Sania
and sex
TALES OF TRAVESTY
By Dr. Jitendra Singh
A
wholly avoidable controversy has been raked up
over tennis star Sania Mirza's reported statement
supporting actress Khushboo's remarks approving
of pre-marital sex. But even more disappointing
is the manner in which Sania has turned back from
her earlier statement with a sort of ''more loyal
than the king'' attitude and evoked Allah and
Islam to assert that she was misquoted because
according to her for a Muslim to think of
pre-marital six is a sin which Allah never
pardons.
As for Khushboo,
it was her personal view regarding pre-marital
sex and she landed herself in a controversy
partly because of her consciously cultivated
screen image which she had for several years
exploited to the fullest extent in order to stay
on the top in a highly competitive world of
cinema. Khushboo, after an unsuccessful stint in
Bollywood, aheaded for Chennai and went on to
become a popular Tamil star specialising in
puritan female roles which eulogised virginity as
the supreme virtue for a Dravidian woman. Such
was the hysteric adultation for her that the
Tamil masses went on to built a temple in which
Khushboo's idol was literally worshipped. Now,
having had the proverbial cake, Khushboo wants to
eat it too. Quite past her prime in film career,
Khushboo now tried to carve out a different
public image for herself as a feminist through
her liberal opinion about sex. But the Tamil
masses were quick to reject this design and
refused to accept her in two entirely contrary
roles which she sought to play entirely by her
own convenience.
That is,
nonetheless, Khushboo's problem. But, what is
Sania's problem ? No doubt, it is purely her
individual prerogative to decide her personal
preferences particularly in matters as private as
sex. Technically, it should be nobody's business
whether Sania favours pre-marital sex or not.
But, the young lass urgently needs to be told
about the implications of her tendency to invoke
Islam in haste. For example, if indeed Sania has
decided to follow the rule of Islam in all its
orthodoxy, then she would also be expected to
follow the recent decree or Fatwa issued by some
Muslim religious leaders asking her not to wear
short pants or T-shirts when she is in the Tennis
court.
Now, even if
Sania Mirza chooses to follow religion of her
birth only selectively or by convenience, then
again she needs to be reminded of the
implications of the manner in which she is making
crores through her commercial advertisements on
electronic TV channels. It is difficult to say
whether Sania's exorbitantly high rating as an
ad. girl is entirely because of her tennis
performance or atleast partly because of her
captivating physical appeal which is likely to
get masked if she were to dress herself
traditionally even if not precisely in a
''Bhurkha''.
At the same time,
on the other hand, let this not be forgotten by
Sania or her peers that this 19 year old girl is
the face of young India and a role model for
millions of Indian youth for whom she is a symbol
of prodigal success, victory and universal fame.
This places on the young shoulders of Sania an
added responsibility to inspire a progressive
outlook for 21st century India unintimidated by
religious dogmatism or populist posturing. The
common man can look up to Sania for a lead only
when she herself sounds unhypocritic and
emancipated. Umapathy can look forward to
emulate Sania only when she herself exudes
freedom from within taking cue from a fellow
Muslim poetess Parveen Shakir who writes. ‘‘
Aks Khushboo Hoon Bikharney Se Na Roke Koi, Aur
Bikhar Jaun To Phir Na Samete Koi’’.
Harmonising
trade agreements
By M.N. Minocha
The developed
countries protect self-interest and violate
agreements. For example, all importing countries
had agreed that the multi-fibre agreement and the
detailed textiles and garments quotas that
resulted from it, would expire in 2005. This was
an important feature of the so-called
"Dunkel Draft" that led to the World
Trade Organisation (WTO) agreement. It was
expected that the freeing of textiles and
garments exports would lead to greater imports
and thus benefit the developing economies.
The best examples
of how agreements are broken with impunity but
with little danger of retribution from one of the
regulating world organisations like the WTO is
when countries that have complied with tariff
reductions, develop non-tariff barriers to
restrict cheap imports and protect their local
producers.
Some years back,
when France was upset at the flood of electronic
entertainment products coming in from Japan, the
rules were changed and all such imports were
required to first be offloaded at a remote
location in inland France that was designated for
customs clearance. The available transport was
limited and time consuming. The local customs
office was poorly staffed. Imports languished at
the point of clearance for months, with
additional costs because of the unsold stocks and
loss of customers because of the delays.
