THE POET'S ANXIETY

Gandhi was often greeted by critics many of whom happened to be fanatics and cranks. However some were thinkers and actors of moral substance. He always proceeded to answer these substantive players in depth and clarity maintaining his composure and liberal temper. Tagore was one such critic who was at the height of his poetic career and reputation. But as said by Gandhi himself, great prestige had brought him great responsibility, a very important one of which had been the Indian message to the world which his poems and their interpretations would carry with them. Owing to this responsibility he became increasingly cautious of the Non-Cooperation Movement, which he felt was anachronously expedited. He feared that the NCM would foster an unreasoning hostility against the foreigner and the foreign rule. That is was a narrow doctrine of negation, despair, separation and exclusiveness.

However legit may the claims made by Dr. Tagore sound to be, they fail to hold the same staunchness after the declaration of Gandhi’s response. At first Gandhi address Tagore’s state of mind as “No Indian can feel anything but pride in the Poet’s exquisite jealousy of India’s honor.” He further explains that NCM is no cause to be ashamed and if it so happens to fail in the end then it would not be the fault of the doctrine but the truth itself. NCM have been anachronously expedited to save India from violence. He says that Non Cooperation is planned to pave the path for real, honorable and voluntary co-operation based on mutual trust and respect. That it is being waged against compulsory cooperation, one-sided combination and armed imposition of modern methods of exploitation masquerading under the name of civilization.

He even goes a step further to says that if the poet’s concern is about students who are being called to volunteer by leaving schools and colleges, then his response is that he had never been able to make a fetish out of literary training. He says that literary training adds not an inch to one’s moral height and character building. In fact that government schools have rendered us helpless and Godless. They have filled us with discontent and despondency. They have made us, what we were supposed to become, clerks and interpreters! He said that the moment it was realized that the system of government was wholly or mainly evil, it had become sinful to associate our children with it. The youth is the last hope. 

He said that 

“If India is ever to attain the swaraj of Poet’s dream, then it would certainly be delivered by the Non-Cooperation and Non-Violence”

-Yognik

from Makers of Modern India~Ramchandra Guha

UP CLOSE AND PDA

Public is anything that is open to all, in its nature, availability and presence. Display is the act of non-proscribing un-/intentional presentation. Affection is mental propensity to get emotionally and mentally attracted to a person (our domain of interest) which might conclude in natural instigations to get hold of that person.

Here the domain of the discussion is relevant only up till the college boundaries.

As per the above given definition, acts such as faux hugging may/may not motivated by misguided thoughts of making a slight physical contact with another person, kissing in isolated and disjunct campus areas and holding hands with perfervid facial expressions lie in the ambits of Public Display of Affection. The few aforementioned acts are not an act of imagination envisaged by me but are regular revelations exposed by batch mates.

Love may but have a thousand definitions, but it can simply be stated as a special inexplicable and hard to comprehend feel good emotion instigated by attraction in a person for someone. I preserves high respect and appreciate couples engaged with this feeling in a healthy relationship. But Love through ages has been misconstrued by a lot of psychological conditions and have led to further bifurcation of the above mentioned definition of affection as follows.

As per remaining under my ambits of college boundaries, affection in college can essentially take two forms:

    1)      When the couple is strongly involved with each other through mental and emotional relationship.

    2)      When the couple is merely hit by infatuation for each other.

Let’s consider both the cases and oversee the dynamics involved when their practice goes public. By public, I am not merely talking about the display in front of a group of people, but also at a disjunct and isolated public place which in fact may not have any observers around at all. What is more important to realize are the seedy factors that instigates the two persons involved for a carefree public performance. The gist lies in the fact that it is important to understand both the aforementioned cases from the perspective of the couple i.e. the subjects involved. Had the concern been from the point of view of observers, I would have stated a lot of lame arguments against PDA like “it is disturbing for the society”, “I don’t have a partner, it depresses me” or “they’ll be chased by couple hunters!” etc.

