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How small nations seem to dictate terms in the 21st century!

ashishnayan
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The world has always been led by different ideologies which somehow remain skewed towards geographical advantage. For eg. capitalism thrived in the Americas, communism worked in Russia and trickled into China and eventually, smaller nations in the vicinity coalesced around these ideologies. As a result, these big nations/geographical areas became sources of power, privilege with a confirmed berth in the elite strata of nations. However, as we see , this tradition is up for a toss everyday as smaller nations re-assert their political, economic and social stature in these fast changing times.

For instance, Vietnam, sharing a similar political ideology and a huge trade relation with neighboring China seems to be at crossroads with the Chinese policy-makers when it comes to strategic interests, garnering support from its ASEAN allies such as Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia. Be it the oil-blocks in the South China Sea or the issue over the Spratly Islands, an opposition is under way which somehow never showed up in the past.

Israel, for instance, leads the world in defense research and supplies critical arms’ infrastructure to high defense spending countries like India. This not only puts Israel on a favorite sticker for countries with larger territories, but also, reinstates its strong position in the somewhat not-so-peaceful Persian neighborhood. Also, Sri Lanka, a small island in the Bay of Bengal, has been a passive bone of contention in the recent past between India and China as Chinese submarines docked at Sri Lankan ports, encircling India all the way to Gwadar at Karachi, Pakistan now operated by China.

Further, the Crimean annexation divided the world on ideologies and theories of social justice, territorial integrity as economic sanctions were imposed on Russia. This of course has long term effects, not only on the Russian people but also the world. Russia’s oil reserves have lost huge revenues and so has grown the trade imbalance which it is trying hard to contain by promoting more indigenous manufacturing. Although U.S. shale oil reserves are reported to be huge not to worry their economy much, but a parallel power block ranging from Russia to Syria, Iran (both small) does pose a credible threat to world peace.

With growing dissatisfaction with the American policy especially over the IP laws, we perhaps look at times when China and Russia enter into a symbiotic treaty on oil, manufacturing. Of course, this was much on the agenda when the two leaders met in Beijing at the recent Chinese exhibition of war-readiness.  This would affect, if not hurt, the world economy and in macroeconomics, any change has its cost for a certain period of time. As we realize, Crimea, a nation with just over 1 million inhabitants was able to polarize the world and  build such apparent power blocks.

On a more constructive side, Singapore, over the last 50 years, has developed into a powerful knowledge economy leading to its status of a magnet city. Hong Kong (with the autonomous governance), alongside Singapore, is the global financial hub and is a huge stakeholder to all key decisions taken when it comes to infrastructure spending, financial policies etc. Scandinavian nations (all considerably small in size again!) top the global list on happiness index, freedom of press, ease of doing business and a lot other parameters.

Also, when the Nepal Constituent Assembly discards the proposal to adopt Hinduism as the ideology of the state, it points towards changing times where small states feel the responsibility to be more inclusive and liberal in order to thrive. A republic Nepal would do away with a lot of local issues that the government faces, especially, post the insurgency period.

With this shift occurring quite rapidly, it is imperative that small nations act responsibly, not just for themselves, but also their neighborhood and the world. I am sure you would have more compelling evidence of how small nations delineate the future of the world in the 21st century and I look forward to more of those through your comments.

Delhi Pollution: What we should learn from Singapore

ashishnayan
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To put things into perspective right away, I welcome and support any new initiative that any government on the earth takes to conserve our environment. And I do support the Delhi government’s decision, but, in my personal opinion, however much the proponents argue that a strong decision was much needed and issues could be sorted out with time, this is not a robust way of decision making in governance. A step wise approach to reducing private vehicle on Delhi roads ultimately leading to the ‘odd-even’ strategy would have sounded much more rational and acceptable to Delhiites.

First of all, let’s get the fact straight: Delhi’s public transportation infrastructure is not capable of transporting daily users plus half the commuters who earlier used car/private vehicle every day. There needs to be a fleet expansion in both buses and trains with higher frequency to cater to the demand during peak hours, else, most of the Delhiites are not going to make it in time to their workplace. I am sure you would realize how this could affect things!

Second, let us realize this fact which no politician seems to give attention to. We are in a liberal democracy where people voice out opinions quite freely. People have already taken to twitter to share ways they could thwart this policy and the Delhi Chief Minister did issue a clarification on subsequent annulment of this new policy altogether if people find it inconvenient. In my opinion, instead of experimenting this way, the government needed to concentrate on improving the level of service of public transport so that commuters gradually prefer to use buses over cars considering accessibility, number of transfers to reach the destination, total cost of travel, waiting and traveling time, congestion/crowding effects, and environmental conservation (if they personally cared). The government needs to create this atmosphere where people start finding public transport more convenient and voluntarily give up on personal car usage.

