Open Forum

New Delhi, 27 August 2008

Responsible Citizenship

NEED FOR NATIONAL REGENERATION

By Eduardo Faleiro

Former Union Minister is currently the Commissioner for NRI Affairs,

Govt of Goa

We have just celebrated our Independence Day.  The freedom struggle was not just for political freedom nor was it merely to dislodge the foreign rulers and install our own.  It was also for social and economic change and for a life of peace and dignity to all citizens. 

The colonial rule destroyed the Indian economy and greatly impoverished the people. An estimate by the Cambridge historian Angus Wilson reveals that in 1700, India’s share of the world income was 22.6% comparable to the entire income of Europe  which was then at  23.3%. By 1952 however, India’s share fell to 2.3% of the world income. 

By all accounts, India was a prosperous nation at the onset of Western colonialism.  The French traveller Jacques Tavernier in his ‘Travels in India’ has this to say of the country in the 17th Century. “Even in the smallest  villages,  rice,  flour, butter, milk,  beans  and  other  vegetables,  sugar  and sweetmeats  can  be  procured  in  abundance”. 

All this changed during British rule, as per Government reports of the time. Over 70-80% of Indians were living at subsistence levels, two-thirds were under-nourished and in Bengal alone the number of under-nourished was nearly four-fifths. Our literacy rate too was a mere 11%. True, at present, the literacy rate is 66% but this is quite low.

Importantly, the Union as well as the State Governments must streamline their machinery with a sense of urgency and redouble efforts if we are to attain the Millennium Development Goals of universal literacy by the year 2015. Especially against the backdrop that the country is at present the second fastest growing major economy in the world. Our GDP growth rate was 9% in the financial year 2007-2008.

Besides, the 21st Century will reportedly be the Asian Century just as the 20th was the American and the 19th the European Century. By 2035, China is expected to be the second largest economy followed by India at the third place in the world. Towards that end, the country is contributing to the Asian resurgence.

The Government is striving towards South-Asia as a zone of peace and prosperity in cooperation with all our neighbours. Our “Look East” policy will strengthen cooperation with other Asian countries.  India  and  5 ASEAN countries have signed  an agreement on  ‘Partnership for Peace, Progress  and Shared  Prosperity” to create a Free Trade Area by 2011 and  by  2016 New Delhi hopes to enlarge this pact with the  remaining  ASEAN countries. India is now an ASEAN Summit partner, along with China, Japan and South Korea.

We are moving towards an Asian trading block which will rival the European Union. For that New Delhi and Beijing must shed their historical rivalries and advance towards mutual collaboration. Such collaboration will greatly benefit both the countries. For instance, India has an advantage in computer software and China in hardware. If both countries join hands, both will be able to launch the “Asian century of Information Technology”.

Whilst  the  people  of  India can justifiably face the future with  confidence  and optimism,  yet  there  is  much  to  be  achieved and the task of  national regeneration is yet to be fully accomplished.

The  framework  for  responsible  citizenship  and  national  regeneration has been laid  down  in  the  Indian  Constitution in three parts.  Part III of the Constitution deals with Fundamental Rights, Part IV with the Directive Principles of State Policy and Part IVA with the Fundamental Duties. The Fundamental Rights are basic human  rights  which  the  State  recognizes  and  provides  for  their  enforcement. We are all equally human, the world is one family and all human rights are for all.

The nature and extent of the State responsibility for the protection of human rights in India was indicated by the National Human Rights Commission in the case of the Gujarat riots of 2002. It said “It is the primary and inescapable responsibility of the State to protect the right of life, liberty, equality and dignity of all those who constitute it. It is also the responsibility of the State to ensure that such rights are not violated either through overt acts or through abetment or negligence.

“It is a clear and emerging principle of human rights jurisprudence that the State is responsible not only for the acts of its own agents but also for the acts of non-State players acting within its jurisdiction. The State is, in addition, responsible for any inaction that may cause or facilitate the violation of human rights.”

