital! A Division Bench of the High Court had observed that living in Delhi was like living in a “gas chamber”. Earlier, the Delhi government had commissioned a study to look into pollution control in 2012. The study commenced in 2013, and the draft report was submitted to the government only recently. Apparently convinced that the vehicular traffic crisscrossing the city and the steady turnover of heavy vehicles entering the city, day after day, from other states, formed the single most polluting factor that turned the pristine Delhi air greyer and murkier, the AAP government has been aiming at curbing pollution of air level by the vehicular traffic on the Delhi roads. It went for the low-hanging fruit and came up with a measure, which is prima facie less meddlesome for the comfort of the public.

It has proposed the introduction of the odd-even number plan of private vehicles for pollution control from January 1 to 15, 2016 on an experimental basis. Kejriwal and his cabinet reached out to the Centre with details of the proposed plan and have been assured in turn by Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari of the Centre’s support in the implementation of the scheme. Thus, the decks are all clear for the launching of the proposal in full steam. The plan envisages restricting of operation of private cars with odd registration numbers to ply on a set of three alternate days of the week and those with even registration numbers on the other three alternate days, in both cases from 8 am to 8 pm. Outside the prescribed hours on these days and on Sundays, all private cars will be allowed to ply, with no restrictions. In theory, it appears that this formula should reduce the number of private vehicles on the road roughly by half on any given day. There should consequently be less air pollution and with the first battle in the war against air pollution nearly won, the lifting of the surgical mask to reveal a glimpse of the flashing smile should not be far behind! If that were indeed the shape of things to come, how come practically everyone from the Court to National Green Tribunal, experts and the common man, is frowning upon the proposal?

Flawed Plan

Regardless of the Delhi government’s avowed ambition of reducing the number of private vehicles on the road, one cannot help noting that the plan leaks like a sieve. For starters, out of the proposed trial period of 15 days, two intervening Sundays are exempted, reducing the effective time period to 13 days. Besides, the government has been considering granting of an exemption to certain categories of people like women, handicapped, elderly, etc. apparently with an idea of providing relief to those sections of the society who are vulnerable and have a high level of threat perception. What is not at par though is the exemption of two-wheelers, which is being seriously considered by the government, probably to keep AAP’s vote bank unaffected.

Apparently, the government is not in favour of the users of two-wheelers who are mostly from the low-income group of the society being hit by the formula by their being compelled to use public transport. This suspicion gains currency with the findings of a study by Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur that has pointed out that motorcycles and scooters are a major pollutant. The draft report of the study states that two-wheelers are responsible for more PM10 and PM2.5 than cars and contribute to 33% of pollution, with cars being responsible for a mere 10%. It is, therefore, evident that exempting two-wheelers from the odd-even formula of vehicular traffic would defeat the purpose of curbing air pollution. What remains to be seen, therefore, is whether the AAP government would rise to the occasion and do the right thing called for by the seriousness of the situation or succumb to the compulsions of vote-bank politics.

Fewer Cars, More Buses

Meanwhile, the Delhi government is planning to get 6,000 new buses inducted to ease the hardship likely to arise from the implementation of its odd-even formula. However, the government has not been able to assure the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that the CNG buses would cause absolutely no pollution. The government is clueless about how the new buses would help in its fight against congestion. Congestion in the city has not reduced with the introduction of Delhi Metro, which was expected to do wonders on this count. In fact, congestion on the city streets has only increased since the advent of Delhi Metro. Besides, how is the government going to come up with a solution for the question of parking space for the additional buses?

Since a bus takes the place of about ten cars, which are the 60,000 cars that the government proposes to replace with the new buses? NGT has pulled up the government, which has no answer to the questions, for deciding to introduce more buses without conducting any studies or research. The Tribunal has pointed out that with so much congestion and pollution around, the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) has been plying empty buses with no valid reason and has failed to submit a report sought by the tribunal. Should one surmise that the plying of empty buses on routes with not many commuters is a simple case of mismanagement on the part of DTC or an exercise of a populist measure on the part of the Delhi government, with scant regard to the economic viability? In either case, it reflects a deplorable state of affairs involving waste of money and resources.

