EDITORIAL
Defending
borders
It may be a
witticism that there is a simple, direct and
wrong way to solve every issue, but the wisdom
contained in the wit cannot be denied. The recent
terrorist strikes in the State spanning both the
regions of Jammu and Kashmir, culminating in a
much destructive strike on the Radio Kashmir, not
to forget the dastardly attack on the Raghunath
Temple, have demonstrated that terrorism is a
hard reality of the State with very rough edges.
If the busting of the LeT Communication Center in
Srinagar can be called a success of the security
apparatus, it also underscores how extensive the
terrorist ingress is. The international community
may not realize it, but much of the terrorist
damage here followed directly from the long rope
world gave the terrorists by making light of
their depredations.They enjoyed a ‘benefit
of doubt’ as the international preceptors
founded theories and theses on their call and
cause. While the world saw light in the
devastating flashes of 9/11, the theorists within
the nation are yet to be fully illuminated.
Of course, the
terrorists keep bringing it home in gruesome
ways. Wisdom demands that the events be foreseen
and measures taken to prevent as well as to
preempt the marauders. That is the lesson from
the recent strikes. The Government has to care,
it has to cure and heal too, but with one eye
always open. Thus while certain measures taken by
the new Government have served to assure the
people and eased the life it has the obligation
to see that the terrorists are not using those
measures as a pretext to bask under. For, they
hide under rights, take refuge in religion,
exploit identities to further their agenda, not
even hesitating to use people or even female-folk
for a shield. Anything is good as long as it
covers! everything is expendable for them in
their quest. That truth of terrorism is told by
their total disregard of what is getting lost,
who and how many are getting killed in their
wake. The most determinate thing in this whole
onslaught is their ingress into the State
especially through the borders. While these
borders are a challenge for the defenders, they
become easy chutes for the ones sneaking in. That
leakage has to be plugged before any, good
measures can show their effect.
Fencing the
borders is one effective way of plugging the
leaks. As the DG BSF informed the other day, the
force has already, fenced fifty kilometer of the
border. But he also pointed out that BSF had to
take up the work itself after the Pak forces made
it impossible for the organization entrusted with
the job to work. That is a reality of the
borders. Even along the IB part of the State
borders, the Pak firing is so intense that the
security personnel move out of their posts only
when they have to. As for the people, the border
strips are practically out of bounds; no man, no
beast must stray into the firing range of the
Pak- forces. That area is a virtual no-mans land
for the people there. And that area as well as
the run is the fount of mischief it would be in
the best interests of this State and people, to
let the security force have a free run of the
area and enforce a secure cordon along it. That
would obviate the terrorist ingress and let the
Government concentrate on the terrorism related
problems within the State. Then, the salves they
are applying can stay in place till they heal.
Healing
arts
Probably, the most
ancient form of free expression has been the folk
arts. Even when autocrats ruled and people had no
idea of freedom and free expression the folk
artists raised public issues, gave vent to angst
and sometimes expressed dissent through veiled
caricatures, lampoonings and other devices of
their art. That was when poets were seers,
prophets and rebels all rolled into one. While
the pre-terrorist era in the State had seen a
resurgence of the folk arts and other activities,
the terrorism paid put to all that. It became
difficult for the artists to gather, much less
perform and portray the harshness of times. This
damage was most in the valley where the artists
and litterateurs lay under a virtual siege. They
had either to project the agendas or else shut
up. While some succumbed and played court to the
agendaists, others chose silence and went mum. It
saved their lives. but it also brought
hibernation upon the art. Over the last several
years, many people made enormous efforts to put
the artistic and literary activities back on the
rails. The cultural academy, and its secretary
engined many of these activities, though other
bodies of art, culture and literature played no
mean part in the job.
