P A G E
Friday, January 8, 1999
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E D I T O R I A L P A G E |
Friday, January 8, 1999 |
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US
spies in UNSCOM
GROWING
SIGNS OF INTOLERANCE
India
losing on biodiversity |
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Free
trade pact — next best after Pokhran
The
Midas touch
Colonel
Wedgwood |
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US spies in UNSCOM UNITED Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has delivered the final judgement: US spies swarm the UNSCOM operations in Iraq. They use the ultra-sophisticated equipment lent by the USA only to monitor the telephone conversations of those entrusted with the personal security of President Saddam Hussein. In other words, they are snooping on every word and every movement of the one man whom the US Administration has sworn to liquidate and eliminate. The whole UN operation is anti-Saddam Hussein and has nothing to do with destroying weapons of mass destruction. It is a murder plot and the UN team of weapons inspectors is involved neck-deep in this. This, in a nutshell, is what three eminent and respected American newspapers have revealed. The Boston Globe, The Washington Post and The Los Angeles Times do not publish such explosive news unless they are convinced that there is more than an element of truth in the charge. And the charge has emanated from the highest source in the UN. Secretary-General Kofi Annan through his trusted associates has briefed these newspapers that he has substantial evidence to suggest that the US component in the UN Special Commission (UNSCOM) on Iraq was actually acting as eavesdroppers and not as weapons inspectors. They were regularly passing on the recordings of the listening devices to the CIA and not to the UN team. Simply put, they wore the UN hat but did the dirty CIA work. What was the task assigned to them by the CIA? Listen to this evidence. The US Administration has repeated a number of times that it was bankrolling an estimated $ 100 million operation to liquidate President Saddam Hussein. A military coup with assured recognition by the US Big Brother will be fine. If that is not possible, a solo assassination attempt will do. The UN team was thus monitoring the mood and movements of the Iraqi leader to plot the final act of the Saddam regime. The UN team has become an accomplice in overthrowing the leader of a UN member-state in a violent and unacceptable manner. This realisation so
shocked Mr Annan, a man of impeccable honour, that he
decided to go public. The three newspapers surmise that
he asked his senior aides to call in the Press and reveal
the dark and dangerous facts. It was an extraordinarily
bold decision. He is taking on the USA, the biggest
contributor to the UN and the only super power. The issue
is very close to the US heart, the removal of Mr Saddam
Hussein. Mr Annan is staking his position and future in
exposing a scandal that will reverberate across the world
for years. Obviously, he must have given much thought to
the fallout of his going to the Press with his findings
of the total subversion of the UN team by the USA. He has
done it at a time when President Clinton is gasping for
breath what with the impeachment proceedings and Iraq is
calling for a pan-Arab revolt against the USA and its
stooges, meaning the Saudi rulers and Egypt’s Mr
Hosni Mubarak. It is incumbent on the world to demand an
end to the charade of UN inspection to be part of what is
actually a covert CIA act and the lifting of the economic
sanctions. That is precisely what Mr Annan seems to want.
The world must listen to his conscience. Conscientious
men are rare to find these days. |
Act of vandalism BAL THACKERAY'S sainiks are spreading their area of operation. After holding Maharashtra to ransom all these years, they have now spread their tentacles to Delhi, Punjab and other states. In the national Capital they went so far as to ruin the pitch at the Ferozeshah Kotla grounds on Wednesday and in Patiala, they targeted a cinema hall showing "Fire" a few days earlier. The only thing more shocking than these acts of depredation was the passive attitude displayed by the administration in nipping the mischief. Particularly condemnable was the reaction of the police in Delhi which almost looked the other way while the mischief-makers went about damaging the pitch in front of video cameras without a fear in the world. The message is clear: they not only strive to be the thought police, they are also sure that there is no one to police them. The nation has to raise its voice unitedly against them if it is not to meet the fate of Nazi Germany. Hitler's troopers increased their terror in exactly a similar fashion. Under such unusual circumstances, resigned silence in itself comprises acquiescence. If these gangs are allowed to get away with what they are doing, there will be a hundred other vigilante groups dictating terms to all and sundry. The intolerance makes every right-thinking person hang his head in shame because it is in no way different from the bigotry of Taliban in Afghanistan and the mullahs in Iran. If at all there is a difference, it is only of degree. The Prime Minister had
shown the self-styled lion of Mumbai his place by saying
that nobody would be allowed to disrupt the cricket
matches with Pakistan. Now that the sainiks have defied
his warning, it is time for resolute action against them.