There are a lot of ways which could help reduce private car on road. Singapore, the city where I stay, has this policy called as the certificate of entitlement (COE) wherein interested car owners need to submit a specific quote initially to express their intent to buy a car. The regulatory authority has a pre-decided number of vehicles (say n) to be added every month and depending on the nth lowest quote received from the group of interested car buyers, the COE amount is decided. This COE amount is to be paid along-with the cost of the vehicle and is a huge revenue drawer for the government. Another method is the Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) wherein car owners would need to pay an additional amount in order to use certain routes during peak hours. This alleviates issues of congestion and a good level of service for public transport on those routes. Adopting such a comprehensive approach wherein the government controls addition of new private vehicles on the road while improving the public transportation level of service is the only sustainable way we could help save Delhi from getting into serious trouble.

Also important measure could be to control entry of vehicles from neighboring states which do not use CNG. They could either be denied entry into Delhi, or be made to pay taxes if they run on non CNG fuel, or a specific quota could be allotted to each state per day so that the policies adopted by the Delhi government are not messed up by traffic from neighboring states.

I am a common man and wish to contribute towards the government’s policy making with my piece of mind. I am not sure if this post would reach any person who is in a position of authority, but I believe this is my responsibility to share what is rational, for the onus lies on each of us to help Delhi out of this tough time that it faces in the present day.

AAP supporter’s letter to Arvind Kejriwal with suggestions on how to reduce pollution in Delhi

okhitesh
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[email protected]
Letter Sent on 09th December 2015 to the above mentioned email address provided by Delhi Government, on Radio.
Concerned Authority/ Chief Minister
For Pollution Free Delhi
Delhi.

Dear Sir/ Madam,

Being a concerned citizen of Delhi and also a supporter of AAP and its decisions, it was my prime duty to participate in this government’s initiative towards making Delhi a Pollution Free State.

First and foremost my focus of concern has shifted from everything else, to the new Car/Vehicle usage formula, i.e. cars with odd number at end, for odd dated and cars with even number at the end, for even dates.

I would like to bring to your notice, the shortcomings of this plan and also the drawbacks of implementing this law;

  1. This law will further increase vehicles in Delhi.

Dear sir, it is certainly very wise to reduce traffic on roads to further reduce the air pollution due to traffic. But this new law, if implemented, will further increase traffic on roads and raise the vehicle ownership ratio. For example, the person who wishes to buy a vehicle for 8 Lakhs will try and buy two cars for 4 Lakhs each, which will push up the car sales of pre-owned and new cars in Delhi; which will be there for you to see, if you would analyse the record of car-sale purchase and car registration at various Traffic Authorities in DELHI-NCR.

  1. This law will increase inconvenience for people with work places in NCR region.

Other than that, it will be utter inconvenience for those who have factories and businesses in NCR region, but live in Delhi itself. For them buying one car with odd number at end and one car with even digit at end will be the only possible option. Even if people shift to using taxis and TSRs, still the traffic presence on roads will be the same, and targeted reduction in traffic will not be met.

However, a forced implementation of such a law can not be challenged, neither can it be protested, as there is still a very large ratio of people who use Delhi Metro and DTC buses for commuting. Instead if using a vehicle could be placed under necessity, rather than leisure and to prevent misuse, there can be other measures which can be followed:

  1. The very first option that comes to 90% of necessary car users of Delhi will be to Increase the price of fuel; i.e. Petrol & Diesel

If petrol is forcefully priced at 200 Rupees a litre, those who can avoid using vehicles will be encouraged to do so, resulting a drastic drop in Cars and Vehicles usage. Also, the additional money collected i.e. some Rs 140/- can be collected in government’s buffer account. This buffer/Reserve account can be further used  for implementing and encouraging usage of alternative sources of energy, which are less polluting. Similar formula can be used for diesel provided there’s not much resistance from commercial transporters, which may further increase the prices of basic commodities.

  1. The second option that could be implemented is FORCED Participation in Energy Conservation.

If energy is conserved and Delhi is able to stop wastage of energy, a lot of power generation plants which are dedicated to meet the increasing requirements of Delhi’s electricity can be relaxed. In the similar way, what BASIC Nations are fighting against the developed nations for suffering sanctions for the luxuries that developed nations enjoy, Delhi also has Lavish spenders and Necessity users. For all those shopping malls, banquets, showrooms, and restaurants and food joints, there should be a policy to reduce their lavish electricity consumptions, which are certainly uncalled for. These units which consume such high fractions of Delhi’s electricity should be forced to install Solar Panels for generating electricity. Their current bills should be scanned and they should be forced to reduce their consumptions by 50%, with use of Solar Panels and lesser energy consuming devices such as LEDs etc. Further, a standard maximum allotment of electricity load per square feet should be implemented, which would discourage wastage of electricity by lavish spenders.

  1. Discourage Polluting fuels and Encourage Non Polluting sources of Energy. Add Surcharge to Polluters and give Subsidy to Non Polluters.

An extra surcharge can be imposed on vehicles running on petrol and diesel; which could compensate discounts which can be offered on Hybrid vehicles and vehicles running on electricity.

