Can we privatise facts?

By M J Akbar

The point is not the venue, except to stress that it' was the last place where I would have expected the "concern" to be raised. We were at a gathering of publishers, and publishers were engaged in what they love best, jockeying for.power within an institution. That was understandable, acceptable and even welcome, for any institution is' worth only as much as the hunger of its members. Suddenly a member from a town in North India got up and urged everyone's attention on the census figures. We had a wise man in the chair, who used the first opportunity to interrupt and change the subject. The implication is obvious. Population statistics, and particularly the alleged "leap" in the Muslim population of India, have entered the public discourse.

There have, been some tart responses to the tardy sequence of claim, correction, denial and distortion that has been inflicted upon us by the census bureau. But this confusion is not, anymore, a cloak that hides facts. It is instead a backdrop on which a single message is being advertised by certain politicians and social activists: that the population of Indian Muslims is rising at an "alarming" rate. This "alarm bell" is a '"wake-up call' to Hindus to rise and meet the "challenge".

Every marketer knows, that an advertisement persuades only if it fits complementary perceptions. This one finds an audience because of a long and continuous demonisation of Muslim men as sex-hungry predators with four wives apiece, and Muslim women as subservient cattle hidden inside tent-veils. Such rubbish gets sustenance, paradoxically, from the more luridly conseative Muslim clergy, who periodically hit the headlines with nonsensical claims, the most silly being the one that Islam forbids family pianning. Dr Rafiq Zakaria, whose Indian Muslims: Where Have They Gone Wrong? should be on every sensible reading list, was categorical and vehement when I asked him whether family planning was unislamic. There was absolutely no justification for such a claim in either the Holy Quran, he said, or in the Hadith (sayings of the Prophet). He pointed out that every single Muslim country, including Saudi Arabia, had signed the United Nations charter on population control. Dr Zakaria quotes Iqbal on this kind of mullah:

Qaum kya hai? Qaumon ki imaamat kya hai Isko kya jaanein yeh do rakat ke Imaam!

(What is a community? What is its leadership? What do they know of this who only know how to pray two raka of namaaz!)

The dialectic of alarm raises its own dictionary of questions. How do you deal with this "problem"? By competition or elimination? By encouraging Hindus to have more children or by forcible contraception of Muslims. Those in parties like the BJP or Shiv Sena who raise such questions take care never to provide answers. It is far more convenient to leave answers to the fertility of thought or imagination. The politics of confrontation is played out in the mind, for that is the true battlefield of opinion.

Such politics is not the exclusive privilege of Hindu hardliners; all through the 20th century a section of Indian Muslim leaders continually upped the ante in their search for "Hindu" enemy. In a sense their need helped create the enemy. At the forefront of such politics were conservative clergy, seeking to convert their influence into control of the community, and salivating politicians, who were sure this was the easiest route to votes.

Victimisation, thereby, was raised to the status of a political virtue. Indian Muslims were encouraged to see themselves as constant victims of one conspiracy or the other. Before Partition, an imagined future was constructed in which the Muslim "minority" became an enslaved underclass to the Hindu "majority" .The rhetoric revolved around the single dimension of numbers, as if either Hindus or Muslims were a monolithic entity shaped by a single fear or passion. After Partition, when it became obvious that much of that imagination had been, at the very least, heated, the politics of victimisation-confrontation sought fresh monsters, and, of course, found them. There was never any shortage of Hindu fundamentalists willing to oblige, nor of governments and parties who fished for votes in pools of blood.

Everyone got hurt, but who got hurt the most? Such ideas could only produce the mentality of a ghetto, into which their own leaders drove Muslims. The law and the courts, arguably Indian democracy's finest estate, were demonised. The process reached its nadir in the Shah Bano case where every major player, including the Government and Parliament of India, behaved with callous irresponsibility in pandering to anti-woman barbarism that sullied the reputation of a faith that has also been one of the great reformist movements in world history. Pakistan's Judges described the Shah Bano episode accurately: It was stupid. The Muslim politician-clergy elite at the apex had a vested interest in keeping the base insecure, and therefore ignorant; exploitation becomes more difficult with education and economic progress. Consciously or unconsciously they shared this objective with Hindu fundamentalists.

