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millenniumpost

NEW DELHI | WEDNESDAY, 19 APRIL, 2023 Opinion mp 7


EDITORIAL Playing big!
A continuous threat As the 100th episode of ‘Mann ki Baat’ goes on air on April 30, it will also be a moment

T
he crowds in Delhi and other parts of the coun- to celebrate Indian sports — a recurring theme of the flagship programme

I
try are by and large maskless. Precautionary
measures like social distancing and hand sanita- t’s an exciting time for is unprecedented for India and
tion have been completely done away with, not sports in India. India has I am grateful to the Prime Min-
just by individual persons but also at public places. While always had a promising ister for injecting a renewed
the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic is unanimously and large pool of sporting vigour into sports.
accepted by one and all, its recurrence is something that talent. What was needed was The results are there for all
people tend to downplay. Viral diseases, as we all know, ANJU BOBBY modifying the existing policies to see. With seven medals in
recur each year in particular seasons. The same goes for GEORGE and bringing newer ones that the Tokyo Olympics and 19
the COVID-19. It is very critical to understand that the match their needs and aspi- in the Paralympics, India per-
idea of putting a tab on COVID-19 disease is not centered rations. Under the leadership formed its best in four decades.
around the weakening of the virus, but in strengthening of Prime Minister Narendra India recorded one of its best
human’s immunity to fight against the virus. All through Modi, the Government is in performances at the Com-
the pandemic years, a certain degree of immunity has been mission mode to transform the monwealth Games in Birming-
built that makes us relatively safer today. The process of sports landscape of the country ham with a total of 61 medals,
acquiring greater immunity is still on, but till then, cau- by focusing on grassroots-level including 22 Gold medals. For
tion is the concept that should guide our path forward. talent identification, sports the first time in the history of
Data released by the Union Health Ministry on April 18 infrastructure building, sup- the prestigious international
show that India recorded 7,633 new coronavirus infec- port to elite athletes, and creat- Thomas Cup (badminton)
tions, and the active cases have increased to 61,233. The ing an ecosystem that provides tournament, the Indian men’s
data also revealed that 11 deaths were recorded country- equal opportunities to women, team won the championship
wide. Delhi and Kerala reported four deaths each while divyangjan, and youth from by defeating the 14-time World
Haryana, Karnataka and Punjab reported one death each. even the remotest corners of Champion Indonesia. The
On April 17, Delhi itself recorded 1,017 cases while the the country. The success sto- Indian contingent for Deafly-
positivity rate touched a 15-month high of 32.25 per cent. ries as well the stories of grit, mpics Brazil gave the best-ever
Punjab, too, reported 148 cases. Indeed, the severity of the struggle and determination performance for the country
situation is nowhere close to what it had been during the The results are of multiple sportspersons, of with 16 medals. Young talent is
first two waves of the pandemic. And it need not be so. there for all to every age group, have found a performing tremendously well,
But the grim fact is that beyond falling and rising statis- place in the Prime Minister’s and the entire nation is enjoy-
tics, lives are still being lost. And each life has a cost that see. With seven ‘Mann ki Baat’ and the hearts ing their victories.
can’t be captured by statistics. It is pertinent to re-empha- medals in the of the nation. ‘Mann ki Baat’ has become a platform where the country’s achievements on the sports front are brought to light ‘Mann ki Baat’ as a plat-
size that safe practices for preventing COVID-19 will have Khelo India has been a form has inspired among
to be inculcated in the lives of common people on a sus- Tokyo Olympics game changer. In fact, Khelo the newspaper was the only jected on the stadium screens. the days when people used the citizens, especially the
tainable basis, irrespective of the direction in which the and 19 in the India Games have become like medium to get any informa- And I was wondering when to follow only cricket. Today, youth, a collective enthusiasm
graph is headed. Every act of negligence could turn out to the mini-Olympics of India. tion about the sports achiev- I would get a similar oppor- there is a huge national pride towards sports in the country.
be lethal. It is high-time that masking and hand sanitis- Paralympics, The incentive of being recog- ers of our country, but now tunity. In that sense, today’s attached to India’s participa- In multiple episodes of ‘Mann
ing are popularised not just as a response to the surge in India nised at the national level has even before they head for the young athletes are really tion in every international ki Baat’, the Prime Minister
COVID-19 cases, but as a lifestyle change made impera- given the impetus to not only international tournaments, we lucky that the Prime Minis- sporting event. Be it badmin- has appealed directly to the
tive by the changing scenario. This wishful thinking is, performed its the young athletes but also to are celebrating them. Be it the ter is talking about them at ton, javelin throw, handball, or younger generation to make
however, far from reality. Even in metro cities like Delhi, best in four individual States to develop Commonwealth or Olympics- such an important platform fencing, and even indigenous sports a crucial part of their
the availability of facilities like hand sanitisation were done their own robust sporting bound Indian contingent or like ‘Mann ki Baat’. He also sports like Mallakhamb and lives. Through his radio pro-
away with the earliest signs of retreat of the pandemic. decades infrastructure. Apart from the youth taking part in the knows their personal interests Kalaripayattu, people today gramme, he has instilled a feel-
The fading emphasis on such facilities not just practically the development of an overall Khelo India Games, ‘Mann ki well, and is giving them grand are united in their apprecia- ing of Sabka Prayas to make
make people less safe, but also shape their mentality about sports culture in the country, Baat’ has become a platform send overs and felicitating tion for the sportspersons who sports an important aspect
the risks arising from COVID-19. Apart from being safety the personal interest that the where the country’s achieve- them when they come back. are waiving the tricolour high for India’s holistic develop-
tools, these facilities also act as a form of communication, Prime Minister takes in know- ments on the sports front are The entire India is watching all around the world. ment, and together the peo-
conveying that COVID-19 is still a risk, as it keeps claim- ing every athlete and their brought to light. And today, this, especially the younger Just before the Olympics ple, the Governments, athletes
ing lives. Furthermore, the dynamism of the progression progress is also something that when ‘Mann ki Baat’ is going to generation. 2020, the Prime Minister urged and associations are striving
of COVID-19 disease is not unidirectional; it is not just was never seen before in our hit its century-mark on April The Prime Minister has the listeners of ‘Mann ki Baat’ to make this vision a reality
about humans acquiring immunity against the virus on a country. He makes it a point 30, 2023, I am sure that all its repeatedly stressed on the fact to support the Tokyo-bound of the New India. I am look-
broader scale, but also about how the virus is still exhibit- to interact with the Indian con- episodes, all through these that sports do not stop short at athletes with #Cheer4India, ing forward to the upcoming
ing the capability of resurfacing in newer, unknown forms. tingent before the final send years, have worked as an inspi- winning medals and putting which subsequently trans- 100th episode of Mann Ki Baat
Presently, XBB1.16.1 — a mutation of Omicron’s infectious off and after an international ration for the athletes to hone India on the global map. What formed into a campaign, wit- and to hear our Prime Minis-
XBB1.16 variant which was first spotted in January — is tournament/sporting event, their talent and build a future it primarily brings to the table nessing participation from ter inspire, encourage and talk
also in circulation. The Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics and motivate and congratu- in sports. is development of individual school students to celebrities of ordinary people who have
Consortium (INSACOG) — a joint initiative of the Union late them on their success or When I had won the first personalities by making us who sent their wishes for the made huge difference in the
Health Ministry of Health and Department of Biotech- sincere efforts. medal for the World Champi- physically fit, mentally alert, athletes. It is interesting to see life of others.
nology (DBT) with the Council for Scientific & Industrial The Prime Minister also onship, my fellow athlete who and nurturing sportsmanship. the different ways that we are The writer is an Indian Olym-
Research (CSIR) and Indian Council of Medical Research talks a lot about sports in his had also won a medal had got Sports, as a whole, holds much finding as a country to cele- pian and the Vice President of
(ICMR) — has reported that 436 cases of XBB1.16.1 have monthly radio programme, a call from the head of her importance for the develop- brate our sportspersons. This Athletics Federation of India.
been detected across the country. Spread of this variant ‘Mann ki Baat’. In the past, country which was being pro- ment of a nation. Gone are momentum on the sports front Views expressed are personal

The deception game


could lead to a faster rise in the number of COVID cases
in India. Additionally, until the COVID-19 disease nor-
malises in society with an appropriate amount of immu-
nity, there is always a chance of propping up of yet newer
variants whose virulence cannot be anticipated. It will be a
wrong articulation that people and institutions must resort
to safety protocols because COVID cases are rising in the
country. The right way to put this would be to modify our
life habits permanently, or at least till the threat of COVID-
19 reduces substantially. The disease still has the potential When combined with other disruptive technologies, ChatGPT-4 can exacerbate fraudulent
to spiral out of control. It is reassuring that certain state
governments are acting proactively to tackle the problem. malpractices like deepfakes and social engineering — creating an urge for preventive measures

O
These efforts will have to be sustained. That’s the only key.
ne day, you received engineering assaults because a cyber attack or data breach
a call from some- they have easier access to pri- has transpired.

DearEditor one claiming to


be the manager of
your company. Being a newly
vate data. High-profile social
media influencers and indi-
viduals who tend to over-
Preventive measures
Adhere to these sugges-
tions to prevent social engi-
ARINDAM SARKAR hired employee, you felt the share personal information neering attempts from stealing
IN AN ADVANTAGEOUS SPOT? caller sounded just like the are prime targets for cyber sensitive data and information
manager. He asked you to join attacks. Youngsters and per- from your organisation:
This is in reference to the news report “Former CM in a video conference to dis- sonnel with less education, Encourage workers to
Jagadish Shettar quits BJP, joins Congress in poll- cuss an urgent matter. You who are unaware of cybersecu- report suspected cybersecurity
bound Karnataka”. For the first time in any big state, were hesitant at first, but the rity concerns, are also at risk. problems without worrying
the Congress is being seen as having a clear edge, but caller was very persuasive. Uncovering and probing about penalties by fostering a
would it win comfortably, get a majority, fall short of He told you that the matter Scammers target those who good security culture;
it and yet emerge the single largest party, and be forced was confidential and needed have what they want, such as Make security awareness
into an alliance government, or not, remains to be seen. to be discussed immediately. credentials, data, money, etc. training a requirement for new
However, the current position is the first validation for You reluctantly agreed and They research potential vic- recruits during onboarding,
the Grand Old Party, where a change of guard is even joined the video conference. Advanced video and audio tech, along with a convincing ChatGPT-4 tims online, examine their as they are particularly vul-
a likelihood, in a state where it is taking on the BJP The manager then proceeded script, could yield deepfakes that pass as genuine social media and online activ- nerable to social engineering
directly, and after the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo to ask you for sensitive infor- ity, and then craft a person- assaults;
mation about the company, sonation, and data theft. Its create new challenges and risks alised attack based on the Regularly conduct team
Yatra spent considerable time in the state. The Congress,
including financial reports, proficiency in generating per- for law-enforcement agencies, information they find. Because testing using outside services
after its current PCC president DK Shivakumar took product development plans, sonalised and convincing text governments, businesses, and scammers have detailed infor- to create simulated social engi-
charge during bleak times and turned it around, and customer data. You pro- messages has made it a tool private institutions, as their mation about their targets, vic- neering attacks and educate
and despite his rivalry with former CM and leading ChatGPT-4’s vided the information without of choice for phishing attacks, widespread use makes them tims are more susceptible to vulnerable employees on how
contender Siddaramaiah, ensured the party managed hesitation. which can now avoid poorly a desirable target for threat lower their guard. to avoid becoming victims;
its internal rifts reasonably well. The party not only exceptional Was the person you were written messages that reveal actors seeking to spread mal- Deception and luring Keep software and hard-
released its first and second lists ahead of the BJP but writing speaking to the real manager? fraudulent activities. Chat- ware and compromise user Scammers search for entry ware updated to prevent
also has a strange reversal of political events — with capabilities can It was a deepfake, a highly GPT-4 can be used to generate data. ChatGPT-4 can expedite points such as email addresses, hackers from exploiting vul-
several significant BJP leaders quitting the party to join sophisticated computer-gen- harmful code and content for research by delivering crucial phone numbers, and social nerabilities in webpages and
the Congress. Amongst them are former CM Jagadish be utilised by erated video that looked and cyberattacks, such as ransom- information on diverse crim- media accounts to contact infecting them with malware;
Shettar and former deputy CM Laxman Savadi, besides cybercriminals sounded just like the man- ware encryption/decryption, inal activities to an individ- their victims. To attract the Implement data moni-
several legislators, adding to the perception of change. ager. Were you aware that spyware, keystroke loggers, ual with no prior knowledge victim’s attention, fraudsters toring, including sensitive file
for advanced you were being duped, con- and malware. Its user-friendly of a specific crime domain. utilise a “hook” strategy that monitoring in your compa-
— KHOKAN DAS, KOLKATA via email phishing, sidering how convincing the interface has reduced the entry ChatGPT-4 can aid in gain- could involve a falsified email ny’s data analytics, to check
deepfake was? The deepfake barrier for cybercriminals, ing insight into various crime posing as a meeting invitation. for unusual behavior such as
impersonation, was created using ChatGPT-4 enabling the creation of cus- domains, such as home inva- This approach takes advantage employees downloading sen-
millenniumpost.in and data theft and Machine Learning, which tom phishing messages with sion, terrorism, cybercrime, of newly hired employees who sitive information outside of
Log on to write letters to the editor or send them to enabled the hackers to mimic counterfeit websites to obtain and child sexual abuse, with- may have limited experience work hours.
letter2editor.mp@gmail.com. You can also send your comments to The Editor, the manager’s voice, facial login credentials and compro- out prior familiarity. ChatG- with cyberattacks. A key takeaway
Millennium Post, Pratap Bhawan, 5 Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi 110 002 expressions, and body lan- mise social media accounts. PT-4’s language model creates Execution of the attack Social engineering can
guage. The deepfake was so Hackers can also create per- accurate spear-phishing emails After the hook works, target anyone, and a single
convincing that you did not sonalised messages, imper- in any language and can simu- scammers perform various mistake can lead to serious
even realise that you were sonating legitimate sources late social engineering attacks social engineering attacks. consequences. Recognising

Tweet of the day being duped. ChatGPT-4,


combined with generative
video, can create high-qual-
to inject malware into users’
devices, compromising their
personal and financial data.
with social media inputs. Rec-
ognising patterns in social
engineering attacks can iden-
For instance, following the
link to schedule a virtual inter-
view may cause malware to be
all types of attacks is crucial,
but extra protection is rec-
ommended. Consider using
ity disinformation, which is a With ChatGPT-4’s interface, tify online scams quickly. installed on your computer. an identity theft and device
potentially explosive combi- even less experienced hack- Social engineering This can lead to the infection protection tool that offers
World Heritage Day — Remember nation. Experts say advanced ers can generate complex code attack targets of your corporate network and advanced security features like
50 Protected Monuments have just video and audio deepfake tech, with ease, enhancing the speed Social engineering attacks the theft of sensitive data. Small robust encryption, Wi-Fi/net-
Disappeared! along with a convincing Chat- and response quality of attacks. aim to acquire sensitive infor- cybersecurity errors like this work security, malware/phish-
GPT-4 script, could yield deep- Its language model also allows mation like bank accounts, and can have a significant financial ing alerts, fraud detection, and
The rest are also under danger fakes that pass as genuine. for convincing phishing emails company data. Targets with impact on companies. identity theft protection.
of being ‘de-notified’, so their Fraud and impersonation: in the targeted audience’s lan- greater access to the desired Retreat The writer is an HoD
protection ceases. Govt wants to JAWHAR SIRCAR the dark side of ChatGPT-4 guage that are difficult to dif- information are more attrac- After completing their mis- and Assistant Professor
open up around them for builders
@Jawharsircar ChatGPT-4’s exceptional ferentiate from legitimate ones. tive to criminals. High-value sion, criminals will quickly of Dept of Computer
writing capabilities are uti- Social engineering persons, prominent work- disappear, leaving minimal Sc & Electronics, Ramak-
to make thousands of crores — by lised by cybercriminals for with ChatGPT-4 ers, and high-level executives evidence. It’s conceivable that rishna Mission Vidyamandira.
endangering Monuments advanced phishing, imper- Social engineering attacks are common targets of social you may not even realise that Views expressed are personal
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HPSOR\HHVFKHHULQJLQWKHEDFNJURXQG7KHLQDXJXUDWLRQKDVDOOWKHPDNLQJVRID ast week, I celebrated

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JUDQGHYHQWFRPSOHWHZLWKJUHHWLQJVDQGVHOILHV,QIDFWKLVHQWLUHYLVLWWR,QGLDLV Nepal’s New Year in
DELJQHZVPDNHU$GD\EHIRUHWKHLQDXJXUDWLRQKHSRVWHGDSLFWXUHRIKLPVHOIHDW Pokhara covered in a
LQJDYDGDSDYZLWK+LQGLILOPVWDU0DGKXUL'L[LW6RRQDIWHULQDXJXUDWLQJWKH0XPEDL perpetual haze obscur-
VWRUH&RRNWZHHWHG´7KHHQHUJ\FUHDWLYLW\DQGSDVVLRQLQ0XPEDLLVLQFUHGLEOH ing the splendour of the
iconic Machhapuchhre (Fishtail
:HDUHVRH[FLWHGWRRSHQ$SSOH%.&RXUILUVWVWRUH Mountain), which is also the
LQ,QGLDµ2Q7KXUVGD\&RRNZLOODWWHQGWKHLQDX presiding deity of the valley
JXUDWLRQRIWKHVHFRQG$SSOHVWRUHLQ'HOKL+HPD\ which was recently blessed with
DOVRPHHW3ULPH0LQLVWHU1DUHQGUD0RGL7KHODVW a Chinese-built international air-
port that threatens to become a
WLPH&RRNYLVLWHG,QGLDZDVLQ$SSOHZDVWKHQ white elephant. The Chinese-
VWDUWLQJWRDXJPHQWLWVRSHUDWLRQVLQWKHFRXQWU\ built Pokhara-Kathmandu road is
:KLOHWKHWHFKJLDQWKDVPDGHLWVSUHVHQFHIHOWLQ being turned into a six-lane high-
WKHFRXQWU\LWVVSUHDGLVVWLOOYHU\OLPLWHGWKHSODW way over five years till when dust
kicked up by earthmovers and
IRUPRQZKLFKRYHUSHUFHQWRIVPDUWSKRQHVUXQ forest fires will keep Machha-
LVWKDWRI*RRJOH·V$QGURLG&RRN·VYLVLWDQG$SSOH puchhre shrouded.
VWRUHVDUHOLNHO\WRLQFUHDVHWKHFRPSDQ\·VIRRWSULQWV In Kathmandu, the nine-
LQWKHFRXQWU\ party coalition is hampered in
completing government forma-
,WLVQRWMXVWWKDW$SSOHZRXOGEHVHOOLQJPRUH tion by the single-largest but fac-
RILWVSKRQHVLQ,QGLDLWORRNVOLNHLWZRXOGDOVREH tionalised Nepali Congress party
PDQXIDFWXULQJPRUHLQ,QGLD,QWKHODVWFRXSOHRI\HDUVLWKDVDOUHDG\VFDOHGXS and three byelections due on
LWVL3KRQHSURGXFWLRQLQWKHFRXQWU\VWULNLQJO\PDNLQJSHUFHQWRIWKHPKHUHLQ April 23 to accommodate, among fiasco. RSP is the fourth largest victims (out of 17,000 insur- delayed Agniveer four-year
others, the defeated Janta Samaj- party but has lately been gency deaths), he says, has no recruitment, there are mixed
WKHSUHYLRXVILQDQFLDO\HDU,QWKHVDPH\HDUWKHWHFKPDMRU·VH[SRUWVFURVVHG5V wadi Party stalwart, Upendra embroiled in fraud and cor- legal implications as it was a feelings. A Gorkha veteran
FURUH$SSOHSDUWQHUVOLNH)R[FRQQ7HFKQRORJ\*URXSDQG3HJDWURQ&RUS Yadav, in case he wins from Bara ruption. After the Lamichhane political statement with a focus told me that Agniveers return-
DVVHPEOHGL3KRQHVLQ,QGLD7KLVLVJRRGSURJUHVVFRQVLGHULQJWKHIDFWWKDW,QGLD constituency. imbroglio, lawmaker Dhaka on Truth and Reconciliation ing to Nepal will be branded
PDQXIDFWXUHGMXVWSHUFHQWRIWKHZRUOG·VL3KRQHVLQ&RRNLVOLNHO\WRPHHW Meanwhile, PM Pushpa Kumar Shreshtha was alleged- Commission. Haribol Gajurel, as ‘rejected’ when only 25 per
Kamal Dahal’s (Prachanda) visit ly caught on video demanding his chief advisor, has said the cent are re-enlisted. Some are
JRYHUQPHQWRIILFLDOVWRH[SORUHWKHSRVVLELOLW\RIPDQXIDFWXULQJPRUH$SSOHSURG to India due this month is delayed Rs 2mn for securing the TRC Bill will hasten the con- happy that these lads will
XFWVORFDOO\7KHFRPSDQ\PD\UHSRUWHGO\EHJLQWKHSURGXFWLRQRIKHDGSKRQHVL3DGV till May for lack of a full Cabinet, Health Minister’s portfolio for clusion of the peace process. return with Nepali Rs18 lakh
DQGZDWFKHV$LU3RGVPD\DOVREHPDQXIDFWXUHGLQ,QGLD)R[FRQQLVVDLGWREH especially Foreign Minister NC’s one Durga Prasai. Shreshtha Ahead of Prachanda’s visit and can start a business or go
FRQWHPSODWLQJDPLOOLRQLQYHVWPHQWIRUDQHZSODQWWRLQFUHDVHORFDOPDQX NP Saud, who was sworn in on was instantly sacked by Lami- to New Delhi, Nepal, accord- abroad. But many are unhap-
Sunday. chhane for a clean image. ing to Kathmandu Post, has py there has been no recruit-
IDFWXULQJRIL3KRQHV$SSOH·V7DLZDQHVHVXSSOLHU3HJDWURQLVDOVRUHSRUWHGWRVHW Always divided into camps, RSP is engulfed in discon- ‘gifted’ India Lower Arun II to ment for three years. The new
XSDVHFRQGIDFWRU\LQ&KHQQDL(YLGHQWO\WKH0RGL*RYHUQPHQW·VSURGXFWLRQOLQNHG NC now has a Shekhar Koirala- tent due to Lamichhane’s arbi- Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam. This Cabinet will likely be fairly
LQFHQWLYHVRU3/,VFKHPHLVQLFHO\DOLJQHGZLWKWKH&KLQD3OXV2QHVWUDWHJ\WKDW Gagan Thapa faction demanding trariness in appointing Shre- is the third project on a single ignorant about Agniveer.
PDQ\JOREDOPDMRUVKDYHHPEUDFHG7KLVLVDZLQZLQVLWXDWLRQIRUERWKPXOWLQD four Cabinet berths but has set- shtha’s replacement as a law- river awarded to India after the While the Foreign Affairs
WLRQDOFRUSRUDWLRQVDQG,QGLD2XU*RYHUQPHQWPXVWHQVXUHWKDWWKLVGHYHORSPHQW
tled for three Ministers and one maker through a proportion- 07403>5 900 MW Arun III and 695 Parliamentary Committee will
Minister of State. This will be the al representation system. MW Arun IV projects. Fiscal be formed later this month, the
GRHVQ·WJHWGHUDLOHGE\6ZDGHVKL]HDORWVDQGRWKHU[HQRSKREHV7KH\KDYHGRQH eighth Cabinet expansion since Lamichhane’s ambitions are ?A0270=30³B Nepal reported last September decision on Agniveer is likely
HQRXJKGDPDJHWRWKHHFRQRP\LWVKRXOGEHDOORZHGWRJURZXQKLQGHUHG December 26, 2022. Prachanda
will start breathing normally
larger than his ego, his oppo-
nents say. Privately, he has been
E8B8CC>=4F that Adani Group representa-
tives had thrice met then
to be delayed into May-June
after Prachanda visits India.
once his Cabinet is formalised. He saying that if the leader of a 34;78=4?0; Deuba government officials in Gorkha Regiment Training
?82D1<; has won two votes of confidence
and obtained a majority vote for
party not recognised as nation-
al and with only 10 seats – 022>A38=6C>
Nepal Electricity Authority
and wished to invest in the
Centres in India have so far
trained a batch of Indian-
NC chief Ram Chandra Paudel.
In a wobbly coalition, there
Madhav Nepal – can be PM,
why not RSP with 20 seats?
:0C7<0=3D?>BC 10,000MW Karnali-Chisapani
project and construct 400-
Domiciled Gorkha Agniveers.
Another batch is under train-
are likely to be three PMs – The tantalising question is 70B²685C43³ 600 KV transmission lines. ing and both exclude Nepali
Prachanda for two years, Madhav whether the Prachanda-Deuba Other projects awarded Domiciled Gorkhas. With only
Nepal (Nepal Communist Socia- coalition will take him or his 8=380;>F4A to India are West Seti IDGs available for recruit-
list) for one year and Sher Baha-
dur Deuba (NC) for two years.
party on board or can he, by
joining Opposition KP Oli’s
0AD=88C> Hydroelectric 750MW and
SetiVI 669 MW. Nepal, at
ment, the elite Gorkha Brigade
of the Indian Army will be
There is no certainty about the coalition, destabilise the gov- BDC;4990; long last, has learnt a lesson missing its Nepali brethren.
longevity of this unorthodox ernment. That seems quite from Bhutan on its liquid gold PM Prachanda will urge Modi
power-sharing agreement. A new unlikely. A twist in the tale is E83HDC=860< assets. In 15 years, Nepal has not to leave Nepal with an
development could roil this the deep bonding between increased its power production unsavoury option on Agniveer.
arrangement. The tintinnabulat- Lamichhane and Gagan from 600 MW to 2500 MW (The writer, a retired Lt Gen,
ing Rashtriya Swatantra Party Thapa, NC’s rising star. and, last year, earned $100 mn was Commander, IPKF
whose charismatic and controver- For Prachanda, Maoist by exporting power to India in South, and founder member
sial leader Rabi Lamichhane, excesses during the civil war the wet season. of the Defence Planning Staff,
after settling his citizenship case, along with his statement that In my conversations with currently the Integrated
is hoping to reclaim his Chitwan he was ready to take moral Indian Army Gorkha ex-ser- Defence Staff. The views
seat following the dual citizenship responsibility for 5,000 conflict vicemen, I learnt that on long- expressed are personal)

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Sir — Senior BJP leader and former
Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar
6_bQVQcdUbFQ^TU2XQbQd5h`bUcc
(67) has joined the Congress ahead of the Q[Tc^_b_TTS^U "Z\_W>UUXRXP[bPbbTaccWPc

\UQTcd_QXQ``i\YVU
May 10 Assembly elections. A few minutes cWTb_TTS^UbdRWcaPX]bST_T]Sb^]cWTcaPRZ
after he joined the Congress, Karnataka R^]SXcX^]bFWX[TcWT<d\QPX2B<CBPX]PVPa
Pradesh Congress Committee president BWXaSXEP]ST1WPaPc4g_aTbbWPbcWT[^fTbcPeTa
C1;C89B4C78 DK Shivakumar handed over to Shettar the PVTb_TTS^UPa^d]S%#Z\_WcWTUPbcTbcPeTa
‘B’ form to contest elections from Hubballi- PVTXb\PX]cPX]TSQhcWTR^d]cahbUXabcEP]ST
0RVWSHRSOHIRFXVRQSK\VLFDODFWLYLW\HDWLQJULJKWDQGVWD\LQJILWEXW Dharwad Central constituency for which
he resigned from the BJP. Before he joined
1WPaPc4g_aTbbcaPX]¯cWT=Tf3T[WXEPaP]PbX
EP]ST1WPaPc4g_aTbb¯fWXRWfPb[Pd]RWTS
WKH\IRUJHWDERXWLQWHOOHFWXDOZHOOQHVVZKLFKLVYLWDOIRUDJRRGOLIH the Congress, Shettar on Sunday had X]! (P]Sad]bPc($Z\_W
resigned as the Hubballi-Dharwad CWT AP]X :P\P[P_PcX 7PQXQVP]Y7PiaPc
n the words of William ity to problem solve, explore solving jigsaw puzzles and (Central) MLA after the BJP denied him =XiP\dSSX]EP]ST1WPaPc4g_aTbbR^\TbPR[^bT

I Shakespeare: “Our bodies


are our gardens — our
wills are our gardeners.” In
creative expression, adopt
new ideas, think critically
and pursue topics of person-
much more are a few prac-
tices that can be practiced to
increase intellectual wellness.
the ticket. Shettar is not the first one to join
the Congress; before him, former Deputy
Chief Minister Laxman Sangappa Savadi C
WTEP]ST1WPaPc4g_aTbbXb8]SXPbUPbcTbc
caPX]QdcXcWPbQTT]ad]]X]VPcP]PeTaPVT
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this fast-paced world, the al interest. Studies have also Remember, well-being is joined the Congress for the same reason. hTPab8cXbSdTc^_^^acaPRZR^]SXcX^]bP]AC8 c^cWTXaUPbcTaPRRT[TaPcX^]STRT[TaPcX^]CWT\P]
term wellness isn’t restricted revealed that with older attained only when learning Shettar is the second top leader of the aT_[hWPbaTeTP[TS8cWPbP_Ta\XbbXQ[Tc^_b_TTS dUPRcdaT^UcWTUXabceTabX^]^UcWTEP]ST1WPaPc
to a trend; rather it has adults, practising intellectual is viewed as an end unto itself Lingayat community after BJP’s BS ^U "Z\_WU^aR^\\TaRXP[bTaeXRTb3daX]VcWXb caPX]¯RP[[TSCaPX]! '¯fPbR^\_[TcTS
become a way of maintaining wellness can even combat rather than a means to a spe- Yeddyurappa. People wonder at the way _TaX^SPcaPX]^]^]Ta^dcTWXcP]PeTaPVTb_TTS X]>Rc^QTa! '3daX]VcWTcTbcad]bcWTcaPX]
a healthy and balanced life. the likelihood of succumbing cific outcome. In order to live BJP’s Karnataka’s former CM and Deputy ^U($Z\_WCWTcaPX]XbQdX[cc^ad]PcP\PgX PRWXTeTSP]^_TaPcX^]P[b_TTS^U 'Z\_W
Various aspects of well- to diseases like Alzheimer’s or a life that is full of happiness CM joined the Congress, which is some- \d\b_TTS^U 'Z\_WQdcWPbP_Ta\XbbX 1WPVfP]CWPSP]Xk<d\QPX
being (such as physical, social, dementia. and joyfulness, the only thing unique for them.
economic, emotional, psy- Simultaneously, intellec- important factor necessary is Because people are fully aware to see
chological and many more, tual wellness is about improv- to choose wellness. The true how the majority of Congress leaders, from =5491=16911>4=EB45BC ?F5BD89>;9>72575DCDB?E2<5
have sprung out from mental thereby stimulating curiosity. ing an individual’s thinking well-being of a person con- time to time either due to attraction of Sir — After gangster-turned-politician Sir — Overthinking is not a disease but
health. It is mental health that Curiosity is important skills, integrating motions sists of multiple intercon- BJP's money and power, or they know Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf were it's no less than a disease either. Either it
lays the foundation for all because it motivates an indi- and acting decisively. It is nected layers that begin with what will be their fate at the hands of shot dead in Prayagraj, the UP Police is caused by or contributes to depression,
wellbeing. vidual to try new things and about being open to new work and social life and ends enforcement agencies who are armtwist- imposed Section 144 across the State and anxiety or a host of other serious mental
Today the majority of develop a better understand- ideas, learning to think and with emotions and spirit. ed, misused, manipulated and controlled beefed up security. Days after Atiq disorder, which affect our mental health
people solely focus on phys- ing of how a person sees the act critically and, at times, Well-being is a complex by the Central Government, defect to the Ahmed's son Asad was killed in an and interfere with a person’s healthy life
ical activity, eating right and relationship between self and finding creative ways to over- interaction of different BJP to save their skin. Naturally, the rul- encounter in Jhansi, At5iq and his broth- and wellbeing. A huge number of youth
staying fit and forget about others. come serious challenges. dimensions that leads an indi- ing BJP-fielded Lingayat strongman BS er Ashraf Ahmed were killed while being today is suffering from overthinking
one of the most significant As the saying goes “You Indulging in activities such as vidual to a better quality of life Yeddyurappa attacked the leaders, former taken for a medical examination in these days, which is not at all beneficial to
aspects of bodily health — got to nourish to flourish”. Just spending time learning more where neglect of any one CM Shettar and Deputy CM Savadi, both Prayagraj. As many as three people were them.
intellectual wellness. The like physical and emotional about what interests him dimension for any length of Lingayats from Kittur Karnataka. He said arrested, informed police after the duo was "Not all ruminations are bad", but
University of New health, the intellect too needs helps an individual grow his time, can have adverse effects both of their resignations are against the shot dead in Prayagraj. when it inhibits your daily life and well-
Hemisphere defines intellec- nourishment. Intellectual knowledge bank and feel revi- on overall health. Well-being ideology they have “been committed to all A day after three men posing as jour- being, it turns into a bane for you; you may
tual wellness as allowing the well-being consists of critical talised. Reading a book or is not about learning new these decades. This is unpardonable.” nalists killed gangster-turned-politician feel restless or agitated, face difficulty in
brain both stimulation and thinking, stimulating curios- writing a journal can help things or challenging the Whatsoever, defection or joining from the Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf in concentrating and experience impair-
rest for critical thinking, ity, problem-solving and cre- relax the body by lowering the brain, rather it’s about little parent party to another party (against Prayagraj, the Union Ministry of Home ments with sleep. It takes you to the worst-
curiosity and creativity. This ativity. It is not confined to heart rate and easing the ten- things that help establish a grievances) is now the part and parcel of Affairs decided to issue detailed guidelines case scenario and you also overestimate the
wellness helps an individual classroom or office. An intel- sion in the muscles. Practising sense of purpose and fulfil- democracy. Time will tell whether Shetter and standard operating procedures (SoPs) likelihood of that scenario happening.
develop good study skills, lectually well-oriented person the art of meditation or yoga ment. It plays a key role in or Savadi’s joining the Congress in their for the safety and security of media per- People fritter away their time brooding
become a critical thinker and cherishes mental growth and aids in the relaxation promoting mental health, revolt against BJP is right or wrong. But sonnel while covering any spot or press about their past/future all because of their
learn and explore a balanced stimulation, is involved in response. Taking part in cul- self-esteem and a sense of one thing is sure, due to their revolt conference. Thus, the media, mafia and the overthinking.
life. With time and experi- intellectual and cultural activ- tural activities either offline or purpose which is indeed the Congress will be eager to earn the Lingayat murderer all brought the State machinery Anmol Porwal | Ujjain
ence, the individual becomes ities, engages in the explo- online helps in expressing need of the hour. community votes as many as possible and to a standstill and looked for the motive
more and more mindful of ration of new ideas and creativity. Playing brain games (The author is an educa- the result will be known on May 13. for the merciless killing. BT]Shh^daUUTTSQPRZcc^)
their thoughts and actions, understandings, has the abil- such as Sudoku, Scrabble, tor) Bidyut Kr Chatterjee | Faridabad CR Krishnan | Ghaziabad [TccTabc^_X^]TTa/V\PX[R^\
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“Peoples and governments have never believe that the Indian proposal was been sincere and each of their indicated above. None of the
learned anything from history, or acted on basically to introduce the influence moves is suspect, proved by previ- Ashoka edicts, travelogues of noted
principles deducible from it — G.W.F. of an Indian religious institution in ous subversive acts? One wonders, Chinese monks or chronicles of
Hegel". the disputed state. even if an agreed mechanism comes Kashmir (Nilamat, Rajatarangini)
The working of the Pakistani through, how both countries will mention this particular monument
t is disturbing, to say the least, the way mind has been articulated by Mr reconcile to the attribution of this with religious roots or acknowledge

7KHULVHRILPSDFWLQYHVWLQJ,PSDFWLQYHVWLQJUHIHUVWRLQYHVWPHQWV
PDGHWRJHQHUDWHSRVLWLYHVRFLDORUHQYLURQPHQWDOLPSDFWLQDGGLWLRQWR
I politics and hidden agendas are
swirling in both countries; India and
Pakistan including Azad Kashmir
(POK), over the monument located
across LOC, with redacted fame. At stake
is the country's security, sensitive Kashmir
=>=4>5C74
0B7>:04382CB
Basit, ex-High Commissioner of
Pakistan in India, who calls the res-
olution frivolous and reminds India
about CBM 2005 and the transit
trade agreement 2007 across the
LOC. Both remain in abeyance, as
monument. Pakistan has declared
it a Protected Buddhist Monument
dating to Ashoka, denying its claim
as a Hindu temple. Hindus claim it
to be the ancient shrine of S'arada,
the Goddess of Knowledge and
either of these claims.
Notwithstanding concerted
efforts of a religious institution’s
effort to appropriate this S’arada
legacy, this area till a few centuries
back was called Drava country. The
ILQDQFLDOUHWXUQV'ULYHQE\LQFUHDVLQJDZDUHQHVVRIHQYLURQPHQWDODQG and religious sensitivities.
On March 23 , Home Minister Amit
CA0E4;>6D4B Aman Setu, transit trade became a
route for subversive acts, arms and
closely associated with the Sharada
script and language.
so-called pilgrims will be few, but
the influx will be more from the
VRFLDOLVVXHVUHJXODWRU\SUHVVXUHVDQGFKDQJLQJFRQVXPHUSUHIHUHQFHV
LWKDVEHFRPHDUDSLGO\JURZLQJVHJPHQWRIWKHVXVWDLQDEOHLQYHVWLQJODQG Shah inaugurated Sharada Temple at >5=>C43 drug smuggling. Basit further This temple, constructed near other side of LOC. Even in the later
Teetwal (Kashmir) near the LOC, con- defined Kartarpur Corridor in the LOC, is that of Goddess part of the 19th century, Auriel
VFDSH,W·VDOVRSDUWLFXODUO\UHOHYDQWLQ,QGLDZKHUHPDQ\VRFLDODQGHQYL structed by Sringeri Mutt, via video link. He 278=4B4<>=:B terms of an international border, Sharadamba, a form of Parvati, Stein remarked: " In a particular
URQPHQWDOFKDOOHQJHVUHTXLUHLQQRYDWLYHVROXWLRQV,QZHFDQH[SHFW
LPSDFWLQYHVWLQJWRFRQWLQXHFUHDWLQJVLJQLILFDQWRSSRUWXQLWLHVIRUVWDUWXSV
also noted that this “will connect South with
North’ and a plan to ‘explore’ possibilities
>A27A>=82;4B with an agreed mechanism, terms
proposal unworkable unless two
spouse of Chandramouleshwara
(Shiva), presiding deity of the
year, once every fourth lunar year,
two or three hundred from a near-
WKDWDLPWRJHQHUDWHVRFLDODQGILQDQFLDOUHWXUQV of establishing a pilgrim corridor on the pat- >5:0B7<8A sides of the erstwhile J&K State are Sringeri Mutt. It is misleading that by area (Kupwara) visit basically for
7KHHPHUJHQFHRIVXVWDLQDEOHGHEW6XVWDLQDEOHGHEWLVDUHODWLYHO\ tern of Kartarpur Corridor. One is not sure joined together and LOC becomes it is S’arada of Kashmir, a form of religious ceremonies of the dead. In
QHZ UDSLGO\JURZLQJW\SHRIILQDQFLDODOWHUQDWLYHWKDWDOORZVFRPSDQLHV what exploration means and how this pro- =8;0<0C redundant. He pointed indicators as Saraswati and Goddess of normal years, it attracts few pil-
WRUDLVHFDSLWDOIRUVXVWDLQDEOHSURMHFWVLQFOXGLQJJUHHQERQGVWRILQDQFH posal will come through without getting
Pakistan and POK within the ambit of the
A090C0A0=68=8 to how this announcement will
allow new life to Pakistan’s demand
Knowledge. An imaginatively cre-
ated fictional visit to Shankara-
grims”. He also mentions that
“Brahmans of Srinagar and round-
HQYLURQPHQWDOSURMHFWVDQGVRFLDOERQGVWRILQDQFHVRFLDOLPSDFWSUR proposal. <4=C8>=C78B for a solution to the Kashmir prob- charya by one of the pontiffs of the about hardly know the existence of
MHFWV$VSHU/RDQ0DUNHW$VVRFLDWLRQVXVWDLQDELOLW\OLQNHGERQGVDQGORDQ The Legislative Assembly of Azad lem. The wording of the resolution; Mutt, at the end of the 14th centu- this monument.” This proposal
LVVXDQFHLQFUHDVHGE\DQGUHVSHFWLYHO\LQ+FRP Kashmir (POK) passed a resolution on ?0AC82D;0A to meet Kashmiris across the LOC, ry, is associated with the S’arada and encouragement of a pointed
SDUHGWR+,QZHZLOOVHHWKHJURZLQJXWLOL]DWLRQRIVXVWDLQ March 29, 2023, calling for the construc- <>=D<4=C has been lost sight of, which sure- Shrines of Kashmir. Many erudite religious structure are apt to create
DEOHGHEWE\FRPSDQLHVDQGLQYHVWRUVWRIXQGWKHLULQLWLDWLYHV tion of a Kartarpur-like corridor to "meet ly will include many shrines in the South Indian scholars and people more apprehensions and alien-
*URZWKRIFLUFXODUHFRQRP\0RUHDQGPRUHLQYHVWRUVDUHSXWWLQJ Kashmiris across the LOC''. Viewed in the F8C7A4;868>DB valley. Implications include opening have questioned this myth. It is not ation in the valley. It is better to sep-
light of a five-day gap, enough time to get a window of opportunity for for me to comment on what arate religious sentiments from
WKHLUPRQH\LQWRDFLUFXODUHFRQRP\ZKLFKLVUHVWRUDWLYHDQGUHJHQHUD the go-ahead from the Pakistan A>>CB>A Pakistan to trap India to bring their prompted the Home Minister to the security of the country. It may
WLYHE\GHVLJQ7KHFLUFXODUHFRQRP\DLPVWRNHHSSURGXFWVFRPSRQHQWV
DQGPDWHULDOVDWWKHLUKLJKHVWXWLOLW\DQGYDOXHDWDOOWLPHVPLQLPL]LQJZDVWH
Government and the Pakistan Army. The
counter resolution wordings are so differ-
02:=>F;4364 Kashmir vision on international,
political and regional benefits of the
connect the two institutions, two
distinct religious philosophies and
be prudent not to allow the visit of
the pontiff of a mutt to Kashmir on
DQGFUHDWLQJQHZRSSRUWXQLWLHVIRUYDOXHFUHDWLRQ,WLVSDUWLFXODUO\UHOH ent from India's proposal; a poisonous hiss 48C74A>5C74B4 dispute and the Indian motive the proposal of a corridor. May 23.
YDQWLQ,QGLDZKHUHWKHUHDUHPDQ\RSSRUWXQLWLHVWRFUHDWHYDOXHIURPZDVWH instead of a response. behind the proposal. My knowledge of the area is There is a need to analyse the
DQGUHGXFHWKHHQYLURQPHQWDOLPSDFWRIWKHLQGXVWU\$FFRUGLQJWR(OOHQ Many members who approved this res- 2;08<B This “exploration proposal”, a decades old, having served opposite security threats of such a proposal
0DF$UWKXU)RXQGDWLRQLQYHVWPHQWLQFLUFXODUHFRQRP\EXVLQHVVHVLVH[SHFW olution are now calling it inappropriate and sure route for subversion in the UT this area along LOC for over three and a separate study of the history
foolish. Many Kashmiri parties on either (The author is a retired of J&K, gives politically and inter- years and am aware of how this area of the monument. One need not be
HGWRLQFUHDVHE\SHU\HDU side, including the Hurriyat Conference, brigadier, a defence ana- nationally a new lease of life to the has been used post-1989 by carried away by sentiments and the
,QFUHDVHGGLYHUVLW\DQGLQFOXVLRQLQVXVWDLQDEOHLQYHVWLQJ'LYHUVLW\ have raised questions. Amongst the critics lyst and a war veteran. Kashmir problem. Pakistan’s ISI Pakistan. Our surgical strike influence of religious institutions or
DQGLQFOXVLRQKDYHEHFRPHLPSRUWDQWLVVXHVLQVXVWDLQDEOHLQYHVWLQJ,Q are the parties and MLAs who were present He has written several would be delighted to reactivate (September 2016) targets were pre- inclinations. It is clear that willing-
ZHFDQH[SHFWWRVHHLQFUHDVHGHIIRUWVWRLPSURYHGLYHUVLW\DQG when the resolution was approved, includ- books on Kashmir's his- their conduits on both sides. Is this dominantly in this very area, a ly we have put our hand inside a
LQFOXVLRQERWKLQWHUPVRIWKHFRPSDQLHVEHLQJLQYHVWHGLQDQGWKHLQYHVWRUV ing former Prime Minister of Azad tory, politics, and securi- Indian announcement an indication hotbed base for ISI covert activities. beehive, not realising the extent of
WKHPVHOYHV Kashmir, Raja Farooq Haider. The buzz for ty. The views expressed to revive both these agreements by There are conflicting claims from the stings which will remind India
7KHZULWHULVWKHIRXQGHU PDQDJLQJSDUWQHURI0RPHQWXP&DSLWDO this turnaround is that the legislatures now are personal) India, knowing Pakistan has never both sides about the monument as of a grave blunder committed.

