Pakistan defeated at Kashmir polling booth

By Tukoji R. Pandit

The Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir deserve an un-qualified praise for the people of the State, the Election Commission and the various security and military forces that supervised the elections. The country has every reason to show its utter contempt for the wild accusations about the Kashmir elections being a ''sham'' levelled by the likes of Pakistan's Gen Pervez Musharraf, a dictator who surely invites ridicule when he questions India's democratic credentials.

There are other self-appointed custodians of freedom in the world who talk of democracy but love dictators. But their hypocritical face has long been exposed- only they don't see it. Let the practitioners of double-speak and blackmail continue to float fanciful theories about elections in the strife-torn Kashmir State being unfair.

There can be no doubt that what has stung the carping moaners in Islamabad and other places is the larger than expected overall turnout of voters in Kashmir. The bulk of the Kashmiri voters took considerable risk in coming to the polling booths to exercise their franchise even as the Pakistani terrorists and their hirelings stepped up their blood bath in the State to frustrate polling.

It has been alleged that security forces were guilty of ''coercion'' in ''forcing'' people to go to polling booths. This is described as an unfair practice. May be it is in the eyes of some. But those in India who have seen malpractices at polling booths would know that the real thing is to force people to vote for a particular candidate or, worse, not allow a person to vote for the candidate of his or her choice.

It is not clear how the security forces can be held guilty of coercion if they were to merely escort a frightened voter to go to the booth. More over, even those who had pointed an accusing finger at the security forces had not seen any such incident but only 'heard about it from their ''sources'' or the so-called ''eye witnesses''.

A low turnout in some Assembly segments was the only ''consolation'' for Pakistan, which it expectedly touted as its major prize. But the pathetic, if not sickening, attempts made by Pakistan to pass it off as the failure of the entire polling exercise carries no conviction even in the capitals that matter to Islamabad.

Except Pakistanis, everybody knows why very few voters turned out in a few Kashmiri constituencies. For once, one has to agree with the Deputy Prime Minister, L K Advani, that no Indian leader can emulate Musharraf in guaranteeing over 90 per cent turnout at polls. In India and every other country, beginning with the US, where elections are regular features, a low turnout is not viewed as an aberration.

Considering the peculiar or ''abnormal'' circumstances in which polls were held in Kashmir, the low turnout in some constituencies or their segments may be nothing more than a matter of small concern as the more pressing need of the troubled-state remains restoration of peace and normalcy.

The Kashmiris who braved bullets to come to the ballot have clearly no faith in the kind of violence and hatred preached by the Pakistan-trained and aided terrorists. Even those who remained a little sceptical about the Kashmir polls grudgingly accepted that much. Indeed, the voters' response in Kashmir has established that the people of the State have more faith in the ballot than the bullet.

More than a decade of Pakistan-induced insurgency in Kashmir in which 70,000 or more people have lost their lives has brought nothing but misery to the people of a State, once known as the paradise on earth and the destination of nearly a million tourists. Likewise, calls for poll boycott from pro-Pakistani oufits have done no good to the people but added to their pessimism and cynicism- and poverty. As a perceptive observer remarked, 'basically what all Kashmiris want is to improve their lot and end their long spell of misery- not Pakistan-made guns and grenades'.

On surface, Pakistan may have succeeded in sustaining the religion-based anti-Indian sentiments of a section of Kashmiris over the years. But it has come at the cost of an unbelievable ''ethnic cleansing'' in the Kashmir valley, something that could have been inspired only by fanatics in Pakistan and cannot be said to have strengthened the case for ''Kashmiriyat''. If anything it has wiped out the separatists case for waging a ''war'' against India for the sake of maintaining ''Kashmiriyat'' or ''Azadi'' or whatever.

Post-election it must be the first priority of the regime in Jammu and Kashmir as well as the Centre to cash in on the faith reposed by Kashmiris in democracy through the process of elections. Resuming the process of dialogue with a cross section of Kashmiris is, of course, one way.

