Excelsior... Nation

PHDCCI demands legislation for contract farming

NEW DELHI, Dec 14: Emphsising the need for a legislation for contract farming to encourage forward linkages in the agro processing industry, PHDCCI has called for repealing of other archaic legislations that restrict direct procurement, sale, storage and transport of agricultural produce.

A recent PHDCCI study has underlined that experiments with contract farming by select corporates have thrown light on certain weaknesses and hurdles in implementation of the contracts. These include contracting with a large number of growers on account of small size land holdings, lack of crop insurance schemes to protect against natural calamities and no formal legal mechanism to discourage or penalise the defaulters.

According to the chamber, the Government could initially put in place a mechanism to monitor the amount of land which can be put under the contracted crops to prevent situations of glut or shortfall or market crisis.

The process of land reforms particularly the consolidation of holdings and computerisation of land records should be completed urgently since for success of contracts contracting party must have access to land they farm or pledge for under the contract.

In case, the land has been given to tiller, the law should provide for tripartite agreement between land owner, tiller and the contracting party.

Price formulas based on agreed quality, quantity and procurement dates should form integral part of such agreement and shall have legal sanctity. In this regard, an autonomous body could be given the responsibility for providing guidance in respect of market intelligence and prices.

It suggested that market risk as well as benefits can be shared between producer/processor by agreeing to share the profit in agreed proportion, before the actual commencement of the contract.

PHDCCI said all contracts must be time bound and must specify the crop to be produced, the production area, price at which the crop is to be sold and so on. The legislation should discourage the farmers from using their land as security for the contract, neither should it be leased out nor rented through the contract. This will prevent the farmer from alienating with his land in case of indebtedness and defaults.

Industry sponsor should be made responsible for providing training to small farmers selected for the scheme before their becoming full time members. Commodity futures markets and exchanges should be developed and strengthened and rationalisation of agriculture process cess, tax systems and harmonisation of food laws, should precede contract farming legislation, the study pointed out.

PHDCCI said all contract farming ventures should have provision for arbitration and alternate dispute resolution process for settling disputes, if any. Local Government institutions like the Gram Panchayat or the Panchayat Samiti should be entrusted with the responsibility of monitoring the execution of the contracts.

To bring about crop diversification and promote a move away from two crop cultivation syndrome, contract farming should be encouraged in identified areas for export oriented cultivation of non food grain and cash crops or horticulture crops to enable the exporters to undertake long term planning and earn foreign exchange for the economy.

So far, exporters are not able to undertake long term planning in relation to procurement, processing, packaging, credit and marketing and they suffer on the price front in the international market.

According to PHDCCI, there is a pressing need for developing a grades standard code for the country’s agri produce. Crop quality, consistency, and standards are often the most contentious factors in a contract.

In view of the vulnerability of Indian agriculture and the issue of food security for the whole nation, PHDCCI suggested that contract farming could be experimented with cash or export oriented and such crops which are perishable and need to be processed immediately where quality variations in crops are not only high but quality is important for processing. (UNI)

Writers shape the world they live in: Chitra Mudgal

NEW DELHI, Dec 14: Author Chitra Mudgal, recipient of this year’s prestigious Vyas Samman Award, sees the role of a writer as shaping the times they live in by upholding the cause of the common man.

Delighted at the honour conferred on her for her book, ‘Awwan’ Mudgal is conscious of the immense responsibility reposed on her shoulders. An author is like a potter making pots, baking them at the right temperature. We must build the time build the future generation through values.

The book, with its humanist overtones, created waves as it raised questions about the future of trade unions. Through the struggles of her heroine Namita to survive in a male-dominated society, the book casts a critical eye on trade unions and the socio-political makeup of society. She has also been honoured with the Indu Sharma award by the South Asian Writers Association and the Sahitya Bhushan Puraskar instituted by the Uttar Pradesh Government, 2001-2002.

The novel presents the writer’s experiences and her leftist leanings. She reminisces "the death of many labour leaders such as Shankar Guha Neogi whom I personally knew was a shocking experience. The anger which erupted due to their deaths, was the prime reason for the creation of ‘Awwan’ and it brought me immense satisfaction.

The book, written in Hindi, took more than three years to complete. "I had the title of the book in mind from the very beginning," she told UNI. The word ‘Awwan’ means the kiln in which potters bake clay utensils. For Mudgal, a common man’s life is like a clay utensil which passes through as many trials in life as it does in the kiln.