It may have been a coincidence, but two crises visited India simultaneously. The economic collapse in 1991, symbolised by the transfer of Indian gold reserves to London, forced economic reform. We were fortunate to find an excellent leader in the then finance minister Dr Manmohan Singh. The social collapse was symbolised by the destruction of the Babri mosque in 1992 and the vicious riots that followed. This collapse needed, drastic social reform and a doctor and determination of equal ability. It was a role fit for Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao, who could have - should have - done for social reform what Dr Manmohan Singh did for economic reform. This social reform was needed as much among Hindus as Muslims; the mobs who hunt during riots are hardly the paradigm of civilisation. Prime Minister Rao had credibility and cachet among Hindus, just as Mr Arjun Singh had the confidence of Muslims. Perhaps it was a moment that called for cooperation between the two. But Mr Rao's horizon generally never crossed self-preservation, and Mr Singh lost the plot. But when leadership fails, people seek their own answers. Indian Muslims learnt the best possible lesson from December 1992. Their trust in politicians withered and they, at long last, took to education with the kind of missionary zeal that Sir Sayyid Ahmad Khan induced in the 1880s. This is why at least one census figure has surprised those with conventional ideas about Indian Muslims. They are virtually on par with other communities in literacy and education.

Just as economic reform' needed a heavy injection of privatisation, social reform also needs privatisation. I do not mean, privatisation of mere schools; and certainly not the privatisation of the school syllabus. But I do offer an idea. The time has come to privatise facts.

Today the Government of India is the sole owner, and therefore the sole dispenser of facts. The census is a case in point. Every ten years we are presented with statistics that are vital to our understanding of our nation, essential to policy-making, and determinants of political behaviour which in turn creates or destroys Government. These statistics are delivered unto us from a bureaucratic Mount Sinai, with all the certainty of the Ten Commandments. How accurate are they? No one knows. Experience in other matters indicates that while you can accuse a Government of many things, you can never accuse it of efficiency. How many errors and prejudices are hidden in those statistics? How much laziness and indifference clogs truth? The simple answer is that we do not know. The government will not close down its census bureau or its statistical departments, nor should it. (This is analogous, in fact, to the Government's continued participation in some parts of the economy, irrespective of liberalisation.) But the government's monopoly over facts has become counter-productive.

That is a necessary prelude to rescuing communities from the numbers game. We need to redefine terms that have become ritual in political discourse, the worse instances being "minority and "majority". They certainly do not mean what they claim to mean. The Hindu in Kerala does not vote in the same manner as the Hindu in Karnataka. Reading in a straight line from south to north, Hindus have voted totally differently in different states in the Parliament elections: for Marxists in Kerala; for BJP and Deve Gowda in Karnataka; overwhelmingly for the BJP in MP, and substantially for Mulayam Singh Vadav in UP. There may be more commonality among Muslims because of their antagonism towards the BJP, but it is absurd to treat them as'a monolith.

What are the facts? We will never really know until we have privatised them.

Saving India’s endangered wild life

By G L Khajuria

Shame ! Shame ! A painful, act of killing of wild life oft-repeatedly world over for fun or adventurism or for that matter poaching and sale-cum-export of their skin and bones which fetch hefty dividends. These mute and serene wild animals are the part and parcel of our life and the richest heritage not only in India but world over and definitely deserve due honour and placement on the international scenario.

