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MEN AND MATTERS From B L Kak Did former Chief of the Army Staff, Gen. VP Malik, register his protest with the Government, before his retirement, against...more Big
B believes acting in MUMBAI, Aug 16: Amitabh Bachchan’s innate belief that acting in films is his birthright, has been the spirit that fired his spectacular ascent to .....more A
vicious cycle of sex, NEW DELHI, Aug 16: Life on the streets is a risky proposition for anyone with no financial means of survival. For a woman who is perceived as ....more Examination
of approver MUMBAI, Aug 16: The controversy over examination of accused-turned approver in Gulshan Kumar murder case today took a new turn with a......more |
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It’s India all over
this MUMBAI, Aug 16: The sweets for this celebration come from Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, rice from Andhra Pradesh, coconut from Kerala and flowers arrive from Karnataka. .........more BJP
blames Laloo for PATNA, Aug 16: BJP today criticised RJD president Laloo Prasad Yadav for engineering "a design" by "misusing" State Vigilance Bureau to falsely .......more Bill
for private borrowings NEW DELHI, Aug 16: An amendment bill to empower the Union Territory of Pondicherry and the national capital territory of Delhi to borrow from the. .....more Martyr
cremated DEHRA DUN, Aug 16: Thirty eight year-old Shanker Prasad of Kewars village of Pauri in Uttaranchal, who laid down his life while fighting militants in Ananatnag on August eleven, has been cremated. ....more |
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MEN
AND MATTERS From B L Kak Did former Chief of the Army Staff, Gen. VP Malik, register his protest with the Government, before his retirement, against more-than-necessary authority wielded by the civilian staff of the Ministry of Defence? A precise answer is not forthcoming to this question. Gen. Malik has now triggered debate in the defence circles, with his clear, categorical statement that Service Chiefs do not have adequate decision making authority. He has taken higher-ups in the Ministry of Defence (MoD) by surprise with his public expression of displeasure, concern and dissatisfaction: "Every time there is an opportunity to implement reforms in our defence structure, we manage to scuttle the recommendations of dilute them to such an extent that they are reduced to a farce". And his loaded question: Is this happening once again? That Gen. Malik is unhappy over the state of affairs in the India’s defence structure can be illustrated by his another question: After the Kargil war, why is the whole issue of restructuring and integration of the Ministry of Defence being turned into an issue of inter-service rivalry over the post of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS)? In a detailed write-up, Gen. Malik says that civil-military interface has to be "much closer than ever before". Arguing that wars are no longer single-service affairs, former Army Chief has stated that fighting has to be conducted in a more integrated manner for greater synergy and optimum utilisation. This, according to him, implies integration at policy and higher operational planning level of command, and extended coordination at the execution levels. It also implies joint doctrines, joint command and joint staff procedures, joint training and joint logistics wherever possible. Gen. Malik’s write-up, copies of which have already landed on the table of the Defence Minister, Mr Jaswant Singh, three Service Chiefs and other higher-ups in the Ministry of Defence, has lamented: "India’s experience with the functioning of the Chief of Staff Committee (COSC) has been less than satisfactory". The COSC services as the highest professional advisory body on military matters to the Defence Minister. But in practice it is, to quote Gen. Malik, limited to advice on strategic matters only and that too mostly on single service blasts. Gen. Malik has regretted that while all written recommendations of the COSC are vetted or filtered by the civilian staff of the Ministry of Defence, Service Chiefs do not have adequate decision making authority. The COSC is expected to resolve inter-service matters and refer to the Defence Ministry only those issues that are intractable. But the success rate in this regard, Gen. Malik has revealed, "is severely circumscribed by the inability to achieve consensus on major issues". Former Chief has asserted that there is an inevitable temptation to shelve contentious issues. He has also revealed: "Each service tends to lobby itself, some even overstaying its case to serve its short-term interests. Consequently, issues of evolving inter se priorities remain compellingly unresolved for years and decades". He wants the CDS and his headquarters as part of the Defence Ministry and not another department under it. Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Vinay Shankar has, on the other hand, has thrown up pretty important question: Should service in Indian Armed Forces be so unattractive that it cannot attract sufficient volunteers of the appropriate calibre? His finding: Since the Indian Army’s cadre structure is like a steep pyramid, a broad base of over 40,000 officers with only one slot at the top, there is a requirement to have a support cadre that fills up the base and then progressively exits by lateral induction to other Government services. Lt. Gen. Vinay Shankar has argued that for a clearer understanding of the problem, an awareness of the promotion prospects of Army officers would be necessary. His finding number two: An Army officer starts at the same level as any other class one Government service office. But, that is where the similarity ends. After 17-18 years any an Army officer is screened for the first selection tank of lieutenant colonel; on an average only about 50 per cent clear this hurdle. The next selection is after two to three years for promotion to a colonel wherein again about 50 per cent are rejected. Finding number three: All civil servants irrespective of the cadre or service to which they belong have, by this time, attained the rank of joint secretary to the Government of India or its equivalent (a joint secretary is equated to a major general in the Army). Finding number four: In the Army currently officers are reaching the rank of a major general in about 32 to 33 years and only about 5-6 per cent officers rise to this rank. Two to three per cent officers become lieutenant generals (equivalent to additional secretaries) and only seven officers of a base of 40,000 attain the rank, which is equal to that of a secretary to the Central Government. Lt. Gen. Vinay Shankar’s finding number five: Frequently proposals of the Armed Forces for the betterment of their dispensation have been turned down on the grounds that officersd were aware opf the service conditions when they volunteered to join. And everyone else like the defence service officer is also serving the nation. Maybe a sound debating position but it sadly reflects insensitivity and a lack of understanding of what the defence services are all about. There is a solution, which, according to Lt. Gen. Shankar, can pave the way to mitigating some of the Army’s management problems. Every year, he has recommended, wean away 300-400 officers of the rank of colonels and above in proportionate numbers to various Government departments and organisations to include public sector undertakings and paramilitary forces or central police organisations. Within four to five years the ages of the critical levels of command would come down and there would be some thawing of the current stringent criteria for selection to higher ranks. |
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Big B believes acting in films is his birthright MUMBAI, Aug 16: Amitabh Bachchan’s innate belief that acting in films is his birthright, has been the spirit that fired his spectacular ascent to superstardom. "Perhaps I was born and made for films, maybe both myself and the film industry are made for each other," Bachchan — bollywood’s living legend whose career in the film world has spanned more than three decades — told UNI in an interview on the sets of his latest movie at filmcity here. Crowned superstar of the millenium by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BCC) in 1999 and immortalised in wax at Madame Tussaud’s museum, the Big B, who turns 60 this October, says with characteristic modesty, "I am no god and do not want to be one. I am an ordinary human being and would like to remain one. When I heard that some of my fans have planned a temple in my name, I was embarrassed. "There were also reports that people had worshipped my portraits on Gurupurnima, but I don’t want to hurt fans’ sentiments by opposing such acts," he says. Speaking on the sets of Vipul Shah’s ‘All The Best’, a comedy that has been renamed ‘Ankhen’, Amitabh is firm that the film industry is where he always wanted to be and he has no regrets. "There was never a time that I felt I had committed a mistake by coming here," says the matinee idol whose career graph soared since his portrayal of the angry young man. "My 32 years’ association with the industry has been a rewarding experience and I’ve learnt a lot. Each passing day is important for me as I try to achieve excellence. I am satisfied with my work so far," said Amitabh who has virtually rediscovered himself —transforming from a rage of the silver screen to a household name with the runaway success of ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’. "I have cherished every moment including the highs and the lows," sums up bachchan who had just woken up from a quick nap in between shots. His latest film is an adaptation of the Gujarati play ‘Andho Paato’. From an executive job in a pharmaceutical company at Kolkata to his film debut in ‘Saat Hindustani’ (1969) to ‘Aks’ this year, Amitabh’s journey in the celluloid medium has seen him notch up rave peformances in blockbusters such as Sholay, Trishul, Deewar, Zanjeer, Coolie, Amar Akbar Anthony and Mukaddar Ka Sikandar. On the adulation received, Bachchan merely says, "I am overwhelmed by the love and respect showered upon me by the people and will always try to live up to their expectations." How does he manage to overcome shyness on facing the camera? "It just happens, maybe it goes to prove that both myself and the film industry are made for each other, perhaps I was born and made for films," he reiterates. "I had strayed into politics for a while, but when I realised that it was not my cup of tea, I withdrew," the Big B said. To a query whether he would campaign in the forthcoming Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh if close friend Amar Singh of the Samajwadi Party sought help, Amitabh said, "Amar is more than a friend, he is my younger brother and I would do anything for him. At the same time, I have no doubts that he would not ask me for anything that I would not be in a position to give. "It is a firm ‘no’ to politics. I have burnt my fingers earlier and will not do so now," he added. Bachchan speaks fondly of his son Abhishek’s budding career. "His performance is improving with every film, but he has a long way to go for which he has to work very hard." With himself, wife Jaya and son engrossed with the filmi profession, do they find time to spend together? "when we do not find time, we decide to come together for a film," Bachchan quips. "Anyway, we do not