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:NKHOMW[KYZOUTOY IGT)UTMXKYYRKGJKXYNOVYG\K8GPGYZNGTLXUSMUOTMZNK6[TPGH]G_%
ith the Assembly chief minister Sachin Pilot are offered the party chief 's posi- vote in 2020. Also, she is stak- Sachin? Moving Pilot to Delhi have soothed Sachin but upset Rajasthan is not messed up as

W election later this


year, Rajasthan faces
a political crisis again. The
at loggerheads again. The
power tussle between the two
started in 2018, first over
tion. The lot wanted to be chief
minister and party president
and rejected the party post.
ing her claims to become chief
minister again.
Sachin is young, charis-
to give organizational respon-
sibilities was one of the
options, but Pilot would not be
Gehlot. Kharge may be wait-
ing for the Karnataka elections
to conclude. With pretty good
they did in Punjab by backing
the wrong horse and losing the
state.
party lost Punjab last year party tickets and later over the The Pilot thinks it is now matic, ambitious, articulate, satisfied. Alienating Ghelot chances of winning the state, Fourthly, there are few
because of mishandling by chief minister's position. or never as the time is running and sophisticated. He is also also will have repercussions. he could deal with both lead- politically savvy peacemakers
the Gandhis by backing the ;1<I1>9B70=:0A Gehlot wants to keep his job, out. Though he is only 46, if close to Rahul Gandhi and One option is to convince the ers from a position of strength. like Ahmed Patel. Also, Sonia
wrong horse. Will the Cong- and Pilot wants to grab it Pilot misses the boat, his next Priyanka Gandhi; However, he one-time magician Ghelot to Ultimately, it depends on the Gandhi has taken a backseat.
ress leadership be able to save immediately. shot would be in 2028. He is is a rebel, impatient, and ambi- step down. Ghelot had been party's high command to find Kamalnath has reportedly
Rajasthan from going the Pilot had rebelled twice in not in the mood to waste 15 tious. There are speculations the chief minister twice earli- an acceptable formula for both. offered Pilot a 'meaty' role in
Punjab way? the meanwhile. In 2020, he led years of political life. that BJP might offer him a er and was an experienced But this is easier said than the AICC secretariat, a mem-
Congress and BJP have a revolt with the tacit support Last week, Pilot announ- ministerial berth. With few leader from the OBC commu- done. Congress leadership has ber of the Congress Working
been alternating in Govern- of the BJP with 20 of his leg- ced a one-day dharna accusing young leaders left, PIlot's quit- nity. He has shown many little time to dither. Committee, and a vital role in
ment, and now it is the turn of islators; the one-month-long the Gehlot Government of ting could hurt Congress times that he is a man in con- The first and foremost is to the screening committee for
the BJP to win the elections in political crisis ended after the failing to act against the excise before the polls. Ashok Gehlot trol. But, he is an ageing leader, quieten the warring camps. the upcoming Rajasthan elec-
Rajasthan. Congress desper- Congress high command mafia, illegal mining, land is 71, asking the electorate for lacks charisma, and indulges in The Congress has roped vet- tions.
ately needs to retain the big promised to look into the encroachment, or the Lalit one last chance. If disturbed factionalism. He also faces eran Kamal Nath to mediate The High Command is
state in the Assembly polls. In issues raised by Sachin Pilot. Modi affidavit case sat in now, he will break the party. anti-incumbency. between the two sides. not willing to disturb Ghelot.
a catch-22 situation, Congress The second time was in dharna for a day. He com- The options before It will be an acid test for Secondly, the High command So, Congress must tread care-
is still dithering whether to face September 2022, when the plained Ghelot had been reluc- Congress are few. One is to the six-month-old Congress should act swiftly. Keeping fully, as any misstep would
the electorate with Ashok Gehlot camp consisting of 90 tant to act against the prede- Counsel patience, Sachin. He Chief Mallikharjun Kharge the crisis unaddressed will mean losing Rajasthan. It will
Gehlot as Chief Minister or the MLAs, submitted their resig- cessor Vasundhara-led Gov- has chosen corruption as an busy amid Karnataka Assem- result in further chaos. It need all the mediating skills to
rebel Sachin Pilot instead. nation letters to prevent Sachin ernment. Incidentally, Vasund- issue this time. When Rahul bly polls. Last month, he was might also affect the party's resolve the issue at a time when
Chief Minister Ashok (The author is a senior Pilot from succeeding Ghelot. hara Raje (BJP) quietly helped Gandhi is spearheading cor- toying with making PIlot the chances in Karnataka. Thirdly, Congress needs to win and not
Gehlot and his former Deputy journalist) This was when Ashok was Ghelot win the confidence ruption, how could they blame state party chief, which would Kharge should ensure lose.
08 NEW DELHI
WEDNESDAY
APRIL 19, 2023

Opinion
{ PLAIN SPEAKING }
E STA B L I S H E D I N 1 9 24 Baijayant “Jay” Panda

{ OUR TAKE }

Will quota push Anti-India prejudice


help the Oppn? must be called out
Caste-based redistributive policies continue
to have poll appeal. But before the Opposition The western media’s sial 2021 advertisement for a new were not so patently comical and
South Asian correspondent did not false. There are three reasons to dis- If the stench of a colonial hangover is to be overcome, it is time for global
can cash in, there are hurdles in the way abandonment of require the candidate to be objective miss the gobbledygook behind this liberals to take a more balanced view of India SHUTTERSTOCK
and report what she observed. travesty.
objectivity in the pursuit Instead, it described an opinionated, First, this period coincided with that there have been food riots in misuse of technologies such as ultra-

C
ampaigning in Karnataka, Congress leader
Rahul Gandhi called for a caste census and of a preset narrative and pejorative picture that allegedly rep- India rolling out the world’s largest some of these higher ranked nations, sound scanning for sex selection.
resents today’s India and stipulated food aid programme, the Pradhan with one of them, Pakistan, suffering But India has made improvements
proportionate reservation — their population the cognitive dissonance that the candidate “explain” that to Mantri Gareeb Kalyan Anna Yojana, dozens of casualties. since 2015-16 on various gender
is expected to be upwards of 40% — for Other in ignoring India’s its readers. Such prejudice — for that to pre-empt and counter the pan- Similar blatant biases can be seen norms, including the birth ratio of
is the textbook definition of a pre-de- demic risk. Hailed by the World Bank in many other global rankings by women and girls’ enrolment in
Backward Classes (OBCs). While such demands have progress is galling cided perspective that is to be for its scale and efficacy, it has played self-appointed experts. One ranks schools. The overall sex ratio has
been made by leaders of Dravidian and Mandal- adopted — has been criticised. An a stellar role in nutrition security. India’s press freedom below Hong made an astounding turnaround,

G
based north Indian parties, it is for the first time that lobal media coverage of eminent New Yorker of Indian origin, This came on top of data showing an Kong, where China has officially according to data from the latest
India is broadly nega- the celebrated economist Jagdish improvement in malnutrition over muzzled free speech; another ranks round of the National Family Health
a Congress leader from the Gandhi family has made tive, with barely any Bhagwati, said that instead of asking the preceding years. Thus, unlike the India’s democracy behind some Afri- Survey, from 991 women for every
such a demand. Will this pave the way for a grand acknowledgement that experts such as him to write articles first decade of this century, there can nations notorious for rampant 1,000 men to now 1,020. Initiatives
alliance of Opposition parties before the 2024 some good might be when the topic is India’s economic have been no reports of mass starva- corruption, electoral fraud, and no such as Beti Bachao Beti Padhao that
happening here. Some miracle, the media regularly invites tion in the country in the past dec- change in government for decades; have enabled this turnaround ought
elections? Will it help the Opposition in winning of that — from countries such as Leftist authors of fiction to attack ade. yet another ranks India’s gender gap to have been celebrated the world
back a large section of the OBC vote from the China, Pakistan and Turkey — can be promising statistics with eloquent Second, this was preceded by a behind a West Asian nation known over by individuals and organisa-
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)? Three realpolitik attributed to their geopolitical com- prose. period, 2014-19, in which, according for its religious orthodoxy, which tions professing to be liberal. Instead,
pulsions. But similar coverage from A similar bias exists in many west- to a 2022 World Bank Policy still severely restricts women’s rights there is barely a mention by them, if
questions — irrespective of the merits or demerits of western, liberal platforms demands ern, ostensibly liberal platforms, Research Working Paper, poverty in by official statute. To cap it all, the not deathly silence. This is, simply,
proportionate reservations — matter here. closer scrutiny. That media, academ- think tanks and activist organisa- India fell from 22.5% to 10%. An United Nations’ World Happiness cognitive dissonance.
Historically, political weaponisation of caste, ics and commentators ought to be tions. Particularly glaring instances International Monetary Fund Work- Report ranks India behind nations In an increasingly aware and con-
able to call out what they see as flaws abound in some multilateral agen- ing Paper, also from 2022, said that without a democracy with hyperin- fident India, the persistence of such
especially through reservations, has required a very is not in question. But what is pecu- cies and self-appointed arbiters, India had conquered “extreme pov- flation, surging poverty and food bias and cognitive dissonance invari-
shrill anti-upper caste rhetoric. Dravidian politics in liar is the abandonment of objectivity which bring out annual lists ranking erty,” which it put below 1%, a his- riots. ably fuels conspiracy theories about
its formative years and the rise of Mandal politics in the single-minded pursuit of a pre- countries on various parameters. toric achievement after many centu- The truth is that India has been their purveyors. If the stench of a
determined narrative. Also worth Some of these rankings are full of ries. making progress on many cherished colonial hangover is to be overcome,
from the 1970s onwards in states such as Bihar is a examining is the glaring cognitive howlers, so bereft of common sense Third, GHI laughably ranks some liberal goals that such organisations it is time for global liberals to take a
testimony to this. The leadership of such dissonance in ignoring India’s as to almost make one grudgingly countries, which are receiving food — whatever their other grouses more balanced view of the soon to be
polarisation has not been upper caste so far. Can the progress on some of their own cher- admire their authors’ propagandist aid from New Delhi to stave off mass against India or its current leader- most populous nation on earth.
ished liberal goals. hubris. Take, for example, the Global starvation, higher than India. These ship — ought to be celebrating. Take,
Congress, with a Brahmin family as its de facto A prominent New York-based pub- Hunger Index (GHI), which showed include several in the neighbourhood for instance, gender equity. For a
leadership, lead such polemics? Recent efforts to lication, for instance, routinely indul- that India slipped from 94th rank in whose economies have been devas- long time, one of our greatest Baijayant “Jay” Panda is national
build Opposition unity have also talked about ges in India bashing and doesn’t even 2020 to 101 in 2021 and 107 in 2022. tated by profligate policies, com- scourges was a skewed sex ratio, vice-president, BJP
bother to cloak its bias. Its controver- This would indeed be alarming if it pounded by the pandemic. It is ironic made worse in recent decades by the The views expressed are personal
implementing reservations in the private sector.
Legality aside, this will be one of the most binding
regulations on the operation of private capital in
India and is likely to invite a strong backlash. Is the
Opposition, especially the Congress, willing to talk
the talk and burn its bridges with private capital?
Bangladesh is veering { AIR CHIEF MARSHAL VR CHAUDHARI } IAF CHIEF

P
Last, but not the least, is the question of how the BJP
will respond to it. It will be naïve to assume that it
will not, especially if the demand for proportionate
towards a crisis. How Operations like Balakot have also
demonstrated that given the political
and private sector reservations gathers political
momentum. Two outcomes are likely: It will either
argue for reducing the quota for dominant OBCs —
can it correct course? will, aerospace power can be used in
a no-war, no-peace scenario, under a
rothom Alo, an independent Bangla- Opposition’s court. Will the BNP’s protests, nuclear overhang, without escalating
P
the Justice Rohini Commission has most likely laid deshi daily, is “an enemy of the Awami peaceful till now, then turn violent in
the groundwork for this argument — or give a into a full-blown conflict

A
League, democracy, and the people of informal coordination with the Jamaat-e-Is-
communal tone to the issue by demanding that Bangladesh,” thundered Bangladesh lami? Though none of the stakeholders
Prime Minister (PM) Sheikh Hasina in Parlia- desires such an outcome, an outbreak of vio-
minority OBC groups be excluded from any such ment last week. She then criticised the United lence in the coming months cannot be dis-
expansion of reservations. Neither of these spins will States (US) for “trying to eliminate democ- counted. It’ll test Hasina’s ability as PM and
be easy to handle for the Opposition. racy and introduce a government that will Rahman’s as prime opposer to assert control
not have a democratic existence.” Far from over the street and establish calm. But the
That said, India’s political history tells us that one
India must embrace
signalling strength, Hasina’s polemics under- risk with such fires is that they’re easier to
should never dismiss the electoral appeal of caste- line how beleaguered the Awami League (AL) light and tough to extinguish. Large-scale vio-
based redistributive policies. But history also tells us is. From targeting her political rival, the lence will, almost certainly, destabilise one of
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), to select- India’s last neighbours not currently roiled by
that when it does bring political change, this is
necessarily accompanied by social unrest.
ively co-opting Islamists, Hasina is now going a crisis. Whether that’ll lead to a repeat of
after dailies and countries seeking accounta- 2007, wherein the military stepped in
bility.
With elections due in eight months, it is
(unlikely but not impossible), is hard to say.
But if there is indeed a fair and free election
techno-globalism
unsurprising that Hasina wants Prothom Alo, and the BNP wins, then the second dilemma 023 will likely mark an inflection point in ised applications. For instance, “Common

Haryana must learn


the largest read newspaper in Bang-
ladesh, to fall in line. But her tactics
may be backfiring. This is visible in
the government’s inability to indefi-
emerges. With its fortunes tied to
the West, how will Rahman engage
with India? The oddity is that
despite being aligned in the Indo-Pa-
2 humankind’s quest for Artificial Intelli- Crawl” is a globally accessible repository of
gence (AI). The year saw public attention raw web page data, extracted metadata and
focussed on ChatGPT and the unveiling text extractions mined from the public internet
of other major AI products, such as Google’s since 2008. This was a crucial input in the
to value the Aravallis nitely detain the newspaper’s corre-
spondent Samsuzamman Shams
who reported on a recent food price
cific, India and the US diverge on
Bangladesh. Both expect Dhaka to
limit the Chinese footprint. But as
Bard. These generative AI initiatives, under- development of ChatGPT.
pinned by large language models (LLMs), are Finally, governing the mass adoption and
significant because they may pave the way for use of technologies such as ChatGPT will
Avinash
magine a region bestowed with a geological and hike. Pushback from international Hasina’s tenure demonstrates, this a more general AI indistinguishable from require global cooperation — national

I institutions and the media appeared Paliwal is easier sought than done. Bangla- human intelligence. These developments dem- responses will not suffice. For instance,
biological treasure, but cursed with successive strong enough for Hasina to change desh’s precarious economic situa- onstrate the enduring merits of pro- OpenAI, the company behind
regimes that are more interested in the stones her mind. Prima facie, such push- tion means that Rahman in power moting cross-border and cross-sec- ChatGPT, cautioned us on the various
and sand underneath, and the real estate on which back indicates that Bangladeshi civil society might struggle to deliver on these expecta- toral flows of science and technology, harms that could stem from the mis-
is beginning to assert itself. tions. But even if he succeeds, he has other making a case for why India should use of such technology, including the
these treasures stand. That’s Haryana and the But closer scrutiny offers pause. Polities struggles. embrace techno-globalism. automated generation and propaga-
Aravallis. Despite protection from a raft of laws, undergirded by dynasties, lack of accounta- India prefers Hasina not because of emo- First, globally accessible science tion of disinformation on a global
and judgments of the Supreme Court, the bility, privileging macro-economic stability tional reasons but because New Delhi enjoys and research are the bedrock for AI Vivan scale. In 2021, the United Nations sec-
over equitable distribution of wealth, a politi- leverage over her. India has little leverage innovation. Generative AI learns Sharan retary-general António Guterres
environmental degradation of the Aravallis cised security establishment, and a turbulent over Rahman in Opposition, and, thereby, from datasets that form neural net- called for a “global code of conduct
continues. Some of this is on account of illegal history of interventionism, famine, coups, limited confidence in his rise. This will be a works, which help machines learn that promotes integrity in public
activities. But others are on account of state- and countercoups don’t become democratic problem for Rahman in power because, as tasks by analysing data. Computa- information” to “better regulate and
even if multiple mutinies like Samsuzam- history shows, a government’s longevity in tional gains made via hardware advancements manage our digital commons as a global pub-
sponsored ones — after all, as its interventions in man’s release make it seem so. That Hasina Dhaka is inversely proportional to anti-Indi- allow products such as ChatGPT to learn from lic good”. Analogous international, multi-
various courts of law show, Haryana would like the exhausted her goodwill over a string of elect- anism. Western powers might help Rahman’s large datasets quickly. But hardware’s brute stakeholder efforts to guide responsible AI
protection accorded to some parts of the Aravallis oral controversies and is now caught in a geo- rise to power but can’t promise sustenance. force is impotent without cutting-edge development are on the cards. For instance,
political contest between China, the US, and From guaranteeing protection to Hindus, research and development in underlying neu- the Global Partnership of AI is an international
to go, either to cover past misdeeds (developments India is understood. But what is less under- sidelining Pakistan-linked Islamists, denying ral network architecture. These architectures initiative to support the holistic development
sanctioned by the state in areas where they never stood is how her arch-rival, the BNP’s Tarique sanctuary to Northeast rebels, and limiting are now globally available, thanks to open- of AI. It is a coalition of 25 countries, which
should have been), or to now legally approve new Rahman (not his ailing mother and former the Chinese footprint, the list of India’s asks is source science and research. includes India as a founding member and cur-
PM Khaleda Zia), is at the heart of this con- specific. The BNP’s record on most, if not all, The role of open science is best exemplified rent chair.
developments that require inconvenient patches of test. Tortured and exiled in London since of these aspects, is complicated. It’ll be an by the developments in 2017, when Google India benefited immensely from the free
forests or old hills to be removed. 2008, Tarique faces several charges, includ- uphill task, if not an impossibility, for Rah- Brain and Google Research scholars intro- movement of people and ideas in the first wave
Thus, news that even the six check posts that ing corruption and terrorism. And still, he man to convince New Delhi that he’s serious duced a new network architecture called of information technology (IT) growth, and it
seems to be a threat to Hasina. about respecting India’s interests without “Transformer”, which forms the bedrock of should espouse openness to navigate the age of
remained of the 51 that should have been there, to The BNP’s recent protests buried the twin limiting Dhaka’s autonomy. ChatGPT-like models. The Transformer AI AI. Our IT industry is among the largest in the
prevent the exploitation of the Aravallis, no longer myths that the party has lost its base and that Hasina’s outburst against Prothom Alo and model is a neural network that learns context world because our globalist entrepreneurs
exist should not come as a surprise to anyone. Nor Rahman is ineffective. The BNP’s worker the US, then, is a serious problem. This is not and can track meaningful relationships in made early outward forays. Consequently,
base and leadership bench are intact, and because the US is hypocritically using the sequential data, reducing the time required to India’s IT exports account for nearly half of
should the fact that a task force that should have Rahman has a cult following among the human rights and democracy cards to pile generate responses to questions. total foreign exchange earnings.
existed to monitor this, doesn’t. But, as always, the hardened BNP cadre. This ensures that pressure on a lesser power or because India The researchers at Google open-sourced Similarly, early AI adoption may help the
state’s response to the latest revelation is that the despite his centralising tendencies, BNP fac- risks losing an ally in Dhaka. A peaceful tran- their work, recognising the benefits of knowl- domestic IT industry reduce reliance on labour
tions have rallied behind Rahman. But this is sition of power is in everyone’s interest, bar- edge spillovers — a hallmark of techno-global- arbitrage as its core business proposition. Con-
check posts will be set up afresh, and a task force where risks kick in because Rahman in ring perhaps Beijing. China has made good of ism without which generative AI would not be versely, it may increase the creation and use of
created. Opposition could be different from — if ever instability in Myanmar and might see insta- where it is today. Similarly, Meta released a scalable and flexible software products. The
This is a pity because the Aravallis are key to the — Rahman in power. There are two dilem- bility in Bangladesh as an effective method to model called LLaMA or Large Language proliferation of 1,500 global capability centres
mas here. keep the US away and India off balance. The Model Meta AI in February — designed to help across the country — captive operations hubs
wellbeing of the National Capital Region’s 64 The first is urgent, domestically oriented, best, and perhaps the only way to prevent this researchers without access to large amounts of that handle IT support to enhance workplace
million residents in more ways than one. They are a and loaded with risk for all Bangladeshis. The is to support a serious, urgent dialogue computing infrastructure study large language productivity and drive digital transformation
natural barrier preventing the relentless eastward BNP, and other Opposition parties, are clear between Hasina and her opponents. models. — indicates that India is well-placed to help the
that they’ll not participate in elections under Today, data from the public internet is used world automate with tools such as AI. An open
march of the Thar desert. They are a massive Hasina’s tutelage. Disillusioned by past alle- Avinash Paliwal teaches at SOAS to train generative AI models. Thus, research- policy stance encouraging cross-border digital
groundwater recharge area. And, they are a gations of electoral malpractices, the Opposi- University of London and is the author of My ers and developers in different parts of the trade and innovation is the surest path to
biodiversity hotspot — with avian fauna that tion says it has zero trust in Hasina delivering Enemy’s Enemy: India in Afghanistan from the world are on a level playing field when it achieving this.
an honest election. But if Hasina refuses to Soviet Invasion to the US Withdrawal (New York: comes to data. They don’t need access to pro-
attracts birders from all around the world. But does entertain an interim caretaker set-up, this’ll Oxford University Press, 2017) prietary datasets to run powerful AI models Vivan Sharan is partner, Koan Advisory Group
Haryana want them at all? lead to a standoff and the ball will be in the The views expressed are personal until they need to train them for very special- The views expressed are personal

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06 NEW DELHI, WEDNESDAY 19 APRIL 2023 Vol. CXXXXXVII 91

Incorporating and directly descended


from THE FRIEND OF INDIA - Founded 1818
Indo-German Ties~II A MEMBER
OF THE

Africa is estimated to have an abundance of rare earths but lacks exploration and extraction ASIAN VOICES
Label media capabilities. German capital and green tech know-how augmented by an Indian-African
‘Poor organisation
workforce could be the key driver for Africa to replace China as the world‘s source of
T
he contentious issue of labelling professional leads to congestion
media by the self-appointed guardians of free rare earths over the next decade. It would provide employment avenues for India‘s
speech, Big Tech-owned social media platforms
young population both at the skilled and semi-skilled levels, remittances from a new in criminal record
that earn billions of dollars each year, gets more curi-
ous. The decision by Twitter to label National Public geography will come into play, and the opportunities for trade and commerce would check service’

R
Radio (NPR) in the USA as “state-affiliated media,” ecent reports in local media
which it then changed to “government-funded me-
grow. Africa would benefit as its own youth bulge would become productive have highlighted the frustra-
dia” after a barrage of criticism, underscores the need tion of Hà Noi residents as
to rethink the role of major social media platforms as they queued for hours to get a
number and wait for days to actually
critical gatekeepers in the public sphere. On 12 April,
lodge their applications for criminal
NPR announced that it will no longer post on its 52 record certificates to the city's Depart-
Twitter channels to protect its credibility, though its ment of Justice.
journalists have been allowed to access the platform There are several reasons for peo-
for newsgathering. As Courtney C. Radsch of the ple having to queue up and waiting for
UCLA Institute for Technology, Law, and Policy puts days to submit their documents for a
it: “The need is for better labels for (professional) judicial record certificate at the
news media, and the importance of insulating these department. The major reason is the
designations from political interference or mercur- organisation of work at the justice
ial interventions by billionaire founders.” If compe- department. Instead of ensuring a
smooth flow of work, they have only
tent authorities ~ ideally independent oversight insti-
two booths processing the documents,
tutions which comprise media and tech experts, law- creating a bottleneck, so it’s no won-
yers, and government representatives ~ in national der people have to wait.
jurisdictions do not act even now, the dangers should This is also due to the awareness
be obvious to all. To illustrate the point, such labelling of the leadership there. Staff may think
implies equivalence between NPR and the North that this is the responsibility of the
Korean “government-funded” Korean Central Broad- judicial record division rather than
casting Station. Whatever one’s disagreements with seeing it as a common political task of
NPR, this is a slippery slope. It provides ready am- the whole department.
munition to the most illiberal of voices to press home The coordination mechanism is
not smooth and clear. Within the
the ‘subjectivity of objectivity’ line by bracketing pub- Department of Justice, there has been
lic service media with state-owned media. What con- no guidance from top leaders. The
sumers must appreciate ~ and this is worth banging Director of the Department should
on about even if it is akin to tilting at windmills ~ is have created a mechanism to send
that without a clearly articulated and expressly fol- more personnel to carry out this task.
lowed public-interest agenda, media platforms are After receiving guidance from the
just businesses aimed at turning a profit. While there Ministry of Justice and the Hà N?i Peo-
is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to make ple's Committee, I was informed that
money, when information perchance knowledge ~ no one has to queue up anymore, as of
the collection, processing, and dissemination of
which is the raison d'être for professional media ~

I
t stands to reason that if Ger- nificance for India in economic Africa would benefit as its Would not the threat posed
becomes a commodity and not a public good, the many follows through on the terms with a Free Trade Agree- own youth bulge would become to India by China, in conjunction late afternoon Friday.
result is the Twitter-NPR impasse. No prizes for narrative it is shaping in ment on the horizon, is impor- productive. Also, environmental- with the danger to Germany from You once said at a press confer-
guessing who will eventually prevail though here’s a Berlin and amplifying in tant too. In June 2022, the EU ly sensitive and sustainable the Russo-Chinese “no-limits” ence of the Ministry of Justice that if
clue: The deeper the pockets… partner nations ~ that it is seek- relaunched negotiations with extraction/processing of rare strategic relationship, become there were delays in handling proce-
Working out which news media are propaganda ing to reduce trade over-depen- India after a gap of eight years earth elements as opposed to acute if the Sino-Russian axis dures and issuing judicial record cer-
arms of states that fund them, and which ones pro- dence on an absolutist China for an FTA, and launched sepa- rapacious Chinese mining metamorphosizes into a military tificates, then apologies should be
which it sees as backing an ag- rate negotiations for techniques would alliance as a Eurasian version of made to the people. Should the Direc-
vide a public service and are insulated from editorial
gressive Russia on its doorstep ~ an Investment Pro- ensure green the erstwhile Warsaw Pact? (Such tor of the Hà Noi’s Department of Jus-
interference by the government, has again become a it will need to seek new markets tection Agreement growth for the an outcome, dismissed outright tice publicly apologise to the people?
flashpoint in the debate over content moderation, for trade and investment. and an Agreement continent. And until even a few years ago, is Apologies should be made to the
discrimination, and defamation on social media. For India, with its massive mar- on Geographical Germany, if it is today increasingly part of the people. At the National Criminal
starters, it must be emphasised to social media plat- ket size and the demographic Indications (GIs). serious about en- strategic conversation in major Record Centre, in case one has not had
forms on pain of punitive action that they do not have advantage of a young population But even in the best ding its economic global capitals.) their procedures processed promptly,
the right to institute labels on professional media ac- with a median age of just 29, has of circumstances, all overdependence Alternatively, what are the we would make an apology to them.
counts, and from this follows the need to define such the potential to emerge as a rele- these efforts coming on China, may factors that would come into play Only then will the people be satis-
media in an understandable way. To be clear, the vant partner for Germany. to fruition would actually be in a in a putative post-Putin Russia, fied with the service. That is the admi-
damage is already done; such action would only be To this end, an area of con- imply an in- position to do so. and how would they impact nistrative system for the people, other-
certed effort by both sides could cremental enhan- Beijing, thou- Moscow’s relationship with wise, it’s just a formality.
part-recompensation. The conflation of professional
be promoting business ties cement of economic ISHAN gh, can hardly be China, India, and Germany? So far, it has only happened in Hà
media, for all its weaknesses, with social media, is between Indian states and Ger- ties between India JOSHI expected to roll Additionally, could France, N?i. However, we will also review other
one of the most dangerous developments emanat- man landers (states) which are and Germany over a over. It has spent given its strategic and commer- localities, and if there are any conges-
The writer is a Fellow at the
ing out of the digital revolution. While it may be too well-funded and have their own period of time. Such Pahle India Foundation two decades woo- cial interests in the Western Indi- tion issues, like in Hà Noi, we will
late to put the social media genie back into the bottle, strengths in industry and bank- an arc, if that’s how ing Africa and an Ocean and Francophone resolve the problems immediately.
at least let’s not repeat the mistake by a blind adop- ing, as former Indian Ambas- it plays out, while welcome, inveigling itself into important Africa, be persuaded to be a par- The Director of the National Judicial
tion of advanced technologies such as Artificial sador to Germany Gurjit Singh would explicitly not be a game- countries’ economic and strate- ticipant in the Indo-German Record Centre will come to handle it
Intelligence (AI) without appropriate guardrails in has emphasised. changer. gic spheres. So, all the running ‘Africa Project’? himself. We are ready to send officials
place. Former Indian Foreign Sec- The transformative potential will have to be done by Delhi and America, still the world’s to support wherever there is conges-
retary Vijay Gokhale too has of the Indo-German relationship Berlin working in tandem. preeminent power, appears to tion because the ultimate goal is to
recently written on Germany Inc. lies in a closer alignment of their Despite India’s leading role have emerged from the highly serve the people.
Sudan on brink turning bearish on China and
bullish on India.
respective strategic approaches in the Non-Aligned Movement
and, within that framework, a through the second half of the
disruptive Donald Trump inter-
regnum focussed on engaging
The National Judicial Record Cen-
tre has implemented the software for
Given the strong civil society carefully designed collaborative 20th century which, convention- with the world anew. many years. It is a smooth coordina-

S
udan has been in a crisis for some years, but the influence in Germany which effort to engage with ~ and invest al wisdom holds, helped it foster So will Washington, which is tion between the departments of Jus-
North African country may well now be on the emphasises the separation of in ~ Africa to secure a rare earth close relationships with multiple now speaking the language of tice, the National Judicial Record Cen-
brink of an implosion as the army and a rival government and non-govern- elements supply chain. African post-colonial nations, consultation, coordination, and tre, the Bureau of Professional Records
militia group battle it out for control on the streets of ment initiatives, however, it Africa is estimated to have China with its deep pockets has collaboration with its partners (V06, Ministry of Public Security), and
Khartoum and in the countryside. Reports say that needs to be recognised that it is an abundance of rare earths but taken over the leadership of a sig- worldwide, back a joint Indo- the Police Agency for Administrative
at least 200 people may have died in the fierce fight- the business communities of lacks exploration and extraction nificant section of the Global German effort without seeking to Management of Social Order (PC06) in
ing between the two groups, which have each been both countries which would be capabilities. German capital and South, particularly in Africa, with subsume it into the US’ own localities. Thanks to this, we have
quite relentless in their use of firepower to subdue the most potent force for closer green tech know-how augment- relative ease. Africa policy? comprehensive, complete and timely
ties, with governments acting as ed by an Indian-African work- India has a chance to make These are not questions sus- information.
the other. Locked in battle are units of the regular
enablers and/or facilitators. force could be the key driver for amends for de-prioritising Africa ceptible to easy answers. But When receiving applications and
army loyal to the head of the country’s transitional India’s growing green foot- Africa to replace China as the in its post-Cold War foreign poli- then that’s the thing about geo- requests from people, the system will
Governing Council, General Abdel Fattah-el Burhan, print and its commitment to its world’s source of rare earths over cy and Germany could deploy its strategic churn ~ one never kno- classify them (into smaller branches)
and the paramilitary Rapid Support Group led by Intended Nationally Determined the next decade. abundant capital in Africa for its ws what may emerge as a result. and search the database together. The
General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo. Contributions at Paris and Glas- It would provide employ- own long-term economic and Establishing India’s priorities results will be integrated and sent to
The division of the country’s military power was a gow means it can no longer be ment avenues for India’s young strategic interests. rather than focussing on its the centre. The information will be
brainchild of the ousted autocrat Omar al-Bashir, classified as an outlier on trade population both at the skilled To take the long view, Delhi needs, which may be endless, is compared with data stored at the cen-
who distrusted the regular army and created the latter and climate issues, which has and semi-skilled levels, remit- would need to start factoring into critical to crafting an innovative tre and further verified at the Central
group from members of the militia responsible for been a past hurdle in Indo-Ger- tances from a new geography will the proposed Indo-German stra- and mutually profitable engage- Military Court if necessary. After hav-
man relations. come into play, and the attended tegic matrix the alternative sce- ment with Germany. ing complete information, the centre
the Darfur genocide that reportedly claimed 300,000
Germany’s influence in the opportunities for trade and com- narios which could come to pass will issue the document and send it to
lives. The two groups had come together in 2019 to European Union, a player of sig- merce would grow. going forward. (Concluded) the Department of Justice online.
oust Bashir, but a military coup in 2021 ensured that
the country would remain locked in conflict. While
the international community, principally the United LETTERS TO THE EDITOR editor@thestatesman.com
Nations and the African Union have appealed for
peace, Arab nations with interests in the region ~

Corrosive environment
Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and of Atiq Ahmed’s son was the third
Egypt ~ have also asked both sides to stop fighting. in UP this month and the state has SAVE WATER
The tragedy of the Sudanese lies in the fact that seen 183 police encounters under
the present government. SIR, With reference to your editorial, Water woes (14 April), India
despite occupying one of the most resource-rich SIR, There is no better illustration Asad Ahmed and his friend Ghu- The government has ordered has entered the list of nations under serious threat of water inade-
countries in the world, they are forced to endure of the collapse of law and order in lam Hassan in a dubious police a judicial inquiry and suspension quacy. At ‘extreme risk’ are Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and
almost unending poverty and conflict. Uttar Pradesh than the killing of encounter in Jhansi. of some police officials after the Rajasthan, while Delhi, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal are rated at
Soaring inflation and massive unemployment gangster-turned politician Atiq The killings are part of an killing of Atiq Ahmed, but from its ‘high risk.’. India extracts more groundwater than any other country,
have pushed the nation to the brink, and the econo- Ahmed and his brother Ashraf in ecosystem of lawlessness and a record it is clear where its sympa- 50 per cent above the world average, and the national water table is
my went into recession in 2018, with GDP shrinking full public view in Prayagraj on chain of attacks mainly directed thies lie. down to 150 metres from 30 metres, in six decades.
and per capita income dropping. The country has Saturday. against the minority community. The government has praised We are more dependent on monsoons than we were in 1950.
rich, arable land and abundant natural resources, The killings took place within Encounter killings have be- such actions of the police in the Weather patterns are changing and rainfall is getting more intense.
including petroleum, natural gas, gold, silver, chro- two days of the killing of Atiq’s son, come the norm in UP. The killing past and protected them from The greater concern for metros should be the resultant plunge in
groundwater levels as natural water bodies get invaded by massive
mite, manganese, gypsum, mica, zinc, iron, lead, ura-
housing. More than flooding, vanishing sources of fresh water
nium, copper, kaolin, cobalt, granite, nickel, tin, and around cities should worry us.
aluminum. Chromium ore deposits are estimated at We suffer less from water shotage, more from water waste.
one million tons and iron ore deposits may be more Many nations complement agro efforts with tailored drip irrigation
than two billion tons. Petroleum makes up 80 per projects and water conservation, and recycle sewage water for
cent of the country’s exports. In short, there is little irrigation. It is time we wake up to water being a limited resource,
reason for the country to be as poor as it is, yet the and conserve it, change crop patterns and be earnest on watershed
abundance of resources makes it possible for big protection.
powers and local factions eyeing the plunder to keep Yours, etc., R Narayanan, Navi Mumbai, 14 April.
things on a permanent boil. The presence of more
than 500 ethnic groups, which can and are often pit- adverse consequences. When the their use has been institutionalised
ted against each other, ensures the violent underpin- police overstep their boundaries and brazenly defended. The law-
nings of Sudanese society. Competition for resources, and enforce vigilante justice, the less violence wielded by the state
political manipulation and insensitivity towards whole edifice of law and order, against citizens is corrosive, and
atrocities such as the one in Darfur make it easy to supported by the Constitution, will damage the state and society.
keep tensions simmering. After years of violence, Su- crumbles. Yours, etc.,
dan needs serious efforts at peace and reconciliation. Bulldozers and guns are the Shovanlal Chakraborty,
Instead, what it has suffered are near endless bouts of tools of governance in UP and Kolkata, 17 April.
NEW DELHI, WEDNESDAY 19 APRIL 2023 07
Peace, rehabilitation must
100 YEARS AGO

OCCASIONAL NOTE

be the priorities in Ukraine


Following the recent practice of the
presiding members of the boards of the
great banking combinations in the United
Kingdom, Mr. Walter Leaf, of the London
Country and Westminster Bank, has just
addressed his shareholders on the general
economic outlook. Mr. Leaf, speaking with
BHARAT DOGRA best achieved by an unconditional the Ruhr imbroglio in full view, was able to
ceasefire followed by reconstruction maintain the favourable estimates of trade

T
here can be several perspec- and extended negotiations to resolve prospects which have been recently cur-
tives for examining the deeply other differences. rent. Bank managers in the leading indus-
worrying situation in Ukraine, This peace process can be helped trial centres, he said, confirmed fully the
but if one examines this main- by countries like Turkey, India, Mexico encouraging reports appearing in the
ly from the point of view of the wel- and Brazil which can hope to have the newspapers. The iron industry was show-
fare of the people of Ukraine, then confidence of both sides and have ing renewed activity and the coal trade had
securing peace immediately must be shown some interest in the peace improved to a remarkable extent. Unfortu-
the foremost objective. At the same process in the past. nately the great cotton industry, owing to
time one has to reckon with the fact While this course of action is weakness of demand in India and China,
there are many serious differences clearly the best from the point of view was still flagging. So far as Indian condi-
between the two sides. of the welfare of the people of tions are concerned, there appears now to
Hence keeping in view both these Ukraine, at the same the great impor- be no purely economic reason why a great
factors - the urgent need for peace as tance of such a plan of action from the improvement should not soon show itself.
well as the prevalence of serious dif- perspective of world peace should also Good harvests have been the order of the
ferences - the best course of action be asserted. It has become increasing- day and the cost of foodstuffs has fallen
today would be acceptance of an ly clear over the course of the last 15 sharply. On the other hand the financial
unconditional ceasefire by both sides months or so that the ongoing position of the Indian Government is bad
on the basis of the existing line of con- Ukraine war has become the biggest and to its unbalanced budget must largely
trol. crisis threatening world peace and be attributed the shortage of ready money
This should be followed by a huge under certain conditions it can even in the Imperial Bank. The Indian Govern-
community-based, participative, lead to a more open conflict between ment by restoring order to its finances will
decentralised programme for rehabil- the USA and Russia – the two biggest confer a benefit not on India only but on
itation and reconstruction in Ukraine military powers of the world which the general economic situation in the Unit-
with decisions and priorities under the together possess over 11,000 nuclear ed Kingdom, where a resumption of
democratic control of people but weapons. This can even create condi- healthy demand in the Indian markets is
helped by unconditional international it would of course be great. But let us understanding that some issues are ings of hostility begin to fade, people tions for a Third World War type situa- eagerly and anxiously awaited.
financial support. The mistakes made be realistic. If these talks had been very difficult but at the same time want peace to continue and are more tion, as pointed out by several emi-
in the past in some war-ravaged coun- held about a year back, then the possi- peace between the two neighbours is in tune with the give and take neces- nent scholars. Hence it is important NEWS ITEMS
tries of handing over reconstruction bility of clinching an early agreement even more important and so solutions sary for settling contentious issues and to stop the Ukraine war as early as
to some giant foreign construction
companies should not be repeated as
on various differences would have
been much higher. However the situa-
have to be found. Even when some
talks drag out for a long time these are
serious differences. The historical and
cultural ties that the people of the two
possible as each day of the war leads
to more devastation and more com- KARACHI COURT
in such cases community needs and
priorities often get neglected.
tion now is much more complex. An
early resolution of various differences,
not necessarily a failure and if both
sides are careful to conclude each
countries have will also no doubt con-
tribute to the peace process over a
plications, making solutions more dif-
ficult. Hence both from the point of SENSATION
Once a big reconstruction effort particularly on territory issues, would round of talks with some friendly voic- longer period of time. view of the welfare of the people of KARACHI, APR. 18
is in place, talks between Ukraine and be difficult to achieve. es then the contribution of talks to at Hence clearly the path of peace is Ukraine as well as for the sake of world A sensation was caused in the Karachi
Russia should start to settle various So let us not start with unrealistic least increasing goodwill is always possible in Ukraine as long as this is peace, it is very important to end the Sessions Court today when Mr.
contentious issues and areas of differ- expectations. It would be more realis- there. given a fair chance and is not Ukraine war as early as possible and Madgaonkar, Additional Judicial Commis-
ence. Generally, it is said in the case of tic to have a rather modest but more With the passage of time, with obstructed by any powerful forces. start walking the path of peace. sioner, pronounced sentence on three
peace talks that they should progress achievable objective. The talks can reconstruction progressing, with peo- This path of peace is the best option accused in the Tusamill fraud case, Ali,
very fast to sort out all differences. If take breaks, but should not break ple on both sides making efforts to today from the point of view of the (The writer is Honorary Convener, Campaign to Ramjibhai and Captain Cary, a retired mer-
Save Earth Now. His recent books include
this is possible in the present context down. They should start with the create more friendly conditions, feel- welfare of the people of Ukraine. It is Planet in Peril and A Day in 2071.) chant vessel captain, and now a surveyor,
charged with conspiracy to cheat the Alpha
and Union Insurance Companies in

