EDITORIAL
Crime
of future
In this age and day it is
amazing that a teenager in Srinagar virtually snatches a
brand new car from the hands of the State police chief.
His identity is well established before he commits the
crime. What is more is that there is no doubt about the
veracity of the document he produces to substantiate his
claim. It is the lottery ticket the number of which has
been declared the winner in a draw of lots held in a
police show. He does so almost a week after the details
of winning tickets have been published in newspapers. To
his good fortune there is no other applicant in the
intervening period. His bad luck is that a head constable
posted in Reasi has the genuine piece of paper and turns
up later at the police headquarters to seek his prize.
This sends the alarm bells ringing. The police begins to
have a close look. The first disclosure that the young
person has given the......more
Four
'sins'
A tongue commits four
sins. So goes an old saying. It speaks untruth, blames
others, carries tales about others and talks too much.
What does one say about the region --- Jammu in this
instance --- exposed to four cruel and undesirable
occurrences almost on the same day --- Thursday? A shell
explodes in Poonch killing four persons on the spot. The
adjoining Rajouri district is equally unfortunate. A bus
skids off the road and falls into a gorge. Five persons
die instantly and more than 50 are injured. A girl is
kidnapped in Udhampur ........more
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Maharaj
Hari Singh -A
visionary
By Col M S Jamwal
On 23rd
September 1895, Raja Amar Singh Ji was blessed with a
son. Little was known at that point in time, that, this
child would, one day, rule the State of Jammu &
Kashmir and emerge as the leader of all the Princely
States of India. Raja Amar Singh Ji probably foresaw the
writing on the ..more
Talking
again
By Atul Rama
Another
breakthrough! The topsy-turvy path of India-Pakistan
dialogue has become so predictable that any talk of a
'breakthrough' after a 'deadlock' can evoke only a yawn.
It is hard to see what is there to gush about these
talks, whether on-going or about to be resumed. All the
numerous rounds of bilateral talks and the so-called
confidence building measures have basically . .......more
Cricket
tamasha
Men, Matters, Memories
By M L Kotru
No, Sir, who
says they are killing the golden goose. No such fears.
The fear, if any, is that the money-grabbers of the Board
of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) may only be making
the goose work overtime. Such, indeed is their passion to
add to the burgeoning coffers of the Board.......more
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EDITORIAL
Crime of future
In this age and day it is
amazing that a teenager in Srinagar virtually snatches a
brand new car from the hands of the State police chief.
His identity is well established before he commits the
crime. What is more is that there is no doubt about the
veracity of the document he produces to substantiate his
claim. It is the lottery ticket the number of which has
been declared the winner in a draw of lots held in a
police show. He does so almost a week after the details
of winning tickets have been published in newspapers. To
his good fortune there is no other applicant in the
intervening period. His bad luck is that a head constable
posted in Reasi has the genuine piece of paper and turns
up later at the police headquarters to seek his prize.
This sends the alarm bells ringing. The police begins to
have a close look. The first disclosure that the young
person has given the wrong address creates suspicion
which is confirmed with his arrest. He confesses that he
had used his computer expertise to scan, print and
laminate a fake ticket. In the emerging world of cyber
offences this is perhaps the simplest of frauds. It is
just a repeat of what we have seen in terms of forged
currency notes brought out by somewhat outdated printing
presses in south of the Valley. Clearly our police
apparatus is not yet geared up to see through this new
crime tool. Otherwise it would not have permitted a
mischief to be played with its own boss. It must lose no
time in developing the requisite expertise in this
behalf. Already there is global anxiety that computers
are going to break into our bank accounts, balance sheets
and possibly private lives too on the strength of
Internet. In fact, they are already doing so showing the
hardened fraudsters in bad light. Most of the banks have
put up notices warning customers about false e-messages
they may get on their behalf. These machines can
facilitate remote-controlled deceptions to spell
financial and economic ruin of unwary recipients.
