Daily Excelsior... Editorial

EDITORIAL

By Arun Nehru

By Bhure Lal

An enlightened civil service signifies the values of integrity, impartiality and merit; and provides the framework for efficient administration ensuring good governance. Sardar Patel, the visionary, remarked ‘‘above all, I will advise you (civil servants) to maintain to the utmost the impartiality and incorruptibility of .... .......more

HIV/AIDS management-
The women perspective

By Dr Renu Nanda

EDITORIAL

Blow to HM

From all accounts the killing of Mohammad Ashraf Shah alias Suhail Faisal in an encounter with the Army in Bijbehara in Anantnag district is a serious blow to Hizbul Mujahideen. It can't be called entirely unexpected because the path that HM has chosen can't lead it anywhere. Shah was the Kashmir region's most wanted militant after HM's operational chief in the State. A trained engineer he had perfected the skill of making improved explosive devices with the help of mobile telephones. He was instrumental in carrying out a large number of attacks on security forces and counter-insurgents. He was part of his organisation's think-tank. It is a measure of his confidence that he had set up his latest hideout in a house just 50 yards away from that of former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. It turned out to be his graveyard. Shah had worked as HM's divisional commander for Poonch in this region before being made divisional commander for South Kashmir, one-time bastion of the militant outfit. His status on militancy spectrum is evident from the tributes paid to him at an emergency meeting in Muzaffarabad, the Capital of "Azad" Kashmir as a part of the Pakistan-occupied territory is locally known. The gathering was attended by HM's commanders and presided over its supremo Moulvi Yusuf Shah alias Syed Salahuddin. It hailed his "flawless" performance describing him as "a brave and valiant commander" It appears that Suhail was also his group's link with Lashkar-e-Toiba which has described his death as an "irreparable loss." Veteran Tehreek-e-Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah and his close associates went all the way from Srinagar to Bijbehara to participate in his funeral procession. Their proximity to HM is only too well known. It may look ideological incongruity but JKLF (Yasin Malik) too has condoled Faisal's death.

An intriguing turn is lent by a newspaper report that Suhail was involved in secret negotiations for ceasefire. He was acting with the knowledge and approval of his leadership. The report gave a hint as if he was in touch with a top People's Democratic Party (PDP) leader who is not mentioned by name. The PDP is in favour of a dialogue with HM. It is not a secret. Both pursue different beliefs but have a direct stake in the south of the Valley. The report does not explain many missing links. Was Salahuddin's most recent statement from Muzaffarabad linked in any way to Suhail's efforts? Salahuddin indicated a climb-down from his original stance for holding fire. He set three conditions to achieve the objective: release of prisoners, demilitarisation and end to human rights violations. He did not press for the acceptance of Kashmir as a disputed territory. Was it the outcome of some behind-the-scene activity? One will have to wait for some more time to know the exact details. If Suhail was truly a mutually acceptable conduit why was he done away with? For the moment it is important to note that Mr Geelani has not endorsed Salahuddin's proposal. Prime facie it appears just a coincidence that on the day Suhail was killed the wife of a slain HM operations commander Abdul Majid Dar was shot at in her residence at the outskirts of Srinagar. Majid Dar had figured in talks with the Central Government. He was gunned down later --- an incident which has been attributed to rivalry within HM. There is unlikely to be any connection between the activities of Dar's wife --- a doctor heading a non-governmental organisation --- and those of Suhail.

All hearts in the meanwhile will go to the family of Maj M.H. Pitambre of the Army. He made the supreme sacrifice in action against Suhail and his associates. He did his job creditably and set a great example in the process. His courage should be a message to HM that it can't win through violence. We have repeatedly urged upon HM in these columns to settle for peaceful negotiations.. One finds it extremely painful to witness the loss of sons of the soil. They must give up their mistaken notion that they can prove their point with the help of the gun.

