Panchayati Raj leaders in India can
become more effective: FAO

BANGKOK, Oct 19: India’s three million elected Panchayati Raj functionaries, a third of them women, can become more effective local development managers with guidance provided by a local governance training manual prepared by the Asia-Pacific regional office of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) here.

"Preparing the Panchayat members, especially the women among them, for their new roles as local decision-makers, calls for education and training on a massive scale," emphasises the recently published manual, titled, ‘a handbook for trainers on participatory local development: the Panchayati Raj model in India’.

The ten training modules in the manual, which "supports the world’s biggest endeavour in grassroots governance taking place in India," were developed in collaboration with experts from the Hyderabad-based National Institute of Rural Development (NIRD), Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, Institute of Rural Management, Anand, Gujarat, Local Development Training Academy, Kathmandu and the Delhi-based NGO, Pria.

One of the training modules has been authored by the elected head of a Gram Panchayat in Kerala. The modules were field-tested in India.

"As a first step, there is a need to provide education and training to impart self-confidence to those who have been socially marginalised on caste, ethnic and gender considerations. At the same time, it is necessary to change the attitudes of the socially powerful towards full acceptance of grassroots participation in planning and management of local development," says the manual.

The training modules cover key areas of local governance, including participatory planning and management, social mobilisation, enhancing women’s participation, social audit, participatory local resources management, social audit, partnership building, conflict management, planning for disaster preparedness and mitigation, participatory community monitoring and evaluation, and tools of participatory rural appraisal.

The UN emphasis on capacity-building of the Panchayat functionaries comes at a time when leading Indian local development experts have criticised attempts by Central and State Governments to pare the authority and role of the Panchayati Raj bodies, which were given Constitutional sanction by the 73rd Constitutional Amendment enacted a decade ago.

The FAO manual singles out the "lack of involvement of rural poor in development, resulting in marginalisation of non-agricultural workers and landless labourers" along with the "disagreed of local resources, knowledge, skills and collective wisdom", as key weaknesses in rural development policies and programmes in India.

It also points out "a ‘superior’ attitude in Government machinery at various levels and a ‘passive’ and ‘servile’ attitude among the rural poor", for India’s slow progress in rural poverty reduction.

The handbook focuses on the training needs of "two key institutions of Panchayati Raj" - the Gram Sabha, comprising all registered voters in a village and the Sarpanch, the elected Gram Panchayat head.

Sections on the working and experience of Panchayati Raj institutions in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala, illustrate how effective Panchayats can make a difference in the lives of India’s rural poor.

The FAO regional office plans to adapt the handbook to prepare similar training manuals for other Asian countries that have adopted decentralised governance.

According to the manual, there were certain weaknesses in rural development policies and programmes in India. These were: —Lack of involvement of rural poor in development, resulting in marginalisation of non-agricultural workers and landless labourers in economic development. —Disregard of local resources, knowledge, skills and collective wisdom —A ‘superior’ attitude in Government machinery at various levels and a ‘passive’ and ‘servile’ attitude among the rural poor —Imposition of development programmes without understanding local conditions technology disseminators not tuned to local socio-economic and cultural realities.

However, these shortcomings led to the realisation that poverty alleviation cannot be effective unless the poor have a voice in the planning and implementation of schemes meant to help them. This, in turn, necessitated decentralisation of key Government functions.

The manual says the introduction of Panchayati Raj signified the beginning of a new era of participatory development and laid the foundation of ‘democratic decentralisation’ to promote people’s participation in rural development programmes provide an institutional framework for popular administration act as a medium of social and political change facilitate local mobilisation and prepare and assist in the implementation of development plans. (UNI)

Panchayati Raj leaders in India can become
more effective: FAO

BANGKOK, Oct 19: India’s three million elected Panchayati Raj functionaries, a third of them women, can become more effective local development managers with guidance provided by a local governance training manual prepared by the Asia-Pacific regional office of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) here.

"Preparing the Panchayat members, especially the women among them, for their new roles as local decision-makers, calls for education and training on a massive scale," emphasises the recently published manual, titled, ‘a handbook for trainers on participatory local development: the Panchayati Raj model in India’.

The ten training modules in the manual, which "supports the world’s biggest endeavour in grassroots governance taking place in India," were developed in collaboration with experts from the Hyderabad-based National Institute of Rural Development (NIRD), Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, Institute of Rural Management, Anand, Gujarat, Local Development Training Academy, Kathmandu and the Delhi-based NGO, Pria.

One of the training modules has been authored by the elected head of a Gram Panchayat in Kerala. The modules were field-tested in India.