Mudgal says, it certainly is the biggest achievement of my life but the media has portrayed me as the first woman to have won this award. This, she says, is a slur on the capabilities of other equally competent women in the field.

She says, one should only look into the aspect of being a good author without bringing in gender-based discrimination. An author simply reflects society, then why does one highlight their gender when both are doing the same job. When people remark about my being the first woman to receive this award, they question the intellectual abilities of many other capable writers before me who may not have any awards to their credit.

She further adds, "somebody said that I am the first woman to write a 500-page book, but when I was writing the book I was not counting the pages. This statement reflects doubts about a woman’s ability to write."

Born in Mumbai, Mudgal, daughter of a Naval Commodore, has seen the rigid discipline and seclusion that women including her mother, had to endure in the Thakur clan. Rebelling against the veil, Chitra faced stiff opposition from her father when she announced her decision to join trade union leader Datta Samanta while still in college.

Her life, she admits, has been grist for the mill. I get inspired by real-life incidents. The experiences of struggle in my life have been a constant source of inspiration and story ideas. Being born into a Thakur family, my father’s relationship with my mother, a woman’s relationship with another woman, my interaction and relationship with the trade unions during my college days, my marriage to a Brahmin journalist Awadh Narayan Mudgal (a former editor of Hindi literary magazine, Sarika), the sudden transition from being rich to poor and the untimely demise of my daughter and my social work — all these experiences have been an inspiration to me.

Asked whether she has adopted a particular line of thinking in literature, she states, during my academic life I was greatly influenced by the leftists’ agenda but it is a pity that you can not add your own thoughts to it. I want that my thinking and opinions should reach the readers. I do not believe in duplicating others’ ideas.

Mudgal says, I have my own views and opinions. I am not inclined towards any particular thought process. I have been greatly influenced by the writings and views of Tolstoy, Gorky, Premchand and Amrit Lal Nagar, but I have my own opinions about a particular situation and I want that it should be highlighted in my work.

Her first compilation of stories was published in 1965. So far, 13 collection of stories have been published, four novels ‘Awwan’, ‘Giligaddu’, ‘Ek Zameen Apni’ and ‘Madhavi Kannagi’ three children’s books, four books of children’s stories, six novels and two collection of essays. Her work has been translated into Gujarati, Marathi and English.

Mudgal has clearly etched out characters in her novel, not least her lead character ‘Namita’. But she denies that Namita is a reflection of her.

Apart from being a writer, Mudgal is also a Bharat Natyam exponent and an artist. She has also been associated with the Non-Government Organisation Sankalp, and heads the Uttar Pradesh Mahila Manch. Mrs Mudgal is also a member of the Prasar Bharati Board.

In between these multifarious activities, she leads a simple life in the capital with her husband, son, daughter-in-law and her grand children.

Mudgal sums up, I have lived life on my own terms and have no complaints. I would like to call upon all women and tell them that they should get educated but after acquiring education they should make appropriate use of it. Women should set aside the differences between them, as they prove to the weaknesses of all women and make them puppets in the hands of men. Women should strengthen their mind and not body. (UNI)

Violence dominates Assam during the year

GUWAHATI, Dec 14: Violence remained the dominant leitmotif for Assam during the outgoing year with the Government bogged down in tackling insurgency and ethnic disturbances in a state which saw the worst ethnic divide two decades ago.

Attacks by militants at regular intervals, conflicts between tribes and finally the violence unleashed against Biharis were the major events of the year.

Militant attacks and ethnic conflicts may have become a regular feature for Assam reeling under the impact of decades of violence, but the attack on Biharis leading to the loss of 56 lives in November was an incident embarrassing both for the Central and State Governments.

The state was plunged into violent disturbances when the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) launched an agitation demanding 100 per cent reservation for locals in all Central Government organisations, preventing many candidates from Bihar from appearing in railway recruitment tests for group-C and group D categories in the north east frontier railway on November 9.

This led to attack on train passengers from Assam and other states of north east in Bihar with several of them being seriously injured, leading to a bandh called by the AASU on November 17 and the banned ULFA asking all Biharis to quit the state.

Stray incidents of attack, Arson and looting were reported from different parts of the state from November 15 but large-scale violence against the Biharis began from the night of November 18, with Tinsukia and Dibrugarh in upper Assam bearing the brunt of the attacks.

Both districts with sizeable Bihari population accounted for 39 deaths with worst-affected Tinsukia alone reporting 29 deaths. The total death toll in the violence was 56 and more than 10,000 people shifted to relief camps for safety.

