Daily Excelsior... Editorial

EDITORIAL

By Ashutosh Varshney

In the corridors of international power, there is a new discourse emerging. It is about the inexorable rise of China and India. Neither ascent is viewed as certain, but the odds are high that both nations, desperately poor until recently but now showing signs of economic dynamism, will acquire "seats at the highest table" before long. What is driving this perception? What can derail the predicted ascent? ....more

Animal cruelity and
youth violence

By Maneka Gandhi

On internal Security

By Arun Nehru

EDITORIAL

Will they learn?

It is not for the first time that the militants have tried to strike at Dashnami Akhara on Wednesday. Again it is not the first time that they have chosen the busy Budshah Chowk as the theatre of their gory activity. They have done so on several occasions in the past. Their attempts to breach the heavily-guarded Akhara housing the holy mace of Lord Shiva leave little doubt that they are hardcore religious fanatics. It should not surprise anyone, therefore, that Al Mansoorian which is believed to be an off-shoot of Lashkar-e-Toiba has claimed responsibility for the latest attack. Any drama even if it is gruesome yields tremendous publicity in such a hectic thoroughfare. The militants have often selected the Budshah Chowk and its vicinity for action to make their presence felt. They have even targeted the convoy of ministers to prove their muscles. As a passage to the State Secretariat the Budshah Chowk has always been considered a sensitive location. Since the Dashnami Akhara is around it assumes all the more strategic importance. There was a time when one of the Valley's most colourful spectacles --- the Amarnath pilgrimage --- would formally begin from the Akhara. The holy mace would be taken out in a big procession watched by hundreds on either side of the Maulana Azad road. Such an inspiring sight befitting the State's secular ethos has become one of the initial casualties of the terrorist violence. In fact, the extremist elements have made determined effort to besmirch all emblems of communal amity and tolerance. They have not spared Charar-e-Sharif and Hazratbal either. There is no doubt that having come a cropper so far they will keep failing again and again. On one occasion they had succeeded in reducing Charar-e-Sharif --- the shrine as well as the town --- to ashes. But both have recovered like a Phoenix from the ashes. Is this not enough for the militants to draw proper lessons?

Unfortunately, however, it appears that they don't want to learn bewitched as they are by a death wish. Their scant respect for the pious month of Ramzan is evident from the continuing bloodshed. In fairness to some of them they have already made it clear that they will not hold fire just for a month. It is their considered view that the let-up in bloodshed for a limited duration makes little sense when it has to carry on for the rest of the year. They should understand that small beginnings can lead to lasting beneficial results. One would like them to settle for negotiations. However, such appeal can be made only to local boys who may have been either misled or are motivated. There can't be any sympathy for foreigners who are pursuing a global agenda. Instead they have to be firmly told in every possible way that they are totally unwanted on our soil. Their mere presence is repugnant to our rich culture and traditions.

Suicide hits or other forms of violence can only be counter-productive for their perpetrators. No terrorist endeavour has ever won any acclaim. It has invited condemnation instead. Has anybody ever shed tears for villains? It is ironical that a crossing named after a benevolent king has sent a grim reminder about their being there in our midst.

Matter of justice

Only last year a criminal case had come to light which was registered in Billawar in Kathua district in 1959 only to be decided in 2005 --- that is after 46 years. In the intervening period the complainant as well as co-complainant had passed away. The accused was arrested 44 years after the police had taken note of the grievance against him. By that time he was an old man with a failing health. He was released on bail. What was shocking was that the entire relevant record of the matter disappeared in the meantime. Faced with these amazing details the State high Court had very rightly quashed the proceedings issuing appropriate directions to the trial court. Had the accused been found guilty he would have undergone the maximum imprisonment of five years and possibly some fine. Instead he had to live a traumatic existence. The complainants, on the other hand, died along with their hope of getting timely justice. Such occurrences are classic examples proving the old saying "justice delayed is justice denied." Taking note of these developments at that time we were reminded of Saeed Mirza's much acclaimed movie "Mohan Joshi hazir ho". The film depicts the tale of an ordinary but resolute person living in a typical Mumbai slum. He is worried by the crumbling state of the chawl and appeals to the landlord to carry out necessary repairs. However, the latter has other ideas. He knows that with the passage of time his land has become a goldmine. Therefore, he wants to demolish the existing structure or let it cave on its own. He wants to construct a skyscraper instead. This is possible only if he gets rid of his tenants. Joshi, who is one of the renters, evokes the judicial intervention. He finds out that it is not so easy to get a quick fair deal. He is up against complexities of the system. To cut the long story short a judge one day decides to inspect the building. The clever landlord camouflages the reality by putting up temporary supports. Joshi is angry and removes the makeshift props as a result of which the entire structure falls in no time at all. Of course, the Bollywood is packed with many such dramas. They are not divorced from reality. In many case the pictures have shown violent public reactions against the nexus between chawl owners and Mafia dons. Joshi's symbolic fight merits attention because that is the way the citizens normally live.