According to a study
conducted by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), companies
in the country have not addressed relevant security
issues appropriately. It has described it as a
"potentially high-risk area" calling for timely
and careful handling. What has happened in the case of
our police can be said to be a "simpler fraud"
coming within the following analysis of the RBI:
"Frauds committed using computers vary from complex
financial frauds where large amounts are illegally
transferred between accounts by sophisticated hackers, to
the simpler frauds where computer is only a tool that a
criminal uses to commit a crime. The latter are no
different from crimes without computers. For example,
using a computer, a scanner, graphics software, and a
high-quality colour laser printer for forgery or
counterfeiting is the same crime as using an
old-fashioned printing press with ink. Here the
perpetrator of the crime is just using computer as a
tool. Similarly, stealing a laptop computer with
proprietary information stored on the hard disk inside
the computer is the same crime as stealing a briefcase
that contains papers with proprietary information…
such crimes may also cause financial damage…"
However, while we in this
State have to build up basic deterrents we need to
prepare ourselves to face emerging challenges. Experts
have visualised hacking of computers as the crime No 1 in
the days to come. There is thus the necessity for
stricter control over system software and data. At the
same time, one should be on one's toes. It must be
remembered that like in every other sphere of activity no
safety dispensation can be perfect. There is always a
bunch of manipulators itching to outdo others influenced
by "a variety of motives" identified by the
knowledgeable persons as "games playing, ego peer
pressure, hatred for the organisation, emotional
maladjustment, Robin Hood syndrome to blackmail and
economic gains." E-governance has also resulted in
e-crimes gathering momentum. That is why top banking
institutions in particular keep emphasising on frequently
changing passwords. Very rightly our State has adopted
the Information Technology Act, 2000 and it should be
read thoroughly by all those wanting to keep pace with
modern technology. It aims to hasten the speed of life in
general by providing legal framework so that legal
sanctity is accorded to all electronic records and other
activities carried out by electronic means. So far as the
police is concerned it should be well informed about the
law as well as varied applications of the Internet. A
select group of officials should be specially trained for
this purpose. It will be too embarrassing for everyone if
there is a repeat of the Srinagar trick.
Four 'sins'
A tongue commits four
sins. So goes an old saying. It speaks untruth, blames
others, carries tales about others and talks too much.
What does one say about the region --- Jammu in this
instance --- exposed to four cruel and undesirable
occurrences almost on the same day --- Thursday? A shell
explodes in Poonch killing four persons on the spot. The
adjoining Rajouri district is equally unfortunate. A bus
skids off the road and falls into a gorge. Five persons
die instantly and more than 50 are injured. A girl is
kidnapped in Udhampur district. In yet another incident
the latest menace of illegal migrants from Bangladesh
strikes the Jammu province again. Sixteen of them are
arrested by the Border Security Force near the
international border in Samba sector while trying to
cross over to Pakistan. Thanks to the police efficiency
the Udhampur girl is recovered. However, there is no way
those who have perished on the other side of the State in
the twin districts of Poonch and Rajouri can be brought
back to life. We have lost them for good. An overall view
will show as if the entire province from Samba to two
different directions is in turmoil. However, this is not
wholly true. These are isolated occurrences. Yet, these
were avoidable and do raise uncomfortable queries.
Why should people continue
to lose their lives in road accidents? Why are not they
doubly alert while picking up empty shells near the Line
of Control and International Border? Why should women not
feel secure in their homes and streets? Why can't
Bangladeshis be stopped? Why should they be permitted to
keep invading this region? Who wants that Jammu should
become another Assam? In brief, why can't we be wise
enough to keep our house in order?
Maharaj Hari
Singh -A visionary
By Col M
S Jamwal
On 23rd September
1895, Raja Amar Singh Ji was
blessed with a son. Little was
known at that point in time,
that, this child would, one day,
rule the State of Jammu &
Kashmir and emerge as the leader
of all the Princely States of
India. Raja Amar Singh Ji
probably foresaw the writing on
the wall and brought up his son
to learn the traditions and
values which were the hallmark of
the Dogras in general and the
ruling family in particular. He
also arranged to educate him at
Mayo College, which was the
prestigious institution catering
for the need of modern education
of the members of the royal
families at the hands of the
British teachers.
It was in the year
1914, that, on successful
completion of military training
at the Imperial Cadet Corps by
Hari Singh, Dehradun Maharaja
Partap Singh appointed him as
Commander-in-Chief of the State
Forces. He also held the position
of Senior Member of the State
Council and later was in charge
of Defence and Foreign Affairs.