The Army had to be deployed and the Centre rushed additional companies of bsf while the State Government demanded a CBI inquiry even as it blamed the ULFA for the attacks.

The Congress-led State Government came under attack from opposition parties in the state and also some Central Ministers for failing to assess the situation and acting swiftly.

The banned ULFA’s reign of terror in the state continued during the year triggering attacks on vital installations, police stations, railway tracks, ambushes on security forces and carried out large-scale extortions.

The major attacks by ULFA this year included the twin attacks on Indian Oil Corporation and Oil India Limited on March 9, when an explosion set ablaze a 5000 Kl reserve petrol tank near Digboi refinery while another blast damaged an oil pipeline carrying gas from Duliajan to Neepco Power Grid at Kathalguri. (PTI)

‘US troops too naive to handle Iraq situation’

NEW DELHI, Dec 14: The governing council in Iraq is widely seen as being imposed by the United States and does not enjoy broad-based support of all ethnic groups in the country, according to bbc cameraman Fredrick Scott, who was among the 45 wounded in a "friendly-fire" incident in which 16 people were killed.

Scott, who received the rory peck award for the exemplery courage and professionalism by continuing to shoot even after being hit, said members of the council did not enjoy popular mandate and added that they were just filling up the political vacuum created after the toppling of Saddam Hussein.

The Rory Peck award Judges described his footage as "an exquisite example of professionalism - the piece to camera was done under great pressure and you could see they were shocked. It was a very British piece of news - the definitive example of things are a bit sticky".

The award winning cameraman said the council includes exiled eaders who had sought political asylum in western countries and were brought back by the hard-pressed Bush administration who wanted to put in place an administration that had the confidence of all groups in Iraq.

Scott, who was here on a personal trip, told UNI that there was no unconditional support for the us in the Shia-dominated southern Iraq, which is perceived to be pro-US. The support of the Shias, who were suppressed under the Saddam regime, still could not be taken for granted, he added.

Recalling his experience in Iraq, he said on April 6, a BBC team in northern Iraq headed by world affairs editor John Simpson witnessed one of the worst friendly fire incidents of the war. A US bomb fired at American and Kurdish soldiers killed 16 people, including a BBC translator.

When the three cars in which the BBC team was travelling through Dibagar in northern Iraq stopped at a junction, scott got off to take a picture of two US planes circling very low overhead.

"I saw something fly across my left shoulder with a red nose on it, but it all seemed kind of two-dimensional, like a cartoon bomb. I think I recall hearing someone shout a warning... And the next thing I knew I was face down on the road, " Scott said.

"I had no idea where my camera was. I rolled over and saw it wasn’t far from me and got it working. Looking into the viewfinder I knew I was bleeding, I couldn’t get my left eye open and my whole head was completely numb so I did not know whether I had actually lost my eye."

Blood dripped on to Scott’s camera lens but he continued filming with Simpson, who described it as "a scene from hell".

While Simpson and others were saved, Kamaran Abdurazaq Muhamed (BBC translator) was the lone casualty. "While I just feel extremely lucky and grateful to be alive and basically healthy when so many others aren’t ... I have fully come to terms with Kamaran’s death."

Elaborating on the role of US Army in Iraq, he said the US Army was forced to take charge of Iraq after the war as the administration had totally collapsed in the country.

"The US Army is not equipped to deal with administrative tasks or to deal with the public or indulge in public relations."

Scott, who was in Iraq for 8 weeks in April, said "most of US soldiers stationed in the Gulf country are in the age group of 22-24 and naive in dealing with the complex situation."

On his future assignments, Scott said he would be travelling to Africa to shoot a documentary on one decade of the genocide in Rwanda.

Scott took on a contract with the BBC in 1987 after a variety of jobs in California and was based in Hong Kong till 1994.

He has worked in some of the "hot spots" across the globe including Iraq, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Kashmir, Kosovo, Pakistan, Croatia and Serbia and Mongolia. He has covered a wide spread of major news stories from, the military coup in Fiji, to Tiananmen square, insurgency in north east and the wars in the Balkans.

Among other awards Scott has won are documentary world medal 1998 for "the serb’s last stand" and news event of the year team award 2002 for reports within Taliban-controlled Kabul. (UNI)

Women with vision dispite visual handicap

NEW DELHI, Dec 14: When Nalin Pawaskar decided to marry visually challenged Neha, many thought he was doing this just out of compassion for the girl.

However, in his view, he was marrying someone who was more able and active than a person with a normal vision.