This flashback disturbs one's mind all the more as one learns that a person --- a class IV employee --- has got justice after 11 long years. He was accused of having accepted Rs 50 as bribe in 1976. After going through the details Special Judge Anti-Corruption (Jammu) J.R. Kotwal has not found him guilty. The judge has made a telling observation in his verdict: "At the time when corruption moves on luxury wheels and relaxes in cosy rooms, it was sought to be hunted in muddy lanes and tattered huts. To execute this hunt, a suitable complaint was procured against a class IV employee in disregard of his capacity to do an official favour to the informant." Does this need any elaboration? The employee is definitely luckier than Mohan Joshi.

India's has an edge over China

By Ashutosh Varshney

As far as India is concerned, the rationale for the current discourse is founded on three factors: nuclear capability, democratic resilience and economic dynamism. But there are two imponderables - mass destitution and communalism - that can halt and delay India's rise.

Let us begin with the notion of national power. What does it mean to be powerful in the international system? Though power has many forms - including 'soft power' communicated through political ideals and cultural appeals - nuclear weapons have remained the bedrock of national power in international relations since their birth. Moral conduct, ideals and economic success can add to a country's power, but they are no substitutes for military power Japan's rising anxiety about China today is not because China can surpass Japan economically any time soon. It is because China can combine economic and military strength in a way Japan simply cannot. Having been defeated in World War II, Japan is constitutionally obligated not to develop nuclear weapons and must rely on a US security guarantee. Ideally, Japan would like to have its own nuclear weapons and stand on its feet.

This reasoning has two major flaws. First, the Kargil incursion did not become a war precisely because of nuclear weapons, which forced the US to restrain Pakistan from going further. The US had no reasons to intervene, except to prevent a possible nuclear conflagration. What scholars call nuclear deterrence - the capacity of nuclear weapons to dissuade potential aggressors - can emerge either directly through the decision-makers of feuding countries, or via overwhelming external pressure.

Second, a decision to go nuclear is ultimately based on a long-run security calculus. Pakistan is only one fragment of India's strategic universe; China is another and a more potent one. India's nuclear weapons buy insurance against China, whose future moves simply cannot be predicted. A full-scale war against India is now virtually impossible, thanks to the capability of its nuclear weapons to deter aggression. Only low-intensity conflicts can occur, not wars, unless India elects to declare war against a non-nuclear state in pursuit of its own national interests. Having the capacity to deter future aggressors against itself, but retaining the capacity to do so against others, if needed, is a huge component of India's future power.

India's democracy is, of course, not flawless, but no one in the world knows what a flawless democracy is. And no other developing country matches India's democratic record, however faulty it may seem to its middle classes. For all its imperfections, India's democracy is a shining jewel in the nation's crown. For China to get a seat at the highest table in a post-Cold War world, its polity will have to become democratic. India's edge on this score is massive.

It is India's economic dynamism of the last decade and a half that has attracted the greatest external attention. Among the economies of the world, India's growth rate in recent years has been second only to China's. A 7-8 per cent annual growth rate now increasingly an assumption made about India's foreseeable economic future.

New Delhi's current policy framers are trying to push Indian economy towards a higher growth path, something akin to China's 8-9 per cent per year. That, of course, will add to India's power. But the pulls and pressures of a democratic polity precludes the free pursuit of this ideal. The making and implementation of economic policy in closed polities like China is brutally simpler. When it builds highways, China displaces the poor and forcibly relocates them. In India, that is virtually inconceivable. China has also increasingly managed to privatise its public sector and retrench extra workers. Indian polity remains highly resistant to both.

