Professional Documents
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All English Editorials 14 - 5
All English Editorials 14 - 5
Editorial
Maha verdict exposes gov's
misdeeds, boost for Uddhav
Shutting down Internet: Govts
need to do rethink
ust like the 1994 S.R. Bommai ruling, the Supreme
POEMS
Literature & Health The Further Bank
New AI model may soon help doctors I long to go over there to the
Sleep apnoea may raise risk of further bank of the river.
diagnose heart attacks accurately long Covid, reveals study Where those boats are tied to the
bamboo poles in a line;
he UK researchers have developed
T a novel algorithm based on artificial
intelligence (AI) that may one day
help doctors diagnose heart attacks quick- P
eople with obstructive
sleep apnoea may be at
significantly higher risk
Where men cross over in their boats
in the morning with
ly and with precision. of suffering long Covid, ac- ploughs on their shoulders to till
According to researchers from the cording to a study. Obstructive
University of Edinburgh, the new algo- sleep apnoea (OSA) is a com- their far-away fields;
rithm, called CoDE-ACS, was able to rule mon disorder characterised by Where the cowherds make their
out a heart attack in more than double the repetitive episodes of noctur-
number of patients, with an accuracy of nal breathing cessation due to lowing cattle swim across to the
99.6 per cent in comparison to current upper airway collapse. How-
testing methods. ever, the condition is often un- riverside pasture;
CoDE-ACS may also greatly help in derdiagnosed. Whence they all come back home
reducing hospital admissions and rapidly The study, published on-
identify patients that are safe to go home. line in the journal Sleep , in the evening, leaving the
The findings are published in the journal found that observed increases
Nature Medicine. in risk for long Covid in adults jackals to howl in the island
For patients with acute chest pain with sleep apnoea remained for, but sleep apnea is more with Covid should seek early overgrown with weeds.
due to a heart attack, early diagnosis and significant even when the re- likely to be undiagnosed in treatment, pay attention to
treatment saves lives, said Prof. search team accounted for women which could create a their symptoms, and keep up Mother, if you don't mind, I should
Nicholas Mills, who led the research. Every day, doctors around the world obesity, hypertension, dia- sample with women who have with their vaccinations to low-
Unfortunately, many conditions face the challenge of separating patients betes, and hospitalisation at more severe cases. Other stud- er the risk of infection in the like to become the boatman
cause these common symptoms, and the
diagnosis is not always straightforward.
whose pain is due to a heart attack from
those whose pain is due to something less
the time of their initial Covid
infection, all known to inde-
ies have also found that
women may be more likely to
first place, she added. The
team reviewed data across
of the ferry when I am grown up.
Harnessing data and artificial intelli- serious, he added. pendently contribute to risk be diagnosed with long Covid three research networks of pa- They say there are strange pools
gence to support clinical decisions has CoDE-ACS was developed using for long Covid. and seek health care for the tients who had tested positive
enormous potential to improve care for data from 10,038 patients in Scotland Women showed an 89 per condition. There s still so for Covid-19 between March hidden behind that high bank.
patients and efficiency in our busy Emer-
gency Departments, Mills noted.
who had arrived at hospital with a sus-
pected heart attack. It uses routinely-col-
cent increased likelihood of
having long Covid if they had
much to uncover about long
Covid, but this study will in-
2020 and February 2022. Two
networks included adult pa-
Where flocks of wild ducks come
In addition to ruling out heart attacks, lected patient information, such as age, obstructive sleep apnea, com- form clinical care by identify- tients with 330,000 patients when the rains are over, and
CoDE-ACS could also help doctors iden- sex, ECG findings and medical history, as pared to a 59 per cent in- ing patients that should be and 1.7 million patients. The
tify those whose abnormal troponin (pro- well as troponin levels, to predict the creased chance for men. watched more closely, said third included 102,000 chil- thick reeds grow round the margins
tein released into the bloodstream during
a heart attack) levels were due to a heart
probability that an individual has had a
heart attack. The result is a probability
While the underlying as-
sociations aren t clear, women
corresponding author Hannah
Mandel, a senior research sci-
dren.In contrast to the patterns
seen in adults, the contribu-
where water-birds lay their
attack rather than another condition. score from 0 to 100 for each patient. with sleep apnea included in entist at New York University tion of sleep apnoea to the risk eggs; Where snipes with their
Chest pain is one of the most com- Clinical trials are now under way in the study may have had more - Langone Health, supported of long Covid disappeared in
mon reasons that people present to emer- Scotland to assess whether the tool can severe conditions than men. by the US National Institutes children when the researchers dancing tails stamp their tiny
gency departments, said Prof. Sir Nilesh
Samani, medical director of the British
help doctors reduce pressure on over-
crowded emergency departments.
Severity of obstructive
sleep apnea was not controlled
of Health (NIH). People with
sleep apnoea who get infected
controlled for other risk fac-
tors, including obesity.
footprints upon the clean.