It has saved the
art scene in the State yet the art and artists
here are much constrained. The ills of more than
a decade have weakened it. The continued pressure
in the valley as well as the hilly areas of Jammu
has rendered the itinerant artists immobile. The
folk singer is already a rarity thanks to the
invasion of the films and television on his
territory. The onslaught of the terrorists,
curtailing movement, threatening reprisals and
preventing free play has activitely grounded
them. They sometimes get to play and perform in
the secure theatres but their field is largely
closed to then. The Bhand theatre in the valley
and the lay performers in the remote areas of
Jammu have been thus heavily affected both in
their livelihood and artistic expression. Their
plight needs a healing touch as strongly as the
general people, if not more because they have
suffered more and continue to suffer more. The
literary fraternity in the State is similarly
constrained in readership, reach and means. The
books purchased by, the State libraries, the
grants to publish books, and other aids have all
largely dried up. Indeed, the cultural life and
activities have suffered gravely both directly
from the terrorism as well as its after effects.
Those wounds are crying for a caring touch and
cure.
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Americanisation
of India and Pakistan
By Maj
Gen Madhok (Retd)
Recently
at a lecture at the Pune University of
Nov 18, 2002 George Fernandes called for
increasing Indo-US economic and military
relations. But surely, he knew that to
diffuse Chinese influence and future
strategies in South Asia, ensure
protection of their assets in the Gulf
besides securing Central Asian Republics
rich resources and to safeguard maritime
routes in the Indian ocean, counter
terrorism and to be in a position to
exercise options in West Asia, US is
already well on its way to Americanise
the whole of South Asia. For which it
needs both India and Pakistan and not
only New Delhi.
In fact to
do so, a three point thrust was launched
some time ago to bring around both India
and Pakistan to the American way of doing
things: That is: by controling their
economies (FDI, Privatisation, loans,
aid, grants etc), association with their
armed forces (exercises, technical
infiltration, courses etc) and to
position the US as a Mediator in Kashmir.
While the progress on first two
objectives is excellent, the third one
will be secured no sooner Indo-Pak talks
commence.
In the
past two years, India has had a rush of
US emissaries to New Delhi (Richard
Armitage, Gen Shelton, Christian Rocca,
Gen Powell etc). with a declared shift in
Bush Administration's ‘Security
vision for the Asia Pacific Region’,
five issues need serious reflection to
determine the direction we in India are
heading for? Firstly, the overall
strategic thrust and purpose of US
policies?
Secondly,
the regional role visualised for India in
South Asia? Thirdly, implication and
options for New Delhi? Fourthly, will
Americanisation replace saffronisation?
Finally, what Vajpayee will or can
discuss or sign during his future visits
to the US or during US President's visit
to India, whenever it takes place.
It should
be clear that US policies towards India
or Pakistan centre around Washington's
overall interests. Thus, both neighbours
are merely tools to further US
objectives. Accordingly, when Richard
Armitage visited India after South Korea
and Japan last year it was not to explain
US concept of NVID or TMD but to elicit
and gauge as to how far New Delhi was
prepared to go along with US's
initiatives? Was it prepared to join
South Korea and Japan in a missile
defence partnership? If not then what
incentives would stimulate a positive
response? Or what penalities will push
India's political leadership to align
with US interests? Besides, has India
thought of a regional role for itself
independently or as a part of US
partnership?
By
shifting its focus away from Europe,
articulating China as the main threat,
sidelining Russia as a spent force, US
plans to reduce its deployment in Europe
and increase its presence in Afghanistan,
the CA Republics and Pakistan. Further,
it is preparing to counter the long range
missile threat from China and the rogue
states besides evolving a policy to
manage both China and India. Indo-US
interests converge in a large number of
areas. These being their requirements for
oil and gas, countering threats from
China and Islamic terrorism and mutually
benefitting economies and technologies.
But the US cannot give up Pakistan, their
tool to keep Afghanistan in check as well
as a base for operation in the Gulf.
