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Company Hooda keeps
Murder in a gurdwara |
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Basic learning first
All over Modi interview
To the most dangerous US city and back
Punjab's disconnect with capital
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Company Hooda keeps
Already
shamed by reports of sex abuse of girls in a shelter home at Karnal, the Bhupinder Singh Hooda government is faced with another ignominious situation. Minister of State for Home Gopal Kanda has been forced to resign after a former air hostess named him in her suicide note and the Delhi police registered an FIR. An independent MLA from Sirsa, Kanda started as a footwear seller and rose to become the owner of a defunct airline. He was rewarded with a ministerial post after he and six other Independents helped Hooda form a government since the 2009 Haryana assembly elections did not give the Congress a clear majority. Whether Kanda is guilty of abetment to suicide only investigations would reveal, but Hooda has spared himself and his government further damage by immediately dropping him. Normally, one does not expect a fair police investigation against a politician, least of all against the one as rich and powerful as Kanda. Since the case is handled by the Delhi police and is under close scrutiny of the media, chances of the victim and her family getting justice are bright. A Jessica-like buildup of pressure, hopefully, won’t be required. Still, some mud will stick to Chief Minister Hooda for including in his ministry someone who had admitted in an affidavit that nine cases of cheque bounce and one of rioting and assault were pending against him. As a people, we are not much bothered about cases against politicians or their sexual escapades. MLAs watching porn in an assembly agitate us for a while and then all is forgotten. Many just tend to laugh off an ND Tewari’s misadventures. It is only when something tragic happens that public conscience is aroused. Unless electoral reforms are initiated to debar tax dodgers and other criminals from contesting elections, shady characters would keep grabbing positions of power. Individuals with unaccounted money can not only get elected, but they can also make or break governments.
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Murder in a gurdwara
A
lone gunman killed seven persons at a gurdwara and injured many others, including a police officer. Many men and women were at the gurdwara in Oak Street, near Milwaukee, Wisconsin, US, to pray when a man walked in and went on a killing spree. While it is too early to comment on the motives of the gunman who was later killed by a police officer, the Sikh victims were, like others in all terrorist acts, innocent people. President Obama moved swiftly to condemn the killings, as did Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Various US government agencies are expressing their regret, even as the investigation is on to find out more about the man who killed so many. Turban-wearing Sikhs are a visible minority in the US and since the 9/11 attacks, there have been incidents of Sikhs being targeted because of a mistaken assumption about their religion. The attack on worshippers at their place of worship points towards an unacceptable degree of religious intolerance among certain individuals in that society. Even though community leaders point out that Sikh immigrants have a respected and established presence in many parts of the US, there is no doubt that many states in America give their inhabitants easy access to guns. Incidents of gunmen attacking innocent people abound. Weeks before this tragedy, there was another mass killing in Aurora, Colorado, in which 12 persons were killed in a cinema hall, again by a lone gunman. America, on the whole, needs to relook at its tryst with guns. Even as the state and the federal governments investigate this particular crime, effective steps need to be taken to monitor the places of worship of various religious denominations and to ensure that such gatherings do not become soft targets. The Sikh community is badly shaken after the incident, and much needs to be done to reassure it and instil a sense of security among those whose place of worship became a killing ground last Sunday.
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Basic learning first
There
are two Indias. One that gets jobs in NASA, and gets the country the reputation of producing geniuses, and the other — more than 80 per cent of the population — which does not even possess basic skills in reading, mathematics and science that are required to be effective in today’s world. That was the assessment of “learning outcome” tests conducted by the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) in 2009, which put India at the bottom of 74 nations. PISA is conducting its latest test this year, the result of which would be known by 2013-end. It would be the first time that the test would reflect on the RTE Act, 2009. The latest buzz in the Union HRD Ministry, however, is that India is working on starting such tests of its own too. “Learning outcome” tests differ from conventional “exams” in that they assess the “literacy” level in relation to reading, mathematics and science as an applied knowledge, rather than curriculum-based learning — essentially, the knowledge the child would take with him to face the world. It would be good to have an indigenous method of assessment, as it would serve to design policy better. Audit of any expenditure is done best if you assess the benefit from the money spent rather than how the money was spent. That is what the learning-outcome test would do at a time when the country under the RTE Act is spending huge sums on educating its masses. The test results, however, would be a reflection on the entire education “system”, which would include the hardware such as classrooms and blackboards, and the content — the syllabus, curriculum, teaching methodology, etc. India is currently at a stage where the hardware itself is not in place, which undermines chances of any benefit from improvement in the content, which requires reassessment too. In elementary classes, there is no point in teaching weather systems, for example, to a child who can’t even read or write basic sentences.
