EDITORIAL
Hope at last
We note with a lot of
satisfaction that there is finally hope for the
unfortunate people of Dhadkai village in Gandoh tehsil of
Doda district. The prestigious All-India Institute of
Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in the national capital has
moved in the matter and sought certain specific tests to
be conducted to find out why the majority of the
population in the cursed village is born deaf and dumb.
What is equally encouraging is that a Chennai-based
organisation namely the Shreenivasan Parthasarthi Trust
has also evinced interest with the idea of leading a
helping hand. It has written a letter to the effect to
the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
mentioning the urgency to carry out necessary research.
According to the Trust, the Ali Yawar Jung National
Institute for the Hearing Handicapped has agreed to send
a panel of experts to the affected village from
Hyderabad. It has indicated the availability of a
technology by which the hearing impairment can be
detected on the second day of the birth of a baby raising
the prospect of timely intervention and treatment to cure
the child of his or her infirmities. This can at least
rescue the next generation even if the present one may
have to bear with the malady for the rest of life. We in
this newspaper had repeatedly pointed out that the
inhabitants of the far-flung village for decades nursed
an uneasy feeling as if they were in the grip of some
evil supernatural phenomenon. This suspicion was fuelled
because there was no end in sight to the birth of
children who could neither listen nor speak.
Preliminary medical
investigations had, however, revealed that the seemingly
unending trend was more likely because of a genetic
disorder. The hereditary defect was attributed to the
practice of marrying close relatives. On being approached
by the State Directorate of Health Services, the Genetic
Department of the AIIMS has now prescribed some more
medical examinations which will be performed by the
government doctors in Doda. In addition, the AIIMS has
wanted blood and gene samples to carry out studies at its
own end at its high well-equipped laboratories in New
Delhi. At the same time it will not be out of place to
mention here the need for engaging a few sociologists to
study in depth the history, culture and social customs
prevailing in the village. This may yield a few findings
that may be beneficial for applying quick medical remedy.
Further, if it is established that the system of
marriages is actually responsible for the people to
inherit physical challenges in this instance the
sociologists can come in handy to invent and spread the
right message in order to correct the abnormal situation.
For the time being what
has to be ensured is that there is no let-up in the
efforts that are evidently being made in the right
direction. It is to be welcomed that the State Health
Directorate and the Doda administration seem to be moving
hand in hand to tackle the problem. This shows their
utmost seriousness. It will no doubt be a feather in
their caps if they carry their well-intentioned exercise
to its logical conclusion. Together they must spare no
effort to bring relief, cheer and confidence to the
natives of Dhadkai.
Meeting point
It was heartening to see
Parliamentarians from India and Pakistan stressing the
need for continuing the "people-to-people"
dialogue between the two countries. The occasion was
provided last week-end by Communist Party of
India-Marxist legislator Mohammad Yusuf Tarigrami by
hosting a dinner reception in New Delhi. There was
consensus that nothing should to be done to upset the
ongoing peace process. Ordinary citizens and organised
sections of society and opinion-makers should be allowed
to meet reach other. References to the past should be
made in a manner that doesn't offend the sensibilities of
New Delhi and Islamabad. It was stated rather
emphatically that but for the governments in the
neighbouring countries the well-intentioned dialogue
among the people would not have been possible. The gains
yielded by the purposeful exercise so far were quickly
reviewed and it was acknowledged that there was a lot in
common between the two nations. An attempt by Sardar
Muhammad Tufail, a member of the Pakistan National
Assembly (PNA) representing the ruling Pakistan Muslim
League, to raise the Kashmir issue and seek suggestions
about what could be done at their end evoked advice for
him even from his colleagues that the emphasis should
instead be on greater inter-action among the masses on
both sides. Mr Manzoor Ahmed, a Marxist who is also a
member of the PNA but on the mandate of Ms Benazir
Bhutto's People's Party, and at least two members of the
North-West Frontier Province Assembly, strongly felt that
once the people understood each other demolishing the
barriers of hatred and disinformation created over the
years a clear vision would emerge for a better future. Mr
Ahmed mentioned in this behalf the positive atmosphere
built by cricket matches. Mr Pawan Bansal, Chief Whip of
the Congress in the Lok Sabha, struck a notion of caution
that any bid to selectively refer to the earlier period
could be counter-productive. What was important, he
added, was that the people met as often as possible. Mr
Abdul Rashid Shaheen, Lok Sabha member from Baramulla,
spoke assertively within the contours of the history and
political philosophy of the National Conference of which
he is a member. He was forthright that "geographical
positions" could not change. He told Sardar Tufail
that the least he could do was to help stop violence. He
referred to his experiences in Pakistan to underline how
affectionate the people there were and how vital it was
to ensure that there was no break in the human movement
across the International Border and the Line of Control.