Heart Foundation.
With thousands of refugees from West Punjab, The sexual harassment complaint against Wrestling Manoj Mitta’s book ‘Caste Pride’ traces the long
Sindh and NWFP, Delhi changed dramatically Federation of India president has brought to fore journey of the struggles to bring in equality in a
during Partition. The city now gets a museum inadequacy of redressal committees in sports deeply caste-entrenched India and reminds that
dedicated to the victims ARTS page 2 bodies of the country INDEPTH page 3 there is a lot more to do BOOKS page 4
O
Na fine Sunday morning in ear-
ly 2021, then Punjab Governor
and Chandigarh Administrator
VP Singh Badnore called
Group Captain PS Lamba to his
official residence. Lamba had
recently set up a three-storey Indian Air
Force (IAF) museum in Thiruvananthapu-
ram, Kerala. Badnore took him to the iconic
Press Building in Sector 18, Chandigarh,
which was India’s first glass façade structure.
“He showed me the space and asked whether
I could set up an IAF museum. I agreed,”
says Group Captain Lamba. Designed by
English architect Edwin Maxwell Fry and
constructed in 1953, Press Building is one of
the oldest constructions in Chandigarh.
“By the evening, Badnore had telephoned
Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh about the
proposal,” reveals Lamba.
Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari, who was
then Vice Chief of Air Staff, came for the The heritage centre has a wall of murals of women officers. On display are embossed pictures of Air Marshal Padma Bandopadhyay, the first woman to be promoted to the rank; Sqn Ldr Cheryl Dutta, first to fly a helicopter;
signing of the Agreed-In-Principle docu- Sqn Ldr Priya Nalgudwar, first to fly a transport aircraft; and Gp Capt Shailza Dhami, first to command a combat unit. The first batch of woman officers to fly fighter aircraft is in the middle. TRIBUNE PHOTOS: PRADEEP TIWARI
ment with the Chandigarh Administration
A dream takes
on June 27, 2021. When the MoU was signed
on June 3, 2022, Air Chief Marshal Chaud-
hari was present along with UT Administra- The newly-opened Indian Air Force
tor Banwarilal Purohit. He gifted a replica of
Heritage Centre in Chandigarh
FLIGHT
an aircraft propeller as the first artefact of
the IAF Heritage Centre. The propeller, by
its rotation, provides forward pull to an air-
craft. The gift was symbolic.
takes you through the tales of
It was decided that the IAF will provide
artefacts, simulators, aircraft, aircraft models
grit and bravado of those who
and murals while the Chandigarh Tourism
Department would manage the centre. ‘touch the sky with glory’
“From September 2022 onwards, we start-
ed the job. The murals were outsourced. It
took eight months for the overall comple-
tion. We trained the guides for four months.
The history department of the Ministry of
Defence cleared the information to be dis-
played,” says Lamba, who was made the
Project Director of the centre. His term end-
ed on May 13, but he has been asked to keep
monitoring the functioning of the centre.
Rajnath Singh inaugurated the IAF Her-
itage Centre last week. He termed it a tes-
tament to the courage and dedication of all
those who have served in the IAF, a tribute
to their sacrifice and a reminder of their
invaluable contribution.
India’s second
Partition Museum,
dedicated to the
Margaret Bourke-White’s photo of the national capital,
Purana Qila camp aimed at showing the
“misery of the dispossessed” through this
Muslim boy; (inset) a recreation of the bogey
opens at Ambedkar
of a train, one of the prime means of
transport for refugees coming to India. University this week
TRIBUNE PHOTOS: MANAS RANJAN BHUI
Partition
Sarika Sharma
K
ASHMIRI sculptor Veer Munshi’s papier-
mâché horse laden with the weight of Par-
tition lends a peek into what the Partition
Museum in Delhi would offer. Skeletons
and bare bones seem to tell countless tales
of migration across the border, of the
physical loss of leaving home, but deeper
anguish inside: bleeding hearts, shattered
souls, forever-scarred psyches. This, along
with Fallen House, another of Munshi’s
stark visual of displacement, sets the tone
for the soon-to-open museum.
If Amritsar’s Partition Museum, the first-
DELHI
of-its-kind in India, was inaugurated in 2017
to mark the 70th anniversary of Partition,
AS SAW IT
Delhi is all set to get its own museum on
May 18. Housed at the Dara Shukoh Library,
a 17th century monument constructed by
the eldest son of Mughal emperor Shah
Jahan, the museum commemorates the
75th anniversary of one of history’s greatest
exoduses. The library, a part of Ambedkar
University’s Kashmere Gate campus, has with mud, bodies lying on carts, pyres jabi Bagh, Tilak Nagar and Kingsway
been adopted by the NGO, The Arts and burning right in the middle of roads… the Camp, to the entirely new town of Farid-
Cultural Heritage Trust (TAACHT), under photographs shock. abad, which was developed to house
the Government of India’s ‘Adopt a her- And yet, so many lived to tell the tale. At refugees from the North-West Frontier
itage’ scheme. The restoration of the build- the museum, these stories are depicted Province.