Twin curses

Our State continues to be in the grip of twin curses of deforestation and narcotics cultivation. What needs to be protected is uprooted and what ought to be removed lock, stock and barrel is multiplied. It is an ironical situation. Often in these columns we have expressed concern over such occurrences. It is within the domain of public knowledge that south of the Kashmir region has large tracks of opium. Special drives have been launched in this region to exorcise it of its wickedness. Cultivators have been both warned and educated. Their unlawful crop has been destroyed. On the other hand, the north of the Valley is witnessing erosion of the green cover. Evidently it can't be possible without collusion at some level between unscrupulous officials and greedy timber Mafias. Pulwama and Anantnag are two major centres of illegal narcotics farming. The two districts together account for between 9000 and 10000 kanals of an estimated total 11000 kanals of land being misused for the purpose. One often comes across instances of smuggling of narcotics on either side of the Jawahar Tunnel. In quite a few cases the proscribed lethal material is hidden in trucks loaded with apple boxes. It is generally believed that given the requisite political and administrative will it is possible to eradicate the menace. Surprisingly, however, this is what is missing. It is a pity that one of the topmost police officers of the region should be resentful of lack of cooperation from other concerned agencies. Not only the activity is against the law but it is also fraught with harmful influences for society. It can't be permitted to carry on. Likewise it is high time that strict measures were taken to stop the felling of trees. The latest reports have indicated that this practice goes on unabated in the Tangmarg-Gulmarg stretch once lavishly blessed by the nature. The material seized from sawmills has only served to confirm the worst fears. A silver lining is that a section of the police and the bureaucracy appears firm to put an end to it.

It will be wrong to conclude that these forbidden exercises go on only in the Valley or in certain specific pockets. The story elsewhere in the Kashmir region or on this side of the Pir Panjal is not significantly different. Bald patches over the hills tell a sorry tale. We will be better off if we can reverse this trend.

Politics and cricket

By Arun Nehru

Events in UP will dominate the political agenda and both the SP/BSP [Leaders and friends] will attract attention and this is exactly what is happening in the past week. The first salvo comes from the Supreme Court on the 'Taj' corridor case. The CBI under political direction move the courts to exonerate Mayawati and takes the assistance of the Attorney General despite the fact that every senior officer associated with the case had recommended prosecution of the BSP leader. The Supreme Court refuses to close the case but will the UPA Government charge sheet its potential 'ally' [ UP, Punjab and Uttaranchal] or will it apply the law of 'delay'? I don't think that the BSP leader will be to worried unless the Supreme Court gives a time schedule and the SP press for early resolution. Mayawati is the Supreme leader of the BSP and has a 5 percent National vote and I doubt if any political leader in the Congress, BJP or the Left will have the nerve to lecture her on the issue of corruption. The Supreme Court bench comprising Justices SB Sinha, SH Kapadia and DK Jain have made some very hard comments about 'politically motivated' decisions and it would be interesting to see the reaction of the UPA and the CBI in the matter. My assessment is that Mayawati will take 'assistance' given to her by the Congress but will never agree to a pre poll alliance and based on 'numbers' will give support in all the three states of UP, Punjab and Uttaranchal and the Congress in the current situation are in no position to 'expedite' the case against Mayawati and I think the next hearing on the case will be of interest to all political parties.

The SP are not far behind in terms of public and media attention as Amar Singh escorts the entire Bachchan family and Aishwarya Rai to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple and there is little doubt that Amitabh Bachchan is a living legend and son Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai are at the top of the popular ratings and Jaya Bachchan MP is not far behind in the celebrity circle. The Bachchan's are very much the First family in terms of public and media attention and whilst they were on a 'personal mission' the fact remains that their presence in UP helps the Samajwadi Party [Mulayam Singh and Amar Singh] and the Congress by senseless vendetta's against the family members of Mulayam Singh and tax probes against the Bachchan's have only complicated issues for the future. Sonia Gandhi made the mistake in initiating action against Jaya Bachchan on the Office of Profit issue and lost her Cabinet status in the bargain and resignations and renunciation have little meaning as her options were limited and she would have suffered the same fate as Jaya Bachchan. The SP have bounced back and all credit to Mulayam Singh and Amar Singh. There are few secrets in politics and unless Sonia Gandhi and Rahul and Priyanka step out into the political arena in UP there will always be a question mark on their ability to wage political warfare and emerge victorious at the ballot. Dynastic succession does not guarantee continuity or political longevity and in the end ability and knowledge of things Indian matter. Regional parties are gradually prevailing as 'regional' leaders win on their ability and charisma and Central parties are losing out as leaders of stature are not on the scene. Coalition politics react to 'numbers' and in UP the battle is between the SP/BSP and the BJP come into the frame thanks to Congress appeasement of 'minorities' and the benefit of this goes to the SP.