Making terrorists out of people


respect of a fire in a godown in September
last. The case was tried some time ago in
the lower court, but owing to Captain
Cary's desire to be tried as a European, it
was remanded to the sessions. It was
opened last Thursday before Mr.
JEHAN PERERA protest movement came on to the ing to these theories, people give up Madgaonkar and a special jury. The court
streets a year ago and the present time parts of their rights and freedoms to then rose before the accused were taken

S
ri Lanka’s government has is the appearance of law and order. the government which promises to charge of by the police. Ramjibhai took a
decided to present its proposed There is also the reappearance of fulfill those rights and obligations to revolver out of his pocket and shot himself
Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) to nearly all economic items and com- the people’s benefit. However, this in the right temple, falling to the floor to
parliament for debate on April modities rather than the severe short- governmental obligation has not been the consternation of those present.
25. The decision to delay calling for a ages of a year ago. The protests started fulfilled with the collapse of the Sri
vote on it, and using the government’s
majority to bulldoze its decision is to
with shortages of fertiliser to begin
with and then progressed to protests
Lankan economy in a short space of
time in which prices shot up by 100 to NATIONALIST
be welcomed. The government needs
to reconsider its present formulation
against the shortages of fuel and gas –
and dollars, which was the mother of
200 per cent while incomes remained
the same or even fell. In a situation MENACE IN BAVARIA
as it would impact on the democratic all shortages, whether food, medicine, where people lost their jobs in an BERLIN, APR. 18
space and rights available to political fuel or electricity. It was these short- economy which shrank by 9 per cent Disquieting reports are being received
parties, trade unions and civic ages that led to chaos on the streets last year and is expected to fall by 4 as to the activities of the Nationalists in
activists. In any legal reform, the fun- with tens of thousands of people per cent this year the people have a Bavaria. The organisation styled the Reichs-
damental rights and protection of citi- protesting against the sudden and legitimate right to protest when they flagge recently paraded before General
zens need to be guaranteed. The totally unexpected decline in their see that corruption and mismanage- Ludendorff and some members of the
power of the people is shared with the standards of living that brought a once ment within the government is not Reichswehr took part in the ceremony. The
government for their benefit as per the prosperous middle and working class being adequately dealt with. Bavarian Minister for Justice has left for
constitution. The ATA fails to achieve to the level of penury where 70 per Protest is morally justified when Berlin to request the Reich Government not
both these objectives. The draft ATA cent of families had to cut back on basic human rights are violated and to aggravate the position of the Bavarian
presented by the government has sev- their daily intake of food. In addition, the door to legal and democratic Government by the issue of warrants for the
eral features that are worse than the a quarter more of the population of political remedies is shut with the arrest of the Nationalist leaders. The Bavar-
Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) that the country fell below the poverty line. government refusing to accept ian Minister of the Interior, referring to the
it is intended to replace. The reasonable and legitimate responsibility and resigning in the manoeuvres of the Nationalist organisation,
Unfortunately, it appears there is demand of the people is that those face of calamity. More than a year has assured the diet that the Government is
no change in the mindset of those April 25 while others say that this is At this time, in the midst of an eco- who are, and were, responsible for the after the economic collapse there strong enough to repress any excesses and
who have framed the replacement leg- unlikely to happen as the government nomic crisis, losing existing economic impoverishment of the country and have neither been elections to give has refused to intervene to protect the two
islation. Instead, there are indications has already decided to shelve the mat- assistance and being subject to eco- have siphoned money abroad should people a new set of elected represen- Nationalist editors for whose arrest the
of a mindset that wishes to suppress ter for a better time due to interna- nomic sanctions are the last thing the be held to account and punished. It tatives whom they might place their Supreme Court at Leipzig issued warrants,
political activism on the grounds of tional and local pressures that have country needs. would also be the case that in the confidence in, nor has there been declaring that they had seriously insulted
terrorism. Among the worst features been brought to bear. The ATA is A key feature of the proposed ATA aftermath of the economic collapse progress in the holding of those who the President of the Reich.
of the proposed ATA is its vague and proving to be more controversial than that has been criticised by local and that any responsible government created the economic collapse
broad interpretation of terrorism that
would include theft of government
the PTA it seeks to replace due to the
pressures brought on successive gov-
international organisations, including
the Bar Association and now the
would seek to take responsibility for
the deterioration and continuing non-
accountable for their wrongdoings.
Instead of such exemplary actions, DUKE OF YORK AND
and even private property and trade
union action. It brings legitimate
ernments to bring it in line with inter-
national standards or risk the eco-
Organisation of Professional Associa-
tions (OPA) is that it brings in a whole
performance of the economy and the
sufferings it has thrust upon the peo-
there is the placing of more and more
economic burdens on the masses of TRADE UNIONISM
activities within the scope of terror- nomic sanction of losing the GSP Plus host of activities within the scope of ple. People have a moral right to people in the form of tax hikes and LONDON, APR. 18
ism including protests, publishing tariff concession granted by the EU. what can be considered to be terror- protest when the government they anticipated cuts in jobs. While more "Let me take you inside, Sir, and initi-
material, demands for action by the The abuse of the PTA by succes- ism. These would include trade union have entrusted their collective futures loans have been obtained from the ate you into the details of our Bolshevik
government, strikes and disputes sive governments has been adversely action in pursuit of workers’ rights to behaves in a self-seeking and non- IMF, the decisions on how to allocate organisation" was the greeting of Mr.
relating to racial and religious places. commented upon and noted by which could also have an impact on constructive manner. Over the past and spend those resources lie with Brownlie, president of the Amalgamated
The law permits police or military or human rights organisations and by government’s economic functions year the government has used the essentially the same group who were Engineering Union, when the Duke of York,
coast guard personnel to arrest any- foreign governments which is why it and therefore on the national econo- security forces to crack down on the instrumental in bringing the country as president of the Industrial Welfare Soci-
one without warrant on whom they is subject to the EU’s warning that my. As a result, there is widespread protest movement and to quell public to its present state. There is nothing to ety, visited the headquarters of the union
have “reasonable suspicion” of being there need to be substantial changes unanimity among analysts and schol- protest and also embarked on a ensure there will not be a repeat of at Peckham. The Duke of York laughed
involved in such acts. in the law that are narrowly defined ars that the real purpose of the ATA is process of IMF-directed economic the past. They have neither been held heartily and shook hands with the mem-
There are two opposing views of to tackle the problem of terrorism. The less to control terrorism in the form recovery in which the main burden of to account nor removed from posi- bers of the union executive. Mr. Brownlie
what might happen with the passage GSP Plus concession is given to coun- of terror attacks on the country and price rises and cuts in social welfare tions of power. These form the basic made a speech in the course of which be
of the Anti-Terrorism legislation (ATA) tries that are both developing them- more to focus on efforts to curb the have fallen on the poorer sections of moral justifications for the continua- said this was the first time royalty had visit-
that is presently pending in parlia- selves from under development and ongoing protest campaign against the the population. tion of the protest movement which ed a trades union headquarters. He
ment. Some members of the govern- demonstrating a genuine willingness government’s efforts to restructure the The system of democracy is based the ATA seeks to suppress. explained the activities of the union in order
ment have said a parliamentary to protect the human rights of their economy. on notions of social contract that go to show that the benefits conferred were
debate on the matter could be held on people rather than to oppress them. What has changed most since the back three centuries in time. Accord- The Island/ANN. not chiefly connected with strikes. He hand-
ed the Duke copies of the union's reports
saying, read them some pleasant Sunday
CROSSWORD NO-292407 afternoon.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
ACROSS 13 Illness reportedly to poke her nose in DOWN 13 Screen Daily Mail,
INTER-ALLIED DEBT
9
8

10
YESTERDAY'S SOLUTION 1 Sailor reportedly
went quickly
(4)
(4)
24 See 19
2/21 B flat here?
(5,6)
perhaps, as a barrier
to unwanted content
PROBLEMS
does what he does:
14 Rag I find appalling; 25 Leaf no stranger
3 Tuck in early; hate it,
(6,5) LONDON, APR. 18
P A R KOUR AMN E S I A below the salt to Plant? 15 Holland taking on In the House of Commons today
O I W O B O A B descends with a rope tossing and turning
(5,3) (4) Italy – no score
11 12 13 N O T ON YOU R N E L L Y (7) 16 Ball: good place 27 Torch carried
(3,8)
(3) Colonel Howard Bury suggested that the
5 Rock in river (6) 4 Left dearest Government should invite all the nations
T E E T I C A S for piercing? by Florida married 17 Sound article in
9 Small shrew, bent copper
I N S E R T A DD E NDUM
beginning to shiver,
(5) boyfriend
(8)
Times (3) concerned to a conference in order to settle
14 15 16 17 F S G D A 19/24 Ex-UEFA bigwig: (8)
5 See 31 Across
18 Anger about rubbish definitely the question of inter-Allied debts.
moves across the ice
F L E S H Y M E A T B A L L “time to move on, 29 Outstanding bins in part of North
18
C I M D R Y
(6) for ****’s sake; university pad
6 Party hosting
London (8) He declared that it was impossible to fix the
10 Venerated husband Uzbekistan’s first amount of Reparations to be demanded
19 20 C E S S POO L T I S S U E given the thumbs-up
we’ll see you in in Barking
couple
21 See 2
21
A T B C N (8)
court!” (6)
(3)
23 A sample of cheap from Germany until the Allies definitely
P L A I N E S T S K E T CH 11 Larson taking Uber
(10) 30 Breaking sacred
7 Poor Seb Coe,
ale, rough, somewhat agreed as to the amount of debts they would
22 23 24 25 26 I S U T B S R A 20 Old Head of Italian trust lighter than IPA
rides regularly Intelligence (6)
ex-Conservative,
(5) be called upon to pay. Mr. Baldwin said he
T R I A D E Y E S T R A I N getting very
A E G R T E I C
(4) introduced to lovely, 31/5D Big brother, 26 Torment poor did not think that anything would be gained
12 She suggests tea...or overweight
27 28 29 L E S S E N S S T R A NGE perhaps cider
lively sailor’s girl 50, staying in Knut’s
(5)
Fergie endlessly (5) at present by such a conference. The amount
(5,3) Scottish farmhouses 28 Wild Bill’s after Mike of Reparation to be demanded from Ger-
(5) 8 IV (3,4,2,4)
22 Constance succeeded (7,6) (3)
many was the greatest possible payment she
30 31
could make and this did not depend upon
NOTE: Figures in parentheses denote the number of letters in the words required. (By arrangement with The Independent, London)
the amount of inter-Allied indebtedness.
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06 OPINION THE TRIBUNE
CHANDIGARH | WEDNESDAY | 19 APRIL 2023

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THE TRIBUNE established in 1881
Time for India to play a more active and constructive role in Ukraine conflict
India is also the President of G20. At
the recent meeting of G20 finance
ministers and Central Bank Gover-

Killer heatwave nors in Bengaluru and the G20 for-


eign ministers’ meeting in Delhi,
there was no consensus document.
Need to learn lessons from Maharashtra tragedy Both Russia and China have stood

O
firm that they cannot allow a consen-
RGANISING a major public event in the scorching heat is noth- TS TIRUMURTI sus if there are references to the con-
ing but an invitation to disaster. And that’s exactly what happened FORMER AMBASSADOR & PERMANENT flict. This deadlock is not going to go
in Navi Mumbai’s Kharghar on Sunday during a function at REPRESENTATIVE OF INDIA TO THE UN
away any time soon and may, in fact,
which the Maharashtra Bhushan, the state’s highest civilian award, was get more difficult as the situation fur-

E
conferred on social worker Appasaheb Dharmadhikari by Union Home VEN as we crossed one year of ther deteriorates on the ground.
Minister Amit Shah. Heatstroke claimed 13 lives at the event that was also the Ukraine conflict in Febru- Moreover, this conflict is sucking
attended by Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde and his deputy Devendra ary this year, there is no end in financial and other resources out of
Fadnavis. The state government needs to answer the obvious questions: sight. Everything has been the system — resources which are
Why was the function, originally scheduled to start at 5 pm, advanced by weaponised, including social media, vital for the Global South to realise
about six hours? Why were proper arrangements for drinking water and cyber and digital space, finance, food, SCOPE: Any initiative on the Ukraine conflict from India will not only be timely but Sustainable Development Goals
marquees/tents not made even though lakhs of people were expected to energy and sports. The unilateral also immediate and necessary. REUTERS 2030 targets and drive climate
be present amid sweltering weather conditions? non-UN sanctions imposed by the action targets of 2030 under the
West have caused the Global South Paris Agreement.
The CM has announced compensation of Rs 5 lakh for the kin of
tremendous distress and supply
If India does not take the lead, others will wrest the Even more fundamentally, ques-
the deceased and free of cost medical treatment of the surviving vic-
tims, but this doesn’t hide the fact that the tragedy was caused by neg-
chain disruptions with respect to initiative and we will lose an opportunity to lead tions are being asked in the Global
food, energy, fertilisers, finance and South on whom do principles of
ligence. An in-depth probe should be conducted to zero in on the offi- funds. We have now reached a point during what is a crucial turning point in history. international law apply. Do they
cials and politicians responsible for the grave lapses. when neither side is willing to or is apply only when there is a conflict in
With a heatwave sweeping some parts of the country, the Centre should allowed to try the path of dialogue or the West or do they apply to other
be proactive in discouraging states and union territories from holding large diplomacy. either of the sides. Neither has the suf- While each conflict has its own conflicts also, where the West has
gatherings where dehydration and heatstroke/sunstroke can wreak havoc. The two parties came to the table fering of the Global South. People dynamics, India has the necessary disregarded these very principles?
Warnings released by the Meteorological Department should be taken seri- during the early months of the con- don’t seem to matter in this war. heft and credibility to play that role India’s stand has been a catalyst in
ously by all stakeholders. It’s laudable that Odisha has initiated a slew of flict in 2022, but this was scuttled by Prime Minister Modi’s stand that now. Creating a strategic space in for- helping other developing countries
steps to tackle the stifling heat: the transport department has been direct- outside players. The sabotaging of this is not an era for war has been eign policy by itself is good but not refuse to take sides, shrug off pres-
ed to reschedule timings so that buses don’t ply during the ‘peak hours’ the Nord Stream 1 & 2 pipelines also heard loud and clear. The conflict has enough. It is time to use it. sure from both sides, abstain in
of the heatwave; orders have been issued to earmark separate wards/beds scuttled the political will of West proved to us again the sagacity of hav- Given our current policy of mul- UNGA voting and reject the push for
European countries to undertake ing an independent and proactive for- ti-alignment, where we are mem- a military solution.
for heatstroke patients; employers have been told to make arrangements
diplomatic efforts. While the Black eign policy to create that strategic bers of BRICS, Quad and the SCO, Consequently, any initiative on
for drinking water, ORS packets and a rest shed for workers. Such thought-
Sea Grains Initiative was a welcome space for ourselves in consonance and our ability to reach out to both Ukraine from India will not only be
ful measures are worthy of emulation, along with a review of the power sit- step, the UN Secretary General has with our national interest. But is the sides of the divide in the Ukraine timely but also immediate and nec-
uation in anticipation of a surge in demand. At the same time, there is a dire indicated that he will ‘mediate only if stand taken by India so far enough or conflict, we now have an opportu- essary. It will also be seen as credible,
need to learn lessons from the Maharashtra incident. The most important all parties want him to mediate.’ The should India do more? nity to play that role. coming as it does from a country
one is to disallow outdoor functions in case of an adverse weather forecast. Chinese initiative hasn’t received A flashback to the 1950s. When we Such an initiative becomes all the with an independent voice on the
traction since they present a selective were in the Security Council for the more urgent when we see that there conflict as well as the current Presi-
Chinese world view, whereas the 10- first time in 1950-51, we witnessed is a competition to give more arms to dent of G20. It will also show our seri-
point peace plan of Ukrainian Presi- the Korean war. The scenario was Ukraine. Russia and Ukraine are ousness to address the conflict. And

Another fratricidal act dent Zelenskyy also hasn’t received


the enthusiastic endorsement of G7.
He is also pushing for a Global Peace
broadly similar — the US on one
side and Russia and China on the
other. Our ceaseless efforts to bring
said to be poised to make fresh mili-
tary thrusts. In the meantime, we
are also seeing the reiteration of the
there is no need to fear failure since
India coming in will be a significant
step in the right direction.
Underlying cause of harassment must be addressed Summit. Brazilian President Lula da about a resolution without being ‘no-limits partnership’ between If India does not take the lead in
Silva, the next G20 Chairperson, has condemnatory on either side helped Russia and China showing the world this matter, others will wrest the ini-

T
HE Bathinda case brings to the fore a serious lapse in ensuring talked about putting together a Con- finalise the armistice agreement in that, at the very least, China will not tiative and we will lose an opportuni-
zero tolerance of sexual offences in an army unit. This impor- tact Group on Ukraine. 1953. In recognition of our efforts, let Russia be defeated militarily. Fur- ty to lead during what is certainly a
tant military establishment on the western frontier couldn't The refrain one hears is that neither India was made Chair of the five- ther while, on the one hand, France crucial turning point in history. Are
ensure an effective grievance-redressal mechanism that would have side is ready for dialogue, which begs member Neutral Nations Repatria- is calling for ‘strategic space’ for we going to let this initiative slip into
punished the predators instead of forcing the gunner to commit mul- the question — how can they be ready tion Commission set up soon after, a Europe vis-a-vis China and the US, the hands of those who may not be
tiple murders. The army should review its internal systems to ensure if you don’t allow them to be? duty which we discharged to the full on the other hand, the US and the capable or not be unbiased or not be
a harassment-free life in uniform. It must carefully address this issue Meanwhile, the immense suffering satisfaction of all sides. UK are determined to pursue the equal to the task? It’s time we
rather than sweep it under the carpet. The army practises zero toler- of the Ukrainians has not moved Can we play a similar role now? military option in Ukraine. punched the play button.
ance to fratricide. For instance, upholding life imprisonment and dis-
missal from service awarded by a court martial to a jawan for shoot-
ing dead his guard commander and attempting suicide, the Armed
Forces Tribunal last November ruled that such cases should be dealt
with strictly to maintain discipline. However, it must also go into the
reasons why some soldiers are driven to these extreme acts and take
remedial measures to mitigate the aggravating circumstances.
A spiritual catharsis
With a gunner having been established as the main accused in the Col Ramesh Davesar (Retd) melting the snow. The operational cre- for this lapse. Though delayed, the next day was Monday — my weekly
killing of four fellow jawans in the Bathinda military station on April 12, do entails changing over various issue got resolved. fast for my deity Shiva; it could not
the issue of the alarming prevalence of fratricide in the security forces,
including the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), has again cropped up.
It reinforces the need to acknowledge fratricide as a job hazard of the
forces and step up its act on containing it. Last July, two personnel became
B ACK in 1992, when Ramadan
was observed in March-April
— just like this year — I was
commanding a battalion deployed
along the LoC in Kashmir at an alti-
guard duties and patrolling with the
fresh troops at dawn, leaving just a
few personnel for administration.
It was the third week of March and
the fourth day of an incessant snow-
After some time, Sadiq, the
porters’ sherpa, a dedicated and
immensely respected person, came
to me, conveyed his apology and
then explained the unavoidable
have been a better occasion to com-
mence a three-day Roza with prayers
to God to shower blessings on Sadiq
and his team. To me, it was a spiritu-
the target of a fratricidal attack at an army camp in Surankote of Poonch al catharsis. I realised that the
district. Around 18 acts of fratricide reportedly took place in the Army and tude of 14,500 ft. storm that adversely hampered move- weather constraints that led to the essence of Ramadan was no different
March-April is usually the tapering ment and other activities. I was in my unpleasant situation. With a heavy from that of other faiths.
two in the Air Force between 2014 and March 2021. The situation is worse
period of winter, but quite often, the Tactical HQ, co-located with the Rifle heart, he added, ‘Saab, Ramadan ke Thus, I did my bit in keeping with
in the CAPF, with 29 paramilitary troopers having been killed by their col-
weather plays havoc, with torrential Company. Around dawn, I was dauran kisi ko naraaz karna ya the tradition of the Indian Army,
leagues in the 2018-22 period. They include the four BSF jawans shot dead snowfall and blizzards lasting several informed that the changeover of per- dukh dena mazhab ke khilaf hai. Iss which is the epitome of secularism
by a fellow jawan in Amritsar district in March 2022. days at a stretch. At each post, we have sonnel could not be done as the wajeh se hamara aaj ka Roza kharab and respect for all sections of society.
Underlying these grim figures are the tough working conditions of local civilians as porters who assist in porters turned up late with water and gaya hai.’ I tried to console him by Where else will you find a Muslim
the security forces that lead to mental stress, as also the availability of executing administrative chores. other essentials required for the cook acknowledging his and his team’s officer performing havan, a Hindu
weapons. The government needs to assess why the remedial measures Their task becomes more difficult house. I asked the Junior Commis- services, but found myself guilt-rid- officer commanding Ramadan-
taken over the years have not made much difference on the ground. during the winter. Besides movement sioned Officer to speed up the process, den for having hurt his sentiments. observing Muslim troops, a Sikh
constraints, the springs get buried who, in turn, conveyed my annoyance The best way to do penance, I felt, doing church service and a Christian
and the water requirement is met by to them, albeit with acerbic cautioning was to join them. Incidentally, the officer reciting Gurbani?

❝ ❞
thought for the day letters to the editor
The great mediator of any community is human Criminals in politics brother. If the police cannot verify appeared to be a stage-managed tions to provide training and learn-
morality. — Armstrong Williams Refer to ‘Anarchy in UP’; it is true killers in the guise of media personnel photo session for a magazine rather ing avenues to all aspirants. The
that laxity on the part of the escort- and protect criminals in their custody, than a crime scene. economic dictum that there is com-
ing police made it easy for three they have more than a few questions to VK ANAND, CHANDIGARH petition between ‘limited means
men to gun down the gangster answer. The case must be probed thor- and unlimited wants’ forces you to
on this day...100 years ago brothers, but at the same time, it oughly to find out whether some mas- Govt must clarify choose the best from the limited
shows that gangster MPs are a part termind was involved and what was Reference to ‘Congress seeks means for optimal results. So, com-
of Indian politics. Both victims the real motive. answer on former Governor’s claim petition to select the meritorious
belonged to the world of crime and BAL GOVIND, NOIDA on Pulwama attack’; former J&K students is imminent, and stress
were facing murder charges in a Governor Satya Pal Malik’s claims and anxiety a natural corollary. But
lahore,thursday,april 19, 1923
number of cases. It is a sad com- Shooting at will that PM Modi had instructed him to certainly, socio-psychological
mentary on our polity. Despite the Criminals in UP are so emboldened remain silent after he brought to experts must devise best practices
Supreme Court’s strict direction that they can shoot people in police light the security lapses that led to to assuage the anxieties caused due
A CRUSHING REPLY that no candidate with criminal custody! It is surprising that such the Pulwama attack is disturbing. to such struggles for excellence.
SIR Montagu Webb has given as crushing a reply to Lord Reading’s statement antecedents should be allotted killings are hailed by media and the These allegations levelled by a Gov- VIKRAM CHADHA, AMRITSAR
on the enhancement of the salt duty as was ever given by a responsible critic to a tickets, political parties are allow- public. When law ceases to operate, ernor who was appointed by the BJP
document emanating from the highest official authority in India. His “appeal to ing criminals to contest. The Elec- it becomes a free-for-all. It is strange government itself are very serious. Why quota at all?
his co-legislators of the House of Commons” to withhold their approval of the tion Commission must strictly that no policeman was hurt when There has been no statement from Whatever the writer has written is
action of the Viceroy not only makes mince-meat of every single argument relied implement the direction of the the killers were pumping bullets the government to confirm or deny correct in its own way, but who will
on by the Viceroy for the purpose of defending his extraordinary action, but court in letter and spirit, lest law- into the victims. Killing anybody on the allegations. The government speak about the stress of a so-
demonstrates in the most conclusive manner the folly of that action. It had been breakers become lawmakers in the the pretext of an encounter is wrong. must clarify the issue involving the called forward caste student whose
said that an unbalanced budget was a great evil both in itself and also because it corridors of power. RAMESH GUPTA, NARWANA safety of our security forces. father is a clerk and he cannot get
would shake India’s credit abroad; that there were two ways of balancing the MAHESHWER SHARMA, BY MAIL BALBIR SINGH KAKKAR, JALANDHAR into a good college, leave aside an
budget, to retrench, or to impose additional taxation; that the Government had Seemed stage-managed IIT, but the son of an IAS officer
gone as far as it was possible for them to go in the circumstances of the case in the Many questions A lot has been written, shown and Merit is required from a ‘backward’ caste gets
matter of retrenchment and had found additional taxation unavoidable; and that Apropos of ‘Anarchy in UP’; Atiq said in the media about the scene of Refer to ‘The cult of meritocracy’; admission (‘The cult of meritocra-
they had considered every possible method of adding to taxation and had come Ahmad was a dreaded don and more the fatal shooting of Atiq and his the writer seems to blame contem- cy’)? What is the justification of
to the conclusion that the enhancement of the salt duty was the safest than 10 judges recused themselves brother. The video clip shows the porary education for becoming caste-based reservation in today’s
alternative. Every one of these propositions is combated with complete success from hearing his case in the past, but shooters lying with their hands mechanical and drab and causing India, where children of the rich
by Sir Montagu in his letter, which we published. As regards the first, Sir that does not mean that he should be stretched in front, and, very casual- mental pressure among students. and powerful corner most of the
Montagu points out that economically and politically the enhancement of the ‘allowed’ to be killed in front of cam- ly, policemen appear to face the cam- But the reality is that no matter reserved seats? Let merit be the
duty is a much graver evil than an unplanned budget, especially when the deficit eras, with the police standing by. The eras. As per protocol, the shooters which system of education a socie- only criterion for higher education.
is little more than Rs 2½ millions, and that India’s credit stands too high for so killings have put a question mark on should have been pinned to the ty adopts, some method of ranking The government may provide free
small a deficit to affect it in the least degree. As regards the second, he maintains the UP Government. First his son was ground with their head down and and merit will have to be evolved. coaching to the deserving poor stu-
that even if it were considered necessary to balance the budget, a determination killed in an encounter, and after two their arms crossed at the back. The After all, no society can possess dents from all castes.
to balance it by way of retrenchment would do far more to add to our credit than days, he was killed along with his whole scenario, even to a lay man, unlimited resources and institu- ASHWANI BANSAL, BY MAIL
calling up what India’s Finance member only last year admitted that the
Government recognised as its last reserve. Letters to the Editor, typed in double space, should not exceed the 200-word limit. These should be cogently written and can be sent by e-mail to: Letters@tribunemail.com
THE TRIBUNE
CHANDIGARH | WEDNESDAY | 19 APRIL 2023 OPED 07

Debunking false narratives on fuel prices


and windfall tax on domestically pro-
duced petroleum products last year to Even as the world acknowledges India’s
prevent exporters from profiteering at
the cost of domestic consumers. Oil phenomenal success in providing
marketing companies (OMCs) being
‘good corporate citizens’ incurred
accessible and affordable energy to its
huge losses during price peaks for 1.4 billion citizens in these tumultuous
ensuring the supply of petrol and
HARDEEP S PURI
diesel at controlled rates to Indian cit- times, a few hypocritical state
UNION MINISTER FOR PETROLEUM & NATURAL izens, which have been kept
GAS AND HOUSING & URBAN AFFAIRS
unchanged by public sector OMCs
governments and political leaders
since April 6, 2022. continue to blare nonsense while hiding

D
OMINANT narratives are Many state governments also came
often presented as an forward with VAT (value added tax) their anti-citizen tactics. It is time for them
objective truth. It is impor- cuts to bring down the prices of petrol
tant to remember that such and diesel. However, many, not all,
to cut their state’s tax on fuel.
narratives are often set by those with states are conspicuous by their deter-
an agenda and hence the need for mination to not cut VAT and lower AFFORDABLE: The fuel prices in India are among
perspective. As British historian EH fuel prices in the state. the lowest in the world. TRIBUNE PHOTO
Carr famously said, “The historian It is worth highlighting that in the
without his facts is rootless and BJP-ruled states and the states that
futile; the facts without their histori- have cut VAT, the VAT rates on the OMCs, Indian taxpayers are still pared to 17.48 per cent in UP. While natural gas prices at the which determines that Indian natu-
an are dead and meaningless.” petrol and diesel are generally in the paying back Rs 3.2 lakh crore as In West Bengal, consumers pay international gas indices (Japan ral gas prices should be 10 per cent
The context and understanding of fuel range of Rs 14.5/litre to Rs 17.5/litre, interest plus principal. Rs 106.03/litre for petrol and Korea Marker) have increased by up of the monthly average of the Indian
prices provide a case in point. Unsus- while in states that haven’t cut VAT, In YSR-Congress-ruled Andhra Rs 92.76 for diesel, whereas con- to 228 per cent between January 2021 crude basket, is being hailed as a
tainably low petrol and diesel prices they are in the range of Rs 26/litre to Pradesh, the prices of petrol and sumers in Assam only pay Rs and February 2023, in India the CNG balanced reform by the industry as
belong at best to a world of fantasy. Rs 32/litre. This translates into a diesel at Rs 110.48/litre and Rs 97.02/litre and Rs 88.3, respectively. (compressed natural gas) price rise well as consumers. While the indus-
That fuel prices in India are high is huge difference in the common 98.27/litre, respectively, are almost Rs If Bengal Chief Minister Mamata (Delhi representative market) was try benefits from a more dynamic
based on a narrative that is deeply man’s pocket and expenses. 10 higher than in Karnataka, where Banerjee cares for her people, then restricted to about 83 per cent, and robust pricing mechanism, con-
flawed. They are, in fact, among the In Congress-ruled Rajasthan, con- these are Rs 101.94/litre and Rs why doesn’t she bring the petrol thanks to the steps such as increas- sumers are already reaping the ben-
lowest in the world largely due to sumers are paying Rs 108.48/litre for 87.89/litre, respectively. Andhra price below Rs 100/litre? ing domestic gas allocation to about efits which have been passed on in
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s petrol and Rs 93.8/litre for diesel Pradesh holds the record for having The hypocrisy is bare and blatant 250 per cent of the allocation since the form of Rs 7-8 price cuts in
efforts at ensuring energy availabili- which is approximately Rs 12/litre the highest petrol price in India, for and unhinged for all to see. Even when 2013-14 and diverting domestic gas domestic PNG and CNG.
ty and affordability. more on petrol and Rs 4/litre more on the second year running. it comes to aviation fuel prices, which from other non-priority sectors to Even as the world acknowledges
It was PM Modi who had cut the diesel than what consumers pay in In TRS-ruled Telangana, consumers are crucial for the hospitality and trav- meet the requirement for CNG India’s phenomenal success in pro-
Central excise duty twice — in May neighbouring BJP-ruled Uttar pay the second highest rate of petrol el sectors, the blatant greed of certain (transport) and PNG (piped natural viding accessible and affordable
2022 and November 2021 — amount- Pradesh — Rs 96.57/litre and in India at Rs 109.66/litre. This is a states is clear and visible. In the recent gas, domestic) segments. energy to its 1.4 billion citizens in
ing cumulatively to Rs 13 per litre on Rs 89.76/litre, respectively. whopping Rs 13/litre higher than in Maharashtra Budget, the state govern- Recently, the PM Modi-led Cabinet these tumultuous times, a few hypo-
petrol and Rs 15 per litre on diesel. Due to the lasting damage done by Uttar Pradesh (Rs 96.57/litre). In per- ment slashed VAT on jet fuel to 18 per took a major decision to revise the critical state governments and polit-
This cost the Central exchequer the UPA government between 2005 centage terms, the VAT in Telangana cent, while India’s biggest hub — Del- pricing methodology of domestical- ical leaders continue to blare non-
Rs 2.2 lakh crore a year. and 2012, under which long-term oil on petrol is 35.2 per cent, compared to hi — remains among the few states ly produced natural gas; it contin- sense while hiding their anti-citizen
Furthermore, the Government of bonds worth Rs 1.44 lakh crore were 26.8 per cent in UP. The VAT in Telan- that still levy a very high tax — 25 per ues to give a fillip to India’s goal of tactics. It is time for them to cut their
India even imposed an export cess issued instead of under-recoveries to gana on diesel is 27 per cent, com- cent — on jet fuel. gas-based economy. This decision, state’s tax on fuel.

Encounters, custodial killings need thorough probe


T
HE Uttar Pradesh Police’s their duty to do instant justice to killing of Atiq and Ashraf in police
Special Task Force (STF) address larger public safety and custody, terming it a phenomenon of
received unprecedented national security concerns. nature’s justice. When the authori-
accolades from the public At times, a spate of crimes results in ties start contriving to hide behind
when it killed Asad, son of mafioso- pressure from the public and the the veil of nature’s justice, it is the
turned-politician Atiq Ahmad and a superior authorities and drives the first sign of anarchy, which a civilised
proclaimed offender in the Umesh Pal cops to such a situation where they society cannot afford.
murder case. Atiq and his brother tend to justify their blatantly illegal Being a witness to the killing of two
KP SINGH
Ashraf, who were in police remand in actions, on the plea that the dreaded persons in their custody, whatever
FORMER DGP, HARYANA the same case, were killed by three criminals cannot be brought to justice may be the circumstances, is the
armed criminals when they were through court proceedings as nobody worst kind of dereliction of duty by
being taken to a hospital by the Praya- would dare to depose against them. policemen. The security staff and
graj police for a mandatory medical Such misguided policemen forget their superiors were required to take
No ground is sufficient to check-up on the night of April 15. that they are not a law unto them- extra precautions, keeping in view
justify a fake encounter The killing of Atiq and Ashraf in
police custody have evoked a variety
selves; they are merely an instrument
of the law. No ground is sufficient to
the vulnerability of Atiq and Ashraf
to such an eventuality due to the
and the guilty deserve the of reactions. The family members of justify a fake encounter and the guilty sense of extreme outrage and public
their victims expressed satisfaction, deserve the maximum penalty. In the anger against them.
maximum penalty. Killing saying that they paid the price for false encounter case of liquor smug- Some people are accusing the
of a person in police their sins. The general silence of the
people signifies their tacit approval
gler Dara Singh of Rajasthan (2006), escort guards of Atiq and Ashraf of
the Supreme Court had observed that cowardice, arguing that they should
custody by criminals is an of the killings, perhaps believing policemen deserved capital punish- have fired at the assailants, exercis-
that the dreaded criminals met the LAXITY: Being a witness to the killing of two persons in their custody is ment for a fake encounter. ing their right to private defence.
equally dastardly act; it is fate they deserved. Some Opposi- the worst kind of dereliction of duty by police personnel. PTI Killing of a person in police cus- This charge needs to be viewed
a slur on the face of the tion leaders perceive the double tody by criminals is an equally das- objectively and examined legally.
murder in police custody as a syn- It is disturbing that encounters and local police to the crime branch of the tardly act; it is a slur on the face of Video clips suggest that everything
police as well as an drome of lawlessness, which calls deaths in police custody are generally CID for fair and impartial proceed- the police as well as an adverse happened so quickly that it was over
for immediate course correction. A seen by people with suspicion and dis- ings. The NHRC continuously over- reflection on the quality of gover- within eight seconds. The killers
adverse reflection on the few sympathisers of the slain crimi- belief, though a majority of the sees and monitors the investigation; nance. The state, through its agen- were so clever that they threw away
quality of governance. nals are attributing motives and encounters are genuine. In reply to a sometimes, the investigation wing of cies, is under legal and constitution- their weapons immediately after the
alleging mala fide intentions on the question in the Lok Sabha last year, it the NHRC conducts an independent al obligation to protect every murder and started shouting ‘sur-
The state, through its part of the authorities. was stated that 233 deaths in police parallel inquiry to make sure that the individual; if it fails in this duty, the render…surrender’ to ward off any
The stakeholders’ varied perception encounters were reported in two years investigation is not botched up. Con- state loses its legitimacy to rule. exercise of the right of private
agencies, is under legal on encounters and killings in police (from April 1, 2020, to March 31, 2022). viction rate in fake encounter cases is Imparting justice to every person is defence against them.
and constitutional custody is not a surprise. What is wor- In every police encounter, an FIR is very high. a sine qua non of the existence and The UP Government has ordered a
rying is the fact that it is being depict- registered at the behest of the raiding It is difficult to understand why continuation of a political system. judicial inquiry to bring out the whole
obligation to protect every ed as a syndrome of lawlessness in a party, explaining the circumstances policemen resort to fake encounters. British politician Lord Wright truth in the public domain. It is not
society governed by the ‘rule of law’. leading to the exercise of the right of Criminologists attribute this trigger- asserts, “Justice is what justice known whether the territorial Judi-
individual; if it fails in this Certainly, people cannot be allowed to private defence by it, which resulted happy attitude in some policemen to appears to a reasonable man.” No cial Magistrate has conducted an
duty, the state loses its deliver their own justice. Every such in the death of the subject. According their desire to earn the ‘Singham’ prudent man can stand in approval of inquiry under Section 176 (1A) of the
assertion needs to be heard patiently, to the guidelines of the National image, under the false belief that an extra-judicial killing. It is CrPC. The judicial inquiry ordered by
legitimacy to rule. probed decisively and disposed of Human Rights Commission (NHRC), encounters are the zenith of police deplorable that some responsible the government cannot be a substi-
soberly by the authorities in their the investigation of such cases is professionalism; some others suffer public figures and even some police- tute for the inquiry by the territorial
quest to do justice to all. immediately transferred from the from self-righteousness, presuming it men are trying to underplay the Judicial Magistrate.

quick crossword su do ku calendar forecast


ACROSS
APRIL 19, 2023, WEDNESDAY SUNSET: WEDNESDAY 18:52 HRS
1
8
9
Classify (5)
US state and river (8)
An assumed appearance (5)
3 1 2 ■ Shaka Samvat 1945 SUNRISE: THURSDAY 05:50 HRS
■ Chaitra Shaka 29
10 Italian city and art centre (8)
11
12
Location of Nile High Dam (5)
Supply weapons to (3) 5 3 6 7 ■ Vaisakh Parvishte

■ Hijari 1444
6 Sunny Partly Cloudy Cloudy
CITY MAX
Rainy
MIN
Foggy

16 Austrian composer and


■ Krishna Paksha Tithi 14, up to 11.24 am
Chandigarh 34 24
6 7 2 8
pianist (6)
17 Jane, author of Emma (6) ■ Vaidhriti Yoga up to 3.25 pm
18 Scoring touchdown in rugby (3) New Delhi 39 22
■ Revti Nakshatra up to 11.53 pm
23 Congo republic’s former Amritsar 31 21
8 2 5
■ Moon enter Aries sign 11.53 pm
9
name (5)
24 English poets, Robert and Bathinda 35 23
■ Panchak Start 11: 53 pm
Elizabeth (8) Jalandhar 31 20
25 Insulting language (5)
26 East African republic (8) YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION Ludhiana 32 22
27 Loose outer garment (5) Bhiwani 36 22
1 8 3 7 9 2 6 4 5
DOWN Hisar 36 23
2
3
French philosopher 1712-78 (8)
British premier/novelist (8) 2 3 7 9 7 2 4 3 6 5 9 1 8 Sirsa
Dharamsala
37
24
24
13
4 Author of The Crucible (6) 9 5 6 1 8 4 7 2 3
5 Extortionate moneylending (5) Manali 19 06
6
7
Amusing (5)
Venomous snake (5) 7 1 4 9 3
4
1
6
8
7
5
9
4
2
7
3
2
5
6
8
9
1
Shimla 19 12
12 Knack (3) Srinagar 16 10
13 Have permission to (3) 5 9 2 8 1 6 4 3 7
14 Port, part in Europe,
part in Asia (8)
1 9 8 6 6 7 5 2 3 1 8 9 4
Jammu
Kargil
30
10
19
04
YESTERDAY’S sOLUTION 15 Central US state (8)
8 4 1 6 5 9 3 7 2 Leh 16 01
9 8 2
19 French impressionist
Across: 1 Here to stay, 6 Echo, 10 Reply, 11 Greenland, 12 Juvenile, 13 Heron, 15 Foolery, 17 Stammer, painter (6)
19 Austere, 21 Caramel, 22 Denim, 24 Cupboard, 27 Uttermost, 28 Since, 29 Side, 30 Real estate. 20 Die down (5) 2 3 9 4 7 8 1 5 6 Dehradun 30 17 1
Down: 1 Hard, 2 Rapturous, 3 Thyme, 4 Signify, 5 Ageless, 7 Chair, 8 Ordinarily, 9 On the air, 14 Ifs and buts, 21 Pummel with fists (5) Mussoorie 25 16
16 Evermore, 18 Memoranda, 20 Enclose, 21 Capital, 23 Noted, 25 Oasis, 26 Cede. 22 Recant (5) EASY TEMPERATURE IN OC
4
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log on to thegoan.net @thegoaneveryday Facebook.com/thegoaneveryday The Goan (Playstore) Instagram.com/thegoaneveryday Wednesday April 19, 2023

Commemorating ‘Equality Day’


Dalits remain an excluded social category and face the agonizing traumas
The hardest thing to understand in the world is the income tax. which underline discrimination, segregation in all spheres of life
Albert Einstein
>The writer
is a political

TB eradication echos
commentator,
writer, and human
rights activist.

