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EDITORIAL US State Department report on terrorism has many distinct features that can provide good insight to India for formulating its counter-terrorism strategy. One can divide it into three distinct compartments for understanding asto which country stands where and who is friend or foe. First, let us delve into what USA says in its report and comments/clarifications issued subsequently......more Chief General Manager J&K Telecom Circle has given full data of expansion in capacity to 2 lakh phones in the State. Many exchanges have been improvised with latest equipment, new ones opened besides taking the phones to block and village levels. Equipped capacity which was a paltry 32823 in 1990-91 has risen to 1.97 lakh during 1999-2000. During the year all time high growth of 34.22% was logged. All this is commendable and speaks volume about the horizontal and vertical expansion. Whenever things are sought to move faster, there are ....more |
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Indo-French relations Hurriyat's Cement Industry : Zakir Hussain : Symbol of India's composite culture By : K K Khullar |
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EDITORIAL US State Department report on terrorism has many distinct features that can provide good insight to India for formulating its counter-terrorism strategy. One can divide it into three distinct compartments for understanding asto which country stands where and who is friend or foe. First, let us delve into what USA says in its report and comments/clarifications issued subsequently by American experts. The report clearly reflects duplicity in that America tends to see what it wants to see and becomes blind once it comes to taking effective action. Till recently America invariably considered Pan Islamic countries in middle east as the hub of global terrorism that hurt American interests worldwide. The report now shifts the fulcrum to Afghanistan and Pakistan which have been mentioned as the breeding grounds for terrorism. In other words this shift is recognition of the source of real threat from terrorism. To be precise American interests have been jeopardised more by these two State sponsors of terrorism than by all the countries put together which stand branded as ‘terrorist States’ by the USA. These countries are Cuba, North Korea, Sudan, Libya, Iran, Syria and Iraq. The report thus positively admits that Pakistan and Afghanistan continue to sponsor terrorism, including active support to infiltrate them in Kashmir for fomenting disorder. America at this stage recognises the truth but does not want to declare Pak a terrorist sponsor nation. In support thereof American counter terrorism Director Sheehan says that Pakistan does cooperate with America on several counter terrorism episodes like facilitating extradition of terrorists to face trial. He also says that the level of response by Pakistan in scaling down such support to terrorism needs further improvement and until that happens USA continues to engage Pakistan in dialogue. Again, America neither wants to do anything nor say much about Afghanistan as she does not recognise Taliban Government there nor it has the recognition of United Nations as a State although both Afghanistan and Pakistan remain the hub of global terrorism. Second, Pakistan's Chief Executive Officer Gen Musharraf rejects American report outrightly. He says that it is the individual perception asto what is terrorism. According to him terrorism needs to be reclassified and defined afresh. This inter alia means Pakistan does not view call for Jehad and active support to Jehadis as terrorism but right of the country to liberate any area from the ‘qafirs’ thereby justifying infiltration of mercenaries into Jammu & Kashmir State. He goes unto add that instead of Pakistan it is India that deserves to be branded a terrorist sponsor nation for letting loose ‘reign of terror’ in Kashmir. So Pak's perception of terrorism is indicative of the dirty mind of the rulers of Pakistan which tends to view terrorism with squint eye and jaundiced mind. He should have confessed that Pak army is synonym of jehadis when they violated LoC and occupied strategic heights in Kargil. But for the extraordinary restraint shown by India, Pakistan could have been taught the lesson of its life much worse than what it learnt in Bangladesh in 1971. No wonder Pak army which controls ISI and which in turn actively engages in operating terrorist schools and narco trade is an army of the rogues. It stands duly confirmed when it choses to declare its own elected Prime Minister as terrorist and put him on trial as such. This is then the perception of Pakistan vis-a-vis terrorism. It explains why Clinton's advice failed to have any impact on the recalcitrant rulers of Pakistan because they continue to enjoy the traditional friendship of America. Third, India has been crying hoarse at all forums and repeatedly asking America to declare Pakistan a terrorist sponsor nation. USA remains unobliging and rightly so. Why at all they should do something at the behest of India. They have their own global interests both short term and long term that motivates them to keep Pakistan in good humour. Again, why India has not declared Pakistan a terrorist State despite three regular wars of 1947, 1965 and 1971 besides the Kargil war of 1999 and the ongoing proxy war which is in 11th year. India has neither broken diplomatic relations nor stopped trading