We have a raging controversy on the performance of the Cricket team and the 'head must prevail over the heart'. We love our Cricket and many do not have to play cricket to be knowledgeable about the game and the MP's have every right to criticize and give their comments on the situation. The public is disgusted with matters on and off the playing field and I think Sharad Pawar [Minister and MP] has to take a greater interest in the game and think beyond the millions and billions involved in the game [contributed by all of us] . The blame must lie with the BCCI and its official along with coach. We all have some knowledge of the game and are unable to understand the logic of certain statements and action by officials. VVS Laxman with single and double hundreds is declared 'fit' for the Tests and 'unfit' for the ODI and is now sent to South Africa as Dravid breaks a finger!. Dilip Vengsarkar [a great player] again selects Wasim Jafar on his technique and ability and he gets a 'duck' in the first game and is then dropped and Dinesh Kartik gets a game and I wonder why he is in South Africa [do we need a second wicket keeper when Rahul Dravid is there]. Look at the manner Irfan Pathan our most talented all rounder has been sent 'up and down' and 'in and out' of the team and why was Zaheer Khan sent into retirement? There is the case of Virender Sehwag [up and down the order] and the continued failures of Mohd Kaif and A Agarkar and they continue to play and clearly we cannot blame the team and we have created a very messy situation for the World Cup. Large sums of money are involved for the players and it is unfair to blame them for becoming 'advertising stars' and I think Sharad Pawar needs to spend a little more time and should not be 'pushed' around by either the officials or the coach. We have a superb team and they will bounce back but will the BCCI politics allow this to happen in the immediate future. The success of the current team [BCCI] will be determined by performance in the field and not by the billions they collect as advertising revenue as we approach the World Cup. The Coach had hurt his 'finger' in Calcutta and would be advised to keep his cool as everyone has a right to express his opinion and he should avoid further injury in the future.

Civil services reforms

By Bhure Lal

He also advised civil sevants not to involve themselves in party politics and communal wrangles and follow the path of rectitude.

Needless to say that the civil service must be competent and focused on outcome. The quality of the public servants is the key factor to improve the quality of output and outcome of administration. There is need to define the role of civil servants and political executives to remove any kind of disharmony which is being witnessed today. The authority must be matched with accountability. The civil servants must be service-oriented and citizen centric. They need to be insulated against undue political interference. Their skills must be constantly improved so that they can grapple with explosion of knowledge and manage the dynamic changes effectively.

The lack of accountability, unethical behaviour and corrupt practices have become so pervasive, and even institutionalised norms of behaviour in the country to the extent that one may conveniently speak of a crisis of ethics in civil services.

Dealing successfully with this phenomenon requires a deeper understanding of its underlying causes. The matter is not that simple and that political, cultural and economic factors all lie at the root of this multidimensional problem.

A study conducted by the Central Vigilance Commission revealed a wide gamut of lapses among civil servants. The most common one related to the failure of the officers concerned to observe the limits of their delegated powers, conferred on them either statutorily or administratively. This misconduct figured in 66.17 per cent of cases. In a large number of cases, this was also accompanied by the charge of showing undue favour and/or causing undue loss to the organization. This charge figured in 50.38 per cent of the cases. Other serious charges noticed by the Commission were assets disproportionate to the known sources of income (10.53 per cent), violations of conduct rules (9.77 per cent); gross negligence and supervisory failures (6.77 per cent and demand and acceptance of bribes (6.02 per cent).