The Directives Principles of State Policy are guidelines to be kept in mind by the Government whilst framing laws and policies. Some of these principles are the promotion of the Panchayati Raj system, free and compulsory education to all children below the age of 14 years, adoption of a Uniform Civil Code and provision of adequate means of livelihood to all.

The Fundamental Duties are moral obligations of all citizens and are specifically intended to promote responsible citizenship and national unity and harmony. We often harp on our rights but neglect and may even be unaware of our duties.

Mahatma Gandhi summed it up: “I learnt from my illiterate but wise mother that all rights to be deserved and preserved come from duty well done.”  Einstein articulated the same thought: “Every day, on hundred occasions, I remind myself that my mental and physical life depends on the toil of other persons, living or dead. So I must try to repay whatever I have received and am receiving”.

The Constitution lists ten Fundamental Duties. Each has a distinct role and importance in our polity. One of the Fundamental Duties is “to provide harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood among all the people in India, transcending religious, linguistic and regional or sectional diversities”.

When fanaticism and bigotry stalk the land, the importance of this duty cannot be overstated. At present, the Fundamental Duties are not enforceable in a court of law. A former Attorney General of India, Soli Sorabjee, suggests that the Supreme Court might "by innovative interpretation make certain duties partly justiceable by infusing them into some Directive Principles and gradually incorporating them in the Fundamental Rights”.

What is needed is a citizenry conscious of their rights and of their duties. The Union and State Governments should work together with voluntary organisations to promote awareness of our rights as well as of our responsibilities and to sensitize the citizens to the values enshrined in our Constitutional framework. 

(This article is based on a speech by Mr. Eduardo Faleiro at the Dharma Bharati Foundation, Mumbai.)  The Justice Verma Committee on Fundamental Duties of Citizens rightly observed that “the desired enforceability can be better achieved by providing not merely legal sanctions but also combining it with social sanctions to facilitate the performance of the task through exemplar, role models… The real task, therefore, is to devise methods which are a combination of these aspects so as to ensure a ready acceptance of the programme by the general citizenry and the youth, in particular. . The importance of fundamental duties must be emphasized at all stages of education. This is essential for preparing the younger generations for assuming their role as responsible citizens." the Committee asserted.---INFA

 (Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)

Events & Issues

New Delhi, 1 September 2008

Rampant Corruption

WILL THERE BE AN END TO GREED?

By Dr. Syed Ali Mujtaba

A tehsildar (tax collector), who was very corrupt couldn’t have done better for himself, even when punished. He was deputed to sit on the shores of the Corramandel coast, in Tamil Nadu, and given the task of counting the waves as form of a punsihment. Taking a cue from Birbal, one of Akbar’s navratanas, the tehsildar found an opportunity to make money even here. He started collecting tax from the ship captains that crossed the waves, saying that the vessel was stalling his job—of counting the waves.

The moral of the story is corruption is an age old phenomena that has been evolving over a period of time. Earlier, corruption used to be confined only to a certain section of society with large sections remaining untouched. Now, it’s a different story. Corruption appears to have percolated down to every single section of the society. It’s hard to point out where corruption is not present.

Today, we are regularly fed media reports on corruption: Bofors gun deal, Bihar’s fodder scandal, MPs Local Area Development (MPLAD) scheme, the defence coffin scandal, hawala scam, cricket match-fixing, securities scandal involving Harshad Mehta & Ketan Parikh, BJP’s Bangarau Laxman, nuclear deal trust vote...the list is endless. Every new report pales the previous one into insignificance. All scream loud --that corruption is rampant and growing at an alarming pace in the country. If it goes unchecked, the nation is in peril.   

In the given background, a Chennai-based NGO Nandini - Voice for the Deprived, decided to go in for introspection into the problem of corruption. On the country’s Independence Day it held a meeting, which was attended by over 250 participants, including former IAS officers, NGOs, professionals and ordinary people from the lower income group. Among them was 88-year-old Kalyanam, and who had served as personal assistant to Mahatma Gandhi.