Proliferation of Vehicles

The proliferation of vehicles in Delhi is quite immense. According to the information provided by the Delhi government to NGT, around 1,300-1,400 new vehicles – both heavy and light, including two-wheelers – are registered every day. Stating that a good number of vehicles are being registered elsewhere in the National Capital Region (NCR) like Gurgaon, Bahadurgarh, Ghaziabad and Noida in addition to those being registered in Delhi, the tribunal has called upon the Delhi government to take a stand for possibly capping the number of vehicles sold and registered. The tribunal has directed, as an interim measure, that diesel vehicles more than 10 years old as already directed, as well as new diesel vehicles, will not be registered in National Capital Territory (NCT) till January 6, 2016.

The tribunal has directed the Central and Delhi governments to take a conscientious decision with regard to not buying any diesel vehicles. It has also directed all public authorities, including municipal corporations, Delhi Development Authority, police and other public departments, to draw up an action plan for phasing out diesel vehicles, particularly trucks. Recently, the Supreme Court had observed in a related case that “it is not fair for the rich to buy luxury cars and pollute Delhi” and decreed that diesel vehicles with engine capacity of over 2000cc shall be banned for an initial period of three months. The court also said that some order would have to be passed to ensure that diesel vehicles that are over ten years old do not continue to pollute the environment. The Court has also stressed on the need to ensure that vehicles in Delhi use at least Euro IV-ready fuel.

In compliance with a Supreme Court directive, the Delhi government had already imposed an environment compensation charge on trucks and commercial vehicles entering the city. The rates of cess on commercial vehicles have since been doubled by the Court. Ironically, the government has little control over the trucks coming into the city. Nor is Delhi Police under the Delhi government’s watch.

Cosmetic Gesture?

The odd and even formula of the staggering of the vehicular traffic has all the portents of a mere cosmetic gesture. Taken in isolation, it smacks of a lack of seriousness and conviction of purpose. No serious study or research seems to have gone into the viability or ramifications of the proposal. The Chief Minister has repeatedly stated that the formula was being implemented on an experimental basis and that its further continuance would depend only on its acceptance by the people. No matter how lofty it sounds, how do you expect the implementing authorities to take up the scheme seriously when there is no solid and irrevocable support from the highest levels? Unless it is backed by serious substantive measures like controlling the burning of waste – agricultural and otherwise – and emission of dust from construction activities, the proposal would be a non-starter.

How serious is the Delhi government in taking up the pressing matter with neighbouring states and the Union Ministry for Urban Development for their cooperation on a realistic timeframe is a moot question that begs an answer from Team Kejriwal, which seems to be perennially embroiled in endless controversies and scams with no let up for addressing serious issues like pollution. Kejriwal’s running feud with the Delhi Police, the Lieutenant Governor and the Central government is not going to make things any easier for the resolution of the problem of pollution. The need of the hour is for the Delhi government to take up the issue of pollution control with all concerned authorities and agencies as well as experts, on a war footing, with the intention of unveiling a comprehensive master plan that would be in keeping with the parameters set by the NGT and the Courts. Meanwhile, Delhiites would have to make do with odd cosmetic measures like odd and even staggering of vehicular traffic, with a pinch of salt and a cough or two thrown in for good measure.

Comprehensive Master Plan

To ensure a result-oriented and long-lasting solution to the threat of rising pollution, over and above the odd-even traffic plan, the Delhi government should draw up a Comprehensive Master Plan incorporating a series of complementary measures to de-pollute as well as decongest the city on a sustainable basis. And all the proposed anti-pollution measures should be implemented in right earnest. For instance, to discourage the use of private vehicles and encourage use of public transport, the very first requirement is to ensure a strong and viable public transport system. Another primary requirement is a top-class pedestrian infrastructure comprising good sidewalks, safe skywalks, foot overbridges as well as user-friendly access points to public transport facilities. This is because every public transport user would have to do plenty of walking to complete his to-and-fro trips. Furthermore, the Delhi government should also consider introducing congestion charges in busy areas in addition to the odd-even transport sorting.