This, of course, does not mean that India's democracy is the villain of the piece. Increasing economic growth rates cannot be the sole objective of a society. Under the democratic umbrella fall some fundamental values - the desire to express views freely, the ability to challenge and change governments fearlessly, and the opportunity to organise one's life according to one's preferences, not those set by the government. These values require categorical protection. They cannot be sacrificed at the altar of economic growth.

Jawaharlal Nehru's investments in science and technology in the 1950s and 1960s have thus paid off, but in an unexpected way. Even as IT has boomed, we still have the dark could of illiteracy hanging over a third of the nation's population. The proportion of illiterate women is even higher. Basically, IT is a double-edged sword, a sign of India's awesome scientific powers and a tribute to India's economic reforms, but also a sign of our great inability to lift the teeming millions from the depths of illiteracy. IT is too education-dependent to make serious inroads into India's mass poverty, driven by illiteracy.

China's economic dynamism since the mid-1980s has been manufacturing-led. Light manufacturing is always much more labour-absorbing then IT. As its economy grew, China could create jobs for its millions of poor, who had already been made literate by a huge public investment in primary education in the 1950s and 1960s. In China, thus, market-driven growth became hugely poverty-reducing, but not in India. As long as mass poverty remains widespread, India's economic momentum will only be viewed with mixed respect. It will detract from the nations' power gains in the international system. China has a clear edge here.

India's Communists, now a powerful component of the ruling coalition in Delhi, derive the wrong lessons from this paradoxical situation. They focus only on redistribution, not on expanding the economic pie. They oppose privatisation, show no interest in better roads, are lukewarm to the building of modern airports, and have nothing to say on how to make India more business-friendly, all of which China has done - under Communist rule. They concentrate, instead, entirely on the failure of economic reforms to attack poverty more vigorously and directly.

If a Gujarat 2002 were to be repeated any where in India in the future, it would attract international censure and diminish Indians greatly. China's disgraceful treatment of its Tibetan minority may also come to haunt its decision-makers, as the nation strives to achieve a bigger role and greater respect in the world. The international system is heading towards an age where human rights will be important currency of power. Though essential, military and economic power alone will not do. INAV

Animal cruelity and youth violence

By Maneka Gandhi

Cruelty to animals is not something that should be taken lightly. It is an important indicator of how the person is going to behave towards humans as well. Let me give you one example : There is a slum colony in Delhi called Seelampur. It is the place where all the organised animal crime takes place : the illegal pig killing, the gangs that bring in the birds for selling, the illegal cattle slaughterhouses , the stealing of dogs , the bear and monkey owners etc. The place bristles with violence. Even the police fear entering. When a student of a college reported that a truck of pigs had arrived and they were being killed on the street , by the time our people went, the evidence had disappeared and the principal had threatened the boy to recant his evidence. The principal told me that he had been visited by the louts in the area who said that they would burn his college down. Recently , when the police had to enter the place, they were greeted by a volley of stones, home made grenades, all thrown by young children. Even the DCP of the area was injured.

See teenagers involved in the butcher's trade. They do not think twice about killing each other. Go to Tihar jail and look at the young people locked up for murder and other violent crimes : not most but ALL of them have been involved in severe animal cruelty before they took to violence on humans. The findings have been the same in all countries. The strong connection between animal cruelty and youth violence. This piece is on what teenagers need to know.

What is animal cruelty?

Animal cruelty is behaviour that are harmful to animals, from unintentional neglect to intentional killing. Most cruelty cases investigated are cases of unintentional neglect that can be stopped through education-an owner may have to be told that a dog cannot be left tied to a gate the whole day or that he has to be deticked or that a bird in a cage is not happy. Acts of intentional cruelty, or abuse, are refusing an animal food, water, shelter, socialization, or veterinary care or maliciously torturing, maiming, mutilating, or killing an animal. Stabbing or beating an animal, throwing an animal out of a window or a moving car, setting an animal on fire, and giving an animal illegal drugs are all acts of intentional animal cruelty. Why would anyone be intentionally cruel to animals? There can be many reasons. Animal cruelty, like other types of violence, is often committed by a person who feels powerless, angry, unnoticed, and controlled by others. That person may abuse animals to shock, threaten, frighten, or offend other people or to rebel against society's rules. Some who are cruel to animals are reenacting things that they have seen or that have been done to them. Others may hurt an animal to get revenge on someone who cares about that animal.