Delivering the keynote speech, Former Central Vigilance Commissioner N. Vittal started by defining corruption as understood by the World Bank i.e. it is the ‘use of public office for private profit.’ In our country, there are five major players on the corruption scene, interdependent, strengthening and supportive of the vicious cycle. They are the corrupt politician (Neta); the corrupt bureaucrat (Babu); the corrupting businessman (Lala); the corrupt NGO (Jhola); and the criminals (Dada).

Vittal elaborated that in our system corruption flourishes because of five basic reasons:  one, scarcity of goods and services; two, red tape and complicated rules and procedures; three, lack of transparency in decision-making; four, legal cushions of safety for the corrupt under the ‘healthy’ principle that everyone is innocent till proved guilty; and five, tribalism among the corrupt, those who protect each other.

Corruption, according to him is a two-way street. For every bribe taker, there is a bribe giver. While the debate on corruption in our country has focused on the demand side of corruption, there has been a thundering silence on the supply side i.e. who bribes the public servants and politicians.

The former Vigilance Commissioner suggested a three-point plan to check corruption:  simplification of rules and procedures, empowering the public and bringing in greater transparency and effective punishment.

An important aspect of the meeting was that prior to it, 15 colleges from all over India took part in an essay competition “Rampant Corruption in India: Who is responsible.” While 11 college students won prizes, five were allowed to speak and present their views on the burning issue of corruption.  

One of the students opined that corruption follows a vicious cycle, with the root cause lying in a corrupt political system. The nexus between corrupt politicians and corrupt bureaucrats makes it look that any fight against corruption is the fight against the government itself, he regretted. The attitude of many a people that ‘so long as the work is done, it is fine’ could be yet another cause.

We, in India have a tendency to blame our politicians, government employees or higher authorities for taking bribes. But, have we ever asked ourselves how honest we are as citizens? How many of us don’t look for “a contact” to get our children admitted into a good school or college, questioned another student.

An additional underlying cause of corruption could be the tolerance of our people. Sadly, there appears to be a blatant lack of public outcry against corruption. As a result, thanks to an absence of a strong and effective public forum to oppose corruption, we simply allow it to reign over us.

Another student was intrigued as to why even well-informed people have carried this corruption burden for so long and why they haven’t revolted? Is this linked to an unflinching faith in karma theory or is it a reflection simply of utter helplessness, he wondered? Even the efforts of social activists such as Anna Hazare have not been able to make a dent. Worse, neither are educated people supporting such efforts adequately.

A participant felt that we need a second freedom struggle and the fight against corruption must begin at home. The family and schools are the two indispensable social institutions, which must be activated to fight for the revival of our value system. Functioning of these institutions at high ethical level could perhaps usher in a revolution. A revolution to change the mind set of both the giver and the taker. However, the pressure must come from the public. It should be stirred against corrupt practices. In fact, the youth can make a difference if only they had role models.

An interesting view point that emerged was that the ones who talk about corruption and ethics today happen to be sixty-plus.  Most of them, however, had been part of the corrupt system in one way or the other. But, they didn’t fight against the issues when they had the power or the energy. So, at 60 when they preach, they fail to inspire confidence amongst the youth.

Hinting towards the rise of Maoists in the country, a speaker wondered what would happen to the society, if the common man, whose interests were getting defeated by the corrupt, would one fine day take to violence as the only option available to him to improve his lot. So where do we go from here?

Be a citizen journalist, said one. Make use of modern gadgets such as cell phones with cameras to expose corrupt officials, felt another. However, a trustee of Nandini stressed that efforts must be made to develop hatred against corrupt practices and corrupt elements in our society. The root cause of corruption, he explained, is greed and the biggest challenge before us is how to overcome it. ---INFA

 (Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)

Round The World

New Delhi, 26 August 2008

N-Deal Stuck In NSG

INDIA NEEDS TO BE FLEXIBLE

By Sitakanta Mishra

Senior Research Scholar, South Asian Studies Division,

Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.

With the unfolding of events since the trust vote on 22 July 2008, the discourse on India's credential as a sovereign nation has turned a full circle. First, the current nuclear conundrum is axiomatic of India's culture of democratic nuclearism, identity formation and national interest which have evolved through many ups and downs.