But the past practice of putting most of the effort in bringing the Hurriyat leadership to the table does not seem to have led anywhere. The cracks in Hurriyat leadership may have become wider but the overall influence of Pakistan on its leadership remains distinct.

It is not without some significance that this time round the Hurriyat leadership was a little shy of giving its usual poll boycott call. In fact, the Hurriyat even put up some ''proxy'' candidates in the just concluded polls. Was it a sneaking admiration for the ballot?

The Hurriyat itself needs to do some introspection if it accepts that the 2002 Assembly polls in Kashmir have demonstrated that their hold over the people is considerably weaker than they have been projecting. The National Conference politicians from Farooq Abdullah downwards have already been declaring that the Hurriyat is nothing but a political instrument of an enemy.

The Hurriyat leadership has nothing to prove its claim that it represents the ordinary Kashmiris; yet whenever the centre want talks to be resumed, the Hurriyat leaderships runs to the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi for consultation and follows it up with a demand for inclusion of Pakistani representatives.

The Hurriyat leadership's love for Pakistan is welcome; at least Pakistan has one steady friend in India. But does the Hurriyat advocate the Pakistani type of ''democracy'' and ''Azadi''? Does the Hurriyat want Kashmir to become an extension of the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, which is controlled by a Joint Secretary in Islamabad? PoK, ironically called ''Azad Kashmir'' in Pakistan, has become a Punjabi colony and democracy and elections are even lesser known there than in Pakistan.

In the rest of the country those who are in the habit of seeing the Hurriyat as larger than what it really is also need to do some re-thinking. In recent months, most efforts by the centre to engage the Hurriyat in serious dialogues have met with no success because of the shenanigans of some of the top Hurriyat leaders. It is remarkable that though these leaders caim to represent the local people they talk the language that is heard in Pakistan.

Thus, they are quick to denounce elections in Kashmir as ''sham'' while the people they allegedly represent head for the polling booths, defying them as well as the constant threats of death from terrorists, and shelling from across the border.

Ther are elements within the Kashmiri political spectrum that stand for the state's inseparable ties with India. But they feel weakened when successive governments at the centre dilly-dally with the demand for giving more autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir. This is a matter that should now be addressed in all seriousness and urgency if the disenchantment shown by the Kashmiris with Pakistan-backed militancy has to be turned decisively and permanently to India's advantage.

Nearly every political party speaks in favour of giving more powers to the states; yet it does nothing when it is in a position to do that. It could well be that the amount of autonomy that Kashmir seeks may be larger than what a Government in New Delhi would willingly grant. But not to consider that will not help restore normalcy in Kashmir. Time has come to make a hard decision on not just Kashmir's demand for autonomy but the entire gamut of centre-state relationship. The Delhi durbar will also do well to give precedence to the newly the elected representatives in any dialogue on Kashmir's plans and planks for a better future.

(Syndicate Features)

Cooperative Banks: A force to reckon with

By Anil Sethi

Cooperative Banks especially Urban Cooperative Banks, of late, have started attracting attention of public, not for good reasons though. A very dismal picture is sought to be painted about these Banks with a rather pointed reference to few ones which have been delicenced by the Reserve Bank of India. Media too, has not been very supportive and has been giving more than required publicity to the so called failures of the Cooperative Movement. An effort is being made hereinunder to analyse the entire spectrum with particular reference to the dis-investment policy of the Govt., influx of international giants in Indian Market and borrowing of rules and norms prepared by and for advanced nations and imposing them ruthlessly on the Indian borrowers and Banks alike.

Very few of us are aware of the fact that in India there are more than two thousand Cooperative Banks and this particular sector in the Indian economy has been registering an ever-growing trend. Cooperative Movement, it may be reiterated, means self service through Cooperation. By recognising this movement by way of licencing Cooperative Banks, the Govt. of India and the RBI have bestowed their respective recognition to the Cooperative Movement and its utility towards Society and Indian economy. By winning the confidence of masses and by giving a tough competition to Public Sector Banks, the Cooperative Banks have reciprocated the gesture. Today with whopping deposits, the Cooperative Banks are posing a real threat to Indian Commercial Banks and Foreign Banks alike.