A steep surcharge of Rs. 200,000.00- Rs. 500,000.00 (Rupees Two Lakhs Only to Rupees Five Lakhs only) on petrol cars sold in DELHI-NCR and a surcharge of Rs. 500,000.00 – 10,00,000.00 (Rupees Five Lakhs only to Rupees Ten Lakhs Only) on cars running on diesel, depending upon their engine capacity. This amount can again go into Delhi Government’s Pollution fighting reserve, and should be used to provide hefty discounts and subsidies on Electricity run vehicles and Hybrid vehicles.

  1. Peak time cap on use of vehicles in highly congested areas.

In Delhi there are certain areas where traffic jams are very very frequent. Such areas act like smoke factories of Delhi. These areas can either be made out of bounds for traffic for certain intervals of time, or necessary man force should be deployed in this area for facilitation of smooth traffic. Parking in such areas should be strictly prohibited and violators should be dealt with strict actions as well as penalties. These areas are very easy to be identified, for example: Karol Bagh, Sadar Bazar, Chandni Chowk, Ring Roads, Azad Market and areas of walled city.

Honestly these were few thoughts which came to my mind being an ordinary Aam Aadmi; which I feel can drastically bring down pollution levels and which can be easily implemented without much opposition from all groups of society.

With Best Regards,

Hitesh Madaan
Email: [email protected]
Ph.: +91-9810509876

Close Encounter with the Chennai Floods: How it shook the Middle Class conscience

Manithan
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Every year, during November & December, Eastern Coast of India faces heavy downpour either due to monsoon rains or with the help of Cyclone. While cyclonic rains come along with winds and cause heavy destruction, monsoon rains do equal damage to those who live alongside riverbanks and lakes. Come every year, we used to see the floodwater which had entered the low-lying areas of Chennai, mostly in Velachery or Madipakkam or North Chennai and the poor occupants of the small house either in tears or shouting at the government. It was just something that happened to someone somewhere, while the rest of middle class Chennai busy themselves in hot coffee. Floodwater entering the slums and homes of those who lived along river banks were just a news to us back then.

Even during the 2005 Chennai floods, when water ran in the roads for two feet, it had not entered much homes and Chennai had rarely been in the path of Vortex of a Cyclone, to face widespread destruction. Hence, it never shook the conscience of middle class. The middle class which drooled at the advertisement of apartments beyond the Chennai boundary but never cared about the lakes or rivers on which it is alleged to be built, the middle class which rarely speaks with the government or which seldom worries about the drainage system, were pulled out of their homes and were slapped until it hurt their brain by the recent Chennai floods. And I too belong to such middle class.

On December 1, when it all started, I was preparing myself to start for my work. There was a heavy downpour from morning and by 10 am, the water has already started seeping through the gaps in the tiles and cracks in the wooden door bases. This was not the first time floodwater found refuge in our home, but the third time in third week. Within an hour, water started pouring in from the front entrance and it was coming very fast such that it rose to one feet inside our home in thirty minutes. Within that short time, we had to unplug all electronic items, move them to tables and cots. Thankfully, we had a first floor half of the size of the building on the ground floor, which was used by our relative. So, we didn’t had to head out for nearby school or any other relief camp. That was one step short of facing a disaster (like how the poor people living in low-lying areas and slums had to face every year after heavy rains during the monsoon season). All nine of us were holed up in a single room, with no tap water, power, vegetables, mobile network and with incessant rains pounding all through the night. We had a roof above us, but it was terrible to think of the thousands of Chennaiites who had to sit on terrace and wait for someone to save them.

On December 3, when rains had subsided and floodwater running on our streets lost its current, I ventured out to buy some milk and vegetables. The scene that I saw with my own eyes looked straight from a post-apocalyptic Hollywood movie. There were strewn wooden logs, plastic wastes on the middle of the roads. People were riding their bikes in panic, with many of them appearing to be fleeing to their hometowns with their backpacks. I could see people with long walking sticks and heavy bags coming out from other parts of Chennai, like the Syrian refugees. There was a long queue outside milk stores, no vegetables at the market and no newspaper. Buses did not ply, no autos or private cabs were on the roads, train services came to a halt except the metro and airport was closed for the first time in Chennai’s history. With no power, no newspapers and no mobile network, we felt being marooned at our own homes. My parents joked that it felt like being back to 1960s.

The scariest part was the Adyar river overflowing the Maraimalai Adigalar bridge next to Little Mount. That was one bridge which I remember from my very young age as we cross that to get to a commercial hub called T Nagar and I still commute on it to enter the City. When I happened to cross that bridge on 7th December, I could spot all the washed away huts and eroded buildings and people rummaging through them.

Adyar river overflowing the Saidapet bridge and touching the elevated Metro railway bridge under-construction.
Adyar river overflowing the Saidapet bridge and touching the elevated Metro railway bridge under-construction. Image Source: The Hindu.

It was the first time I had seen such a fury, though we all had heard about overflowing rivers and submerged bridges in other parts of India like Orissa, Bihar and Assam. It was the first time we saw food packets being dropped and people being rescued with the help of helicopter. Boat aided rescue was a common sight here though, happening every year.