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He who angers you conquers you. — Elizabeth Kenny
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All over Modi interview I
do not know why the Samajwadi Party (SP) has created so much fuss over Shahid Siddiqui, an editor of repute. It disowns him and at the same time says that he has not been its member. Does the party indulge in such a diatribe for every thinking person? Shahid’s fault is that he interviewed Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi — a scoop which any journalist would have liked to score. The malady with the party is that it rides many horses at the same time. The Congress, the BJP, the Left — name any, Mulayam Singh, the party chief, has joined hands with them secretly or otherwise. Even Amar Singh has been his mentor. Otherwise also, a journalist cannot fit into the SP mould as the party has little faith in the freedom of the press. Halla Bol (attack them) was once the slogan of the party and it would beat up many media hands who criticised the party or its leaders. Still Mulayam Singh claims Dr Ram Manohar Lohia to be his guru in politics. A socialist, Lohia was liberal and swore by the freedom of the press. He was deadly against caste and communalism which the party exploits in elections to increase its votes. Somehow those who occupy high positions in politics labour under the belief that they — and they alone — know what the nation should be told and when. And they get annoyed if any news which they do not like appears in print. Their first attempt is to dub it mischievous. Later, when it is realised that a mere denial will not convince even the most gullible, a lame explanation is offered that things have not been put “in proper perspective”. Sometimes, parties resort to denouncing journalists as the SP has done. I have known Shahid for three-four decades. I met him for the first time when he sent me a message that he had been picked up by the police for using my article on communal riots. I was then the Delhi Editor of The Statesman. Despite my protests and calls on the authorities, poor Shahid was hauled over the coals and sent to jail, just because he was a Muslim editor, who challenged the government on lack of law and order — the same point I had made. But Shahid never stopped being a liberal. It is something instinctive in him. He has also suffered at the hands of his own community for pursuing secular views. He was undeterred by the ranting of fundamentalists when he accompanied me to Pakistan many a time. His speeches were not to the liking of most Pakistanis because here was a Muslim who was telling them not to mix religion with politics. When Mulayam Singh turned out Shahid for political purposes, it came as a shock to me because the SP supremo has known him for decades, both as a journalist and an activist. The party should have known that it was taking action against Shahid, a journalist, for his professional call. Whether or not the Samajwadi Party approves of Shahid’s interview with Modi is not the point at issue. What is relevant to debate is whether a media person who is also an activist has the right to pursue his vocation. Even some journalists who are part and parcel of the establishment are critical of mediapersons who combine journalism with activism. They do so because they do not stand for any principle, except toeing the establishment. A journalist who is not touched by the social environment is a mere hack writer. One word explains their pontification: Humbug! In a free society, the media has a duty to inform the public without fear or favour. At times it is an unpleasant job, but it has to be performed because a free society is founded on free information. Shahid appeared on every channel as the SP’s person to criticise the Congress, the BJP or the leftists. The party never stopped him from doing so. Why is it so touchy now about Modi unless there is a political angle which is not clear to me. Surely, Mulayam Singh is not thinking of joining hands with communal forces for the 2014 general elections. He should, in fact, be leading a secular liberal front which at one time the Left constituted. The Samajwadi Party has yet another excuse: Shahid used the party’s platform. But he never sought interview in the name of the party. Nor did he claim to represent the party while interviewing Modi. The loss is that of Mulayam Singh or his son Akhilesh, the UP Chief Minister. Shahid has grown still taller after the SP’s action. I feel proud that he has brought laurels to the media fraternity and did put Modi on the mat. Mulayam Singh should have complimented him. How small does his party look after ousting Shahid for his
scoop?
