Daily Excelsior... Editorial

EDITORIAL

New Millennium
challenges for Islam -I

By Vasant Sathe
The subject of relevance of Islam in today's conditions of India acquires added importance and significance when we are faced with the phenomenon ....more

The man who
arrested Advani

By M J Akbar
The war between Laloo Prasad Yadav and the BJP began more than a decade ago when the now and ....more

Country's security
at any cost

By Joginder Singh, IPS (Retd.)
The Kargil committee set up by the government, has found what was obvious without even ...more

EDITORIAL

DRIVE AGAINST CORRUPTION

Corruption has assumed menacing proportions at the highest rungs. It naturally percolates to the lowest level as well. At least two former Prime Ministers are involved knee-deep. Rajiv Gandhi found himself dislodged from power because of Bofors pay-off allegations amounting to Rs 65 crore. With the documents received from Swiss government, it is certain that senior bureaucrats were made to sign on the dotted line, change their comments and/or recommendations as directed by the political master. No wonder former Defence Secretary Mr Bhatnagar also faces the chargesheet for his acquiescence although he might not have been the direct beneficiary of the kick-backs. The tragedy of the case pertaining to 1987 when Bofors were purchased lies in the case dragging for 13 years with end-beneficiaries still remaining elusive. Former Prime Minister Narasimha Rao likewise remains an accused in JMM bribery case as also St. Kitts case while Sitaram Kesri as the Treasurer of the Congress Party as also central minister has to yet explain how Rs 3.5 crore received from abroad stood credited to Congress coffers in gross violation of Forex laws. The former Communication Minister Sukh Ram is yet to convince how Rs 4 crore cash was found in his house. He merely says that it belongs to the Congress Party and that is that. Former colleague of Rajiv Capt Satish Chander is yet to explain how he managed helipads and farm houses lavishly furnished. Former Union Minister Arjun Singh is yet to face action for the Karwa Dam palace built by him and his involvement in the Churhat lottery case. The palace has been differently assessed between 10 to 20 crore although he claims that it cost him only forty lakhs.

Laloo Prasad as Chief Minister faces the charge of largest ever fodder scam causing a loss of over 1000 crore to the state exchequer, Bitumen scam and other scams whose total value is well above 5000 crore! He yet roams about as the champion of under privileged. Income Tax people have slammed a tax recovery of Rs 40 lacs on him. He has also been served notice on the marriage extravaganza of his daughter Misa that is reported to have cost him around Rs 3 crore. Jaya Lalitha as the former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu has been convicted in the corruption case involving sale of hotel land and sentenced to one year's imprisonment by the Special Court. There are several other cases pending against her including Dhoti scam and TV scam. There are those cases against Tantrik Chandraswami (real name Nemi Chand Jain) who claims to have 130 Presidents/Prime Ministers worldwide as his 'obedient disciples'. His ashram near Meharauli (Delhi) is worth crores and is reportedly the hub of all types of criminal and illegal acts. His importance can be gauged from the report that almost all central ministers sworn in Narasimha Rao's government in 1991 went to his home to seek his 'blessings'. His clout with the ruling apparatus at the highest rung stands best established when Rajesh Pilot as Minister for Internal Security wanted to book the Swami but Narasimha Rao instead changed his portfolio to insignificant slot of Minister of State for Environment. Former Punjab Chief Minister S Pratap Singh Kairon was knee deep in corruption. His son Surinder Singh Kairon made him win the assembly election from Kairon constituency by 74 votes almost at gun point even though three counts indicated him defeated by huge margin. It will be quite interesting to mention the famous Nagarwala case. He mimicked Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's voice based on which he could draw Rs 9 lakh from State Bank Chest in Parliament Street branch in New Delhi. The deal was facilitated by the Chief Cashier Mr Malhotra who was sacked from the bank service. Subsequently, he became the Chief Security Officer of Maruti Udyog Ltd then run by Sanjay Gandhi besides securing 28 licenses for plying various types of vehicles in the national capital.