activities. Samjauta Express continues to run. So is the Lahore Bus. Our women's delegation went to Pakistan. Now the return visit is on. When you don't do anything to declare Pakistan as terrorist country, it is wrong to respect other countries obliging you on this score. It is your battle and your concerns how best you neutralise terrorism, be it Pak sponsored or aided by other countries. Your failure on this front manifests its ugliness abundantly. Pakistan in its perception openly exhorts jehad (Holy War). It is the shyness of Indian rulers that reflect imbecility and provide enough of fodder to Pak gunners and terrorists exported by it. You lack the will to go on the offensive full throttle so that not only Pakistan but other countries also fear massive Indian reprisal. Clinton gives you the certificate of showing restraint even during Kargil war and subsequently. In fact, he binds India to similar restraint. Our perception is quite hazy. You have not effectively used helicopter gunships even within your own territory to eliminate Pak sponsored mercenaries. You have not blasted even a single training centre to PoK or Pakistan. You have never been pro-active. It continues to be reactive with visible inhibitive approach. While India cannot be Israel but once it comes to safeguarding national interests and national security hard options have to be exercised to keep the enemy on the run and on tenterhooks. At this rate and pace, Indian perceptions provide instant incentive to Pakistan to continue sponsorship of terrorism in J&K and elsewhere in the country. It is high time India starts dealing with the malaise on its own rather than expecting others to do our ‘home work’. Chief General Manager J&K Telecom Circle has given full data of expansion in capacity to 2 lakh phones in the State. Many exchanges have been improvised with latest equipment, new ones opened besides taking the phones to block and village levels. Equipped capacity which was a paltry 32823 in 1990-91 has risen to 1.97 lakh during 1999-2000. During the year all time high growth of 34.22% was logged. All this is commendable and speaks volume about the horizontal and vertical expansion. Whenever things are sought to move faster, there are practical handicaps retarding the progress. Delay in cable laying has been quoted as the principal villain. But for this, connections to all those on waiting lists would have provided. One would not like to ask the reasons for the delay in cable laying. At least resources are not the constraint. CGM now informs that he would be taking up the matter with Delhi. In a highly decentralised department like Telecommunication, vital decisions have to be taken up at the Circle Level. It is no use creating equipped capacity but not releasing the connections which is clear loss to the department. It also shows all aspects of planning and execution within stipulated time-frame have gone hay-wire. Such mass expansion is going on all over India in all the circles. There is no reason why J&K should lag behind once it comes to implementation. Second aspect relates to very poor e-mail service particularly in Valley. This aspect needs to be addressed constructively. Third, repair and servicing lags far behind expansion. Mechanism should be so devised asto ensure clearance of all complaints within 24 hours. In the absence of efficient service, mere expansion provides no solace. |
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Indo-French
relations on a path of rediscovery The emergence of a multipolar world is a quest common to both India and France. Both countries have strong views on the post-Cold War world where the US has emerged as the 'hyper power', a term used by French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine to describe American dominance over the world. Though India and France may not express their views in exactly the same terms a move in the direction of building a poly-centric world is a common strand in their perception of international affairs. The recent visit of President K. R. Narayanan and talks he held with his counterpart, Mr. Jacques Chirac, ranged from the growth of mass culture, trade and reform of international organisations, including international financial organisations and the UN Security Council. The exchange of views was part of the ongoing thrust which the two countries have imparted to their bilateral relationship in the recent years. According to Mr. Chirac, the bipolar world, though intellectually convenient, was in reality a source of instability and conflict, particularly in the Third World countries. It was regrettable that the world was unable to move from the bipolar status to a more equitable international system that was more in line with new demographic, economic and geopolitical realities. He felt that the task of building this equitable world remains before us as the US today, like no single country before, had concentrated all forms of power and influence. From the most conventional 'hard' forms such as military power, to the dollar, advanced technology and now to the most recent 'softest' forms of influence. By its domination of the means and the content of communications, about 70 per cent of the worlds and images circulating in the world are of American origin, and that makes it possible for them to shape the perception of the world. If one adds to this global dissemination of standardised products of mass consumption including cultural products, there is a risk of ultimate cultural uniformity. While the