Let’s first start with the second case. Infatuation is but the state of being carried away by unreasoned passion or love, usually inspired with an intense but short-lived passion or admiration for someone[i]. Infatuation can very well happen from both the sides and should not to be confused with one sided unrequited love. Such subjects will be motivated by intense feelings of limerence, which essentially means to await a reciprocation of their feelings from the other side as well. They will lack the requisite confidence to comprehend each other’s cognitive behavior and maturity to understand each other’s feelings involved in a healthy relationship. This will compel them to reassert their relationship again and again. Physical contact will prove to be a cheap and affordable tool while doing it openly in public domain will misguide them as being more natural and raw in their relationship. While this behavior is mere innocence and fails to standby as the structure of love it ends up being a short lived relationship and useless diversions of mental energies.

The first case is rather more serious. In this case the subjects are attached with strong mental and emotional links and as a premise, also understand each other well. This is the exemplified structure capable of growing into unconditioned mature love, but however blatant it may sound, with a very thin margin separating it from becoming into an obsession; and the carefree public reciprocation validates it of being transformed into an obsession. A mature couple will appreciate their own special secret moments of surrender to each other rather than fulfilling the urge to possess each other in open. They will wait for the right time with a broad minded vision of the future. While carefree public reciprocation may sound perfectly natural notwithstanding stereotypical societal bigots, the catch lies in the fact that such subjects usually legitimate themselves by saying that “they care about each other, not the world”. Well in fact this rosy statement is essentially the first cycle of obsessive love wheel as described by Dr. John D. Moore in his book, Confusing Love with Obsession. The Obsessive love wheel has four phases:

    1)  Attraction phase: Which may include instant attraction to romantic interest, focusing on physical characteristics while ignoring personality differences, etc.

     2)      Anxious Phase: Needs of constant contact with the loved one, feeling like the other partner shouldn’t meet or speak with others, etc.

    3)   Obsessive Phase: Tunnel vision and constant attention of the loved, Neurotic behaviors like rapid phone calls to the loved one, accusations of infidelity due to over-anxiety, etc. 

   4)      Destructive Phase: Overwhelming feelings of depression, loss of self-esteem, self–blame, self-hatred due to collapse of relationship,  anger to seek revenge against the loved one who broke the relationship, use of drugs, alcohol for healing of emotional pain etc.

I am not stating that the above phases are a product of PDA. I merely state that PDA defines a false definition of sustainable love; or whatever it defines, fails mostly and fundamentally to get the warrant of a deep and sensible affection. I personally know many couples who one’s were laughing, enjoying and riding the life with unwarranted carefree attitude and have ended up being through these phases. Now they admit their thence innocence of acknowledging the carefree mislead courage as unparalleled love and are much matured today. Having witnessed many friends who have somehow successfully passed all the four phases, I but pray to witness no more. While love is a beautiful feeling it is equally beautiful to find your soul mate albeit not always within the same batch.

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[i] Wikipedia

Cleanse ~ klɛnz/

·         make (something, especially the skin) thoroughly clean.

"this preparation will cleanse and tighten the skin"

synonyms:

clean, make clean, clean up, wash, bathe, rinse, disinfect, sanitize,decontaminate, purify; More

·         rid of something unpleasant or defiling.

"the mission to cleanse America of subversives"

synonyms:

rid, clear, free, purify, purge, empty, strip, void, relieve More

_________________________________________________________________________________

    The aforementioned text explains the meaning of cleansing. My reason to search out the meaning from google, listening to the pronunciation a couple of times and putting it up at the starting of this article is something closely related to my ego. I have been sensing a lot of cacophony off lately surrounding the word “cleansing”. The mentions I observed were in magazines, newspapers and even from Arnab Goswami. Albeit the topic of discussions is not skin cleansing or getting rid of subversives, but the Indian neo-political arena. So to say that the continuous notice of the word provoked me to look up the meaning in Google search bar, for I feared that I had a faux meaning of the word in my mind. 