It is not only a question of maintaining law and order.
The credibility of his government is at stake. The
Bharatiya Janata Party may deny it but the general
impression is that fringe groups of Hindu militants have
felt emboldened after the BJP-led coalition government
came to power. Lack of action against them would be as
bad as aiding and abetting them. In their violent zeal,
these misguided youth fail to realise that through their
undesirable activities, they are only giving rise to the
belief that freedom of expression is throttled in India
and that religious minorities are persecuted there. What
is surprising is that the self-appointed custodians of
morality have never protested against infanticide, child
marriages and dowry deaths. Why, even the rapes and
vulgarity shown in Indian films have not moved them. Do
they mean to say that these are part of our culture?
Those who have any objection to a match against Pakistan
or certain scenes in a film have every right to boycott
them. They can also protest but in a peaceful, orderly
fashion. But if they take the law into their own hands,
the law has to come down heavily on them. Any kind of
leniency will be suicidal. |
GROWING SIGNS OF INTOLERANCE
WHY are there growing signs of intolerance in Indian society? The problem is not new. A number of unsavoury events have taken place in the past as well, sending shock-waves among the country's thinking classes. But with what results? We seem to be becoming insensitive to the sufferings of fellow citizens, especially those belonging to the lower strata of society. The Hindu-Muslim riots, caste, community and religious tensions, the glaring socio-economic disparities, the ever-widening gap between the rich and the poor, the crumbling value system, etc. have all contributed to the climate of friction and intolerance. What is specially disturbing in today's setting is the increasing assertiveness and ruthlessness of certain religious, fundamentalist and radical groups. Majority communalism is, of course, as disquieting as minority communalism. Let there be no two opinions on this basic point. A developing polity set on the road to modernisation cannot thrive in an atmosphere of violence and social friction. Nor can it live by religion alone. Religion is surely part of the people's personal life. But in a complex society like ours, it has to be left to the individual to practise his faith without interference from the state and other religious groups. This is the essence of secular India. The problem arises if certain misguided elements lose sight of the basic segments of the Indian nationhood and its broadbased liberal Constitution. For that matter, fundamentalism, terrorism and extremism should have no place in the country's democratic structure. Democracy thrives best in a climate of tolerance. Faster economic growth requires peace and understanding, so essential to make India competitive in today's unfair global system. The moot point is: who is responsible for creating new areas of strife? Why do we continue to cling to feudalism? My simple answer is: the competitive politics of our third-rate politicians and the politicised and inefficient police force and bureaucracy. Politicians keep self before the party and the nation. And since the police force and the bureaucracy have got politicised, they have failed to do their duty to establish a fair and just system. These are not new facts. But the tragedy with the Indian politician is that he does not practise what he preaches. No wonder, we go round and round without moving forward to achieve our goals. Take the case of Gujarat where the Christian minority and its churches have been the unfortunate targets of certain intolerant sections belonging to the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal. Dangs district of Gujarat is a tribal area. I toured this district way back in the early 80s. The land is rich. The tribals are a peaceful and loveable lot. Unfortunately, they have not got their due in socio-economic changes. The development process has been slow and lopsided, though the Gujarat authorities have always been considerate. A number of voluntary organisations have been working in the area, including Christian missionaries. They have been doing good work, though it is no secret that the missionaries do manage to win over the tribals by their effective but affectionate presence. This must have been a sore point with the VHP and other assertive Hindu outfits. However, there is no point in getting agitated, politically and otherwise. The Special Secretary in the Union Home Ministry, Mr M.B. Kaushal, who visited Gujarat for an on-the-spot inquiry, has reportedly said that "an agitation against mass conversion of tribals into Christianity has been going on since the mid-90s in the tribal belt covering the border areas of southern Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. The tribals, according to his assessment, have increasingly taken to Christianity not because they are against the Hindu religion but because they are induced to believe