Of course, there
are barriers that affect all: poor roads, long
turnaround time in ports, and hold-up of trucks
at octroi nakas and state boundaries. Non-tariff
barriers are selective to country and product.
Dumping is another
charge used by domestic producers who are unable
to compete. India has the record for the number
of such anti-dumping charges awaiting hearing at
the WTO. Thus, domestic producers are able to
restrict imports and enjoy protection for a
little longer.
A good example of
how governments can foster domestic industry and
innovation is in the enforcement of intellectual
property rights. Almost all countries have now
signed agreements recognising these rights and
promise to enforce them with laws, inspections
and penalties.
But stealing
intellectual property through copying, reverse
engineering; faking brand names on cheap
alternatives have been common since the last
century. The earliest and most organised example
was Japan. Japan, before and after World War II,
would send myriads of teams from their factories
to visit factories in the US and Europe. These
teams would avidly write detailed notes about
everything they saw. Repeat visits by other teams
to the same factories ensured a deeper learning.
Ranbaxy made money
by introducing Calmpose, using diazepam that was
a patent of Roche and Burroughs-Welcome which had
not introduced their Valium and Librium brands
into India. Also, Ranbaxy brought doxycycline
hydrochloride that was discovered by Pfizer,
which had postponed introducing it in India
because it was making good profits from the older
broad spectrum antibiotic tetracycline (brand
being Terramycin) these copies made substantial
fortunes for Ranbaxy, which invested in modern
research and development. They now are strong
votaries of product patent protection since they
are themselves inventors and no longer copiers.
By giving them time to copy, earn profits, invest
in R&D and make their own discoveries, the
law enabled some Indian companies to become
excellent pharmaceutical manufacturers, competing
on innovation, quality and cost.
In the Sixties and
early Seventies, the Indian pharmaceutical
industry was small. Multinational companies
dominated the market. They were supposed to be
research-based, with rigorous production, quality
and testing standards. Their margins were good
and so was their marketing. High expenses for
detailing to doctors, giving the leading ones
with trips abroad and other incentives, gave them
additional advantage. Today these companies lag
behind Indian ones and are facing competition in
their own and in other countries.
China has
calibrated its response to the intellectual
property regime that it has signed to as part of
the WTO membership. Selected domestic industries
face a less rigorous enforcement of IPR while
they develop by copying to become large producers
which can then become innovators. This is the
Indian pharmaceutical story being repeated on a
larger scale in China, but the method is by poor
law enforcement and not a legal framework.
India must develop
strategies to selectively implement international
agreement, so that there is an environment that
is conducive to domestic entrepreneurship. INAV
Failure
and futility of mid-day meal scheme
By A S Bahar
Mid-day meals
scheme was launched previously during the year of
1995 and withered away in the year of 1997 as a
total failure scheme I remember it well when the
mid-day meals scheme was announced by the
Government and the teachers were asked to furnish
the enrolment statement of students from class
1st to 5th class. This scheme came as the most
thrilling and exciting gift thrown from heaven
for both the teachers and students, who welcomed
and received with an open (unfolded) hands. As
such the teachers started preparing the
fictitious enrolment showing the number of
students increased in each class to receive the
mid-day meal ration quota as per roll of the
school. The Government provided hundreds of
quintals rice (mixture of stones and other
particles) in each education zones. The teachers
collected the rice quota as per roll of the
students and started managing all other required
material for cooking of the mid-day meals. The
teaching work in the class room was replaced by
managing food items, collecting of other
materials, cooking of meals for students. I being
as an educational inspecting officer closely
observed that the teachers were much worried,
careful and anxious about collecting of rice from
stores, arranging and managing other necessary
items, cooking of meals than their teaching
profession. I may recall it, that I was deeply
shocked and grieved to see the conditon of
schools serving the mid-day meals only but no
class work at all.
I remember, once I
visited a middle school at the time of mid-day
meals; I saw that the students running with
plates glasses of water in their hands around the
cook and it looked me that the school had become
a Refugees camp rather than a teaching learning
institution. I directed the teacher to make them
sit in a row and then serve the meals. I was
again surprised to learn it that the teacher had
cooked the meals for the students who were
present in the morning and at the time of mid-day
meals, number of obsentees were seen coming the
school with their plates and glasses. The teacher
complained me that how to serve the meals as the
obsentees too have joined the mess. I was further
told that it is a routine here that the obsentees
daily attend the school at the time of meals and
we are pressurized by their parents to serve them
meals even if they do not attend in morning. He
added, that they love plates and glass more than
their books and any thing else.