The story is about some frequent decisions taken by the Supreme Court. The scene got created when people realized that these decisions taken by the apex court fell head on over the legislature. Before proceeding further, let’s remember that the Indian constitution describes 3 parallel pillars as the corner stone of our political system. The Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary form these 3 pillars. These are insulated from each other in the sense that neither of them can interfere in any other’s operations but can keep a check and balance by using directive tools such as writs, demonstrations and pressure groups. 

To what the news channels describes as an “act of political cleansing” done by the Supreme Court, it is merely a refined understanding of what already had been inculcated inside the constitution for the latter.

The SC orders were in “Chief Election Commission vs. Jan Chaukidar” and “Lily Thomas vs. Union of India”. It stopped short in the NOTA (None of the above) case henceforth leaving it debatable.

According to the verdict stated in the CEC vs. Jan Chaukidar, incarcerated persons will be proscribed from contesting elections to the Parliament and State Legislatures. So to say, people under police custody or jail cannot contest elections.

According to the Lily Thomas vs. Union of India case any sitting member of the Parliament or a State legislature if convicted would immediately loose his or her membership from the house.

The landmark “NOTA” judgment in People’s Union for Civil Liberties vs. Union of India to introduce “None of the above” option in EVMs (Electronic Voting Machines) and Ballot papers is both perceived as a harbinger of far-reaching positive change in India’s political setup as well as another misleading theatrical melodrama at the same time by political and legal observers.

It is of prime importance to understand the dynamics surrounding these declarations before we can comment on them. The CEC vs. Jan Chaukidar case is only observed as a declaration forbidding incarcerated persons from contesting elections. However the SC explains that this decision is a mere insightful understanding of the Representation of People’s Act 1951. It was always present there but only understood now. 

CEC vs. Jan Chaukidar

As per the Article 326 the Parliament enacted Representation of People’s Act 1950 (for registration of voters) and Representation of People’s Act 1951 (for conduct of elections). The 1950 act clearly mentions in its Section 16(1)(c) that if a person is denied the right to vote (which according to the SC is a statutory right, given and taken back by law), then his/her name is not included in the electoral role (list of people eligible to vote from one particular constituency). Section 62 of the 1951 Act is titled “Right to vote” and it provides in sub-section (5) that no person shall vote at any election if he is confined in a prison, whether under a sentence of imprisonment or transportation or otherwise, or is in the lawful custody of the police.

Furthermore Section 4 and 5 of the 1951 Act lays down the qualifications for membership of the House of the People and State Legislatures. One of the qualifications laid down is that he must be an “elector” (voter) for any Parliamentary and Assembly constituency respectively. Therefore since under the state of police custody, sentence of imprisonment or simply incarceration, the right to vote of a person is quashed and he is proscribed from voting, he disqualifies to be eligible to contest an election.

Hence the CEC vs. Jan Chaukidar case explained clearly.

Lily Thomas vs. Union of India

This particular decision empowers the law to disqualify MPs and MLAs from their seats in the houses immediately if convicted. Section 8(4) of the Representation of People’s act provided an additional layer of immunity to law makers to retain their seats upon conviction if they could appeal to a higher court within 90 days. However as per the judgment, SC struck down Section 8(4) from RPA and mandated immediate disqualification. Ex Bihar CM and Ex Railway Minister Lalu Prasad’s 700 page judgment based on circumstantial evidence given by SC in the infamous fodder scam and his immediate disqualification from parliament gives perhaps a perfect exemplification of the aforementioned SC verdict.

SP Supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav expressed his apprehensions as “As people’s representatives we get cases filed against us for all sorts of reasons and some of them result in convictions also. Should that be a reason for disqualifying us?” Well my response to him is “when people’s representatives forget that they are just people’s representatives, people will do file against them. And as for convictions, their validation stand on the basis of proof, which if is true then it needs to be accepted with grace by a people’s representative. Period!” Poor luck big guy.