at G��; Goa faces a


monumental task
RANJAN SOLOMON

A
T
pril 14 is commemorated each
year in the memory of BR Ambed-
he G20 conclave in Goa de�ned the focus areas on health kar. Because of his radical stance
and addressed the challenges of the 21st century, with In- in favour of the oppressed Dalits, his
birthday is referred to as “Bhim Jayanti” social group, religious denomination, line discrimination, segregation in all
dia putting forth its priorities and contribution to global and “Equality Day” caste, or ethnic group, rejecting those spheres of life.
health. Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawan Contemporary India sorely needs a from others as unsuitable for marriage Possibly the worst-hit are Dalits who
spoke on how India strives to build resilient healthcare de- reincarnated Dr Ambedkar. In his life- or other close interpersonal relation- have converted to Christianity. They
time, he aspired for a society that gives ships. This pattern of social exclusiv- �nd that not only are the bene�ts of
livery systems accompanied by robust delivery and equitable access equal rights, opportunities, and re- ity was deemed abhorrent by Ambed- reservation denied to them in contra-
to vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics. The stress on day one was spect to the economically weak and de- kar and his conviction that human vention of constitutional provisions
pressed sections in India. Towards this, society must, of essence, be inclusive. but even the church and the non-Dalit
on critical areas such as collaborative surveillance, community pro- he aspired to reorganize Indian society Humankind cannot be built on so- Christian community actively discrim-
tection and emergency coordination. by opposing the prevalent caste based cial di�erentiations. Nor can social inate against them. This struggle per-
On day two, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Man- social structure which he characterized di�erentiations which allow the dis- sists and Dalits hang on to hope and,
as possessing ‘graded inequalities’. tinction made between social groups possible justice from the Supreme
sukh Mandaviya reiterated India’s commitment to end tuberculosis Apart from four classes namely, and persons on the basis of biological, Court in the not-so-distant future. At
by 2025, �ve years before the global deadline of 2030. Goa brie�y be- Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishya and physiological, and socio-cultural fac- the same time, the political ploy of the
came the centre of attention when Mandaviya lauded the health fa- Shudhras, there were the uuntoucha- tors, as sex, age, or ethnicity, resulting dominant castes seems to be to deny
bles who were treated as inferior and in the assignment of roles and sta- reservations for Dalit Christians and,
cilities in Goa. “One health and wellness centre is available for every disallowed entry into temples, barred tus within a society be perpetuated. subtly, coerce them into ‘Ghar Wapsi’.
5,000 to 6,000 people in Goa and health centres in the State have from bathing in ponds used by upper Ambedkar’s irrevocable views chal- This is an upper caste manipulation
caste people and denied use of the wells lenged the status quo and, as a result, that combines casteism with commu-
facilities to detect and undertake preliminary treatment of common of the privileged upper castes. Ambed- the Jat-Pat-Todak Mandal cancelled nalism and is stubbornly resisted by
cancers,” he said. kar de�ed this inhuman caste hierarchy the conference where Ambedkar was activist lawyers who acknowledge the
While Goa deserves credit for its health- and began a ‘Temple entry Movement’ to present his treatise on “Annihila- right of Dalit Christians to claim jus-
The problem in Goa care, the high cases of tuberculosis infec-
in 1927. Ambedkar was relentless. Be- tion of Caste” tice as Dalit Christians.
tween 1927 and1935 he launched three The deep-rootedness of caste in Today’s political arena lacks vo-
is that it has a high tions and deaths in recent times remain more temple entry movements. Ambed- India goes back to the Gandhian era. ciferous mass mobilization on the
percentage of the a cause for concern and cast a shadow kar’s intent was to expose the caste Gandhi and Ambedkar o�en clashed question of justice for Dalits. Ambed-
population with co- prejudices that existed within Indian on the question of caste. Ambedkar kar’s wisdom of 1936 stands valid to-
morbidities and other over the national deadline for eradication society. proceeded to guide India’s Constitu- day: Swaraj’ has to imply ‘uprooting
lifestyle diseases. Also, by 2025. According to data submitted in Dr BR Ambedkar was born into a tion, and pressed for separate elector- caste’. In a retort to Gandhi’s version
the Lok Sabha earlier this month, Goa re- ‘Mahar’ family and faced caste discrim- ates for India’s vast population of “de- of ‘Swaraj’, Ambedkar asserted: “Who
there is a common ination right from his childhood. He pressed classes” or “untouchables”, is Swaraj (self-rule) for? Would this
perception that TB ported 336 tuberculosis deaths in the past observed how he and other people of referred to as scheduled castes today. be the ostracized untouchables’ Swa-
infection is not self- three years. In 2022, 175 people died; in lesser castes were not allowed to drink Under the system, only members from raj, too? Would they be equal partic-
water from the taps that were used by these communities would be eligible ipants? Or would this Swaraj be the
reported due to the 2021 and 2020, the toll was 89 and 72, re- upper castes. The Mahars, original in- to vote to elect a representative to des- self-rule of the upper-castes who have
societal stigma attached. spectively. habitants of Maharashtra, are an Indian ignated legislative assemblies; caste been committing atrocities against the
Therefore, concerted The sudden spurt in TB-related deaths caste found largely in the state of Maha- Hindus would not be eligible to vote untouchables for centuries?
community awareness rashtra and neighbouring areas. Later, in these elections. Gandhi dissented. Caste is a menace to India and plays
has been attributed to Covid infecting the most of the Mahar community followed Strangely Gandhi who opposed sep- an insidious role in electoral politics
and e�ort will go a long immune system and causing weakness of BR Ambedkar in converting to Bud- arate SC electorates used a contrary right here in Goa. A Lokniti-CSDS sur-
way in tackling the issue the lungs. However, TB has a track record dhism in the middle of the 20th century stand to allow similar provisions for vey concluded that nearly one-third
only to break-out from oppressive caste A Lokniti- Muslims or Sikhs. of the voters in Goa considered their
in Goa, even before the onset of Covid. structures that then prevailed. Caste contradictions and oppres- caste identity as crucial while decid-
CSDS survey
Medical data shows that in 2019, Goa had 2,391 registered cases of Ambedkar’s de�ant confrontation
concluded that sion of lower castes and, notably Dal- ing their vote. This was slightly high-
with the caste system led him to write its, underline India’s society. Political er than what it was in Uttar Pradesh,
TB. In the two subsequent years, it went down to 1,669 and 2,021. The a speech; “Annihilation of caste” for nearly one- attitudes further perpetuate the divi- Punjab and Uttarakhand. The BJP se-
infection may have tapered, but deaths have doubled from 2019 to the Jat-Pat-Todak Mandal of Lahore in third of the sions. Dalits were excluded from the cured 33% of the overall votes in the
2022. 1936. His determination to end all forms voters in Goa four-fold varna system of Hinduism last election. Reliable reports show
of social strati�cation was outlined in and were seen as forming a ��h Var- how 49% of the Hindu upper caste
While Goa has been making giant strides in the super-speciality his discourse in which he elaborated considered na, also known by the name of Pan- community in Goa, mostly comprising
line of treatments and boasts of state-of-the-art facilities with an al- the persecution that people of lower their caste chama. Dalits now profess various Saraswat Brahmins, voted for the rul-
location of Rs 2,324.6 crore to the health sector in the recent budget, castes su�ered. His view was that the identity as religious beliefs, including Hindu- ing party.
Dalit community su�ered caste preju- ism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Christianity, As Ambedkar observed about the
eradication of tuberculosis will remain a signi�cant challenge in the dice due to endogamy referring to the
crucial while and Islam. However, they still remain country, “turn in any direction you
next two years. The infrastructural upgrade and healthcare have not cultural practice of mating - usually in deciding their an excluded social category and face like, caste is the monster that crosses
shown any cascading e�ect on the disease in the past few years, indi- the form of marriage - within a speci�c vote the agonizing traumas which under- your path.”
cating that the State health sector will need to refocus.
Goa must scale up strategies and plans and devise thematic ar-
ea-wise interventions with operational targets for each constituency. THE INBOX >> I
The problem in Goa is that it has a high percentage of the popula-
for online property registration have
tion with co-morbidities and other lifestyle diseases. Also, there is a Covering up what can’t be been given well in advance. Ap-
common perception that TB infection is not self-reported due to the really made to disappear Awareness of consumer rights is essential plicants have been travelling long
societal stigma attached. Therefore, concerted community awareness A consumer awareness programme was held at Chandor distances to complete registration
Whoever brilliantly thought of covering of deeds. But no one is interested in
Panchayat hall which was organized by Goacan and GBE. Goacan
and e�ort will go a long way in tackling the issue. hoardings, billboards and posters
convenor Roland Martins gave the people of Chandor informa- helping the applicants. Instead assis-
advertising the casinos in Goa need to
We hope that Goa takes TB seriously and treats it as a priority by be appreciated. He/she gave a boost tion about the consumer rights in Goa. Consumers have rights tants are believed to be demanding Rs
for safety, right to be informed, right to choose, right to be heard, 10,000 per applicant to complete the
taking positive steps towards eradication and ful�lling India’s objec- to textile industries, employment to online formalities. The Anti Corruption
tailors and labourers to ‘dress’ the right to seek redressal and right to consumer awareness. It
tive of 2025. Moreover, the State has to be mindful and not be swayed was shocking to know how the gas companies are cheating us Bureau needs to step in, set up a trap
advertisements. Hats o� to the author- and nab the corrupt o�cials at the
by the optics of reaching milestones and touching the �nish line �rst ities (government or casino owners) for by selling cylinders by less weight and expired date. The shop
owners should not take any products from the local people who earliest.
of national missions like the “Har Ghar Jal” that eventually proved to having given the go-ahead and must
are selling their products without having registered number and ANTHONY FERNANDES, Via email
be a farce. Providing a false sense of accomplishment against a dis- have paid a few lakhs of rupees for the
expired date on it. As per the packaged commodities rules, the
ease would be a grave injustice to mankind.
task. Perhaps all these people were un-
aware that the G20 guests would read following information is mandatory. The full name and address Scrabble word game must
about Goa and what it o�ers, including of manufacturing, date of packing and expiry or use by date, net
weight and MRP. Chandor villagers have invited Goacan to come
be introduced in schools
hotspots and night spots. It is learnt that the Scrabble Associa-
Even when PMs, Presidents and VVIPs and check all the shops products along with concerned depart-
ment teams. In case of conciliation, address your complaints to tion of Goa will be organizing the 17th
have come to Goa such importance edition of the All-India Open Scrabble
were not given to the casino adver- The Chairman, The Consumer Conciliation Committee, Depart-
Championship from April 21 to 23 at
OPEN SPACE >> tisements. Will the clothes remain till ment of Civil Supplies and Consumer A�airs, 1st li�, 2 Floor,
Junta House, Panaji, Goa 403001. St Inez. Players from various states
all the G20 events planned in Goa are will be in action. Each player will play
Concerned about steering completed? The ‘cover-up’ job seems RONNIE DSOUZA, Chandor
24 games over a period of three days.
like the Emperor’s new clothes! A pro- Scrabble is a word game in which two

State out of corruption


fessional magician should be hired to to four players score points by placing
make the casino vessels ‘disappear’ agenda not drawn up as per people’s tiles, each bearing a single letter, onto
whenever the G20 guests look at them! wishes, questions not answered and

O
a game board. Scrabble is a game that
ur former Governor Satya Pal Malik was very concerned about the ram- SRIDHAR D’IYER, Caranzalem no follow up, bedlam and shouting, involves both skill and luck. There’s
pant corruption and bad governance in Goa. Infact he had written to meetings being adjourned and I can skill in knowing the words one can play
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah giving Open debate needed on go on and on! We are a democracy and and especially the most advantageous
those details of the omissions and commissions by the BJP government here.
But instead of acting against the accused, the Governor was unceremonious-
gram sabha powers we have control freaks in the govern-
ment and opinion makers hogging the
ways to play them. But there’s also luck
in the tiles you draw randomly from
ly shunted out of Goa overnight . During my meetings with Governor Malik, I understand April 24 is Panchayat Raj limelight. There must be open debates Send your the bag. Word games really do help
I could sense how very disturbed and anguished he was at the way Goa was day and it is high time the Director and reflection on gram sabha powers letters to us improve one’s spelling and of course
being mismanaged and looted. Governor Malik was so modest, practical and of Panchayats and the politicians and funding and help realize Mahatma at editor@ vocabulary. Playing word games like
someone who believed in delivering good governance to the poorest of the poor. and their henchmen allow the peo- Gandhi’s dream of true democracy at
He was indeed a good listener with a very clear mind and believed in achieving ple freely without fear or favour to grass roots level.
thegoan.net. scrabble would usually be the most fun
way to learn new words. Hence it would
results. The very knowledgeable and well experienced Governor Malik was a express their views and put forward JOHN ERIC GOMES, Porvorim Letters must be in the �tness of things to introduce
person with a mind of his own who would never sign at the dotted line. A rub- their problems. The major ills are that be 150-200 scrabble in the school curriculum as
ber stamp Governor he de�nitely was not. In the recent decades Goa has seen government secretaries and observers Assistants make hay while words and a fun activity. When school students
do not /are not capable or permitted
some very outstanding Governors by way of Lt Gen JFR Jacob, Dr SS Sidhu, BV
Wanchoo besides Malik. to do their job. Sarpanchas have not Sub Registrar is away mention the learn the game it would be prudent
to have inter-school scrabble tourna-
AIRES RODRIGUES, Ribandar been conducting the meeting properly, For the past 10 days the Sub Registrar writer’s name ments.
minutes are not recorded correctly, at Mapusa is absent. Appointments and location ADELMO FERNANDES, Vasco

Printed and Published by: Pramod Acharya on behalf of Fomento Media. Editor: Joel Afonso (Responsible for selection of News under PRB Act). Disclaimer: Except for the editorials above, all columns and letters represent the views of the
Printed at: Elegant O�set Printers Pvt Ltd, Shed No. D�-��, Thivim Industrial Estate, All Rights Reserved. concerned authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of The Goan Everyday’s Editor,
Karaswada, Mapusa, Goa. Editorial O�ce: Third Floor, Fourth Estate (Kamat Metropolis), St Inez, Panaji 403 001, Goa. Publisher and Owners.
Published at: Villa Flores da Silva, Erasmo Carvalho Street, PO Box 31, Margao 403 601, Goa. Ph: (0832) 240 5950 or mail us at editor@thegoan.net For circulation issues, please call (0832) 2450000 or mail: circulation@thegoan.net
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THE

6 WEDNESDAY 19 APRIL 2023 | VIJAYAWADA

IT sector set to hit slow lane in FY24 LETTERS


INDIAN IT industry is staring at a slow- On that count, high TCV (total contract among both the Indian and global play- started slashing their workforce during
down with the worsening of the demand value) can no longer guarantee addition ers. Among TCS and Infosys, the lat- January-March with freshers being in a Atiq’s killing: Outrage only to reap
environment. The fourth quarter perfor- to revenues. This is because clients are ter has been the glimmer compared to tight spot. Many of the offers rolled out political mileage
mance of both Tata Consultancy Services cautious about executing projects under TCS. Both were worse than their global by Indian IT firms have not been hon-
(TCS) and Infosys indicate that revenue their long-term commitment. It reflects peer, Accenture. The world’s biggest oured yet. A majority of freshers are in HE editorial has rightly pointed out that op-
growth is likely to be tepid at least for the
next two quarters. The former posted a
not only cost pressure but also holding
back some of the digital transformation
IT firm by revenue has shown subdued
performance but its performance was
a limbo in the absence of commitment
from potential employers. As the pipe-
T position and liberals selective outrage di-
rected at the chief minister Yogi Adityanath on
0.6 per cent growth in revenue on se- initiatives. a lot better than the two Indian firms. line dries up, fresher hiring will see the account of extra-Judicial killings is on expected
quential basis during Q4, while Infosys, Against this backdrop, the perfor- While consulting business of Accenture biggest hit in 2023. Already some com- lines. But the outrage from certain chief minis-
surprising the market, saw 3.2 per cent mance of other firms is likely to be on was showing slowdown, services side panies are asking freshers to join for ters and leaders from opposition peppered with
decline in its top line growth rate during similar lines. Meanwhile, the stock mar- of business were going strong with less low salaries or raising the bar to reduce epithets like “Jungle Raj”, “Law of the gun” and
this period. Neither inspires confidence ket has reacted, factoring in the slow- client-specific issues. their numbers. This does augur well for “Brazen anarchy in UP” etc appears more to reap
as regards growth coming back in the down. Infosys share price fell close to All-in-all, the phenomenon of rising engineering colleges. Not only freshers political mileage than having real concern for the
first half of the ongoing financial year. 12 per cent in the last five days post-an- tide lifts all boats is now over. Hereaf- but also lateral entrants are facing rising state of law and order in UP.
Both companies flagged up concerns nouncement of its results. TCS has fallen ter, one should expect significant differ- job pressure on the back of more work. Notwithstanding Atiq’s long association with
regarding delay in decision-making, four per cent, while LTIMindtree has lost ence in performance and commentary Sources in the know said silent firing is politics having flitted through different political
project cancellation and ramp downs more than 10 per cent during this peri- of companies. These factors show that underway in domestic IT firms, in the parties to suit his needs points at nexus between
among others. Interestingly, the two od. Going ahead, optimism around NSE engineers may have a tough time in 2023. guise of voluntary attrition. Overall, FY24 criminals and politicians,itis shameful that the
showed healthy deal pipeline. Despite Nifty index is low. Moreover, divergence After a record hiring in 2021 and 2022, it will be a year of caution and slow growth opposition leaders alleging that the state of UP
this, revenue accretion remained low. in performance has started to emerge has not only fallen but many companies for the Indian IT industry. is run by the gun even when relentless reign of
terror with an aura of impunity was unleashed
time and again since past four decades. Though

Key traits of Intelligence agencies


D C Pathak
nobody expected the three unknown teenagers
would be involved in such a crime, the chief min-
ister rightly set up a three-member judicial com-
mission to probe the killing. When Yogi Adity-
Director, is acknowledged as an cles - without producing a me- anath has vowed to crush Mafia gangs in the best
expert on a subject covered on dia splash. They did bring out, interest of the state, one wonders why such a hue

A
few of the chiefs of Intelli- that desk - for the simple rea- with illustrations, how Security and cry raised by the opposition knowing well
gence in India and abroad son that he or she goes through could fail not because of lack of that encounters have been in existence to cut the
have written about their every bit of information made ‘information’ but due to failure underworld down to size which otherwise could
work in the agency they once available to the organisation in of ‘communication’ or - what not have been possible by any other method. By
headed – possibly to make up for that sphere. is more serious - for the failure and large, when even basic police reforms has not
the anonymity they had to face I remember how I once ad- of ‘action’. They dealt with the been implemented in many states, how come the
on the professional front and dressed the ‘Basic Course’ as principles of Intelligence man- opposition claim that rule of law to prevail eve-
tell the world how important a desk officer and noticed two agement - that never become rywhere? All in all, opposition must understand
their role had been in helping very senior officers sitting in inapplicable - as also the traits that crying hoarse cannot solve this issue of ex-
the governance of the country front, listening to me with rapt of successful Intelligence pro- tra-juducial killings because it has happened in
right at the top. attention and even taking down fessionals but more importantly several opposition ruled states in the past with-
Publishing a book, no doubt, notes – one of them became my I remember how I once addressed the ‘Basic Course’ as they highlighted the fact that in out much ado.
is not everybody’s cup of tea. immediate boss and the other a desk officer and noticed two very senior officers sitting the Age of Information, Intel- K.R.Srinivasan, New Bhoiguda, Secunderabad
Writing on Intelligence always went on to become DIB soon in front, listening to me with rapt attention and even ligence was not only needed for
received media attention which enough. In a successful Intelli- national security but was also vi- II
is a sign that enlightened citi- gence organisation, there is no taking down notes – one of them became my immediate tal for success in any sphere in-
zens wanted to know about confusion about credit-sharing, cluding corporate business and AW maker Atiq Ahmed and his brother Khalid
matters relating to national se-
curity. To decide what part of
operational decision-making
is delegated in an environment
boss and the other went on to become DIB soon enough.
In a successful Intelligence organisation, there even in the personal domain.
Applied Intelligence is the
L Azim shot dead in close range by the pseudo
journalists left a question whether it is right or
operational work that one was of effective supervision and the is no confusion about credit-sharing, operational trend-setter of our times since it not. While public hails it, law objects. Law takes
privy to, should be kept from the senior is never evasive about decision-making is delegated in an environment of means having the ability to read its own course for years and finally criminals who
public domain is a judgement giving guidance that his or her ‘what lies ahead’ – and this would are deep rooted politicians get scot free as evi-
call for the writer and it is pre- junior associate would ask for. effective supervision indicate both opportunities that dences may not prove their criminal acts. Hence
sumed that at the level of a for- When I joined IB in May could be availed of and the risks justice was done by shooting them on the spot.
mer chief, it would be taken on a 1964, the Bureau was run from mation on the price-line of food as part of its National Security that had to be avoided. My sat- Retributive justice is needed. However, these
note of professional wisdom. South Block which housed the items in major markets and this Policy of fomenting communal isfaction is that these books are killings are surely against the law. We have sanc-
It is known that Intelligence Prime Minister’s Office. In the was valued as the only source militancy for generating faith- considered textbooks in many tions from our epics that cruel can be punished.
might provide decisive inputs post-Nehru era, it was shifted of correct knowledge on which based terrorism. Even as tradi- universities that had a Depart- Rama and Krishna killed thousands of demons.
for the government to take a to North Block, the seat of the Centre’s Civil Supplies Manage- tional Hindu-Muslim riots had ment of Security Studies and that Present law breakers are also demons and why
stand on crucial matters, but it Union Home Minister and the ment and Public Distribution dwindled, violence in the name in Uttar Pradesh they became a killing them is construed as crime? The problem
did not ‘dictate’ policy. In the Ministry of Home Affairs. The System could bank. Intelligence of ‘Jehad’ witnessed in Kashmir recommended reading for ‘im- then arises that everybody will take law into their
time of late P V Narasimha Rao Intelligence Bureau (IB) handled set-up relocated its resources and elsewhere is the new source proving the English language’. My hands. Apex court should find out a way to punish
as Prime Minister, a plenary external Intelligence as well and from time to time on a determi- of internal destabilisation here. publisher would have wanted me the criminals quickly, otherwise people will take
meeting was once called by him the IPS officers, selected from nation of the priorities of the se- Intelligence agencies need to write about the ‘inner stuff’ corrective action by themselves.
on Kashmir at a juncture where amongst those at the top of the curity environment – the prime an outreach in all newer areas but possibly sensed that I was the Dr NSR Murthy, Secunderabad
cross-border terrorism there list in a batch, were inducted importance of the impact of In- of threat and the wherewithal ‘hard core’ kind believing in the
had touched a new high. Every-
one who mattered was present
for long-term deputation at the
Centre. They were all asked to
ternational Communism in the
Cold War years gave way to the
to achieve the same. There are
challenges both in the sphere of
non-disclosure of operational
work of Intelligence.
Know Your Client concept
– from Governor to the Army complete a year of foreign lan- coverage of the new global terror human Intelligence and Tech- In a democratic state, the causing concern
Chief – besides the top bureau- guage courses in anticipation of that appeared on the scene with nology. Charter of Intelligence is pretty HE Know Your Customer (KYC) concept is
crats and they all favoured a line
of immediate action. On being
a posting abroad at some point
of time.
great force in the post-Cold War
era.
I became Director IB in mid-
1994 when there were no mobile
well-defined and it is pursued
regardless of the political iden-
T causing concern for both the banks and the
clients and a number of people are being cheated
consulted by the Prime Minis- Soon enough, however, RAW Intelligence does not share phones and yet the effort was to tity of the leadership in power. in the name of KYC. KYC means Know Your Cus-
ter, Director Intelligence Bureau (Research and Analysis Wing) with the masters only what they get to the fastest communica- Its aim primarily is to safeguard tomer and sometimes Know Your Client. Banks
(DIB) attending the round table, was created in 1968 as a split off wanted to hear – it told them tion channels, available at the the security and sovereignty of may refuse to open an account or halt a business
suggested that “we should hold from the IB, for exclusive cover- what all they had to know. It time. These included encrypted the country. relationship if the client fails to meet minimum
on” for the present and the for- age of external Intelligence and freely reports on both positives messages on Teleprinters us- A strong sense of nationalism KYC requirements. KYC check is the mandatory
mer agreed with that. It so hap- put under the Cabinet Secretar- as well as the negatives of the ing One Time Pad (OTP) which and acceptance of the demo- process of identifying and verifying the client’s
pened that the participants (of iat. Incidentally, my Spanish still public impact of a policy, to fa- guaranteed an advanced level of cratic tradition of keeping na- identity when opening an account and periodi-
the meeting) pressed for a ‘deci- enables me to read novels in that cilitate corrective responses. In security of communication then. tional security above politics, cally over time. In other words, banks must make
sion’ whereupon the Prime Min- language even as the ability to the present environment, the Today, securing communications facilitate the working of Intel- sure that their clients are genuinely who they
ister famously told the gathering converse in Spanish had tapered adversaries have taken to newer on national security matters is a ligence agencies. The Narendra claim to be. GoI and RBI direction to the Banks for
that “not taking a decision was off. There was an organic link be- methods of running the ‘proxy new challenge and Intelligence Modi regime gets the credit for KYC updation of their constituents is to be com-
also a decision.” tween the two agencies for some war’ against India – using social agencies have to fully engage enabling the Intelligence set-up plied. Helping Sr Ctz is necessary in this compli-
The success of an Intelligence time but this faded away gradu- media for raising terror cells themselves with their technol- to perform at its optimal best ance. Sadly the attitude of many functionaries in
organisation depends a lot on ally as the new organisation pro- or ‘lone wolves’ and arranging ogy counterparts to deal with the - in a major sense, this is be- the branch level leaves much to be desired. The
the professional competence of gressed to handle its special re- funds for them, building anti- entire range of Cyber Security cause an extremely competent guidelines are tried to be followed in letter only
the officers manning it. Every sponsibilities. India narratives with the help of threats. National Security Advisor was and not in spirit. Heckling in the name of compli-
entrant - high or low in the hier- For the government, Intel- civil society groups and planning Since there was a mention of available at hand, to the Prime ance is not desirable. In India, Electronic Know
archy - has to undergo a ‘basic’ ligence agencies were the only covert attacks on cyber systems books written by chiefs of Intel- Minister. Your Customer or Electronic Know your Client or
training programme for Intel- instrument for accessing reli- of the target, figure prominently ligence, it is only fair to point eKYC is a process wherein the customer’s identi-
ligence orientation. The leader- able information on matters of among them. out that I wrote three books on (The writer is a former ty and address are verified electronically through
ship of the organisation begins national importance. In the 70’s A major threat to India’s in- Intelligence after my retire- Director of the Intelligence Aadhaar authentication. Aadhaar is India’s na-
at the ‘Desk’ and the ‘Desk Of- during a period of scarcity, field ternal security is minority sepa- ment, which were well received Bureau. Views expressed are tional biometric eID scheme.
ficer’ though only an Assistant officers of IB furnished infor- ratism instigated by Pakistan in professional and public cir- personal) C K Subramaniam, Navi Mumbai

thehansreader@gmail.com

Anil Trigunayat
Growing Chinese challenge to India ONLINE
Despite India and China India has followed a QUAD and other formats within the neighbourhood
cooperating in multilateral policy of Competition with provide greater heft to In- and its Asian periphery. Rail traffic halts for 20 minutes as Metro
CHINA will be an ongo- and regional formats like Cooperation but China dian response potential in But India does not seem to track catches fire due to heat
ing challenge for the In- G20, SCO, BRICS and RIC the event of her interests mind this challenge and is
dian foreign and security and even 18-19 meetings has added another C of are challenged by the Chi- ready to accept it head-on BENGALURU: The maximum temperature in Ben-
policy establishment. Its between Prime Minister Containment of India nese hegemonistic ambi- since the world is its oyster. galuru during the summer months has increased
hegemonistic ambitions Narendra Modi and Chi- through its ‘String of Pearls’ tions. The G20 Summit expanse, significantly over the last few days. The tempera-
are clearly evident from na’s President Xi Jinping, strategy, Belt and Road Like rest of the world, Vaccine Maitri, growing tures are indeed soaring in the city, the effect of
the fact that its territorial the loud and clear message Initiative and pivoting an unstable Pakistan and its terrorist designs India’s trade and economic soft power, increasing hard sun is strong, as there was an incident on Mon-
ingress and disputes are was conveyed that border engagement has moved power, top performing fifth day when the rubber on the track caught fire and
with more countries than incursions and nefarious against India. The iron-clad Sino-Pakistan nexus will be a profound apace crossing over $125 bn largest economy and func- stopped the Namma Metro train service for 20
it shares a border with. designs on India’s sover- challenge that would have to be understood and factored in India’s with huge trade deficit in tional largest democracy or minutes.
After the perfidious war eignty and territorial in- proactive comprehensive response and including a readiness to China’s favour with critical even mother of democracy The incident took place near Vivekananda Met-
of 1962, India became wiser tegrity will not be tolerated confront a two-front war, if imposed. With Indo-Pacific emerging as dependencies still inher- and becoming a Voice of ro station on the purple line at 11 am on Monday.
and focussed on creating at any cost. a new theatre of Sino-US competition, India’s maritime power and ent which would need to the Global South as well as The driver noticed that the rubber of the metro
stronger defences against As India prefers dia- be addressed both through her strategic autonomy and track caught fire due to the heat of the sun, and
Chinese designs which logue and Diplomacy and prowess especially in the Indian Ocean will come under stress futuristic policy refine- leadership in fighting in- immediately stopped the train as a precautionary
have become far more ro- perhaps China would also ments in a dynamic man- justice, climate change and measure.
bust during the past few not like to indulge in fool- policy of Competition with and including a readiness ner and alternate credible terrorism have added up to After that the driver informed the station mas-
years as greater focus on hardy and MAD (Mutu- Cooperation but China has to confront a two-front partnerships to enable In- make India a global power ter. At this time, the staff near Vivekananda met-
creating state of the art ally Assured Destruction) added another C of Con- war, if imposed. With Indo- dia to be a trusted part of to be reckoned with in eve- ro station immediately went into action and put
border infrastructure and syndrome, painfully slow tainment of India through Pacific emerging as a new the global and regional val- ry major strategic calcula- out the fire. After the rubber cooled down, metro
quick response mecha- border talks and discus- its ‘String of Pearls’ strate- theatre of Sino-US com- ue and supply chains. tion and announcements travel was resumed. Metro traffic was disrupted
nisms have been created. sions in the WMCC have gy, Belt and Road Initiative petition, India’s maritime India has taken some ac- and explicit recognition of for about 20 minutes due to the incident. Due to
The unwritten peace for continued to contain the and pivoting an unstable power and prowess espe- tions like banning apps and this fact by major global this, the passengers who were traveling in the
decades broke down when situation from further es- Pakistan and its terrorist cially in the Indian Ocean calibrating the FDI and FII powers. metro on that route had to struggle.
Galwan happened in 2020. calation. Even then repeat designs against India. The will come under stress. policies with regard to Chi- Responding to this, the Metro officials said that
But India’s firm and de- incursions in Tawang and iron-clad Sino-Pakistan It is imperative that the na. Beijing, despite having a (Anil Trigunayat is In- the train ran on this route without any problem
termined counter-action psy-ops in Arunachal and nexus will be a profound SAGAR doctrine and In- five times larger economy, dia’s former Ambassador to for the rest of the day.
and eyeball-to-eyeball re- elsewhere have continued challenge that would have dian Ocean initiatives will considers India a credible Jordan, Libya, and Malta
sponse made Beijing pause unabated but have met to be understood and fac- need to be further accen- competitor of consequence and a Distinguished Fellow
and think if it could push with firm response. tored in India’s proactive tuated as the relationships and hence wishes to un- at the Vivekananda Inter- Read more at
its luck further. India has followed a comprehensive response with other major powers in dermine and contain it national Foundation) https://epaper.thehansindia.com (Bengaluru edition)
Printed and Published by K. Hanumanta Rao, on behalf of Hyderabad Media House Pvt. Limited, D.NO: 29-9-41/1, 2nd Floor, Rukmini Nilayam,Govinda Rajulu Naidu Street, Suryaraopeta, Vijayawada - 520 002.
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4 . bl . think
KOLKATA

businessline.
WEDNESDAY ­ APRIL 19 ­ 2023

RK Pattnaik

Take the ‘natural’


A
s the world struggles with a
WEDNESDAY ­ APRIL 19, 2023 phase of stubborn inflation

rate of interest
that can be attacked only
with high interest rates that

Policing the police in turn constrict growth,


there is some interest in turning to the
“natural” rate of interest as a more

A web of factors have held up police reforms

he goings on in UP last week have once
balanced approach to monetary policy.
The “natural” rate of interest is a
technically­calculated reference point
that neither pushes nor slows the cart of seriously
T
economic growth, allowing it to run on
again, for the umpteenth time, led to its own internal dynamics. 
“The ‘natural’ part means that this is SHIFT FOCUS. A natural rate is one that does
debates on police reform. But overall these the interest rate that is neither
debates are altogether too diffused and lack focus. stimulatory nor contractionary and is
not impact growth either positively or
The three main issues are the law, the practice and consistent with output at potential and negatively. It is a useful indicator when rate
stable inflation,” to quote the IMF World
the attitude. A Police Act was first enacted by the Economic Outlook report of April. hikes are impacting growth adversely 
British Parliament in 1861. Its aim was defined after The discussions come at a time
the 1857 mutiny by Indian soldiers in the East India central banks across the globe are
concerned with emerging uncertainties
Company’s army.  as they walk the classic “disinflation
glide path” in the light of the persistence
The purpose was to ensure that the of core inflation coupled with “feeble
natives behaved themselves. Huge powers and uneven” growth, as described in the
of detention and arrest were vested in the IMF report. 
officers in charge of police stations. Since The report has cut its forecast of
global economic growth (down to 2.8
then that Act has been amended a few per cent in April 2023 from 2.9 per cent
times, but not this aspect. All in all, in January 2023). 
however, the provisions of the law are Disinflation is expected in all major
unobjectionable because, as with so many country groups, with about 76 per cent
other things, we make good laws. Practice, of economies expected to experience
lower headline inflation in 2023 but this GETTY IMAGES
however, is a different thing because it will come at the cost of growth. The IMF
needs effective supervision. It is in that report has observed that there is a 25 per foresee inflation and rein it in good time, using the stark contrasts of 1979 and per cent for 2024­25 and a growth rate of
aspect that we have been lacking. cent probability distribution of world acting only when the damage was done 2008 by the IMF. In 1979, as inflation 6.5 per cent. What should be the natural
Supervision is largely about procedure or economic growth declining to below 2 and there was little option left but to moved up though the US Fed hiked rate of interest for the Indian economy?
per cent, something that has happened take stiff action. In that sense, the interest rates to 14 per cent (5 per cent According to the World Economic
process but too much emphasis on process only five other times (1973, 1981, 1982, question is: did all the central banks fail, in real terms, accounting for inflation), Outlook, the natural rate is usually
can prevent effective policing. This 2009 and 2020) since 1970.  and if so, why, and what must be done so the high rates were not high enough independent of monetary policy and
pressure to deliver has led to the third The chance that core inflation, which now? whereas in 2008 interest rates fell to instead driven by real phenomenon such
thing, attitude. If a policeman knows that is inflation other than volatile food and These are some of the issues that zero but this was considered not low as technological progress,
fuel prices, will be higher in 2023 than in Raghuram Rajan, the former RBI enough to boost the economy. Inflation demographics, inequality, or preference
his practice will not be questioned, his 2022 is close to 30 per cent. Thus, the governor, takes up in an IMF publication remained low for a decade. shifts for safe and liquid assets.
attitude changes and he becomes someone IMF report concludes that the weak called Finance and Development, According to the IMF, the natural rate of
to fear. If procedure is seen as a nuisance growth and persistent inflation will be published in March.  TOO HIGH AND TOO LOW interest for US during the last 50 years
even by those whose job it is to ensure that manifested both in advanced economies Rajan argues that central banks “These two contrasting examples raise was in the range of 3 per cent and 1 per
proper procedures have been followed, a and emerging market and developing needed public legitimacy to raise rates in an obvious question. How can it be that cent.
economies. an era that was marked by huge public in the same country a real interest rate The RBI in its April 2022 Bulletin has
sense of invulnerability is inevitable.  spending to boost the economy amid of 5 per cent is sometimes too low but at estimated the natural rate of interest for
Three other things have contributed to POLICY RATE HIKES historic low inflation rates. He says it is other times a real interest rate of zero is India. According to the RBI, during Q3:
the development of these features of This tells us that inflation has fallen the not that central banks couldn’t see the too high?” ask the authors of the chapter, 2021­22, the natural rate of interest was
policing. One is political. The other is world over only because of the bitter pill coming inflation — they waited for the ‘The Natural Rate of Interest: Drivers worked out to range of 0.8 per cent and 1
of policy rate hikes by almost all central public to see it to gain the legitimacy to and Implication for Policy’, in the World per cent as against 1.6 per cent and 1.8
administrative. And the third is judicial. banks. The pill has addressed the act.  Economic Outlook report. per cent estimated earlier for Q4:
The political problem arises from the symptoms but inflationary pressures But action isn’t exactly working, so The answer is that interest rates can 2014­15. Going by these data points, we
inextricable positive link between the remain. Central banks in advanced doing less may be doing more. One way be too high or too low not in the absolute assume that the natural rate of interest
maintenance of law and order and economies have substantially increased out is a policy under which the central number but with reference to the “real could be in the range of 1 per cent and 2
their policy rates to rein in inflation and bank does not look to either boosting natural rate of interest.”  per cent. 
electability. To law abiding citizens who to anchor inflation expectations.  growth or constraining growth. This is In the Indian context, too, it can be Thus, the policy repo rate could be in
want to lead a peaceful and safe life, any The US Fed has raised rates by 475 where the “natural” rate of interest as a argued that action by the central bank the range of 5 per cent and 5.5 per cent
politician who can ensure this is highly basis points (bps) from H1: 2022 to Q1: reference point comes in. has failed to rein in inflation. For the per cent in 2024­25, assuming inflation
re­electable because these things are public 2023; the ECB has increased key rates by The “natural” rate is best explained immediate, it is critical to return to the rate at 4.4 per cent per cent in a base line
goods. The administrative aspect has arisen 300 bps from H1: 2022 to Q1: 2023; the Flexible Inflation Target (FIT) of scenario.
Bank of England has raised its policy rate CPI­combined 4 per cent with a band of To conclude, the MPC and RBI should
from the demands of the police service to by 400 bps during from H1: 2022 to Q1: The natural rate of +/­ 2 per cent at the earliest to ensure revisit and further probe the natural rate
be placed on par with the IAS at least in 2023. Similarly, the emerging market interest is driven by credibility of the monetary policy in the of interest. A forward guidance on this
certain matters. For instance, some central banks have also increased their eyes of the public.  natural rate will be helpful for the
amendments to the Criminal Procedure policy repo rate during the same period technological progress, The inflation print for March released economy in general, and may also serve
Code were made 50 years ago to give effect
to address inflation. demographics, inequality, on April 12 is higher at 5.66 per cent and to smoothen private sector investments.
But globally, central banks aren’t core inflation is worked out to above 6
to this demand. The quid pro quo was getting any kudos for this. In fact, they or preference shifts for per cent. However, the RBI is optimistic The writer is a former central banker. Views are
subservience to the government of the day. have been under attack for failing to safe and liquid assets in its forecast of the inflation rate at 4.4 personal. Through The Billion Press
So today there is no political incentive to
substantially reform the police. The cat is
catching the mice so why look at its colour?
Lastly there is the judicial part. It’s not just
the delays in the system. It’s also the Indian
Evidence Act which requires such a high
A faultline that could hinder UPI’s smooth run
level of proof that shortcuts are the
inevitable result. These shortcuts suit Without a probe, freezing the bank accounts of persons who receive UPI payments from a cyber­crime accused is unjustified
everyone who has skin in the game.
All this sounds horrible but, in runs a restaurant business in Alappuzha. amount lost by the complainant in an
Aswin Alora He received ₹300 from a person through online scam. While hearing the plea
mitigation, it must be said — as Indira UPI, post which his account got frozen. submitted by PhonePe and its Director,
Gandhi said of corruption — that these
U
nified Payments Interface (UPI) When enquired, he learned that there the High Court of Karnataka stated that
things are a ‘global phenomenon’. Also, let’s is transforming how people in was a cyber­case involving the sender’s an intermediary could not be held
be thankful that we follow Anglo­Saxon India transact money. With its bank account in Gujarat. Due to this, responsible for the financial fraud
user­friendly interface and robust Ibrahim Kutty cannot withdraw his life committed by someone else under the
jurisprudence that says an accused is security features, UPI has become the earnings from the bank account.  Information Technology Act. It
innocent until proof is provided to the preferred mode of payment for millions When a person ‘A’ indulges in cyber instructed the police to refund the
contrary. Imagine how bad things would be of Indians, making it one of the fastest financial crime and transfers that money money to the PhonePe Director and
if we followed Roman law as in Europe that growing payment systems in the world.  from his account to person ‘B’ and ‘C’, trace the alleged fraudster instead. The
requires the accused to prove his or her In a recent development, India and the cyber police direct banks to freeze court had issued a directive to all the
Singapore linked their digital payments the account of person ‘B’ and ‘C’ on the LOOKING UP. UPI is one of the fastest magisterial courts in the State to refrain
innocence. systems, UPI and PayNow, to enable assumption that the person ‘A’ must growing payment systems in the world from ordering the seizure of bank
instant and low­cost fund transfers in a have safely transferred that money to accounts of persons not identified as
significant push to disrupt the other accounts of his or to other accused of cyber fraud and cybercrime.
cross­border flow of money between the partners in crime. However, it may be proper investigation? It is also difficult The RBI must step in, not just to give
POCKET RAVIKANTH two nations that amounts to more than possible that ‘A’ used the funds to for an ordinary man to get in touch with justice to the affected bank
$1 billion each year. However, the purchase goods and services from the legal department of a different State account­holders but also to instill faith
emerging cases of bank account freezing different merchants, such as ‘B’ or ‘C’, to get justice. In many cases, cyber in the UPI system. Otherwise, the
of some Kerala merchants after who are selling that by following the rule police ask third parties (person B or C in chances of merchants refraining from
receiving UPI payments signify a threat of the land, but unaware of the financial this case) to return the money the UPI transactions could rise in the future,
to the model’s existence. scam carried out by ‘A’.  complainant lost. This action is contrary dampening the digital payments push of
Reportedly, there are at least seven What is the justification of freezing to all canons of law. the Government. 
cases of bank account freezing in Kerala. the bank accounts of such innocent In a similar incident last year,
A leading Kerala media house reported merchants who are not even accused in PhonePe Director’s personal bank The writer is an Assistant Professor of Finance at IIM,
the case of Ismail Ibrahim Kutty, who the case, and without carrying out a account was debited to the extent of the Kozhikode

LETTERS TO EDITOR Send your letters by email to bleditor@thehindu.co.in or by post to ‘Letters to the Editor’, The Hindu Business Line, Kasturi Buildings, 859­860, Anna Salai, Chennai 600002.

Unclaimed deposits  effective use of mobiles and the of suburban train too. When for money. The ICF, Chennai, considered as a well­thought­out


Apropos ‘Unclaimed’ headaches’ Internet, apart from periodic Western Railway is moving from 12 deserves a pat on the back for gifting warning and taken seriously.
(April 18), one endorses the view updation of the KYC norms, the to 15 rakes for its suburban train India with Vande Bharat trains. Generative AI tools have immense
that banks must step up measures to situation at ground zero continues to services, in Southern Railway and More Vande Bharat trains should be potential to transform businesses,
reduce ‘unclaimed’ deposits as these be grim on this count.  other zones, lots of suburban trains started in backward States like Bihar research and development in critical
add to banks’ compliance costs. But Vinayak G are still running with nine rakes with and Odisha, as it will help create areas like the medical field, apart
how come that despite banks New Delhi age­old narrow and heavy steel employment and give a push to the from wide application in education,
displaying the list of unclaimed bodied coaches. These old coaches overall development of these States. music, gaming, etc. 
deposits on their websites and the Railways’ pride need to be replaced with modern The funds meant for improvement ChatGPT has demonstrated how
RBI also taking various Apropos ‘Vande Bharat trains are rakes. of the Railways should not be wasted versatile generative AI can be.
depositor­friendly measures, these truly transformational’ (April 18), RV Baskaran in populist measures and subsidies, However, its wrong deployment and
deposits have increased over time? when the first Rajdhani service was Chennai instead, they should be used to the consequences of the technology
For 12 public sector banks and 19 introduced, rail passengers felt that improve rail infrastructure. landing in wrong hands could be
private banks (in aggregate), only the pinnacle of train travel has been Vande Bharat trains Veena Shenoy disastrous. Stakeholders across
1.22 per cent of the ‘unclaimed reached. Subsequent, new trains The Vande Bharat saga shows how Thane nations must come together to
deposits’ was claimed back during such as Shatabdi, Jana Shatabdhi, with determination and strong weave in some standards, checks and
2021­22. Sampark Kranti, Garib Rath, Duranto leadership, India can scale new The flip side of AI balances and legislate suitable laws
But unfortunately, despite the RBI and Tejas have been added. heights with its technology, expertise This refers to ‘Google CEO Pichai which would allow the legitimate
having directed banks to launch Whilst it is quite appreciable that the and vast knowhow. A majority of warns against rush to deploy AI’ development of AI technology for
special drives to locate the Railways is undergoing a Indians cannot afford to travel by air, (April 18). Sundar Pichai’s thoughts the greater common good.
inoperative account­holders/their metamorphosis, due consideration and hence would look to Vande on the unfettered development and Kosaraju Chandramouli
legal heirs and banks making needs to be given for the makeover Bharat trains for comfort and value deployment of AI should be Hyderabad

Published by N. Ravi at Kasturi Buildings, 859 & 860, Anna Salai, Chennai­600002 and Printed by Rony Gupta at Saraswati Print Factory Pvt Ltd, 789, Chowbhaga (West), (Near China Mandir), Kolkata­700105, on behalf of THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD., Chennai­600002. Editor: Raghuvir Srinivasan (Editor responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act). ISSN 0971 ­ 7528

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WEDNESDAY ­ APRIL 19 ­ 2023

Rise of rural entrepreneurs


Despite growing numbers, productivity is a concern 
For carbon credits, turn to Rlys 
ON A ROLL. Rail freight produces lower emissions per tonne­km than road freight. It can earn significant carbon credits 
Puneet  Kumar  Shrivastav 
Amandeep  Kaur of the total emissions generated by the
Nav  Goel entire economy. 