that conversion would provide them better life, education and economic advancement." (INFA's "Insaf" column) Instead of resorting to violence in the name of saving tribals from possible conversion, the VHP and other organisations should learn to work quietly at the grassroots, and help raise the standard of living and the level of literacy. They should, in fact, learn from Mr Nanaji Deshmukh who has been working quietly in certain tribal areas. We cannot dismiss the problems in tribal areas as a non-issue. Nor can we dismiss them as mere political and ideological exploitation of the locals by certain vested interests. The fact is that a readymade explosive stuff exists because of the poor social and economic conditions of the tribal groups. Even obvious correctives are not initiated to improve their lot. The failure of the central and state authorities to respond adequately and appropriately to the tribals' genuine demands for "livelihood and cultural survival" and to find viable solutions within the overall national framework is one of the major problems of modern India. What we see today is a piecemeal response while a total approach has to be evolved for their welfare. The "mainstream" Indians have their own perspective of political processes. In their zeal to evolve what they consider an "Indian perspective", they often tend to forget the sensitivities and susceptibilities of the tribals, who constitute 7 per cent of India's population (including those in the north-eastern region). But it is not a question of percentage. The tribals are a vital component of Indian life. They have a distinctive culture of their own which enriches national life. Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee has alleged that the attacks on Christian institutions in South Gujarat are part of a larger conspiracy, including a foreign hand, to topple the BJP-led coalition government at the Centre. This is a far-fetched conclusion, to say the least. Of course, nothing prevents the central government from coming out with documentary evidence to substantiate the allegation. However, it so happens that every sign of a problem in India is habitually attributed to some "foreign hand". Not that "foreign hands" are not at work. But the moot point is that "foreign hands" get involved because of our poor house-keeping and our inability to tackle domestic problems on a war-footing. Allowing things to drift, howsoever politically tactical, is not in national interest. Dithering and fickle-mindedness are signs of weakness. There is no substitute for good constructive work. In today's politicised atmosphere even a small fry thinks himself to be a leader without subjecting himself to discipline and values of orderly working of democracy. How can we bring about a social revolution in such a surcharged atmosphere? Can we usher in a new era of growth and development if we indulge in fighting with the so-called enemies of Hindutva? How can we help the poor to go up on the socio-economic ladder if we practise the politics of negativism? India's socio-economic scene calls for new responses. It demands positive thinking and constructive action. Violence and intolerance will only push the country behind. It is a pity that the new political style these days is characterised by the lack of restraint and discipline. The attainment of power is the main aim behind all political activity. But this quest for power is ungoverned by rules of legitimacy. Parochial and sectarian issues are pursued with passion. Scarce resources and public property are destroyed without compunction. The tribal problems cannot be treated as merely those of the government. They should concern every Indian. As it is, communication barriers exist among many communities which are often run as "parallel" societies with scant comprehension of one another's ethos and sensitivity. Consequently, the Indian perspective on men, matters and issues suffers noticeably. What is disturbing is that our thinking on communalism and related issues has shown no signs of change even if our emotional response towards them has changed. We continue to reiterate the same old theories, repeat the same old platitudes, and reaffirm the same old hopes that are repudiated with unusual haste, sometimes the following day itself. Some of the problems facing the polity are psychological, and psychological barriers are not easily dismantled. Much of mutual suspicion, indifference and hatred are the legacy of the past. A secular state need not show either hostility or indifference to religion. It simply means that the state should not discriminate between one religion and another, or exalt any particular faith or set of beliefs to the level of a state religion. All else is a matter of individual pursuit. What the Indian situation
demands is the strengthening of the Vedanta bonds to make
religion "a personal relationship of the believer
with God (Atman)." Equally vital is the tasks of
reconciliation, mutual tolerance and understanding. The
politics of intolerance cannot take the country in the