creative vitality of the US is admirable, all cultures and languages have the right to live and flourish. However, according to the French President, multi-polarity did not mean creating poles, which are opposed to each other, either on an individual basis or in groups, but which maintain mutual relations among themselves based on cooperation. Multi-polarity will have to be to the greatest extent possible cooperative in nature. In the opinion of External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh, in the decade that the US had emerged as the sole superpower it had also become clear that the US cannot find solutions to the major problems around the world on its own. Time and again, the US has had to work on creating and relying on coalitions. The dilemma is that the US exercises a veto on the coalition while it sees the coalition as a constraint on its own freedom of action, for American actions are driven by its own national interests. Jaswant Singh proposed the holding on an international congress of culture and it was agreed that the two sides would discuss the matter to give the proposal a specific shape. India and France have been on a path of rediscovery, and increasing cordiality and cooperation in their ties, ever since the visit of French President Jacques Chirac to India in January 1998. It is a pattern of growth that was not disturbed even when other developed nations rushed to follow the American lead of imposing sanctions against India in the wake of its nuclear tests at Pokhran. The Indo-French interaction has steadily grown, carried forward through four meetings each of the Indo-French Initiative Forum on the non-official side, and the official strategic dialogue between the two countries. The strategic dialogue that began in 1998 has led to a much clearer understanding of each other's security concerns, while defence contacts have increased with Defence Minister George Fernandes visit to Paris. Both sides have made efforts to avoid the earlier pitfalls in their relationship. The delivery of the French Agosta class submarines to Pakistan in the aftermath of the Kargil conflict did not raise heckles in Delhi in the manner the signing of the deal had done five years ago. Indian protests at that time had been ignored with the flip offer to sell similar submarines and armaments to India. Bilateral trade has increased to $2 billion annually, and French investments in India have grown from a low base of Rs. 19.3 crore in 1991 to Rs. 1400 crore in 1999 with a diverse range from chemicals to telecom to the metallurgical industry and railway equipment. The Indo-French Forum is a body that seeks ways of enhancing cooperation between the two countries in a variety of fields. It has been looking at ways of greater economic cooperation through contact between the middle-size section of business in both countries. While bigger business houses had the wherewithal to enter foreign markets, the mid-sized business that forms a large segment in France has little knowledge of investment opportunities in India. Information technology and food processing are two areas where cooperation between the business sectors could be of help to their counterparts in each country. France has a long list of products, including aircraft, both commercial and military, that it is interested in selling. It has shown great patience with the lumbering, long drawn-out process in India through which such commercially valuable decisions are arrived at. While France is keen that India signs the CTBT, it has expressed the view with greater tact. Foreign Minister Vedrine indicated in a pre-visit interview in March that France would be interested in civilian nuclear cooperation with India once it signs the CTBT. A significant comment since it would require much careful handling of its commitments as part of the Nuclear Suppliers Group. The French Minister declined a comment on the headline-making case of the Indian maid who had run away from the house of her employer, an Indian diplomat posted in Paris, as the matter was before the court. However, the question of denial of consular access to the Indian girl the other officials of the Indian embassy has not been explained. The cases of two Indian nationals who were sent to jail after they were denied bail by French courts has also raised eyebrow in India over such treatment of foreigners in France. A senior official of a Rajasthan-based private company was denied bail after his arrest for displaying a company product at a trade fair which violated patent laws, as was an Indian captain of a damaged ship which caused an oil spill in the French waters. These are matters that need some attention. After a couple of decades through which the Indo-French ties remained at a low key, the two sides are now actively seeking ways to promote bilateral contacts. Trade, investment, increased political interaction and cementing ties between various institutions in both the countries have shown significant results in helping to build this relationship. INAV |
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Cement Industry : Growth