T
here is immense scope for Around 70 per cent of freight

U
rural entrepreneurship in nder its Nationally movement and 90 per cent of passenger
areas such as business, Determined movement can be attributed to the road
industry, agriculture and this can Contributions (NDCs), sector alone, which is the most
help drive development. India now stands carbon­intensive mode of all available
Various flagship programmes committed to reducing options. Rail freight typically produces
and schemes like National Rural the emissions intensity of its GDP by 45 lower emissions per tonne­km than road
Livelihoods Mission (NRLM), per cent by 2030, from the 2005 level and freight, mainly due to the more
Make in India, Skill India, Startup achieving net zero by 2070.  fuel­efficient locomotives and the lower
India, Mudra Yojana etc provide The Energy Conservation rolling resistance of trains compared to
financial support to the skilled (Amendment) Act 2022 aims to trucks. Therefore, the potential for rail
rural youth to take up the However, workers are mainly manoeuvre India on the right track. The systems to earn carbon credits is
self­employment, wage (43.78 per cent) own­account Act gave a green signal to the Centre for immense owing to their low carbon
employment and entrepreneurial workers who generally operate in creating a carbon credit trading scheme. emission intensity (approx. 23 per cent
activities. small­sized, family­based BloombergNEF research report says of roadways).
Under NRLM, Deen Dayal own­account units with low that the total value of carbon credits The Delhi Metro has earned 4.4
Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya investment and technical produced and sold could reach $1 million carbon credits which were
Yojana (DDU­GKY) is a know­how. trillion globally by 2037. Thus, generated through innovative
placement linked skill Rural entrepreneurship still participation in the carbon trading technologies of regenerative braking etc.
development programme which remains as a source of market is prudent both from an and due to Modal Shift. Following suit,
allows skilling in a PPP mode and survival/livelihood rather environmental and commercial angle. in December 2022, the Ministry of
assured placements.  providing jobs. The majority of India’s per capita emissions currently Housing and Urban Affairs advised
Also, Rural Self Employment self employed are Own account stand at a mere 1.8 tons of CO2e (versus metro rail corporations to register for
and Training Institutes (RSETI) workers rather than the the US at 14.7 and China at 7.6). carbon credits.
programme promote employers.  However, India is the world’s
entrepreneurship that enables the PLFS 2020­21 also reveals that third­largest emitter at 2.9 Giga Tons THE ECOSYSTEM
trainees to take bank credit facility only 12 per cent of self employed CO2 equivalent (around 4.9 per cent of The carbon credit ecosystem follows a
to start micro­enterprises. sell their entire produce/product. global emissions). Article 17 of the set of guidelines and protocols for
Another scheme is the Startup Around 13 per cent self­employed Kyoto Protocol allows countries that registering and issuing carbon credits,
India initiative, which aims to use the entire produce from the have emission units to spare — which are established by the standard
promote entrepreneurship among activity for their own emissions permitted to them but not issuer. Each standard maintains its own
the youth of India (Department of consumption. “used” — to sell this excess capacity to registry, and notable examples include
Industrial Policy and Promotion, Despite the existence countries that are beyond their targets CDM, Verra, and Gold Standard. To
2022). Additionally, the Deen DDUGKY and Rural Self thus enabling emissions trading. This obtain credits, projects undergo a
Dayal Antyodaya Yojana (DDAY), Employment Training Institutes , was reaffirmed in Article 6 of the Paris thorough assessment by a third­party
which focuses on sustainable 69.73 per cent of workers out of Agreement. auditor. After issuance, the project
livelihoods for rural communities total rural manufacturing workers India leads the pack, accounting for developer may either sell the credits to a
is also a similar kind of initiative. have not received any training, 40­50 per cent of annual carbon credits buyer or utilise them for their own
This scheme provides financial 26.47 per cent of workers have sales and having 1,685 projects purposes.
assistance, training, and market received informal training and registered under UNFCCC’s CDM According to IEA, transport as a
linkages to rural entrepreneurs. only 3.79 per cent of workers (Clean Development Mechanism) as of sector accounted for 37 per cent of CO2
Furthermore, the One District received formal training in March 2022. from end­use sectors globally in 2021
One Product (ODOP) identifies 2018­19.  According to India’s Third Biennial and it could reach as high as 50 per cent
products that are unique to a The proportion of workers who Update Report (2021) to UNFCCC, the by 2030. Yet the transport sector Recently NCRTC, which is completed by March 2024, DFC alone is
particular district and promote have received training has transport sector is estimated to have comprises only 0.34 per cent of all implementing Regional Rapid Transit estimated to lessen carbon emissions by
their production and marketing. increased by only 1.89 per cent in contributed to 274 million tonnes of registered CDM projects. System (RRTS) project across the NCR, 455 million tonnes over a 30­year period.
2020­21. So the majority of the CO2 equivalent emissions per year in The process of turning carbon credits also invited bids for assessing the Indian Railways’ commitment to
THE OUTCOMES workers in the rural 2016, accounting for roughly 11 per cent from a concept to reality can be potential of carbon credits. achieving complete electrification by
Thanks to the NRLM, which was manufacturing sector are working challenging, as it often involves upfront December 2023, reaching net­zero
launched in 2011, India now has without any formal The  potential  for  rail investment, lengthy gestation periods, FREIGHT CORRIDORS emissions by 2030, and boosting the
the largest network of women’s vocational/technical training and and the possibility of not being Dedicated freight corridors (DFCs) — Railways’ share in freight transport to 45
SHGs globally. As of March 2023, therefore have low technical systems  to  earn  carbon approved. Nevertheless, gradual efforts from Ludhiana to Dankuni (EDFC) and per cent by 2030 — creates a distinctive
there are 8.2 million SHGs in India knowledge. credits  is  immense  owing are being made in the projects where the Dadri to JNPT Mumbai (WDFC) — are prospect to utilise carbon markets.
with 89 million members, Although rural ventures are on sheer volume and the large scale of the expected to make freight movement —
boosting growth of the non­farm the rise, the focus must be on their to their low carbon project make it worthwhile for less carbon and energy intensive. With The writer is with the Indian Railway Accounts Service.
sector in rural areas. productivity. Therefore, to emission intensity participation in carbon markets. commissioning expected to be Views expressed are personal.
However, despite these address these challenges, there is a
initiatives, rural entrepreneurship need for a holistic approach that
still has a long way to go. It still combines policy support,
faces several challenges, such as infrastructure development, and Short take
limited access to finance, capacity building for the rural
inadequate infrastructure, and a
lack of training and education. Per
youth entrepreneurs. 
Moreover, support for
EU Parliament backs
PLFS 2020­21, the share of
self­employed workers in rural
promoting the indigenous/
hereditary skills is also required to
climate policy overhaul
areas is 61.3 per cent as compared scale up operations.
to 39.5 per cent in urban areas. Reuters
PLFS estimates show that the Shrivastav is a faculty member at National

T
share of self­employed workers in Institute of Labour Economics Research & he European Parliament on
rural manufacturing rose from Development (NILERD); Kaur is a faculty Tuesday approved sweeping
47.02 per cent in 2018­19 to 52.6 member at Jaypee Institute of Information reforms to make EU climate
per cent in 2020­21.  Technology. Views expressed are personal change policies more ambitious,
including an upgrade of the bloc's carbon
market that is set to hike the cost of
polluting in Europe.
businessline. Europe's carbon market forces power
plants and factories to buy CO2 permits
when they pollute. It has slashed those
TWENTY YEARS AGO TODAY. sectors' emissions by 43 per cent since
2005, but is facing a revamp to hit more
April 19, 2003 ambitious EU climate change targets.
Parliament voted to approve, with a
Tatas hike stake in Trent to 28 pc  large majority, a deal agreed last year by
Tata group companies have hiked their stake in retailing company, Trent, in the negotiators from EU countries and
last quarter through market purchases. The holding of the group has increased Parliament, to reform the carbon market
by 1.86 per cent from 26.48 per cent at the end of December 2002 to 28.34 to cut emissions by 62 per cent from
per cent at the end of March 2003.  2005 levels by 2030.
Under the upgrade, factories will lose
Supply lines stay hit as stir continues the free CO2 permits they currently
The nation­wide indefinite strike called by the transporters entered the fifth receive by 2034, and shipping emissions
day on Friday with no signs of a breakthrough in sight to end the stir. The strike will be added to the CO2 market from
has hit the supply of essential commodities and consumers are burdened by 2024.
the soaring prices of fruits and vegetables.  Lawmakers also backed the EU's
world­first plan to phase in a levy on
Turf protected; small CA firms can breathe easy  imports of high­carbon goods from
Small and medium­sized firms of chartered accountants have cause for cheer. 2026, targeting imports of steel, cement,
Their concern over losing turf in the accounting services space to large foreign aluminium, fertilisers, electricity and
players in the coming years has reached the ears of the Government. India has hydrogen.
now taken a position that it would not for the time being accept requests for The carbon border levy aims to
commercial presence of foreign accounting firms. In the WTO, negotiations prevent EU industries being undercut by
are being conducted on services sector through the request offer process. more­polluting foreign competitors.

BL TWO­WAY CROSSWORD 2265 EASY DOWN


01. Operator of 
NOT SO EASY DOWN
01. A boatman who might see a grebe flying about (6) 
ACROSS  canal­boat (6)  ACROSS  02. It is about to happen to the tin men I'm 
01. Hand­missile (8)  02. About to happen (8)  01. He's a good fellow, the man taking guard ­­ but he may  constructing (8) 
07. Dutch chinaware (5)  03. To break flint, stone (4)  get thrown (8) 03. Take one hostage when I'd left to break stones (4) 
08. A flat­topped  04. Playing parts (6)  07. Dutch capital is left in a whirl where they're making  04. Is on the stage when performing temporary duty (6) 
defence (7)  05. Addition sign (4)  their china (5) 05. It may be a sign of a positive factor (4) 
09. A front, cutting,  06. Go without  08. Aries, a bit of which is used for fortification (7)  06. Look hard when it's around five but have nothing 
tooth (7)  nourishment (6)  09. It's ironic about first second tooth (7)  to eat (6) 
10. The sea­eagle (4)  07. Counting system with 10. Eagle will construct some higher nest (4)  07. One may readily see the point of counting the 
12. Eucalyptus (3­4)  base ten (7)  12. It may be a koala's habitat, but up in this one's in system (7) 
14. Like the Devil (7)  11. Cut short, brief (7)  difficulties (3­4) 11. The company is since broken up, to be brief (7) 
17. A high wind (4)  13. Family servant of long 14. It is as devilish as it can possibly be (7)  13. A servant is paid to keep a barrister's services (8) 
18. Composer of 'la standing (8)  17. The wind up? Force 9, perhaps (4)  14. Wooden shoes are given a rating among drunkards (6) 
Sonnambula' (7)  14. Wooden work­shoes (6)  18. Italian opera composer put ringing instrument in one 15. With which chewing­gum is made stylish, the 
21. He conducts court 15. The gum used for finale (7)  French way (6) 
looking into death (7)  chewing­gum (6)  21. He holds court for nothing when there's a free shot 16. Was afraid to be given food : are taken in (6) 
22. Commerce (5)  16. Inspiring fright (6)  around (7)  19. It is bound to turn pale (4) 
23. Given back,  19. Jump (4)  22. This has its gap, and extra dental work shows it (5)  20. Guitarist may worry about this being on his
renewed (8)  20. Corrode, eat into (4) 23. Big shop, though in the red, can be put back on its feet (8)  fingerboard (4)

SOLUTION: BL TWO­WAY CROSSWORD 2264
ACROSS 7.  Dependability  8.  Panic  button  12.  Regard  14.  Dental  16.  Tailor  18.  Moment  19.  Cheeseboard  23.  Superabundant 
DOWN 1.  Leap  2.  Fern  3.  Educed  4.  Absurd  5.  Clot  6.  Eton  9.  Anguish  10.  Outwear  11.  Flat  12.  Rote  13.  Roo  15.  Ego  17.  Rascal  18.  Möbius  19.  Club  20.  Even  21.  Adds  22.  Dank

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Volume XXVII Number 179

China’s RMB project


beginnings of a Yuan currency area in Asia.
MUMBAI | WEDNESDAY, 19 APRIL 2023 Three, it has leveraged its status as the largest
importer of oil and a substantial importer of gas and

China as a creditor LNG, to create an RMB-based energy market in Asia.


This may initially be on a bilateral basis but eventually

making steady progress


graduate to a full-fledged global market, where yuan-
Sovereign debt restructuring has become tricky based transactions may also be carried out for non-
China related oil and gas trade. During his visit to

O
ne of the most anticipated components of the Spring Meetings of the
Saudi Arabia in December 2022, Chinese President Xi
World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington
Jinping proposed to his hosts that the oil exporting
DC this year was a global sovereign debt roundtable meant to revitalise
Gulf countries could use the Shanghai Petroleum and
the under-performing system to restructure public debt. This is because As China steps up efforts to graduate to a leading role in global Gas Exchange (SPHGX) to sell oil and gas not only to
the world is going through a severe sovereign debt crisis, and one which the inter-
national financial architecture has by and large failed to effectively address. The currency markets, India faces a choice between aligning with China but other Asian countries as well, denominated
in the RMB. The Shanghai International Energy
effects of the pandemic and relief spending, along with the worldwide inflationary the Western-dominated financial system and the Chinese one Exchange, a counterpart organisation, provides a mar-
environment created largely by big Western stimulus packages and the Russian ket for derivatives, options, spot oil, natural gas and

T
invasion of Ukraine, have resulted in sharply higher interest rates and affected hrough various columns in this paper, I have currency like the US dollar has no peer. The daily LNG trade. This should enable the emergence of a
government finances in multiple developing countries. As IMF Managing Director followed developments in the internationali- turnover in global financial markets is currently $7.5 truly Asian index based on local supply and demand
Kristalina Georgieva has noted, about 15 per cent of low-income countries are in sation of the Chinese currency, the Renminbi trillion, and 88 per cent of this trade has the US dollar and the relative weight of Asian producers and
distress, while another 45 per cent are facing high debt vulnerabilities. Existing (RMB). An update on the subject may be of interest as the counterpart. importers. This may be on a limited basis to begin
systems, however, were not able to respond to this crisis because of structural since there have been several significant develop- China has tried various means to reconcile its with and expanded later as the density of the market
changes to the sovereign debt system since the restructuring systems were first ments in the recent past, most importantly, the reluctance to adopt a fully convertible currency, with increases. Trade based on the Shanghai benchmark
designed in the 1980s. Ukraine War, the sweeping and unprecedented its attendant risks of volatility and capital flight, with is now third behind the US-based West Texas and the
American sanctions against Russia and the resulting its ambition to make it an international medium of London-based Brent indices. In order to make the
One major change is the rise of China as a creditor nation. This has caused
turmoil in the global energy markets. exchange and a store of value. Shanghai exchange more attractive and reduce risk,
complications because, to begin with, China is not part of the existing Paris Club The US’ weaponisation of its domination of inter- One, it has pioneered the adoption of a central China has allowed RMB proceeds from the oil and gas
of creditors that closely coordinate on how to bail out distressed debtors. Beijing national financial and currency markets is leading bank digital currency (CBDC), which may be used trade to be converted into gold at the Hong Kong and
has been a problematic creditor for various other reasons. For one, it has insisted countries across the world to hedge the heightened for cross-border transactions under strict state mon- Shanghai Gold Exchanges, respectively. However,
lending through its development banks, which the rest of the world views as bilat- risks of their inordinate reliance on itoring. The multiple CBDC project Chinese oil imports were $400 billion in 2021 and con-
eral government-to-government lending, be treated instead as private commercial the dollar. These risks are exacerbated or “m-bridge” is of special interest. stituted only 2 per cent of the total global oil trade of
lending and thus receive seniority in repayments as opposed to bilateral lending by the collateral damage from US This is a cross-border payments pilot $22 trillion, so one must not exaggerate the leverage
from other countries. In addition, the internal systems within the People’s Republic monetary policies, including interest project of the Hong Kong Monetary this provides.
to authorise a haircut are not well developed. rate changes. China sees this as an Authority, the Bank of Thailand, the China may be able to promote the use of Chinese
It has been reported in fact that each individual haircut in sovereign debt opportunity to raise the international China Digital Currency Research currency in settling such bilateral deals, but in settling
restructuring cases would have to be cleared at the highest level by the State profile and role of the RMB. Institute under the People’s Bank of multilateral transactions, the US dollar continues to
Council of the People’s Republic. Thus, there is naturally a disincentive to enter Several countries, particularly in China, and the Bank of International rule. Nevertheless, as the world’s second largest econ-
the restructuring process in the first place, and even once entered, there is a bot- the global South, are looking for Settlements (BIS) to “develop a omy, its largest trading power and substantial investor
opportunities to conduct bilateral proof-of-concept prototype to facil- overseas, China may eventually graduate to a leading
tleneck on decision-making that the Chinese system will need to solve. The
trade with partner countries in local itate real time cross-border foreign role in international financial and currency markets.
Chinese thus tend to offer to roll over debt rather than cancel it or write it down.
currencies. Brazil has announced SHYAM SARAN exchange payments on distributed The economist Kenneth Rogoff has said,“…my guess
Finally, there are concerns that Beijing is refusing to recognise the convention that it would opt for trade settlement ledger technology.” The first phase is that over time Asia would coalesce, not around the
that the IMF and the World Bank itself are “super-senior”, in that they are not with China in Chinese RMB/Brazilian reais, without has concluded successfully and the next phase will dollar but around the RMB. Then we’d be in a world
required to take a haircut in a bailout when everyone else is. The leadership of intermediation through a convertible currency. The soon commence. where the RMB would be a regional currency in Asia,
these institutions remains convinced that this status is essential in order for them RMB-denominated oil and gas trade has made sig- Two, in June 2022, China promoted an RMB the Euro would be a regional currency in Europe and
to retain their enviable credit ratings, which allows them to tap a wide set of nificant progress with countries like Iran and Liquidity Arrangement as a joint initiative with the the dollar would have everything else.”
funding sources. Venezuela, which are under severe US sanctions, BIS, “to provide liquidity support through a reserve Should India get on the inside track of these
Some reports have emerged that the Chinese, after being relatively isolated and cut off from the dollar-dominated international pooling scheme”, which could be used by partici- developments, as it did with the Asian
at the sovereign debt roundtable, are willing to retain the special status of the financial market. Since the Ukraine War, Russia, one pating central banks during future periods of market Infrastructure Investment Bank and the BRICS
multilateral development banks in sovereign debt restructuring if the World Bank of the world’s largest producers of oil, has joined volatility. Central banks of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Development Bank? Should it play a more active
also steps up lending to distressed debtors through its International Development their ranks, opting for a progressively larger propor- Hong Kong Monetary Authority, Singapore, and role in promoting the BRICS trade settlement mech-
Association funding line, which hands out concessional loans and grants to coun- tion of its oil and gas trade with China being desig- Chile will each contribute a minimum of 15 million anism in local currencies? Or are its economic and
tries with prohibitive credit risk. It remains to be seen whether this quid pro quo nated in yuan or the ruble. Most recently, the French RMB or dollar equivalent to the pool, which shall geopolitical interests better served in integrating
company Total signed a yuan-denominated deal to be maintained with the BIS. This initiative seeks to more closely with the existing financial order dom-
will wind up subsidising Chinese bondholders out of global public funds in a
supply LNG to China. promote China’s role as a financial guarantor of inated by the West? These are important questions
roundabout way. If so, it will likely prove unacceptable. Finance Minister Nirmala Similar arrangements may follow with China’s sorts, reviving the earlier idea of an Asian Monetary worthy of careful study.
Sitharaman has prioritised the reform of sovereign debt restructuring as part of other trade partners. But this does not add up to the Fund, which had emerged in the wake of the Asian
the Finance Track in India’s G20 presidency. This is wise prioritisation, and an RMB being used by countries for trade settlement financial crisis of 1997. With more participants, par- The writer is a former foreign secretary and an honorary
equitable and efficient solution to the problem would be seen as a big achievement with third countries. This is where a fully convertible ticularly in the Asian region, this could be the fellow, Centre for Policy Research
of the presidency.

Big cats vs development Private enterprise & renaissance of ports sector


Conservation policies need to adjust for this conflict

A
s late as the mid-1990s, India’s tructure journey, as much of the atten-
PORT PROJECTS AWARDED TO PRIVATE SECTOR (1999 – 2023)*

B
arely a week after the government published data showing that India ports were seen as having an tion has been centred around roads, rail-
has 3,167 tigers in the wild, up by 200 over the past four years, reports inadequate capacity to cater to ways, power and airports. It is estimated Party Total Nature of Nature of
appeared of leopards in Uttarakhand and the African cheetah in Kuno a rapidly burgeoning economy, as well that the private investment in ports, and locations facility award Locations
National Park straying into inhabited areas. Neither incident has resulted as being considered frustrating choke port-related road and rail connectivity,
Adani 10 5P + 5T 7B 1N 2S 7B- Tuna, Goa, Vizhinjam, Ennore,
in the usual havoc of attacks on livestock or humans yet, but these threats persist, points in the logistics chain. The 1996- has been around ₹1.6 trillion, and has
97 Union Budget document stated, “A exceeded the private investment in air-
Ports & SEZ Vizag, Tajpur, Haldia 1N- Mundra
requiring the animals to be tranquilised and brought back into the protected area
major problem with ports is the mis- ports in the last two decades by a fair 2S- Dahej and Hazira
or shot. This reality suggests that the justified pride in the successes of the 50-
year-old Project Tiger, which saved the big cat from extinction, needs to be match between existing capacity and multiple. This fact is not often recog- JM Baxi 9 9T 8B 1N 8B- Paradip, Haldia, Vizag (02),
tempered by the threats of man-animal conflicts, which urgently demand a fresh the demand for traffic.” nised because of the poor public visi- Kandla, JNPT (02), VOC (Tuticorin)
look at conservation strategies and policies. As against the total capacity of bility of port investments. 1N- Jamnagar
Much has been made of the fact that India, with its high population density, 217.3 million tonnes on March 31, 1997, Well, this amazing transformation
JSW Infra 4 1P + 3T 3B 1N 3B: Paradip (02), New Mangalore,
major ports (in those days, practically of the Indian ports sector has clearly
has managed to set up and maintain 54 tiger reserves with reasonable success. 1N: Jaigarh
all owned by the government) han- happened due to a single factor — its
But the problem of rising big cat populations is exemplified by Oban, the African dled 227.3 million tonnes, resulting in being opened up to private capital and DP World 6 6T 5B 1S 5B: Chennai, Cochin, Tuna-Tekra,
cheetah who has strayed twice from Kuno. Theoretically, Kuno, with its area of pre-berthing delays and unacceptable private enterprise. JNPT (02) 1S: Mundra
748 square km, has sufficient territory for the eight imported cheetahs to coexist. ship turn-around times. Moreover, The table shows the participation
The problem is that animals, including big cats, cannot be depended upon to
PSA 4 4T 4B Kolkata Chennai,
shipping lines constantly complained of the private sector (domestic and VOC (Tuticorin), JNPT
stay within the borders of sanctuaries demarcated by humans. This is true not about lethargic and foreign) in the period
only of tigers and leopards, but also of lions, bears, elephants and monkeys. inefficient operations, 1999-2023 in port All others 49 49P&T 38B 11N Various
This is one dimension of the issue. The other is that growing tiger populations whilst importers and development and (44 Parties)
constrict the room for other tigers or leopards, all of which are intensely territorial exporters chafed at operations. It pro- TOTAL 82 82 P&T 65B 14N 3S All India
and compete for the same prey. Tigers typically need 15-20 square km of territory. unduly long clearing vides three fascinat- P: Port; T: Terminal or Berth; B: Bid; N: Negotiated; S: Sub-concession
times. ing insights. *Does not consider Mergers and Acquisitions that happened subsequent to original award.
As their population grows, younger tigers need to migrate to newer pastures, Also, does not consider captive ports and jetties
just like other myriad species in a jungle. This in turn makes it imperative for But, voila, turn to One, is the sheer
protected areas to be linked by corridors — strips of natural habitat — through 2021, and what do number of locations
we see? where private capital and international investors. The extent of employment created
which tigers and other animals can migrate to new territory to breed and feed.
n In 1999, the total has been deployed — Clearly, ports today represent a is difficult to quantify, but is never-
Without that, sanctuaries imprisoned within human habitation will lose the
traffic across all ports 82. For this, the vibrant infrastructure sector where the theless visible. Port-based industries
biodiversity needed to thrive. in India was 334 mil- Government of India competitive pressures brought on by and associated transport and logistics
The shrinking population of wild lions of the Gir forest is an example of the
predicament of diminishing genetic viability. Leopards, meanwhile, are hardy,
lion metric tonnes per INFRATALK needs to be compli- private enterprise have significantly jobs have led to vibrant hinterlands,
annum or MMTPA, of mented along with improved the operations of the entire with many export-based industries
adaptable cats that are increasingly co-opting urban areas bordering forests, such which the share of pri- VINAYAK CHATTERJEE the states that had sector. With the introduction of the having found competitive locations.
as Mumbai, Dehradun and Gurugram, into their territory. Wildlife corridors are vate ports was 7.4 per forward-looking state “landlord model” as part of the latest There is, indeed, gathering appre-
not explicitly defined under the law, although they can be protected under forest cent. By 2021, the traffic at all ports maritime policies — notably Gujarat. ports policy, government-owned ciation amongst shipping lines and
protection rules and guidelines. However, India’s aggressive developmental thrust was 1,250 MMTPA (a growth of nearly (Port operating licences can be issued “major ports” are ceding chunks of logistics players that Indian ports have
poses a constant danger to these jungle bridges. Land is constantly being requisi- four times) and, interestingly, the both by the Centre and states.) operational responsibilities to the pri- demonstrated one of the best
tioned for networks of railways, roads, electricity lines, and mines for coal and share of private ports and terminals Two, is the fact that 65 of the 82 vate sector. An extreme example is the turnaround strategies amongst devel-
other minerals. In 2019, the National Tiger Conservation Authority mapped out (including captive facilities) rose dra- projects have been transparently bid Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust or JNPT, oping economies, with some of the
32 major tiger corridors, suggesting some degree of protection to these landscapes. matically to 73.2 per cent. out, negating popular perceptions of where all the berths and terminals are larger ports easily handling the enor-
n In the 1990s, the average ship turn widespread cronyism. The 14 negoti- operated by private players! The suc- mous Panamax and Capesize vessels.
But the government’s move to weaken Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
around (ASTA) was around 7.8 days. ated projects have been permitted cess of privatisation efforts at JNPT, This “renaissance” is clearly a sym-
leaves them vulnerable to developmental priorities.
By 2021, that figure fell to 2.2 days. (In under publicly announced maritime no doubt, has created the enabling bol of what private capital and private
After receiving over 2 million objections to the EIA 2020, the government some specific ports, in cargo like con- sector policy frameworks. environment for the massive connec- enterprise can achieve if allowed fair
allowed it to expire but has introduced through a raft of office orders or memo- tainers, the figure is as low as 19 Three, is the sheer breadth and tivity investments like the Western play, as India’s private ports have
randums some of its more undesirable elements, including waiving environmental hours.) Many other operational effi- diversity of participating players. Dedicated Freight Corridor and the demonstrated.
approval and forest clearance for “critical infrastructure projects” in Maoist-hit ciency indicators such as crane moves Whilst the top five players mentioned Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor.
and border areas. Such weakening of environmental laws is unlikely to help in per hour, demurrage incurred et al in the table are well known, the balance The bid to build a transhipment port The writer is an infrastructure sector
the long run — either in preserving the big cat or securing the buy-in of local pop- have also shown huge improvements. 44 parties represent a wide swathe of in the Andamans will now see another expert. He is also the founder and
ulations, which is critical to conservation projects. This could well be termed the private industry ranging from L&T to epochal investment of private capital managing trustee of The Infravision
“silent revolution” in India’s infras- the Tatas and other notable domestic in a strategic location. Foundation

Rocky’s road to investing stocks like Tata Tea and Tata Power.
The book also recounts how
Jhunjhunwala went about investing in
Titan — his most successful investment
which helped him build a fortune, while
three turned out to be duds. This section is
more of an account on the corporate
journey of these six companies.
health. And in Morgan Housel-style, they
point out that Jhunjhunwala couldn’t
take the advantage of late-stage
compounding as did Warren Buffet, who
Sharma (both experts in personal outlook and stock tips (which he famously bet. In hindsight, investing in Titan may The authors leverage their expertise in made 99.7 per cent of his fortune
finance) and Aditya Kondawar (popular refrained from offering). seem a no-brainer today. But personal finance to scrutinise after the age of 52.
on social media for simplifying finance) The Big Bull of Dalal Street has three Jhunjhunwala backed the company Jhunjhunwala’s successes and failures, Despite all this detail, the book is
attempt to chart Jhunjhunwala’s parts. “The Early Years” presents when it was a poor performer, with even and point out that not all his strategies incomplete. For instance, the authors tell
investing journey, how he made his Jhunjhunwala’s family background, his insiders unsure about its future. The Big were for the ordinary investor. For us little about Jhunjhunwala’s life. He is
billions and his mistakes. entry into the stock markets and how the Bull—who often invested in stocks instance, Jhunjhunwala had a huge the son of an income tax officer and often
BOOK REVIEW This is not an authorised account, so ace investors navigated tumultuous without hard-core financial analysis— small-cap bias, which the authors argue credited his father and Radhakishan
the authors have astutely used times such as the Harshad Mehta bought Titan, may not be the right Damani (a veteran investor and promoter
SAMIE MODAK information available in the public scandal or the 2000 dotcom bust. It tells against his friends’ The Big Bull of Dalal investment of D'Mart retail chain) for his success.
domain to put together a 150-paged tale readers how Jhunjhunwala before advice, as he was Street: How Rakesh approach. “Murky Those aspects find little mention in the

A
ce investor Rakesh juxtaposing India’s economic journey moving to Mumbai’s tony Malabar Hill feeling “very Jhunjhunwala deals, price book. Nor does it delve much into
Jhunjhunwala’s ability to turn a and the Big Bull’s investments. The had humble middle-class beginnings, bullish” even Made His Fortune manipulation and Jhunjhunwala’s investment in unlisted
paltry sum of ~5,000 into ~35,000 authors have interviewed staying in his father’s house even after though a large block forged financial stocks (such as Start Health, the second-
crore during his near four-decade Jhunjhunwala’s contemporaries marriage. He sold his Crisil holdings at of shares of the Author: Neil results are all too most valuable stock in his portfolio after
investing journey is so legendary that it Ramesh Damani, Shankar Sharma, his mother’s behest to buy a house, watch maker was Borate, Aprajita common in the Titan) or how he went about identifying
brought millions of dreamy-eyed Samir Arora and others who chose offering an insight into why Rocky, the being offloaded by a Sharma & Aditya small-cap universe. companies in which to invest. Most books
wannabe investors into the stock market. anonymity to provide context to his nickname used by his friends, preferred big broker. A Kondawar Most of these on legendary investors such as Peter
Many try to emulate his portfolio but investment decisions. equities over other asset classes . chapter Publisher: Penguin companies do not Lynch, Warren Buffet or Benjamin
rarely do you come across anyone who’s Luckily, there is no shortage of public Contrary to the popular notion that “Weathering Prices:~399 even conduct Graham are also textbooks on the science
been even a fraction as successful. information on the man. Unlike most Jhunjhunwala started with just ~5,000, Storms” touches earnings calls after of investing. This book is a simplistic take
Given this backdrop, a book about stock market stars in India, the book offers an interesting account on upon how the quarterly results. on India’s most successful investor,
how Jhunjhunwala made his fortune can Jhunjhunwala, a larger-than-life how he began with ~200,000 borrowed Jhunjhunwala stayed away from the late One has to invest in such companies with whose Midas touch lay in an unfettered
be expected to draw curiosity and personality with a penchant for the from acquaintances, who got their money nineties tech boom, his early prediction of a pinch of salt. Finding gems in this space belief in India’s growth potential.
interest — more so since it has hit the politically incorrect, was not publicity shy. back with high interest. Jhunjhunwala, a the 2008 market crash and tryst with is not an easy task. It is better to leave it to But until family members or friends
stands within six months of the Big Bull’s He was a regular on TV, at conferences and qualified chartered accountant, managed the regulator. the fund manager,” they write. decide to write about Rocky, this book is
untimely death at the age of 62 years. The other public events. People gathered in to double his investment in the first year The second part of the book is on The book also highlights how about as good as it gets on India’s most
three authors Niel Borate, Aprajita their thousands to hear his investment by making successful short-term bets on Jhunjhunwala’s six stocks — three of Jhunjhunwala was careless about his revered investor.
This PDF was uploade To Teligram channel_ LBS Newspaper platform (https://t.me/LBSNEWSPAPER) @LBSNEWSPAPER
12 WedneSdAy, 19 April 2023
MUMbAi VIEWS LIVEMINT.COM

OUR VIEW MY VIEW | On THe OTHeR HanD


ISTOCKPHOTO

There is good reason for the US


Fed’s rate path to be this foggy
Rising economic risks amid persistent inflation have posed the US central bank a peculiar dilemma

Further, the expectations of lower to recover from consumers what they


interest rates has led to money pouring pay to their employees.
into stocks. The Dow Jones Industrial To break this cycle, the Fed needs to
Average, the premier stock market discourage companies from borrowing,
index in the US, has risen by 5.4% expanding and recruiting people. The
during the last one month. commercial and industrial lending by
So, will the FOMC cut interest rates US banks grew by 10.1% in March. The
when it meets next in early May? On 8 growth was 15.1% in November. While
March, Fed chairperson Jerome Powell lending growth has slowed, if wage
VIVEK KAUL told the Banking Committee of the US inflation has to be controlled, it needs to
is the author of ‘Bad Money’. Senate: “The ultimate level of interest slow down further.
rates is likely to be higher than previ- So, there is strong reason for the Fed
ously anticipated.” to continue raising its policy rate. None-
The FOMC has raised the federal theless, the US central bank has been

Rebuff WTO advice but


funds rate by 475 basis points since known to make sudden U-turns in the
March 2022 to 4.75-5% currently. The past. In March, a few mid-sized Ameri-

T
alk of an economic recession in federal funds rate is the rate at which US can banks got into trouble. If that crisis
rich-world countries led by the US commercial banks borrow and lend escalates, the Fed may have to cut rates
seems to be getting stronger. As their extra reserves to each other on an to ensure that a banking crisis doesn’t

mull it over for strategy Austan Goolsbee, president of the


Chicago Federal Reserve, said recently:
“Some mild recession is definitely… a
possibility.” The Federal Reserve sys-
overnight basis. FOMC projections for
March forecast that the federal funds
rate will be in the range of 4.9-5.9% in
2023. In December, the range was
turn into an economic one.
The second reason is not that obvi-
ous. As Niels Clemen Jensen, founder
and chief investment officer of Absolute
tem has 12 regional reserve banks. The 4.9-5.6%. This suggests that the Fed Return Partners, recently wrote: “I
Chicago Fed is one of them. A technical might raise rates further. remain convinced that central bankers
We need not axe smartphone tariffs as the global trade body would have India do, as this recession is a situation where the size The Fed has raised the funds rate at a may not mind inflation running ahead
of an economy contracts for two con- fast pace to control inflation in the US. of targets for a while, reason being that
could prove disruptive, but let’s plot a future of export success without props and barriers secutive quarters. Inflation according to the US personal inflation destroys debt.” If the FOMC
The bond market until very recently consumption expenditures index (PCE), gets its head around this idea, then it
seemed to be betting on a recession. which excludes food and energy items, might cut interest rates and let inflation
The 10-year US treasury bond yield was stood at 4.6% this February, down from run, so as to reduce the real value of

I
t isn’t too difficult for India to shrug off is unlikely to disrupt our game goes well with at 4.1% as of 2 March. By 5 April, it had 5.4% in the same month of 2022. American government debt.
Monday’s advice by a dispute-resolving the tactical approach we have taken to world fallen to 3.3%. The bond yield at any So, why is the Fed reluctant to cut the Now how does all this impact India?
point of the time is the return investors funds rate? It has taken a year for infla- First, from December to February,
panel of the World Trade Organization trade. The WTO’s apex device to settle disputes can expect if they buy the bond and tion to fall from 5.4% to 4.6%. The Fed’s goods exports to the US fell more than
(WTO) that held Indian tariffs on mobile is dysfunctional because of US neglect, apiece hold on to it until its maturity. Treasury target is 2%. So, clearly, the fight against 6%. Second, the IT companies are
phones (and some other electronic items) with America’s own retreat from ideals of free bonds are issued by the US government inflation isn’t over. As Powell said in a already feeling the heat, with prospects
to be in violation of a trade agreement. In trade. US-China ties were already fraying when to finance its fiscal deficit. recent press conference: “The process for this financial year not looking so
response to objections raised in 2019 by the EU, covid choked supplies and gave Western mega- A fall in bond yields points to the of getting inflation back down to 2% has good. Third, if the Fed cuts interest
bond market betting on the Federal a long way to go and is likely to be rates, Indian stocks will rally. Of course,
Japan and Taiwan, the panel asked New Delhi corps another reason to explore ‘China-plus’ Open Market Committee (FOMC), the bumpy.” there is no way of knowing this for sure.
to align its policy—axe import duties, i.e.—with options. As geopolitical trends and business Fed’s monetary policy committee, cut- Also, employment conditions in the The only way to play this is through
its obligations under the General Agreement rethinks converge to offer India a splendid ting interest rates. Typically, whenever US remain strong. Between December right asset allocation, where, depending
on Tariffs and Trade, 1994. We have potent chance to play the next global factory, even if a central bank expects a recession, it and March, the unemployment rate in on an individual’s risk profile, holdings
motives not to comply. Our exports of elec- only as a buffer, the Centre has been wooing cuts interest rates. The hope is that at the US varied between 3.4% and 3.6%. can be diversified across stocks, bonds,
lower rates, people would borrow and The last time such a low unemployment fixed deposits, gold, real estate etc.
tronic items have been rising smartly, with investment by turning policy knobs to that end. spend while companies would borrow rate prevailed on a sustained basis was Finally, it will be interesting to see what
smartphones worth over $10 billion exported in Today, the handsets we buy may cost more than and expand, spurring economic growth. in 1969. This has led to wage inflation of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) does if
2022-23, as estimated. This is a sizzling global what we’d pay in duty-free countries, but tens Since 5 April, the yield on the 10-year 6.3% in January. While this is down the US central bank chooses to raise the
market. It hosts the world’s most valuable busi- of thousands of local jobs have been created at US treasury bond has risen to 3.6%. Is from a high of 9.8% in June, it still is federal funds rate. In its last meeting,
ness of all time, Apple Inc, as well as our biggest home as Apple and Samsung vie to export the the bond market changing its mind high. A high wage inflation can keep the monetary policy committee of RBI
about a recession? It’s too early to say. feeding into inflation as companies try had decided to pause raising rates.
success so far of an industrial policy designed world’s favourite gizmo in bulk. We have a good
to prop local production behind a hardy shield buzz going. Why disturb it by slashing tariffs?
of double-digit import duty. In pursuit of self- So long as it takes money from public coffers
reliance, Atmanirbhar Bharat has been sending plus a consumer sacrifice in terms of inflated
up friendly flares to attract supply-chain rejigs retail prices, India’s self-reliant springboard
by global megacorps looking to diversify away will not reflect a strategic crack at broad export
from China. And since the WTO’s appellate success. That would require our manufacturers www.livemint.com
New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Chandigarh*, Pune* Friday, April 19, 2013 Vol.7 No.93 `3.00 in Delhi­NCR/`4.00 outside Delhi­NCR 24 PAGES
+ 4 MARKETS PAGES

body hangs in limbo, our government could to be globally competitive without props and INTERNATIONAL: Musharraf flees
court as judge orders arrest >3
INTERVIEW: TCS’s Chandrasekaran on the
prospects of the IT services sector >8

simply appeal the latest ruling to render it like- barriers, which is a far steeper challenge. It so CONTENT PARTNER
PROFILE: Deepak Bhardwaj—steady rise,
sudden death >10­11
NATION: EPFO may revive bid to club all

The main long-term


allowances with basic pay >4

wise. This would be expedient, no doubt. But happens that America’s anxiety over China’s SENSEX 19,016.46 Æ 285.30

ACQUISITION BILL
NIFTY 5,783.10 Æ 94.40 DOLLAR `53.96 æ `0.25

ON THE DECLINE
EURO `70.52 æ `0.71 GOLD `25,920 Æ `240

Cabinet clears
OIL $99.10 Æ $0.82

QUICK EDIT

India a step packages for The fine


India may have substantially reduced extreme poverty between 1981 and 2010, but it

whether it’s also advisable at a strategic rather rise has made space for us to attract favour and
still contributes one-third of the world’s extremely poor people, a World Bank draft

contribution monetary
report said. Reducing such poverty would be a challenge in both South Asia and
sub-Saharan Africa, which have around 500 million and 400 million extremely poor
people, respectively, the report said. If the income of every extremely poor person were
to rise to the $1.25 a day poverty line, the aggregate increase in their income would
Bihar, Orissa balance

closer to a
need to total at least $169 billion in 2005 purchasing power parity terms, accounting
for 0.25% of global gross domestic product, the World Bank said.
Extreme poverty rates (%)
B Y L IZ M ATHEW,
E LIZABETH R OCHE
S AHIL M AKKAR
& O n Thursday, the
Supreme Court,
separately, weighed in on
1981 60 ························· two debates defined by
1990 51 NEW DELHI

than tactical level is not so clear. investment (think ‘friendshoring’) by way of