While Kashmir can be put on the
backburner. Provided, India can share
repair and refit facilities at Andaman
and Nicobar Islands? If it can join the
TMD alongwith Taiwan, South Korea, Japan
and Singapore? If it can take care of the
sea lanes in the Indian Ocean and the
Arabian sea with US assistance? If it
does not object to a US base or
facilities in Bangladesh? If it can let
Washington play the Tibetan card
(Surreptitiously) from the Indian soil?
To further
increase American influence the route
lies through Americanisation of India's
armed forces. As it is during his 5 days
visit from Jan 17, 2002 to the US, the
Indian Defence Minister has already
presented a long shopping list to
Pentagon. Besides, the LCA and the Arjun
tank as well as the advanced helicopter
carry American Engines, Navy's Sea
Harriers cannot fly without US spares.
And with the Russian defence and
Industrial complex collapsing, Moscow is
hardput to supply India's mortgaged armed
forces. In any case, with the
privatisation of defence sector which
permits 29 per cent direct investment
from foreign companies, India's
industralists are already looking out for
US, French or British technicians,
experts and direct investment. While the
Defence Industry in the US is lobbying
strongly for exporting defence hardware
to India and Pakistan.
As regards
the incentives: with promises of support
for a seat in the Security Council,
lifting of economic sanctions, fabulous
direct investment or participation in
joint ventures, assistance to supply and
streamline the armed forces, no pressure
or compuision to sign the NPT, CTBT, or
the FMCT, no interference with the
saffronisation schedule provided it does
not hurt American interests and a
regional role to head a NATO like
structure in South Asia (possibly SAARC)
with US assistance, India's polity is
already ready to do anything for America.
But the
implications of giving in too are grave.
An estrangement from Russia, would hinder
and block whatever is in the pipeline so
far as defence hardware is concerned.
Besides, Moscow may open the doors to its
arms factories to Pakistan. After all,
India has a strategic partnership with
Russia and a 10 year defence cooperation
programme. Further, a much stronger
Sino-Myanmar- Nepal (even Bangladesh)
nexus can emerge with a cold war between
China and India. May be, in a subtle way
the US wants it that way? All this would
need to be taken care of. An alignment
with the US means a major shift for India
which should only be carried out after a
purposeful debate. And till then, the
Vajpayee Government has indeed an
interesting and difficult period ahead of
it. Because, India is still not clear
about its strategic interests, nor about
its overall aim or for that matter the
doctrine and philosophy it should follow
to engage other countries. With such a
major handicap and lack of self reliance,
India's options seem to be restricted as
the Americans play their cards with
finesse.
Therefore,
when the NDA Government steps down for
elections in 2004, the bewildered, angry,
confused, overtaxed and helpless middle
level Indian citizen would do well to be
prepared for the following scenario.
All major
newspapers and private industry
(particularly in defence, hotels,
tourism, pharmaceuticals and electric
supply etc) in the hands of US magnates.
US corporations busy laying gas and oil
pipelines with India labour from
Kyrgystan viz Afghanistan Pakistan to
India or from Bangladesh to Calcutta.
Total technical infiltration at the LoC
and Sino-Indian border with sensors,
radars, RPVs, satellite survelliance with
the LCAs flying with American engines
alongwith an aircraft carrier leased to
the Indian Navy for 10 years. A base in
Bangladesh, logistic facilities at
Andaman & Nicobar Islands - a US led
counter insurgency school in Guwahati
with SAARC and its permanent headquarters
alongwith a Peace Keeping Force in
Kathmandu on the pattern of NATO assisted
by the US.
The only
solution which can save India from the
new type of American slavery and to
establish a friendly partnership is to
debate its National aim and policies, get
out of domestic politics and launch a
thrust towards indigenisation, self
reliance and National integration.
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Vulgarity
and its influence on society
By
Shabana
I'm going
to expose the unhygienic mind of the
society where vulgarity and nudity have
taken the upper hand, which is highly
disconcerting.