When floodwater entered our home for the first time on 16th of November, we were both panicked and depressed. And with recurrence of the same event every week, we got used to it. Maybe, those slum dwellers who we saw on News channels previous years, developed such mindset too? But, it now pains that they had to lose so much of property, because we lost our belongings which could cost us in few thousands. That is why, this Chennai flood was a blow to the conscience of the middle class.

Some point to ponder from what transpired in Chennai the last week:

  • This rainfall was a record in the history of Chennai. The downfall was so heavy without leaving a gap that led to heavy flooding. Apart from blaming the government, we have to take with a pinch of bitterness that we had to face a record rainfall. That is why, middle class had to feel the blow, which it had escaped all these years. But that does not remove the blame from poor planning. The poor planning is not just restricted to the Corporation alone, but also includes us. We should had built homes leaving a considerable height, say 2 to 3 feet, from the ground level, keeping in mind the rise in road height for the next 20 years. Also, the officials must be questioned over the need for adding layer upon layer of roads instead of destructing the old layer and rebuilding a new road on it. Adding layer upon layer sends the old homes into depth resulting in those occupants to either face the floodwater in their homes or to demolish their homes to reconstruct a new one.
  • In a Democracy, governance is not just the work of ministers, MLAs and officials. Rather, it involves everyone. This was the prime takeaway from this disaster. It was great to see a chunk of people, especially youth, coming out and lending a helping hand to the affected people. This is not just Humanity, but this is what Democracy really means. We had been viewing it from the perspective of ‘for the people’, but this flood taught us ‘of the people’ component. When people get down to work instead of floating a political party or forming a NGO, it sounds like the real democracy. It was democracy alive in the streets of Chennai, when it was hurt by this disaster. It sent a message that the work of citizen in a democracy does not end with the pressing of that button on voting day.
  • Urban planning was poor. Even if we change governments and bring highly educated politicians to rule us, a very heavy rainfall is going to bring us back the whole suffering instead of just being a part of memory, because there is not much space to drain the floodwater. Chennai was originally a marsh land surrounded by lakes. Most of our prominent localities were built on lakes or marshlands. 300 years before, rainwater would had fell on those lakes causing it to overflow it to nearby marshlands making its way to the Bay of Bengal. Since we are now occupying the lands that were originally used for this water flow, there should had been a good plan to drain water, which is lacking, as evident by the current floods.
  • Move away the residential and commercial areas from river banks and lake boundaries. Instead of evacuating them and make them to face loss in properties for every monsoon season, why not implement a no-building zone near these places? We can create walkpath on either side of river or lakes, giving room for joggers, cyclists and convert it into a tourist spot without permanent commercial buildings, sealing it effectively whenever a flood alert occurs. Adyar river which flooded recently was surrounded by slums and housing board buildings on its banks. Why not move them to elevated places? If slum dwellers do not wake up and request slum clearance board to move them to safer places, they will not be facing such losses in the next floods. There should be a strict vigilance on the water bodies and encroachment should be duly punished. If possible, sealing those apartments and flats, built on lakes via illegal means and penalising everyone involved in it, might send a strong message to the middle and upper class, who will then think twice before buying any such homes in the future.
  • Every road should have a proper drainage system. Take for example, Old Mahabalipuram Road (now called Rajiv Gandhi Salai), which turns into a river if it rains continuously for three hours. If given a proper drainage, this can remove the clutter of vehicles being stranded there and ease the traffic. Chennai faced worst traffic on the night of 23rd November, when people were on road for 7-8 hours due to floodwater on the main roads. Imagine having a proper drainage system on road corners that could drain such flooding waters in few minutes, it can reduce the stress due to traffic.
  • And the last is We – We the people. When it flooded for the first time on November 16, we met the Corporation workers and nagged them to drain the floodwater. They took us to nearby drainage canals and showed us the garbage accumulated in it blocking the passage of water and diverting the excess waters into nearby homes. Just contemplate about the amount of garbage thrown into such drainage canals across Chennai and consider how much of floodwater was blocked its proper way, because of our carelessness. If only we had a foresight and disposed the waste in proper bins, the drainage systems would had worked a bit and floodwater would not be knee-deep for sure in most of the areas.

This flood is a lesson to every other Indian, who change news channels or move to Sports column of newspapers, neglecting such disasters until it knocks their home one day, like how it happened for me. I did not include Anthropogenic climate change or environmental damage angle in this article. The reason is, we are an exploding population and trying to implement heavy measures to reverse environmental damage is not a feasible option right now. We cannot keep on blaming the unpredictable weather or Nature everytime and ignore the losses. It is time we invest more in planning and reshaping our urban areas to overcome such natural disasters, rather than praying for it or writing it off as ‘a revenge act of Nature’.

Pollution free Delhi – Choice based Options – An open letter to Delhi CM

pran
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Dear Chief Minister,

I appreciate the seriousness of government of the day to reduce pollution in Delhi. I have spent some of my youth in Delhi and it is not one of the places where you can even see stars during the night.