"As a first step, there is a need to provide education and training to impart self-confidence to those who have been socially marginalised on caste, ethnic and gender considerations. At the same time, it is necessary to change the attitudes of the socially powerful towards full acceptance of grassroots participation in planning and management of local development," says the manual.

The training modules cover key areas of local governance, including participatory planning and management, social mobilisation, enhancing women’s participation, social audit, participatory local resources management, social audit, partnership building, conflict management, planning for disaster preparedness and mitigation, participatory community monitoring and evaluation, and tools of participatory rural appraisal.

The UN emphasis on capacity-building of the Panchayat functionaries comes at a time when leading Indian local development experts have criticised attempts by Central and State Governments to pare the authority and role of the Panchayati Raj bodies, which were given Constitutional sanction by the 73rd Constitutional Amendment enacted a decade ago.

The FAO manual singles out the "lack of involvement of rural poor in development, resulting in marginalisation of non-agricultural workers and landless labourers" along with the "disagreed of local resources, knowledge, skills and collective wisdom", as key weaknesses in rural development policies and programmes in India.

It also points out "a ‘superior’ attitude in Government machinery at various levels and a ‘passive’ and ‘servile’ attitude among the rural poor", for India’s slow progress in rural poverty reduction.

The handbook focuses on the training needs of "two key institutions of Panchayati Raj" - the Gram Sabha, comprising all registered voters in a village and the Sarpanch, the elected Gram Panchayat head.

Sections on the working and experience of Panchayati Raj institutions in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala, illustrate how effective Panchayats can make a difference in the lives of India’s rural poor.

The FAO regional office plans to adapt the handbook to prepare similar training manuals for other Asian countries that have adopted decentralised governance.

According to the manual, there were certain weaknesses in rural development policies and programmes in India. These were: —Lack of involvement of rural poor in development, resulting in marginalisation of non-agricultural workers and landless labourers in economic development. —Disregard of local resources, knowledge, skills and collective wisdom —A ‘superior’ attitude in Government machinery at various levels and a ‘passive’ and ‘servile’ attitude among the rural poor —Imposition of development programmes without understanding local conditions technology disseminators not tuned to local socio-economic and cultural realities.

However, these shortcomings led to the realisation that poverty alleviation cannot be effective unless the poor have a voice in the planning and implementation of schemes meant to help them. This, in turn, necessitated decentralisation of key Government functions.

The manual says the introduction of Panchayati Raj signified the beginning of a new era of participatory development and laid the foundation of ‘democratic decentralisation’ to promote people’s participation in rural development programmes provide an institutional framework for popular administration act as a medium of social and political change facilitate local mobilisation and prepare and assist in the implementation of development plans. (UNI)

Mother Teresa is the fifth beatified candidate from India

KOLKATA, Oct 19: Mother Teresa’s beatification today puts her in line with four other Roman Catholic religious persons from India so far declared ‘blessed’ or beatified by the Vatican and assigned feast days in accordance with laws of the Roman Catholic Church.

According to Church sources here, all the four have been beatified at various points of Pope John Paul-II’s reign, a testimony of his personal interest in creating as many role models as possible within the Roman Catholic Church.

While the Pope waived the customary five-year period for the sainthood process for Mother Teresa to begin and declared her ‘beatified’ within six years of her death in 1997, data available with the Church indicate that it took nearly a century after their death for other four candidates to be elevated to the blessed status.

Of the four, blessed Joseph Vaz was born on April 21, 1651 at Benaulim, Goa. He was ordained priest in 1676 after which, he travelled extensively on foot along the western coast and into Sri Lanka. He died in Kandi, Sri Lanka on January 7, 1711.

F R Vaz was declared blessed by Pope John Paul-II on July 6, 1997. His feast day is on January 7.

Another of the peers, F R Kuriakose Elias Chavara was born near Alapuzha in Kerala on February 10, 1805. He was ordained priest in 1829 and with two other fellow priests, founded the Carmelite Missionaries of India (CMI) congregation in 1831.

A renowned eductionist and social reformer of his time, F R Chavara was appointed a Vicar of the Syro-Malabar Church and brought about many liturgical reforms.

Chavara died on June 3, 1871 and buried in Koonammavu on January 4. His relics were transferred to Mannanam on May 24, 1889. His cause of cannonisation was taken up in 1953 and he was declared blessed by Pope John Paul-II in 1986. His feast day is celebrated on January 4.

Another of the peers, blessed S R Alphonsa Muttathadill, was born on August 19, 1910 at Kudamaloor near Kottayam in Kerala. She joined the fransiscan clarist congregation at Bharananganam in 1927 and received the habit on May 19, 1930.