follow a strict schedule and always meet up in the night for dinner at home whenever we are in the city. We discuss our films and roles with each other at the table," he disclosed. Notwithstanding the failure of ‘Aks’ — co-produced by his company A B Corp — an undeterred Amitabh is looking forward to his forthcoming films with optimism. Karan Johar’s multi-starrer ‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gam’ — in which the superstar teams up with Jaya for the first time after ‘Silsila’ — is all set for a diwali release. "It is unfortunate that aks did not do well, Rakesh Mehra made a good film and I am quite satisfied working in it. It was a new kind of film but people didn’t like it," said Bachchan. The shooting of ‘Ankhen’ is forging ahead in full steam and is expected to be released early next year. In it, the Big B plays a bank manager who robs the bank. Akshay Kumar and Sushmita Sen are also in the cast. Other A B Corp projects with directors such as Mansoor Khan, Mehra and Shah are in the final stages. Mansoor’s film also stars Aamir Khan and Mehra’s project features Amitabh, Jaya and son Abhishek. Bachchan expressed happiness that Hindi commercial cinema’s overall content and quality had undergone a sea change and was improving. "Times are changing, new trends are being set. It is a good sign," he said referring to the new generation in the business. It was wrong to state that films are now targetted only at the Non-Resident Indian audience. "Hindi cinema has just added a new territory to its market. At the same time, it’s good to note that overseas Indians are finding Hindi films as a medium for being closer to home and are flocking to the theatres," he noted. Asked whether there were any television forays apart from KBC, Bachchan replied that KBC just happened and he was fortunate the programme did well and he was immensely liked in the new "Avtar." "There is nothing new in the pipeline for television. As far as KBC is concerned, my contract is for another year," he added. The superstar does not like talking about charity projects undertaken by him. He is associated with a crusade against cancer that was launched by him last month. "I feel it is wrong to talk about charity. It is something very personal. Charity is not meant to be spoken about." (UNI) |
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A vicious cycle of sex, drugs, crime for women drug abusers NEW DELHI, Aug 16: Life on the streets is a risky proposition for anyone with no financial means of survival. For a woman who is perceived as vulnerable due to her gender and more especially if she is drug dependent, it can become a nightmare. Mala (name changed) was beaten up by police for doing ‘Dhanda’ to sustain her drug habit while Sonia has learnt the hard way of adapting to her surroundings by dressing up as a boy to escape unwanted sexual advances on the streets. "Street life is full of challenges and more so for women drug users because they are susceptible to making compromises so as to have a safe place to sleep at night," says Sonia. "A woman drug user is always seen as an available sexual target so I started dressing like a boy and learnt to fight back in such a situation," she adds. World No Drugs Day was observed across the country recently with anti-drug campaigns, seminars and awareness programmes, but the pomp and glitter of that occasion diminishes in the knowledge that the abuse of drugs among women is emerging as a major social problem with far reaching consequences. Women drug users on the streets form an isolated and hence more marginalised group of an already marginalised section of society and they are sucked into a vicious cycle of exploitation and abuse. The beginning of addiction leads to a long term career in drug use facilitating the entry into other areas of crime. So begins a cycle of sex, drugs and crime which is difficult for the women to break out of, reveals a new study by a Delhi-based NGO, Sharan, which works to rehabilitate drug abusers. In-depth interviews with women drug users including Mala and Sonia indicate that most of the women are coerced into using drugs by their respective husbands or male partners. The logic of the men is that once the women are addicted they will find any means to earn money so that their addiction and that of their partners is supported, says the Sharan study. According to one woman addict: "I was being kept by a man who got into smack and because he used to beat me to use smack with him I ran away." Later she was introduced to hashish and then smack by another woman friend who was living on the streets. She also got into prostitution, like her friend, to sustain her drug habit. The earnings from sex work are sometimes supplemented by rag picking when the woman is not in good health. In some cases, pick-pocketing and petty drug peddling are resorted to as a means of livelihood. Falling into sex work is an inevitable outcome of drug use. As one respondent says: "Women addicts are out of society and out of family. To satisfy the customer, she does what they say." In times of sickness, the type of work may change. As another woman points out: "Later I went down in health and was not able to do prostitution, so I went on to rag picking. I stopped getting customers and even did Choka Bartan (cleaning and washing in house) to make ends meet." According to the study, 97.1 per cent of the women were using smack, while 2.9 per cent injected pharmaceutical preparations as their primary drug. As much as 68.6 per cent of the respondents began drug use with smack, while alcoholic drink was the first drug of use for 22.6 per cent of the women. The majority (60 per cent) of the women were less than 20 years old at the time of initiation of drug use. At