After the demise of Maharaja
Partap Singh, Maharaja Hari Singh
ascended the throne on 23rd Sep.
1925. The period under him will
always be remembered for social
reforms and modernization of the
State.
The rich legacy of
his forefathers, Maharaja Gulab
Singh Ji (1846-1857), Maharaja
Ranbir Singh Ji (1857-1885) and
Maharaja Partap Singh Ji
(1885-1925) in the form of
consolidation of the State as a
stable political entity, became a
great facilitating factor for his
leading role in political events
of his time.
Modern education and
exposure to social environment
prevailing in the world at that
time had ingrained in him firm
commitment to usher an era of
social equality, education for
all, justice and economical
development in his State. This
resolve manifested itself in his
actions as Senior Member of the
State Council and all through his
rule of 26 years. Immediately on
accession to throne, in his very
first public speech, Maharaja
Hari Singh made his intentions
abundantly clear by proclaiming
that.
‘‘If
I am considered worth governing
this state, then I will say that
for me all communities, religions
and races are equal. As a ruler I
have no religion, all religions
are mine and my religion is
JUSTICE’’.
Soon after his
coronation Maharaja Hari Singh
initiated a host of measures to
modernise the State. His
experience of the Round Table
Conference, his own education and
his visits abroad had made the
Maharaja progressive in his views
and aware of the strength and
importance of the peoples’
will. A few of the initiatives
introduced by the Maharaja are
listed:
* In Oct. 1932, the
Maharaja permitted the Harijans
to enter and worship in State
temples, use public wells and
tanks etc. Further, he declared
untouchability a cognisable
offence in 1940.
* He declared female
infanticide, child marriage,
polygamy and immoral traffic of
women as unlawful acts well
before Shada Act was passed.
* His contribution
to eradicate illiteracy in the
State is unparallel. In this
direction he made education up to
primary level compulsory and
free. New schools were opened,
while in 1925 there were only 706
schools in the State the number
in 1945 increased to 20728.
* He appointed Mullahs
and Maulvies as school
teachers in the State to attract
the Muslim students.
* Various kinds of
scholarships were made available
to the Muslims.
* His democratic
values get reflected through the
establishment of ‘PRAJA
SABHA’ introducing free and
fair elections and accepting the
position of a
‘CONSTITUTIONAL
MONARCH’. Out of 75 members
40 were elected members. In 1944,
two of the elected members of the
National Conference were sworn in
as Ministers.
He is remembered as
true nationalist and his address
in the First Round Table
Conference at London in 1930-31
wherein he spoke of SELF RULE
FOR INDIANS and his
declaration in 1942 Conference
that his would be the first
state to join Independent India, became
rallying point for the political
parties and rulers of other
states.
This actually could
not happen when the bell for the
Independence rang. This needs to
be viewed in the perspective of
geographical, political and a
very subjective perception of the
situation by the decision makers
in both the newly created
Dominions and the
Governor-General cum Viceroy on
one side and on the other side
the concern of the Maharaja for
safety of his subjects both the
Hindus and the Muslims in the
turbulent environment prevailing
as a result of partition of
India.
Maharaja Hari Singh
and his stout troops, though
outnumbered by the raiding
marauders and supported by
regular Pakistan Army, succeeded
in holding the onslaught till the
Indian Forces came and reversed
the tide, vindicated themselves
and their Ruler in the eyes of
the History. But for their dogged
resistance and the Maharajas
sagacity, the map of India would
have been different. Signing of
Instrument of Accession of
J&K with India on 26th Oct
1947, is thus a land mark in the
History, which projects
Maharaja Hari Singh Ji as a
nationalist to the core.
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Talking
again
By
Atul Rama
Another
breakthrough! The
topsy-turvy path of
India-Pakistan dialogue
has become so predictable
that any talk of a
'breakthrough' after a
'deadlock' can evoke only
a yawn. It is hard to see
what is there to gush
about these talks,
whether on-going or about
to be resumed. All the
numerous rounds of
bilateral talks and the
so-called confidence
building measures have
basically failed to
remove the mutual
suspicions that dog
relations between the two
countries. The 'trust
deficit' between India
and Pakistan stays year
after year, irrespective
of the 'progress' of any
dialogue between them.
