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EDITORIAL While addressing the annual conference of Directors General and Inspectors General of Police, Prime Minister A B Vajpayee describes security scenario in the country as unsatisfactory. He specifically mentions Kashmir as the major concern because of Pak sponsored militants' sustained and virulent propaganda besides highly focussed militant activities. There is also .....more It is good news that alternate highway linking valley with Jammu is on the anvil. Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah informs that it would be via ....more |
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Role of women in modern society By Dr Neelam Kumari
Sharma WTO fiasco
: Lessons By K R Sudhaman Coming of
IRDA, for By M R Rao |
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EDITORIAL While addressing the annual conference of Directors General and Inspectors General of Police, Prime Minister A B Vajpayee describes security scenario in the country as unsatisfactory. He specifically mentions Kashmir as the major concern because of Pak sponsored militants' sustained and virulent propaganda besides highly focussed militant activities. There is also widespread violence in seven north eastern states and large areas of other parts of India. May it be Pak sponsored or owning its origin to other sources the fact remains there is widespread terrorism taking a heavy toll of life by the day. The latest comes from Madhya Pradesh where Transport Minister has been brutally done to death allegedly by leftist terrorists going by the brand of Naxalites which have formidable bases in Andhra Pradesh, parts of Bihar besides Madhya Pradesh. In north east, ambushes continue to occur and many security personnel killed in the process. It may be mentioned that insurgency in north east is much older than Punjab and J&K. The fact that it still continues unabated shows lack of any pragmatic policy to neutralise the menace. Terrorism hinders development besides breeding other social evils. Assam Chief Minister Proful Mohanta's appeal to Calcutta industrialists fails to fetch any investment for his troubled state. No businessman could possibly risk his investment where Government has failed to assure security of life and property. About Jammu & Kashmir, the less said the better. One really wonders even if NDA Government has any Kashmir policy despite parrotting it by the day. Policy invariably implies constituency in approach. It is quite a sorry spectable to see VVIP the visiting the state after every gory massacre or ambush or other militant act. Why situation is allowed to deteriorate rather than contain the evil. Why do you say that all such incidents where police and army headquarters are being attacked and personnel killed thus stems from frustration of Pakistan after Kargil debacle. Let it be very clear that spread of insurgency is not an act of frustration but a well-designed Pak plan to keep the Kashmir on the boil by targetting vital places and heavily fortified positions. In the process they create fear psychosis amongst the people who are peforce driven to their diktats. It also demoralises the forces. Pak wants to achieve this by spreading communal discord, ethnic disharmony and inflicting economic looses. They hide the open support to militants and General Musharaff has issued instructions for stepping up insurgency. The Government must change its mind-set and evolve strategy to deal with the determined enemy out to destabilise the country with Kashmir as the launching pad. From there they penetrate Himachal and then unto internal heartland of India. During last months conclave of Lashkare Toiba in Lahore, no less than one lac fundamentalists volunteered to be enrolled as Mujahideens and fight in J&K State. It is proof enough that factors other than frustration provide them motivation. The sooner this aspect is taken note of the better. Further, it is quite debatable why situation has not been brought to normal despite heavy deployment of army and para-military forces. It is no use blaming the state government or the state police which plays second fiddles to central forces. Only state SOG from the police is trained and equipped to take on terrorists and their present strength is of no consequence when compared to the central forces. State Government in fact has been repeatedly asking the centre to augment force level in view of the spurt in militants random attacks on all and sundry. The question is whether force level is adequate. If it is not, why not? If level is okay, then why the situation remains far from satisfactory. The powers that be are reminded that nothing stops Army or central para military forces to adopt and pursue well-planed strategy. People are not interested in alibis. They very much like normalcy to be restored fast enough. The state also suffers indirectly in that industrialists shy away from this state because there is not one or two or three front page slots of militancy related incidents but sometime full page is filled. That being the case and factual ground reality none would risk investment in this wretched