desired direction of making it a global power of
substance. |
India losing on biodiversity INDICATIONS are that a Bill on biodiversity will be introduced in the next session of Parliament. The Bill will put a bar on all foreign buyers, including companies and research organisations, preventing them to take out any biodiversity material from India without the specific permission of the government. Pending legislation, the Customs authorities have been directed by the Union Environment and Forest Ministry to exercise strict vigil so that no one belong to the barred category takes any such material outside the country. The export of top soil, which often contains seed nutrients and seeds of valuable biodiversity material, has also been banned as a precautionary measure. This has been done by the Ministry of Commerce at the initiative of the Environment Ministry. There are numerous reasons as to why such a Bill has not been passed earlier. It is because of the complexities involved in doing so. All sections of society, including social activists, scientists, environmentalists and NGOs, had to be consulted to accommodate their view points because these have often been found to be of a conflicting nature. It is interesting to note that such laws do not exist in many countries. Brazil is the only country where a biodiversity law exists. The Philippines government regulates its biodiversity resources through a government order, but there is no legislation on the subject. A transnational company, Monsanto, producing “terminator seed” (which is extremely dangerous because this seed can be used only once, compelling the farmers to purchase the seed again and again from the company) is finding itself now in a quandary, because it is not being allowed in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh to carry out seed trials which, it claims, would be useful for Indian farmers in the long run. With the pressure building upon Monsanto against the introduction of genetically modified seeds in the country, the Andhra Pradesh government has directed the company to stop forthwith its field trials on hollgard seeds too. It has become the country’s first state to take such a drastic decision on the issue. However, the seed company, which has landed in a major controversy, has been given the option of carrying out the tests in Andhra’s N.G. Ranga Agriculture University under “close observations of university scientists”. Protests against Monsanto in Andhra as well as Karnataka have already taken a violent turn. Some people even stormed the office of Monsanto in both states. Monsanto has expressed shock over the incidents saying, “actions like this will delay the access of Indian farmers to newer beneficial technologies.” Our farmers, scientists and agriculturists have already protested against the patenting of India’s basmati rice by US firm Rice Tec, as “Texmati”. A public interest litigation came up for hearing by the Supreme Court on November 16, 1998, against the laziness of the government for not taking immediate action against Rice Tec for patenting the best variety of our rice. The Attorney-General, Mr Soli Sorabjee, pleaded that the government would challenge the patent (though Pakistan has already challenged it in the US Patents Office), but what happened after that is not known. India will have to be more careful against bio-piracy as its indigenous wisdom and wealth are being taken away by foreigners. Basmati is one such example. If timely action is not taken, India may lose much of our ancestral bio-diversity treasure. The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) had very successfully challenged the patent on turmeric’s (haldi) wound-healing properties last year, and the dispute over neem patent has almost ended in India’s favour. If we continue contesting patents in US courts it will be a very expensive proposition, with the cost running into crores of rupees. The worst thing is that India has no idea as to how much of its natural wealth has been burgled. Nor has it erected any legal wall to keep the thieves at bay. Let us hope that the bio-diversity Bill will be passed, and India will be able to save its bio-heritage. Pharmaceuticals constitute one of the most lucrative areas for international bio-piracy. Nearly 25 per cent of US prescriptions are filled with drugs which have active ingredients from Indian plants. The sale of these drugs totalled $ 4.2 billion in 1980 and $ 15.5 billion in 1990. Transnational companies are busy locating Indian plants and herbs in the Himalayas and the tarai region. India is one of the richest biodiversity areas. It has been recorded that out of 81,000 species of fauna and 47,000 species of flora, 15,000 are unique to India, and 60 per cent of these are used by village communities for timber, food and medicinal purposes. It is in India’s interest that biodiversity legislation becomes a reality so that Indian heritage and years’ old Ayurvedic herbs and plants are protected from piracy by foreign transnational companies. (The author is a retired Colonel.)