the time of the study, 60 per cent of the women were using smack three times a day followed by 17.1 and 14.3 per cent women who used drugs four and five times respectively. Experts warn that the abuse of drugs among women is an emerging concern in countries of the subcontinent such as Bangladesh and Nepal. In India, however, it has become a major problem and commonly reported drugs of abuse are heroin, buprenorphine and cough syrups. Researcher Mala Kapur says there is an increase in illicit drug abuse among affluent women, commercial sex workers, peddlers and low income women in delhi drug abuse is pronounced among industrial workers and slum dwellers while the abuse of benzodiazepines and barbiturates is on the rise and dependence on prescription pills is quite common among women, she states. Studies have generally shown that many female abusers are single, separated from their spouse or divorced, but with children. The Sharan study found that despite the absence of a traditional role women addicts who had children, whether living on the street or at home, still had a tenuous hold on the care of their children. A woman user in Jama Masjid area in North Delhi would always have her eight-year-old daughter beside her, whether she was chasing smack or hurrying about her various errands. Only at night would the child be left with her father in a nearby Jhuggi. Another woman married off her young daughter with whatever savings she had. According to Ms Ashita Mittal of the United Nations International Drug Control Programme (UNDCP), many cultures accept drug and alcohol use by males but disapprove of its use by women. Some societies tolerate substance use by urban professionals or older women but not by unmarried or younger females. As a result, says Ms Mittal, women with drug-related problems face barriers in gaining access to treatment. Many impatient drug treatment facilities do not admit females either as a rule or as a practice. Among the services that do admit women, many limit the number of admissions due to financial constraints or are not adapted to women drug abusers needs, she points out. Mala Kapur feels that the formulation of demand reduction programmes as well as the delivery of care remain "gender insensitive". The stock of hard knowledge on drug abuse/dependence among women is woefully inadequate, and by default, the male experience has been presented as a general one, she says. Kapur and Mittal advocate the need for more research studies to analyse the impact of drug use on women. Drug dependency among women has many social, psychological and medical dimensions and there is a need to develop women-oriented educational, rehabilitative and medical services, they stress. (UNI) |
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Bill for private borrowings by Delhi, Pondicherry approved NEW DELHI, Aug 16: An amendment bill to empower the Union Territory of Pondicherry and the national capital territory of Delhi to borrow from the market was passed by the Lok Sabha today. Minister of State for Home Ch. Vidyasagar Rao said in his reply to the hour-long discussion that the aim of the legislation was to permit the two territories to operate their finances on their own in real terms and encourage them to observe strict financial discipline. He denied that there was any contradiction since the market borrowings would be upon the security of the consolidated funds of the territories and not the Consolidated Fund of India. He said that the Centre was awaiting reports on grant of full statehood from Delhi and on grant of special statehood to Pondicherry since the latter’s demand for full statehood had been rejected by the Planning Commission. The bill seeking to amend the Government of Union Territories Act, 1963 and the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991 would also confer powers on the Administrator or Lieutenant Governor powers of the Government of India in this regard. There is a provision for provide for a separate public account which is envisaged at empowering the Reserve Bank of India to monitor the ways and means position of these two territories. All those who spoke with the exception of Mr Raghuvansh Prasad Singh (RJD) supported the measure. Mr G L Bhargava (BJP) wondered if the union territories should be permitted to run lotteries and issue bonds to raise funds. Mr Singh and Congress members P K Bansal and Mani Shankar Aiyar and Mr Prakash Ambedkar (BBM) demanded full statehood for the two territories which already had assemblies. They felt that problems of water, electricity and so on could not be tackled until the Governments had full powers of states. Mr Bansal said that the Delhi Government had no control over the police or on bodies like the Delhi Development Authority. He said most Union Territories had been virtually handed over to the bureaucracy. Mr Ambedkar said there appeared to be a contradiction with regard to the Consolidated Fund of India and the Union Territories. Both Mr Ambedkar and Mr Trilochan Kanungo (BJD) said there was need for a law to limit the quantum of borrowings as a lot of states were falling into the debt trap. (UNI) |
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Martyr cremated with full honours DEHRA DUN, Aug 16: Thirty eight year-old Shanker Prasad of Kewars village of Pauri in Uttaranchal, who laid down his life while fighting militants in Ananatnag on August eleven, has been cremated with full military honours. The cremation took place yesterday on the banks of the Alaknanda river. Senior officials of the army and administration were present. Shanker Prasad was sent on deputation from the second Garhwal Rifles to Rajputana Rifles two years ago. (UNI) |
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