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Punjab farmers
deserve a better deal On
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Sharing of
Rajasthan canal water by G.S. Dhillon THERE has been a bitter struggle between the farmers of Stage I and Stage II of the Rajasthan Canal Project. Stage I farmers say, they will have to get 58 per cent of water flowing in the canal as agreed upon earlier.
Reflections Profile Diversities
— Delhi Letter
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On Record
Communist Party of India
(Marxist) secretary in Jammu and Kashmir Mohammad Yusuf Tarigami has escaped
several attempts on his life, but his family members have not been so lucky.
These threats have not prevented him from articulating his views fearlessly.
In an interview to The Sunday Tribune, he rejected abrogation of Article 370
as it would undermine the basis of the region’s accession with the Indian
Union. "We try to develop flexible ideas of sovereignty to meet the
requirements of Jammu and Kashmir and the need to re-look at Article 370".
He is in favour of commutation of Afzal’s death sentence to life
imprisonment in the Parliament Attack case. Excerpts: Q: What has
created the perpetual distress between the Centre and the people of Jammu and
Kashmir? A: One has to understand first how the problem has arisen, the
special circumstances under which Kashmir acceded to India and the special
status granted to it in the Indian Constitution. The Centre, unfortunately, has
eroded the special status over the years. Further, the state has unfairly been
deprived of the freedom of democracy which the rest of the country enjoyed. Q:
You talk about special status under Article 370. But other parties like the BJP
demand its abrogation. A: Article 370 needs to be reviewed. This has not
been done in the past. Abrogation is not the solution. Erosion of Article 370
is the main cause of trouble and political uncertainty in the state. It is on
the basis of this Article that Kashmir signed the Instrument of Accession,
which is different from the merger of other states to the Indian Union. Q:
The People’s Democratic Party has been arguing for self-rule, elected
Governor and no posting of All-India Services officers in the state. A: These
demands only strengthen the country’s federal structure. After 59 years of
Independence, the federal structure needs a close look. It is not just
Kashmir...other states are also asking for more powers. Over the years, there
is a growing sense of alienation and the military is not the way to go forward.
With the bullet you can kill people but not remove alienation. The PDP is
demanding the restoration of Article 370 in letter and spirit. Q: The
National Conference has boycotted the Kashmir Working Group (KWG) meeting. Will
it not make the whole exercise futile? A: The NC has attended the KWG
meetings earlier. Now they have expressed some concern. I had talked with NC
leader Farooq Abdullah. He assured me that they would certainly be part of the
process. I would request the government to expand the scope of the dialogue and
include those who are described as separatists. Q: What has been your
suggestion to the five Working Groups on Jammu and Kashmir? A: Novel forms
and procedures will have to be devised for Kashmir which is divided between the
two nation states and which, on both sides of the divide, is far from being
homogenous. The guiding principle should be that we try to develop flexible
ideas of sovereignty to meet the state’s requirements. There is an urgent
need to create a soft border/LoC and recognise the importance of a pan-Kashmiri
regional identity, irrespective of Indian or Pakistani administration. This
line (LoC) has to be soft as to remove the people’s impression on both sides
that an unnecessary barrier stands in their movement, trade and commerce,
cultural and other exchanges. This should be done in a manner that reconciles
Indian and Pakistani concerns over Kashmir. This step may render the LoC
irrelevant, thus removing a mental barrier to the onward movement towards
reconciliation. Q: What about your suggestion at the KWGfor the extension
of regional autonomous councils as in Leh and Kargil to other regions of the
state? A: Just as regional empowerment will promote state unity, the
districts, as the primary units of development, should be made autonomous to
strengthen the unity of the regions. The Leh and Kargil pattern of district
autonomy provides us an example which should be replicated in all the
districts. This will also be in the interest of uniformity in the state. Q:
Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf recently proposed a four-point solution to
the Kashmir tangle — no change in boundaries of Kashmir; make the border and
the LoC irrelevant; staggered demilitarisation; and autonomy or self-governance
with a joint supervision mechanism. How optimistic are you about these
suggestions? A: Peace in Kashmir cannot prevail without peaceful relations
between India and Pakistan. The leadership in both countries should have a
fresh look at the issues by shedding their old and dogmatic approach. Both
should be flexible in their approach. The four-point solution by General
Musharraf, various options proposed by Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Dr Manmohan
Singh should be seriously considered for arriving at a solution. The first step
should be strengthening economic ties between Kashmir which is divided between
two nation states. This may create the climate for a political solution to the
problem. Q: What about the debate on the death sentence awarded to Afzal in
the Parliament Attack case? A: A large section of the Kashmiri polity has
come out in the streets seeking mercy for Afzal. In reality some key
separatists and fundamental organisations want Afzal to hang and make political
capital out of his death. For the first time in many years Kashmiris are out in
the streets. It is an opportunity to revive public suppot for separatists. Afzal’s
hanging will become a rallying point and provide political capital for the
separatists. Moreover, in several countries death sentence has been abolished.