None of the above

Former Secretary General of the Lok Sabha, Subhash Kahyap explained how Supreme Court has abstained itself from doing more than what could have been done in the NOTA case. SC does realize the difference between NOTA and the Right to Reject, the latter lying strictly in the legislative domain. Conversely the above two cases and their decisions were under judicial domains. Currently the presence of NOTA on an EVM simply provides an option to a voter to not choose any of the aforementioned candidates. However this differentiates from Right to reject in the sense that the candidate receiving the maximum number of votes still gets elected. The real sense of Right to reject would originate if an amendment is done by law, which defines that if NOTA receives the maximum number of votes, then all candidate gets rejected and a re-poll occurs.

Since the SC conserves such powers and liberties to interpret the constitution and the laws made by the legislatures, it is important to realize that the above mentioned decisions do not overlap the boundaries of Legislature and Judiciary. They still run parallel under the guiding principles of our constitution. Indeed now I do realize that the common people like Lily Thomas are doing the real cleansing, while the Judiciary is merely following its duties. Albeit a smart styled now!

The author is a Civil Services Aspirant,who loves to explore the whims and fancies surrounding the socio-political arena in India.

References:

http://www.thehindu.com/

http://www.frontline.in/

http://www.timesnow.tv/

DRUMS OF WAR

 “War is the health of a totalitarian state and peace is its disease”

-Norman Mailer (US Novelist and Anti-Vietnam war activist)

The preparations of the war are already in full swing. American B-52 Bombers loaded with cruise missiles, stealth fighters and low flying B1S fighter jets are being readied in the US bases. Moreover the British media have reported the supply of sophisticated arms to Syrian rebels under close supervision by CIA to overthrow the government in Syria. These developments have shaped after American President Barak Obama stated on 31^st August 2013 to take a Military action against the Syrian regime.

"After careful deliberation I have decided that the United States should take military action against Syrian military targets" [i]

-Mr Obama said from the Rose Garden.

The conditions have worsened after a chemical_attack[ii] occurred in Khal al-Asal, Aleppo, Syria on 19^th March 2013. The US Secretary of State, Mr. John Kerry has been putting his continuous efforts to muster support from European nations against the Syrian-Assad government for its alleged use of chemical weapon on unhuman grounds. However the Syrian government has been blaming the rebel groups and Saudi Arabia for the attack ever since it took place. The question of what and how much of it is truth lays very far. It is important to understand the premise and a bit of history before we proceed.

The involvement of US in overthrowing regimes and governments in Central and West Asia can be traced back to the cold war era.

Blood for Oil

IRAN

     Recent declassified CIA documents have revealed the

extensive role of United States and CIA in the destabilization program launched against Iran in early 1950s. Muhammad_Mossadeq[iii] was the democratically elected PM of Iran and a secular nationalist. Mossadeq decided to gain full control over Iran’s energy resources by nationalizing the oil companies. However the cheap oil prices and high profits for Britain and US were increasingly important. Instigated by the CIA, the western media demonized Mossadeq as an “unstable, intemperate and unreliable” ally of the west. CIA’s clandestine operations to provide arms to the rebels of Shah of Iran, eventually lead to the overthrow of Mossadeq’s democratically elected government and establishment of a totalitarian government responsive to the demands of west.

SYRIA

The US had played a role in ensuring Syria’s Independence in 1946, however their relations started to deteriorate after US’s prompt recognition of the state of Israel. America had wanted the Arabian American Oil Company pipeline be laid through Syria. However their relations got worsened when the Syrian parliament vetoed the passage rights for oil pipeline through its territory. This instigated the then American President Harry Truman to order the CIA to stage the very first military coup in the region. In March 1949, the Syrian PM Shukri al-Quwaiti was overthrown. Many years’ later plans were yet again made by CIA and the English M16 to destabilize and overthrow governments in Syria such as “Operation Straggle”.

THE BLOOD FOR OIL WARS STAGED TO SECURE KUWAIT IN 1990S AND IRAQ IN 2003 ARE FURTHER SUCH ILLUSTRATIONS OF DOMINANCE AND AGGRETION SHOWN BY THE UNITED STATES TIME AND AGAIN.