In the manwhile,
the Govt issued directions to engage cooks @ Rs
28/- per day which excited the people and started
warming the palms of higher education officers to
engage their kids as cooks in various schools.
The concerning MLAs, MLCs, Tehsildars even Deputy
Commissioners and other officers were involved
for recommendations and other directions. The
education offices became court of judgment;
discussions and debates regarding the appointment
of cooks. The teachers and their concerning
offices forgot their usual work and they were
always seen busy with the paper work for
maintaining the accounts and details of rice
received and issued.
A huge amount was
spent for providing rice, other necessary items
for preparation of meals, purchase of utensils,
fuel and the payments to so called unwanted cooks
with no result but a total wastage. Basically,
the Govt had launched this scheme to provide the
nutrition to the students and to attract more and
more students towards the school to achieve the
target of (UEE) universalisation of elementary
education but it has been observed that this
scheme failed from both fronts. Neither it
achieved the UEE targets nor provided the
required nutrition to the students. Moreover,
this scheme created a sense of disparity and
discrimination among the students of primary and
middle classes, especially in middle schools. The
teachers seemed always busy in managing,
preparing the meals which at times led them to
corrupt themselves by changing the menu of the
mid-day meals. I fully remember when I had an
opportunity to visit a school at the time of
mid-day meals, I found that the teachers were
distributing small pieces of apples among the
students instead of prescribed meals. The
teachers satisfied the students by saying that
due to non-availability of kerosene oil, the
meals could not be prepared.
I well remember, I
had opposed the mid-day meals scheme many times
in the District meetings, but I was told that
this being a Govt scheme needs not to be
criticized ,let this go as it is going on, since,
I was the only officer who knew it and pointed
out, but could not make it stop as single handed.
I myself continued to witness the game simply as
spectator, till the Almighty God created a sense
to higher authorities and a thought came to them
who regretted for this huge unwanted wastage and
stopped it without any comments. The teachers too
felt a sorry for its stoppage, but at the, same
time they forgot lifting of rice from stores,
managing other items, kept utensils in school
store and the students forgot and left their
plates and glasses.
Started learning
process as usual. I know all the concerning
teachers, officials, officers had a sigh of
relief from the burden of paper work, i.e
maintaning accounts, details of rice and cash
received and disbursed. The cooks too disppeared
from the school without any permission or claim.
It was indeed an undesired assignment for both
teachers and officers.
This year, again
the scheme has been introduced without keeping in
view the previous fate of the scheme and wastage
of huge amount, which had badly effected the
center as well as the state exchequer. I wonder,
how did this idea came to our authorities to give
again start to mid-day meals in schools. The
present scheme reported to be the worst than the
previous one, as the only rice mixture of so many
particles is issued and with a meager cash to
meet out the other expenses for preparation of
meals. With the result the students are provided
simple boiled or half boiled rice with salt or
sweet in taste. The students are fed up by eating
the rice only without any fats, nutrition's
elements. The present practice of mid-day meals
will certainly give birth to so many diseases and
effect adversely on the both physical and mental
health of the students. The teachers have been
again engaged for collecting the rice, managing
and preparing the meals with a very poor or with
no ingredients.
The idea of
providing mid-day meals in schools looks an
exciting and a wonderful concept on papers only.
But at the same time we should not forget that
all the high officials scholars, politicians,
scientists, doctors, engineers, great leaders and
high personalities of the world and on country
and state level rose to the highest prestigious
posts and on other high ranks without any mid-day
meals. I can easily forecast with my experience,
that this scheme too will meet the same fate as
of previous one; but it will be of no use after
spending a huge sum of money, wastage of energy,
wastage of both scholastic and non-scholastic
part of learning and teaching process.
I therefore, very
humbly suggest that this scheme be stopped at a
earliest and the expense being spent on this
unwanted, undesired and non productive scheme be
utilized for necessary teaching learning material
and for other infrastructure of the school, so as
to develop the quality of education among the
learners and not to create a sense of begging
love for plate and glass and depend on ''Mid-day
meals''.
(The author
is a former Principal)
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