But we must look at the political consequences also. By commuting death
sentence to life imprisonment, the government can nip the separatists’ design
to portray Afzal as a martyr and prevent the emergence of more people following
his footsteps. |
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Sharing of Rajasthan canal water THERE has been a bitter struggle between the farmers of Stage I and Stage II of the Rajasthan Canal Project (RCP). Stage I farmers say, they will have to get 58 per cent of water flowing in the canal as agreed upon earlier. Stage II farmers, who occupy nearly two-thirds of the command area, do not want the unfair distribution to continue. Clearly, this calls for a re-assessment of the situation. Stage II of the project should be reframed and, consequently, the share of water. The command area of Stage II falls in the Thar desert. It extends up to the Gadra Road
(Jaisalmer district). The work involves building of a 356-km-long main canal, 5000-km-long branch canals and distributary system. The project’s total command area is about 25 lakh acres and this consists of 17.29 lakh acres to be covered by the flow irrigation mode on the right bank of the main canal. On the left bank, there will be six lift schemes to lift the canal water through a total height of 575 ft and irrigate 9 lakh acres. Some special features of this stage are: irrigation; afforestation to prevent advance of the Thar desert; and a common carrier channel for irrigation and drinking water purposes. According to RCP Chairman B.P. Bhatnagar, if funds to the tune of Rs 100 crore had been made available annually, then Stage II would have been completed by 2002. The main cause for the delay is paucity of funds and some unusual problems, he says. Surprisingly, before starting the project, no soil investigation was done. Land classification, agricultural economics, settlement schemes and plans for project development had not been done. The Centre and the Rajasthan government made only some rough assessment. In a project of this kind, the vertical drainage of the soil is absent and seepage water travel laterally which endangers the stability of the embankments built, cracks in the lining, quick sand traps in the borrow pits and depressions outside the banks. The quick sand traps create dangerous conditions and animals entering the same cannot get out. In addition, due to liquefaction of loessian soil on saturation, many canal works have failed. Though an expert panel appointed by the RCP Control Board suggested zero seepage and fully flexible lining for the canal system, this is yet to be adopted. More important, the Aeolian (wind blown) fine grained sandy soil in Stage II is unfit for conventional system of irrigation or flow irrigation. The project authorities advocate sprinkler system of irrigation and go in for pasture development growing Sewan grass. Experts feel that this mode would lead to considerable wastage of water resources as the channel will have to be kept running round the clock throughout the year instead of operation by rotation as is done in the case of irrigation channels. The project involves six lift schemes. Owing to power crisis, the idea was dropped in 1977. Why was this revived again? The basis on which the planners planned to utilise 8 MAF of the Ravi-Beas water in 1958 got altered due to various factors. A complete reappraisal of the Stage II project for effective use of the water is in order. The writer is a former Chief Engineer (Irrigation), Punjab |
Reflections In
a recent television programme, the question posed was “Is the judiciary the last hope of our country”? The verdict was a thundering “Yes”. We have all heard about a series of sentences pronounced by the judiciary on the high and mighty in the last few days. Some may well recall the conviction of a minister and a bureaucrat in Maharashtra for non-compliance of court orders which led to resignations and imprisonments a few months back. This sent a clear message to the officials, perhaps for the first time, that the judicial directions cannot be circumvented. Following this in the past few days, we have had sentences pronounced for Sanjay Dutt, Shibu Soren and Navjot Sidhu. The apex court added one more punch, by categorically ruling that no prior sanction is required for prosecuting the elected representatives in cases of corruption. “Taking bribes is not a part of official duty”, said the court. This has caused a huge vulnerability for all those high profile public officials whose cases were hibernating due to non-receipt of sanctions. With the present trend, the day of reckoning seems to be at the doorstep of almost all of them. All this is not fun to write… What has made this proliferate? The fact is that we inculcated social acceptance and recognition of law-breakers-turning-power-usurpers and ill-gotten wealth accumulators. Alongside they occupied expanding space with constituencies, to develop purchasing power to dictate orders. We as a society developed tolerance, fear, apathy, hypocrisy, and even self-aggrandisement with indulgence to go along with many of them. In fact, we paid a price and even took a price! Some paid the price, while the receivers accumulated it and further built mansions over it. There were millions who were onlookers. They too paid the price by losing faith in the system as a whole, as the spot survey revealed on the television programme. For long everything needed a contact, a reference or an incentive or else you are in waiting forever. Subordinates in many cases need approvals for right initiatives. Being courageous at times is threatening to the corrupt or the insecure. Today senior and upper middle level generations of officials in any field are by and large a product of a subculture which perpetuates indecision, inequality, fear and