S R Alphonsa, who took her perpetual vows on August 12, 1936, had a life full of suffering and sickness. She is said to have had a miraculous cure in December 1936 at the intercession of blessed Kuriakose Chavara. She contracted pleural pneumonia in June 1939 and fell ill once again in 1940.

Even as she was administered the sacrament of the sick on septubsequently. She fell ill once again in July 1945 and died on July 28, 1946.

Diocesan inquiry for her cause began on December 2, 1953 and she was declared blessed by Pope John Paul-II on February 8, 1986 at a function in Kottayam, Kerala. Her feast day is on July 28.

The fourth among the peers, blessed Maria Theresa Chiramel, was born in Puttencheria near Thrissur, Kerala, on April 26, 1876.

Although she had no formal education, blessed Maria, however, emerged as a great educationist and social reformer. In 1913, she set up a prayer house at Puttencheria where she founded her holy family congregation on May 14, 1914.

She died at Kuzhikattussery, Thrissur on June 8, 1926. The cause of her beatification was taken up in 1982 and she was declared beatified on April 9, 2000, by Pope John Paul-II. Her feast day is on June 8.

Besides the four beatified persons, there is only one cannonised person of Indian origin, St Gonsalo Garcia, who was born in 1557 at Vasai near Mumbai.

Under patronage of a Jesuit priest F R Sebastian Gonsalves, he joined a Jesuit school and studied there from 1564 to 1572. At the age of 15, F R Gonsalves took him to Japan from where he went to the Phillippines as a Lay missionary.

There, he came under the influence of a Franciscan priest F R Peter Baptister and began working among leprosy patients. In June 1587, he joined the friars minor or the franciscan order and made his solem profession on July 3, 1588.

In 1594, he went to Japan where he set up a Leprosy home in Meako, Kyoto and built a cloister in Osaka in 1595.

Around 1596, the Japanese Emperor began persecuting Christians and on February 5, 1597, 26 missionaries, including Gonsalo Garcia, were taken to the Nagasaki hills and crucified.

Garcia was beatified in 1629 and cannonised on June 8 1862, by Pope Pious-IX.

Two other non-Indians, who made this country their home like Mother Teresa, have also been canonised or declared saints by the Vatican.

Of the two, spain-born St Francis Xavier, who was among the seven who founded the society of Jesus along with St Ignatius Loyola in 1534, came to India in 1541. He worked for seven years in Goa, converting thousands into Christianity.

In 1549, he travelled to Malacca and Japan, returning to India in 1551. Next year, he travelled to China, a forbidden country then. While waiting at the island of Shangwan for the ferry to the mainland, he was taken ill and died a week later on December 3, 1552. He was cannonised in 1622.

Portugal-born St John De Britto, joined the society of Jesus on December 17, 1662 and came to India as a Jesuit priest in 1673.

Living like an Indian ‘Sanyasi’ in food and habit under an Indian name Arulananda, he worked in and around Maduari where he was accepted by one and all.

King Sethupathi, who ruled Marava where De Britto worked, was hostile towards Christians and on complaints from one of his nieces, ordered De Britto’s execution.

On February 4, 1693, which conicided with the Christian festival of ash Wednesday, De Britto was taken to Oriyur hills and executed. His body was left on a stake and became food for animals. Only the skull and bones remained.

Later, his remains were taken to Goa and from there to the Portugese capital Lisbon. On April 8, 1852, he was declared ‘blessed’ by Pope Pious-IX and canonised on June 22, 1947 by Pope Pious-XII. (PTI)

Firecracker sales sluggish this year across the country

NEW DELHI, Oct 19: Fireworks are more likely to be seen than heard this Diwali, with a combination of high prices, environmental concerns and strict Government norms keeping the sales at a low pitch across the country and people going in more for ‘light-emitting’ than ‘sound-emitting’ varieties.

Firecracker dealers say that the current trends indicate that most consumers are deterred by rising prices of firecrackers and keeping away, but express hope that sales will pick up in the run up to the festival.

However, in Sivakasi (Tamil Nadu), which accounts for 80 to 90 per cent of fireworks production in the country, with the trade volume amounting to Rs 700 crore per annum, industry leaders contacted by UNI deny any sharp fall in the demand and say the fluctuation was not more than one to two per cent. They expect the demand during the festival to be somewhere around 70 per cent.

In "Kutty Japan", as the town is called in local parlance, manufacturers are working round the clock to keep up the volume of production during the season. It is business as usual with a two to three per cent increase in the demand for firecrackers this time.

