Coalition dharma

According to scholars of Indology, precise meaning of Sanskrit word dharma is duty and not faith or religion. However, it is used loosely so as to give the impression that it has something to do with faith. It carries strong moral connotation. The concept of governance of a state is essentially based on fullest realization of moral duty towards the people and the State. This is also the guiding principle of a coalition Government. If strictly adhered to, nothing should stop the partners in a coalition Government to think and act in the interests of the people at large and not in just party or group interests. Coalition has to be among like-minded major parties, which, in other words, means similarity of approach to some of the basic principles and perceptions.

In J&K State, we are having second coalition Government, viz. NC plus Congress. Prior to it, we had the first ever coalition Government of PDP and Congress, two major political parties of the State. In the first coalition, National Conference sat in opposition while in the second coalition, PDP sits in opposition. In other words, it means that there are many things in common among the three major parties. This should have been helpful in forming a three-party instead of two-party coalition. That did not happen just because two of them, namely NC and PDP could not pull on together. This is reflective of two inferences. One is that there exists a wide ideological or perceptional chasm between the two. The other is that Congress has the resilience to bend back or forward and find space for being a partner in the ruling apparatus. If the law of dharma were to be made applicable to this case, the logical conclusion is that the Congress should have brought about reconciliation between the two diverging parties instead of claiming a pound of flesh for itself. After all Congress with the great history and tradition that have marked its evolution, has to think on national plane. What marks it out significantly is that it is the largest national level political party while the other two are only regional parties. Therefore the Congress is better poised to play crucially constructive role in a State that is running the third decade of insurgency and strife. Instead of taking resort to matured statesmanship, the Congress has created an impression of it running with the hare and hunting with the hound. This is not how the coalition dharma has to be observed.

The coalition dharma met with its first ignominious debacle when the PDP, in a show of brazen selfishness, pulled the rug under the feet of coalition Government led by its partner, namely Congress, just because it could not reconcile to playing the second fiddle after its agreed tenure of three years was over. Now in the case of NC-Congress coalition, the Congress seems to be in a mood to play the same game which PDP played earlier. There are indications that the PCC has been warming up to PDP. Well, as a matter of fact, in politics there are no permanent friends or foes but only interests. On that count, Congress may do anything it likes to do. But the fact remains that coalition dharma gets bruised and mauled and mutilated. It sends disappointing message to the people.

As coalition partner, Congress is equally responsible to policies and perceptions pursued by the Government. At the same time it has the right to express its views on important matters of public interest. In two cases, Congress has taken a different stand. One is about revocation of DAA/AFSPA. Congress is not against its revocation in principle. After all, a day has to come when these laws will be withdrawn. The question is of time and conditions. But building consensus on this important issue is the pre-requisite that cannot be overlooked. Hindsight tells us that had the Chief Minister taken the coalition partners on board before announcing the withdrawal of the law, it would have stalled any resultant controversy. The second issue is of implementing Panchayati Raj Act along with 73rd and 74th amendment. NC-led Government must take the credit of holding Panchayat elections in the State successfully after a long gap of time. But the elected panchayats need to be empowered fully if the Government thinks it as the basis on which the foundation of a democratic society rests. Inability to find a path out of this controversy will undermine the credibility of the coalition Government. We hope that all stakeholders will work together to ensure that Panchayati Raj arrangement doest not remain a paper tiger but an effective and important source of promoting democratic dispensation.

Running for Jammu

One expected a very large number of people participating in the Run for Jammu exercise in the town. One expected it to be a really regional spectacular show in recognition of the contribution of a host of outstanding personalities who raised the name of Jammu high in the annals of her history. It was also a run for the rights of the Jammu region and doing away with discrimination against them. All civilized societies who are sensitive to their past history and glory, regale in bringing to the memory of the people the names and achievements of illustrious sons and daughters of the soil. It is not only public institutions like academies of culture and art that are to hold the monopoly of disseminating the memory of outstanding personalities of a region. The public has the first right to do so and Jammu took the initiative in right direction. Jammu has a right to be proud of many heroes in different walks of life whose memory should never fade. Unfortunately, vested interest is responsible for distorting history and painting some of our illustrious sons in black colour. The record needs to be set right and distortions should be removed and replaced by true facts of history. Politics can demonize a person or lionize him all depending on subjective approach to the question. Running for the heroes of history fills our cultural life with a rich fund of perpetuated memory. A day will come when out of these running for the nation exercises will produce true and valuable history.