State. Another bad tendency is to pass on the buck rather than accept the wrongs perpetuated with grace. NDA Government owes an answer to the people of this State asto why the enemy invariably outsmarts forces by constantly changing its strategy. It should also elucidate contours of proactive plan and bring everything in a definite time-frame. This much is on the military front. As regards economic largeses, it remains quite elusive despite definite commitments by no less than four Prime Ministers during the last five years namely Narasimha Rao, Deve Gowda, I K Gujral and the present incumbent A B Vajpayee. Even assuming there is mismanagement of finances within the State, yet the sensitive border state deserves liberal aid and grants to keep the development works going and keeping the wheels of administration moving. If the State fails to pay even salary and pensions or meet other commitments, people get disenchanted with such Governance thereby causing alienation. This can best be reversed by releasing regular grants until state is on its own and normalcy is restored. The centre must not look at the state requirements with squint eyes because at stake are more important things than just money. Lastly, if Russia can go full throttle to finish last of the terrorists in its region of Chechenya, what prevents central government to go for the kill and remove this scourge from J&K in the only language that terrorists understand. Let there be no inhibitions and short-cuts or alibis. Let it be one-time result-oriented operation in all parts of the state using even air power in inaccessible areas. It is good news that alternate highway linking valley with Jammu is on the anvil. Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah informs that it would be via Kishtwar and Singthan. It is indeed tragic and a sorry commentry on the powers that be that valley has only single access road which remains frequently cut due to landslides. It has been known for years that land sinking is perennial problem in Ramban and Nasri Nalla stretch which remains vulnerbale to blockades for long time that sometime stretch even beyond 15 days. In sixties alternative alignment to bypass this dangerous stretch was constructed which failed to provide any relief as more accidents occured on this bypass than on Nasri Nalla. It was largely attributed to bad planning and equally suspect execution. Ever since the need for alternative road has been repeatedly stressed but unfortunately other priorities outweigh creation of alternative road. It has never been appreciated that there is but one tunnel. God forbids, if it caves in or otherwise gets targetted by the militants, say a suicide squad, valley would be cut like never before. At stake is not the requirements of the valleyites and those beyond in Ladakh region but also large number of security forces for whom regular supply line and full logistic support is indispensable. There is also the news that central government has decided to tunnel the Rohtang pass with nearly 9 km tunnel to link Leh with Manali round the year and the concerned ministry has been asked to expedite. But nothing is said about tunnelling Zojialla pass. One expects that Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah would not only vigorously pursue alternate road between Valley and Jammu but also realign Batote-Doda road besides tunnel for Zojialla pass. Much more important is to bring everything within stipulated timeframe. |
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Role of women in modern society By Dr Neelam Kumari Sharma With the spread of democratic values and education women are coming to their own (self) to play their social-economic and political role in our society. This has been made possible through constitutional rights endowed to them alongwith the males. Further various laws passed by the Government have demolished age-old in-equities and disabilities to which our women were heir to for historic and other reasons : In reference we have the Hindu Marriage and Divorce Act and Hindu Succession Act which have significantly removed disparities between males and females in matters of divorce, re-marriage, equal share in the parental property, besides restraints on husband's marriage during life time of his earlier wife. These measures have lent stature and status to women in their family and social standing. Another democratic mile-stone to ameliorate their life condition is the Family Planning Scheme of two-child family norm. China has enforced one child family norm. The late Smt Indira Gandhi Ji Prime Minister of India made two-child family norm compulsory which was opposed tooth and nail by some Opposition Political Parties for probably drawing political mileage and because of its misuse. The ‘compulsory’ condition in the norm was made optional under the force of Opposition. Had the norm remained mandatory our women would have ceased to be burdened with large families and the explosion in our population from 33 crore on date of Independence of our country to 99 crore now could have been checked and population stabilised to promote socio-economic development. Thus with