The slogan, but not the motto, of the industry seems to be reducing noise and increasing colours, indicating that business could well adapt to the emerging scenario wherein rules have come into effect to curtail noise and air pollution. As such, "atom bombs" and "bullet bombs" have given way to the more enchanting displays in the skies.

However, their optimism is hardly reflected in rest of the country.

The national capital is setting the trend, with indications that Delhiites may be going slow on crackers this Diwali, according to noticeable subdued wholesale trends. The traditional rush of retail buyers is missing in the centuries-old wholesale market of fireworks around the capital’s historic Jama Masjid area.

With just a week to go, wholesalers are reporting considerably subdued shopping of crackers this year — down to almost half of last year.

The dealers say three factors are responsible: The growing campaign in schools against pollution, including noise pollution, reduced purchasing power as Diwali this year falls towards the end of the month, and rising prices of crackers.

Likewise in India’s commercial capital Mumbai, the market lacks enthusiasm, though there is an initial rush for firecrackers.

"Diwali seems too gloomy for us. We don’t believe that the volume of business for this Diwali will be that good when compared to last year", a wholesaler at the popular Manish market said.

The firecracker market in the metropolis does business worth Rs 350 - 400 crore, but this year, it expects a weak response from the public because of restrictions imposed by the Government.

There is also a hike of five to 10 per cent in the prices, a retailer said, adding that though it is premature to comment, the initial response is not very encouraging.

Also in Kolkata, firecrackers have flooded the markets but there seems to be a discernible shift, with sales sluggish after Calcutta High Court order cracking down on sound pollution levels and fixing the upper limit at 60 decibels, and people preferring to go in for ‘light-emitting’ firecrackers than ‘sound-emitting’ varieties.

In Ahmedabad, where riots last year had led to restrictions of sales of firecrackers, a ban lifted only a few days before the festival, the good harvest expected this year has led to a huge demand, though the supply is limited.

"There are a lot of retailers coming from rural areas in the wholesale firecracker market. The goods arriving from Sivakasi are just disappearing," Bebubhai Darukhawala, who has been in this business for the past 30 years, said.

"A good monsoon and the expected good crop are the main reasons for the wholesale markets at Kalupur and Raipur to be thronging with buyers. We are expecting to do good business this year," he added.

"At the moment there is not much business. The retail market usually picks up only five to six days before Diwali," a local retailer said.

In Hyderabad, people are preferring to buy sweets and clothes rather then spending their money on firecrackers.

Karnataka is one place, where prices have fallen about 50 per cent and dealers expect the sales volumes in Karnataka to be in the range of Rs 12-15 crore, about the same as last year, adding that Bangalore alone is expected to account for about Rs 8 crore.

In other states also, the situation mirrors that of the metropolises.

In Madhya Pradesh, the wholesale trading in firecrackers has increased while retailers are still awaiting customers, while in Punjab, which boasts of mounting the most elaborate display in the entire northern region, the business prospects of the fire cracker sellers this Diwali are poor as compared to last year, as the prices of the crackers this festive season have shot to almost double.

Haryana also sees the business adversely affected by strict Government regulations for the sale of firecrackers, with a majority of small shopkeepers, who used to stock firecrackers, giving up the idea this year.

Though the tempo of the sale of crackers in the Union Territory of Pondicherry is yet to pick up as the bonus in the major textile mills and Government institutions have not yet been disbursed, merchants feel that the volume of business is likely to be less this year because of the judicial stipulations restricting use of crackers during specific hours.

Meanwhile, strict enforcement of the law regarding issue of licences for the sale of firecrackers has dampened cracker sale in the capital of Rajasthan this year. Firecracker shops are yet to mushroom in the city on the scale witnessed last year.

In Jharkhand as well, the increasing rates have also decreased the charm of lighting the crackers, with the sole wholesale dealer of crackers in Ranchi admitting that demands for crackers have been decreasing over the years mainly due to increasing prices but not because of awareness campaigns by ngos or government authorities.

In the capital of the country’s most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, this season is not a good time for the firecracker wholesalers and retailers as the large number of anti-crackers campaigns in the city are likely to lead to a decrease in the business.

In Goa as well, sales are also expected to be lean as the Government allows wholesalers and retailers to sell only 100 Kg of firecrakers each during all the festival seasons every year.

The State witnesses a zoom in sales during the Ganesh festival season as against Diwali, with the volume of business remaining the same this year, though the traders are tight-lipped on the exact amount.