The AAP government should also crack the whip and put an end to unregulated construction in and around Delhi and stop regularizing illegal structures. This is imperative because currently floor after floor gets added to buildings and the construction materials are dumped near the roads or on pavements and the dust flying from these sites aggravate the pollution levels. Furthermore, the contemplated measures should also aim to curb the pollution emanating from countless generating sets operating in people’s homes, shops and offices that throw black fumes. This menace can be easily eliminated by accepting the offer made by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on December 24 wherein the Centre is ready to provide 10 lakh litres of biodiesel a day to the Delhi government. Since the odd-even number scheme by itself will not have much impact, the above suggestions and a slew of complimentary measures need to be considered and incorporated into the proposed Comprehensive Master Plan aimed at combating the menace of pollution in the national capital.

If the incongruity of the ideology of Communism, which was foreign to the Indian polity in the first place, nesting in the political hotbed of Kerala strikes an outsider as inexplicable, the reason for his puzzlement could only be attributed to his lack of understanding of the ground realities in God’s Own Country. An extremely fertile land with a pronounced landlord-agricultural labourer divide, Kerala has been home to a society as deeply caste-ridden and faction-riven as any other state in the country. Kerala, however, differed from other states by waking up early to the importance of education. Successive governments in the state made education a priority area of development, especially among women and the deprived sections of society that had heavily depended on agricultural work and were exposed to the hazards of harassment and exploitation by high caste land owners.

Resultantly, today Kerala boasts not only of a very high literacy rate but also of other equally impressive social indices like low fertility rate, low infant mortality rate, high life expectancy, women’s right to inheritance of property, etc. A fertile ground for class-war, Kerala witnessed the dawn of Communism soon after our country attained independence. The Communists lost no time in cashing in on the high level of political consciousness of the people in the wake of the fast-spreading education. Without waiting for the fault-lines of religious and casteist factions of the society to disappear, they plunged headlong into electoral politics. They championed the cause of the peasants and advocated land reforms. They further challenged the capitalist policies of the Indian National Congress (INC) and the traditional bourgeois mindset of the society.

Communism and Electoral Politics

In 1957, soon after Kerala was reorganized on linguistic basis, it earned the distinction of becoming the first Indian state to have a democratically-elected Communist government in the country and the second in the world, after San Marino, the smallest and oldest surviving republic. The Communist Party of India (CPI) contested the election on the plank of fighting against feudalism and defeated the ruling Indian National Congress. With a Communist government in place, Kerala became the sole exception to have a non-Congress government in the country.

However, the Communist rule in Kerala was short-lived. The Congress government at the Centre, which could brook no breach of the party’s national supremacy, invoked Article 356 of the Constitution and dismissed the government led by EMS Namboodiripad. Meanwhile, during their short stay in office between 1957 and 1959, the Communists had successfully introduced the Land Reforms Ordinance and the Education Bill, which generated a special resonance among the people of the state. That reverberation lasts till today in God’s Own Country.

Appeal of Communism

The highly controversial dismissal of the state’s first Communist government by the Congress regime at the Centre was only one of the several factors that led to the flowering of Communism in the backwaters of Kerala. The ground-breaking Land Reforms Ordinance and the controversial Education Bill introduced by the Communists were runaway hits with the people. Furthermore, the land reforms carried out in the 1960s and 1970s contributed immensely to the popularity of the Communists. The people of Kerala are perceived to be among the most politically conscious people in the country. Strikes and dharnas over perceived inequalities and injustice to the working class and the strident demands of their rights are a regular political feature in the state. The daily wage labourers in Kerala are consequently the highest paid in the country.

Widespread education has made the people major beneficiaries of insights into the political happenings and developments all over the world. The effects of a recession, the slowing down of economies worldwide and the fallout of globalization are as much a staple subject of animated discussions in teashops over a vernacular newspaper as in the plush drawing-room comfort of posh, uptown residential areas. The passion and fervour with which the discussions are carried out in diverse backgrounds, amazingly match in extent and depth of the subjects. The high level of political consciousness and the outreach of education among different sections of society seem to have, however, turned into more of a bane than boon, with little manufacturing activity and industrialization in the State, primarily due to frequent strikes and hartals.