While narrating this to UNI, outstanding blind mountaineer Neha N Pawaskar, who has got her name registered in the Limca Book of Records for scaling the 17,200 ft Shitidhar peak in the Himalayas in Kullu Manali, said she perfectly agreed with her husband’s assessemnt of her.

She, along with three other outstanding women with visual handicap — Dr Salma Mqbool of Pakistan, educationist Hadha Hahasn of Jordan and special rapporteur with the human rights commission of India Anuradha Mohit — has been honoured with an award for excellence at an international conference of blind women held here recently.

Ms Pawaskar, who was born in 1969 in Maharashtra, was not blind from childhood. She started losing eyesight while she was studying for tenth standard, after completing high school, she joined a correspondence course and carried on further studies.

She did her graduation in sociology and completed training courses in telephone-operating, computer-application and ham radio work.She has been working in the sales tax office, Mumbai, for the last 12 years.

However, her thirst for something new has taken her beyond the realms of the ordinary.

She presents a rare combination of skill and talent in boisterous outdoor sports and activities, generally considered beyond the reach of blind persons, especially women.

Ms Pawaskar received initial training in trekking at the reputed Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Darjeeling, for about two weeks in 1991. Thereafter, she hit the headlines by becoming the first blind woman to go on a Himalayan expedition and climbing Mt Shitidhar on 8th June 1992 with other group members.

"I was the first blind woman to have dared achieving this feat,"she said her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.

"I have always been fascinated by trekking and have trekked all forts in Maharashtra, she said.

"I enjoy swimming too, and have participated in several state and national athletic competitions for the blind, winning prizes in 100 meters sprint, shot put, Javelin and long jump, and I also play chess regularly and have won laurels at events intended for the blind as well as the sighted."

The story of another blind woman Dr (Mrs) Salma Maqbool of Pakistan is another shining example of how through sheer grit and determination, visual handicap can be overcome and a place of dignity acquired in society.

However, humbly downplaying her achievments, she told UNI that she was fortunate enough to come from a family in which she got all sorts of encouragement and facilities to pursue her aims, whereas there were women who had lots of handicap besides the visual one, but still they made their mark in life.

On the comparative state of women in Pakistan and India, Dr Maqbool said they were facing the same kinds of social discrimination and problems.

She, however, said in India women had greater educational facilities as compared to her country, which has a lower literacy rate.

As for blind women, they had free education in urban areas but in rural areas, they did not have this facility. "Anyway, despite all this women have worked hard to educate themselves and lead a meaningful and dignified life," she said.

About the challenge to women’s human rights in Pakistan from extremists Islamic groups, she said, there were a number of women’s organisations in her country that were raising their voice against these groups trying to curtail the rights and freedom of women in the name of religion,’’ she said.

Dr Salma Maqbool has been associated with the disability movement, holding important positions at the national and international levels, for over 25 years now.

She has been actively connected during this period, with apex international bodies like the international federation of the blind, the world blind union and the disabled peoples international.

Besides contributing a large number of articles and papers on disability matters, she has also been the recipient of a number of international and national awards. These include UN Secretary General’s testimonial and DPI Asia Pacific Regional Council Award (1992), Tamgha-i-Imtiaz by the President of Pakistan (2000) and Human Rights Society of Pakistan Award (2003).

Miss Ghada Hasan, a prominment educationist of Jordon, is another highly talented woman who has never allowed her visual handicap to come in the way of achieving her aims.

Miss Hasan completed her primary and high school education at an integrated school and went on to obtain a master s degree in English literature, impressing her teachers and classmates by her scholastic achievements and diligence.

After working as director on project for blind children for two years, she moved to the ministry of education in Jordan, where she works currently.

Miss Hasan was nominated as a delegate to the World Blind Union (WBU) and became a member of the executive committee of WBU from the middle east region.

Ms Anuradha Mohit is another women who has been undaunted by her visual handicap. She has carved out a special niche for herself in the field of disability-rehabilitation.

Born in Punjab in 1961, she lost her sight at the age of 10. Undeterred, she continued to forge ahead and acquired master’s and M Phil degrees in fine arts and music.

Starting her career in 1981 as a lecturer in music and then in research methodology in fine arts at a reputed colleges in Punjab, Ms Mohit moved to the disability sector in 1987.

She joined the National Association for the Blind, (Delhi) as its Development Officer and, three years later, rose to be its Executive Director. She also went to the states for higher studies, acquiring master’s Degrees (combining special education and administration) from vanderbilt university.