India the trade-off between

new land law T


1999 46 he Union cabinet on growth and development.
2010 33
Thursday cleared packages In one order, it retained

policy can make is to


84 for Bihar and Orissa, states the ban on bauxite
China 60 ruled by regional parties that mining in Orissa in
36 are not currently part of the acknowledgment of the
12
Congress-led United Progres- rights of tribals to forest
Government reaches second time this month to iron
EAP without 48
61 sive Alliance (UPA) that rules lands, and in another
near consensus as BJP out their differences, have
China 35
the country, presumably in an judgement, it allowed

India’s case at the WTO rested on the fact that specific alliances across the world; and for
reached consensus are an ena- 13 effort to woo the two parties in nine more iron ore mines
agrees to support Bill bling provision for states to en- question. in Karnataka to restart
2
in Parliament; industry act laws on the leasing of land, Europe and 2 It also approved an 8% in- their operations.
ensuring the right to fair com- crease in an allowance given to Though both relate to
not enthused by plan pensation for owners and ten-
Central Asia
1
4
serving and retired Union gov- entirely different issues,

provide a stable
ants as well as transparency in 12
ernment employees in a popu- it has a common theme:
B Y L IZ M ATHEW & acquisition. Latin America list move that will cost the gov- how should a nation
12
E LIZABETH R OCHE The Left parties, which in- and the ernment nearly `19,000 crore, exploit its natural
12
························· sisted on 100% consent from Caribbean although it could result in re- resources. In India, this
6

products like smartphones did not exist when global business deals to be grabbed, flexible
NEW DELHI landowners as well as those af- 10 turns in the form of an in- debate has often

T he government may be fected, were unhappy and said Middle East crease in consumption. assumed a rhetorical
6
close to pulling off one of they would push for amend- and North And, it approved a revival nature and consequently
Africa 5
India’s most significant ments when the UPA moves the 2 package for machinery and often come across as a
policy changes with a near con- revised Bill for approval. 66
watch maker HMT Ltd besides zero sum game.
sensus among political parties Indian industry was not en- South Asia 62 allowing Indian Railways to The apex court has
on a new land acquisition law, thused by the plan. without India 44 generate more revenue by us- shown that there is a

macroeconomic and
taking the country to the verge “This Bill, as per our under- 26 ing its land. middle path. Especially
of removing what’s perceived standing, will further elongate The most significant meas- in the case of the
51

the relevant infotech pact was signed, back in policy tactics have had to be deployed, as seen
as the biggest impediment to the process of land acquisition 57 ure, however, was the financial Karnataka mining ban, it
Sub‐Saharan
the next wave of industrializa- for industry. It would take from Africa 58 package worth `12,000 crore has defined new
tion. three to five years on an aver- 48 for Bihar, one of the country’s benchmarks of
At the conclusion of an all- age to acquire land. Moreover, poorest states, ruled by the Ja- environmental
party meeting convened by the we understand that the Bill still 52 nata Dal (United), or JD(U), a jurisprudence that favour
Developing 43
Congress-led United Progres- provides for consent from 80% 34
key ally of the UPA’s rival, the arguments based on
World
sive Alliance (UPA), Sushma of the affected families, which 21 National Democratic Alliance rationality rather than
Swaraj, leader of the opposition will delay the process and also emotion.
in the Lok Sabha and a senior act as a deterrent for the indus- Source: World Bank staff estimates TURN TO BACK PAGE ®

1996. Hence, we argued, we are not obliged by it in the case of Apple’s flashy presence. Yet,
NAVEEN KUMAR SAINI/MINT

financial environment.
leader of the Bharatiya Janata try,” A. Didar Singh, secretary
Party (BJP), said her party general of the Federation of In-
would back the Right to Fair dian Chambers of Commerce
Compensation, Resettlement,
Rehabilitation and Transparen-
and Industry, said in a state-
ment.
Twin SC rulings WEB OF DECEIT
cy in Land Acquisition Bill,
2011, in Parliament.
The existing legislation, over
Similarly, the Confederation
of Indian Industry lobby group
said in a release that “agglom-
provide relief for
India’s natural
Saradha promoter at large, no
100 years old, has made it diffi- erating land from numerous
trace of depositor money on books
to eliminate tariffs on these. What may be fine the only export edge that we can sustain and
cult for the acquisition of land
to set up new projects. The new
owners is not a task which the
corporate sector can do effec-
resources sector
law seeks to strike a balance by tively, especially in the absence
providing fair compensation of proper land records and with B Y N EHA S ETHI & B Y M ANISH B ASU &
for the land acquired from small, scattered land-hold- R UCHIRA S INGH R OMITA D ATTA
farmers for industrial projects. ings”. ························· ·························
The new law, a key reform in- “A balanced approach to NEW DELHI/MUMBAI KOLKATA

itiative, is expected to be
passed in the budget session
land acquisition that takes care
of needs of all stakeholders and T wo key judgements passed
by the Supreme Court on O ver the past few days,
Midland Park in Salt Lake

in letter, though, needn’t be so in spirit. The sharpen by ourselves over the long haul of
resuming on 22 April. Together promotes industrialization and Thursday bode well for India’s sector V, a six-storey building
with the proposed legislation inclusive growth is the need of troubled natural resources sec- in the heart of Kolkata’s infor-
on food security, it could po- the hour,” it said. tor, keeping alive Vedanta Re- mation technology hub, has
tentially help the Congress par- The UPA government wants sources Plc’s hopes of mining been thronged by Saradha

JE ROME P OWE L L
ty retrieve some of its prestige to make it mandatory for com- bauxite in Orissa and promising Group’s commission agents,
among voters as well as inves- panies buying land to win the an alleviation of raw material depositors and employees.
tors. approval of 80% of land hold- shortages at steel makers by When they turned up at the
Among the controversial ers; for public-private partner- partly lifting a ban on iron ore group’s corporate office on
provisions on which the politi- ship (PPP) projects, 70% of mining in Karnataka. Thursday, hoping to recover

panel found us unable to show that assuming India’s emergence is cost efficiency that could
cal parties, which met for the landowners need to give con- The country’s top court ruled their dues—matured deposits
sent, according to the draft Bill that Vedanta can mine bauxite, or unpaid salaries—from what On the run: The West Bengal administration on Wednesday ordered the
approved by the cabinet in De- the basic raw material for alu- used to be one of eastern In- arrest of Saradha Group promoter Sudipta Sen.
cember. minium, in the Niyamgiri hills dia’s biggest public deposit-
The new Bill seeks to replace of Orissa if the local gram sab- taking companies, they found chairman and managing direc- dress to at least 12,000 agents
the colonial-era Land Acquisi- has (village councils) favour it. it vandalized. tor, who, according to the ad- at Kolkata’s Netaji Indoor Sta-
tion Act, 1894, that allows the A ban on mining in the area The building was ransacked ministration, is absconding. dium.
state to acquire land at cheap will, however, remain until the on Wednesday night, accord- “He is believed to be hiding He otherwise kept a low pro-
rates if it believes there is a councils make a decision, the ing to the policemen now in the north (of India),” Baner- file in office, and shared a desk

such exceptions was essential to the country’s survive to thrive in a world of barrier-free trade.
larger public benefit such as court said. The ruling came in a guarding the office. “There’s no jee said, while leaving the state with his executive assistant,
the creation of jobs. case pitting Orissa Mining one here,” one of them told an secretariat. this person added, asking not
The issue had become con- Corp. Ltd (OMC), a joint ven- elderly lady, who broke down Mint reported in its Wednes- to be named.
tentious after efforts to forcibly ture partner of Vedanta, against on hearing that the executives day’s edition that Banerjee had Sen spoke Bengali with an
acquire farmland for industrial the ministry of environment hadn’t been seen at Midland ordered Sen’s arrest. Assamese accent, according to
projects resulted in violent pro- and forests (MoEF). Park since the end of last week. Very little is known about most accounts, although he
tests in West Bengal and Orissa. In a separate case, the Su- The lady left quickly, sobbing Sen’s family, education or mostly spoke English at work.
“The members (of various preme Court ruled that the so- to herself. roots. None of the directors of the

consent and said we had been notified of the Towards that endgame, by strategy, we should
political parties) have evolved a called A and B categories of iron A few hours later, chief min- Not only a “smooth talker”, Saradha Group could be con-
consensus on the Bill,” Con- ore mines in Karnataka, which ister Mamata Banerjee said at Sen, who is also the promoter tacted for comment.
gress leader and parliamentary had violated environmental the state secretariat, Writers’ of the closely held group, was Kunal Ghosh, a Trinamool
affairs minister Kamal Nath and mining rules to a lesser ex- Buildings, that the police were “quite a rabble-rouser”, said a Congress Rajya Sabha member,
Mint is also available for R7 with trying to get hold of Sudipta former employee of the group,
Hindustan Times in Delhi-NCR only
TURN TO PAGE 3® TURN TO PAGE 3® Sen, the group’s 54-year-old recalling his January 2011 ad- TURN TO PAGE 2®

deal’s possibly enlarged scope. The reason this set a slow clock ticking on props and barriers.

GUEST VIEW

Our new digital rules must ensure online child safety


whereby platforms are liable to take down adopted by the platforms, intermediaries err- efficiently respond to online harm. Processes government, the significance of including
AMEE YAJNIK & SHRUTI SHREYA user-generated content on receiving ‘actual ing on the side of censorship are likely to dis- for grading grievances according to the children as equal participants in the fight
knowledge’ of its illegality through a court or proportionately restrict marginalized voices degree of harm posed are important, as those against online child abuse cannot be empha-
government order. Safe harbour ensures that and cause greater safety threats for them. related to CSAM proliferation should be sized enough. Many countries have already
users can benefit from an open, free and safe Rather than adopting hard-touch punitive addressed on an immediate basis. Tech com- initiated efforts in this direction. For
internet, and protects people from the perils measures, the new IT Act must focus on panies must use cutting-edge technologies instance, the Australian government is insti-

O
ver the last few years, we have wit- of mass censorship by intermediaries. expanding affirmative technology-based and build new ways to identify and take tuting an Youth Advisory Council, which
nessed a steady growth in internet Increasing the accountability of online solutions to tackle child action against perpetrators. will provide the administration feedback on
access to children and the youth, intermediaries is important. However, over- sexual abuse material Intermediaries should also online safety issues and measures to counter
which further accelerated during the covid arching restrictions on civil rights and dilu- (CSAM), such as use of key- Rework India’s make their terms of service cyber-harm. Such feedback and consulta-
lockdown as more and more children started tion of safe harbour impacts user safety. The words, hashes and Photo- easily comprehensible for tion mechanisms can be helpful in integrat-
spending time online for education, learning experience from the US regime with respect DNA, and establish com- IT Act to keep children and create easily ing vulnerable stakeholders in the processes
and entertainment. Resultantly, post the to the impact of the SESTA-FOSTA legisla- munity hotlines for swift accessible mechanisms for of decision-making. Many countries are also
pandemic, online sexual abuse of children tions passed in 2018 is an apt example. These remedial measures. The
children safe them to lodge complaints. complementing these efforts through their

are, respectively, a member of


increased 400 times, by one count, with
nearly 90% of these crimes involving the
restricted the ambit of safe-harbour protec-
tion provided to intermediaries under Sec-
Supreme Court of India
also recommended these
online without Moreover, taking inspi-
ration from other jurisdic-
engagement of school systems to raise pub-
lic awareness on the issue. It could be helpful
Parliament, Rajya Sabha; and
programme manager, The
publication or transmission of content
depicting children in sexually explicit acts.
tion 230 of the Communications Decency Act
of 1996. Five years after the enactment of
measures in the Prajwala
case of 2018. Moreover,
curbing their tions, emphasis should be
placed on enhancing the
to adapt such practices to Indian educational
systems as well.
Dialogue Effective regulation and timely prosecution SESTA-FOSTA, numerous reports surfaced public-private partnerships access to the capacity of law enforcement Given the magnitude of services and
of perpetrators are critical to advance child suggesting that these laws had endangered to incentivize the growth of agencies to effectuate effi- opportunities that the internet has to offer,
safety on the internet. To this end, ongoing the lives of sex workers, where gathering evi- privacy-enabling technolo- internet cient investigation and there is immense potential for children to
efforts by the government to revamp India’s dence to investigate and prosecute traffickers gies must be encouraged, timely prosecution. The learn and grow in the digital world. However,
Information Technology Act, 2000, are became a challenge. and global best practices American Invest in Child this is only possible when the rapid prolifera-
timely and crucial. Examining the nuances of Facing the risk of ruinous prosecution, such as end-to-end encryption, which are Safety Act of 2021, which creates a mandatory tion of online harm is held in check. Collabo-
each regulatory area will be critical in pro- FOSTA-SESTA led to more stringent terms of critical for safety and privacy, should be ena- fund of $5 billion and deploys 100 new Fed- rative efforts by the government, industry,
tecting children from harm without under- service for some platforms, while for others it bled by India’s new legislation. eral Bureau of Investigation agents in the US civil society and child-safety experts are
mining their access to the internet. led to over-reliance on automated filters. Greater responsibility sharing and capacity to respond to online sexual abuse, is an inspi- imperative. India’s new IT Act is an ideal focal
Why is safe harbour important for child Both these mechanisms have caused unrea- enhancement: The new law should focus on rational example. point for all these efforts and collaborations
safety?: The current IT Act accords safe har- sonable restrictions on free speech and deploying streamlined grievance redressal Sensitization and collaboration: In addi- for an internet that is wholly consistent with
bour protection to online intermediaries undermined safety. Irrespective of the means processes that intermediaries must adopt to tion to the efforts of intermediaries and the the rights of children.
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LIVEMINT.COM VIEWS WednesdAy, 19 April 2023
MuMbAi 13

my VIEW | CAfE ECONOMICs M I N T C U R AT O R

Tax trends suggest India may be Central banks should try out
new ideas for global payments
close to a fiscal inflection point The world needs cheap cross-border transfers done via handsets

Our tax-to-GDP data has flattered to deceive in the past but the latest uptick has revived hopes of a welcome transformation

ISTOCKPHOTO

ANDY MUKHERJEE
is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering
industrial companies and financial services
in Asia.
NIRANJAN RAJADHYAKSHA
is CEO and senior fellow at Artha India
Research Advisors, and a member of the
academic advisory board of the Meghnad
Desai Academy of Economics.

N
exus or Icebreaker? Two competing
ideas are jostling for attention, each
promising to reshape inefficient
systems of moving money from one country It costs too much right now for people to

T
ax collections have outpaced growth to another. Instead of trying to choose send money abroad ISTOCKPHOTO
in India’s underlying economy for two between them, central banks should give
years in a row now. This can have both a shot. The European payment system to confirm the identity of who is being paid.
profound implications for the fiscal recently did a trial linkup with Malaysia Banks will only show their own currency
foundation of the Indian state in case and Singapore under the Bank for Interna- conversion quotes to customers. Nexus will
the trend can be sustained over the rest tional Settlements’ Nexus protocol, source buy/sell offers from multiple provid-
of this decade. designed to transfer funds between bank ers. Fees will be disclosed upfront. In this,
There are two clear benefits of a rising consoli- accounts in different countries under 60 Icebreaker will be similar to Nexus, though
dated tax/GDP ratio, or the amount of tax collected seconds. Meanwhile, the monetary author- it won’t work by debiting and crediting
by all levels of government as a percentage of the ities of Israel, Norway and Sweden have deposits. When a transfer is done, the payer
nominal gross domestic product (GDP). First, tested a separate BIS-backed initiative that will be left with fewer digital tokens in her
buoyant tax collections can reduce the fiscal con- achieves the same goal of fast cross-border CBDC wallet; the recipient will have more.
straints on both the Union as well as state govern- retail payments. Project Icebreaker uses It will be analogous to a cross-border cash
ments, making it easier for them to fund essential central bank digital currencies, or CBDCs, transaction, except that the Icebreaker hub
tasks such a national security, the provision of instead of bank accounts. will do the routing instead of the secretive
public goods and offering social security without No prizes for guessing which of the two hawala operators who have offered such a
running one of the highest fiscal deficits in the will get going first. Five countries in South- service in West Asia and the Indian subcon-
world. Second, a larger pool of tax revenues to be east Asia, with a combined population of tinent since medieval times.
shared between different levels of government 490 million and GDP of $2.6 trillion, have The cryptographic technique of hashed
should hopefully ease some of the recent tensions decided to connect their domestic instant time-locked contracts, which effectively
in our system of fiscal federalism, which often sive by increasing the share of direct taxes in the payment systems. Nexus is the obvious sets up a digital escrow account, will ensure
resembles a zero-sum game where one side can Buoyant tax collections kitty. That is still a job half done. In a recent article blueprint. Besides, CBDCs are mostly still that the payer’s money either reaches the
gain only by denying the other. India’s direct tax-to-GDP ratio has risen in the past in the Economic and Political Weekly, J.P. Morgan undergoing pilot runs, or being evaluated payee or doesn’t leave the wallet at all.
The tax/GDP ratio in India has been inertial two years to nearly regain its 2008 peak, but its chief India economist Sajjid Chinoy writes that the for speed, scalability and privacy. Ice- Funds won’t get stuck somewhere for a silly
since the radical economic reforms of 1991, share of overall collections is still below its peak share of direct taxes in the tax revenues of the breaker can’t take off before tokenized ver- spelling mistake. Icebreaker will need more
hovering around the 16% mark through most of and also less than the emerging-market average. Indian government is still well below the emerging sions of currencies become widely available. work to allay national authorities’ fear of
these past three decades. Part of this reflects the Direct tax/GDP (Union government, in %)
markets average of between 50-60%. A more prac- Still, those paying an average 6.3% on a money-laundering and to make the system
switch in our development strategy—tax rates 7 tical policy issue is that a rising share of direct taxes $200 transfer will welcome alternatives. easy-to-use for legitimate users. As the
were slashed as part of the decision to move 6.25 will create fiscal space for the government to cut Payment instructions sent via Swift can take project’s researchers have noted: “How
6
economic heft from the state to the private sector. 6.04 rates of the goods and services tax (GST), thus several minutes to more than two days. The does someone in one country get the wallet
5
But that is not all. spurring internal trade as well as international late 18th-century system of correspondent address of someone in another?” IBAN is an
One rare period when the ratio increased in a 4 3.13 competitiveness. banking that uses such messages is clearly international standard for bank account
meaningful manner was during the splendid eco- 3 The amount of direct tax any government col- anachronistic. In 64 countries, individuals numbers. It’ll be a big help to have some-
nomic boom between 2004 and 2008, but it later 2 lects is linked to the level of development in any are whipping out their smartphones to pay thing similar for digital wallets.
2001 2008 2024
came down to earth, as the record economic country. The tax capacity of a poor country is obvi- from bank accounts in real time. According Icebreaker’s advantage is that countries
expansion of those years ended with the shocks Source: Union budgets ously low. International experience shows that to a Fidelity report, payments from one exploring CBDCs for domestic use won’t
that battered the world in the wake of the North there is an inflexion point when the per capita bank account to another will account of 24% have to worry if their choice of distributed
Contribution of direct taxes (Centre + states, in %)
Atlantic financial crisis. The past two years have 45 income crosses $2,000 a year, a mark that India of India’s e-commerce, 28% of Peru’s, 35% ledger technology will come in the way of
once again seen India’s tax/GDP ratio move up by 43.15 has now passed. of Brazil’s and as much as 45% of Thailand’s cross-border payments. Mutually incom-
40
around two percentage points. However, it is not just a matter of income levels. by 2026. These transactions, however, will patible systems can still participate in an
What is particularly noteworthy about the 35 A gradual formalization of both enterprises as well occur in domestic settings. International exchange of value, so long as each can indi-
recent fiscal trend is that direct tax collections are 30 34.24 as jobs can widen the direct tax base. It is thus borders complicate matters with exchange vidually connect to the Icebreaker hub.
also growing rapidly. There are two implications of 25
20.79 important for us to see whether the recent growth rates, sanction lists and money-laundering When it comes to money crossing bor-
this. First, modern social contracts are built on tax in direct taxes comes from the creation of more safeguards, among other hurdles. Still, retail ders, roughly $1 trillion every year is on
20
systems where income tax is not restricted to a tiny 1994 2010 2022 formal enterprises and formal jobs, or merely users are tired of paying through their nose account of individuals paying one another
elite, but is paid by a large majority of the popula- Source: RBI reflects further concentration of incomes and prof- for money transfers, as are nations that rely and businesses. Financial institutions
tion. Thomas Piketty has shown that most devel- its with incumbents. In other words, whether eco- on remittances sent to families back home charge them between 140 to 380 basis
oped countries underwent such fiscal moderniza- SATISH KUMAR/MINT nomic growth has been inclusive or not. There is by their overseas diaspora. Cutting prices by points, according to McKinsey. Small busi-
tion between 1914 and 1945. Second, direct taxes or three years, and it is now close to its peak of fis- not much data available on this right now. 5 percentage points can save $16 billion a nesses aren’t as badly fleeced as retail cli-
are generally progressive, while indirect taxes are cal 2007-08, just before the economic boom of This column had asked in January 2018—rather year, according to the World Bank. ents, though they still end up paying a steep
generally regressive—the former are based on the that decade ended. The second chart shows that hopefully—whether India was on the cusp of a fis- Nexus seeks to do just that. It won’t be an 35 basis points on their $6 trillion. Only
ability to pay, while the latter are not. A good tax the share of direct taxes in total tax collections by cal revolution (bit.ly/2EzaRhb) . There were early app, but a common protocol to eliminate large corporations, which account for $90
system should strive to be progressive by collect- the Union as well as state governments is still signs then. The pandemic interrupted the process. barriers between national payment sys- trillion in annual flows, are able to flex mus-
ing enough direct taxes on individual incomes, below its peak during the first decade of this cen- The recent tax numbers offer fresh hope. As the tems. If I give someone in another country cle and keep bank margins to 5 basis points.
business profits and capital gains. tury, but still much higher than the regressive tax January 2018 instalment of this column had asked my phone number, e-mail or virtual ID on Technology can level the playing field.
Look at the data in the two charts. The first structure we had before the 1991 reforms. at the very end: “Is such a fiscal revolution just which I receive domestic money transfers, Whether it’s Nexus, Icebreaker or some-
shows that the ratio of direct taxes collected by the One of the goals of the tax reforms of the 1990s around the corner? It is impossible to say for sure— Nexus will look me up and display my full or thing else, the world needs cheap transfers
Union government has inched up in the past two was to make the Indian tax system more progres- but some of the answers are blowing in the wind.” partially masked name on the sender’s app done easily on handsets. ©BLOOMBERG

guEsT VIEW

India’s gaming industry must play a multiplayer game


first 3 years, after which it was making $10 Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Telangana have Nazara, PayTM, etc, as well, and how they The Endgame: Gaming success may be
ANURAAG SAXENA & million every 5 days. Games like Iluvium, sought to ban online gaming under state laws. turn would matter to the industry. more valuable than we realize. The nature of
RAVI SHANKAR JHA Three Kingdoms and StarAtlas are leveraging Third, there is Thanos’s snap challenge. The industry response: With the govern- entertainment has evolved considerably.
smartchain technology to incentivize users On one hand, the finance ministry is mulling ment positively inclined towards gaming, First, we had radio, and movies. TV brought
across Asia. The massive multiplayer game over taxing online gaming at 28% of pot- perhaps the industry should start seeing itself movies home. OTT platforms made TV asyn-
Justice Online is launching a version that inte- value, which would discourage this industry. as one, playing a multiplayer online battle chronous and on-demand. Online gaming
grates ChatGPT. Artificial intelligence is used On the other, the sports ministry officially (MOBA) game. It could consider these moves: has made all of this interactive and immer-

I
ndia’s ministry of electronics and informa- regularly for pathfinding and non-player recognizes e-sports, hope- One, engage in ‘co-opeti- sive. We are literally witnessing an industry
tion technology (MeitY) has announced character ‘conversations’. Gaming as a gate- fully for its potential to gen- tion’, come up with a com- emerge here, one that India could actually
regulations for the online gaming industry. way for all manner of applications. erate medals in global Gaming rules mon minimum plan, and become an Atmanirbhar world-leader in.
This industry has been on the precipice of The Challenges: The battle is far from won sports events. MeitY has then approach regulators as The industry understands that facing-off
big-time success, but was bound by lack of and we primarily have four obstacles to clear. been encouraging of the have been a united front. with regulators is a MOBA game. You may
regulatory clarity. From evolving self-regula- Take perception issues first. In Japan, Gan- industry, allowing for self- Two, support game compete with other players on innovation,
tory structures to ensuring adequate meas- Gan Comics’ WataMote received a lot of flak regulation. The gaming
announced but de-addiction programmes acquiring talent and customers, but need a
ures for consumer protection, these rules
have struck the right balance. Indian regula-
for its treatment of social anxiety. Caught
between Japanese traditionalism and mod-
industry and the govern-
ment need to work
players should and educate users on risks
and responsibilities. Go
united front while dealing with governments.
For this, co-opetition is the only option.
are, respectively, a chartered
accountant and board advisor;
tion has historically been Orwellian in its
approach; it has been preventive, rather than
ernism, those who foresaw dangers called for
regulating comics altogether. The gaming
together on reconciling all
these positions to unlock
act on various beyond tokenism to make a
meaningful difference.
The government is finally shedding its
cynical lens and switching from preventive to
and an independent lawyer and facilitative. This is a welcome departure. industry faces a similar challenge, of being the industry’s enterprise- fronts to secure Three, contribute to the facilitative legislation. The Centre has identi-
policy consultant. Jha also The opportunities: Online gaming presents conflated with a “sin sector”. Unless the value potential. narrative. Highlight gaming fied animation, visual effects, gaming and
advises the online gaming India a rare opportunity to take a moonshot industry invests in educating stakeholders, it Finally, there is the real- their interests as a medal winner, a tool for comics (AVGC) as a focus area, and quickly
industry. at global leadership of emerging technolo- could come to be viewed in the same light as ity of lawsuits and arbitra- education, a contributor to followed it up by setting up a task force for it,
gies. Gaming is a gateway to frontier technol- alcohol, cigarettes and gambling. tion. Paradoxically, we are the exchequer, a provider of which is a significant beginning.
ogies like AR, VR, Web3, digital assets, and Second, state governments enacting con- still pushing deliberations on the future high-value employment, and more. India missed the bus on global manufac-
more. These technologies will find their use flicting laws can be a threat. Each game might (emerging tech) through systems of the past Four, create innovative models to mone- turing in the 2000s and social media in the
cases first in this industry before they go else- need to seek clearances at both central and (archaic legal systems). The ongoing case tize efforts beyond real money, and do so visi- 2010s. Industry and governments have only
where. Vietnam-based Axie Infinity is pio- state levels. In an industry premised on need- between Dream11 and Mobile Premier bly as part of stated strategy. just begun working closely. Hopefully, we
neering the play-to-earn segment, scaling for-speed (requiring rapid innovation), a League is likely to set a precedent for rights Five, invest in domestic R&D and patents to will not miss the bus on online gaming and
non-fungible tokens (NFTs) to a level unseen patchwork of compliance requirements may associated with NFTs and their permissible accelerate the development of emerging the second-order biomes and ecosystems
before. The company made $ 10 million in its prove operationally cumbersome. States like use. There are cases involving Ace2Three, technologies in India. that will mushroom around it.
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THE HINDU
8 Wednesday, April 19, 2023

Editorial Delhi

The future of India’s civil society organisations


T
he Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that India’s CSOs/movements still enjoy among feedback, or further the collective good. This is
government’s systematic suffocation of Indians. However, while most civil society actors obviously not in the peoples’ or the national
Mission Rajasthan civil society over the last nine years has
ensured that most governments no
are aware of the existential threat they face, they
have not displayed nimbleness in reorienting
interest. We need to collectively forge a plan of
action for this sector’s future.
longer listen to civil society organisations (CSO) their normative and operational methodologies. The one possibility that could emerge is that
The Congress needs to put its house in or movements, either in the pre­legislative stage They still cling to outdated tactics whose overall young activists could be inducted into political
order to beat back the BJP or in the redress of lacunae in the Pushparaj utility is fast diminishing. Sanctioned, and parties, either within the party organisation or in
implementation of government schemes. Given Deshpande therefore sanitised, protests at Jantar Mantar in an aligned body. This could create an

M
onths ahead of the Assembly elections, that advocacy is effectively dead, the ability of New Delhi, Townhall in Bengaluru or Azad institutionalised moral force within the parties
is the Director of the
the ruling Congress is facing an internal civil society to shape policy and public discourse Samruddha Bharat Maidan in Mumbai are undoubtedly cathartic to (which could balance electoral compulsions with
rebellion in Rajasthan. Party leader Sa­ has shrunk drastically. Because civil society is Foundation, a the constituency that activists influence, and ethical/human rights considerations). This would
chin Pilot has revived his campaign to become seen to be the new frontier for war and foreign multi­party platform keep the flock together. But they do nothing to afford parties a layered systemic approach to
Chief Minister, replacing Ashok Gehlot. Mr. Geh­ interference, there has been a systematic that furthers India’s shape the thinking or action of BJP governments. thorny issues. 
lot is in no mood to yield, and party MLAs are lar­ clampdown on CSOs lobbying for greater constitutional Similarly, articles/papers, speeches at think Currently, many parties consciously avoid
gely with him. Mr. Pilot was the State party chief constitutional and civic freedoms. Therefore, promise. He is also tanks/conferences/symposiums, and direct exposure to difficult issues that could
during  the  2018  election  and  hoped  to  be  the activists, journalists, academics and students the series editor of petitions/open letters do not shame governments adversely impact them electorally (a real concern
Chief Minister, when the Congress won. That is the ‘Rethinking India’
have been targeted by a plethora of the state’s into any substantive course correction. Even because of the ability of the powers that be to
series
not how it turned out, and Mr. Pilot settled for governing instruments and non­state actors (who lobbying legislators to raise issues is ineffective — manufacture false narratives). This includes
the post of Deputy Chief Minister while remain­ have resorted to violence and abuse, online and the Union government either does not let communal disturbances, atrocities against Dalits
ing party chief. In July 2020 he rebelled openly, offline). This has been further exacerbated by Parliament function or ignores uncomfortable and women, championing the rights of activists
demanding the top post for himself. That ended restricting the access of CSOs to resources issues. fighting for Adivasi rights or civic and political
up very badly for him — he lost both posts, while (including cancelling Foreign Contribution Additionally, progressive CSOs fail to blend freedoms. In stark contrast, if an aligned civil
Mr. Gehlot tightened his grip over the party and (Regulation) Act clearances, revoking 12A/80­G socio­cultural values with welfare/constructive society organisation took up such issues (both
the  government  in  the  process.  Last  year,  Mr. licences, imposing retrospective taxes, and work or calls to protect constitutional values. within and outside the party organisations), it
Gehlot emerged as the consensus candidate for pressuring private companies and philanthropists Consequently, they are unable to reshape hearts would ensure that a party remains connected to
the post of Congress president, rekindling Mr. Pi­ to redirect funding).  and minds, and thereby guide mass genuine community problems, while allowing for
lot’s hopes of succeeding him in Rajasthan. But Because the BJP government has consciousness. Given that vast sections of society a permeable wall of separation. There is a
Congress MLAs in Rajasthan revolted, this time re­conceptualised vikas (development) as the have been radicalised (highlighted in a 2017 study precedent to this, when the Congress Movement
against the move to install Mr. Pilot as the Chief furtherance of large projects, rather than citizen’s by the Centre for the Study of Developing (the Gandhian constructive movement)
Minister.  In  the  end,  Mr.  Gehlot  stayed  on  as well­being, civil society is being vilified as Societies and Konrad­Adenauer­Stiftung), this is a complemented the Congress system (which has
Chief Minister and Mallikarjun Kharge became disruptive to India’s development trajectory — major shortcoming of progressive civil society. always been an electoral and governance
president of the party. Mr. Pilot is trying his luck and therefore anti­national. This portends a grave Anecdotal evidence from various States suggests machine).
again by ratcheting up pressure on the party and threat to the system’s integrity because civil that local communities instrumentally secure Given the prevailing political climate, CSOs will
Mr. Gehlot.  society is an indispensable safety valve for benefits from progressive CSOs/movements, but need to urgently collaborate with other
Mr. Gehlot is a seasoned and astute politician tensions in a polity. ideologically align with the BJP. This dichotomy progressive stakeholders (for which they will
with his ear to the ground. He has built a political has resulted in psychological fatigue among key need to shed their studied aversion to each other
narrative around fresh modes of welfare and so­ A drastic structural adjustment activists, who naturally question the foundational and political parties). Some civil society
cial justice, in the process trying to make himself All this has been coupled with the BJP rationale of their work. stakeholders would argue against this, either
seemingly irreplaceable. Mr. Gehlot worked to­ spearheading a structural adjustment of India’s because they can continue raising funds and
wards  enhancing  his  popularity  through  com­ civil society landscape. By positioning many A realignment is needed attracting global attention when harassed. But
passionate management of the pandemic, mea­ institutions from the Sangh Parivar, the BJP is This situation is untenable for various reasons. those isolated examples do not address the
sures to mitigate the impact of price rise, and, fostering a ‘New Civil Society for New India’. First, because of the financial and structural systemic corrosion that the sector faces today. In
most recently, with a new law that expands ac­ Apart from being the primary recipient of constraints imposed on them, CSOs/movements fact, in the near future, the BJP could well resort
cess to health care. Whether all this will yield the government patronage, the Sangh’s CSOs are also are bleeding conscientious youngsters, who to using the continued existence of these
Congress votes is to be seen. However, changes the principal beneficiary of Corporate Social naturally need some financial sustenance. ‘celebrity’ activists as proof of their tolerance
at the top at the eleventh hour are more likely to Responsibility funds (whether this is as quid pro Second, without sustained support, CSOs cannot towards civil society in general. We need to find
damage the prospects of the party at the hust­ quo for clearances/licences/exemptions by BJP positively mould public discourse or make a structural solutions to structural problems. This
ings. The Congress does not need to look further governments, or through blatant coercion is tangible impact on the nation at large. And third, is our historic responsibility.
than its most recent disaster in Punjab, in 2021, anybody’s guess). Moreover, these Sangh with governments consciously avoiding In that spirit, private philanthropies and
where it effected a change at the top on the eve institutions have access to and influence over CSOs/movements, their ability to shape policy is companies need to realise that they are the only
of the Assembly election. With the Bharatiya Ja­ select departments in State governments diminished (which adversely impacts lifeline for progressive CSOs today. Yes, it is
nata Party not exactly battle ready, the Congress (primarily education, culture, personnel as well organisational morale). It seems unlikely that the infinitely easier to support organisations that
can hope to win a second consecutive term in as Dalit and Adivasi welfare). Apart from the In the BJP government would take any steps to redress work on ‘soft’ issues that may not invite the wrath
Rajasthan, if only it could put its own house in or­ profound programmatic implications this has prevailing these problems. So, what is the way forward for of the powers that be. It is even easier to look the
der. At 45, Mr. Pilot has age on his side, and he (activities related to the welfare of women, Dalits, political progressive civil society in India? other way. But inaction today will directly
could be persuaded to reorient his ambitions ac­ Adivasis, students, human rights and freedoms climate, civil Faced with a drastically reduced spectrum of contribute to the extinction of civil society,
cordingly. Mr. Gehlot should show sagacity, Mr. are increasingly shaped by the Sangh’s ideological society needs to options, some progressives will migrate to safer arguably the fifth pillar of Indian democracy.
Pilot  patience,  and  the  high  command  leader­ imperatives), this has also altered the civil society avenues; others may limit the scope of their Transcending instrumental exigencies,
ship, for the Congress to advance in Rajasthan.
collaborate with
landscape in India. All other CSOs/movements work, and still others may even re­align with the conscientious Indians must find the courage to
As the election approaches, the situation might are slowly being circumscribed as a result of the other BJP. The net result is that civil society will be work together and silently devise new methods of
get worse before it gets better. The high stakes financial and political clout the Sangh’s CSOs can progressive unable to speak truth to power, amplify the collaboration. Only through such a principled
might prompt one or the other to overplay their muster. That this endeavour has not fully stakeholders to voices of the most vulnerable, enrich coalition can we first safeguard, and eventually
hand. succeeded so far is testament to the legitimacy move forward policies/legislation through constructive further, the constitutional idea of India.

Tragic failure A message for the planners in dealing with the Dragon
Governments must prepare people
to deal with extreme weather events

C
hina’s recent move to ‘allocate’ names to towards the larger implications of the thinking at scrutiny would show that assets that would carry
places in Arunachal Pradesh is proof that the highest level in the Chinese government, i.e. the war to the adversary are missing from the

T
he state of the ongoing global climate cri­
sis is such that India is going to have hot­ Beijing wants to keep the India­China the exhortation to work together, “dare to fight publicity blitz underway. This has been critically
ter hot days and more of them every year. relations pot simmering, just short of a boil. and be good at fighting”, to break out of commented­on too by the Parliamentary
While some of the blame for the effects — heat­re­ While we have the Chinese Foreign Minister say dependence on foreign technologies, and to get Standing Committee on Defence, in its March
lated  morbidity  and  mortality  —  may  lie  at  the that “... As neighbouring countries and major society to rally behind the People’s Liberation 2023 report. The Indian Air Force (IAF) is a case
feet of meteorological caprice, the bulk of it will emerging economies, China and India have far Manmohan Army and use the thrust towards ‘unification of in point, whose deterrent and striking power
lie at the door of the government, whose respon­ more common interests than differences”, we Bahadur the motherland’ as a stepping stone to making would be vital in any India­China conflict. The
sibility it is to deal with and manage foreseeable also have , besides the ‘naming’ farce, the denial a retired Air Vice China great again. These statements are committee has commented adversely on the slow
inevitabilities. On April 16, nearly a million peo­ of visas to some Indian media personnel who the Marshal, was unexceptionable for any head of government to production rate of the Tejas fighter by Hindustan
ple  gathered  on  an  uncovered  ground  in  Navi Chinese consider to be ‘unhelpful’ in their Additional Director make, except that we need to be prepared for the Aeronautics Limited and noted the IAF’s urgent
Mumbai for an event in which social activist Dat­ reporting; this behaviour is nothing but ‘creeping General, Centre for  tenor of the proclamations getting converted to need to make up its dwindling squadron numbers
tatreya Narayan received a State award, with Un­ warfare,’ perhaps a la the Sun Tzu kind. Air Power Studies kinetic activity vis­à­vis our own border problems through the 114 Multi Role Fighter Aircraft
ion Ministers Amit Shah and Kapil Patil, Maha­ Sun Tzu wrote that the acme of skill is winning with Beijing; remember, intentions can change project. Similar observations have been made for
rashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy without fighting. Should we then deduce that overnight. hardware procurement for the Indian Army
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis joining him on China is doing just that — a malicious engagement There have been border talks with China (the (modernisation of 45% equipment which is in the
a covered  podium.  More  than  120  people  suf­ in a surreptitious manner? Or, are we giving more 17th instalment on December 20, 2022) and the vintage category) and Indian Navy (requirement
fered considerable heat stress; 13 died and 18 oth­ credence than is due to Beijing’s supposed by­now­usual post­talks statement of ‘working of a third aircraft carrier). The committee has
ers  were  hospitalised.  Mr.  Shinde  called  the inclination to follow Sun Tzu’s thoughts? together to maintain peace’. Such long­drawn out acknowledged that funds are scarce, but has
deaths “very unfortunate”, but fortune had noth­ negotiations for what appear to be purely tactical recommended that allocation for defence should
ing to do with it. News reports said that indivi­ Articulations at the People’s Congress positions, have a different hue when viewed be 3% of GDP to maintain India’s deterrent
duals, especially police personnel, were scram­ A commentary in the U.S. Army’s West Point through a strategic prism. In a lecture in 1986, posture.
bling to bring drinking water to those in distress Modern War Institute, titled, “Sun Tzu’s trap: the titled ‘Moral principles and Strategic Interests’, What is odd, however, is the statement of the
(because water at the site had become too hot to illusion of perpetual competition”, considers the then U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz, Defence Secretary (responsible for acquisitions
drink), and to carry them on motorcycles to avail China’s President Xi Jinping as less of a Sun Tzu speaking on interlocution for advancing national and for the defence of India, as per allocation of
medical assistance. This speaks less to their re­ follower and cast more in a Maoist mould — a interests, said that “negotiations are an business rules) who was of the opinion that the
sourcefulness and more to the absence of a syste­ form that believes in power flowing through the euphemism for capitulation if the shadow of current allocation is sufficient. This is indeed
barrel of a gun. And it is here that another recent As power is not power is not cast across the bargaining table”. He surprising, for if it is true, then why the utter
matic plan for the event that accounted for pred­
article in the prestigious Foreign Affairs magazine just about added that for authoritarians, the gun is always scramble for emergency armament purchases
ictable second­order problems.
After the event, experts also said that the area (by two noted columnists, John Pomfret, a former possessing on the table and for the side without cards or a from abroad after every skirmish on the border?
lacked a local India Meteorological Department Beijing bureau chief of The Washington Post, and capability but hand to play, negotiations are an illusion. Is there As we enter another election year, the decision
station to issue heat alerts. This misses the point. Matt Pottinger, former U.S. Deputy National also about the a message in this for New Delhi vis­à­vis its hard makers are sure to be aware that power talks —
Many places in India are likely to have a large pol­ Security Adviser) gains credence. ‘capacity-to-last- power preparations, in the midst of the and talks decisively. The ongoing one­year­plus
itical  event  before  an  official  weather  station. The authors argue that Xi Jinping should be meandering talks, to meet Beijing’s challenge? Russia­Ukraine conflict has shown that power is
the-distance’,
This, together with the rapid onset of India’s heat taken seriously when he says that he is preparing not just about possessing capability but also
China for war. The article mentions war in India’s defence Defence committee’s remarks about the capacity­to­last­the­distance too. India’s
crisis, puts the spotlight on the fundamental yet
relation to Taiwan, but a careful reading would acquisition plans In the recent past, there has been exhaustive acquisition plans must be oriented accordingly.
elusive cause of climate­related injustice: the per­
sistence of conditions in which some people are show that Mr. Xi’s articulations at the National need to be media coverage on arms procurement by our
at the mercy of their employers or their leaders, People’s Congress in March this year point more oriented suitably services from domestic players. However, closer The views expressed are personal
in order to survive a hot day, or, as at the April 16
event, even a few hot hours. As long as this imba­
lance in relationship is allowed to exist, heat ac­ LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
tion plans and heat alerts can only be of limited
benefit.  Instead,  India  must  work  towards  be­ Student life everything is not linked to and reject chameleon­like it so much priority? strongly felt that the top LGBTQIA+ organisations
coming  a  country  in  which  every  individual  is The article on saving the academics and results.  politicians? Especially when there are court must leave this matter demanding equal rights. In
equipped with climate­literacy sufficient to know lives of young Indians in Kopal Vijayvargiya, A. Jainulabdeen, so many cases of great to Parliament to decide such a tussle, compromise
why higher temperature plus higher relative hu­ distress on campuses was Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh Chennai urgency such as Article 370, after detailed discussion on and tolerance may be the
midity and/or dehydration equals high risk of in­ food for thought (Editorial electoral bonds, and the subject. best options.
jury and death, and the ability to access cool and page, April 18). The fact is Party hopping In the court room sedition pending on the D. Sethuraman, Ishtmeet Kaur,
clean drinking water, ventilated shelter and lodg­ that today, academic results Switching parties by our One need not be a die­hard desk of the Supreme Court Chennai Ludhiana, Punjab
ing, and affordable emergency medical care whe­ play a vital role in a politicians has become conservative to oppose of India?
rever, whenever. Notice how these requirements student’s life, which begins child’s play. How can a same­sex marriage. One N.G.R. Prasad, While religious
are similar to those required to respond to the with the race to get a seat in political leader leave his should leave it to the choice Chennai organisations claim that
COVID­19  pandemic,  and  in  fact  most  national a good institution. The party for petty reasons? of the concerned person. marriage is a “sacred
crises.  This  is  not  a  coincidence.  Governments pressure begins here. In fact What happens to the When such a matter does The universally accepted union” and the executive Letters emailed to
must destroy conditions in which people are de­ pressure begins even in ideologies of the party he not form a part of the basic feature of marriage is suggests that this is a letters@thehindu.
nied the means to prepare themselves for a crisis. school. There needs to be a belonged to till now? When central plateau of Indian the union of people of the subject best handled by the co.in must carry the full postal
But on April 16, a government created them. change in society where will the electorate ‘identify’ constitutional law, why give opposite gender. It is legislature, one has address.
CM M ND-NDE
YK
THE HINDU
Wednesday, April 19, 2023 9
Delhi
Opinion