In Orissa, wholesalers and retailers feel that this year the volume of sales would be quite low, due to the recent floods and incessant rains that have wreaked havoc in several parts of the state last month.

However, Bihar seems to be going against the general trend. Last year, the total business of firecrackers in Patna was to the tune of Rs six crore and major dealers are expecting at least a 25 per cent increase in business, going by the orders received from retailers.

As far as kerala is concerned, Diwali celebrations are seldom noticed, except in certain parts of Thiruvananthapuram district, and the sale of firecrackers is almost negligible.

On the other hand, the sale of firecrackers is almost non-existent in the Kashmir valley.

After the mass migration by Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley in the wake of eruption of militancy in early 1990s, the sale of firecrackers has come down considerably forcing the shopkeepers to switch over to other business.

Only one shopkeeper was selling the firecrackers in the city now with hardly any sale.

There were more than two dozen shop keepers at Maharaj bazar, in the heart of the city who were selling fire crackers till 1990 when the situation was normal, a shopkeeper, who has now shifted to other business, said.

About half a dozen shopkeepers were still selling firecrackers along with other items till last year. However, they stopped after security forces mistook the sound of a cracker as a blast and beat up all shopkeepers of the area.

The only shopkeeper who is now selling the firecrackers said so far he has done business worth just some hundred rupees.

The cost of firecrackers has become double as compared to last year and also sales tax has been increased making it more costly now. He does not expect any increase in the sale as the Kashmiri Pandits and other officials, stationed in the city, usually leave for Jammu a day before the festival.

Chhattisgarh is also faced with a Kashmir-like situation where firecracker explosions could be mistaken for explosions triggered by naxalites. Even otherwise, the use of firecrackers is mainly confined to the towns, with the people in rural areas preferring to keep away.

Chinese crackers, despite apprehensions and demand, are yet to be seen in most places apart from those in Bihar, where the market is likely to be glutted with supplies from China via Nepal taking advantage of a porous India-Nepal border. (UNI)

Maharashtra Govt moves SC against HC order
in Salman Khan’s case

MUMBAI, Oct 19: Maharashtra Government has filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging an order of the Mumbai High Court which dropped the charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder framed against actor Salman Khan for killing one person and injuring four in a hit-and-run case.

The petition, filed on October 16, will come up for hearing after October 27 when the Apex Court reopens after vacations, official sources told PTI here today.

The actor will be defended by well known criminal lawyer Dipesh Mehta.

In view of this development, the trial in a Magistrate’s Court may not commence on October 21 and is likely to be adjourned until the Supreme Court decides the law point on whether the offence allegedly committed by the actor fell within the scope of section 304 (2) IPC, culpable homicide not amounting to murder which attracts ten years jail term.

On October 6, a Magistrate framed ten charges against film actor Salman Khan, a one person and injured four by ramming his vehicle into a bakery.

The actor pleaded not guilty to all the charges framed against him under provisions of IPC, Motor Vehicles Act and Bombay Prohibition Act and said he was ready to face trial.

The Magistrate S Y Sishode rejected the state’s plea for staying the process of framing charges as it desired to prefer an appeal in the Supreme Court against an order of Mumbai High Court which had dropped the charge of culpable homicide framed against the actor earlier. He said the state was free to move the Apex Court even after framing charges.

The petition said Salman should be booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder as he had knowledge that his act of rash and negligent driving might result in death of persons. Moreover, he was driving after consuming alcohol and the vehicle involved in the mishap did not belong to him. He also did not possess driving licence, the state argued.

Salman was charged (causing death by negligience), 279 (rash driving), 337 (causing hurt), 338 (causing grievous injury) and 427 (causing damage by mischief). He was also charged with section 130 (1), 134 (A and B), 177 and 181 (3) of the Motor Vehicles Act.

Besides, the actor is charged with section 66 (1B) of Bombay Prohibition Act, which prohibits driving after consuming liquor.

Salman was arrested on September 28 last year after he ran over his vehicle on persons sleeping outside a bakery in Suburban Bandra. One person was killed and four others were injured. He was later released on bail.

The actor heaved a sigh of relief after the High Court dropped the charge of ‘culpable homicide not amounting to murder’ which attracts maximum ten years jail term.

Salman’s case was referred to Magistrate’s Court to try him for rash and negligent driving and other offences contravening Motor Vehicles Act which provide for maximum two years jail.

The actor was initially booked for offence of rash and negligent driving. However, after a public outcry, the State Government booked him with a serious charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Hearing a PIL, the High Court asked him to pay Rs 19 lakh compensation to the victims and the actor complied with the directive. (PTI)

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