The
announcement from Havana
by the Indian and
Pakistani leaders that
their foreign secretaries
would be meeting in Delhi
soon to resume the peace
dialogue that was halted
in July could well be
heading the same way as
the previous dialogues.
The Pakistan President,
Gen Pervez Musharraf,
said that he had 'good'
talks with the Prime
Minister, Manmohan Singh.
He will also address
Indian concerns.
But
a noticeable
characteristic of
Musharraf has been that
he does not mean what he
says: there is a
mile-long difference
between what he does and
what he says. Ask US
intelligence agencies and
the generals and colonels
hunting for Al Qaeda in
Afghanistan. Or, ask the
Afghan president, Hamid
Karzai.
However,
the 'resumed' Indo-Pak
dialogue will have a new
feature this time around.
The two countries have
agreed to put in place an
India-Pakistan
'anti-terrorism
institutional mechanism
to identify and implement
anti-terrorism and
counter-terrorism
initiatives and
investigations'. And, as
on many occasions before,
Pakistan has 'reiterated'
its 'commitment' that it
would not allow any
territory under its
control to carry out acts
of terrorism against
India.
Isn't
everyone in India tired
of hearing about this
'commitment' that
Pakistan has repeated
countless times since
2004? Is there anyone in
India who believes
Musharraf on this? The
joint 'anti-terrorism'
mechanism may be a new
idea, but how will this
grandiloquent concept
really help India in the
on-going fight against
terrorism?
Pakistan
has made a great deal out
of its 'cooperation' with
the US in catching Al
Qaeda terrorists living
in their Pakistani safe
havens. Nonetheless
Pakistan has remained
reluctant to take any
tough action against
terrorists who fight for
'freedom' in Kashmir or,
lately, in Afghanistan.
It is not going to change
its policy of treating
those who wage jihad
against India as 'freedom
fighters'. Pakistan is
also not going to stop
training India-specific
militants and then having
them pushed, with the
help of the ISI, into
Kashmir or elsewhere in
India. So, what will be
the 'core' point of the
resumed dialogue?
Musharraf
says resolution of the
Kashmir 'dispute' has to
precede resolution of
other mutual problems. He
has made it clear,
through his clever
formulations for
resolving the Kashmir
'dispute' that Pakistan
would continue to see
India as its 'enemy' till
he gets Kashmir. He wants
India to start removing
its army from Kashmir-so
that the militants,
commanded by Islamabad,
have a free run of the
state of Jammu and
Kashmir.
The
dandy foreign minister of
Pakistan lamented before
an Indian TV channel on
the eve of the
Singh-Musharraf meeting
in Havana that India does
not 'reciprocate' the
Pakistani gestures of
'peace'. In fact, before
he met Manmohan Singh,
Musharraf had spoken to
audiences in Europe and
the US criticising India,
maybe at times in an
oblique fashion. There is
no doubt that verbal
attacks on India would be
resumed full-scale by
Musharraf and his minions
as soon as he returns to
his 'pure' land where the
people of Balochistan
refuse to genuflect
before him or his guns.
What
it means is that Pakistan
is now going to shout
with increasing volume
before the world that
Islamabad is falsely
accused of having a hand
in terrorist attacks on
Indian targets when the
terrorists in India are
'home grown'. Even if
they are 'home grown',
investigations into most
terrorist attacks in
India have shown that the
plot was invariably
hatched in Pakistan where
the perpetrators had been
trained and provided all
the necessary arms and
equipment. Pakistan has
not dismantled its terror
infrastructure because,
as its own commentators
say, it would take away
the 'leverage' against
India. How can Pakistan
close down terrorist
training camps when some
of these are actually run
on sprawling farms and
ranches owned by
Pakistani ministers and
other influential people?
What
cooperation or 'joint'
mechanism does India
expect in association
with Pakistan? In the
garb of 'joint'
operations or activities,
Pakistan may be looking
for a facility that gives
direct and easy access
and sensitive information
gathered by India about
terrorists to its
intelligence agencies.
Pakistan's vast
clandestine spying
network in India will get
a boost at India's cost.