A judgment that upholds the Constitution The AAP’s recent U-turns


The party has changed its strategy in dealing with Modi as well as the Congress 

T
he Supreme Court infructuous or had mere academic executive in India.
judgment in the Media value. When the Bommai case was
One case (Madhyamam decided in 1994, holding that The court and the Opposition Ministers for a dinner in Delhi
STATE OF PLAY
Broadcasting Ltd Media federalism and secularism are the The Media One judgment was leaked to the media. Although
One Headquarters v. Union of India basic features of the Constitution, delivered in this scenario. It shows he dismissed reports that this
and Others) requires a political the real dispute in the case — the the judiciary’s effort to resist Nikhil M. Babu is  a  political  grouping  and
reading and not merely a legal Kaleeswaram Raj correctness of the dissolution of a majoritarian overtones. The court nikhil.m@thehindu.co.in called  it  a  “governance  plat­
one. It is a landmark judgment on is a lawyer at the few State governments — did not has taken a counter majoritarian form,”  sources  said  the  AAP,

O
the freedom of expression and a Supreme Court  even survive for consideration, as role, which is qualitatively n March 28, AAP chief the  Trinamool  Congress  and
judicial fiat against sealed cover of India elections were held in those States different from the role that the Arvind Kejriwal raised the Bharat Rashtra Samithi are
malpractice. It endorses the subsequently. Again, when the Opposition is supposed to play. many eyebrows by al­ working  closely  together  to
citizen’s right to question the state Puttaswamy case challenging the Landau and Dixon have opined leging  in  the  Delhi  Assembly stitch a non­BJP, non­Congress
by distinguishing the government Aadhaar project was decided in that “judges are increasingly being that industrialist Gautam Ada­ But it switched its strategy in alliance.  Last  week,  Bihar
from the nation. It is a judicial 2017, the Supreme Court only called upon to intervene to protect ni is merely a front for Prime the  recently  concluded  Bud­ Chief  Minister  Nitish  Kumar
admonition against the misuse of expounded the idea of privacy democracy or to engage in a form Minister  Narendra  Modi  and get  session  of  Parliament.  It and Deputy Chief Minister Te­
the rhetoric of national security to and related concepts at a doctrinal of democratic hedging.” the “money actually belongs” took part in all the Opposition jashwi Yadav met Mr. Kejriwal
cover up the state’s arbitrariness. level, without a direct and American jurist Mark Tushnet to Mr. Modi. meetings,  and  Mr.  Kejriwal in  Delhi,  after  meeting  Con­
Yet, there is a contextual immediate encounter with the correctly said that “the Mr. Kejriwal’s relentless at­ even extended support to Ra­ gress  leaders  Rahul  Gandhi
significance to the verdict, which executive, which, by that time, Constitution matters because it tacks  against  Mr.  Modi  over hul  Gandhi  when  the  Con­ and  Mr.  Kharge.  Earlier  this
we must keep in mind. had completed the project. provides a structure for our the past one and a half months gress leader was sentenced to week,  when  Gopal  Rai,  a
The judgment comes at a time On the other hand, in the Media politics” and that “it’s politics, not show a change in the way he is two years in jail in a defama­ member  of  the  highest  deci­
when the Centre is being criticised One case, the court directly ‘the Constitution,’ that is the dealing with his main political tion  case.  When  Mr.  Kejriwal sion­making body of the AAP,
for its attempts to destabilise the confronted the Centre, which ultimate — and sometimes the opponent.  In  February  last was called for questioning by was asked whether the party
institutions of democracy. The unilaterally cancelled the licence proximate — source for whatever year,  in  stark  contrast  to  his the Central Bureau of Investi­ will be open to being a part of
Supreme Court too faces its share issued to the television channel protection we have for our early days as a politician when gation  (CBI)  in  connection an  alliance  that  includes  the
of criticism. It has postponed citing “national security,” and fundamental rights.” In other he  referred  to  Mr.  Modi  as  a with  an  alleged  excise  scam, Congress, he did not confirm
hearings on important cases such directed it to renew the licence. It words, in the absence of a politics “psychopath,”  a  “shameless the Congress returned the fa­ or deny the possibility.
as electoral bonds and the dilution considered all the major doctrinal that supports the Constitution, the dictator,” and a “coward,” Mr. vour, with its President Malli­ Events in Delhi also explain
of Article 370. It has also upheld issues such as the right to fair latter cannot survive. The task Kejriwal did not use the word karjun  Kharge  calling  up  Mr. the  changes.  Ever  since  the
the draconian provisions of the hearing, proportionality standard before the court, however, is not “Modi”  in  any  of  the  38 Kejriwal  to  apparently  talk AAP assumed power in Delhi,
Prevention of Money Laundering and public interest claims and to uphold the Opposition’s speeches he made in different about Opposition unity. the government has been en­
Act and taken a stand against issued directives to the Centre in politics, even when it might be States  after  election  dates There are many reasons be­ gaged  in  power  tussles  with
constitutionally guaranteed concrete terms. legitimate. Recently, for instance, were announced on January 8. hind these changes. The first the  Central  government­ap­
freedoms, such as by staying a In the global context, populist the apex court rightly dismissed a He made an exception during seems to be the CBI’s arrest of pointed Lieutenant Governors
Bombay High Court order autocracies try to crush the plea by Opposition parties, which two  press  conferences,  but Manish  Sisodia,  the  second­ (LGs) of Delhi. The strains bet­
directing the release of physically judiciary with their majoritarian alleged arbitrary use of central even  those  were  not  full­ most important leader in the ween the government and the
challenged activist G.N. Saibaba. impulse. In Israel, the present probe agencies against them. The fledged  attacks  against  Mr. AAP,  in  an  alleged  excise LGs have only worsened since
mass movement is predominantly grievance is genuine, but it needs Modi.  Mr.  Kejriwal’s  Twitter scam in February. Since then, Vinai  Kumar  Saxena,  who  is
An attempt to regain glory against Prime Minister Benjamin a political solution, not an account revealed that he near­ the BJP has been claiming that not  a  bureaucrat  unlike  his
Yet, the apex court has tried to Netanyahu’s move to meddle with adjudicatory resolution. ly  stopped  using  the  name Mr.  Kejriwal  is  the  brain  be­ predecessor, took over in May
regain its glory. In Anoop Baranwal the independence of the judiciary. This is how the court’s “Modi”  on  May  23,  2019,  the hind the alleged scam. When last year. During a hearing in
v. Union of India, it took away the A significant study by David constitutional politics vary from day the results of the general asked about the change in the the  Supreme  Court  in  2022,
power of appointment of Election Landau and Rosalind Dixon on the Opposition’s politics. The elections  were  announced way the party is dealing with the  Central  government  ar­
Commissioners from the sole Abusive Judicial Review (2020) court can only put forth a judicial and  Mr.  Modi  came  back  to Mr. Modi, a party insider said, gued that Delhi should be un­
domain of the executive and illustrates the various instances in or constitutional check against an power.  Sources  in  the  AAP “Given the way Mr. Modi is go­ der its control. Delhi is impor­
directed the constitution of a which authoritarian regimes aggrandising State. It cannot pose said this was a conscious deci­ ing  after  Opposition  parties, tant to the AAP’s politics as the
committee comprising the Chief adopted different methods to a political check, which can only sion  since  his  attacks  against we had to attack him. We can­ party, which has now been gi­
Justice of India, the Prime destabilise judicial systems. In happen by way of mass the Prime Minister in the run­ not choose not to.” ven national status, is fighting
Minister, and the Leader of the Bolivia, judges have been movements or electoral decisions. up  to  the  2019  elections  did The  second  reason  is  the elections  in  other  States  pro­
Opposition to select them. The arbitrarily dismissed in the last Yet, in the former, there is not help the AAP. But last year, 2024 Lok Sabha elections. On mising  the  ‘Delhi  model  of
contribution of the Chief Justice of few years. In Poland, by lowering ‘politics’ involved and its impact as  the  Punjab  elections  got March 23, with an eye on the governance’.
India, D.Y. Chandrachud, in The  Media  One the retirement age of judges, the could be political. It is this closer, he started referring to elections,  Mr.  Kejriwal With  his  party  being  at­
modernising the court is judgment  has regime sent out older judges and constitutional politics that Mr. Modi again, though not as launched  a  campaign  from tacked  from  different  sides,
remarkable. The Media One underlined  the inducted new persons who are enhances the intrinsic value of the much as he is doing now. Jantar  Mantar,  “Modi  Hatao, the  embattled  AAP  chief
judgment has underlined the loyalists of the government. The Media One verdict. Yet, for the The way the AAP is dealing Desh Bachao.” Last month, he seems to have been forced to
institutional
institutional capacity of the court executive in India delays making survival of the Constitution, we with  the  Congress  too  has also accepted the existence of change his strategy of dealing
in troubled political times. In the capacity  of  the judicial appointments as suggested might need a struggle outside the changed.  The  party  used  to the  ‘G­8’  —  a  group  of  eight with  the  Congress  as  well  as
past, many constitutional court  in by the collegium. There is court, which should complement skip  most  of  the  Opposition non­BJP,  non­Congress  Chief revert to his old ways of carry­
principles were developed by the troubled sometimes even public the court’s counter majoritarian meetings  in  the  past,  as  they Ministers  —  after  a  letter  by ing out all­out attacks against
court when the matter was either political  times admonition of the judiciary by the postures. were hosted by the Congress. him  inviting  the  other  Chief Mr. Modi.

Pessimism continues to decline, though not as rapidly as before F RO M T H E A RC HI V E S

Close to 52% of urban consumers felt that the economic situation has worsened, which is the lowest share since the pandemic outbreak FIFTY YEARS AGO APRIL  19,  1973

garding  the  economy,  employ­ Trade sanctions against


DATA POINT ment, and income has decreased.
Nevertheless,  rising  prices  conti­ Rhodesia ineffective 
The Hindu Data Team nue to be a significant concern.
Chart  2 shows  the  growth  in London, April 18: The sheer futility of
international trade sanctions against Rhodesia

T
he share of urban consum­ new orders received by 762 manu­
ers  who  were  pessimistic facturing companies surveyed by became evident after the realisation here that
about the Indian economy the  RBI.  The  quarter­on­quarter Rhodesia exported goods worth £137 million
continued  to  decline  in  March growth  of  new  orders  received defying sanctions last year. According to local
though  more  than  half  of  them turned positive in Q3FY23 (Octob­ reports on top of the buyers is the United States
said  the  situation  has  worsened er­December 2022) after being in followed by West Germany, Japan, France and
compared to a year ago. Also, the the negative in the previous quar­ Holland. All these countries have done lucrative
rapid rate of decline in pessimism ter. The chart also shows the res­ trade with the Rhodesians in chrome ore and
levels recorded in the previous six ponse  to  a  survey  conducted  in tobacco. Some of Rhodesian chrome ore has
months weakened in March 2023.  1,066  manufacturing  companies been carried by British ships. The United States
Chart 1A shows the responses about their order books. It shows Supreme Court ruled two days ago that
from a Reserve Bank of India (RBI) the share of companies which said congressional action permitting imports of
survey conducted across 19 major new  orders  had  increased.  A Rhodesian ore was legal. In Britain there is a
cities  between  March  2  and  11. healthy  share  of  37%  firms  said strong Tory backbench pressure on the British
When asked to comment on their their order books had increased in Government to life or phase out sanctions
current perception of the econom­ the January­March quarter. against Rhodesia. They argue that if Britain’s
ic situation, 51.7% said it has wor­ Chart 3 shows the results of the major trading partners are not prepared to
sened.  This  is  the  lowest  share RBI’s  survey  that  capture  the enforce sanctions against Rhodesia as stipulated
since the pandemic outbreak. Ho­ growth in services and infrastruc­ by the United Nations, then why should Britain
wever, the share of those who said ture. The latest data are for Janu­ alone continue to remain out of Rhodesian
it has worsened declined by over ary­March 2023. In the survey, 638 trade. Now there is the prospect that the
3% points between July 2022 and companies  were  asked  to  com­ Rhodesians will boast their exports by airlifting
January 2023. On the other hand, ment on their turnover. The chart beef to near­starved Europe in the
between  January  and  March  this plots the net response — the diffe­ newly­acquired three Boeing 720 aircraft. Three
year ,it came down by only 0.4% rence  between  those  who  said  it Boeings appeared at Salisbury airport last
points — a relatively feeble decline.  had increased and those who said weekend after apparently being flown from
Graph 1B shows  that  47.9%  of it had decreased. A positive num­ Switzerland by way of Portugal. The Rhodesians
participants expressed a negative ber  points  to  a  higher  share  of have bought three Boeings from a Liechtenstein
outlook on their present job situa­ companies  recording  an  increase company which may be a cover up for some
tion. It is important to note that in in  turnover  and  vice­versa.  The European or American sellers. The Rhodesians
the  previous  three  surveys  con­ chart hints at a recovery in the tur­ may have paid less than £200,000 for each
ducted in November 2022, January nover  of  both  the  sectors.  In  the Boeing. These are medium range old model jets.
2023  and  March  2023,  this  share latest period, 57.3% of service sec­ Mr. Rodger Hawkins, Rhodesian Minister for
has consistently stayed under the tor companies reported that their Transport, yesterday spoke of the possibility of
halfway mark. After the economic turnovers had increased, 34% re­ establishing an international route to operate
downturn  in  2019  and  the  pan­ ported  that  there  was  no  change the Rhodesian Boeings.
demic, the majority (>50%) of res­ and 8.5% said their turnovers had
pondents has maintained a pessi­ decreased.  So,  the  net  response A HUNDRED YEARS AGO APRIL  19,  1923
mistic  view  since  July  2019; was +48.9% points — much higher
however, this pattern has shifted. than the pre­pandemic levels. A si­ In Iraq 
Graph  1C shows  that  28.1%  of milarly positive net response was
participants  were  negative  about reported by infrastructure firms. According to a Turkish official message from
their current income levels. While Chart 4 plots the results of the Constantinople, British aeroplanes have
this is the smallest share since the RBI’s quarterly bank lending sur­ bombed villages in the neighbourhood of
onset of the pandemic, it remains vey.  Senior  loan  officers  were Sulainnamieh (Mesopotamia). Reuter learns in
above pre­pandemic levels.  asked to assess loan demand. The London that the operations are connected with
Worryingly,  close  to  93.8%  of latest  data  are  for  January­March Sheikh Mahud who has been intriguing with the
respondents said that price levels 2023. The chart shows the net res­ Turks since his return from India
of  commodities  have  increased ponse.  There  was  a  slight  down­ notwithstanding his protestations of friendship
compared to last year (Chart 1D). turn in the demand for loans in the to the British. The latter offered the Sheikh safe
While  pre­pandemic  levels  of service,  infrastructure,  manufac­ conduct to Baghdad, but he refused to avail
optimism have not been fully res­ turing and retail sectors and an up­ himself of it, whereupon punitive operations
tored, the extent of negativity re­ tick in the agriculture sector.  were commenced. 
CM M ND-NDE
YK
Delhi www.thehindu.com Wednesday, April 19, 2023
● ●

Text&Context 0 
NEWS  IN  NUMBERS
Passenger traffic at Sugar production India must raise maize China’s consumption The amount fetched
Bengaluru airport declines due to output in the next five boosts GDP growth in by 300 T­Rex skeletons
increases in FY23 scarcity of sugercanes  years to meet demand  first quarter of 2023 in an auction

96 5.4 44­45 4.5 5.3


In percentage. Traffic jumped In percentage. Indian mills In million In percentage. The In $ million. Nearly 300
to 21.91 million in FY2022­23 produced 31.1 million tonnes. Union government informed that Tyrannosaurus rex bones
from 16.28 million in the tonnes of sugar till April 15 agriculture China’s economic growth in were assembled into a single
previous year, according to the Bangalore of the 2022­23 marketing year ending secretary Manoj Ahuja informed that while the first quarter (January to March) of 2023 skeleton and sold. Standing with an
International Airport Ltd (BIAL). Domestic September, the Indian Sugar Mills maize production in India at present stood compared to 2022 outpaced the 2.9% open­mouth pose, the skeleton measured
traffic grew 85.2% while international Association informed. 400, out of 532 mills at 33­34 million tonnes, production must growth in the previous quarter. The growth 11.6 meters long and 3.9 meters high.  AP
traffic rose over three­fold.  PTI that operated, have closed down.  REUTERS be increased amid growing demand.  PTI was attributed to rising consumption. PTI COMPILED BY THE HINDU DATA TEAM

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Nagaland’s municipal tightrope


How is Nagaland caught between the Supreme Court and community­based organisations on reservation of seats to women in local body elections? What are the special
provisions granted by Article 371A of the Constitution to Nagaland? Has a local body election ever taken place in the State?

EXPLAINER THE GIST

Rahul Karmakar 쑽
On March 28, the Neiphiu
The story so far:  Rio­led Nagaland government

O
n March 28, the Neiphiu repealed the Nagaland
Rio­led Nagaland government Municipal Act of 2001. This led
preferred to be in contempt of to the cancellation of the State
the Supreme Court than face Election Commission’s March 9
the wrath of the community­based notification for holding
organisations by repealing the Nagaland elections to Nagaland’s 39
Municipal Act of 2001. This led to the urban local bodies (ULBs) with
cancellation of the State Election 33% of the seats reserved for
Commission’s March 9 notification for women.
holding elections to Nagaland’s 39 urban 쑽
local bodies (ULBs) with 33% of the seats
reserved for women. The apex court has Most of the traditional tribal
however, stayed the notification and urban organisations
cancelling the civic body polls. It was in oppose the 33% reservation of
this year, for the first time, that Nagaland seats for women as they argue
that such reservation would
elected two women to power in the
violate the special provisions
recent Assembly elections. 
granted by Article 371A of the
Constitution to Nagaland.
Why is there opposition to ULB polls? 
Nagaland is arguably the only State where 쑽
ULB seats are not reserved for women as The Naga Mothers’ Association
mandated by clause IV of the 74th (NMA) said that the State
Amendment to the Constitution of India. government erred in not
Most of the traditional tribal and urban listening to or consulting with
organisations oppose the 33% reservation The Kohima Municipal Council in Nagaland. KMC.NAGALAND.GOV.IN women’s organisations before
of seats for women as they argue that taking the decision to repeal
such reservation would violate the special forcing the government to indefinitely various stakeholders, including churches, the ULB elections, they suggested that the the Municipal Act.
provisions granted by Article 371A of the postpone the ULB polls in 2009. Efforts to NGOs, and tribal bodies in March 2022. duration of the reservation should be
Constitution to Nagaland. The Article hold the elections in March 2012 met with The State Election Commission on March capped at two tenures and demanded
states that no Act of Parliament would strong protests and in September 2012, 9 notified that the polls would take place that the post of chairperson should not be
apply to the religious or social practices of the State Assembly passed a resolution to on May 16. The tribal bodies and civil reserved for women. The Naga Mothers’
the Nagas, Naga customary law and exempt Nagaland from Article 243T of the society organisations threatened to Association (NMA) said that the State
procedure, administration of civil and Constitution which is related to the boycott the polls until the “borrowed” government erred in not listening to or
criminal justice involving decisions reservation for women. This resolution Municipal Act of 2001 factoring in consulting with women’s organisations
according to Naga customary law, and was revoked in November 2016 and women’s reservation is “reviewed and before taking the decision to repeal the
ownership and transfer of land and its elections to the civic bodies with 33% rewritten in complete consonance of the Municipal Act. 
resources. The hohos (apex tribal bodies) reservation were notified a month later. voice of the Naga people” so that it does On April 17, the Supreme Court pulled
point out that women have traditionally The notification led to widespread not infringe upon Article 371A. The up the Nagaland government for adopting
not been part of decision­making bodies.  mayhem in which two people were killed government succumbed to public an “ingenious method” of repealing the
in large­scale violence and arson.  pressure and repealed the Municipal Act Municipal Act to evade the undertaking
Have such polls ever been held in This made the government declare the with immediate effect as the people given to the court for holding the polls. 
Nagaland?  process to conduct election null and void “cannot be compelled” to participate in The apex court also noted “nothing has
The first and only civic body election in in February 2017.  the elections.  so far emerged (with respect to Article
Nagaland was held in 2004 without any 371A) to advance a plea that religious or
reservation of seats for women. The State Why did the govt. decide on ULB What is the way forward?  social practices of Nagas or Naga
government amended the 2001 Municipal polls this time? The groups against reservation for customary law and procedure denies the
Act in 2006 to include 33% reservation for Under pressure from the Supreme Court, women want a “guarantee” that the 33% right of equality to women insofar as the
women in line with the 74th Amendment. the Rio government laid the ground for quota would not violate the provisions of participatory process is concerned in
This triggered widespread opposition holding ULB polls after consultations with Article 371A. Before “rushing to conduct” such elections”.

What are the latest


took advantage of Mr. Hadi’s weak control THE GIST
and captured the Saada province in the
north, and then Sana’a, the capital of
Yemen, in 2014.  쑽

developments in Yemen?
The thought of Iran­backed Houthis in The warring parties in control
control of Yemen bothered neighbouring of parts of Yemen had signed
Saudi Arabia due to its differences with the Stockholm Agreement in
Iran. Saudi Arabia then led a coalition that December 2018 whereby they
included other Arab countries and sent had committed to freeing
How did a prisoner swap come about between the two warring sides in Yemen? How many prisoners were troops to Yemen in 2015. However, they conflict­related detainees.
released? Was this originally agreed upon in the 2018 Stockholm Agreement? were unable to oust Houthis from Sana’a
as well as from the north of the country. 쑽
The war has continued since then and The two opposing sides had in
Priyali Prakash released detainees to six cities in Saudi strengthened UN presence. In November has only ceased once in April 2022, when March agreed to release 887
Arabia and Yemen. An additional 104 2018, hundreds of people were killed in the Houthis and the Saudi­led coalition detainees after a ten­day
The story so far:  detainees were released from Saudi clashes in Hodeidah, an important port in announced a two­month ceasefire ahead meeting in Switzerland.

H
undreds of prisoners Arabia to Yemen on Monday. The Yemen, when government loyalists of Ramzan, the holy month of Islam. This

captured during the war in large­scale prisoner swap has given the supported by a Saudi­led coalition was Yemen’s first nationwide truce in six
Yemen were reunited with people hope for a permanent ceasefire in launched an attack to oust the years, Deutsche Welle reported. According to the UN, Yemen is
their families between April 14 Yemen.  Iran­backed Houthi rebels from the Red now the largest humanitarian
to 16 amid diplomatic efforts to halt the Sea city.  How has this affected Yemen?  crisis in the world with 80% of
conflict, the Associated Press reported. What is the Stockholm Agreement?  The Taïz agreement includes the According to the UN, Yemen is now the its population dependent on
The main warring sides in Yemen are the The warring parties in control of parts of formation of a joint committee with largest humanitarian crisis in the world aid and protection. 
Iran­backed Houthis and the pro­Yemen Yemen had signed the Stockholm participation from civil society and the with 80% of its population dependent on
government, Saudi­led coalition.  Agreement in December 2018 whereby UN.  aid and protection. Over three million
they had committed to freeing people have been displaced from their
How did the prisoner swap happen? conflict­related detainees. The agreement How did the war in Yemen begin?  homes since 2015, and public service
The two opposing sides had in March brokered by the United Nations had three The conflict in Yemen began in 2011 as sectors like healthcare, water, sanitation,
agreed to release 887 detainees after a main components — the Hudayah part of the Arab Spring protests. President and education have either collapsed or
ten­day meeting in Switzerland. The agreement, the prisoner exchange Ali Abdullah Saleh was forced to hand are in a dire situation. Economically too,
parties also agreed to meet again in May agreement, and the Taïz agreement.  over power to his deputy, Abdrabbuh Yemen is in the trenches. It has lost $90
to discuss more such releases, the The Hudayah agreement included a Mansour Hadi. Mr. Hadi found himself billion in economic output and more than
International Committee of the Red Cross ceasefire in the city of Hodeidah and faced with an insurmountable task of 6,00,000 people have lost their jobs.
(ICRC) said in a press statement.  other clauses like no military tackling Yemen’s economic and security More than half of the country’s
Flights of the ICRC carried 869 of the reinforcements in the city and problems. The Houthis, backed by Iran, population is living in extreme poverty.
CM M ND-NDE
YK
THE HINDU
Wednesday, April 19, 2023 11
Delhi
Text&Context
PULSE-CHECK

FROM THE ARCHIVES


ISTOCKPHOTO

Know your
Should universal screening tests be English
mandated to detect early heart disease? K. Subrahmanian

“Miss Suneetha, SRKR Engineering
There is no doubt that regular health check­ups or screening tests are an important strategy to prevent heart ailments. The key questions are who College, Bhimavaram, wants to know the
meaning of the idiom ‘to pull the
should be screened, using what test and how often. Two doctors weigh in on the debate around large­scale screening for heart disease detection  chestnuts out of the fire’.”
“ ‘To pull the chestnuts out of the fire’
means ‘to get someone out of a difficulty’.
Anand Krishnan  varying degree, misclassify persons with unwarranted tests to confirm or reject its angiography particularly leads to what in The allusion is to the story of a monkey
Ambuj Roy disease as non­diseased. These findings. This does not mean that these cardiology parlance is called who wanted to get some roasted
misclassifications have implications. For a tests are useless, only that they are not “occulo­stenotic” reflex, that is, chestnuts from the fire and persuaded his
spurt of reports of sudden screening test, we usually err on the side appropriate for mass­screening of heart unnecessary stents and surgeries for

A
friend, a cat, to use its paws to get the
deaths has led to a lot of of higher sensitivity ( wherein we accept blockages. The stress individuals who could have been chestnuts out of the fire. The cat pulled
apprehension among the errors that label a person without disease echocardiography/radionuclide test and managed as well with medicines alone. the chestnuts from the fire at
public. The water has been as diseased but not the other way). This is CT angiography have acceptable accuracy considerable risk to its life. 
further muddied by suggestions of CT because labeling a person with a disease and can detect blockages and thus, The road ahead He expects me to pull the chestnuts out
scans as a screening test in all including as healthy gives that person a false sense individuals at higher risk for future However, this does not mean that we do of the fire once again.”
those fit, active, and otherwise healthy.  of security and has legal implications as cardiac events. But the proof of the not take advantage of excellent modern “Mr. M. K. Venkataraman, 19, V Street,
There is no doubt that regular health well. Also, screening tests are not pudding is in eating it, as they say.  medical tools. What we need to do is to Nandanam, Madras­35, wants to know the
check­ups or screening tests are an one­time tests and would need repetition A large Danish study published last improve the risk or cost­benefit ratio. This pronunciation of ‘ewe’ (female sheep).”
important strategy to prevent heart at a frequency which is dependent on the year showed that a population well can be done by using these tests in a “ ‘Ewe’ and ‘you’ are pronounced alike.
ailments. The key questions are who speed of development of the disease. treated for risk factors for heart disease smaller set of people who have a higher A woman asked her husband the feminine
should be screened, using what test and The common tests available to us for derived no benefit from additional tests risk of having an ischemic heart disease. of ‘sheep’. She was very upset when he
how often. We discuss the principles diagnosis of heart ailments are including CT scans. An earlier large­scale High­risk can be determined by screening said ‘ewe’ (you).”
involved and the choice of appropriate electrocardiograms (ECGs), study done in individuals with diabetes for known risk factors such as tobacco “Mr. K. Rama Rao, Hyderabad, wants
tests in such decisions. echocardiography, exercise or stress tests and at high risk for heart ailments as well use, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, to know the pronunciation of ‘drought’.”
and angiography.  as silent blockages, predisposing them to hypercholesterolemia, and family history “The ‘ought’ in ‘drought’ is
Screening the heart ECG, a very useful test to diagnose sudden catastrophic outcomes, also did of early heart disease. These tests are pronounced like the word ‘out’. The
Sudden deaths (dying within 24 hours of acute heart attacks, has a limited role in not reveal any benefit of doing a cheap, part of standard executive pronunciation of the word is ‘drout’.”
symptoms) are typically caused by heart detecting a future heart attack. screening CT angiography in all. Both checkups and available at district “Mr. Maqbool Siraj, 19/1 Mosque Street,
attacks, heart rhythm abnormalities or Echocardiography tells us about the studies clearly revealed that treating hospitals. Reducing the cost of testing Munireddypalayam, Bangalore, wants to
strokes. Ischemia or the reduction in pumping capacity of the heart muscles traditional risks for heart disease is with CT angiography (less people tested) know the pronunciation of ‘chore’ and
blood flow to the heart occurs when the and functioning of the heart valves but sufficient. and increasing efficiency (more of those ‘chorus’.”
artery supplying it is blocked due to fat does not tell us about vessel blockages. tested will have disease), will result in a “ ‘Chore’ rhymes with ‘bore’ and
deposit. This could be sudden as in a The exercise tests (commonly known as The practical side favourable cost­benefit ratio. ‘sore’. ‘Ch’ is pronounced like the ‘ch’ in
heart attack, where a blood clot forms TMT), where an ECG, echocardiography In the Indian context, about 25­30% Our primary approach for preventing ‘church’ and ‘china’. The ‘ch’ in ‘chorus’ is
over a mild blockage or, as is more or radionuclide test is done after exercise (350­400 million people) of Indians are cardiac deaths must be to promote pronounced ‘k’. The ‘o’ in ‘chorus’ is
common, a slow insidious build up and putting the heart under “stress”, can above 40 years. These imaging tests are healthy habits among populations of all pronounced like the ‘o’ in ‘chore’, ‘bore’
leading to pain in the chest with physical suggest presence of heart blockages. The not available in most district hospitals in ages. Additionally, all adults can be and ‘sore’. The ‘u’ in ‘chorus’ is
activity. The former is a life­threatening different stress tests have varying India and even in some medical colleges. screened for these risk factors and pronounced like the ‘a’ in ‘china’ and the
condition needing immediate attention, accuracy with that of echocardiography Moreover, these tests cost around ₹6,000 counseled towards a healthy lifestyle and ‘s’ in the word is pronounced like the ‘s’
while the latter is a more benign and radionuclide tests being higher than to ₹15,000 in the public or private sector. where needed, be treated with medicines. in ‘sit’ and ‘still’.”
condition that can be managed with that of an exercise ECG. Next are imaging Therefore, before we consider going in for There is no evidence that any tests done “Ms Tasnim Tanseef of Calcutta, wants
medicines and sometimes stents or studies where we directly visualise the such a program we need to ask ourselves beyond these simple ones prevent to know how to use ‘all in all’.”
surgery. arteries of the heart for blockages. how these tests will be made available to heart­attacks or sudden deaths.  “ ‘All in all’ has two meanings. One is
The main purpose of any test for Initially only possible by inserting tubes the bulk of the population; whether our So, individuals who want their fears of ‘of supreme importance’. 
screening or early detection is to pick up into the body, current CT scanning health system is ready to cater to those sudden death to be allayed, follow your She is all in all to him.
people with probable disease and confirm technology allows them to be done who test positive on these tests; whether physician’s advice and reduce your risk. Writing was all in all to her. 
it with another test. Screening tests are non­invasively with acceptable accuracy. we are ready to deal with the small but This evidence based approach is the He is all in all in the organisation. 
usually cheap and easy to operate on a definite risks, including radiation “best” current strategy to prevent several The other meaning is ‘generally
large­scale while confirmatory tests are Which is appropriate? exposure, of these tests when millions of premature deaths, without medicalisation speaking’, ‘on the whole’, ‘all things
resource intensive. All screening tests, The choice of a screening test for healthy people are subjected to it and of the society and without proving Aldous considered’. 
and for that matter any test, are large­scale use is based on an assessment whether governments should invest in the Huxley right when he said that “Medical All in all, it wasn’t a bad performance. 
recommended based on a risk­benefit of risks, benefits, cost, and pragmatic programme.  science has made such tremendous Taking it all in all, I must say he
analysis. All tests carry risks and doing parameters. The risks include risk of Taking this into consideration, we see progress that there is hardly a healthy conducted himself with great dignity in the
them, especially in healthy individuals in procedure as well as false labeling. For that neither the evidence nor practical human left”. recent crisis. 
large numbers (prerequisite for a example, stress ECG when done as a considerations support the Dr. Anand Krishnan is Professor of As slang, ‘all in’ means ‘completely
screening test), needs to be carefully screening test in young asymptomatic recommendation of performing CT scans Community Medicine and Dr. Ambuj Roy is tired’, ‘exhausted’.
looked at.  patients gives many false positives. This in healthy adults to prevent sudden Professor of Cardiology at the All­India At the end of the day, I was all in! 
A point to be noted is that all tests, to a leads to unnecessary anxiety and more cardiac deaths. Large­scale CT Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. In British English, ‘all­in’ means
‘all­inclusive’, ‘including all costs’.
It is an all­in 20­day tour.
It is an all­in accident insurance.
Published in The Hindu on September
Please send in your answers to 
THE DAILY QUIZ 22, 1987
dailyquiz@thehindu.co.in

Gangster­turned­politician Atiq Ahmed’s son Asad and his associate Ghulam were killed
in an ‘encounter’ on April 13. Here is a quiz on alleged ‘encounters’ in India
Sindhu Nagaraj Dinanath. What is the name of the Questions and Answers to the previous day’s daily
underworld don? What is the name quiz: 1. Apart from the Taj Mahal, the other three
X of the film? properties from India which were given the UNESCO
QUESTION 1  X World Heritage Status in 1983. Ans: Ajanta Caves,
The first recorded encounter QUESTION 3  Ellora Caves, and the Agra Fort
killing in Andhra Pradesh was of a This is a criminal case in Gujarat 2. Begun in AD 122, this structure bears the name of the
local hero in the Rampa Rebellion where the person was taken away ruler who commissioned it. Ans: Hadrian’s Wall
of 1922. This revolutionary waged by the police when travelling on a 3. This construction in an European capital has a
an armed campaign against the public bus with his wife, in 2005. He quadriga on its top. Ans: Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.
British colonial rule in India. What was killed three days later near 4. The English name for Rapa Nui and the South
is the name of the person? A 2022 Ahmedabad. One of the current American country which has sovereignty over it. Ans:
Telugu film, showcased the life of Union Ministers was accused and Easter Island and Chile
this hero. Identify the film.  acquitted in the case. Identify the 5. The purpose of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Ans: It is a
X person who was killed. Name the campanile or a bell tower
QUESTION 2  Minister.  6. The third structure, out of the ones built for Menkaure
He was an Indian underworld don X and Khafre, which was built for this person. Ans: The
in Mumbai. In 1982, he took a taxi QUESTION 4  Great Pyramid of Giza and Khufu
to Wadala and was killed in an This Delhi Police operation resulted X 7. This city hosts the Topkapi Palace. Ans: Istanbul For feedback and suggestions for 
alleged encounter there. His life in the deaths of two terrorists and Visual question: Visual: This WHS was featured in Indiana Jones and the Text & Context, please write to
inspired the 1990 Bollywood one police officer, following five Identify the person on the left who was killed in an encounter in Last Crusade. Ans: The treasury at Petra, Jordan letters@thehindu.co.in
blockbuster movie, starring serial blasts in 2008. What is the 2004. Who is the person on the right, shaking hands with the Early Birds: C. Saravanan| Shubhkaramdeep Singh| with the subject ‘Text & Context’
Amitabh Bachchan, as Vijay name of the ‘encounter’ case?  former?  Rashmi Rekha Dash| Indra Sharma 
CM M ND-NDE
YK
LIFE SHOULD BE GREAT RATHER THAN LONG.
B. R. AMBEDKAR IN HINDUISM, CONSCIENCE, REASON AND INDE-
PENDENT THINKING HAVE NO SCOPE FOR DE-
VELOPMENT.
8 B. R. AMBEDKAR

YUGMARG, CHANDIGARH, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19, 2023

Migratory birds can partially


Editorial
All work and no wage

offset climate change


nderpaid scientific labour has been systematical-

U ly justified, if not internalised, by the very intel-


lectual community whose standards of living and
passion for building a science-conscious society are be-
ing invisibly compromised. The status quo seems to be
challenged by the recent academic workers’ strike at the
very core of Western capitalist nations, the United States
of America and the United Kingdom, where cost-cutting
in the academia has been institutionalised in the name of
market competency in scientific endeavours. Around limate change-induced change affects animals can be
48,000 academic workers from the University of Cali-
fornia went on strike demanding full-time wages and ac-
ademic benefits (picture, top); about 70,000 academic
C habitat degradation is
causing havoc with
bird migratory dates. Accord-
subtle and, in some cases,
able to be detected only after
long term study," shared
workers, covering 150 universities across the UK, took ing to a new study, birds can Amanda Rodewald, a co-au-
part in the university strike (picture, bottom). partially compensate for these thor on the paper as well as
Demands for respectable academic contracts with changes by delaying the start the Garvin Professor and Se-
adequate living wage and social security are not surpris- of spring migration and fin- nior Director of the Center for
ing. Numerous underpaid academic employees are bur- ishing the journey faster. Yet, Avian Population Studies at
dened with the rising costs of living and pre-existing the method has a cost- a de- the Cornell Lab.
debts. Many of them are now realising that the universi- crease in overall survival. "Understanding how ani-
ty system has forced them into indebtedness by encour- The findings by re- mals can compensate is an
aging the marketisation of education and the delegitimi- searchers from Cornell Uni- important part of understand-
sation of rightful, free college education. versity, the University of ing where the impacts of cli-
Hypothetically speaking, if the cost-of-living crisis Maryland, and Georgetown mate change will play out,"
subsides by short-run economic management, should University are published in said Marra. "In this case, we
university employees forget the demands for better aca- the journal Ecology. may not lose a species entire-
demic pay and social security benefits for their junior "We found that our study ly, but it is possible that pop-
peers? No, they should not. Evidence suggests that species, the American Red- ulations of some species may
decades of low wages for academic labour are detri- start, can migrate up to 43% go extinct locally due to cli-
mental: for instance, research at the University of faster to reach its breeding mate change." What happens
Colombia found that persistent low wages are linked to grounds after delaying depar- on the redstart wintering
a faster decline in memory. ture from wintering grounds grounds carries over into the
Underpaid wage combined with increasing work in Jamaica by as much as 10 breeding season. Though the
dissatisfaction and diminished career prospects among days," said lead author Bryant redstart population is stable
Dossman. He led the study and increasing in much of its
researchers is a reflection of a structural crisis in the while a graduate student at breeding range, detailed
labour market of science. Scientific research is undoubt- Cornell and is currently a eBird Trend maps show the
edly a risky and expensive venture. But why should eco- postdoctoral fellow at time. In general, for a 10-day migration, especially from less likely to take the risk of & Sustainability--oversees species is declining in the
nomic vulnerability be imposed on doctoral students, Georgetown. "But increased delay, Dossman says individ- poorer quality habitats. At the speeding up migrations be- the study site. Using this his- northeastern United States
postdoctoral fellows and trainees? Policy-instituted eco- migration speed also led to a uals can recover about 60% of same time, plants are green- cause they have more chances torical data in tandem with and southern Quebec, Cana-
nomic insecurity is harmful to the nurturing of scientif- drop of more than 6% in their the lost time, but that means ing and insects are coming throughout their lives to breed automated radio tracking and da. "The good news is that
ic passion and innovation. It also undermines the eman- overall survival rate." still arriving late on the breed- out sooner on the breeding and pass on their genes." The light-level tags, scientists birds are able to respond to
cipatory potential of scientific projects for society. Tactics for speeding up ing grounds. grounds--also because of cli- study is based on 33 years of compared the redstarts' ex- changes in their environ-
The slogan, “U.C., U.C., you can’t hide! We can see migration can include flying Jamaica has become in- mate change. "On average, American Redstart migration pected departure date with ment," Dossman said. "They
your greedy side”, echoing from the walls of campuses, faster and making fewer or creasingly dry in recent migratory songbirds only live departure data at the Fort Hill their actual departure date in have some flexibility and
is emblematic of the sentiment of every underpaid re- shorter stopovers to refuel decades and that translates a year or two, so keeping to a Nature Preserve in Jamaica. recent years to see how it's variation in their behaviors to
searcher across the globe. Scientists are leaving acade- along the way. Though mi- into fewer insects, the main- tight schedule is vital. They're Senior co-author Peter Marra, changed. "The behavioral begin with, but the question
mia in response to low wages. Economic security and grating faster helps compen- stay of the redstart diet. Now, only going to get one or two director of the Earth Com- shifts documented in this re- is, have they reached the lim-
academic freedom are two fundamental conditions that sate for delayed departures, it it takes the birds longer to get chances to breed," said Doss- mons--Georgetown Universi- search remind us that the it of their ability to respond to
must be met to stem the tide. can't entirely make up for lost into condition for the rigors of man. "Longer lived birds are ty's Institute for Environment manner in which climate climate change?"