Second, India's stand at the recently held 15^th NAM ministerial meeting in Tehran vindicates its responsibility as a demagogue in its region and its commitment for unbiased international order. Third, the unanimous endorsement of the India-specific safeguards by the IAEA Board of Governors at Vienna marks the beginning of the fruition of India's single-minded challenge to the lop-sided global nuclear order.

Finally, the hold up of India's waiver application in the NSG and the consequent diplomatic push and pull vindicate that the deal is not really straight-jacketed as has been branded by many. All these events underline the fact that national interest and sovereignty nourished by the democratic ethos is paramount in India's recent undertakings, although it has been coloured otherwise.

The domestic debate over the Indo-US nuclear deal leading to the trust vote seems to have been interpreted out of proportion. Undoubtedly, it is the first instance when the country’s foreign and nuclear policy issues were the bone of contention. But there is no denying the fact that nuclear issues have always been "highly opinionated" perhaps owing to our argumentative trait and "deeply entrenched" culture of democratic debate. Resulting in the nuclear policy and planning, except the operational aspects, being vigourously debated.

While on the one hand, the euphoria over the deal and the consequent political gimmick is an off-shoot of New Delhi's democratic nuclear discourse. On the other hand, the episode brings forth the nuances of the political-nuclear interface and the resultant domestic hubbub.

 In relation to the deal, two inter-connected issues --- our independent foreign policy and the alliance with US --- have repeatedly been highlighted and claimed by the Left as stains on India's sovereign nationhood. While their principled opposition to the deal is understandable, on the flip side, it was a slap on India's proud claim as a vibrant democracy when a part of the system was unable to overcome ideological stereotypes. It is shocking that some leaders and parties failed to understand the fact that technology misunderstood is development missed.

The approval of the India-specific safeguards agreement through "consensus" by the IAEA Board of Governor on 1 August will permit regular IAEA surveillance of India's 14 declared civilian nuclear energy plants out of a total 22 facilities. Among the proposed 14, 6 are already under the agency's supervision and if things go right it would start implementing the new agreements at the facilities in 2009.

According to the IAEA Chief Mohamed EL Baradei the deal satisfies India's needs and also meets all legal requirements of the UN atomic watchdog. All eyes are now on getting a "clean and unconditional" exemption at the Nuclear Suppliers Group, which is likely to meet for the second time in early September.

However, the Congress-led UPA Government's hook or crook approach to silence the domestic dissent would certainly not work while dealing with international divergence. Small countries like Austria, Ireland, Norway, Switzerland and New Zealand have already shown their discontent and have emphasised reintroduction of provisions for full-scope safeguard and India's membership in the NPT during the NSG meet.

Clearly, the Foreign Ministry needs to introspect why these small countries have raised apprehension about India's credentials when developed countries have wholeheartedly supporting the deal? Most of the Scandinavian countries have never found adequate attention in New Delhi’s international calculation.

One can easily perceive how Canada and South Africa were quickly convinced in comparison to other small nations perhaps owing to the fact that Ottawa and Pretoria bag greater attention from New Delhi than the Scandinavians. For that matter, the Left assertion on India’s foreign policy having a big-power-bias holds some truth.

The lack of consensus in the NSG to okay the India-specific waivers doesn't mean that the countries have opposed it outright. Instead, they wanted another round of debate on India's credentials. The hardened attitude of these countries can also be a consequence of the internal debate in India. This has generated a chain reaction in the countries which have dissent on the deal.

For example, the Indo-US deal is reflected in the local politics of Austria, a strongly anti-nuclear country which is preparing for fresh election in September. Austrian critics lament that their Government is not more vocal and firm in its opposition to the N-deal. Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer’s coalition Government has been accused for currying favour with India in order to win New Delhi's backing for an Austrian bid for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council.