I have no doubt about intentions of the government, but remember in a democracy what path you take is also important. Remember the forced sterilization program run by Sanjay Gandhi. I don’t want to go through all the reasons that even-odd formula won’t work, my only concern is curbing “Freedom of Choice” of people of Delhi. That’s what democracy is all about, isn’t it? Keyword here is Freedom and Choice within reasonable limit, i.e., law of the land. So we need to induce general population to make that choice of using public transport on their own.

I understand pollution is big problem in Delhi and almost unliveable from western standards and we do need novel ideas to reduce pollution. Below are some suggestions according to my limited knowledge and experience.

1. Increase parking fees near main markets and office areas. Our council still charges very meagre amount as parking fees. Remember Delhi is mostly middle class population so unless parking fees bite pocket of middle class they will keep using their cars. And believe me Rs 500-1000 per day seems ridiculous, we need to have that kind of parking fees.

2. Charge FBT to the local business and corporate providing parking to their employees. I am sure it will be passed to the employee who will then more inclined to using company/public transport.

3. Apply and Install E-Tolls at major choke points during peak hours.

4. Traffic Control. Most of the jams and traffic chaos happens because of poor driving sense of people. If these offenders are caught breaking rules send them for driver’s training at their own expense.

5. Educate traffic rules to school kids. In my experience kids are better teachers to their parents than anyone else. Use kids under adult supervision to manage traffic around school areas. It will instil sense of responsibility and respect for traffic rules in young mind. In-turn they will also question their parents when they try to break rules.

Safekeeping of environment is our collective responsibility. If we are polluting it then we should be ready to pay for it. Most of the above suggestions will encourage people of Delhi to use public transport and car-pooling as your government ultimate goal is. It will also put money in state coffers which can be used to take other initiatives for pollution free Delhi.

At least it will not stop people to use their cars during emergencies or wait for certain day to take their kids to India Gate for an ice-cream during one of their tantrums.

Nothing better to do, Dr. Mitra?

bharath4488
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As a not so sagacious but sole option left with Ms.Indira Gandhi, she announced democratic elections to be held on January 18, 1977. Morarji Desai who did not yield an inch to the tyranny of Mrs.Gandhi and spent his time in prison contemplating on Bhagavat gita , was finally released. In his first ever press conference after release he was questioned by a journalist, not so differently from today. He was asked about Mrs.Gandhi’s allegation that most leaders were enjoying trips abroad instead and not languishing in jail for a lost democracy. The questioner specifically referred to Dr.Subramanian Swamy who made a heroic escape from the parliament to the US and garnered support in the international media against the emergency. Morarji, who is usually well-informed, faltered by quipping angrily that Dr.Swamy was not a front rank leader.

Dr.Swamy retorted to this on Feb 5th 1977, in his own characteristic style, “Morarjibhai is right. I cannot be front rank leader because I am not 80 years old”. The embarrassment and distraction this statement caused to the whole movement compelled Morarji Desai to privately apologize to Dr.Swamy for not taking into account the sacrifices and efforts that leaders like Dr.Swamy made in participating in a different but equally valuable protest. As a further testament to this effort, Dr.Swamy was rightfully presented with the emergency hero award in September 2015 by the present government.

History has always shown that supporters of various political ideologies adapt to innovative and effective platforms much faster than the political leaders themselves. May it be simple ego or Newton’s first law, the reluctant latecomers fail to understand the dynamics of changing mechanisms of supporters’ feedback. In this context, I would like to look at Dr.Chandan Mitra’s comments in a program on NDTV about Indo-Pak talks as a response to Barkha Dutt. When questioned on the effect of social media on the government’s stand or flip-flop (as Barkha would choose to call it), Dr.Mitra sidelined it as a mere conjecture and went far ahead to say “ I don’t think any government can frame foreign policy or any other for that matter on the basis of twitterati which is hyperbolic at times …. It is a useful sounding board for some people with nothing very much better to do”. If it was his personal opinion, he deserves just a “swamy”ish retort and can be ignored as he is mostly (by me, atleast) on tv debates (Thank god for “mute” buttons!). Since he categorically stated this as the BJP’s opinion, the Ashoka Chakra on my passport necessitates few questions and comments.

If the impact of social media on any policy is not considered, should citizens be voicing their concerns and opinions in mygov.in? The website shows 164800 submissions in 377 tasks by 40 different groups. Does the BJP consider these discussions as outcome of “nothing better to do” frivolousness or just a joomla for creating an image of listening to supporter feedback? Can we believe that these decisions will not actually impact public policy and will remain as essay writing contests? Can the BJP also please let the social media cell know that they are heading a cell that is not of any important consequence? The BJP should also remind the Prime minister that #selfiewithdaughter will lead to no social change and he has “better things to do”. When the HRD minister in a recent interview pointed out the support she received in her Amethi campaign, was she talking about people who have nothing better to do?