Rajya Sabha member Nirmala Deshpande and CPI-M MPs
Nilopat Basu and Hannan Mollah shared similar thoughts
about strengthening people-to-people ties. Everybody
agreed that the irritants in the way should be removed.
There is hardly any doubt
that direct meetings have helped the people in India and
Pakistan to develop mutually warm feelings. Their bitter
notions based on hostile propaganda during the last five
decades are slowly giving way to a friendly and
constructive attitude. This is not an ordinary
development. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary that
they keep seeing one another. It will indeed be
unfortunate were such an optimistic scenario to be upset
by misplaced priorities. Those in the habit of dishing
out formulas and solutions for the asking may do well to
reconsider their approach.
India's
security equations in the Gulf
By
Sreedhar
With Saudi king, His
Excellency King Abdullah bin
Abdul Aziz going to be the chief
guest for the 57 anniversary of
Indian Republic, a number of
issues come to the fore front
concerning work force working in
that country. At one level Indian
work force fitted well in to the
Saudi policies on economic
development. And over the years,
it proved to be mutually
beneficial. While Indian work
force remittances proved to be a
boom to cushion the increasing
crude oil import bill, this class
emerged as a well organized work
force which remained a political
and committed to the development
of Saudi Arabia as perceived by
the Saudi leadership.
In fact, one can
repeat the same story in the
entire Gulf Cooperation Council
(GCC) member countries.
However, in the area
of security cooperation, there is
hesitation and reservation from
both sides because of their
historical backgrounds. In the
changing geopolitics of the GCC
countries and India, these have
to be addressed (as early as
possible) to further cement the
inter dependence between GCC and
India.
i) The crude oil
boom from 1971 onwards provided a
unique opportunity to the GCC
member countries in terms of
development of their societies.
But for some inexplicable
reasons, they tried to emulate
western models of development.
Though they cannot replicate such
developmental strategy, in a
developing country, they
persisted with it. In the
process, they disengaged
themselves from the other
developing countries including
India.
It took almost four
decades to realize their
misperceptions; and by the time
they realized-the world had
changed considerably. Their
pre-eminence as prime suppliers
of energy source material, crude
oil had considerably eroded; and
new centers of oil supplies
started emerging. In addition,
alternatives to crude oil started
taking importance. If the
proposed emphasis on nuclear
power as an energy source
material materialises, say in the
next two decades, the story of
crude oil as energy source
material may end like that of
coal in the 20th century.
ii) Islam and
Islamic ummah are noble concepts
given by Prophet (PBUH) to the
mankind. But the way Islamic
world in general and GCC
countries in particular,
responded to the Soviet invasion
of Afghanistan in December 1979,
created apprehensions and
reservations about GCC in plural
societies like India. In New
Delhi's perception, some backroom
quiet diplomacy accompanied by
some deft moves on the
international scene world has
forced Soviet Union to withdraw
from Afghanistan. In fact India
made some tentative moves to that
effect between 1980-82.
Unfortunately, the major players
in the Islamic world, especially
GCC countries, turned them down.
- As though
Afghanistan syndrome is not
sufficient to the Asian security,
GCC tacitly encouraged Iraq to
launch the bloody 95 month long
war on Iran in 1980.
- As the region was
coming out of the trauma of
Afghanistan and Iraq's war on
Iran, the unexpected had happened
- Iraqi invasion of Kuwait.
- All these events
had a significant impact on
regional security. At macro
level, from these developments
the following emerged.
* Dependence of GCC
member countries on extra
regional powers became complete
and total. The bilateral security
arrangements signed by each of
the GCC member countries with
extra regional powers, brought
the later in to the region and
park themselves permanently in
the region.
The end result of
this development is what the
world is witnessing today in
Iraq. Where these developments
will lead to-no one is certain.
What impact Iraqi developments
will have on the entire south
West Asia in general and GCC
countries in particular is not
known as yet.
* Developments in
Afghanistan, Iraq-Iran war and
Iraqi invasion of Kuwait produced
a new breed of soldiers. This new
breed called themselves initially
Mujahideens and now Jihadis.
These Jihadis had created
uncertainties in all civil
societies across the globe. Now
these Jihadis are talking in
terms of attacking the life lines
of GCC countries-the oil wells in
the region
The end result of
this new development is that
every civil society is working
ways and means to counter these
new threats individually and
collectively. The global war on
terrorism that started in
September - October 2001 is one
example.