In the US too, anxiety on the deal is gathering steam in tandem with the run-up to the Presidential election. Many hope that the deal would be passed during the current Congress and the choice of Joseph Biden as the Democratic Vice Presidential candidate has eased the situation. Moreover, Barack Obama's non-proliferation zeal may well be tempered by Biden's enthusiasm for India and the deal. Republican McCain is already committed to the deal. Thus the deal might have a spill-over effect in the electoral battle.

At this juncture, while India can demand a "clean exemption", and oppose any conditionality, for example signing the NPT and the CTBT, however “it does make sense to be reasonably flexible". The deal after all does have in-built mechanisms for any future eventuality.

The US on its part has already dispatched envoys to New Zealand, Canada, Japan, Austria, Sweden, Switzerland, Norway and the Netherlands, among others to persuade them. The US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Glen Davies is in Wellington to persuade New Zealand, the staunchest hardliner, to support India.

More importantly, New Delhi needs to understand that there is no such thing as unconditional waiver. If in its next meet in early September the NSG remains chary of granting India carte blanche approval, a measure of flexibility on its part without compromising the core concerns, should be in place.

Therefore, to drive the deal towards its logical conclusion, India, in the short run, needs to mobilise all resources at its disposal to maintain unanimity on the deal while remaining flexible on substantive issues, if warranted. In the long-run, it needs to reach out to small nations by spreading its soft power.

Also it is in the interest of the Congress Party to demystify domestic apprehension by selling the benefits of the deal to the aam aadmi on a war-footing. Besides, the deal and New Delhi’s relations with the US should not become an end in itself. The Government must remain alert to anything going wrong or modification of provisions needed while negotiating with the NSG or with the US Congress. Therefore, it has rightly been said, "negotiating for an exception for India … would be like negotiating with Winston Churchill for the liquidation of the British Empire." ---INFA

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)

POLITICAL DIARY

New Delhi, 23 August 2008

One Gold, Two Bronzes

DOESN’T TOTAL SPORTING NATION

By Poonam I Kaushish

Sharp shooter Abhinav Bindra, boxer Virendra Kumar, and wrestler Sushil Kumar were nameless non-entities. Just a part of the Indian contingent to the Beijing Olympics 2008. Till a gold and two bronze medals changed their life for ever, paved their future in gold. And brought glory to India.

A billion-strong nation came out like termites out of the woodwork to laud and sing paens over India’s new sports wonder boys. But in the delirious cacophony of congratulations perhaps not many noticed that these three young lads reflect ‘Yuva Bharat, who have struggled and clawed to reach where they are. By sheer grit and determination. Believing in themselves, living their dreams and turning them into reality.

Today, as the Central and various State Governments open their coffers and dole out awards running into crores has anyone pondered to pause and think. What are they celebrating? That it took India 61 years to win one gold in the individual category? That these victories are no thanks to the Government and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA)? Or that despite all adversities these sportsmen did India proud?

Where was the Government when these lads needed them most? It is all very well for our netas and babus to justify their lack of support, monetary and logistics, to Bindra by stating that shooting is a very expensive sport and given the meagre funds and resources for dispersal to all fields it is not possible to earmark large amounts for shooting alone. Really? How do other countries do it? Or there too shooters have rich fathers? Clearly, this argument cuts no ice when daily stories of a corrupt polity and babudom abound.

Let’s take the case of Sushil and Virendera. How does the Sports Ministry and the IOA justify lack of funds and support for khushti, a favourite in  villages and mukke baazee the ‘hot’ sport for urban youth brought up on Mohammad Ali and Joe Fraser’s video games? Or are they merely trying to whitewash that these two players reached the top despite their poverty.

Heart rendering is their tale. Of how they walked the jagged edge of poverty and nurtured their talent. Both are sons of drivers. Both come from a lineage where there was never enough money for food. Of days when they had to survive on roti with water. Yet their families put all they had in their sons. Both lived in a tiny room with 25 other sportsmen with rodents and cockroaches as their daily companions, performed sans physiotherapists to beat all odds and win in the international arena. Where was the Government?

Scandalous also is how Manipuri weightlifter Laishram Monika was pulled out at the last minute from going to Beijing ostensibly on ‘doping’ charges. Or was it because the Indian Weightlifting Federation wanted to favour another player. The net result? The dope allegation had no basis but by then it was too late for her to go. Leading to the Manipur Chief Minister demanding a CBI enquiry.