The above instances have been mentioned to bring home the point that corruption is a phenomenon that afflicts almost all states as also the central apparatus. Second point relates to involvement of even Prime Ministers, Chief Ministers and many central and state ministers. The third point that manifests abundantly is that charge-sheets are diluted, enquiries politicised and proceedings delayed on flimsy pretexts. The cases at the lower rungs are better ignored like the Anantnag scandal where those involved in the 8 crore swindle stands comfortably placed, the latest Ganderbal case and in fact all other cases that continue to gather dust in the dirty cupboards of the power apparatus. The fourth point indicates that Anti-Corruption laws have not spared even the mightiest and the power wielders. The recent case of Additional Police Commissioner Delhi Police is an eye-opener that corruption from the political bosses has percolated to the bureaucratic and police hierarchy with reckless abandon. Better forget the latest case where PDD Chief reportedly doled out bribe to earn freedom from police custody! Fifth, though Anti-Corruption laws can book the high and mighty, there are many loopholes that provide them the escape routes. Although there are special anti-corruption courts, the proceedings invariably drag on for years only to be acquitted ultimately like all accused in the Hawala pay-off case have been set free one by one including the Jain brothers. That explains why anti-corruption drive suffers from lack of credibility. There are many porous points like seeking permission from the government and denial/delay thereof, like appealing to superior courts time and again, like corrupting the investigating agencies, even the CBI, in the process. There is the imperative need to plug all such escape routes and bring the entire anti-corruption process within stipulated time-frame to have the correct deterrent impact.

DHANUSH

The naval version of indigenously developed Prithvi surface to surface missile is ready for test-firing. It is no small news. It has been deliberately leaked out that Dhanush would have nuclear warhead and such version would be installed on various types of naval ships. It may be mentioned that development of small nuclear warhead and miniaturised atom bomb is more difficult than carrying out a major nuclear test. It needs pooling of all the brawns and brains to put it in place. The message clearly conveys that India has mastered the technique of miniaturised nuclear weapons that would ultimately be the delight of any Artillery formation (such bombs can indeed be fitted to certain type of artillery units with suitable modifications for destroying vital targeted area). Another message is meant for Pakistan that has been indulging in nuclear blackmail by repeatedly threatening India that it would indeed use these weapons in the event of full scale war. And the best way such nuclear holocaust can be averted is to handover Kashmir to Pakistan discretely. This time round it is India that is talking big telling Pakistan that its 'Dhanush' with nuclear warhead and having a range of 250 km could blast not only Karachi but also Islamabad from the Arabian sea. Since naval vessels are on the high waters and constantly on the move, they could have disastrous impact on the enemy which lacks depth. The message is loud and clear that India means business as regards its nuclear possessions and that she has the will to not only neutralise the enemy but also unleash nuclear firepower that could erase the aggressor and blackmailer from the world map.

New Millennium challenges for Islam -I

By Vasant Sathe

The subject of relevance of Islam in today's conditions of India acquires added importance and significance when we are faced with the phenomenon of resurgence of rabid communalism, including casteism, which is threatening to divide the Indian society not only into two parts, as was done at the time of partition, on religious lines, but virtually into thousands of fragments, based on birth-based caste system.

The main division of Indian society, particularly since the colonial times, has been on religious lines, namely, between the followers of Quran and the followers of Vedanta. It is, therefore, essential to go to the root of these two major religions to understand both the points of difference as well as similarity. Intolerance grows mainly on account of lack of knowledge and understanding about the basic principles as well as teachings of each other's religion. People tend to go by outward symbols of ritualistic practices and, basing their fanatical adherence to their respective customs and practices, take hostile attitudes which lead to bitterness and strife.

When Prophet Mohammad was born in the year 570 A.D., the conditions in Arabia were such that majority of its people were steeped in illiteracy and ignorance and were divided into multiplicity of tribes, each tribe worshipped its own deity in the form of a picture of idol and each considered itself superior to others and kept fighting. At the main place of worship at Kaaba, which was built by Prophet Ibraham, many idols and pictures including those of Ibrahim, Ismail, Mary and Jesus and many others were being worshipped. Prior to 6th century A.D., Christianity had started taking its hold and spreading from Israel on all sides, including Europe and the Arab world.

It must be remembered that the Holy Quran itself claims to be a reiteration of the earlier truths revealed by God, the Supreme, to the earlier prophets. We find a narration in Ayat 30 onwards about Adam and Eve and the lapse committed by them at the instigation of Iblis (Satan) and their being sent from Eden to earth. After that the Ayats deal with the story of how the children of Israel were driven out of Egypt due to cruelties of Pharaohs and how Prophet Moses brought them away and how God gave Moses the book "Torah", so that they may be rightly guided. Then we find the narration as to how the followers of Moses, i.e., the Jews, became arrogant and deviated from the right path shown to them.