In
2004 when India and
Pakistan decided to start
a peace dialogue-after
getting close to a fourth
war- many were wondering
how long will the
dialogue continue before
bitterness arising from
an act of terrorism,
planned and abetted by
Islamabad, brought it to
an abrupt end. This was
dismissed by some as
needless pessimism-or
cynicism. So, it looked
almost incredible that
the latest round of
India-Pakistan dialogue
process lasted nearly two
years, taking in its
strides all the terrorist
attacks inflicted on
India by the well-armed
'freedom fighters' who
make a beeline to India
from across the line of
control in droves for
becoming 'martyrs'.
Though
the Mumbai blasts had the
stamp of the
Pakistan-based
Lashkar-e-Taiba, Pakistan
vehemently denied its
involvement in that
terrorist act and in
keeping with its fondness
for turning all events,
good or bad, into an
opportunity for
self-publicity,
commiserated with India,
condemning 'all acts of
terrorism'.
This
sham show of sympathy did
not impress India. The
rise in Indo-Pak
temperature had some
'hidden' but powerful
forces worried. Being the
self-appointed peace
monitors of South Asia
these forces were keen to
see the two regional
rivals resume their
'peace' dialogue, or else
they would have to divert
attention from the more
serious problems of their
own making. Having taken
the initiative in
'suspending' the
dialogue, India would not
have liked being seen to
be working under pressure
from an outside agency to
resume talks with
Pakistan.
The
non-aligned movement
summit in Havana provided
an opportunity and a safe
cover for the Indian and
Pakistani leaders to meet
and announce the
resumption of their old
dialogue. Manmohan Singh
and Musharraf met,
one-on-one, for over an
hour and not too
surprisingly announced at
the end that the
interrupted
India-Pakistan dialogue
was once again on. Only
till the next break.
(Syndicate
Features)
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Cricket tamasha
Men, Matters, Memories
By M L
Kotru
No, Sir, who says they are
killing the golden goose. No such fears.
The fear, if any, is that the
money-grabbers of the Board of Control
for Cricket in India (BCCI) may only be
making the goose work overtime. Such,
indeed is their passion to add to the
burgeoning coffers of the Board. Nothing
else seems to matter more to the BCCI,
headed by the Union Agriculture Minister,
Sharad Pawar, than adding to the dollar
piles he and his
‘‘elected’’ cronies
are greedily grabbing. Don't get me
wrong. All this money as you know is
going to the Board, some of it to the
Board to keep its accounts books in
order, some for the Board members to keep
flying from one cricket carnival to the
other and some part indeed goes to the
players some of whom have already turned
into one-man corporates.
Does it in the given context
matter if the BCCI spends a few million
dollars in staging a triseries of all
places in Malaysia, a place where the
most prevalent sports virus is football,
some badminton, a little bowling and very
little cricket ? Did it really matter
when you saw school boys, under teens,
occupying most of the public stands on
what was the most heralded opening tie
between the Australians and the West
Indies. Given the sizeable Indian
population there it was not unexpected to
find a reasonably large crowd of Indian
faces occupying the very stands that had
been bereft of any form of human presence
on the non-India-playing days. For the
Malay Indians it must have been a rare
sight to see some of the best known
cricketing figures from their former
homeland displaying their skills.
Why am I acting a
spoilsport, you might well ask. But just
consider these figures. It is not the
Malyasian Cricket Board, if there is one
in existence. It is the Board of Control
for Cricket in India which footed the
bill for the entire operation. And, pray,
why should the Malaysians complain.
The BCCI has paid for doing
up the 7,000 capacity stadium, it paid
for the travel and stay of the teams, it
paid for the lights as well to make
day-and-night matches possible and
additionally the Malaysians were rewarded
handsomely for having
‘‘hosted’’ the
tournament. As for the Australians and
the West Indies for every game they play
against India their home associations get
one million dollars each. Not a bad
bargain considering that for all three
teams it is almost a transit stop before
they return to their commitments like the
Champions trophy, again to be hosted by
the BCCI in India. And the BCCI, poor
dears, will have to be content with just
a Rs 100/- crore booty at the end of its
Malayalan foray.