It is
believed that early man was uncivilized
and did not have the sense of covering
his body that is why they used to live
naked. But today we claim that we are
civilized and have enough sense how to
cover ourselves. But instead of covering
ourselves, we are busy in making
ourselves more nude as you can judge that
from fashion TV. Do you think we are
civilized? As far as my viewpoint is
concerned no, we are not.
No doubt,
primitive savage was naked physically,
but in his feelings or emotionally he
wasn't so nude as the present society is,
which in spite of wearing clothes has the
tendency to display nudity.
Let me
start from posters. One day I felt
ashamed when I saw some school going
children starring at such vulgar posters.
What our succeeding generation is
learning from us and which way are we
heading. No other pollution has as much
effect on the brain of a person as visual
pollution has.
Now a day,
a child starts watching television at the
age of two. They spend most of their time
infront of television and at this growing
stage, kids are learning their values
more from the television than from any
other source. They are getting
subconsciously influenced by the
pornography. The minds of children are
not fully developed and are open to such
immoral influences, which are indelibly
affecting their minds. Whatever they
watch on the screen gets almost stamped
on their minds forever.
The film
directors for making their movies all the
rage feel that the success of their films
can be ensured only by inclusion of
scantily dressed young women swaying
their limbs in all kinds of vulgar manner
but is it a right way to earn money by
such display.
If a
person can't see his own wife, daughter,
mother or sister in this dress, how can
he see the daughter, wife, and sister of
another person in such dresses? It has
become difficult to watch television with
the parents because of nauseating
presentation of scantily dressed women.
The moral
values today have deteriorated to the
extent that we talk of civilized culture
but at art we feel delighted to have the
glimpse of nakedness. The same has been
catched by the film producers and
directors who to get petty monetary
benefits never care displaying nudity to
whatever level. Many a time, the father
walking on the road in the company of his
daughter feels harassed when he enters
some shopping complex where the posters
displaying advertisements have little to
advertise except the nakedness through
models.
Many a
time protests were voiced against the
directors, actresses, producers, etc. but
they because of their celebrity status
and links with influential people were
exonerated. Recent example is the film Ek
Chotti Si Love Story. Contempt
notices were issued against the director
and actress but later on what happened
everybody knows.
Whenever
the directors are condemned, they always
shift their responsibility to public.
They claim that they make what the public
wants and are depicting the reality. They
feel that public wants obscenity and
through this pornography they are
representing and making aware the public
what actually is going on in the society.
It is an easy way of defending oneself by
taking the plea of realism but they must
not forget that public taste or moral
fabric of the society is corrupted by
them and it is only their first and
foremost duty to correct this.
Movies are
glamorizing the pornography scenes, which
are not suitable for mass viewing because
they produce lascivious catastrophic
thoughts. Such scenes are included in
every film whether story demands them or
not. The celluloid art has greater
capabilities of stirring up emotions and
making powerful mental impact than any
other art. This art has now become the
most misused art.
Rape cases
are increasing day by day and in many
cases, it has been held that rapists used
the same methods as shown in pornography
scenes while committing the crime. Recent
rape has been committed on a medico in
the campus by a boy who is in his early
twenties and two other accused who way
laid the victim are reportedly 14-17
years old. You can judge who is
responsible for this.
No doubt,
women have same rights as the men possess
but this equality should not be at the
cost of dehumanizing women by such vulgar
display. This vulgarity not only
dehumanizes women, but also victimizes
children, encourages sexual violence and
sexual harassment to the womanhood. The
lascivious instincts raised through
visual aids are sometimes beyond control
and male world pounces upon the feminine
character awakening the animal instincts
in man.
In our
country, while on one hand goddesses are
worshipped and on the other, women are
made to expose themselves. No religion in
the world permits vulgarity. It is
written in one of the scriptures, that
Yatr
narivastu Poojavante remante Tatr devah
i.e
where woman is worshipped God presides
there. So, according to this, God doesn't
dwell here.