POEM
Literature & Health Light
Light, my light, the world-
No magic number for how Tibetans urge BBC to "provide genuine filling light, the eye-kissing
long it takes to form habits coverage" on the Dalai Lama light, heart-sweetening
mid the controversy over Tibetan
light! Ah, the light dances,
P
utting on your work-
out clothes and mak-
ing your way to the
A spiritual leader the Dalai Lama's
purported viral video, the British Ti-
betans have condemned China and its
my darling, at the center of
my life; the light strikes,
gym can be a chore at first. agents for attempting to purposefully tar-
You may eventually devel- nish the Tibetan spiritual leader's reputation
op the habit of going to the and have also appealed to the BBC to pro- my darling, the chords of
gym and quickly slipping vide "genuine coverage."
over to your Zumba class
or a treadmill run. A new
The leaders of the group, Founder and
Chair of Global Alliance for Tibet and Per-
my love; the sky
study from social scien-
tists at Caltech shows that
secuted Minorities, Tsering Passang, Dalha
Tsering (Tibetan Community UK-Chair-
opens, the wind
it takes an average of six
months to form a gym
man 2018-2020) and Phuntsok Norbu (Ti-
betan Community UK - Vice Chairman,
runs wild, laugh-
habit.
The same study also science, and researchers machine learning to ana-
2018 - 2020), penned a Joint Letter to the
BBC over the coverage the British broad-
spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai
Lama."
ter passes over
looked at how long it takes
health care workers to get
from the University of
Chicago and the Universi-
lyze large data sets of tens
of thousands of people
caster gave to Dalai Lama, over his viral
video.
They added, "We are writing to draw
your kind attention that the Tibetan Com- Rabindranath the earth. The
Tagore
in the habit of washing
their hands: an average of
ty of Pennsylvania. Xi-
aomin Li, formerly a grad-
who were either swiping
their badges to enter their
The Tibetan community also organised
a gathering outside the BBC building,
munity has been deeply hurt by the BBC's
recent coverage vis-a-vis His Holiness the butterflies spread
a few weeks. uate student and postdoc- gym or washing their which is not so far from the Chinese Em- Dalai Lama and his genuine compassionate
"There is no magic toral scholar at Caltech, is hands during hospital bassy. Phuntsok Norbu, Tibetan Communi- greeting and interaction with an Indian stu- their sails on the sea of
number for habit forma- also an author. shifts. ty UK - Vice Chairman, 2018 - 2020, spoke dent."
tion," says Anastasia
Buyalskaya, an assistant
"You may have heard
that it takes about 21 days
For the gym research,
the researchers partnered
on the significance of this immediate gath-
ering. Larter, Tsering Passang read out the
"We would have expected that in being
a respected world-class media house, the
light. Lilies and jasmines
professor of marketing at
HEC Paris. Other authors
to form a habit, but that es-
timate was not based on
with 24 Hour Fitness, and
for the hand-washing re-
trio's joint letter to the BBC and a recent
Statement issued by a group of Tibetan
BBC would have proactively engaged in
ensuring a credible, clear-sighted, and seri-
surge up on the crest of the
of the study, which ap-
pears in the journal Pro-
any science," Camerer
says. "Our works support
search, they partnered
with a company that used
leaders and activists from around the world.
A group of former leaders of the Ti-
ous investigative journalistic piece, rather
than running the story in the same manner
waves of light. The light is
ceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences, in-
the idea that the speed of
habit formation differs ac-
radio frequency identifica-
tion (RFID) technology to
betan Community in Britain to the BBC's
Portfolio Head of Audiences, Digital on
of a sensationalist wildfire, as the rest of the
tabloid media did," the group of former
shattered into gold on every
clude Caltech's Colin
Camerer, Robert Kirby
cording to the behaviour in
question and a variety of
monitor hand-washing in
hospitals. The data sets
April 16, in the joint letter, stated, "As a
world-class public-funded media broad-
leaders of the Tibetan Community in
Britain stated further. The statement added, cloud, my darling, and it
Professor of Behavioral
Economics and director
other factors."
The study is the first to
tracked more than 30,000
gymgoers over four years
casting house, we were deeply dismayed
that the BBC would give so much heed to a
"As you will know, His Holiness the Dalai
Lama, a Nobel Peace laureate, is not only scatters gems in profusion.
and leadership chair of the use machine learning tools and more than 3,000 hos- few seconds of ill-intentioned "doctored" fond of the BBC, but significantly, he high-
T&C Chen Center for So-
cial and Decision Neuro-
to study habit formation.
The researchers employed
pital workers over nearly
100 shifts.
viral footage, clearly masterminded by
CCP agents with the object of defaming our
ly respects and values it for its authenticity,
quality, and commitment to the truth. Rabindranath Tagore

Gum disease might be cause of some arthritis flare-ups


atients with gum disease are less the course of several years, collecting tion, the team discovered that the oral leads to leaky gums that allow oral bac-
P likely to respond to rheumatoid
arthritis treatments, according to a
well-documented medical mystery.
weekly blood samples and looking for
changes in gene expression to help ex-
plain why painful flare-ups occur, when
bacteria they detected in the blood are
also citrullinated in the mouth, much
like the proteins targeted by autoanti-
teria to enter the blood repeatedly. This
level of oral bacteria in blood doesn't
cause obvious symptoms, so the patients
However, new research may help ex- they noticed a surprising trend. Two of bodies in arthritis. They then demon- were not aware this was happening, but
plain the connection between gum dis- their patients, who had moderate to se- strated that the same autoantibodies that they do trigger inflammatory and auto-
ease and an otherwise disparate condi- vere periodontal disease, had repeated take potshots at the body's citrullinated antibody responses that are highly rele-
tion. episodes of oral bacteria in their blood- proteins activate in response to citrulli- vant to rheumatoid arthritis."
The findings, published in Science streams, even when they weren't having nated bacteria. These findings also demonstrate the
Translational Medicine, suggests that dental work. The results may explain why arthri- importance of conducting long-term re-
breaches in damaged gums allow bacte- Orange knew that rheumatoid tis treatments do not work as well in pa- search to better understand chronic dis-
ria in the mouth to seep into the blood- arthritis patients generally have autoan- tients with gum disease. If the gums are eases. The present study would not have
stream, activating an immune response tibodies in their bloodstream (rheuma- continuously releasing immune triggers been possible without a unique initia-
that ultimately pivots to target the body's toid arthritis is an auto-immune disease, into the bloodstream, treating arthritis tive, pioneered by Orange and Darnell
own proteins and causes arthritis flare- wherein antibodies attack the body's without first solving the periodontal several years ago, that empowers arthri-
ups. "If oral bacteria are getting in and own proteins and peptides). In many problem is like trying to haul water out tis patients to collect their own blood
repeatedly triggering immune responses cases, autoantibodies take specific aim of a ship without first plugging up its samples at home with a finger-prick kit
relevant to rheumatoid arthritis, that Darnell at The Rockefeller University. aren't missing an underlying gum dis- at proteins bearing the signs of citrulli- leaks. "Gum disease is quite curable; and mail weekly samples to Rockefeller.
could make it harder to treat," says Dana "When doctors encounter arthritis pa- ease, which is quite treatable." nation, a process by which one amino rheumatoid arthritis can be much more The lab now has several years of data to
Orange, a professor of clinical investi- tients who do not respond to treatment, The Darnell lab had been following acid in the protein is converted into a difficult to treat," Orange says. "Our re- help track what happens in the blood
gation in the laboratory of Robert B it would be worth it to make sure they a small group of arthritis patients over different one. Upon further examina- sults indicate that periodontal disease right before an arthritis flare.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Laws are spider webs through
which the big flies pass and the little ones get caught.
— HONORE DE BALZAC
MUMBAI | WEDNESDAY | APRIL 19, 2023
EDIT
SINCE 1928

FOUNDER EDITOR: S SADANAND


Clubs & club-dons: The modern raj legacy
colloquial usage of the word, please shown-off. Members may feel that has the net worth (wealth), network generic lineage (for a fee). It does not
Mirror to suit yourself. Yet rarely do we call- they are above the rules and norms (friends amongst members), the oth- matter whether the members are ca-

The mote in the Society


them-out or their (poor outlier) be-
haviour in other places. We see such
boorish behaviour even in school
that apply to others, which can lead
to unethical or illegal behaviour.
This can create a sense of impunity
er missing link is the “power” &/
“influence” in the network they min-
gle in, daily. The elections will usual-
pable or honourable. Similar behav-
iour is seen as entitled behaviour in
many of alumni clubs. The sense of

govt’s own eye


parents groups, where oneupman- that is not only harmful to individu- ly bring the usual pre-election bo- elitism and egalitarianism is com-
Srinath Sridharan ship (or oneupwomanship) is at dis- als but can also undermine the in- nanza for the restaurants / banquet mon that they are above other mere-
play. Few parents who think that tegrity of institutions and systems. halls / bars in the local neighbour- mortals. No wonder the children of
they lord over the others. This be- Sadly, bad behaviour is also tolerated hood as they become “election cam- those club-members have almost an

C W
omorbidity is an excellent scapegoat. The dis- hy is the concept of exclu- haviour pattern can be seen in any almost, out of respect for age or po- paign locations”. All candidates will obligation to continue the family
trict authorities of Raigad in Maharashtra sivity appealing? Is it be- homogenous group. sition or not wanting to get drawn use the usual sloganeering, includ- legacy. This can manifest in a num-
blamed it for the death of 13 persons who at- cause of the teeming Almost in every club or into undue argumentative nonsense ing the horrible spelling mistakes ber of ways, including condescen-
crowds everywhere that we see gymkhana, there would be the syn- or even backlash from having just and the have their best photo on the sion towards those perceived as
tended the Maharashtra Bhushan award function held around us across our cities? Why is drome of few members wanting made powerful enemies. Club poli- campaign: “We will uplift the club fa- “outsiders” or a lack of empathy for
in the Kharghar area of the district. All the victims of there a clamour for everything ex- only specific brands of club-sodas tics is no different or less intense cilities”, “we will inspect previous people from different backgrounds
sunstroke, who either died or were admitted to various clusive or elite? There surely is a for their daily tipple; some of the than the corporate world, or ideolo- committee expenses”, “we will push or with different life experiences.
hospitals, suffered from conditions like old age, dia- trend in India to become a member members are also like the vintage gy based politics. for transparency, democracy”, and In modern society, there are a
of almost every exclusive club or furniture, rooted into the ground — Rules are broken openly with tacit whatever else that sounds nice and growing number of exclusive clubs
betes and high or low blood pressure. In other words, group. With growing wealth (includ- many even have their fixed spot in and cohorts that exist, ranging from
they were not physically strong enough to withstand ing disproportionate distribution of the dining area or the bar for they Modern society seems to behave as if we are entitled to private schools and social clubs to
the 42°C heat. For the lakhs of people who assembled to
witness the award being conferred on Appasaheb
it) and the modern human interest
in flaunting it as a means of boost-
frequent it daily and have been for
years. Yet they will be insensitive
special treatment, just because we are socially, gated communities and elite profes-
sional organisations. While these
Dharmadhikari by Home Minister Amit Shah, there ing their own self-respect, does one and take offence that someone else economically better than a few others around us groups may provide certain benefits
see acquisition of select-club mem- could be seated there before them, to their members, they are also often
was no protection from the searing heat. Of course, for berships, special privileges and ex- that particular afternoon or associated with a sense of entitle-
the VIPs on the stage, there was a roof to protect them clusive offers as a pastime? Ofcourse evening. Each of the clubs also has understanding with the ‘elected of- good. Of course the candidates also ment and exclusivity that can be
from direct heat and pedestal fans to keep them cool. with wealth created and no worries its members’ fiefdoms — no offence fice bearers’ not to be disturbed. In- will mention that they will increase concerning. These attitudes can be
One report said that the government had spent a whop- about the basic bread, butter, jam meant if they can be called as ‘club cluding the cheap thrills of privi- club corpus, promote sports and oth- harmful and contribute to social di-
and caviar if you so will, what next? dons’ for lack of better phrase. Some leged parking, not in the designated er facilities for members, etc. vision and inequality. Therein lies
ping Rs 16 crore on the programme. Modern society seems to behave as using their “I am a founding mem- zone. Breaking rule and ordering There can be no other powerful their social adjustment troubles
The people were kept in the open so that the govern- if we are entitled to special treat- ber” card; many using “am ceo of food or liquor or smoking in non-des- opiate than power. Else it’s not logi- with the success of Gen-next who
ment could shower rose petals on them from the sky. ment, just because we are socially, this company” card; few using “have ignated places. Or asking for playing cal for any individual who is a are not from those institutions or
Also, drone-cameras could be deployed to take photo- economically better than a few oth- been representing the club in bridge privileges overruling other mem- known entrepreneur or retired bu- club affiliation. The India that
graphs and videos from the sky. In other words, the ers around us. No wonder we are see- competition for decades” to so on. bers’ bookings etc. And many such reaucrat and wealthy to seek to “win emerged out of post-licence-era, still
ing circles becoming smaller to Yet they all forget one thing — that culprits opening claiming that they a club election“. Is it a dire need to has the vestiges of such members,
tragedy was created deliberately, though nobody would bring focused attention and to in- in a club, of any type, all members have been doing so since time imme- hold their “Darbar”? Is it that they who act as pricey princelings. After
say that such a toll was expected. The worst blunder crease discretionary network. Typi- are equal, whether they paid Rs morial, as if that makes a wrong, want to be seen as the special & priv- all, they can’t run their durbar in a
the organisers committed was to hold the function at cally we use the phrase “old boys’ 10,000 decades ago to become a mem- right! Correct? ileged? Or is it that they are part of place or ecosystem that’s common to
noon when the sun would be the hottest. Ideally, the network”, especially to depict the ber or paid many lakhs recently. One Elections with mega-budgets seen the “raja & praja” mental makeup? many others. So much for privilege-
privileged group in the corporate would think that such homogenous in the local clubs would make politi- Many of these clubs, which started asymmetry in the 21st century
meeting should have begun in the late afternoon and world. We see, hear and watch with group of people would not have “spe- cal parties shy away from the con- as sporting locations or social com- democracy. How do we cope with
concluded by sunset. Instead of accepting its failure, trepidation of such special cohorts. cial among equals”. More impor- cept of budgeting itself. Where those munities in local areas, have long ex- such ‘tyranny of privilege’?
the district administration has blamed the people No wonder, the word ‘don’ suits tantly, in a nation with many a large budgets for fancy wooing budg- ited those principles. It’s now based
themselves for the tragedy, saying that they suffered many of them, meaning ‘person of chasm between haves & have-nots ets come from, cannot be a mystery. on social and wealth hierarchies, Dr Srinath Sridharan is a corporate
from comorbidities. importance’. Well, if any one recog- across many dimensions, privileges It’s easier to answer the “why” they where memberships can be bought adviser and author of Time for Bharat.
nises themself to mean the (other) have to be cherished, rather than want such electoral glory. When one and the privileges based down the He tweets @ssmumbai
When Covid-19 struck the nation and thousands of
people began to die, there was a deliberate attempt to
downplay the enormity of the spectre then too. And
when it became necessary to provide compensation to
the victims of Covid-19, doctors began to mention in
the death certificates the cause of death as asthma,
Climate-spoofing cities for the future
heart failure, renal collapse etc. They were right as all jargon and catchphrases that make Every other decade the high priests are a multiple of their small town crunching might indicate, it is im-
deaths can be attributed to the failure of one or more
organs of the body. What the certificates did not men-
City them sound sufficiently important,
networked and most importantly,
of the temples of Urbanism conjour a
new vision to reinvent the great sink-
counterparts. But a good indication
of it would probably be walking, its
possible that small, human powered
transport scale communities, pooled
tion was that the organ failures were induced by Covid-
19. Therefore, the villain of the piece was Covid-19. The
Scapes convincing.
Written by large multi-million dol-
holes that are our cities. Some years
ago, there was the SEZ. More cur-
last square kilometre to assess the
quality of life its teeming millions to
into clusters can be more energy-con-
suming than the colossuses we have
lar international organisations, foun- rently it is the “Smart City Project” make any meaningful discovery. for cities globally.
13 who died and multiples of them who were provided  Henri Fanthome dations educational stalwarts. Re- that is failing to be even averagely in- Team City will argue the case of The sad part is by the time that
medical treatment would not have suffered, if the gov- ports and op-eds filled with quadru- telligent. And the future, from the re- culture and art and history and her- point has been arrived at, govern-
ple hyphenated description of urban cent buzzwords I have gathered, is itage, but the truth, especially in the ments and real estate and the finan-
ernment had the common sense not to expose lakhs of

S
omewhere online I came across futures, that impress and confound probably going to be called Global Cli- large metropolitan cities of India cial markets have invested too much
people to sunstroke. Blaming them for comorbidities is an article that talked of Urban- average mortals like myself. mate Resilient Urban Reimagination that seem to grow unabated, swal- to allow these cities, they are the
to rub salt into their wounds. ism, and the beautiful opportu- Each second article or report will Project! lowing in hinterland after hinter- proverbial gift that keeps on giving.
nity cities offer us to combat climate carry climate, smart, resilient, green Sinkholes that suck the money and land, is that reality is for a special Mammoth cities, in decline, plugged
change. Yes. The beautiful opportuni- and infrastructure, in different se- the joie de vivre of millions who keep chosen few. into all manner of life support to sus-
Parliament’s failure to blame ty to combat climate change! quences and in newer permutations these money machines going, in a A larger share of the population of tain the coffers.

B
I had to read that a few times to con- and combinations with other more But given the absolute transforma-
y now the five-member Constitution bench of vince myself I didn’t need new glass- recent buzzwords that are trending Every other decade the high priests of the temples of tion of engineering and logistics
the Supreme Court hearing the petitions that
seek legal sanction for same-sex marriage
es or a new therapist.
I can fully appreciate pleasure of
in the development and urban sec-
tors.
Urbanism conjour a new vision to reinvent the great services and the IT industry, one
could easily imagine a future without
would have realised how complicated the issue is. So- writing, and writing well, and I can Given the size of projects and ex- sinkholes that are our cities the need for cities as they have been
say this, since I am new to writing as penditure earmarked by govern- for the last 200-odd years.
licitor General Tushar Mehta questioned even the
a columnist — writing can get us car- ments for urban development, there It is — or perhaps it is not — sur-
court’s right to hear the case, arguing that Parliament ried away; it isn’t hard to get lost in is little doubt that these are never- never-ending cycle of work, sleep, these cities still grapple for decent liv- prising that since the onset of the in-
alone had the right to deliberate on the issue, a point your own brilliance at the use of the ending opportunities — whether you and weekends to make money to live ing conditions, accessible transport dustrial revolution, which is essen-
the Bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud English language, especially when are on the building side or the pro- in over priced real estate to spend to work and the hope of saving for tially from where modern city plan-
rejected outright. Because of the delicate nature of the you are in the flow, and you have a posing side of the business. So it is their waking hours travelling to and their children’s futures. ning takes it roots (not culture, or
hero-like image of yourself holding not surprising to find them singing from work to pay for the things they And again it is useful to note, that art, or religion or pastries) the na-
case, many religious, cultural and social organisations up a beacon for humankind, but “op- praise and serial renames JNNURM don’t need to buy. this group (at an estimated 65% or ture of the city has remained un-
want to be heard before the court takes a final decision. portunity” was not the word I expect- or the Smart City Mission, but I guess Apparently the per capita carbon more) are actually not much of a rel- changed.
If conceded, this will force the court to go into the per- ed to see. that comes with the territory and the emission in cities is going down, evant argument — cities were never Urbanism requires faith! Belief,
sonal laws and the scriptural texts that sanctify them, Over the last few months I have mood of the moment! which seems to be driving a renewed meant for the working class, they sadly has no room for objectivity. Be-
been thinking about cities, sustain- Domain publication and research eagerness to push for more ur- were there to provide an easily acces- lief and the first principles don’t re-
which can be an interminable process.
ability, emissions and the prospects of across the globe indicated that over banised cities? What are the bench- sible work force and keep things eco- ally go hand in hand, and there in lies
The apex court wants to look at the possibility of in- an urbanised future. And recently 50% of the world’s human population marks? And what are they based on? nomically viable. a 200 years of Human history. To the
cluding same-sex marriage within the ambit of the have chanced upon articles floating now lives in cities. And together are Less than London? And Paris? Or Are cities better places to live in? If Urbanist, Urbanism is religion!
Special Marriage Act that allows inter-religious and in- around talking about “Greening the responsible for about 70% of the Buenos Aires? you compare them to a village with PS. The title is not a typo!
ter-caste marriages. In India, same-sex relationships City” and “Net Zero Cities”. Business greenhouse gas emissions we have no There is a tipping point, beyond poor internet, bad roads, and non ex-
journals, op-eds and keynote address- choice but to live with. which a city stops being efficient, istent healthcare the answer is a self Henri Fanthome, an architect who
have already been decriminalised. In that case too, it es that have been waxing eloquent But the question to me really is — in stops being live-able and is actually evident Yes! But is that the standard trained at the SPA, lives and works out
was the judiciary which took the initiative and not Par- about a bright and green urban fu- the 21st century, are cities even a good unviable. Where the combined costs we are going to work with? of Mehrauli, Delhi and writes about
liament. Today, same-sex marriage is permitted in ture, peppered with current industry idea? of infrastructure and energy spends Whatever the creative number- design and urban spaces
many countries across Europe and America. The gov-
ernment’s argument that only a biological male and a
Akshaya Tritiya LETTERS
4pm but people arrived much earlier and
naturally the heat was too much to take. In the
IV
Ttowards
biological female can marry is tantamount to denying he news is heartbreaking, and a textbook
last few days Thane and nearby areas were
the rights of those who cannot procreate but still want — Dr S Ainavolu TO THE EDITOR experiencing a heat wave — something that
definition of insensitivity of the ruling class
to lead a family life. The fear that it would destabilise their followers. Given that every
the organisers should have taken note of. Some

A
the whole social set-up is unfounded, as decriminalisa- kshaya Tritiya is one boon to get when the family Heartbreaking tragedy solace should have been provided to the
newspaper was blanketed with Dharmidikari's
social and environment-related work, the
I
of the pancha-maha- is in a deprivation condition, t was shocking to read about the tragedy, in
tion of homosexuality has not turned the society up- attendees, and in fact the function should have happening of this tragedy shows the
muhurtas in a calen- living spartan life in the which many people succumbed to heat stroke
side down. It is Parliament’s failure to respond to new been held later, at about 5pm. This would have government’s disconnect with the life of the
dar year, meaning five great forests. The other reference and more have been hospitalised, after a helped. But the heat wave appeared to have ordinary Maharashtrian. Without doing any
situations that forces the judiciary to intervene. ‘times to start’. It is deemed of abundance or ‘Akshaya’ mammoth function in which Union Home not been taken into consideration at all. Simple
that the muhurta when cho- we get in Puranas is that of Minister Amit Shah conferred the ‘Maharashtra verification, announcing sanction of hard-
pandals would have done a good job of earned tax rupees is an insult to the thinking
INDIA 75 YEARS AGO sen properly, shall help the sage Jamadagni’s blessed Bhushan 2022’ award on reformer Appasaheb covering the direct heat, but...
FPJ Archives desired help from the sur- Kapila cow. Sage Gadhi’s Dharmadhikari (Apr 17). It was a government citizenry. So, while I mourn for the death, I am
APRIL 19, 1948 rounding eco-system and this daughter Satyavati (married
Maya Bhatkar, Mumbai ashamed of this entire episode.
function and hence the safety of the
helps complement one’s ef- to king Ruchika) was blessed participants was the government’s duty. Many Marcus Dabre, Palghar
forts. ‘A+kshaya’ literally by Sattvic natured Jamadag- people have lost their lives. The responsible III
means, the one which is not ni instead of a boy with a officials should be booked for culpable
G overnments and other organisations need
to think twice before organising functions
V
Itelecast
ceasing/diminishing. The Kshatriya nature. When sage homicide and action should be taken against t was quite inappropriate to hold a ceremony
Tritiya which is the third day Jamadagni hosted a sumptu- them. It was carelessness on the part of the in the scorching summer heat. The death of in the scorching sun. Had this ceremony been
in the waxing lunar calendar ous meal for the army of government to have organised such a massive several people due to sunstroke is a sad live on television and the footage
in the month of Vishakha is Kartyaveeryaarjuna, it was event in the open grounds at the height of reminder that human lives do not matter shown in villages and towns in closed places,
associated with this ‘ak- an example of abundance. summer. The organisers had claimed that nearly much in the nation. Who is going to take such an unfortunate incident would not have
shaya’ act and is celebrat- Other Puranic refer- 20 lakh people had attended the mega-event responsibility for these entirely avoidable occurred. The organisers should have been
ed as Akshaya Tritiya. ences to abundance are and Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde deaths? Many others are quite badly affected. aware that there is currently a heat wave. There
Never-ceasing or posi- Kamadhenu and even proudly proclaimed how it had broken The presence of Amit Shah and other BJP is no doubt that the incident will be politicised,
tively stated ‘abun- Kalpavruksha, both previous records. leaders of Maharashtra at the awards function but the public should learn from it.
dance’ is the concept of which emanated makes them complicit. The CM of Ravindra Bhagwat, Kalyan
Bhagwan Thadani, Mumbai Maharashtra has been quick to announce ex
associated with Ak- from the Sagara-
gratia payment; governments are quite Dear reader,
shaya Tritiya.
Due to the pos-
GUIDING LIGHT Manthan. Ka-
madhenu is II generous when it comes to taxpayers’ money. We are eager to know your opinions, comments and
suggestions. Write to letters@fpj.co.in with the title of the
In this case the organisers need to pay for the
TfactorhewasMaharashtra
itive feeling associated with the divine cow that provides Bhushan award ceremony letter in the subject line. Using snail mail? Send your letters
the day, like Vijaya Dashami ‘everything’ and Kalpavruk- planned very meticulously but the heat medical expenses. to The Free Press Journal, Free Press House, Free Press
during the Sharad-Navara- sha is the wish-fulfilling tree. was ignored totally. The function was at Anthony Henriques, Mumbai Marg, 215 Nariman Point, Mumbai 400021.
tris, this day often assumes Akshaya Tritiya day needs
the starting point of new ven- to be spent living the concept MIKA’S MATRIX
tures or even rejuvenated ef- of real ‘Akshaya’ and what
forts. Many marriages and one needs to do to attain the
other ‘shubha-kratus’ (auspi- same. Having infinite is not
cious functions) happen on Akshaya, but having a sense
the day of Akshaya Tritiya. of ‘spreading’ and ‘connected
Zooming into the Panchanga inclusion’ is Akshaya. Mak-
or deep diving into the indi- ing the collective conscious-
vidual horoscopes often take ness richer is the best step
the backseat on this day. forward toward reaching ‘Ak-
One of the abundance-re- shaya’. Akshaya Tritiya can
lated references we come be the best day to begin.

PRISONER DIES IN NIZAM JAIL across in Puranas is the ‘Ak-


shaya Patra’ given to Yud- Prof S Ainavolu is a teacher of
VICTIM OF LATHI-CHARGE hishtira by Surya. The out-
come was it could feed any
tradition and management. He
is with VPSM, Navi Mumbai.
Gulbarga (Hyderabad), April 18. Bhimsen Rao Desai, a detenu number of visitors as long as Views are personal. You can
in the Central Jail here, died on the midnight of April 15/16 at the the hostess has not cleaned it read more at
Central Jail Hospital. It is stated that Desai was injured in a lathi at the end of the day. What a https://www.ainavolu.in/blog
charge made on political prisoners on Thursday (April 15)
One cannot and must not try to
erase the past merely because it Golda
does not fit the present Meir

06 THIRUVANANTHAPURAM WEDNESDAY 19 04 2023


� �

I
n a democratic system, it is com- Patta distribution, Midday meal program,
mon practice for political parties
All previous governments have contributed to the progress Rural Health Mission, rural electrification,
INDIAN EXPRESS IS NOT AN to hurl accusations at the opposi- of the nation. BJP leaders, while being inspired by petty food security law, successful launching of
INDUSTRY. IT IS A MISSION. tion. But if the prime minister of politics, don’t give due credit to former governments the Agni missile, eight crore new gas con-
— Ramnath Goenka a nation makes a statement, then nections, housing for two crore poor people,

MODI CANNOT SAY


it becomes quite natural to ex- seven new AIIMS hospitals, 31 crore new
pect factual accuracy and seri- bank accounts, bonus on agricultural pro-
ousness in it. It is unfortunate that our hon- duce, farmer insurance, hoisting the Tri-

STAKEHOLDERS GO FOR ourable prime minister, motivated by trivial


politics, makes statements that are far from NO PROGRESS MADE color on the moon, 30 lakh km village roads,
80,000 km of new highways, and launching

THE JUGULAR AS K’TAKA the truth. The prime minister and other
senior BJP leaders say that there has been
IN CONGRESS RULE
metros in 10 cities—were all conducted dur-
ing Dr Manmohan Singh’s tenure and be-

POLL GEARS CHANGE


no development in the last 70 years and no fore Modi became the PM.
achievement whatsoever. This accusation The comparative statistics of the years
is non-factual. It’s been 76 years since our 1947 and 2014 under various socio-economic

C
nation achieved Independence. In these 76 indices can be understood through the
all it a calculated risk or sheer gamble against anti-incum- years, Congress has had only 55 years of following analysis: The total population
bency, with BJP giving tickets to 72 new faces to contest by governance, while the tenure of BJP and of India in 1947 was 34 crore, which grew
denying the tried-and-tested warhorses of the party, rebel- the parties operating through BJP’s sup- BHUPESH Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh to 127 crore in 2014. The literacy rate was
lion is brewing among its ranks in Karnataka. It appears port has been of approximately 19 years. BAGHEL 12% earlier, and 80% in 2014. The average
to have put the party in a spot ahead of the May 10 polls. Out of 21 years, the tenure of the BJP and life span increased from 34 years to 68 years.
The latest tectonic shift involving former chief minister other parties has been of 19 years. The hon- The number of colleges and universities
ourable prime minister, being in his state increased from 496 and 20 to 34,452 and
Jagadish Shettar quitting BJP and joining Congress over being
of vanity, has also started considering the 740 respectively. The number of engineer-
denied a ticket to contest from his constituency Hubballi-Dhar- tenures of the venerable Atal Bihari Vaj- ing colleges and medical colleges rose
wad Central has boosted the Grand Old Party’s confidence. Shet- payee as devoid of achievements. from 36 and 19 to 3,345 and 387 respectively.
tar is now armed with a Congress ticket for the same constitu- Till the start of the 18th century, India’s The annual income per person increased
ency. The party hopes to cash in on the “Lingayat wave” to boost GDP was the highest among all nations. from `274 to `72,805. There was a significant
its seat tally following Lingayat leader Shettar’s move into the The nation had approximately a one-fourth rise in GDP, from 2.7 lakh crore in 1947 to
share in the total GDP of the world. Over 130 lakh crore in 2014. In 1947, 80% of the
party fold. The party is hoping to see the Lingayats (constituting
time, the British rule of 200 years emptied population was Below Poverty Line, which
20% of the state’s population) turning against the BJP and the country’s economy. The commercialisa- decreased to 21.6% in 2014. The production
gravitating towards the Congress. They are looking at benefits tion of Indian agriculture was done to pro- of agricultural produce, electricity, cement
not just in Hubballi-Dharwad Central constituency but in at vide raw materials to the British industries, and steel has grown from five crore to
least 20–25 adjoining ones. The Congress hopes to bag 140-plus becoming the cause for ruin of the farmers. 26 crore tonnes, 1,362 MW to 2.37 lakh MW,
seats in the House of 224. It was as a result of British colonial activi- 21.5 MT to 280 MT, and 1 to 87.67 MT
However, the BJP leaders are expressing confidence in win- ties that India was one of the world’s poor- respectively.
est countries at the time of Independence. Aforementioned analysis proves that
ning 130–140 seats despite the latest developments, which saw There was a huge crisis of food grains in there has been holistic progress in the na-
six seasoned BJP leaders quitting the party within a week. This India and we were dependent on other na- tion in all fields from 1947 to 2014. The hard
included former deputy chief minister Laxman Savadi (also a tions for feeding our population of 34 crore. work of citizens deserves credit for this.
Lingayat leader) and Shettar. Savadi joined the Congress earlier About 80% of the country’s public was be- All previous governments have contributed
and was given a ticket to contest from Athani, which the BJP low the poverty line and 90% of people were to the progress of the nation. Even though
had denied him. Bringing in new faces was BJP’s successful illiterate. Industrial production and energy SOUMYADIP SINHA the BJP leaders, while being inspired
production were nominal. by petty politics, don’t give due credit to
experiment in Gujarat in its December 2022 polls. The gamble
Due to the lack of resources, reconstruct- and IIM (1961) were established. BARC was PCOs in villages heralded the “Communi- former governments for the said achieve-
worked there but did not appear to do so here. Senior BJP lead- ing the nation was quite challenging. As established for the development of nuclear cation Revolution”. ments, the PM cannot be conferred with the
ers had not expected a rebellion of this scale. overcoming the food crisis was a matter power. Similarly, ISRO for the development It is noteworthy that the BJP strongly op- right to say that the nation’s history in the
JD(S), regarding candidate selection and outreach, is doing that needed to be given the highest priority, of space science and DRDO for the develop- posed the production of computers and last 70 years has been devoid of achieve-
better than Congress and BJP. It is fairly successful in overcom- the greatest emphasis was laid on the devel- ment of defence research were also estab- their use in the country stating that it would ments. It would be appropriate for Modi to
ing the family- and sub-region-centric party tag. It has gone opment of agriculture in the First Five Year lished. With the “Green Revolution” in the lead to unemployment. Today, while Modi promote the achievements of his tenure
Plan (1951–1956). During the Second Five Sixties, the path of self-reliance in food wants to take credit for the “Digital Revolu- and stop the criticism of the tenure of
beyond its family to field a party worker in its bastion, Hassan,
Year Plan (1956–1961), heavy and basic in- grain production was paved. To encourage tion”, the truth remains unchanged. Rajiv previous governments.
and is trying to make gains beyond the Old Mysuru region. dustries were established. In these ten milk production in India, a program called Gandhi conducted many historical works The BJP leaders, under a devious strat-
Senior BJP central leaders are in Karnataka to stop rebels years, dams like Bhakra Nangal and “Operation Flood” was started. In 1975, In- such as giving constitutional status to local egy, are committed to false propaganda, so
from quitting the party and convince them about the impor- Hirakud were constructed. The foundations dia’s first space satellite was successfully government bodies, conferring voting that by lying to the public again and again,
tance of new faces to contest. It remains to be seen whether of steel plants in Bhilai, Durgapur, Rour- launched. After the successful nuclear test- rights at 18 years of age, and one-third res- people start believing that there has been
voters in constituencies whose leaders have quit the party to kela and Bokaro were laid. Works related to ing in Pokhran in 1998, India became the ervation for women. no progress in the last 76 years and the only
contest independently or from another party will vote for the education and scientific research along sixth nation to join the nuclear club. Historical schemes and works like MGN- credit for the achievements of the nation
with agriculture and industrial develop- During the tenure of Rajiv Gandhi, REGA, Aadhar Card, mobile and internet, today goes to Mr Modi. This lie told by the
leader or the ideology. The BJP is hoping for the latter and the ment were also conducted. Famous and dig- the digital revolution started. The use debt remission for farmers, Right to Infor- BJP is extremely reprehensible.
‘Modi Magic’ to swing it their way when Prime Minister Naren- nified institutes like IIT (1950), AIIMS (1956) of computers and the establishment of mation, Right to Education, forest rights, (Views are personal)
dra Modi begins his rallies in the state.

ANDHRA HEATS UP AS YSRC, TALENT TOUGHER TO


TDP TEST THEIR REACH
BUILD THAN FACTORIES Pawar’s power

L
Political morality or party ideology is no big
ooking at the rising political heat in Andhra Pradesh, one deal for Ajit Pawar when it comes to position
might mistakenly think that the state is headed for elec- and authority. What is more disgusting is

T
tions. The opposition TDP has already given a clarion call alent building is a ‘long game’. his inability to sense the “divide and rule
to its cadre to be ready for the battle of the ballot any time But how long and how difficult is strategy” of the BJP whose game plan, by
it? Efficient factories are daunt- luring him with power, is to split NCP as in the
while the ruling YSRC has embarked on what is touted to ing to build. First, is land assess- case of Shiv Sena, and also to weaken MVA.
be the largest public outreach exercise in the country—to not ment, acquisition, and prepara- Sudhakar Cherukunnu, Kannur
R GOPALAKRISHNAN Author and business commentator. His fifty-year
only galvanise its members but also interact with each and tion. Second, is technology professional career was in HUL and Tata
every household in the state. Assembly elections are due next selection, equipment purchase, Maharashtra politics
year, but there is clearly a sense of urgency on both sides. layout, and installation. The third and Apropos of Ajit gets signatures of 40 ready
What seems to have compelled them to go head to head on the toughest part is manpower planning, em- BUILDING BUSINESSES to bolt (Apr 18). There is a fresh scramble
ployee recruitment, and most important, of musical chairs in Mumbai, with Fadnavis
ground are recent political developments such as the TDP vic-
skilling, training, and motivation to deliver. willing to divorce Shinde and have a
tory in the graduate MLC elections and the ruling party’s in- Fourth comes the grand concertino of as- core part of the responsibilities of any con. One question asked to the chief execu- marriage of convenience with Ajit Pawar. It
creasing troubles. The latter had had to deal with a few dissi- sembling parts of the jigsaw before com- manager. The distinguishing mark of a fine tive officers and leaders was about how shows MVA harboured only power-hungry
dents and unnecessarily overplayed its hand, losing a few MLC missioning the factory. Final, is operation company is the glorious jugalbandi (duet) much of their time went into “reflecting, parties who jump the fence at the first
polls that it shouldn’t have gotten into in the first place. In hind- of the new plant on an optimum basis for of the operating management and HR. thinking, and planning of management tal- opportunity to grab power. Sharad Pawar
sight, it was a strategic mistake. On top of it, the CBI probe into efficiency and effectiveness. All this can A rigorous discipline of planning and ent”. The answers that we got ranged from will be incommunicado now and may give an
take a decade—maybe more. pursuit of talent excellence is weak or even 25 to 40%. Those numbers are astonishingly ambiguous opinion after a new government
YSR’s brother Y S Vivekananda Reddy’s murder case is casting
An experienced manufacturing/project absent in Indian companies. Quite often, high, but the answers offered a clue about assumes office, with his nephew at the helm.
a shadow on the Jagan Mohan Reddy government. It is up to the manager will confirm that the first two of there exists no defined process. Where there how much top leaders value their own con- Parthasarathy Mandadi, Tirupati
court to decide the case, but its political implications cannot be the above five steps follow the logic or sci- is a semblance of process, it tends to be per- tribution to developing other leaders. An
brushed aside. Though Chief Minister Jagan is in no way con- ence of engineering. But the last three con- sonality-driven rather than process-driven. individual becomes a top leader with a prin- Same-sex marriage
nected to it, the opposition has accused him of having a direct cern people and follow the art of human It is worthwhile for corporates to work on cipal responsibility being to develop other Apropos of Same-sex marriage an urban
hand behind the death of the former MP and is taking forward engineering: how to recruit, train, and con- this potential weak spot. leaders for the organisation. elitist concept, govt tells SC (Apr 18).
its narrative of ‘demonic rule’ to the people. In short, the TDP tinuously motivate people for quality and I experienced how talent management Same-sex marriage is a human right and civil
productivity improvements. was nurtured at Hindustan Unilever, and right and should be recognised. This will
smells blood and is going for the kill. The YSRC’s latest pro- To build and sustain a company manage- tangentially witnessed this aspect in com- also have a positive impact as it shows the
gramme, Jagannanne Maa Bhavishyathu (Jagan is our future), ment cadre from top leadership downwards panies like Tata Consultancy, Tata Steel, diversity in society. There would be a decline
reached 78 lakh households in the last 11 days. The objective is is difficult and time consuming. The talent and Titan. I am certainly impressed by the in homophobia. It is a right for people to be
to check directly with voters if welfare schemes are reaching process follows the rather imprecise art of care and time leaders and HR bestow on happy and with whom they love.
their doorstep. judging how to develop human beings— nurturing and coaching talent within these Aditya Kamble, Kalaburagi
There is a critical difference between the approaches of both from recruitment to evaluation, from companies. One measure of the success and
creating talent density to achieving talent capability is that, over several decades and Indian ethos
parties. The YSRC is focused on its welfare agenda. The TDP, on
portability, defining what a manager’s successions, such companies can present With regards to same-sex marriage, Indian
the other hand, is bombarding the ruling party with its artillery responsibility is to hold the manager more than one internal candidate to take laws must conform to Indian ethos. People
of allegations and underscoring the lack of tangible develop- accountable, and finally, to advance the over a vacancy without hesitation and should not be denied their rights as citizens
ment. TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu is on whirlwind tours best talent out of a well-honed bench without pause. and be allowed to live together without
these days, even as his son continues his padayatra. Watching strength. These processes do not bear a di- The closest, though imperfect, In both parenting and leadership devel- harassment from authorities or society, but
from the sidelines is the BJP, a fringe party with undue influ- rect cause and effect connection, unlike ac- parallel to leadership development opment, there is a need for a rigorous proc- the question of according legal sanctity
tion and reaction in physics. Rather the in a company, is parenting in a ess which has been fermented in sensitivity sounds bizarre and doesn’t merit discussion.
ence on all the others, thanks to its government at the Centre.
response occurs to a series of initiations and compassion. The processes must be as A Kasu, Nemmara
Its strategy is to weaken the YSRC and TDP and it may finally over a period with the law of unintended family. ... The parent is 24 X 7 at the thorough as business and financial budget-
decide the outcome of the 2024 polls. consequences operating. job, mentally and psychologically ing—with tight timelines, milestone mark- Gujarat anganwadis
The closest, though imperfect, parallel to ers, evaluations, discussions, challenges, Apropos of No clean water, toilets in
leadership development in a company, is Benchmarking processes against the innovation and calculated risk taking. most Gujarat Anganwadis (Apr 18). It was
Q U I C K TA K E parenting in a family. As we all know, best-in-class is a good way forward, just as Execution is undoubtedly demanding. distressing to read that more than 2,000
parenting continues all the way from in- management would do for total quality or Just as the CFO is the custodian of finan- anganwadis in Gujarat had no potable water
SKILLED LABOUR DEMAND ABROAD fancy onwards. The parent is 24 X 7 at the
job, mentally and psychologically. There is
productivity. Too often, the chief executive
officer leaves this complex task to Person-
cial budgeting, the CHRO should be the
safekeeper of the talent planning process.
or clean toilets. Equally distressing is workers
getting a pittance in the name of wages.

J
apan is importing youth trained in farming concepts from no intermission or remission. Indeed, a nel/HR, and deploys personal energies on Talent planning and review should form The Gujarat Janta Jagruti Manch president’s
India with adequate Japanese knowledge under a bilateral parent’s involvement with the progeny other equally important corporate issues. an integral part of the business planning grouse about the callous attitude of the
never ceases. Rightly or wrongly, even The metaphor of comparing talent manage- process. officials is a case in point.
agreement. Tenth or 12th passed, they get decent salaries, when the progeny reaches adulthood, the ment and parenting imaginatively high- Too often in companies, these are two dis- E S Chandrasekaran, Chennai
overtime, insurance, boarding with wifi and renewable con- parent’s care and concern for their well- lights why excellence in talent management connected processes. Talent development
tracts. Japan, with a fast-ageing population, is looking for young, being continues. is among the toughest of corporate jobs. demands intuitive considerations—the hu- Heartfelt devotion
Specified Skilled Workers in 14 sectors, including nursing, in- In my experience, the two toughest jobs Both require a rigorous and sustained man element—to a much greater magni- Apropos of Eid Mubarak: Stories from
dustrial machinery, shipbuilding, aviation, and food services. in the world are perhaps excellence in process discipline, soaked in a warm soup tude than working on budgets with West Asia to warm your heart (Apr 17).
Many more countries need them too. The National Skill Develop- parenting and building leadership talent of empathy and emotion. numbers and figures. The cauldron is far Subhanallah! Shukriya for the column
for the long-term. Just like parenting can- A few years ago, some faculty members more complex. on Arabian anecdotes. I subscribe to the
ment Corporation is looking at an opportunity to train and ex-
not and should not be left to just one parent of Bhavan’s SPJIMR and I conducted re- India is blessed to possess great leader- unworldly shepherd’s belief of God being a
port skilled youth labour. That can tackle joblessness and the or to grandparents, talent development can- search on Shapers of Business Institutions. ship talent, but organisations must figure shapeless super-entity drawn to heartfelt
mismatch between the skills and needs of global job providers not and must not be left exclusively to either Six companies participated in the research: out how to cultivate and curate that talent. devotion than rituals and formal prayers!
and discourage illegal immigration. HR or to the CEO. Talent development is a L&T, HDFC, Kotak, Marico, TCS, and Bio- (rgopal@themindworks.me) Sukumar Mandalika, email

THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS


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