picking up Cement industry seems to have come out of the slowdown in 1999-2000 with production reaching 94.01 million tonnes, showing a growth of 15 per cent as compared to the previous year. Today, India is the fourth largest producer of cement in the world after China, Japan and the United States. Cement production by large plants recorded a 6.4 per cent growth in the last fiscal, touching 81.67 million tonne, according to Cement Manufacturers' Association (CMA). Likewise dispatches in 1999-2000 also grew by 14.65 per cent to 93.82 million tonnes compared to 81.83 million tonne in 1998-99, CMA estimates show. "Industry witnessed turnaround in demand for basic construction material in fourth quarter of 1998-99 and it sustained throughout 1999-2000, even during monsoon when construction activity remains dull," it said. The capacity utilisation by plants in April-February 2000 was 86 per cent, up from 76 per cent during the same period in 1998-99. Cement production capacity in the country in the beginning of 1999-2000 was pegged at 109.97 million tonne and about 1.70 million tonne additional capacity was installed this fiscal. The National Council For Applied Economic Research (NCAER) has projected that demand for cement would touch 101 million over the last five years, the average compound growth rate of the industry has been an impressive 6.6 per cent. By 2002 A.D., the installed capacity is likely to be increased by another 30 million tonnes. India can emerge as the ‘cement giant’ of the world if the Centre extends fiscal/tax concessions, makes available basic inputs on priority basis and assists the sector to get credit facilities from banks and other lending bodies, industry sources say. As India has the world's largest deposits of Cement Grade Limestone (CGL) and Marginal Grade Limestone (MGL), which can last for 150 years, the country can become the global leader, they say. While, CGL is found in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat, MGL lie scatterred all over India. But, the sector would have to upgrade its technology and modernise to overtake China, Japan and the United States. If the technology is brought at par with international standards, per tonne production cost of cement can be reduced by atleast 22 percent. Even if a minimum of eight per cent tax concession is extended per tonne on cement by the Centre, the existing price of this building material can be reduced by 30 percent. This in turn, would catalyse other developmental activities. The industry is also facing problems in supply of raw of materials and transport of despatches. The ‘Black Diamond’ or coal is a very important input of cement as it is both a fuel and an ingredient (silica). Presently, the industry neither gets steady supply of coal nor is it available in bulk-concessional rates. Frequent cuts in power and low voltage seriously affects cement production. A heavily capital intensive sector, cement manufacturers have been facing problems in meeting their working capital requirements. In Japan, the cement sector gets liberal credits from the financial institutions and banks. In China, it is a top priority sector as far as credits as concerned. In USA, it is a ‘vital segment’. Though it is considered now a ‘core sector’ in India, the cement industry gets no preferrential treatment in getting credit from financial institutions (FIs). Lack of funds from FIs is hampering modernisation of the industry. Companies are exploring other options for raising finance through new issues, rights, partly convertible debentures and fixed deposits. The demand for cement is from all parts of the country, but the Railways is yet to provide 100 per cent wagon facility to the industry. If the shipment and transport system is streamlined, demand for cement may rise by an additional three to four per cent. PTI Feature |
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Zakir Hussain : Symbol of India's composite culture By : K K Khullar If education is to be conceived in terms of moral values and ideals of culture, Dr Zakir Hussain occupies a very high place in it. An epitome of the good, the true and the beautiful, he worked for an education system, which combined the intellectual with the manual, suited the genius of India, whose curriculum was relevant to a child's environment and socially useful and productive. Though he held the highest office (President) with examplary grace and dignity, he was basically an educationist. A true Gandhian, he firmly believed that the purpose of education was to establish a non-violent, non-exploiting and a humane social and economic order. Born at Hyderabad, in a Pathan family settled in Uttar Pradesh, on February 8, 1897, Zakir Hussain was educated at Islamia High School, Etawah and Muhammadan Anglo Oriental College, Aligarh now Aligarh Muslim University from where he did M A in Economics. He later obtained a Doctorate in the subject in Germany. However, he acquired fame as an educationist and used his knowledge of economics to provide cost-effective education to the masses. The opportunity came when the Indian National Congress and the All-India Khilafat Committee joined hands in launching the Non-cooperation Movement. Mahatma Gandhi toured the country to induce teachers and students to leave Government administered schools and colleges. The young Zakir, who was at that time both a student as well as a teacher, pursuaded Hakim Ajmal Khan and other leaders to establish a National Institution at Aligarh. It was at Aligarh that Jamia Millia Islamia was established on October 29, 1920. In 1925, it was shifted to Delhi, first in Karol Bagh and later to its present site near Okhla, Jamia Nagar. Zakir Hussain became the Vice Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia in 1926. It was here that he developed his vision and philosophy of education. It was Jamia experience, which enabled him to take charge of the scheme of Basic