India has
rich culture. Our cultural heritage is
not averse to beauty or sex. The eternity
''Satyam Shivam Sundaram'' is the basic
principal of our philosophy. The
Kamasutra, Ajanta and Ellora caves
clearly indicate that sex has never been
considered something immoral as far as it
is controlled and genuine. But in these
days, the aids, the fashion shows, the
films and certain channels display nudity
in a manner it appears to be vulgar and
provocative.
Our
constitution guarantees to every citizen
of India freedom of speech and
expression. You can express your feelings
or sentiments by words of mouth, in
writing or by any other method one
pleases but this freedom doesn't mean
showing bare body, which can only produce
lascivious thoughts and lustful desire in
the minds of public.
Sec. 292
and 294 of Indian penal code prohibits
the sale or distribution or exhibition of
obscene matters in public. There is
cinematograph act, which is enacted for
preventing pornography. Under
cinematograph act, the censor board under
sec 5-B has to consider before
certification all the conditions
mentioned in sec. 292 IPC. The persons of
high caliber become the members of board.
I just don't understand why do they give
certificate to these pornography films.
But these acts have been violated and the
filmmakers are going beyond the
restrictions mentioned in part-3 of
constitution.
In spite
of many stringent laws, situation is
still grave and increasing day by day.
The
citizens from all walks of life condemn
such display but feel helpless. Everyday
women are raising voices against the
displaying of sexual abuses even at the
floor of Parliament but to no effect.
In this
state of helplessness I feel the reform
can be brought only by the students. The
drastic steps have always been taken in
the past by students and their
organizations.
Last but
not least, it is the responsibility of
women folk also not to enter this
glamorous world of nudity and resist when
they feel the director is expressing them
only to reveal something and there is no
objective behind it.
As
citizens of India we all share the
responsibility to bring as much reform in
our country as we can. We must try to
eradicate vulgarity root and branch and
stop this crying evil, which is spreading
like a wild fire. At the end, I would
like to say that
Start by doing what is
necessary, then what is possible and
suddenly
You're doing the impossible.
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Women
on the Toxic Treadmill
By
Sakuntala Narasimhan
When the
United Nations' Food and Agriculture
Organisation (FAO) adopted a revised
international Code of Conduct on
Distribution and Use of Pesticides on
November 4, it was widely hailed as part
of the ongoing global effort towards
arresting environmental degradation. Not
many saw it as a move promoting gender
equity. If one looks at the effects of
current pesticide use, however, it
becomes clear that pesticides'
ill-effects victimise females much more
than they do males.
After
several decades of using pesticides at
what were believed to be 'safe' levels,
scientific knowledge has now established
that these toxic, chemicals
bio-accumulate, and that the cumulative
effects of exposure even below 'safe'
levels can cause biological havoc in the
form of irreversible and disastrous
health problems.
The World
Health Organisation estimates that 3
million cases of pesticide poisoning
occur worldwide, annually, with 20,000
deaths (of which 96 per cent occur in the
developing countries where regulatory
health laws are lax). In addition, many
thousands of cases that result in minor
respiratory ailments, skin irritation and
nausea, go unreported because the victims
do not even connect them to pesticide
use.
The
gender-linked vulnerability arises from a
variety of facts. One is that
'development' has meant two trends: The
rise of agro-chemical inputs in
developing countries, and the migration
of male heads of households from farm
lands to cities, in search of urban jobs,
leaving the women to take on an increased
burden of agricultural operations. The UN
Population Fund (UNFPA) estimates that
women now make up half of the world's
agricultural work force.
Women thus
get exposed to toxic chemicals in
increasing numbers, and this leads to
endocrine disruption-related health
problems. Endocrine disruption, the
Worldwatch Institute's State of the World
2002 report notes, is ''a far more
serious health problem than cancer''
because endocrine disruption can occur
even at low exposure levels and slip past
detector screens.