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The
Midas touch I HAVE a foliated and verdurous money plant in my house. Its stalklet was stolen by me from the house of an affluent neighbour of ours. I had done it at the behest of my wife whose friend had told her that a stolen money plant not only flourishes but also brings the Midas touch to the home. When the plant started showing the signs of its health in my house, I lost no time in going to a local bank to have a locker for myself. It is still empty but hope within my breast had always been consoling me with “if foliage comes, can wealth be far behind?” Two days back the very neighbour had visited our house. He had all appreciations for the plant and had remarked that it was as luxuriant as he had one in his house. Keeping the cat intact in the bag, I had whispered: “After all, birds of a feather.” Having no inkling of my earlier stalking, it was difficult for him to make out the meaning between the lines but a purposeless smile had spread over his lips. Emanating a purposeful piece of advice: “Mr Joshi, it’s all very good but do understand that money does not grow on plants. You’ve got to beat the bushes for it.” “How could a superannuated person with insignificant pension beat the bushes?”, this question started corroding me. I thought that fresh air would check corrosion so I went for a stroll when I bumped against a few colleagues who had retired after January 1, 1996. The talks reverted to the Midas touch. The touch for them was provided by the fingers of the controversial Pay Commission. They were excited and, on the basis of salary fitment-table, were making calculations about arrears, enhanced gratuity, fatter pension etc. How I wished I were born two years late or my father, like most fathers of yonder years, had got registered my age less by a couple of years in the then Harcourt Butler School! I was low. More, because of that empty locker in the Bank, the retention of which was making holes in my money. Suddenly my wife struck upon an idea which she managed to put into my head, “Catch hold of a money spider. It is a small household insect supposed to bring financial luck. This duo of money plant and money spider would surely go with a bang like Tendulkar and Ganguly in full form.” I raised my clenched fist as if I had won a tennis Grand Slam. I was not at all disheartened by the fact that no such spider would be surviving the severe Shimla winter these days for I knew I could bank upon my brother-in-law at Chandigarh, who being in Panjab University, would help me out through the arthropods section in the Department of Biology towards arranging a money spider. I telephoned to him. He was, as usual, ready with a witty reply, “Bhaisaheb, your still to be married son, who is a software bug in the USA, is the money spider for you. Simply hammer in him that to have a poor father is mere bio-fortuity, but to have a poor father-in-law is sheer stupidity.” The key for the empty
locker is still with me. Any taker? |
Free trade pact — next
best after Pokhran THE India-Sri Lanka Free Trade Pact is a major development. It could have been signed earlier. Better late than never. The momentum was given at the SAARC summit at Male, which advanced the deadline to 2000 A.D. But the final push came from Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee during the 10th SAARC summit in 1998. The first response came from Sri Lanka. Now, there is nothing to stop the juggernaut! India and Lanka will work towards a zero level tariff in the next three years. Indian and Sri Lankan economies have already achieved a high level of liberalisation. It was, therefore, natural to take the next step — which is integration. India is to throw open its door fully to Lanka in three years and Lanka is to do so in eight years. In the meantime, they will bring down the tariff wall steadily. The free trade pact is to be welcomed for another reason. India has a surplus trade with all members of SAARC, more so with Lanka. Indian exports to Sri Lanka crossed $600 million in 1997, but Sri Lanka’s exports to India continued to hover around $50 million. This cannot be remedied except by opening up the Indian doors fully. But this is not the only adverse factor. Indian tariffs were higher than that of all other SAARC members. Also, India’s non-tariff measures are higher than that of others. These are concrete grievances against India. There is, of course, the “Big Brother” issue. But this is psychological and cannot be helped. By 2020 India may be the third largest economy in the world. SAARC members should welcome it as an opportunity, not as something to be scared about. India will then have the largest effective market in the world. For 15 years, SAARC has been in the doldrums. One country was responsible for this, Pakistan. It wanted some “unfinished business of partition” to be accomplished before catching up with SAARC affairs. Perhaps no one bothered to point out the opportunity cost that SAARC region was paying for it. India certainly did not. The Indira and Rajiv regimes could not have taken the step that the BJP has now taken. After Pokhran, this is the most important step the BJP has taken. Both will enhance India’s independence. It is not that other members of SAARC were not frustrated over the futility of SAARC meetings. They were. But India was not ready to go ahead without Pakistan. And yet there was no need to wait, for Pakistan was not to be persuaded. It was ready to make the sacrifices. As a result, a vast smuggling racket has sprung up between India and Pakistan. It may be worth about a billion dollars. Then Pakistan gets Indian goods (they are of high quality and cheaper) through Oman, Hong Kong and Singapore. In this case, apart from paying a higher price, Pakistan