This right path, as repeatedly stressed in the Quran, consisted of being good to parents and kids and specially to the orphans and to the needy, speak to others in gentle manner, to observe prayers and to pay the prescribed Zakat. Whenever people deviated from this right path, the Quran states that Allah, the Supreme, has been sending His Messengers of Prophets with a new book to bring them back to the right path.

When Quran was revealed through Prophet Mohammad the Jews and Christians questioned it, saying, "We have a religion of our own. We do not need any new truth."

Ayat 97 states: "Oh Prophet! This is the word of God which under His command, Gibrael had it entered thy heart, which confirms the word which was sent down hitherto." And yet the people refused to accept the new revelation and were raising doubts. The Quran repeatedly states that the truth of God is but one and is meant for all and was indeed given to everyone. God had sent to each people a messenger from among themselves to tell them this universal truth in their own language, so that they may understand it fully and properly.

This truth emphasized the oneness of God and the righteous path of living which brought peace and happiness in this world as well as in the world hereafter. That is why it was termed "Al Islam" and Quran reasserted that it was not necessary for people to follow the faith of only a particular group like the Jews or Christians and every one, who is devoted to God and lives righteously, had a right to get salvation, irrespective of the religious group to which one belongs. It says (Ayat 112):

"There is no doubt that the path of salvation is always open to all. But that path is one of faith and action and not of groupism. He who sets his face Godward with resignation and does what is right, his reward is with his Lord. On such no fear shall come, neither shall they grieve."

At that time, the followers of one faith and group would try to encroach upon, desecrate and destroy the places of worship of others. The Quran specifically prohibits this and Ayat 114 of Sura 11 clearly states as under:-

And think over. Who commiteth a greater wrong than he who hinders God's name from being taken in His places of prayer and attempts to ruin them? It is not for such as these to enter in them, save in fear of God. Remember that for such people, there is disgrace in this world and a severe punishment in the next.

Ayat 115 states: "And know, whether it is the east or the west, it is all God's. The worship of Him is not conditioned by any place or direction. Whichever side you turn to, God turns He to you. Without doubt, God is omnipresent and omniscient. The Quran clearly declares that all revelations sents through earlier messengers, which declare the truth about the oneness of God and the righteousness of His path, have been the same. In Ayat 136, it states:

"Oh Muslims! Declare!" Our way is this: We believe in God and we believe in the Quran which has been sent down to us and we believe in all those truths which were imparted to Abraham, Ismail, Jacob, and his children. And we believe also in the scriptures which were delivered to Moses and Jesus. Not merely this, but we believe also in all those truths which were revealed to all the Prophets of the world by their Lord and we make no distinction between any of them."

Ayat 137 continues: "So, if they too believe, even as you believe, then all dispute is at an end and they are guided right. But if they turn away, then take it that there is no hope of their coming round, they are not inclined to seek the truth, they are stubborn. So avoid them and go your way, and God will suffice thee against them for He heareth and knoweth everything."

Even then when people were disputing about their own God and religion, the Quran states (Ayat 139):

"Oh Prophet! Say to these people our way is knowing but one of devotion to God. Do you then quarrel with us concerning God? Or do you disprove of all devotion to God, specially when you are aware that He is our Lord even as He is your Lord. To us then the result of our deed and to you the result of your deeds. For our part we are but his devoted servants." The Quran's famous statement is well known: "Lukum de nukum walyadin, la ikrah fiddin. (To you your faith, to me mine, in the matter of faith or belief, there can be no coercion).

Thus, the basic principles of Islam are based on (i) oneness of God (Tauhid), (ii) "Nubuwat" (sending His Prophets or messengers to bring the people to the path of righteousness) and (iii) "Aakhirat" (the warning that the person will bear the consequences of one's actions, both in his life and the life hereafter).

We shall find that more or less the same principle have been reiterated in the Vedas and the Upanishads which, later on, were beautifully summarized in the famous poem of the Lord, that is, "Bhagwad Geeta".

The symbol of the confused human being in the form of Arjuna, when faced with the most challenging situation in his life, is told the philosophy about the entire creation as well as the eternal truth about the perennial and imperishable nature of "Atman" (soul) as well as the oneness of the Supreme (the "Paramatman" or "Brahma").