Agro-chemicals
have been associated with pregnancy
failures and infant developmental
problems. Both penalise women;
miscarriages affect the health of the
woman and debilitate her, whereas
problems of infant development (physical
as well as intellectual) increase the
burden of care on the mother, who has
primary responsibility for child rearing.
Women also
have primary responsibility for cooking
and feeding the family, and for this,
women of the poorer sections have to
collect fuel and firewood. With
increasing deforestation and
environmental degradation, firewood is
becoming harder to gather. In Gujarat for
instance, women now spend four to five
hours daily collecting firewood whereas
two decades ago they could gather enough
to last for up to five days. With
firewood becoming scarce, crop residue is
used to keep the home fires burning.
While crop
residue has also been traditionally used,
the rise in pesticide content in crop
residue means that women get exposed to
more toxic fumes while cooking. Dioxins
from burning scarce material affects 2.5
billion persons worldwide, mostly women
and girls, according to UNFPA's
''Footprints and milestones'' report of
2001.
In China's
Gansu province, discharges from a
chemical fertiliser factory have been
linked to a high number of still births
and miscarriags. In Sudan, a link has
been established between exposure to
pesticides and peri-natal mortality. The
ill effects of pesticides on women thus
get passed on to the next generation too.
In Delhi
and Agra, the UNFPA report further notes,
drinking water comes from rivers heavily
polluted by DDT and other pesticides, and
women show ''the highest levels of
exposure''.
In
Colombia, thousands of female workers
grow flowers for export to the US as part
of 'developmental income generation
projects'. They are exposed to 127
different types of chemicals, many of
which are banned in the US and UK.
It is not
just poor or rural women who are at risk.
Breast milk among the urban upper income
strata has been found contaminated with
pesticide residues. ''Human breast
milk'', the Worldwatch Institute's report
for 2002 observes chillingly, ''is among
the most contaminated foods on earth.''
Chlorinated pesticides, PCBs, lead,
mercury and other toxins found in breast
milk get transferred from mother to
infant, compounding the ill-effects of
these toxins over future generations.
If the
burden of pesticides' effects are greater
on females, the benefits of 'going green'
and reducing pesticide use means a move
towards gender equity through better
health for women.
Scientists
have been aware of the toxic effects of
Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), for
some years, and a set of 12 chemicals
known as the ''Dirty Dozen'', including
nine pesticides, are listed for phasing
out by international treaty. However,
while 150 nations signed the Stockholm
Treaty on POPs, only 11 have bothered to
ratify it, against the 50 needed.The
corporate-commercial interests of the
pesticide manufacturers' lobby often
override health concerns. But what is of
greater concern for developing countries
in particular, is the fact that the
richer countries are ''externalising
their pollution costs through exports to
poorer countries'', as the State of the
World 2002 report notes.
Pesticides
that are banned under tightened safety
laws in developed countries get dumped in
developing countries, where legislation,
awareness and public vigilance are poor.
Despite the 1995 Basel Convention on
Control of Transboundary Movements of
hazardous Waste, and the global Rotterdam
agreement on Prior informed Consent as a
prerequisite for moving hazardous
chemicals from rich to poorer countries
since 1998, such movement of toxic
chemicals continues with impunity.
Women, who
are already lower down in the hierarchies
of empowerment and health parameters, get
further penalised. The Rotterdam
convention needs ratification by 50
countries to come into force, but only 22
countries had ratified it as of mid-2002.
Besides. Worldwatch Institute estimates
that 1,000 new chemicals are introduced
annually, adding to the already existing
80,000 in the market today.
The FAO
move to rein in the distribution and use
of pesticides worldwide is thus a welcome
move. Stepping off the toxic treadmill
will not only reduce health and
environmental risks associated with
chemical pesticides, but also bring
gender-related bonuses in terms of
reduced health costs for women.
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