Unemployment and Petro Dollars

Because of widespread education coupled with very little manufacturing activities happening across the state, the unemployment rate in Kerala has been relatively high and its industrial progress has been woefully dismal as compared to other states. A primary reason for the laggardly growth of the manufacturing and industrial sector in the state is the extreme reluctance of multinational companies, Indian corporates and entrepreneurs to set up new business ventures owing to lack of infrastructural development and fears of industrial unrest on account of the aggressive postures of the Communists – irrespective of whether they are in power or the Opposition. A niggardly pace of industrial progress and high rate of unemployment have led to an exodus of qualified young men and women as well as of unskilled labour to different parts of India and even to distant shores, especially the Gulf countries. This development turned the tide and transformed the state’s economy from an agrarian to remittances and services-based one.

As a large workforce has been going to other states as well as abroad for earning its livelihood, lack of jobs and employment opportunities is not felt in the state as acutely as it used to be in earlier times. Kerala ranks at the top among the Indian States receiving NRI remittances, which renders poverty conspicuous by its absence. These remittances, along with revenues earned from trade and tourism, are the primary sources of contribution to the budget inlays of the state government. The massive amounts of remittances from abroad have unintended fallouts too. The Gulf petrodollars that come as remittances have made the State a huge consumer market. Consequently, there are plenty of trading firms, shops, FMCG dealers, tour operators and travel companies that provide employment to unskilled workers. Thanks to a large NRI population from the state and good purchasing power of the Kerala populace, courtesy massive remittances from the Gulf, sectors such as Education, Healthcare, Tourism and the Service sectors are doing well. That translates into the creation of job opportunities albeit on a modest scale in the services and trading sectors.

The Flipside

The flipside of the transformation of the state’s economy into one based on remittances, services and tourism, is made up by the unintended fallout of prices of essential commodities and consumer goods shooting up disproportionately, triggered by the cash flow based on NRI remittances. Such a situation leads to the economy being precariously positioned on a facade of variable factors such as the continuation of peace and normalcy in the Gulf region and other countries that constitute the favourite beat of the migrant workforce from Kerala.

The unstable nature of the economy based on uncertain factors, migration of able-bodied young men and women with or without qualifications to greener pastures, thanks to the absence of strong industrial underpinning, contributes in no small measure to high rates of alcoholism and suicide in the State. As such, Kerala outranks all other states in India at the per capita level of alcohol consumption, and it also has one of the highest suicide rates in the country.

Political Formulations

In Kerala, political fortunes have been swinging between the Indian National Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) on the one hand and the Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Left Democratic Front ( LDF) on the other. The LDF, consisting of CPI (M), CPI and others, has turned out to be the arch rival of the Congress in Kerala, with no other viable alternative to challenge the latter for the top slot. The UDF was created in the 1970s by the Congress, which is now firmly entrenched in the State with its traditional vote banks among minority Christians and Muslims and some sections of the majority Hindu community.

It projects itself as a coalition of different social, caste and religious groups and as a counterbalancing force of LDF, which is spearheaded by the CPI (M) and wedded in principle against an alliance with communal parties. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that is branded ‘communal’ by the insidious pseudo-secular forces had the daunting task of finding a niche space in the highly fractious political scenario of Kerala, with the UDF and the LDF menacingly straddling the scene. Several years of a tenacious fight later, it has slowly and steadily emerged as a serious contender for political supremacy.

Fickle Economy

Uninterrupted spells of rule by the UDF and the LDF, both of which are solely interested in the retention of power and the maintenance of status quo, has reduced Kerala to a sorry state with neither infrastructural development nor establishment of industrial ventures in sight. How long could the kiss of life by remittances from abroad keep the economy of consumerism alive and kicking? Come a war or regional political disturbances in the Gulf or West Asia, the lifeline of petro dollars will dry up and see the State’s economy choking. A political atmosphere hostile to globalization and the opening up of economy breeds a spate of lightning industrial actions that is hardly conducive to a healthy tourism industry.

Although the State is heavily dependent on the tourism sector, the government keeps sending out confusing signals in matters like Prohibition, which have adverse impacts on the inflow of foreign and domestic tourists. Even otherwise, revenues generated by the tourism sector seep to overseas tourism companies and other Indian states by means of service taxes, making the industry fickle.