Why should I care?

All animal cruelty is a concern because it is wrong to cause another living creature to suffer. Intentional cruelty is a particular concern because of what it signals about the person inflicting it: he or she needs help. People who are cruel to animals may well have suffered violence themselves, and they may well behave violently in the future.

Research shows that young people who are cruel to animals are more likely to become aggressive or violent toward humans. Some young people may abuse animals because they see violence in their homes; perhaps they are themselves victims of violence within their families. They may be taking their anger out on animals or copying what they have seen or what was done to them. Hurting or killing animals can also be a warning sign that someone may be thinking about suicide. By reporting the animal cruelty, you not only help the animal victims but also help the person abusing animals.

Why should I report animal cruelty?

For one thing, you may save lives. Animal cruelty is a warning sign that should be taken seriously. If the animal cruelty in these cases had been reported, these teens may have been given the help they needed.

Is animal cruelty a crime?

Animal cruelty is a crime. By criminalizing animal cruelty, the government has set up a system for helping society get rid of or reform a person who is dangerous to it . The court can make sure the person abusing animals takes responsibility for the abuse . Abroad, animal abusers and their families are often compelled by the court to attend psychiatric counselling . Here , unfortunately , attitudes by the court and police are still very primitive. However, even the shock of being found out by the neighbours might stop a wayward young person from going further.

Is there a documented connection between animal cruelty and human violence? Absolutely. Many studies in psychology, sociology, and criminology during the last twenty-five years have shown that violent criminals often have childhood and teen histories of serious and repeated animal cruelty. The FBI has recognized the connection since the 1970s, when its review of the lives of serial killers suggested that most had killed or tortured animals during childhood. Research has also found patterns of animal cruelty among people who abuse their spouses, children, and elders.

What should I do if a friend, neighbour, or classmate abuses animals? First, talk to someone else. Something as serious as animal cruelty should not be handled alone. Ask for help from your parents, a school counsellor, a acher, or any other adult you trust. And if you cannot find anyone willing to help you, don't give up-report the abuse to the police yourself.

Go to your local animal-welfare organization or police department. Give as much specific information about the abuse as possible. Try to write down everything you remember about the abuse, including who abused the animal, when and where it happened, what was done to the animal, and a description of the animal. It may be difficult for the authorities to take action if they don't have enough evidence of the abuse, so give them as much information as you can. If you didn't see the act of cruelty yourself, let the authorities know the names of anyone who did see the abuse. If you are concerned about others knowing that you reported the abuse, ask if you can make an anonymous complaint.

If someone you know talks about wanting to hurt animals or people you should take it seriously, especially if the person has been violent toward people or animals in the past. Don't let anyone tell you that animal cruelty isn't serious. It is always serious.

How can I help prevent animal cruelty?

There is a lot you can do. Be a good example for your friends and young children by being kind to animals and letting others know that hurting animals is not OK. Write articles for your school newspaper. Volunteer at your local animal shelter or humane society. Learn about animals by renting educational videos and documentaries. Report animal cruelty. Start a club to educate others about animal cruelty. Speak up for the animals and encourage your friends to speak up for the animals too. You can make a difference-for animals and people!