CURRENT STATUS QUO

John Kerry has come under widespread ridicule by downplaying the role of Al Qaeda and assorted jihadi groups in the Syrian conflict by claiming that “moderate democrats” (including the government) were in control of the rebels. This is pretty much clear and visible that the Gulf Monarchies of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey and Israel are igniting the mayhem in Syria. The Syrian government is thence beholding Saudi-Arabia supported fighters responsible for the chemical attack. US, Saudi Arabia and Israel have also refused to support Geneva_II (Peace conference)[iv] without which will lead to a proxy war being perpetrated for oil, resources and control.

ISRAEL’S SHARE

Israel considers Iran as their key enemy and they believe US’s military action in Syria will weaken the Persian presence in West Asia. In fact a high level Israeli military delegation was send to Washington to convince the US political establishment that military action against Syria was an essential step to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons capability.

AMERICA’S STAND

While Obama has indeed asked for the congressional vote on Syria, he anyways states that he still holds the option of attacking Syria regardless of the vote. Recently in a press conference he reclaimed that US has the prerogative to attack a third country even if the military action is not sanctioned by the UN. While Russia and China (permanent members of UN Security Council) have already vetoed their decision regarding Syria, such a release by the American President yet again puts a question on their hypocritical display of people’s government and clearly marks the violation of international laws.

Britain’s PM David Cameron’s intention to support US has been blocked by the British parliament and French President Francois Hollande is already facing barrage at home for his decision to support US. America is finally standing alone against the grandmaster Russia.

THE RUSSIAN GRANDMASTER

     Pertaining to the chemical attacks in Syria, the Russian authorities probed the entire scene and based on the samples collected they reported that the shells fired while when the attack took place were not Syrian. They proved that the attack was not sanctioned by Assad. Russia retaliated back in the September 2013 Russian G-20 Summit[v]. Moscow firmed its stand on Syria by declaring that “Russia defends not Assad and his regime but international law and the supremacy of the UN. Forceful removal of the Syrian leader will destabilize the entire West Asia and pose a threat of terrorist slipover to Russia’s North Caucasus.”[vi]

Vladimir Putin arranged a closed-door three hour debate on Syrian crisis on official dinner of G-20 summit, where the leaders of India, China, Brazil, Indonesia, Argentina, South Africa, and Italy joined Russia against US’s military action. In fact he was particularly impressed by the “unexpectedly” strong stand of Manmohan Singh against US’s unilateral strike.

OUTPLAYED BY PUTIN

     Putin has made a game changing proposal for Obama: Moscow would persuade Damascus to place its stock of chemical weapons under international council and the US would drop the plans of a military strike. This has left Obama with very little room to maneuver:

IF HE WENT FOR A UNILATERAL STRIKE, HE WOULD SHATTER HIS INTERNATIONAL REPUTATION; IF HE BACKED AWAY, HE WOULD LOOSE FACE AT HOME.

The BBC quoted the ending of Putin’s 2013 G-20 summit as “The turning point, which showed that the rest of the world no longer wants the United States to step in as the world’s policemen…”

-Yognik Baghel

The author is a civil service aspirant. All the views expressed are based on media coverage and news references duly addressed hereof.

References:

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[i] http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/08/31/obama-syria-military-action_n_3849406.html

[ii] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khan_al-Assal_chemical_attack

[iii] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammad_Mosaddegh

[iv] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geneva_II_Middle_East_peace_conference

[v] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_G-20_Saint_Petersburg_summit

[vi] http://uprootedpalestinians.wordpress.com/2013/09/23/putin-military-intervention-will-destabilize-syria-middle-east/

News Agencies

thehindu.com/

frontline.in

abc.go.com

www.bbc.com

in.reuters.com

timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Bureaucratic touch

(Conversation between 2 friends who accidentally meet at a mall in Gandhinagar…)

Satish: Hello(stressed) Shankar! What a pleasant surprise. Long time man!

Shankar: Hey Satish! Hows Veena and Kids?

Satish: Ther’ good! Hows Shalini, 6^th month right?