Need of Sound Economy

How strong and stable could an economy based on the services and tourism sectors be compared to one based on a solid industrial base? The Communists have been vehemently opposing globalization and stalling FDI inflows, holding rallies and dharnas spewing venom against the opening up of the economy and preventing the State and the people from becoming beneficiaries of the global phenomenon. Congress has been vying for honours with the Communists holding the state to political ransom, with its unbridled ambition of holding on to power with nary a progressive policy for the growth of the economy. The State is verily positioned between a rock and hard place with no sign of a letup in the stranglehold of Communism over the State and the regressive economic policy and reprehensible survival tactics of the Congress.

Whipping a Dead Horse

The vicious circle of the power game by the paper tigers of Communism and the spent forces of Congress needs to be broken forthwith to enable Kerala to get over its economic languishment and join the mainstream politics of development and progress. While the rest of the nation, with a few exceptions, is surging ahead, by latching onto the Modi bandwagon, Kerala is still experimenting with Communism as a viable political ideology as well as with the Congress. Here it is worth recalling that Communism has miserably failed everywhere in the world while the Congress has been bristling with scams like a mongrel with fleas on its back and it has been unceremoniously relegated in most of the states to the dustbins of history. Thus, Kerala has been continuing this futile experiment with the alacrity of someone determined to whip a dead horse back to life.

Oxymoron

The people of Kerala do not seem to be ready yet to bid farewell to Congress and Communism, although both the parties have become shell organizations long ago, bereft of an ideological base and people-oriented policies. Today, the main plank of the Congress is Secularism, which it proposes  to accomplish with the support of the Indian Union Muslim League, a dyed-in-the-wool communal party, and other constituents of the UDF such as the Kerala Congress (M), Revolutionary Socialist Party, Janata Dal (United) and Kerala Congress (Jacob). With the Congress party itself and its allies being heavily dominated by minority community leaders, their claim to defend Secularism makes it an oxymoron.

LDF’s Vote Bank

LDF, on its part, has been consolidating the Hindu community votes, especially of the Ezhava and other backward sections of the community by advocating their cause in matters of economic activity and social upliftment in the highly faction-ridden society. The surprise element of CPI (M)’s political equation is that its claim to spearhead the cause of Secularism is not taken seriously by the minority Muslim and Christian communities, which have been rallying around the UDF.

Meanwhile, the ‘impressive’ track record of Congress in the appeasement politics of the minorities in the name of promoting Secularism has made it the rallying point for the Muslim and Christian communities, which are wary of the Godless Communist party. A section of the Hindu community who are disenchanted with the CPI(M) on account of its tireless talk of class struggle and the Communist mumbo jumbo, has been settling for what they consider is the lesser of the two evils, namely the UDF. There is thus a vertical split of votes between the two Fronts, neither of which has displayed interest in developmental politics.

Third Option Ahoy!

However, lately the people of Kerala have displayed some interest in experimenting with a third political option – the BJP. The spirited performance of BJP in the Aruvikkara by-election as well as the civic body polls held in the State this year has amply demonstrated that it has got its poll strategy right and that it is ready to steal the thunder from the LDF by mobilizing support from the backward Ezhava community, Scheduled Tribes and the forward Nair community by pitting itself as the principal challenger of the UDF. By consolidating the Hindu community votes and making a genuine attempt to convince the minority communities that their position would be more secure and interests better served under a BJP disposition, it could strategize a winning formula to pitchfork itself onto the centre stage of the State’s political scenario.

The UDF and the LDF would, in that event, be hard put to jointly counter an ideologically strong BJP on the plank of developmental politics. The ushering in of the BJP to the portals of power is now the only option available to the electorate of Kerala for getting the industrial and manufacturing sectors back on the rail. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows are the need of the hour and not the empty talks of Secularism.

What Kerala currently needs is infrastructural development and industrial growth; and not appeasement politics. The industrious people of Kerala who have transformed themselves into valuable human resource assets in faraway lands by the sheer dint of their hard work can easily convert Kerala into a conclave of industrial progress by making a judicious choice in the forthcoming 2016 elections. As such, what is expected of them is to vote for the BJP in the 2016 assembly election, which will give their state the much-needed fillip on the industrial and economic front, apart from addressing the acute and persistent unemployment problem their younger generations have been facing for the past so many decades.