(To join the animal movement contact Smt Gandhi at 14 Ashoka Road, New Delhi 110001 or gandhim@nic.in)

On internal Security

By Arun Nehru

There have been many events in the past few months relating to matters of Internal security that should draw our attention and time for us to reflect on immediate future and our relations with the countries around our 'borders'. We hear news that the Myanmar Government have moved against the NSCN and ULFA camps operating from their borders and the Army initiate action against ULFA after talks have broken down in Assam. Talks with Bangla Desh continue and we have little option but to adopt a 'hard line' approach to infiltration and deporting illegal immigrants across the border! All this can result in 'skirmishes' on the borders but this can be done under the glare of publicity and global assistance. Peace talks are a essential part of diplomacy but relations with Pakistan suffer a setback as the role of ISI is evident in the Mumbai blasts and we have seen some spectacular breakthroughs in the 7/11 disaster [187 dead, 700 injured] and once again we find linkages between the terrorists [11 Pakistani agents come via Nepal and Bangladesh] and the North East. Fifteen terrorists are arrested and as interrogations proceed it is evident that several 'sleeper' units were activated and all local terrorist modules were accompanied by one Pakistani operative in planting and exploding the explosives. We see some timely action on the legal front as Afzal Guru is convicted for his role in the attack on Parliament [to be hanged] and punishment is meted out to accused in the 1993 blasts and we hear that 'fast track' courts will hear the 7/11 cases and hopefully the terrorists, the 'sleeper units' and those who gave them sanctuary in the 7/11 killings will be punished within the year. We can continue our talks and negotiations with Pakistan but the message we give must be 'firm and decisive' and whilst security measures cannot be discussed in the media I see a welcome firmness after the 7/11 incidents. We do not lack skill or expertise in either our intelligence or police [we malign them for every lapse] but look at all the 'suicide' attacks that have been foiled [brave men and women have perished in the attacks] , look at the 'seizure' of guns, bombs and lethal explosives and look at the speed at which the Mumbai police have solved the 7/11 blasts and clearly it is time for PM Manmohan Singh with permission from Sonia Gandhi to act and deliver on the security front in the National interest.

General Musharraf writes a book and we can discount the 'facts' and treat it as a work of fiction. All military dictators look strong and durable till they last [ Gen Ayub Khan, Gen Zia ] but then nothing lasts forever and in politics there is never any vacancy at the top! We still recall Atal ji's Lahore visit where the General played his act of deception and tripped PM Nawaz Sharif and seized power in a Army coup and for the past seven years has rarely kept any promise which he has made to us or the global community. The events of 9/11 have helped him to 'survive' the internal turmoil in Pakistan and he has routinely assisted the USA as a 'ally' by taking limited action against minor leaders of the Taliban and Al Qaida and shipped 'terrorists' to the USA for interrogation and has been rewarded for his efforts. The USA is aware of the 'reality' but is stuck and stuck badly in Afghanistan and Iraq and President Bush is clearly under 'siege' from public opinion within the USA and faces a uncertain future. The General is a politician and understands power and till the affairs of state are settled in the USA [next election] there are few checks on his activities in his relations with India. We can expect increased terror activity in the next year and to prevent this we must dispel the notion that we are a 'soft' state. Acts of terror must be punished severely and there cannot be any politics in this situation.

We continue to be shocked and surprised by the Jessica Lall case and going by media disclosures on Manu Sharma and his confessions [legal opinion indicates that these are not admissible as evidence] and interviews given by Bina Ramani it is apparent that many officers in Delhi police have much to answer for and as 'protection' is no longer possible it is possible that political names will surface which have resulted in the case being scuttled for many years. Bina Ramani and her family show a great deal of grit and courage and the media and public opinion give her protection which the government has failed to do and the 'forgery' case against her and her time in jail clearly indicates that there are many who would like her to change her stand in the case! The fear of reprisals against 'key' witnesses is very real and the state is in no position to provide 'sustained security' and why blame Bina Ramani if she diluted her stand a few years ago? Would anyone else including the 200 odd social circuit regulars have acted any differently [most didn't act at all!] in similar circumstances. The judicial system is on 'trial' as millions of cases are pending in the law courts and many thousands pertain to similar issues and 'justice' for Jessica Lall, Priysdarshi Muttoo and Nitish Katara will give 'hope' and 'courage' for many thousands of litigants in a similar situation. The three cases are far from over and it may still take years for justice to prevail and credit for this must go the media and the family members who despite their loss and their grief have acted with courage and dignity.

There are media reports that Varun Feroz Gandhi will contest the elections from Vidisha in MP and he will win by a 'mile'! The BJP would have done the right thing and it is good for the system that talented and bright youngsters should enter the political arena and Varun Gandhi at 26 years has much to offer for the future.