As an avid follower of twitter without being on twitter, I follow many RW writers on history, foreign policy ,politics, Swach Bharat activists who outclass the Op-eds or news articles in the mainstream media by a huge margin. These propagators of ideas have challenged the age-old theories and misconceptions with their limited bandwidth of time and resources. These are people who have families to cater to and  their own illustrious careers to pursue but want to challenge the lies that are spread by mainstream media. They have honestly taken up the responsibilities of BJP spokespersons in the cyber world that their real world counterparts have failed in.  None of these have demanded any benefits or privileges and have stood for the PM’s vision through rain and shine .They could definitely do without the “tyranny of the unelected” in representing the opinions of people they actually care about

Bharath Ramaswamy

A “nothing better to do “ PhD candidate in Bioengineering, University of Maryland, USA

 

Open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Ashutosh Muglikar
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Pakistan’s spy agency ISI is currently escalating a proxy war against India by nurturing terror groups in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan, but Adarsh Liberals and some in BJP can’t even see it.

Terror has always been a tool to wage a war against India by the Pakistanis. With PM Narendra Modi and NSA Ajit Doval at the helm of affairs, we RW expect a strong and 56″ response against the perpetrators of crimes against our fellow Indians. JUD Chief is free and issues sermons against India from time to time. What has Pakistan done to stop terror or bring the perpetrators of terror acts to justice?

While you and NSA are strongly dealing with Pakistan at our borders, there are some persons who are within India and precisely within the Bharatiya Janata Party who are turning a blind eye to these open facts. I don’t believe that you are not aware of these facts. Having said this, I am appalled at the way this whole India Pakistan cricket series talks are being handled by the Government.

I dont have to remind you of the countless victims of Pak sponsored terror attacks. Do you think we are doing any justice to these families by establishing cricketing ties with a failed nation? Is our patriotism and honour not important when economics comes into picture? Is entertainment more important?

I don’t support “Greenpeace” or their activities but I wish to draw an analogy from the incident whereby the government did not allow Ms. Priya Pillai to travel abroad because possibly she could have brought disrepute to India. Why cant the government stop BCCI (an independent body) from conducting this series as it will surely bring disrepute to our motherland?

I wish to draw your kind attention to response by Russia after Turkey shot down their fighter jet recently.

In January 2014 you had given us your ‘Idea of India’ which mentioned that mother and motherland are superior than heaven. I dont think actions by Shri. Anurag Thakur in anyway respect our motherland. It is a fact that when commercial interests were to be protected, he was quick enough to sideline the sentiments of common man and issued shameless statements like SM is not the voice of the nation.

India is already playing Pakistan at world cup etc. which can’t be avoided, we understand that. What goes beyond our logic is why is there a need for a separate bilateral series? Forget about responses to terror like Russia and Israel, we cant even keep up our self respect. This series, for me, will bring only shame to India.

I trust you and your conscience, as your humble supporter, I make a fervent appeal to stop this nonsensical and rude acts by rogues in BCCI esp. Anurag Thakur. I hope my appeal is heard.

~An Indian.
#IndiaFirst

Why increasing the salaries of Delhi MLAs is not a good idea?

Kapil Kanungo
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An interesting news item was on the forefront of media, both social and otherwise, during the course of the last week. It related to a 400% salary hike given to the Delhi legislators by the AAP government. Some newspapers pointed out in tongue in cheek remarks that the Delhi legislators will now earn more than the Prime Minister.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal vehemently defended the salary increase, first on the floor of the house and then in the HT leadership summit, saying that only when the MLAs are paid reasonable amounts, can they be expected to perform. He also compared the salaries of the MLAs to private sector employees and remarked that the salaries on their current level are not even 1/20th of the salaries of the top news editors. He assured that if someone is found to be misusing his position, they shall not be spared. Although the reasons seem legit, there are certain underlying problems with them.

First, MLAs and MPs in India are well allowed to have alternative sources of income. Most of them in fact have their own businesses, professional practices or sources of rental or other incomes. The salary hike does not take into account an MLA’s other sources of income and nor does it require the MLA to clock a certain minimum number of hours on his job, which is a norm in other jobs, public and private. This means that the MLAs will draw better salaries but the scope of their duties will still be the same. Sure, Mr. Kejriwal might assert that his MLAs do not have other sources of income and that that being an MLA is a full time job, past experiences of the electorate have proven otherwise. The salary hike must come with its own set of checks and balances, including a minimum attendance norm, cap on the salary for MLAs with certain amounts of other incomes and performance based bonuses.

Second, assuring that action would be taken if someone is found to be misusing the position is a thin premise to work with. There is enough legal recourse available already but the problem lies in its implementation. Allegations are followed by inquiries which are in turn followed by trials which take years. Similarly, the AAP government will face elections in five years’ time and the new government may or may not have the same commitment towards corruption. But the salary hike will stay and the government runs the risk of facing the problem of increasing sense of entitlement in the MLAs.