* Plural social
order and civil society in India
looked perplexed upon the
developments in Persian Gulf in
general and GCC member countries
in particular since December
1979. The Islamic content in all
these developments was subtly
disapproved by India and Indian
Muslims endorsed Government
response quietly. They Indian
Muslim refused to associate
themselves in organizations like
al Qaida is one example of their
disapproval of Jihadis' actions.
The second largest
group of Muslims in the world
refusing to endors these
developments itself conveys how
the responses in the Islamic
world erred.
With the result,
countries like India approached
the problem at two levels. At one
level, prepare itself to defend
against attacks by Jehadis. Since
the Jihadis fight wars through
unconventional means, Indian
armed forces were made to undergo
a structural and attitudinal
change. It has succeeded in it to
a large extent. And its
plural-secular order gave it
enough resilience.
At another level,
India along with other civil
societies decided to address the
complex problems in the Gulf
region through a political
process. In its perception,
nation building process
contemplated by the GCC
countries, like all other
developing countries, is a
complex process; and in that
process what happened in closing
phases of 20th century, should be
viewed more as aberrations in the
nation building process than any
thing else.
The immediate
question that arises is to what
extent GCC member countries will
respond to the Indian and other
civil societies overtures to get
the political process keep moving
in the region.
The inter play of
GCC member countries with extra
regional powers resulted in
conflict situations. To come out
of this new situation, a solution
has to be worked out in
collaboration with major regional
players. Otherwise, the stability
and security in the entire region
and its neighbourhood may get
adversely affected-CNF.
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Christmas
in Pakistan
By
Samuel Baid
On
Christmas eve of 1988 this writer was in
Islamabad waiting to meet Ms.Benazir
Bhutto who had just taken over as the
first woman-Prime Minister of a Muslim
country. Islamabad showed no signs of
Christmas festivity: music shops would
show you the cassettes of songs of Lata
and Rafi if you asked them for Christmas
music. Toy shopkeepers would look at you
vacantly if you asked them what special
toys they had for Christmas.
Islamabad’s biggest bookshop Mr.Book
sold no Christmas or New Year greeting
cards. One faint sign of Christmas was
seen in Holiday Inn where a big branch of
a fir tree lay discarded under a
staircase. Perhaps that was brought here
to serve as the Christmas tree. It was
surprising because being the national
capital of Pakistan, Islamabad has a very
large number of diplomats and their
families from Christian countries. It
appeared they chose to have very quiet,
hidden festivity so as not to offend the
sensitivities of the Muslim host country.
This was in stark contrast with India
where Delhi begins wearing a Christmassy
look before December. Shops are lit and
staked with Christmas decoration and gift
items. Hotels gear up for the Yuletide
and the diplomats and their families from
the same Christian countries throng the
markets for Christmas shopping.
This
writer then decided to visit a Church in
Islamabad hoping it would be agog with
Christmas festivity, carol singing,
programmes for children etc. But the
Church was locked. The cab driver
suggested I should meet the Priest in the
nearby parsonage. The parsonage compound
was absolutely deserted and the house
door was closed from inside. The sound of
the revving taxi engine brought somebody
to the window to shout nervously that the
Priest was not at home without asking why
we were there.
The cab
driver, a Pathan, then offered to take me
to a Christian colony. The taxi pulled up
on the edge of a huge dirty nullah.
"This is a Christian colony,"
the Pathan driver said superciliously.
The nullah had a large, soundless, gloomy
cluster of flimsy jhuggis. Nobody was out
because it was a very cold and wet day.
That the residents were Christians was
evident from colourful buntings tied from
one shrub to another and one or two stars
of David on top of the jhuggis. The
driver said the word Christian in
Pakistan meant a menial.
This
simpleton Pathan could be saying
something which a majority of Pakistanis
have been taught to believe about
Pakistani minorities. Reports from
Pakistan say that cricketer Yousuf
Yahouna was made to feel socially
inferior to his team mates despite his
superb game in order to pressurise him to
become a Muslim. Ultimately he had to
become Yousuf Khan just to stay in
cricket. A Christian Priest said he was a
role model for Christian young people and
his conversion had terribly demoralised
them.
Similarly,
an educated and good-looking Christian
girl can feel secure if she marries a
Muslim. In fact Christian and Hindu
parents begin worrying when their
daughters reach puberty. These girls are
often kidnapped, forcibly converted and
married to Muslim men. Such kidnappings
and forcible conversions have strong and
frenzied support of the Mullahs that even
police and courts cannot help.