smaller families to provide for and look after the role of our women in society would have been qualitatively quite progressive and more helpful to self, progeny and the nation. Notwithstanding that our Government has started many schemes for the upliftment of the women and their wrong representation e.g. opening schools, colleges, polytechniques, learning-cum-earning centres, Training and Self-Employment programmes, Adult Education, Aids to handicapped women, rehabilitation of women in distress, handicapped and offenders, beggar homes, banning immoral traffic and their indecent representation etc. Education is the best investment. It is "the open sesame" to progress and prosperity. Our prayer to God is "lead me from ignorance to light and from death to Immortality". Another prayer to God is "to make every body happy, healthy and prosperous". All this is possible with the light of education, humanism, fraternity equal rights, status and dignity to both man and woman. Women have been kept back-ward and within the fourwalls of homes for historical reasons to protect them from inhuman atrocities by aliens after subjugation of our country. Even Hindu caste system which was merit-based representing the "Intellectuals" and Head-brain "security" as arms, Belly (Production etc as Banias and legs as "Labour" were hardened into "birth-based" cocoon-like" to protect Hinduism. Forcible conversions and denigration of Hinduism by alien rulers stunted its growth. All rulers or conquerers, it is natural, have only condemnation and bad words for the vanquished people. Besides, the aforesaid schemes and plans for the social uplift of women the Government is now equipping them with political power for effective say and result-oriented action in polity. The women are going to be given 30 per cent seats in Parliament (through a Bill to be passed in Parliament). The State Legislatures will also follow suit ipso facto. Also it is envisaged by Government to reserve thirty per cent appointments in Government services for women. All these developments are going to change their inequation, their position at home and society and their role importantly. With the weapon of education their released force, capabilities, capacities and competitiveness they are already proving their mettle. Just see how they have occupied Govt. and private offices on various jobs, in many cases as Heads of Departments with males working as their subordinates. They are offering stiff competition in law, administration, judiciary, management, teaching, medical, engineering, business, industry etc to the males. We had the best of them as for example as UNO President, P.M., CMs, Legislators, Ministers, Secretaries, Ambassadors/Astronauts. The equal rights to vote to women with their population equal to those of males lends them power to change fortunes of political parties with women as Prime Minister and Chief Ministers in States respectively. The label that women are the weaker, fickle and feeble sex is not in order and applies equally to many men also. See for example also our manual women workers engaged in fields, farms, factories, roads, canals, tunnels, transport etc. Their contribution, role as wage workers, in erecting edifices of our countries development or our comforts etc. are immse. These sturdy workers put to shame their castigators as prejudiced ones. The role of women in the economic field as builders of our economy is not less important than those of males. Also our women in the past e.g., Gargi, Ahaalya, Alraiya etc. had equal rights and status with males. They were very learned scholars, writers, even advisors to Kings in administrative etc matters. They participated in discussions on equal footing with the wise of the land. Women are were called "Ardhanganies" of husbands, daughters as angelic devise and sisters represent embodied fraternal love. Mother is, like earth. Our Janani. So our women have also all these diverse roles in society. Let us not slight them, disgrace them and heap infamies and injuries on them. They are emblems of compassion and love in their different shapes, roles and their respective relationships with us. Let us not slight the hand that "rocks the cradle which rules the world" Man and women together, cooperating with each other, merit-based embued with their harmonious roles like their integral boady organs, definitely can bring about achievements which our country can be proud of. "Angels dwell where women are honoured". We must become angels to bring kingdom of heaven on earth for peace, progress and prosperity of all the people the world over. |