Ms Mohit worked as Deputy Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, Government of India, for three years with effect from April 1999. She then moved to the prestigious Human Rights Commission of India, where she currently holds the office of special rapporteur (disabilities).

Ms Mohit has distinguished herself by working ceaselessly for gender-empowerment and integration of blind children in the mainstream. (UNI)

First generation Naga cart pullers find dignity in work

KOHIMA, Dec 14: Their daily work starts at 0400 Hrs in the morning when the trucks arrive at the terminus loaded with goods.

They are the first generation Nagas who have taken up cart pulling and load carrying as their profession, a work that is still looked down upon by the people in this state.

However, their dignity and commitment to the work is drawing admiration from the society that is still struggling to instil in its young generation the value of dignity of labour.

This is the story of Chingmak, Tochi and many others who are earning their livelihood by pulling carts in Nagaland’s Tuensang district, from dawn till dusk, carrying all sorts of loads.

At a time when nagas are only interested in attractive jobs with lucrative remunerations, the life style of these youths stand out. They love the work and accept it as a challenge.

Unlike other parts of the country, there is no mad stampede among them here to grab their potential customer’s goods for unloading because they are disciplined and concerned about their fellow workers. The quantum of work is divided among themselves without cut-throat competition.

All these labourers were either drug addicts or former members of insurgent outfits. They were able to start life afresh following the intervention of Mr Lima Onen, president of Tuensang and Mon Students’ Federation (TMSF), who started the "retriever society", an organisation to rehabilitate such youths through various self-employment avenues.

The society, constituted only a few months ago, is rendering a yeoman’s service to these youths who were victims of social stigma. At present, the society has more than 80 such youths as members.

"I was earlier a drug addict," says 32-year-old Tochi Chang. "as soon as I joined retriever society, my life underwent a metamorphosis. Now I can realise the true value of life. I am happy as I can look after my family," he addes.

"I am not ashamed to work as a cart puller as it is better than being stigmatised as a drug addict," Tochi says while cleaning his cart.

Chingmak Chang, a youth around 29 years, who was a former underground activist, said it was a new venture which offered work with security.

"Sometimes we have to stomach abuses from the people, but we are used to it as we think it is a part of our profession," Chigmak says with a smile.

"Why should we allow others to grab this opportunity when we can also work in this line?" he asks.

Chigmak is able to save Rs 100 per day from his labour. He plans to buy some Christmas gifts for his family members with these savings this year.

"We get Rs 150 for unloading goods from a truck," he says and adds that on a given day, they unload two trucks on an average.

These enterprising youths are easily recongnisable from their grey shirt, which is their uniform. They are the new breed of Naga youth defining dignity of labour through their deeds when the state is struggling to create jobs for its citizens. (UNI)

Change of leadership in BJP’s up unit likely soon

NEW DELHI, Dec 14: In a bid to tone up the party in the politically crucial state of Uttar Pradesh in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections, BJP is likely to effect a change of leadership in the state unit soon.

Among the front runners are former state unit president Kalraj Mishra and Vibhuti Narain Singh, currently incharge of Panchayati raj cell of the party, to take over the reins of office from Vinay Katiyar, party sources said.

Besides these organisational changes in Uttar Pradesh, the party is also likely to work out a firm alliance in Bihar so that there is no repeat of what happened during the last assembly elections in the state which led to Laloo Prasad Yadav returning to power in the assembly elections, the sources said.

"With both these states, even after their division, having between them 120 Lok Sabha seats, it was felt that there is need for effecting these moves if the party is aiming to secure 300 seats on its own in the Lok Sabha next year," they said.

These issues are also likely to be discussed at the two-day meeting of the national executive in Hyderabad on January 11 and 12, the sources said.

The sources do not rule out the possibility of the party retaining the same organisational team for "mission 2004" —Lok Sabha polls.

The team, which had enabled the party to oust Congress in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh, was led by party president M Venkaiah Naidu and included general secretaries Pramod Mahajan and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Union Ministers Arun Jaitley and Rajnath Singh.

A meeting of the central office bearers of the party slated for December 25, coinciding with the birthday of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, is expected to also discuss the broad outlines of the strategy for Lok Sabha polls as also the agenda for the Hyderabad meeting which includes finalisation of dates for organisational elections, the sources said.

"The organisational elections are almost a formality as Naidu appears almost certain to be given a three-year term under the amended constitution and there will be an increase in the number of office bearers," the sources said. (PTI)