Right from
day one of the creation of Pakistan,
non-Muslims were given a feeling that
they could live in this
""God-gifted" country at
best as second rate citizens. Christians
were taunted Pakistan was not created for
them. The 1953 anti-Ahmediyya riots in
Lahore aggravated the sense of insecurity
among non-Muslims especially the
statements of some fundamentalists before
the Justice Muneer Commission that
non-Muslims in Pakistan should be treated
as conquered people and charged Jazia
(tax).
However,
things began looking up for non-Muslims
after 1958 when General Ayub Khan took
over power in Pakistan. As compared to
General Zia-ul-Haq and General Pervez
Musharraf, he was above communal and
sectarian leanings and politics. He had
appointed a Christian as the Chief
Justice of Pakistan ignoring
fundamentalists’ strong reservations
about it. He also allowed live broadcast
of Christmas service on Radio Pakistan.
In the 56-year-old history, Ayub’s
period can be rated as the best for
communal and sectarian harmony.
Christians
did a great service in the field of
education. They ran the best educational
institutions in the country. But in 1972
then President-cum-Chief Martial Law
Administrator Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
nationalised schools. This step ruined
the education system in the country as
this was a populist measure without a
well-thought out follow-up action. For
Christians this nationalisation proved
devastating. Most Christian school
buildings were attached to Churches. When
the schools were taken over by the
Government holding of Church service
became difficult especially after Friday
was declared the weekly holiday instead
of Sunday. The Christians had not only
lost school their property but also
avenues of employment. These schools used
to provide jobs to thousands Christians
as teachers, clerks, peons and malis. But
the worst consequence of depriving
Christians of their schools was that poor
Christian students, who were given free
eduction, books and uniforms, remained
without education. That increased
illiteracy and poverty among Christians.
Later, when General Zia decided to return
the nationalised schools to their
original owners, an exception was made in
the case of Christian schools. Appeals
from Christian leaders to return their
schools to them did not move him.
General
Zia made minorities more insecure by
initiating steps to make irrespect shown
to Prophet Mohammad an offence punishable
by death. These steps led to the framing
of Blasphemy Laws, which made life
miserable for Ahmediyyas and Christians.
The Muslims have mostly used these Laws
to settle their personal scores against
Christians and Ahmediyyas. So far courts
have not punished anybody under these
laws but anybody charged with blasphemy
is usually killed by frenzied Muslims.
On
November 12, three Churches were
vandalised and burnt and 300 Christian
families were assaulted in Sangla Hill in
Nankana Sahib district in Punjab by a mob
of 3000 people who were incited by
Mullahs from mosques. They accused a
Christian of torching the Holy Quran. The
Churches were put on fire while the
police looked on.
Earlier,
in 1977, a frenzied mob of 20,000 Muslims
looted and burnt Christian houses in
Shantinagar in Multan. The functionaries
of the Punjab Government were reportedly
involved in it. The terrorised Christians
fled Shantinagar and returned after
weeks. This violence was also organised
from mosques.
There is
no reason to believe that General
Musharraf’s enlightened moderation
has made life better for minorities.
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Indian
economy on a roll
By Sumedha Sudhaman
Mahatma Gandhi
once said if you aim at the sky, you will reach
the tree top. It is a very appropriate remark in
the Indian situation. It is time we start
thinking big and get out of the pessimistic
approach to life. When Tenth five-year plan was
being formulated in 2002, the then Prime Minister
Atal Bihari Vajpayee wanted the average annual
growth rate to be fixed at 9 % for five-year
period upto 2007 but the then Planning Commission
Deputy Chairman K.C. Pant scaled it down to 8 %
and now when we are in the penultimate year of
the Xth plan, the average growth rate may be just
around 7 per cent.
UPA Government is
in the process of formulating the eleventh
five-year plan, which begins in 2007-08. Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh has already given enough
indications that the country should aim at 10 per
cent, which he says is eminently feasible in next
2-3 years. Montek Singh Ahluwalia, KC Pant’s
successor at the Yojana Bhavan, favours an
average annual growth target of around eight per
cent, which he feels is realistic in the present
circumstances.
But, the real
question however, is whether India is in a
position to push up the growth rate. Manmohan
Singh told the Indian Economic Summit held in
Delhi, "The facts so far give me confidence
we are on the right track. Our economy has been
growing at an unprecedented rate." Consider
this. After an 8 % per cent growth on the rebound
in 2003-04, the economy grew by 6.9 per cent in
2004-05 and is poised to clock at least 7.5 per
cent this fiscal with first two quarters
averaging a little over 8 %.