Occupy wall street
Netagan watch out

By Poonam I Kaushish

Austerity is the newest bug afflicting leaders' world-wide. Thanks to the Occupy Wall Street protests against hefty pay packages gathering storm and the European Union's Greece bail-out. In the US and Europe, it is codenamed SWAG and in India BAD (Bogus Austerity Drama). With the devil taking hindmost!

In the US President Obama signed an Executive order to stop "wasting taxpayer money" by curtailing SWAG (stuff we all get) spending to jumpstart a sputtering economy. Things like cell phones, smart phones, laptops, tablet computers even clothing, mugs and non-work related gadgets.

France followed by freezing salaries of President Sarkozy and his Ministers as pay rises were "frankly indecent". The Government has also asked business leaders to show great responsibility and do the same to eliminate France's deficit by 2016. Following his election, Sarkozy in 2007 raised his own salary by 170% from around $9641 a month to around $26169 prompting a storm of criticism.

Forget the West, we can do one better. The Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee instructed Government departments to stop "wasteful expenditure" as it tries to meet a fiscal deficit target. Ban on holding seminars and conferences in five-star hotels and foreign travels undertaken only if necessary and unavoidable, ban on buying new vehicles et al.

However a closer look at the austerity measures reveals that all are BAD, nothing more than a bogus austerity drama, mostly on paper. An example: More than 10 English dailies carried nearly 65 advertisements of Indira Gandhi, paying tributes to her on her death anniversary on 31 October. This generosity was reflected in Nehru's and Rajiv' Gandhi's birth anniversaries as well. The BSP's czarina Mayawati loves splurging on monuments of herself, family and Dalit leaders.

No matter, the dictionary tells us that austerity is not just about hotel rooms and flight tickets. In its truest form, austerity needs to be a pan-national phenomenon in which everybody, everywhere, does less more even if it costs more to do less. As Sarojini Naidu tellingly remarked about Mahatma Gandhi: "It costs a lot to keep him poor." Similar austerity measures reveal that such steps are in place in India, too, but mostly on paper.

Remember, in 2009 while announcing austerity measures the Government simultaneously raised the Dearness Allowance for Central Government employees. Leading to clarifications being sought whether lunches and dinners for foreign delegations should be organised in five-star hotels. Undoubtedly, off the wall tokenism of the economy perpetrated by our netagan is a feeble attempt to hoodwink the nation. Tom-tomming of sacrificing their luxury travel to economy is just hogwash to distract the aam janata's crippled under the burden of galloping food prices. Thanks to gross mismanagement and their inability to handle the drought crisis?

Whereby the austerity measures unrolled can evoke only laughter. Remember, in 2009 when the Government forced Ministers to travel by "cattle class" some class-conscious Ministers opposed it tooth and nail as below their standard, another said he was a "tall man and could not travel economy class," sic. Asked the next, why Ministers could not travel first class as they needed to be "fresh" on arrival! Austerity does not prevent many from visiting London or other world Capitals but to watch a Wimbledon match etc.

Unfortunately, the Government's precepts and practices do not match. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh heads one of the largest ministries in the world, boasting of many millionaires. Shockingly in contrast, the 2011 Global Hunger Index (GHI) Report ranked India 15th among leading countries.

Is the plight of the aam aadmi reflected in the lifestyle of the politicians? No. Last year, our MPs voted themselves a three-fold hike in basic salary (from Rs.16, 000 to Rs.50, 000 per month) and doubled the constituency and office expense allowance to Rs.40, 000 each receiving an assured monthly income of Rs 1.30 lakh all tax free. The MP Local Area Development Scheme was increased from Rs 2 crore to Rs 5 crore, that too when the previous allocations went unspent. Worse, the Government doled out sleek iPads or tablets of their choice to our lawmakers.

In Japan and France, MPs' salaries are fixed in relation to the salaries of the highest paid bureaucrats. In Germany, Article 48(3) of the Basic Law says that Members of the Bundestag will get remuneration adequate to ensure their independence. In UK the Review Body on Senior Salaries advises the Prime Minister on the pay and pension of MPs, Ministers, judges, defence personnel and senior civil service officers. In Switzerland MPs do not get any salary or allowance; they just get paid leave from their employers on the days of Parliament's session.

Questionably, why should not our Right Honourables emulate the example of their Swiss counterparts? They may not be employed, but most of them being crorepatis really do not need a job. Besides, since "conflict of interest" is a non-existent concept, our MPs, unlike their American counterparts who cannot earn beyond 15% outside Congress, have no limit to their earnings from all sources, as the scandal over the Office of Profit showed.