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To the most dangerous US city and back My journey to St Louis from Shimla was in four legs. The first leg carried me to Delhi. It was a hot and sultry day there. The sweat-bath constantly undid the freshness that the water-bath provided. The second leg was from Delhi to Zurich. Our flight started at 2 am and they served supper to us. Barring a couple of wise persons who preferred sleeping to eating, others, including myself, stuffed our stomach during the wee hours. The third leg was more than nine hours of dreary flight from Zurich to Chicago. Here I stumbled on the fact that we vegetarians not only create problems for ourselves but also for the hosts. They tried to please our appetite by serving us pieces of cucumber, grated carrots dipped in olive oil, lettuce and cabbage leaves, boiled potatoes, sliced chunks of pineapple, pasta and buns plus butter. I was unhappy with the food whereas the airline’s staff thought that they had done a remarkable job because the hostess would often ask, “How was the food, sir?” I showed Dr Jekyll’s face to her but the Hyde’s face within me said, “Food? Damn it! We call it ghas-phoos in our lingua.” The last leg of five hours from Chicago to St Louis was most enjoyable for two reasons. My son had come to receive me; a parent meeting his progeny after a gap is always delightful and comforting; and, second, the five-hour drive through the state of Illinois to Missouri on jerk-free roads was enjoyable. I saw huge maize-fields on the way where the crop had stunted because of the unprecedented heat wave in America this year. I told my son that in India too we had a faltering monsoon so far. We crossed through the East of St Louis, the last town in Illinois on the eastern side of the river Mississippi, and entered the city of St Louis across the river. I did not know that there were two cities — East of St Louis in Illinois and St Louis in Missouri. If one enters the city of St Louis from this side, then one witnesses its downtown right at the start of the town known for its architectural beauties. Built as a monument to the westward expansion of the United States, it also has the famous 630-feet high arch with its iconic, awe-inspiring shape standing on the bank of the Mississippi at downtown itself. Forty million visitors come to see the arch every year. All this is exciting but my son told me that it was the most dangerous city of the US to live in as the crime rate here was the highest in that country, according to reports of the FBI. They say that swelling in the head is the only thing that grows here because of the fear of getting kidnapped or murdered. I am happy that I will return to Shimla
unharmed.
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Punjab's disconnect with capital While
new rail lines in mountainous regions are a costly preposition, central and western U.P. along with south-east Haryana get new rail projects easily for being part of the NCR or adjoining it. The only state left behind in the North is Punjab, which does not fit in any scheme of the Railways to get new projects. Rajasthan is part of a uni-gauge project in a big way. After partition, the doubling of the truncated single line up to Firozepur was not considered necessary as there were no development prospects. The two wars with Pakistan further aggravated the situation. The Bathinda-Firozepur-Patiala-Sirsa-Sriganganagar region with single lines was left behind vis-à-vis areas with double lines.
Slow pace New rail projects could hardly be initiated except the conversion of a metre gauge up to Fazilka. While the doubling of the Delhi-Jakhal, Jakhal-Mansa track and the sanction of a second Mansa-Bathinda line are recent phenomena, the new line between Fazilka and Abohar has been completed at a slow pace without a y-connection at Abohar, which has its own repercussions. Another link known as the loop line between Sriganganagar and Sarupsar (already linked with main line) has been broad-gauged and recently the Hanumangarh-Sriganganagar section has been closed for conversion. In the 2012-13 budget four trains (new/extension/increase in frequency) from Punjab and Chandigarh have been announced. The Duranto between Amritsar and Chandigarh has lost its purpose as the train no longer runs non-stop. Apart from colour light signalling on some of the routes, route relay interlocking was provided at Bathinda recently. But the famous seven-line junction needs remodelling as not a single platform could be accessed without using a foot over-bridge till date, which is difficult for the old and incapacitated. Any quality or volume input needs to see the volume of prospective freight traffic in the area based on which the rate of return is worked out to see financial viability of the project. Metropolitan status of a city also helps in getting new projects. Despite potential, Bathinda could not acquire this trait, thanks to lack of a long-term vision for the area until recently. The district headquarters in the interior like Muktsar and Moga have asked for direct trains to Delhi, though no district headquarters in Punjab could have direct connectivity with the state capital till date. The new Chandigarh-Samrala-Ludhiana rail line will connect Majha, Doaba and part of Malwa only.
Punjabis love to drive Despite criticism of the role of state politicians for not raising the issue of rail connectivity, the fact remains that there is not much say of representatives from smaller states in coalition politics at the Centre to get any project. States like Punjab need to have a sharp sense of priority in demanding new projects. The Green Revolution resulting in a false sense of prosperity to afford road vehicles combined with the adventurous nature of people here could be another reason for lack of emphasis on most basic rail connections like Rajpura-Chandigarh (Mohali) .