While describing this imperishable, permanent and indestructible character in Chapter II of the Geeta, it states that the Supreme is not only indestructable but pervades everything and it is this Supreme who is the Creator of entire creation. One who acquires the knowledge of this truth and conducts himself in this life on the righteous path of his duty or "Karma", will obtain salvation.

While dealing with the methods of achieving this realization through (Gyan), through dedicated action (Karma) and through devotion (Bhakti), the Lord states in chapter IV that this truth was declared by Him earlier to Vivaswan, taught it to Manu, Manu to Ikshwaku and from there it was handed down the line to many kings and sages and whenever there was deviation from the path of this truth, which resulted in the decay of righteousness, the Lord stated that he came himself for the protection of Good, for the destruction of evil doers and for the sake of firmly establishing righteousness.

Very much like what has been stated in the Quran that people have to right to follow their own faith, and whichever way they turn, God will receive them, says the Geeta, (IV, Sloka II).

However men approach me, even so do I welcome them, for the path men take from every side is Mine, O Partha. (IV, Sloka II).

Again, talking about all pervasiveness of the Supreme, Geeta states (IV, Sloka 30): He who seeth me everywhere, and seeth everything in me, of him will I never lose hold, and he shall never lose hold of me.

The oneness of the Supreme and the need to be devoted to this concept of concern and all pervasiveness of the God, which is also emphasised in the Quran, has been stated earlier, is the essence of all Vedic thought. The Geeta concludes (in Chapter XVIII) by telling Arjuna, who is the representative of the common man, that instead of deviating in the name of different paths and Gods, he should put all his faith in the one single Supreme and then he will not have to worry about his salvation. - CNF.
(To be continued)

The man who arrested Advani

By M J Akbar

The war between Laloo Prasad Yadav and the BJP began more than a decade ago when the now and verbally-empowered Chief Minister of Bihar stopped L K Advani's Ayodhya rath yatra as it entered his state and sent the BJP president to jail. Till that moment the two had been allies in common cause against the Congress of Rajiv Gandhi, under the leadership of V P Singh. It seemed an unequal confrontation. Advani had the big battalions; Laloo merely had gall. He had become Chief Minister through some bluff and a lot of bluster. He headed, in a one-to-one partnership with Nitish Kumar, no more than a faction in the conglomeration that constituted the Janata Dal alliance. When the Assembly election results in Bihar in 1990 offered an opportunity, Nitish Kumar, who preferred Delhi to Patna, stampeded an unknown Laloo Yadav to the Patna viceroyalty. The Chief Minister spent the first few months telling the nation how to pronounce his name. After he arrested Advani he had no need to. That decision changed Indian politics. V. P. Singh's government in Delhi, shored up by the BJP, disintegrated; and the electoral equations changed dramatically in the North of India as the Mandal-Mandir combination divided the vote. Muslims and the Backward castes shifted to the Janata; the rest of the Hindu vote moved to the BJP; and the Congress became a bad memory.

From the summer of 1990 to the spring of 2000, Laloo Prasad Yadav and the BJP have represented two fixed and opposed poles. Other elements of the socialist brotherhood spawned by Jayaprakash Narayan, Dr Ram Manohar Lohia and Acharya Narendra Dev in the 1950s have warmed and cooled towards the BJP in different circumstances, but Laloo Yadav has kept saffron at bay in Bihar. For most of the decade he was exceptionally successful; even in defeat in the last general elections, he was powerful enough to ensure that his losses were distributed to an anti-Laloo alliance rather than diverted into the single pocket of the BJP.