National Education, which Gandhiji launched in 1938. Zakir Hussain became the President of Hindustani Talimi Sangh, Sewagram from 1938 to 1948. In November 1948, he became the Vice-Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University. Jamia Millia Islamia functioned as a Deemed University since 1962 and was given the status of a Statutory University in 1988 by an Act of Parliament. The University imparts integrated education right from the nursery stage to the Doctorate level. Zakir Hussain also built Jamia's library, which has more than two lakh books today. He was an ardent votary of adult education and founded the Indian Adult Education Association in 1939. Zakir Hussain was convinced that we shall have to bring about a thorough re-organisation of our education system and give modern education to our children through traditional culture-- theory must yield to practice. He said, ''It is essential to Indianise our whole educational system. It is essential to put an end to the recruitment of young men to the ranks of the so-called educated, who are blind to the beauties of their own art, deaf to the harmonies of their own music, ashamed of their own language and literature, to whom all that is theirs is mean and ignorable, all that is foreign, is, as such noble and sublime. It is essential so to change education as to render it impossible that youngmen should be condemned to live as foreigners in their own thoughts, with borrowed speech, as the poet has said, on their lips with borrowed desires in their heart.'' These words of Zakir Hussain are as valid today as they were in 1934 when he had delivered his famous welcome address to the All-India Educational Conference held at Delhi in December that year. Zakir Hussain gave the highest priority to character building. ''Changing of syllabus means nothing, our knowledge of cultural values is not enough, our educational institutions should provide opportunities of practising what they preach, bookish education should be replaced by basic education, which develops not only the mind and body, but also the intellect of the learning.'' He stood for a learning society in which no child should be out of school, no adult illiterate and nobody without work and employment. Zakir Hussain was awarded the highest National honour of Bharat Ratna in 1963, but he asked for nothing for himself. He possessed nothing in the material sense and nothing possessed him except the ideals of humility, humanity and national service, which constitute the core of his educational thought. As a man he ranked even higher. In the words of Prof. Mujeeb, ''Dr Zakir Hussain was an imposing embodiment of culture and refinement. He was sensitive to beauty in all forms and had an intense passion for excellence. He had the Sufi's indifference towards the externals of religion and his religosity was never obvious. It was the inspiration for secularism by which he endeared himself to men of different religious communities.'' In fact, Zakir Hussain was a practical idealist, who believed that good recommendations in education should be implemented without delay. When a delegation of educationists presented him with a copy of Kothari Education Report in 1966 and asked for his advice, he replied in three words, ''Implement, Implement, Implement.'' Zakir Hussain suddenly left us on May 3, 1969, but death makes no conquest of this conqueror for now he lives forever in the hearts of his people. He rests at Jamia Millia Islamia, the institution be created. A deep thinker and keen scholar, Zakir had translated Plato's 'Republic' into Urdu quite early in his educational career. During his stay in Germany he got 'Diwan-e-Ghalib' printed. He composed the matter and read the proofs himself. He brought out a book on Mahatma Gandhi in German. His Convocation Addresses have been compiled and brought out in a book form entitled 'The Dynamic University'. He wrote excellent stories for children in Urdu and English. An ardent advocate of the mother-tongue instruction, he loved his mother-tongue Urdu, which according to him was not the language of one community or the other, but the language of the common people of India, the language of its composite culture. Zakir said, ''It is a language of faqirs and saints, who were desperately anxious to communicate the love which overflowed their hearts to the common people''. Urdu, therefore, is a language of affection and love, the language of tolerance, of an intercourse animated with goodwill. It is large-hearted and generous with the wealth it possesses. It is not startled by what is novel, it does not shy at innovation, it does not consider any words as polluted or any ideas as untouchable. ''As Urdu is not a language confined to a particular region and those who speak and understand it are found all over the country, it should be foremost among the means of forging national unity. But, recent history has created many complications (some say it is the language of Muslims, some call it a foreign language). The fact is that it is neither the language of Muslims only nor a foreign language. To regard a language in which we find the whole literature of Arya Samaj, a language which Christians have utilised to the full for their religious purposes as a Muslim language and thereby cultivate narrow-mindedness is neither honest nor wise...'' Today, when Urdu is in a
state of crisis, we should remember the words of Zakir
Hussain and accord Urdu its due place. |
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