incurs a heavy expenditure by way of cargo freight. Even then, they are cheaper, say Pak businessmen, compared to goods from Japan or the USA. But Pak animus has gone to the extent of boycotting Indian tea, which is the best in the world, and getting it from Kenya at an additional annual cost of $50 million. Pakistan has refused to grant MFN status to India, although India has granted it to Pakistan already. India would like to have access to Afghanistan and Central Asia through Pakistan. This could have helped everybody including the other members of SAARC. But Pakistan will have none of it. As a result, the Central Asian-South Asian gas and oil pipeline projects are yet to take shape. They could have brought a radical change to the fortunes of both India and Pakistan. And India and Pakistan are spending about $20 billion yearly on defence, thus mortgaging their development option. It looks New Delhi has decided to bypass Pakistan this time and go ahead with a sub-regional arrangement. We know that Pakistan cannot hold out for long. Its economy is about to collapse. Only Washington can save it. The forex reserve of Pakistan has dipped to $500 million. It is said by Pakistan that free trade would mean that India would be able to swamp the Pak markets with its goods. No, says a Pakistan businessman. He argues that Pakistan has far better relations with China and yet Chinese goods have not swamped Pak markets. Good logic. It is a fact that if India and Pakistan come together, South Asia can become a major economic factor in the world. Their combined military and economic power will be decisive. India and Bhutan have already zero tariff barriers. A similar agreement exists with Nepal. So the foundation is already there for a sub-regional free trade area. One hopes that Bangladesh and Maldives will also join the new effort. Of course, a free trade area with different duties will be unworkable. So the first task is to harmonise external tariffs. Without it, it is not possible to bring about a free trade area. The South Asian free trade area will have many advantages. For example, 1) it means low transport cost, 2) quick delivery of goods, 3) no need to carry huge inventories, 4) less damage to goods in transit, 5) no language problem and 6) familiarity with trade and investment practices. With Nepal, India has an open border. But this has not helped the steady growth of their economic relations. Old prejudices and fears stood in the way. Nepal’s main industry is tourism. About 50 per cent of the tourists come from India. But Nepal’s greatest potential lies in its water resources. It was unwilling to share it with India. But that is a thing of the past. About 100 projects have been identified of late for India-Nepal cooperation. Two hydro-power projects which are in the pipeline can change the face of Nepal and northern India. These are the Karnali multipurpose project (10800 MW power) which can irrigate 3.2 million hectares of land. And the Mahakali river project (4000 MW) offers multipurpose benefits to both. India is to buy the surplus power from both projects. This will solve the power shortage of northern India. Nepal has some outstanding problems with India. For example, it wants no restrictions on the movement of Nepalese goods in India. India wants Nepal to give work permits to Indians in Nepal. But these are minor irritants. India has undertaken the development of hydropower in Bhutan. Already the Chukha hydel project, built by India, has helped Bhutan raise its per capita income. India proposes to invest about Rs 8000 crore in three major hydel projects in Bhutan to produce 2100 MW. India has agreed to buy the surplus power. Bangladesh can play a key role in the evolution of SAARC. But will it? Bangla has huge gas reserves. It wants India’s coal. And they can share their surplus power. (Eastern India has surplus power). But what India would like to secure transit facilities for Indian goods and people to and from the North-East. This will be an acid test for Bangladesh. India should, however, concentrate now on major objectives of SAARC. It has been suggested that a SAARC power grid can bring about immense benefits to all members. This is true. And such a grid can be even linked with Central Asia. Another major project is the Asian highway — both road and rail. This is being backed by the World Bank and Asian Development Bank. This is expected to link SAARC with ASEAN. South Asians have crossed
the Rubicon. It is now for them to press on. |
Colonel Wedgwood THE honourable gentleman, the Member for Norwich (Mr Young), has put forward a suggestion of enormous importance. We feel this point. The Provinces of Bombay and Bengal cannot raise loans, yet the cities of Bombay and Calcutta can raise loans. It would appear that we have strict confidence in the municipal administration, yet we have not up till now granted this power to the Provincial Governments. We think it must be understood that the real objection to this decentralisation of the borrowing powers in India comes from the Central Government, who have had up till now control and who desire permanently to keep control. To our minds, it is narrow obscurantism on the part of the Central Government. At the present time when the development of India is in the melting pot, it is of vital importance that we should give all these Provincial Governments a sense of responsibility and a sense of responsibility can, as the Right Honourable gentleman has said, only come, we should say, not “best” but “only” from a real control over the purse and the power that the purse gives. It is nonsense to tell
people that they are in control of the purse when they do
not get the advantage of controlling the purse wisely. |
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