patronage in delivery services. Can any one dare to give a traffic ticket to a VIP or even a friend of a VIP and get away without a reprimand or a transfer? Or suffer isolation? Can a VIP even today be questioned, leave alone arrested, by an officer empowered by law, for visible disproportionate assets without the highest clearance? So where is the rule of law? No wonder, the prisons are overflowing with over 3 lakh people who are predominantly from below the poverty line. In fact, more than controlling crimes, prisons in India are feeding these many men and women while depriving their children of their parents. But thanks to the growing desperation, and public awakening, critical issues are getting addressed today in the speed and language many in power are not used to. There is both a sigh of relief in some sections while an outcry in others. The key issue now before us is whether this speed will be restricted to only those who are high profile? Or will it also extend to the non-profile cases? My earnest prayer is that if we truly want to practice equality and restore faith and trust, we must do the following: lBegin by filling up of all existing vacancies of judges in the subordinate courts and the High Courts, which are around 22 per cent as of now. Records show that subordinate courts are able to dispose off as many as 88 per cent cases filed before them in a year in spite of the existence of 21.92 per cent vacancies in their sanctioned strength. Thus, even if the vacancy position is brought down by 12 per cent, it will logically lead to disposal equal to 100 per cent cases filed during the year. However, if the vacancy position is brought down further to zero, it will start liquidating the old pending cases correspondingly and this is where benefit to the society as whole will accrue. lOther important measures which could be taken up are improvement in legal procedures to reduce pendency such as Active Case Flow Management Technique by creating dual tracks, one for keeping abreast of filing of new cases and the other to deal with old pending matters. This is a model being followed in the highest judiciary, which needs replication in all other courts.
Once these suggestions are holistically addressed, the judiciary will have ensured speedy justice to all by getting criminals punished before they assume responsible
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Profile The cost of a two-seater aircraft now manufactured by Indus in collaboration with Bangalore-based Taneja Aerospace and Aviation Ltd works out to Rs 40-45 lakh. It is cheaper than class-one Mercedez Benz, costing over Rs 65 lakh. A 150- km Bangalore-Mysore trip by the tiny two-seater will take less than an hour while by road it takes about four hours. The fuel cost comes to about Rs 1,000. These small aircraft can take off and land on fields measuring 350-400 feet and cruise at a top speed of 212 km an hour. Commercial establishments have now the option to touch down at places not covered by regular flights. For those, who do not know flying, says Dr Ram, there is no problem: flying lessons come with the aircraft at no extra cost. The Indus-Taal venture also plans to launch what Dr Ram calls — “built a plane” — project where children from orphanage will learn about aircraft design and manufacturing. Anyone who helps out with the training will get a discount at flying clubs. In addition, the company also proposes to start an aviation academy complete with simulators and trainer aircraft at Hosur, 30 km from Bangalore. The aircraft will also be produced at Hosur. According to him, such aircraft will help revive interest in aviation. The corporate houses can buy the planes through a consortium approach but the DGCA may have to simplify the procedure — just as simple as driving a car out of a showroom. Indus has opened a showroom at Koramangala in Bangalore. It is home to the likes of Infosys top gun Nandan Nilekani and several software companies. “Gone are the days when your neighbour envied you for distributing sweets on the purchase of a luxury car. It’s time now to feel proud of owning a sporty new aircraft. What a better way of flattering your better half than going on a honeymoon in a two-seater aircraft of your own to the neighbouring states or may be even the romantic Lakshwadeep Islands”, says the hoarding at the showroom. Working professionals and businessmen, says Dr Ram, should now forget about all those painful hours of waiting to complete formalities at the airport or jostling crowd at the railway station for their visits to Chennai or Hyderabad. On display at the showroom, recently inaugurated by Dr Ram, is the aircraft — Throp T-211 — a twin-seat light and sport aircraft. It has received an airworthiness certificate from the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) of the US, implying an automatic stamp of approval by the Director General of Civil Aviation in India. Dr Ram has an ambitious plan to cater to Indian market. His company plans to manufacture a four-seater aircraft and set up a flight-training academy in Bangalore. “India has a personal aviation growth market and we are taking a leadership position by putting together a group of products and technologies that will have strong demand”, says the surgeon-turned aviator. Now 58, Dr Pattisapu left India for America when he was in his teens to study medical science. He excelled in his studies, having obtained masters degree. Although he became an accomplished surgeon, aircraft always fascinated him even when he was a child. His love for aviation was so abiding that he undertook flight training while advancing his medical studies. He holds a private pilot’s license, with instrument and multi-engine instrument rating. Currently, he has over 800 hours of flying time in a wide variety of aircraft. Having owned six different aircraft over the past several years, he has developed a very strong network of friends and colleagues in the field of aviation as well as medicine. In addition, he holds patents for development of two devices that are designed for enhancement of aviation safety, which he hopes to manufacture in India. He firmly believes that India has a personal aviation growth market and says “we are taking a leadership position having put together a group of products and technologies that would have strong demand”. So impressive was the record of Dr Ram Pattisapu that the Dallas Indo-American Chamber of Commerce honoured him with the “Entrepreneur of the Year Award, 2006. The Chamber was established by successful NRIs, wanting to further encourage and facilitate trade between India and United