Shankar: No no 3^rd What! She’s going well, almonds cashews, keeping her healthy (grins). Reckon you were (a) deterrent shopper, how come in this mall, in Gandhinagar? 

Satish: Had a short meeting here at the Secretariat today. The’re increasing our upper caps on mobile phones to 20k. I’m planning for iPhone 5.

Shankar: Excellent! Must be quite a feeling in switching from Nokia to Apple?

Satish: Not exactly, I’m buying it to Veena. It is hard these days you see. But then bureaucratic perks do bail you out in times of demanding wives! (Chuckles)

Shankar: That’s true brother. The other day I was going through an article by a DA-IICTian. This guy was expressing concerns over the urgent requirement of FDI in Defense  It will protect the Government from excessive weapon and ammunition imports, which preserves an extremely heavy stake in widening the Current Account Deficit. Moreover FDI in defense would provide scope in exporting defense machineries to other nations, introduce better modern technology in native hands and generate employment for our engineered youth. 

Satish: Correct brother. A narrowing CAD can control this currency devaluation. Besides it will also trigger improved infrastructure as a platform for indigenous production. By the way the Government should urgently consider investing in the labor sector infrastructure.

Shankar: Huh! Sir?

Satish: The wages have recently leveled up in China, which remains a hub of labor intensive market in Asia. This will attract more cheap-labor hungry MNCs to Asia. This is a golden opportunity for Indian Government to woo these MNCs as their investment will surely bring in Dollar inflows!

Shankar: And Dollar inflows would help strengthening the Rupee, isn’t it? But the Government still needs to formulate stringent labor laws and an improved infrastructure.

Satish: Mor’an that, they need to ease up on their haywire policies. Unrequired taxes and caps on foreign investments in SEZs (Special Economic Zones) have been a cause of concern for interested foreign players ever since. Seems when the nation opened itself up back in 1990s, ‘twas more of paperwork than reality. The infant industry argument is outlawed and until the government allows foreign competition the native manufacturers will not even frown leave aside improve.

Shankar: You’re true on the haywire part bro. They grant permission of international operations only after 6 six years of domestic service in civil aviation. Isn’t this more of a corporate decision than a public ordinance! We cannot grow and mature with a sense of insecurity.

Satish: The SEZs demand an urgent attention in getting improved energy sector infrastructure, better Governmental and public support. The energy sector seriously needs reforms!

Shankar: Reforms! Did you hear of their noble intentions of doubling the gas prices by April ’14? This will be catastrophic in the sense that gas runs two crucial sectors in this nation. The Energy sector and The Fertilizer industry. Fuelling up gas prices will either leave the gas-run power plants dormant (a huge waste of Government investment) or it will in the most classical way shoot up the electricity prices, the Apollo 11 way. Further Fertilizer industry runs heavily on gas supplies. A gas price increase will shoot the fertilizer and hence harvest prices. We cannot overlook the huge governmental subsidy in food sector, which will simply catalyst the huge financial burden on citizens. In brief costly electricity and costly Potatoes.

Satish: As per the latest  press communique released from the Ministry of Oil and Natural gas, fiscal year 2012- ’13 statistics clearly show a skewed utilization of the newly discovered natural gas fields in Rajasthan. A mere 48% of the planned utilization! If the Government is unsure of itself, they should probably auction (planned and literal) some stake to a worthy foreign player. Make laws about exports caps and duties and fixed domestic deliveries. Would help wonders in bringing foreign capital, effective utilization and improved infrastructure.

Shankar: True brother, instead Sharma and Chidambaram are busy with American State and commerce Secretaries. They must be more concerned about immediate reforms not protracted hopes. After all the elections are coming, they need to keep up their manifesto promises.