As a natural corollary to the above, a panic signal has started spreading. Business knows no friends or rules. With this golden rule up their arm and with an eye on getting rid of this hurdle, a concerted efforts has been afoot to shroud the credibility of Cooperative sector with suspicion The situation can apply be characterized as that of business rivalry and like in every business, the opponent must be discredited to the hilt before introducing yourself. This clandestine exercise initiated at the instance and on the behest of foreign Banks with active (or implied) support from the concerned quarters is a primary factor, which should not be lost sight of. While the effort of the instigators can be easily inferred from the consequential effect it is likely to have on their future prospects, it still remains to be seen how far have the Indian policy makers and authorities have responded to this. Thousand of Cooperative Banks in India which have earned the trust of the masses have been avoiding a conflict on these issues or a confrontation with the Govt. or the RBI since not much negative swing has been experienced so far which could be termed as damaging. Time has however come when this slumber has to be broken and everyone told about the deep rooted and well organised vicious agenda.

India is an economy primarily dependent on agriculture. The rules pertaining to NPA (Non-Performing Assets) and application of interest norms which are in force in advanced and established economic countries can not perhaps be borrowed and applied in their original form, here. In the economically established and advanced countries, the repayment capacity of a borrower is altogether different, healthier, to say. Since trading forms the sheet anchor of their livelihood, payment of interest for its calculation at shorter periods also does not pose much of problem. Now look at the repayment capacity of an Indian borrower and his strength to bear the burden of interest. There is admittedly no comparison, no match. What is the relevance of these classification (like NPA etc) in the Indian scenario. While the effort of the Govt and the RBI to compete with these economies is laudible, the basic factor which ought not to be lost sight of is the discernible distinction in the economic conditions of these dissimilarly placed set of borrowers. Copying of such rules and norms in a bid to boost the system here and enforcing the same ruthlessly is already having its repercussions. A distinction needs to be made in the two and on analysing the ground realities. A much more pragmatic and viable formula needs to be evolved. The Indian economy is not relatable to other economies in the world and has to be understood and tackled in its own perspective. New classifications of 'Weak' and 'Sick' banks are two stringent and, as stated above, are not in tune with the economic conditions prevailing here. It is learnt that a parliamentary committee is on its job (on the asking of Finance Minister) to study the problems of Urban Cooperative Banks and to make recommendations. The desired recommendations are awaited and may clear the mess purportedly created.

It needs to be brought on record here that this particular sector has witnessed 15 percent growth in aggregate deposits. This rate is higher than the rate attained by Commercial Banks this year. Needless to remind here that out of the three predominant sectors relatable to this discussion i.e. (i) Public Sector (ii) Cooperative Sector and (iii) Private Sector, the second one has experienced an upward trend.

A good number of Urban Cooperative Banks are scheduled and are operating in more than one State. What is really required at this juncture is to strike a balance between member's interest and the interest of the depositor. For an ideal situation where Bank is to flourish, the attempt should be merge the interests of depositors and members.

Coverage given by the media to the short comings of this sector without highlighting the positive aspects of the Urban Credit Sector is indicative of the tilt which is likely to subsist for a short while. This may be short-lived, since the Urban Cooperative Sector has the benefit of actual participation of its members and has collectively withstood the onslaught of misinformation.

There have been minor aberrations. Confidence level of depositors has been somewhat affected after Madhavpura Bank episode followed by liquidity problems of some other Banks. Distt. Cooperative Banks in Maharashtra and few Urban Banks in the State were involved by improper dealings with brokers in securities trading. The situations has to be understood from this dimensions and left at that only.

There is no need to add anything to this, muchless a signal of panic. A mild note of curiosity would do.

(The author is chairman, Citizen Cooperative Bank Jammu)