Finally, there is enough evidence that salaries and performance are not perfectly correlated. A 2013 Harvard study also points out that the correlation between increase in salary and job satisfaction (a proxy for motivation) is weak. Elementary economics suggests that it is the marginal productivity that decides the wage and not the other way round. In the case of Delhi, the salaries have been increased, hoping that the performance, motivation and productivity of the MLAs would improve.

Increasing the salaries of MLAs is an easy task, ensuring their cooperation and performance is a challenge that has hitherto not been addressed. Unless the government ensures a mechanism of checks and balances, raising the salaries is an exercise in futility and will only create an additional burden on the exchequer.

Rising Hoax Of Intolerance In India

kunalvyas
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Over 40 writers have returned their awards to the National Sahitya Akademi over the ‘rising intolerance in India’. Returning an award appears to be a grave act and implies crisis although it is a symbolic gesture. According to these writers, the intolerance is such that their freedom of speech and expression is under threat.  We need to understand what is being seen as ‘intolerance’ today.

Mr. M M Kalburgi, a Kannada Poet was allegedly murdered by two men in his house in Dharwad, Karnataka which gave rise to the discussions on ‘rising intolerance in India’. Was this the first murder in independent India? Was Kalburgi the first artist to have been murdered in India? If the response to these questions is in negative, where does the question of intolerance arise? It could be a ‘normal’ murder case, where the reasons are much more personal than those having a national impact. Would it not be wise for the award returnees to stay silent till the investigation and the subsequent court proceedings are over?

Next incident which is seen as rise of intolerance is the ‘lynching’ of a man in Dadri, Uttar Pradesh by a mob of Hindus since he was suspected to be eating beef. Whether the man was eating beef or not, murder in broad daylight by a mob is unacceptable and the murderers should be punished by Courts. India cannot accept the mob-culture and it must be turned down appropriately. But can this murder of a man in Uttar Pradesh be seen as a pan-India problem? The unfortunate incident took place in Uttar Pradesh, where Akhilesh Yadav led SP Government is in power. Why then, are no fingers being pointed at him for the lapse of his Government in maintaining law and order? Nobody, in senses and sane mind has justified Dadri killing.

The third incident which is seen as a direct attack on the freedom of speech and expression is the incident of black-painting the face of Sudheendra Kulkarni by Shiv Sena activists in Mumbai before the book launch of Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri, Former Pakistan Foreign Minister. Painting one’s face black, just because he does something contrary to one’s wishes is unacceptable. But what was Kulkarni doing in the first place? Book launch of a former Pakistan Foreign Minister in Mumbai. Is the Shiv Sena not correct when it says that book launches can happen, firstly let Pakistan probe into the 26/11 attacks and punish the guilty? What has Pakistan done since 2008? Figures unambiguously show that the ceasefire violations by Pakistan have not come down. As a matter of fact, an Indian film ‘Phantom’ was banned by a Pakistan Court on a Petition filed by Hafiz Saeed, one of the key conspirators behind the Mumbai Attack. I don’t remember anyone standing up for Kabir Khan, director of the movie. Was it not a case of violation of fundamental right of speech and expression? It is understood that the ban was in Pakistan, but a statement could have come in support of Kabir Khan, if the writers are solely concerned about the infringement of freedoms.

I do not intend to divulge into the details of the politics behind awarding these people in the first place and to decipher their political affiliation and to understand whether the act of returning awards is due to their political loyalty. This link would suffice that purpose.

These incidents cannot be enlarged and seen as a mood of the nation. Most certainly, it cannot be linked to the party in power. Sonia and Rahul Gandhi met the President over ‘rising intolerance in India’. Were Sonia, Rahul and all the writers returning awards deaf and dumb when the UPA Government was at its tyrannical peek in the recent past by jailing every other person for facebook posts disliked by them under the guise of Section 66A of the IT Act? Was this not intolerance exemplified? The Government was directly involved. There was absolute intolerance even to a facebook post. Why was no protest staged then? Aseem Trivedi, a cartoonist was also arrested under the same provision and he protested then. I don’t remember any of the award returnees raising their voice then, in support of Trivedi.

The basic confusion that is being sought to be created is between the ‘rising violence’ and ‘intolerance’. There is a very fine line of distinction between the two and they cannot be equated. Intolerance is a state where even a slight rift would convert people into rebels. What is on the rise is violence and not intolerance. This occurrence of rising violence is global and not restricted to India. Not that it doesn’t require attention, but labeling violence as intolerance amounts to disrespecting all the peaceful citizens. Has France been termed as an intolerant nation by their own media and artists after the Charlie Hebdo shooting? No. The reason is that the killing was singular and individualistic in nature, which cannot be generalized to be read as intolerance in the nation. Is it not the same case with our Country? Murders have happened, investigation is going on, criminal jurisprudence is still relevant and Courts still exist to punish the guilty. What is the difference this time around?