"This is
impressive in itself and is based on current
policies. It is certainly within the realm of
possibility that an appropriate combination of
policies can raise this (growth) beyond 8 %
easily. In fact, we should be targeting a 10 per
cent growth rate in 2-3 years’ time. In my
view, this is eminently feasible if we have the
expected increase in our savings rate arising out
of a young work force, if we manage to make a
quantum leap in the growth rate of agriculture,
if investment in infrastructure provides a fresh
impetus to industry and if services continue with
their impressive performance." Manmohan
Singh told the egg-heads, politicians, economists
and captains of industry attending the economic
summit organised by the Davos based World
Economic Forum and our very own CII.
It is difficult to
disagree with the Prime Minister. It is also time
the country started to think big and take bold
decisions and get out of the mindsets based on
diffidence and ignorance of the country’s
capabilities. India was condemned to grow at what
has come to be known as Hindu rate of growth of
3-4 % in the 60s and 70s. The economic reforms
launched in 1991 changed scenario; the country
has been averaging over 6 % growth in the 90s and
the last few years the average is over seven
percent.
Fifteen years
back, when circumstances forced India to embark
upon massive economic reforms, the so-called
Bombay Club of Indian Industrialists were
seriously concerned about the pace of change and
about the increased competition opening up the
economy could bring in. Today, many of these
sceptics are amongst the Indian players who have
reached out to new shores to bring smile to their
shareholders with increased pay outs. In short,
Indian Industry has become more confident,
competitive and ambitious.
Manmohan Singh,
who had fashioned the reform programme with the
full backing of then Prime Minister P.V.
Narasimha Rao, is justified in saying
"Today, when I look back at the past two
decades, I do feel a sense of vindication, Indian
enterprise has proved doomsayers wrong. What was
regarded as path-breaking then is now regarded as
the norm. The Indian economy has become more
open, globally integrated and more competitive.
The seekers of protection then line up now
seeking greater openness. Truly times have
changed; aspirations have changed; and our hopes
for the future have also changed."
It is no
body’s case much less of the Prime Minister
that Indian economy is out of woods. Yes, there
are no external constraints to growth. There are
constraints nevertheless. These are internal in
nature, and are imposed by the country’s
polity, social structure, regional imbalances,
inability to handle inequity and the inability to
take hard decisions. If these concerns are
addressed, impediments will go to register a 10
per cent growth rate.
The new agenda
must perforce focus on agriculture, to usher in
the second green revolution to make India as a
granary of the world with an integrated food law,
transferable warehouse receipts and advanced
Forward Market in commodities, along with
amendments to the Essential Commodities Act.
Simultaneously,
the rural infrastructure must be strengthened
since then only it will be possible to integrate
the rural hinterland into fast growing economy.
The Rs 1, 74,000 crore Bharat Nirman programmes
is designed to achieve this task in the next four
years.
The Government has
also launched a much needed National Mission to
set right the creaking infrastructure in the
urban areas. The centre would invest Rs 50,000
crore for creating basic amenities in top 60
urban agglomerations like urban transport
projects, slum development projects and urban
decongestion projects. But what is significant is
that funding would be linked to some basic
actions by states in improving municipal bodies,
removing land ceiling and rent control
legislation and rationalizing stamp duties.
Infrastructure is
a major bottleneck in pushing up growth rate
hitherto. It may not be so in about seven years.
Roads are seeing an upgrade with an outlay of Rs
1, 70, 000 crore Airports are proposed to be
modernised. Mumbai and Delhi airports are on
track to become global hubs. New private ports
are being developed. The Railways are putting
place an ambitious Rs 25,000 crore freight
corridor. The telecom sector is booming. Power
sector is still not out of the woods. Even the
capital Delhi is plagued by power cuts both day
and night. The VIP areas also are not spared of
the shortages. But the Prime Minister is
confident "many things might be right in the
coming year". He says he is personally
holding wide consultations to remedy the
situation.
Liberalisation of
FDI regime too is crucial for pushing up growth.
The main problem in attracting FDI is not the
regime but the badly designed procedures and poor
infrastructure. A Group of Ministers (GOM) are
addressing the issue; back channel political
diplomacy is underway to neutralise opposition
FDI in retail sector without hurting the
sensitivies and sentiments.
Infrastructure,
manufacturing, trade and transport are basically
labour-using sectors. It is these sectors that
are going to witness a boom. It means more jobs.
Investment could be attracted in labour absorbing
technologies and labour-using sectors only if
labour laws become more flexible. Prime Minister
has a tough task in this regard. He has to try
and evolve consensus amongst the stake holders,
the Left included. It is a taxing and time
consuming exercise. But that is the only way we
can move ahead in a democracy. (Syndicate
Features)
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