The salient issues remain: why have these measures been generally unsuccessful, and, given the extent of the malaise of unethical conduct and the hitherto limited success in dealing with it, is it realistic to expect that this situation can be remedied ? The answer is a firm ‘‘yes’’ provided there is political and administrative will and an awakened civil society.

In the first instance, these measures have failed because they were introduced in an overall political and policy environment that was not sufficiently conducive to enable the success of the measures. When grand corruption is rampant at the top level of Government and politics, the nature of governance has basically remained undemocratic, unaccountable and patriomonial, and where patronage systems have remained intact, one can hardly expect to enforce measures against unethical behaviour with any degree of seriousness or that the enforcement systems and institutions will be left to function without interference.

Second, the measures that have been introduced have been partial in nature, focussing mainly on sanctions and concentration of power and authority. The regulatory measures were designed not to improve the enforcement and fixing accountability. They were designed in such a way as to leave scope for mischief and discrimination.

Many of the institutions that were established to promote ethics and accountability often lacked the resources, public visibility, impartiality and public support that are critical for their success. Perpetrators of evil got the seal of approval of such institutions and carried on with their activities detrimental to public welfare.

As regards recruitment to public services, it should be fair and through open competition subject to conditions such as probation, citizenship, qualifications, character and health etc. The competition should be merit based and open. There should be equal access to public services to all eligible citizens.

However, a dangerous trend is creeping in the services-casteisation and commu- nalisation of services. The first and foremost criterion for recruitment should be choosing a person suitable for good governance. At the same time the need to promote lower strata of society cannot be denied. But such promotion should not be based on vote bank criterion. Instead of caste oriented recruitment to civil services, we should adopt some other objective criteria like poverty and extend it to all Indians including Muslims, Christians and all others who are in Auto clay/BPL category. Such a step will help civil services to be neutral.

The problem starts when the officers are not given a reasonable tenure and the selection for a particular post is done on considerations other than merit and suitability. The stability of tenrue is required as it is key to good governance; enhances effectiveness of administration; keeps the morale of the Services high; enables the member of service to gain experience in respective fields for his/her career path; provides protection to officers and prevents use of postings as a punitive measure.

In the past the need for stability of tenure has been always felt and there have been several recommendations on the issue. Some of them have been that the tenure of a District Officer- DM/SP should be a minimum two years in a district. This should be made mandatory and they must not be prematurely removed except on the grounds of graft and incompetence.

The Civil Service Board should be set up in each State whose advice must be binding in matters of transfer. Autonomy and independence of this Board must be ensured.

The Committee for deciding empanelment must be independent and autonomous and its members be chosen from eminent serving and retired bureaucrats and prominent public personalities. The recommendation of the committee need not be altered except on the ground of integrity. PTI Feature

HIV/AIDS management- The women perspective

By Dr Renu Nanda

The present epidemic spread of HIV/AIDS being witnessed for the last two decades appears to be most disastrous than the natural calamities. This epidemic has emerged as the most fatal silent killer whose victims essentially have been the women worldover. The transmission of this disease especially among the women who become victim of sexual exploitation, trafficking and abuse often fail to recognize the disease in them till it is fully blown out. This is mostly true of the women who live in rural and hinter land and are ignorant about this disease. The trajectory of HIV/AIDS is clearly demonstrating that gender inequality fuels the epidemic. The international community has clearly endorsed that ‘‘gender equality and the empowerment of women are fundamental elements in the reduction of the vulnerability of women and girls to HIV/AIDS'', both at the Millennium Summit held in 2000, as well as the UN General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) on HIV/AIDS in June 2001. The theme of world AIDS Campaign in 2004 was : Women, Girls, HIV and AIDS.