There is no intolerance, either religious or otherwise in India. A country with a population of over 1.25 Billion is tolerant and sane. A couple of incidents do not determine the mood of the nation. Those interested so desperately into tasting the intolerance may visit a few of the neighboring countries on the west and determine for themselves, if India is tolerant or not. (They are not being asked to move to those countries. India would tolerate their return as well.) Those journalists (read the one caught assaulting a mob in New York and the one involved in Nira Radia tapes controversy) merrily manufacturing the hoax of intolerance in India are not being harmed, which itself shows that the nation is tolerant enough. The best the BJP can do is to ensure that no stupid and insensible statements are made by their party members. Even 1 such statement is portrayed as the stand taken by the whole of the nation. Distancing and condemning such statements would not do much good. This nation has endured numerous internal as well as external attacks, and will stand this one too.

Why India is well poised to be the next economic superpower

Smiran Bhandari
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If you take a random person in any part of the world and ask the question ‘which country is the current global superpower’, the answer on most lips would undoubtedly be the United States of America. The economic, cultural and militaristic influence that USA has all across the globe is unmatched. But as can be evidenced through history in the case of the British Empire and the Soviet Union, it is difficult to maintain the superpower status till eternity.

Already, there are many chinks visible in USA’s armour. The deadly debt financed wars in Afghanistan and Middle East diverted massive economic resources. The 2008 financial crisis further compounded matters for the economy. Every year since 2013, American policymakers have to get together annually to increase its debt ceiling limit so as to ensure that the economy does not fall off a fiscal cliff. The Gross National Debt currently stands at around $18 trillion thereby reducing USA’s ability to flex its economic muscles. Given that USA has in a way maxed out its credit card, it may soon face a situation which can threaten its superpower status.

There are very few countries in the world which can claim to be in a position to dethrone USA as superpower. The potential superpowers which can rightfully claim this position are Brazil, Russia, India and China or popularly known as the ‘BRIC Nations’. These Emerging Market stalwart nations have the necessary ingredients that can propel them into superpower status. Each of these four countries has a high global share of GDP, land mass as well as population. Earlier there were predictions that Japan has the potential to emerge as the next superpower but a combination of continuous slow growth and an aging population gradually destroyed its potential to be a superpower.

Amongst the BRIC nations, Brazil is considered the weakest link and looking at the current situation it will be the least likely to emerge as a superpower. The country is currently going through its deepest recession in 25 years. Its Government is also entangled in a massive corruption scandal very much like what the Congress Government battled in India. Russia and China are dominant powers in their own right and have consistently countered USA’s might over the years either through military or economic prowess.

In the Syrian crisis, Russia is challenging US military directly by backing Assad’s regime to the hilt. Vladimir Putin is also gaining more global credibility in the war against ISIS, much to the chagrin of Obama. But the year 2015 is turning out to be an extremely difficult year for both Russia and China. Russian economy is in deep trouble due to the sanctions imposed by USA and the crash of oil prices. Like Brazil, Russia too is in deep recession and its currency Ruble has devalued significantly against the Dollar.

China too has been an economic powerhouse for the past few decades. Over the past 30 years, China’s GDP growth rates have averaged a phenomenal 10%. China is perhaps the only country which has come close to US in terms of economic supremacy. China sent global shock waves when its stock markets collapsed a few months back. Its growth slowdown is causing fundamental and structural shifts in its economy. IMF has suggested that China consciously slow down its economy further to avoid a hard landing for itself. Overall, Chinese policymakers are grappling with multiple issues like real estate bubble and high Government debt. To solve the underlying problems, China is undertaking a transition which may take years to unfold.

While the economies of Brazil, Russia and China are facing deep-rooted structural issues and are slowly unravelling, India finds itself in a fairly comfortable position. Of course, India is not immune to the global slowdown. Indian exports declined for the 11th consecutive month in October but since India is a net importer of commodities, the collapse of commodity prices has greatly benefitted India. This led to a decrease in our trade deficit from 6.5% in FY13 to 1.4% in FY15. The GDP growth rate is also robust but it is difficult to compare it to previous periods due to a change in calculation methodology. With the fall in interest rates and inflation, India is in a decent macroeconomic position. Taking everything into consideration, when compared to other potential super powers, India is in a remarkably unique position of economic advantage.

Frankly, the global circumstances present an incredible opportunity to India. Foreign investors have very limited options to invest other than India. To them, India is an oasis of growth and stability. It also helps immensely that we have Narendra Modi as Prime Minister who understands the importance of foreign investment. PM Modi has experienced the benefits of investment driven development during his tenure as Chief Minister of Gujarat. These first-hand experiences have helped him develop initial initiatives like Make in India and improving ease of doing business which will go a long way in attracting investors.

Every other day, more and more sectors are being opened up to FDI. We are truly seeing the unrolling of the proverbial red carpet for foreign investors rather than the usual red tape. If this initial momentum continues, India will be able to fully exploit the sweet spot that opportunity has placed in our laps. While the other major economies are mired in wars, debt and economic stagnation; India is focussed on economic development and prosperity. This way, India is taking the first steps in attaining the status of an economic superpower. It is a long and uphill battle to reach those heights but the journey has certainly begun in full earnest.

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