That's not all even as the
Indian Government was trying to entice
Brazil and Nigeria into offshore oil
exploration deals, the BCCI headed by one
of its senior Ministers had already
stitched up off-shore deals (cricket
matches) in the US and Canada next year
of not before that, the World Cup contest
in the West Indies notwithstanding. And
are you surprised when Niranjan Shah, the
BCCI Secretary, and Treasurer Lalit Modi
boast that when West Indies showed
initial disinterest in the Malaysian
expedition South Africa and New Zealand
were very willing to step in. The West
Indies finally found the massive one
million bait too irresistible and BCCI
stuck to its original brainwave.
Australia having already
committed to join the US and Canadian
offshore exploits of the BCCI it is quite
likely that the South Africa or the New
Zealand will both join that operation.
And dear darlings, Australians, thanks to
the munificence of BCCI, were allowed to
bring along 18 players against 14 for
West Indies and 14 for Indians. Why four
extra for Australia? As Ricky Ponting
explained, ‘‘we wanted to try
out all the youngsters’’. The
Austalian Board might have added : The
BCCI was so desperate to have the
Aussies.
Why didn't the BCCI make it
18 for team to India ? Why weren't West
Indies allowed to name 18 ? Answer :
couldn't say no to the Aussies.
The BCCI's business
instincts are obviously remarkable, if
nothing else. The Malaysian expedition
saw it receiving 5.8 million dollars for
India TV rights (for each of the four
matches in which India figures). TV
rights 2.4 million dollars (non-India),
ground rights (hoadings, advertising etc)
5.14 million making for a total 38
million dollars. On the debit side it
pays seven million dollars as guarantee
money to the Australians and the West
Indies, other expenses running into
between five and eight million dollars,
give or take or million. Net pofit for
the BCCI is Rs 100 crores or between 22
and 25 million dollars in all.
Makes heady business and
congratulations to Messrs Pawar, Niranjan
Shah and Lalit Modi. One would have
expected, though, that the BCCI given its
already overflowing coffers would have
chosen to build cricketing infrastructure
within the country. It is not unknown
that some of the foreign teams visiting
India have always expressed grave
reservations about the facilities
available to them at some of the cricket
venues and Manali, Bombay, Eden Gardens,
Chennai and Delhi apart.Why couldn't some
of the money be spent on upgrading
facilities in Guwahati, Orissa, Kerala,
Andhra, Rajasthan ? All these States
figure in the tourist itineraries of the
visiting teams. And how about setting up
academies, never mind the size, in places
like Jammu and Kashmir. I remember the
ramshackle Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium in
Srinagar, tiered wooden planks, standing
out like a bunch of sore thumbs in a most
beautiful setting. Why can't Uttar
Pradesh or, with its growing cricketing
culture, be considered for proper stadia.
India's most populous State, Uttar
Pradesh does not have a worthwhile
cricket stadium and yet you see the cocky
Mr Rajeev Shukla flaunting his newly
acquired stature in the BCCI on every TV
screen whenever anything concerning the
game is on. That is when he is not acting
as the Congress Party spokesman.
Nearer home, where I live,
the Delhi and District Cricket
Association (never mind its obsession
with cricket politics) and of which I
have been a member for decades, has had
to go round, begging bowl in hand, to the
corporates (selling special viewing
stadium boxes to them) to raise money to
complete its stadium, the once revered
Willingdon Pavilion now answering to the
simple name Feroz Shah Kotla. The Lalit
Joshis and Niranjan Shahs and their boss
the Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar
should remember the worth of the old
adage : charity begins at home. You don't
have to go to Malaysia, US or Canada to
popularize the game: your first concern
should be to build up the game at the
grassrots at home. Mr Pawar having
assured that his daughter, Supriya, has
made it to Rajya Sabha could perhaps shed
his Ministerial responsibilities and
devote himself to the growth of cricket
which, after all, is as rich a portfolio
as Agriculture. He will in the bargain
save himself the indignity of having to
answer questions about starvation deaths
or suicides by farmers in his own home
State. Alternatively, he could handover
the BCCI to some cricketers with
corporate experience and hmself devote
all his energies to his ministerial
portfolio. Or may be have Supriya replace
him in the Cabinet. ?
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