The challenges posed by HIV/AIDS to human security and wome in particular, it is essential that the multi dimensional nature of HIV/AIDS and its capacity to adversely impact different aspects and stages of human life are understood. The increasing feminization of the epidemic necessitates a multi disciplinary and multi pronged responses from all sectors of society. It is therefore has linkages with a large number of disciplines and sectors. Globally, there has been a great deal of response to the epidemic by the Governments as well as by civil societies and networks of positive people. Experience gained by Governments and organizations in evolving and implementing policies and programmes for prevention and control of HIV/AIDS has established beyond doubt that it is not a public health alone and therefore, needs to equally addressed by sectors other than Health and agencies other than Governments.

HIV has an intense negative impact workforce, the business, individual workers and their families and economy at macro level. Though the macroeconomic impact of the epidemic in industrial sector has been relatively low as compared to the situation in Sub-Saharan Africe, the structural determinants of HIV transmission such as high level of poverty, migration, illiteracy, ill health, gender inequality and urbanization are widely prevalent across the country (NACO website, 2005). Physiologically, women and girls are 2 to 4 times more susceptible to HIV/AIDS. Infection in women and girls is compounded by their disproportionate vulnerability to social cultural, economic and legal forms of discrimination.

Positive Women's Network was formed in October 1998 as a self help organization by and for women living with HIV, to improve their quality of life. PWN + functions from its headquarters at Chennai. PWN+ has women living with HIV as members from all over India. The overall goal of PWN is to improve the quality of life of women living with HIV by preventing the stigma and isolation that HIV often causes, and by advocating for the rights of HIV positive women.

The global mission of UNAIDS is to lead, strengthen and support an expanded response to the epidemic that aims at preventing transmission of HIV, providing care and support, reducing the vulnerability of individuals and communities to HIV/AIDS and alleviating the impact of the epidemic. UNAIDS supports a more effective global response to AIDS by promoting :-

* Leadership and advocacy for effective action on the epidemic.

* Strategic information to guide efforts against AIDS worldwide.

* Tracking, monitoring and evaluation of the epidemic and of responses to it.

* Civil society engagement and partnership development.

* Mobilisation of resources to support an effective response.

The General Global Coalition on Women and AIDS (GCWA) is a worldwide alliance of civil society groups, networks of women with HIV and AIDS, Government and UN organizations. The coalition works at global, regional and national levels to highlights the impact of AIDS on women and girls and mobilize actions to enable them to protect themselves from HIV and receive the care and support they need. The GCWA was launched by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) the main advocate for global action on HIV and AIDS.

In this regard, it identifies the following points of action for the future :-

* Prevent HIV infection among girls and young women, including access to reproductive health care.

* Reduce violence against women (highlighting the links to HIV vulnerability).

* Protect the property ownership and inheritance rights of women and girls.

*Ensure equal access by women and girls to care and treatment.

* Support improved community based care, with special focus on women and girls.

* Promote access to new prevention options for women.

* Support ongoing efforts of universal education for girls.

The United Nation's Development Fund for Women (UNFEM) South Asian Regional office in New Delhi covering Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Iran, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka has been working in partnership with National Governments, State Governments, NGO's Women Groups and Civil Societies. It's work includes building new knowledge base, through community based studies, capacity building, advocacy, new initiatives and platforms to articulate the concerns by forging linkages with stake holders. Recognising that gender inequality in a key variable in HIV/AIDS epidemic with women bearing negative consequences of gender imbalances, the Department of Women and Child Development has taken steps for women empowerment through a Rights bases approach, increasing access to services with trying to combat stigma and discrimination in relation to gender through laws, policies and practices.

No one imagined 25 years ago that HIV/AIDS would become the deadliest epidemic in history. Since India has the highest number of people living with HIV virus (5.7 million) and has overtaken South Africa (5.5 million) disciplines other than health has been responding very positively to the need to prevent and reduce the impact of HIV/AIDS epidemic with special focus on the women. So much so that various Ministries - Social Justice and Empowerment, Railways and Line Departments like Women and Child Development, Education, Youth Affairs and Transport have been participating in trying to address the issues concern who HIV/AIDS in synergy with NACO and other such like agencies.

(The author is Asstt. Director, CACE&E, University of Jammu)