Add to it the gruesome killing of five leopards in Bandipur in 1998, Srinagar in the most heinous way and in the years to come such killings shall aggravate if such inhuman way is not nipped in bud by the authorities concerned. And now come to ''Shikar-adventurism'' of Chinkaras in 1998 by cine star Salman Khan near Bhavad Village in Jodhpur, when ''Wildlife Protection Act'' was thrown to winds, for want of eyewitnesses- Dulani, driver of Salman eluding cross-examination till date. Such are the sad stories of innocent wildlife- a rich national heritage.

In a situation like this, we deserve no right to live over this globe if we don't bear sympathy in mind for a variety of animal life that surrounds us. And definitely God will be unhappy at our activities of merciless and wanton destruction of this wildlife, which He Himself loved and sympathized with. With this may be added what Mr Nehru once remarked. ''I wonder sometimes what these animals and birds think of man and how would they describe him if they have the capacity to do so. I rather doubt if their description would be very complimentary to man, in spite of our culture and civilization, many ways, man continues to be not only wild but more dangerous than any of the so called animals.''

History make clarion call that our religion, customs and traditions were intimately associated with variety of forms of animal life. But with the passage of time and other conditions things went on changing from bad to worse. With the advent of world wars, new type of guns were manufactured and the hunters took their use otherwise. The early British officers were too much interested in hunting and they caused great havoc. Add to it the merciless treatment extended by the princes of India, who, in their interest killed a large number of lions, tigers and leopards. Then came the grow ''Grow more food grain campaign'', which resulted in the indiscriminate felling of forest trees for agricultural land and sweeping away the wild life therein mercilessly at greater pace. The Government itself was little aware and less interested in preserving wildlife and instead, it issued extensively the licenses.

As a result of this merciless destruction, the number went on reducing and at present the species are classified as rare, threatened and extinct. Rare being those which were never but due to destructive means have been reduced to few, threatened are those which are continuously subject to threat while extinct being those which were abundant once but have now reduced to zero.

What then, are the causes of the reduction in number of wild animals? And how the so threatened species can be safe guarded? Today, almost all nations of the world are worried about the protection of threatened species. Before going to know as what measures should be undertaken to safeguard wildlife, it is worthwhile to note the root cause which has resulted in its extinction. Of the numerous causes the first is the habitat change.

The development of the roads, issue of fire arms, industrial installations in the areas close to forest, have in one way or the other depleted the beautiful wild animals. With change in the physical conditions and intrusion of human being into wild areas, the animals have been forced out of the natural habitat and killed. Industrialization pollutes both soil as well as air, resulting in killing of vast number of animals, birds and fish. Dam in Andhra Pradesh and Moyara Project in the Nilgiri are the major examples of habitat destruction. Then comes the unlimited hunting, poaching trapping and shooting of most animals and birds. The desire for rarities caused such persistent pursuits, usually without realization of the importance of the wild life. Out national parks, zoological gardens offer potent possibilities for the rescue for the species threatened with extinction.

Wanton destruction of wild life should be completely kept under control. The ''Wildlife Protection Act'' of 1972 and others Act as ''Elephant Preservation Act'' and ''Rhinoceros Protection Act'' declared by various sates are advantageous steps. ''Project Tiger'' in April, 1973 was an important recognition of tiger which was then threatened with extinction. Like wise recently (October) 1976 a three year project, aimed for protecting the elephant population and conserving their natural habitat, has been launched jointly by the ''World Wildlife Fund'' (WWF) and the International Union for the conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). The project has been taken separately in Asia and Europe under the overall guidance of Dr Lain Douglas Hamilton.

Breeding of endangered species in captivity is a recently introduced method by which the species can be multiplied under proper care and supervision. Recently, in the mid 1976, world conference on breeding of endangered species in captivity took place. One hundred and seventy delegates from all over the world participated in the conference hed at Zoo in London for three days. After discussions, it was concluded that though captive-breeding suffers from large amount of failures when a species is shifted from its natural habitat, yet success has been found in varying degree. So, certain species which are more threatened with extinction, can be bred in captivity under proper care and supervision and can, therefore, be multiplied successfully. And of new origin, the nature lovers don't agree with breeding in captivity taking the plea that these domesticate the wildlife and their natural instinct loose track.