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Coming of IRDA, for better or worse By M R Rao With Parliament adopting the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) Bill, India has moved a step closer to private players -- Indians as also foreigners in collaboration with Indians - entering the insurance sector to give a stiff competition to the home grown LIC and GIC. Two years and three days after Palaniappan Chidambaram moved the first insurance bill in the reform era, Yashwant Sinha got the opportunity to translate an eight-year-old dream into a reality. New players may actually take time to appear on the scene, though several tie-ups have been in place for a long while, and the regulator has been itching for action. Many loose ends are yet to be tied and the Government has to frame the rules that should go with the legislation. More than the law, the rules that are framed to enforce the law important. This work gets underway only after the President gives his assent to the Bill. The minimum time-frame for the first licence to be issued should be anywhere upto three to four months: time enough to allow the passions to cool amongst the anti-reform-walas, who hopefully would see the inevitability of the change. As Nitish Sengupta in his new avatar as Trinamul Congress member of the Lok Sabha said in the course of the parliamentary debate, there is no reason to equate the fortunes of two lakh employees with the health of the economy. And to quote Yashwant Sinha himself, since the Government equity in LIC and the GIC is not going to be diluted in any manner, the employees have very little to worry about their future. Will the two corporations meet the fate of several other PSUs in the post-reform era? This is a question which depends very much on the employees and the management, not on the Government of the day. Because, though they are in the public sector stable, both LIC and GIC are the biggest financiers of the Government, lending money to various social welfare schemes, often at a very nominal interest. No Government would like to allow the source of cheap funds to dry up, certainly in India, where the cost of borrowing at market-related interest rates these days has put the Central finance under severe strain. Be that as it may, what is pertinent in this context is the fact that the insurance companies have been silently getting ready to face the inevitable competition ever since banking sector and the mutual fund industry were opened up. How effective the insurance regulator would be and whether he would succeed in preventing diversion of premium money to share market as was the cause in the pre-nationalisation period are questions for which no ready answers are available. Rangachary, the Insurance Regulator, is the toast of the seminar circuit for the past couple of years. He has not thrown up much light on how he would go about his task hitherto, apparently because he lacked teeth and legislative power to punish a recalcitrant player and impose penalties. The amount specified for a penalty is anywhere upto Rs. 25 lakhs. As Gurudas Dasgupta said in the Rajya Sabha during the debate on a bill to bring collective investment schemes and plantation schemes under the purview of the market watch-dog, SEBI, what is important in the Indian context is implementation, not an elaborate law on the statute book. In his own inimitable but whimsical style, T N Seshan as the Chief Election Commissioner, demonstrated, how a determined functionary can play a pro-active role to instill the fear of God amongst the most recalcitrant even. Hopefully Rangachary has found a good ideal in Seshan, the darling of the middle classes and the media till he started dabbling in a career in politics.... It is difficult to deny the Yashwant Sinha contention that the Chidambaram bill was vague in several respects, "whether it was deliberate or inadvertent". He survived the insurance ordeal unlike Chidambaram, because the main opposition, the Congress, decided not to make the issue a political football. Not that there were no differences within the Congress with several diehard socialist elements and pronounced anti-saffronites pursuing their own agenda to score debating points. Succumbing to their pressure could have brought the Congress leadership no credit whatsoever. Before the Congress is not the question of playing second fiddle to the Government and ending as the BJP Junior team or by opposing whatever the Government proposed on the economic scene acquiring the sobriquet of "B team of the Comrades". The opportunity was perfect to entertain a trade-off with the desparate ruling alliance and get into the law what the Congress stands for. As the initiator of the reform process in the country, the Congress did just that; The Government too willingly played ball with the Congress to herald the first of second generation economic reforms. Yashwant Sinha should have tried to check his temptation to hector on the virtues of growing up "mentally and intellectually" to his Left party friends. He could have averted the discomfiture he subjected himself to. Politicians have this difficulty to think beyond debating points, even when they find themselves confronted quite often with a choice as was the case with Yashwant Sinha in the Lok Sabha last week. No doubt, there is merit in what he had said: "Unless they (communists) change with times, they will find themselves relegated to the dustbin of history. Sinha himself had changed with the times, transited from Loknayak JP brand politics to Mandal variety and then migrated to Chandra Shekhar variety and as of now to the saffron variant. - CNF |
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