Satish: That they don’t realize brother! The useless Food Security Bill isn’t the only promise, they made in their manifesto. But it sure is the easiest to pursue at the given time. Food Corp. India is the most corrupt body of this country with so many leakages that the government should request the owners of M-Seal to assist the PDS (Public Distribution System). Increasing the pressure on the mouth of a supply line with 108 leakages will only flood the leaking areas. The real wisdom lies in sealing the leakages. They had promised to use Aadhaar cards as subsidiary ration cards and carve out a cashless PDS system to remove local level corruption. They had promised dynamic GDP growth rate, employment rate. They had promised a tamed inflation as well in their manifesto. But it seems…

Shankar: Calm down brother. On the sunny part, the judiciary is at least kicking out criminal and tainted politicians from the parliament, on the call of reforming the Representation of People’s Act (article 6 and 4). This means the new Government’s session will acquaint many new faces.

Satish: Yeah! Let’s see. By the way I forgot to ask, Wha’ch ya doin’ here in mall? You’re not a shopping geek either?

Shankar: (Phone rings!!) *Trin *Trin….Excuse me. Hello Darling!

Shalini: Why’re ya taking so long!! This queue’s crushing my belly! Asked you to bring the cash not the entire ATM! Now don’t tell me you met some of your officer friend and started discussing the pathetic state of legislature!!

Shankar: No Hon! How can ya even! Anyways get outta’ the queue, we’re going to buy Apple (riot on other side)… I mean the iPhone Darl’. Ok just coming…Bye.

Satish: You too?

Shankar: Guess bureaucratic perks don’t partial on provincial basis (Chuckles)…!

The author is a civil service aspirant, who loves to roams around the myriad hues surrounding the nation and its citizens today. 

The links are provided for further reading

All expressed views are personal.

-Yognik Baghel

The Dying INC.

56.64 and still growing perhaps falling. The value of Rupee is currently at its second highest position and is quickly making its ways to break the record of its all-time sacrosanct low figure of 57.15 against the US dollar, dated 22^nd of June 2012. Amongst many possible factors aimed at curbing the rising inflation, one appearing in recent debates is to increase the upper cap on FDI in the defense sector. 

Mr. Thomas Mathew, Joint Secretary to President argues for “steadily expanding deficiencies in the defense modernization”. Around 70% of India’s defense equipment is imported. Moreover if the value of foreign components in the equipments manufactured in India are added as well, the dependency would be even higher. “A nation that would have to face several challenges as it strives to become a greater economic power cannot afford to be so dependent on imported weapons”, argues Thomas. We must learn from nations like Brazil which had specially amended their federal constitution in 1995, to allow up to 100% investment by foreign companies in their Defense sector. They converted their image from a major importer to a major exporter with Helibras today being a prominent name in the helicopter manufacturing industry. While the idea is to stabilize the Indian Defense sector (currently allowing mere 26% FDI) and controlling the rising inflation, this educated step would also aid in matters of increased employment for Indian engineers, better technology in indigenous hands, increased outsourcing to other nations, and circuitously a much widely accepted government at the New-Delhi.

If one would gaze at the Government at the Center 2 years back from now, then he/she would have faced a severe dilemma at the hands of helplessness. While the INC led UPA II was stamping its worth for the ruling coalition, the main opposition party BJP seemed to be involved in an equal internal struggle as well. However the scenario is changed now and while INC in battling regular inflicts, BJP is looking forward for an organized hike to Mount Delhi. Although the time demands INC to be addressing more pressing issues of rising inflation and Naxal settlement, it is struggling to move past the endorsement of food security bill, 

already labeled as extremely costly and ineffective by several experts. “The fundamental problem about the system is “leakages” and one soon realized that FCI (Food Corp. of India) is one of the most inefficient and corrupt organizations in the government”, says Arvind Virmani, former chief economic advisor. “Today the total number of people living below poverty line is more than our entire population in 1947”, reveals NSSO. 

Our reverend Prime Minister complains about growing hostility in the main opposition party that has halted many important bills and to-be-made decisions in void. The opposition is reacting by continuously repeating that their antagonism is deeply owed to a most corrupt government of all time. Such mutual attacks however do not consolidate INC’s acceptability in the upcoming 2014 general elections.

