Disaster management

THIS most horrible cyclone of the century has shocked the entire nation (“Disaster management in India: need for coordinated system with human touch” by Mr Hari Jaisingh, November 5). Our conscience pricks us when we look at the dead bodies of those who perished in the blinding rain. The disastrous experience exposes the claims of the government as well as the scientists. They couldn’t warn the common people in time about the ensuing catastrophe.

Science seems to be still inferior to nature. The forces of nature are quite blind and ruthless. They don’t spare anybody—whether human beings or animals. And the administration moves at a snail’s pace. The official apathy in our country is very painful. Top officials and politicians hardly understand the magnitude of the Orissa tragedy. They stand nowhere in comparison with our Army men who have honestly helped the marooned villagers in the cyclone-hit areas.

The question of apathy of our bureaucrats towards the problems of the common people has something to do with their background also. They come from the families which are settled in good localities and have direct links with the rich and the powerful of the land. Their specific mindset is basically anti-people. They are taught and trained from the very childhood to adopt a callous attitude towards the masses. I would like to suggest to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to introduce a full paper on “sensibility”. These gentlemen generally have no urge for public service in their hearts. Most of them behave like pitiable careerists.

Whenever a serious tragedy hits the common people, the administrative apparatus becomes operative very late. Only the people are willing to help one another in time. We proudly claim that we have become self-reliant in the production of foodgrains, but people are starving on a large scale in Orissa in the wake of the recent calamity.

I was really pained to read about hungry people looting trucks loaded with food items in the affected areas. I saw a villager tied to the stem of a tree for trying to pick up a few packets of food meant for train passengers. All this is very shameful and disgusting.

RAJ BAHADUR YADAV
Rewari

Serious Business: The government gets carried away by painful developments, not realising that disaster management is a serious business and not a matter of “trying to build bridges of disaster” without caring for the ground realities and grassroots needs. Small wonder then that we are unable to sustain even mini-miracles. Certain changes are obvious and they ought to have been initiated at least three decades back.

Despite the much publicised drives, disaster management remains one of the dark areas of our national life. Ominous indeed are the pointers of tension building up fast in Orissa as the state government has been going about only campaign rituals calling for defence services’ support, etc.

Weak governments at the Centre have been lax in enforcing disaster control procedures, and proper safeguards are not created in the system for the intended purposes.

As we march towards the 21st century, we will have to find foolproof answers to these problems and develop a credible new response mechanism.

UMED SINGH GULIA
Gohana

Sehajdharis oppose amendments

I wish to thank The Tribune for highlighting the sentiments expressed at our Sehajdhari congregation on the proposed amendment to the present Gurdwara Bill. Sehajdhari Sikhs all over the world wish to join their kinds in India in requesting that the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) should not include the amendment under question in the proposed Gurdwara Bill.

It should not be forgotten that Sehajdhari Sikhs joined the rest of the Panth in making many sacrifices in bringing the original Gurdwara Act into existence. Further, there is no evidence that any person having questionable qualifications was ever elected to the SGPC with the votes of the Sehajdhari’s in the past.

When we look at the history of our Gurus, we notice that Sri Guru Gobind Singh himself chose a Sehajdhari Sikh, Sant Gurbaksh Das, to be the granthi and manager of the most important gurdwara of the time, now known as Sri Kesgarh Sahib at Anandpur Sahib. This was done after the Vaisakhi of 1699. Sant Gurbaksh Das took care of the gurudwara and its property for many years by making great sacrifices. How can then the followers of the same Guru ever think of disqualifying Sehajdhari Sikhs from serving the places of their faith? I am sure this will not be acceptable to panthic leaders.

Ascertaining the qualifications of all the voters, Sehajdharis and others, can provide safeguards against undesirable elements. It is time we brought about unity in the Panth.

HARBANS LAL
President,
Academy of Guru Granth Studies
Houston (USA)

(Received in response to the Internet edition)

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Weak banks & depositors

The M.S. Verma Committee report on “Restructuring the weak public sector banks” may be described as “An elegy in the graveyard of three terminally ill banks, with a few more stretcher cases”.

Though Rs. 6,740 crore has already been picked from the pockets of poor people to sustain Indian Bank, UCO Bank and United Bank of India, another does of Rs. 5,500 crore is proposed to be injected to keep these terminally sick banks medically alive. The committee apologetically speaks of “moral hazard” of such repeated bailouts.

In reality, it is unconstitutional as the Government of India’s liability is limited to share capital which is wiped out, and it cannot dip its hand into the treasury to sustain these banks.

The culprits who played ducks and drakes with depositor funds, forgetting their trustee character, range from the politicians who indulged in loan melas and write-offs to the Finance Ministry mandarins who exercised power without either the requisite banking knowledge or accountability. The managements who played “Ji Huzur”, and employee and officer unions which never bothered about customer services also contributed to it. Unless they have dissented, the directors representing the Reserve Bank of India, the Finance Ministry and the unions are parties to the board resolutions granting loans which have become NPAs today.

This crisis illustrates the consequences of the total neglect of depositor interests. Even in arriving at its conclusions, the Verma Committee neglected depositors. While 56 individuals and organisations, including 27 unions, were given a hearing, there was no anxiety to hear the views of the Depositors’ Association.

The final solution will emerge automatically only with depositor activism. While there is still an opportunity, depositors should withdraw their funds from the three sick banks in two transactions—transfer to a safer place by cheque the entire amount minus the minimum balance, and then close the account by withdrawing the balance.

M.R. PAI
Mumbai