What is required is a drastic pruning. Instead, of the periodic replacement of tweedledum by tweedledee in his ministerial brood, Manmohan Singh needs to cut down on his Cabinet. And cry a halt to all the financial pampering and perks to them, make their incomes and salaries taxable, and stop pensions to former legislators, which they don't deserve. Isn't it ridiculous that we are paying Rs 6 lakh per month to keep an ex-Minister "in coma" alive, in a private hospital, as his MP wife refuses to take him home.

Alas, in an environment wherein Government's money is nobody's money such considerations don't seem to exist. Undeniably, there are many ways in which austerity measures can be undertaken by the Government instead of saddling the aam aadmi by raising fuel and food prices. For starters our netas should follow the French example and freeze salaries of the President, Prime Ministers and Ministers as India's economy is in a more bad shape than that of France.

Many of the public sector enterprises need trimming to be made more manageable. Much flab could also be cut from various schemes and subsidies that don't percolate and have failed to benefit the poor.

Clearly, the Government has been skirting the real issue. The reason why fiscal deficit has been growing is because of wasteful subsidies, which the Government does not want to touch for fear that it would antagonise its vote-bank. It is for much the same reason that it has been wary of re-initiating economic reforms.

The Government needs to watch out. Take lessons from Greece where problems arose due to its electoral politics: Spending more than what it could afford on populist programmes. Combined with its huge parallel black economy and widespread corruption, any wonder Greece ended up borrowing more than it could afford for these programmes. Ditto the case here where Government's policies are designed to suit the vote-banks to help politicians retain power in the next elections.

Thus, in a milieu where simplicity and austerity is Utopian to our polity, what soberness are we talking about? Time our high and mighty wake up to the danger lurking round the corner and smell the coffee. Stop this Bogus Austerity Drama! ---- INFA.

Inchargeism in 10+2 cadre

By Tarsem Sharma

Like every other Government Department, Education department is also plagued with Inchargeism. Most of the lecturers in the cadre are victims of chronic disease of Inchargeism. Inchargeism in 10+2 cadre is of course, stigmatic, and the same is not being addressed since 1998, despite the lecturers' humble ''beseeches and pleas'' over and again.

A couple of years ago, when a popular coalition Govt led by young Chief Minister came to rule, the unattended teachers had very expectations but unfortunately all their anticipations vanished and hopes dashed to the ground, as again no heed was given to their 'agony and woes'.

It is pertinent to underline here that, every year on the 'Lecturers' Day' various political dignatories, at the helm of the affairs inaugurate the function, and speak at length on the same and make tall promises which invariably turn 'hollow and fake'.

One can realise the agony of the Incharge lecturers from the fact that, most of the science Incharge lecturers have been promoted directly from the post of a teacher. If they had not been promoted as Incharge lecturers, they would have been confirmed Masters by this time.

Unfortunately, now they are neither masters nor confirmed lecturers. Consequently they are drawing the salary of a teacher plus charge allowance, and are deprived of the Master Grade Promotion, which was due to them, and as such they are regretful and in remorse for the same.

As far as lecturers of Arts stream are concerned, they get promoted just in a couple of years prior to their supernnuation. Since almost a period of over a decade has been passed when regularisation of Incharge lecturers was done by the then Education Minister 'Tariq Sahib' in one stroke in a Cabinet meeting, some of them have unluckily met to their doom, while others have been retired from the service without confirmation.

I would like to share a story of a pained widow, who was unluckily a spouse of a late Incharge lecturer. Unfortunately, the said Incharge lecturer passed away leaving behind his better half and three female offspring. After his demise, his life-partner approached the concerned office for the settlement of the pension of her late Incharge lecturer husband. When the officials of the said office enquired about the designation of her husband, the widow instantly replied that her husband was working as a lecturer.

The widow, who was already formented, was rudely 'shocked and joked', when the officials told her that her husband was only a teacher in the record, and as such she was entitled for the pension of a teacher.

It is to be noted that this is not a story of single widow, but it invariably happens with every hapless widow whose I/c lecturer life partner passes away. And those who get retired without confirmation also become a laughing stock in the society, as reverse gear is applied to their promotion, and their pension is settled in tandem with their original post.

It is a matter of sorrow that notwithstanding I/c lecturers peaceful and non-violent struggle for regularisation, Govt is not working sincerely and is turning deaf ears. If Govt headed by young CM can't consider the genuine grievances of its employees, especially the literates, who have not been regularised for the 13 years, despite already being in service, who will resolve their demands and give them assurance that they are not working in blind world.