It is time to take an educated step for the Naxal issue, especially when their regional presence in Chhattisgarh state has been brutally inflicted upon by Maoists. The recent massacre of 30 INC rally members (Parivarthan Yatra) near Dorbha forest in Jagdalpur, by ambushed Maoists has send a shock wave in the entire nation.

Ever since its inception in 2005- Salwa Judum or “Purification Hunt” (in Gondi Language) has been under continuous scrutiny and radars of the Maoists. Salwa Judum is an alleged civilian militia mobilized and deployed as a part of anti-insurgent operations in Chhattisgarh and aimed at countering Naxal violence in the region. Its foundation has thickened the flux between Naxals and the tribals in these regions ever since, and its founder- Mahendra Karma was sought after by Naxals for a long time. According to various leading dailies and his post-mortem report, Karma,

who was killed in the rally, was stabbed 78 times, 3 times on face, 8 times after he died and some 50 bullets were recovered from his mutilated body. The attack was a coward’s play owing to the ambush Naxals had plotted and considering the few security officers in the rally who managed to push the AK cladded Naxals for two hours before surrendering due to exhausted ammunition of their service revolvers. While the Naxals stand Karma guilty of

harassing the tribals and claiming their lands, some indications can indeed be taken out. It is true that the no-man lands of the red corridor that stretches from south Nepal to Andhra Pradesh is extremely rich in valuable minerals, which possess a golden opportunity for the government and leading national-international business empires. However in their expedition to claim the tribal lands, they fail to realize the sensitive tribal sentiments attached with their lands. When the governments, Local as well as Union has continuously failed to provide basic amenities  of health clinics, rations, water, electricity and security to these tribals, land remains the only resource which these tribal claim for themselves. In the due course these tribals have also lend their trust into the Naxal hands, which despite the use of violence do provide however small aid and

assistance possible at root level. Under such hostile conditions, to help the tribals in escaping from the violent hands of Naxals and wiping away the Naxal presence as well is possible in only one way. It is “Security followed by Development”, that is, the gap between security measures and the developments to take place should effectively be zero- explains K.Vijay Kumar IPS, former head of SVPNPA,

Hyderabad, former Director General CRPF and current Senior Security Advisor Home Ministry. Kumar was the Chief of STF that encountered the notorious Sandalwood bandit Veerapaan. In its entire course of 9 years UPA has been unable to resolve this internal source of threat that becomes more dangerous and pressing than any external threat, with each flying dusk.

While in such problematic times for INC, a much more intense and long awaited problem finally roots out. The emergence of Narendra Modi, who completes 10

years of prosperity in Gujarat and despite various blame games and blotches of violent bloodshed in his state, offers a Modern and Developed model of Garvi Gujarat while pacing quickly towards 7, Race Course Road. People address him as the Mandate Of Developing India! Despite a few reservations expressed by BJP veteran Mr. L.K.Advani and his loyalists namingly Jaswant Singh, and Shatrughan Sinha, BJP president Rajnath Singh is all set to announce Modi as the head of Lok Sabha campaign committee on 9^th of June ’13. The party’s National Executive meet held in Goa awaits the moment; Of Modi being recognized as the official prime ministerial candidate for upcoming 2014 general Lok Sabha polls. While Advani and

his loyalists have refused to attend the meet owing to illness and “sudden health concerns”, Modi is all set to start his new Yatra from Gujarat to New-Delhi via GOA.

What awaits more importantly is the showdown which Modi is expected to perform if he ends up landing in 7 Race Course Road. Whether he will be able to address more pressing National concerns of Inflation, Defense, Food security, Lokpal and Naxals as he has in Gujarat in the past 10 years? One can only wish for the best, and so can INC and Mr. Rahul Gandhi as he charmingly awaits to become the bait against the growing BJP popularity!

References-

The views mentioned are completely personal. The quotations have been taken from the leading Indian Daily- “Times of India”. Some more information has been borrowed from the following sources-

timesofindia.indiatimes.com/‎

en.wikipedia.org/

www.bhaskar.com/‎

The images have been borrowed form Google Image Search