No one knows how to use power more effectively than Laloo Yadav. A good bit of that effectiveness means the diversion of funds into the cavernous folds of his flowing kurtas; but you cannot sustain yourself in power through numerous elections by greed alone. Democracy does not work that way. Voters punish those who ignore them, and Laloo Yadav does not ignore his voters. He does ignore those who do not vote for him, which may make him less than a Mahatma, but in the code book of Indian politics that is considered wisdom. He is particularly adept at using the government machinery during elections; district administrators help him convert a victory into a landslide and a marginal into a safe seat. They cannot overturn a negative wave; but they can change a 20,000-vote defeat into a 15,000-vote triumph. Readers with a memory for politics will recall that our civil aviation minister Sharad Yadav was so certain that Laloo's administration would rig the election away from him that he went on a protest fast demanding cancellation of his election. He was lucky that the Election Commission ignored him, because he won. It is this mastermind reputation that has provoked the BJP to use its central authority to try and dismiss the Laloo government. The party feels that it has been cheated in past Assembly and Lok Sabha elections. In theory, all such worries should be irrelevant in a few weeks. Laloo was defeated comprehensively last year and the February Assembly elections seemed a formality prior to an unwept closure of the Laloo era. Change, however, is the only constant of Indian politics. A few things have happened on the road to February.

One : the anger against Laloo peaked in the general elections and has begun to ebb. A percentage, albeit a small percentage, of the backlash is turning into sympathy for the wounded hero.

Two : Laloo's core support base, the Yadavs and the Muslims (his famous MY alliance), which never really left, will be especially motivated, the first because of the conviction but they will lose power if their man losses, and the second because the BJP will rule Bihar if Laloo is defeated. The two communities will poll heavily in their areas of strength.

Three : The anti-Laloo unity has cracked, as candidates stare at ministerships. Whoever forms a government is going to have as many ministers as are MLAs on the ruling side; there is a lucky dip awaiting anyone who wins. Why give up the chance just because a few leaders in Delhi want this silly thing called "unity" ?

Four : Delhi has crossed the dividing line between justice and vindictiveness. As long as the courts were taking care of the assorted scandals there was public support for action against the errant Chief Minister. But when the BJP government sent tax inspectors to punish Laloo for being a normal Indian father, all normal Biharis reacted. Every Indian parent treats a daughter's wedding as a centrepiece of life, and Laloo and Rabri Devi were being Indian even in their ostentation. The Indian voter also measures comparable matters on the same scale. Leaders across the country, and across party lines organised the weddings of their children in whatever manner they could afford; no tax officer was sent to ask them the source of their cash flow.

Five : The hijacking has taken the glow off the Vajpayee government. Those in opposition have something, after all, to talk about. The BJP, in contrast, has nothing new to say. Kargil has been overtaken by Kandahar; corruption is passe; you cannot ask people to vote for Vajpayee since he is already elected.

Politicians get itchy about empty space; they feel compelled to fill it with controversy. You do not have to be Einstein to suggest that after the hijacking, the government of Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee needed a serious spell of placidity. A little bit of Yashwant to keep markets moving, a little bit of Mangalam to keep ad agencies happy, a little bit of Shatru to get Bihar going : that is the kind of menu recommended for a government that needs peace for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Instead, home minister L K Advani has deliberately let loose the Constitution debate, with the willing support of the RSS and the public commitment of the Prime Minister. The very astute Mr Advani is filling up the empty space around the BJP.

He is also positioning the BJP for the future, including a future in which the BJP may have to return to its isolation. Even if the sparks over a review of the Constitution do not become a fire in the coming weeks, they will build into a flame before the crucial Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. The BJP cannot go into another battle in Uttar Pradesh armed only with unpredictable and useless - as far as UP is concerned - allies. It needs some ideological rearmament. The UP Chief Minister, R P Gupta, has already begun promising the construction of the Ram Temple, and if he does not lift a brick before he asks for a vote this promise will boomerang in the direction of his neck. However, one brick goes up in Ayodhya, one government goes down in Delhi. One government goes down in Delhi, one election comes up in India. That is the way it is. An intelligent leader like Mr Advani does not want an unnecessary election, but neither does he want to be caught speechless and helpless if a crisis turns up. Governments, and political parties, get defeated when they have nothing to say. They win when they can provide a rationale for their future.

The results of the Bihar elections will inevitably shape the events of this year. If the BJP forms government, its hold on Delhi will become commanding. It can then shake off the tension that is beginning to show and settle down to calm governance of the kind that appeals to the Prime Minister. If Laloo Yadav brings the largest number of seats, and is asked to form a government, then he will ensure that the tremors travel from Patna to Delhi by the next express train and airline. Four weeks ago, the BJP and its allies were fighting about who among them should become the next Chief Minister of Bihar. At this moment, they are only fighting. Tear up the obituary notices that were prepared for Laloo Yadav. The man who stopped Lal Krishna Advani once just might do it again.