It is urged that on the basis of seniority and eligibility, the PG masters/teachers are hereby placed as I/c lecturers in their own ‘Pay and Grade' for period of six months or till the posts are filled up on regular basis, whichever is earlier. Not to talk of six months, but a period of an over a decade has been passed but their regularisation is still awaited. Does the Govt want to give handle to the I/c lecturers to muffle their peaceful struggle? Or, by casting aside outrightly the I/c lecturers genuine demand of regualrisation, which is being made to linger on in an illicit manner, is not the Govt egging the I/c lecturers to cross the Rubicon?

These are million dollar questions to be answered instantly by our democratically elected coalition Govt, who boasts of introducing Public Service Guarantee Act (PSGA). The annals of history show that those nations who don't pay proper heed to their educators, crumble into dust.

Procurement policy for augmenting agricultural production

By Pawan Kumar Sharma and Sudhakar Dwivedi

Procurement of food grains is one of the three basic objectives of food management policy in India, besides the distribution of foodgrains to the consumers, particularly the vulnerable sections of the society at affordable prices and maintenance of food buffers for food security and price stability. The later objectives ensures the smooth distribution of foodgrains at subsidized rates to 6.52 crore BPL families covering all households under Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY), establishing grain banks in chronically food scarce areas and strengthening the Public Distribution System (PDS) whereas the former i.e. Procurement Policy is meant for farmers. The focus is on incentivizing farmers by ensuring fair value for their produce through Minimum Support Price mechanism. Before the harvest during each Rabi / Kharif Crop season, the Government of India announces the minimum support prices (MSP) for procurement on the basis of the recommendation of the Commission of Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) which along with other factors, takes into consideration the cost of various agricultural inputs and the reasonable margin for the farmers for their produce. If the farmers get prices better than the support price from other buyers such as traders/millers etc., the farmers are free to sell their produce to them. FCI and the State government agencies ensure that the farmers are not compelled to sell their produce below support price

The nodal agency which undertakes the procurement, distribution and storage of foodgrains is the Food Corporation of India (FCI). However, the Decentralized Procurement Scheme (DCP) introduced in 1997-98 allows the state government itself to undertake direct purchase of paddy and wheat on behalf of Government of India, with a view to enhance the efficiency of procurement for extending the benefits of MSP to local farmers as well as to save on transit costs. This also enables procurement of foodgrains more suited to the local taste. Under this scheme, the designated States procure, store and also issue foodgrains under the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS). The difference between the economic cost of the state governments and the Central Issue Price is passed on to the State government as subsidy.

Over the rising demand of farmers in Jammu, three procurement centres have been set up for procurement of paddy in the current year at Kathua, Chatha and Nagrota. The procurement under Price Support is taken up mainly to ensure remunerative prices to the farmers for their produce which works as an incentive for achieving better production. Farmers are usually unable to get remunerative prices for their produce when they have bumper yield. The growing demand of farmers for more procurement centres in the state is a sign of increased marketed surplus which should be the result of increased foodgrains production in the state. The increased marketed surplus may have other dimensions also.

Over the years, the Minimum Support Price has given the farmers all over the country, an incentive to produce more. Many states, including formerly deficit states like Bihar, Assam and Uttar Pradesh, have reported surpluses of several agricultural commodities, especially cereals. The policy of recommending a relatively higher MSP for wheat and rice as compared to the MSP for other crops served the cause of the country well in the 1980s and 1990s. It helped exploit the opportunity created by the Green Revolution and led to much higher average productivity of these two crops, compared to the average productivity of pulses or coarse cereals. The higher MSP increased the profitability of these crops and motivated the farmers to divert their areas to these crops from coarse cereals, pulses and even oilseeds, as in the case of Punjab. This enabled the country to achieve higher output of food grains and achieve surpluses.

The area under wheat and paddy in J&K is around 2.78 and 2.57 lakh hectare respectively with an average productivity of 17.35 q/ha in case of wheat and 21.88 q/ha in case of rice, much less than the national average for both the major cereals. If farmers are confident of getting remunerative price for their produce before its sowing, it will boost them to invest their resources efficiently and ultimately the overall production will be increased.

Visualizing the achievements of procurement policy in the country in terms of cereals, the time has come to divert it towards diversification of agriculture for achieving overall growth. Government is already offering marked incentive for growing pulses and oilseeds by increasing the Minimum Support Price of these crops.