Instances are a plenty. Take the case of a shooter, whose shooting career effectively ended when her pistol was stolen. The Sports Ministry couldn’t or wouldn’t buy her a new one. Ditto is the case of hockey. Shockingly, the Indian men’s team failed to qualify for the Olympics. Considering that hockey had brought India it’s first ever gold medal in its Olympic debut in 1928. It won seven more gold medals, the last in the 1980 Moscow Olympics. After which India's dream run in hockey came to an end.

Why? Mum is the word. Yet hockey is our national sport. Worse, we call ourselves a nation of sport lovers. Spoil sports is more like it. Clearly, some pressing questions need to be answered. Tragically, today sport has less to do with sport. It has turned into a game of power and money. Sports be dammed. Sportmen are branded according to their net worth and launched in the sports arena as ‘companies’  which market different products each according to their brand appeal and market acceptability.

Shooter Bindra hit the bull’s eye when he stated that India today is all about cricket, thanks to the IPL and its big bucks. But cricket can never be the true symbol of Indian sports as it is played only in 20 countries around the world. All youngsters wanted to play nothing but cricket. All wanted to become Dhoni, Pathan or Sehwag. Till Bindra and his two colleagues win wherein now corporate coffers are opening up for them like Aladdin’s lamp.

Less said the better of our various sports bodies.  Which are controlled and headed by faded politicians, who exist on five star consumerism and vested interest. Ambitious people with powerful connections who take a battalion of their high-flying socialites to international sporting does as cheer-leaders. While sportsmen languish in dormitories with a stipend of a mere US $25 a day.

See the difference between China and India. For the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics, China juxtaposed centuries-old civilization with a futuristic modern nation. Preparations were on for nearly 100 years for the 16-day razzmatazz were China made its debut in the Super League of nations. Sportspersons, past, present and the future, showcased China in all its manifestations.

What of India? Serious preparations for Delhi Commonwealth Games have yet to start. All are busy in finger-pointing and quibbling over who will handle the Rs 500 crores cash till. But if the show we put up at the closing ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in Sydney is any indication then don’t expect much.

Outrageously, out of the Rs 44 crore earmarked, over Rs 18 crores was paid to a Mumbai event management company to produce an 11-minute capsule on India culture, read Bollywood. Saif Ali Khan, Rani Mukherjee and Ashwariya Rai were reportedly paid Rs one crore each to wave to the audience. It is another matter that Bollywood and its filmi jhatkas have nothing to do with sports akharas and maidans.

Much of the problem with developing Olympic champions here seems to be rooted in the very same things that make India a perpetual also-ran to China in economic development: poor infrastructure, entrenched political corruption and infighting, and chaos and disorganization. Money earmarked for Olympic training is often mysteriously sidelined, facilities for training are in poor shape and equipment goes missing. Any wonder that India has only won 25 medals in Olympic Games since 1928.

In this free-for-all vicious circle of avarice lies the forgotten Greek philosophy of sports: The health of a nation depends upon the proficiency of its youth in sports and games.  Sadly, our rulers are not interested in sports, but only in the victory of glistening gold on the world stage. And it is prepared to reward victors with goodies only when they have done the nation proud. The word nurturing of talent is no-existent in the Indian lexicon.

Finally, the million dollar question? How is the Government going to pull out the country from this sports morass?  For starters keep politicians and bureaucrats out of sports. It is plain that rescuing sport from the Octopus-like grip of vested interests, pathetic management, bad planning deceit and money across the country will be a long and painful process.

Nevertheless, a beginning has to be made soon. We have to be clear about what we want to achieve and how? The true legacy of the three medals will lie in whether money can now be made available to build the training superstructure for other sports and sportmen. The fear of the fall of our icons should not make us turn a blind eye to our own crime in queering the pitch for what India desperately needs: healthy sport. Or, else reconcile to being spoil sports! – INFA

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)