Chandigarh-Ludhiana link While the new Ludhiana-Samrala-Chandigarh route will connect some areas of Malwa with the state capital, eight district headquarters of Punjab and two district headquarters of Haryana and Rajasthan will still miss direct connectivity, though many people in these areas are having double habitation and frequently visit Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula. In the 2012-13 budget Shatabadi Express, ex-Ludhiana, has been extended up to Moga, two days a week, to run on the upgraded Firozpur-Ludhiana section. With this, Moga will also get direct connection with Delhi. Another train to touch three Sikh Takhts has been announced as one of the remaining two is not on the main line and the other is not even on the rail map, making any visit to the five Takhts in one go very costly. To justify the Maur-Talwandi Sabo-Raman (38km) link now, traffic figures of the power plant cannot be counted as the state government has its own compulsions to go private regarding the power plant at Banawala and the Vedanta group preferred to have its own up and down lines ex-Sada Singhwala. Now Punjab should go in for a 17-km connection between Maur and Damdama Sahib with a y-connection at Maur and a provision for expansion up to Raman to provide an alternatie route to the refinery. In Himachal Pradesh efforts are again on to put Baddi, an industrial town, on the rail map, while Bhanupali (near Nangal dam)-Biaspur is a sanctioned project. The Bilaspur-Leh link, being complex in nature and mega in size, is still being worked upon. The Una-Talwara link is going at a slow pace. Missing links, breaking the continuity of the existing lines in Jammu and Kashmir, are also under construction.
Dedicated Freight Corridor Hisar-Jakhal-Dhuri-Ludhiana is a single line but the Railways has a plan to upgrade it as a feeder route. The extension of the upcoming western DFC (Dedicated Freight Corridor ) from Mumbai to Delhi will be in focus if the Hussainiwala border opens for trade. Similarly, Rajpura-Bathinda is required to be doubled in view of the expansion plans of the existing power plants and a new plant planned at Gidderbaha apart from the projects of NFL and Gujarat Ambuja, and the refinery. On completion of all power plants, including the one near Rajpura, line capacity to run additional 30 rakes per day will be needed. As interpolation of the Dedicated Freight Corridor with the present set-up will take place at Rajpura, this is the right time to have a direct link between Rajpura and Chandigarh (also Mohali ) as the execution will be easy and cost effective in developing a hub. Another important link — three surveys for which have been done in recent years — is to directly connect Majha and Malwa through Mallanwala Khas and Gharyala/Patti on the Amritsar-Khem Karan line ( 25 km). With this the Firozepur belt will get its previous, short-distance connection with Amritsar and the Majha area, which it used to enjoy via Kasur before partition. The Goindwal -Tarn Taran section ( already linked with Beas ) has also been completed for coal supply to the power plant at Goindwal. Another link, Rishikesh- Karnparyag , which has been sanctioned already, will substantially reduce the travel time for Joshi Math. Connectivity needs to be improved in pockets of Hoshiarpur and Gurdaspur districts and south-west Haryana. The governments of Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Rajasthan are executing 31 rail projects in their states on a cost-share basis. We need to keep a balance in having /widening national highways and modernisation of the Railways. While toll plazas are mushrooming all around and an increase in the unit cost of power by companies is imminent as soon as plants begin operations, why are rail projects (safe, green, fast and comfortable) are always expected to be a free gift? Is it a signal for the national giant to privatise in a big way to save itself?
Mobilise resources The Railways, having its own budget, need to mobilise resources to expand and modernise, but political will is lacking. While political bosses will always use its old social face to reap benefits for electroal purposes, smaller states which have a limited representation in Parliament may never get rail projects. In the current budget, various committees for tariff, safety and research have been proposed , but nothing is there for prioritising new rail lines. Populism is also taking its toll as many projects are announced regardless of resources, leading to a huge escalation in costs due to delayed execution. Apart from need-based new lines states like Punjab should ask for y-connections, by-passes, upgrade of tracks and signalling for efficiency in operations for which experts in the field may be consulted. We should learn to ask things on merit as days seems to be numbered for asking projects merely on the basis of being socially relevant, seeing the cost of land and difficulties in acquisitions. The concept of cost-share basis should also be tried like other states for short-distance rail lines. NRIs may come forward as investors for the cause as puritan as connecting the remaining two Takhts to main lines so that direct trains could run covering all Takhts, in case the Railways goes on cold-shouldering the popular demand.
Points to ponder
The Green Revolution, resulting in a false sense of prosperity to afford road vehicles, combined with the adventurous nature of Punjabis is one of the reasons for lack of emphasis on most basic rail connections
The writer is a retired Chief Commercial Manager (Traffic Survey), Northern Railway
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