The paramount need of the hour lies in the systematic ecological studies, population surveys, mortality and breeding datas, predator prey relationship, in order to ascertain their real conditions and circumstances giving decline is very essential. The improvement of game habitat is one of the most important measure if we are to succeed in our handling of the problem of dynamic manipulation. Again, appointment of various committees and commission to revive the progress made and at the same time give broad outline of steps to be undertaken to the protection and preservation of wildlife from ruthless hunting. Again there had been pursuit for plumage, fur and other products.

In the third place, Natural extinct, which is also named as ''biological eclipse'' is responsible for wildlife extinction. But it is law of nature which applies everywhere. Extension threshold is allied to renewability, namely the power of a species to establish itself from near zero abundance. When the extinction threshold is reduced to lower degrees then gradual decline in the wild animals takes place and this had been of the causes of extinction of wildlife. There are many more to be named which were in one way or the other responsible for its extinction e.g use of pesticides in the agricultural lands, forest cleared by man by taking away certain animal as food. Unrecognized control and grazing which resulted in a tragic happening in 1968 in Mudumalai and Bandipur sanctuaries where a large population or gaur was killed off by render pest diseases.

As a result of the factors enumerated above, many species became extinct and many more are subject to threat. Too much has been talked about saving the Asiatic Lion (Panthera despesica). This sher babar which inhabits open tracts was abundant in our country, but it is said that today its number is reduced and confined to ''Gir Forest'' in Gujarat. However, the wildlife department is fully on the job to enhance their existing strength.

During the past few decades in the Gir Forest itself the sanctuary area has shrunk from 5180 km to around 1295 km. Where has all the land gone? It has been devoured by men, his houses, factories and plantation, with the poor lion pushed to a corner fending (providing) for himself. The cheetah (Actiononyse Jubatus) or the hunting leoped has disappeared from our country which was once plentiful in the Deccan, where its principal food was the black-buck, chinkara, and four-horned antelope. Its food was subjected to destruction with the result that it itself disappeared. The great India rhinoceros (R.Unicornis) which once existed throughout the Indo-gangetic plain, almost upto Peshawar, today it is confined to small areas like Assam, Bengal. Same is the case with other animals viz, the Kashmir stag (Cervus hanglu), the Indian wild ass, the Thamin deer (Okia eldieldi), the muskdeer (Moschus Moschiferns), the pigmy hog (porncula Sylvania), the snow-leopard (Uncies Uncies), the clouded leopard (Nearfelis Nebulosa) the great Indian bustard (Charioties nigriops), the whote winged duck (Asa cornis scutulatus), and pink headed duck (Rhodonssa caryophyllacea), etc. These species were at times in abundance but today they are threatened with extinction.

How threatened species can be safe-guarded ? There is no cut and dry formula to safeguard these species. Of the various steps which can be undertaken, first is the control of such activities which have led and are still leading to the extinction of the species and these include as mentioned earlier, habitat change, poaching, killing, hunting, grazing and use of pesticide and industrialization etc. Besides, other steps can be undertaken and of these first comes the declaring of as many areas under wildlife sanctuaries, National parks, in safeguarding species are equally necessary. In parallel with upcoming of 'Days-weeks' for the last half a century, wildlife week is most reverentially celebrated from Oct 2 to 8 every year to male humankind's awakening.

And conclusively it is added over here that : ''Convinced of the fundamental importance of conserving the natural environment, upon which rests the foundation of human citilization, let us solemnly pledge that we will spare no efforts to preserve our vanishing wildlife and our dwindling forest areas'' too are seemingly in peril''. Save extincting wild life should be slogan of the week which should be reverentially celebrated like those interlinking environment, bio-diversity, its soil, flora and many of its ilk.