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Diversities — Delhi Letter With infrastructure not coping with the changing scenario, there is bound to be chaos. And what do we do about it. Nothing really, except hold a seminar or call for a discussion or a meet. And this is what has been happening here, every single day of this season. Traffic chaos has overtaken all other forms of hassles on the road. It seemed rather apt that the Association of Transport Development of India together with the Jamia Millia Islamia held a national workshop on the transport policy for the XI Five-Year Plan. Critically reviewing the transport policy in the past 10 Five-Year Plans, it focused on the imbalances in the rural and urban development of transport amenities, the problems of basic connectivity in several parts of rural India and between core cities and peripheries. There was the success story of the BMTC, the possible design of new buses, the impact of transport policies on the economy. There is a need to make all the decision-makers — politicians, bureaucrats and planners — drive their own vehicles. Only then, perhaps, the reality would hit them as never before. As of now, these men at the creamy layer, are so dependent on their drivers that they are simply unaware of the
dangers confronted by the drivers. It’s all very comfortable to do back seat
driving, but not when you have to actually face the music.
France honours Alka Pandey Unabated are the French in their enthusiasm to honour Indians who are making a mark on the scenario. On Dec 12, Ambassador of France to India Dominique Girard bestowed the French government’s award of Chevalier dans I ‘Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters) on Alka Pande, “in recognition of Dr Pande’s contribution to Indian cultural life and also to the development of Indo-French cooperation in the field of art.” Yes, Alka Pande has made an impact on Delhi’s art scene. Besides being the Director of the Visual Arts Gallery of the India Habitat Centre, she has been curator of major art shows here and in other cities too. What I absolutely marvel is that along with this, she has managed to write at least seven books on art and related aspects. On Dec 12, her seventh book, The New Age Kamasutra for Women was also launched. As she says of this book, it “is not about judgements or opinions but evolves and emerges from the observed behaviours. It is as much for the males as for the females; it is about sharing and caring, and bringing them together in a fruitful union. While each couple plays its own role, evolves its own balances. Some basic formulae are common to all and often the mundane and the forgotten can weave magic and an excitement in a relationship, thus like kama sutra.”
Close on the heels of the submission of the Justice Rajinder Sachar Committee report to the Prime Minister, there have been at least two discussion meets on it. Now a third one is coming up. Reports suggest, Ram Vilas Paswan is calling a joint meet of the Dalits and the Muslims, which is scheduled to be held here in the capital. This week also witnessed a seminar on the theme, “Autonomy versus self-rule in Kashmir”. Can’t really say whether it was triggered off by General Musharraf’s four-point formula to resolve the Kashmir crisis, which does seem a practical way out to resolve the crisis.
Show on Prithviraj Kapoor In these days of Big B and King Khans, it was a pleasant surprise to see Max Mueller Bhavan hosting an exhibition on the life and theatre of Prithviraj Kapoor. After all, he was the pioneer in giving life to theatre.
In the same mood, I want to add that in these days of the US and the UK trying to rule and overrule, it was a surprise to see smaller countries also having their say. Not just lectures by scholars and academics from the so-called developing nations but more interactions. The Embassy of the Central Asian Republic of Kazakhstan celebrated their Independence Day on December 14. It was a spendid and well attended national day. Meanwhile, something very different is coming up at the IIC from December 18, right through the week. The focus will be on “Yogis and yoginis”. It’s a full series and I will update you on it next
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What they are like, is one who lit a fire, and when it illumined everything around God took their light and left them in darkness, unseeing. —
The Koran God pervades everywhere And motivates all under His will. — Guru Nanak He gives most who gives with joy. —
Mother Teresa The Bhagvad Gita advises that all work must be done as if it is worship. The same devotion and care must be lavished on work as is done on worship of God. In this way, self-realisation may be achieved. —
The Bhagvad Gita If your bonds are not broken while you live, what hope do you harbour of deliverance in death? It is but an empty dream that the soul shall have union with him because it has passed from the body. —
Kabir
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