ing that had been lying in disuse for decades through oral testimonies and objects. Of the Kishwar Desai, director of TAACHT,
was done by the Delhi Government. few things that the families could bring says that while they always wanted to
With thousands of people from Punjab, along, some have survived, serving as con- have a Partition Museum in various parts
Sindh and the North-West Frontier Province stant reminders of the past. These families of the country so that people all over the
seeking refuge in the city, Delhi’s landscape have generously donated such objects to country know what had happened at the
changed dramatically post-Partition. This the museum. Among them is a water pitch- time, the Delhi museum came up out of
catapulted the population from 9 lakh in er, a phulkari, a wedding invitation (cap- the blue when IAS officer Manisha Saxe-
1947 to 17.4 lakh, nearly double, in the 1951 The Dara Shukoh Library is a fusion of Mughal tioned the Last Peaceful Wedding), a sitar… na, then with the Delhi Government,
census. At the same time, close to 3.3 lakh and British architecture; (below) a section on Desperate attempts to find those who asked them to build something similar
Muslims are said to have left Delhi for Pak- rebuilding lives. went missing during the tumultuous days for Delhi where 80 per cent population
istan. It is this monumental moment, which followed. There were notice boards in news- had been impacted by Partition.
witnessed redrawing of the demographics papers, including The Tribune, by people “At the time, we were already running
and the geography of Delhi region with the looking for missing relatives. A particularly and maintaining the Amritsar Partition
setting up of the town of Faridabad, that the intriguing news appeared in these columns Museum and it requires a lot of effort for a
museum is dedicated to. about ‘Refugee Bears’. “Property left small NGO to do everything on its own —
Housed in the high-walled library, it is a behind by the evacuees sometimes creates from arranging funds to research. To build
comprehensive peek into the history of the difficult problems for the authorities. On his an entire museum all by ourselves would
freedom movement, events leading to Inde- failure to sell his two performing bears, a have been difficult. Saxena then advised
pendence, Partition and the rebuilding of Muslim refugee in the Humanyun’s tomb that we adopt a building under the Cen-
homes. The six galleries are compact spaces, camp granted them their independence and tre’s ‘Adopt a heritage’ scheme, suggest-
richly curated with black and white photo- went away to Pakistan. One of the pair ing adaptive reuse for it. That is how we
graphs, newspaper clippings, sculptures, immediately started chasing the inmates of got the library, which was restored by the
installations, personal articles from the the camp and the other, in an affectionate Delhi government.”
time, audio-visual testimonies and films. PEOPLE’S MUSEUM mood, began embracing the guard on duty The Amritsar template was followed dur-
Right at the beginning are Serena
Chopra’s large-sized portraits — dramatic
and arresting — of Partition survivors.
❝ Those who drew the map
didn’t suffer in this division of a
and nearly hugged him to death. The camp
authorities had to shoot the bears and thus
destroy the ‘moving property’ of an evac-
ing research and a lot of the stuff collected
during the making of the first came in
handy while setting up this museum.
Hailing from an uprooted family, the artist nation. It is the common people uee.” The story raises pertinent questions Fueled by people’s hardships, trauma as
clicked these images for the museum who suffered, leaving their about the non-human costs of Partition, well as their memories, Desai calls it a peo-
across the last few years; some of these homes with bare minimum stuff. most of which remain unanswered, a plaque ple’s museum. “Those who drew the map
survivors having passed on since. Tragic And today they have shared beside the news item notes. didn’t suffer in this division of a nation, nor
headlines from the time are displayed. Sto- both their stories and material A largely ignored section of the refugees did their families that travelled safe with all
ries of loot and brutal murders of men, was the marginalised communities. Often their belongings. It is the common people
women and children, parents selling chil-
memories with us. missing from the popular who suffered, leaving their homes with bare
dren for rice, desperate efforts to maintain Kishwar Desai | DIRECTOR, TAACHT narrative of despair, they minimum stuff. And today they have shared
peace and order — the media all over the find a section dedicated their stories and material memories with
world was reporting the ghastly events, to their hardships at the us,” she says, adding that the objects also
giving a glimpse of the brutality unleashed Partition Museum. On talk of a lost culture and heritage.
by an invisible line, the so-called new bor- display is a letter by Coming up is a gallery on Sindh. Desai
der. There are numerous images, Ambedkar to says the region has been neglected in the
some easily identifiable with the Nehru highlight- narratives of Partition; this gallery would
partition of India, some not so ing that the give a glimpse into its rich and vibrant cul-
popular. Among them are Scheduled Caste ture. “It will be visually quite different,
photographs by James refugees were not with artefacts and remnants of havelis on
Joseph Puthucheary, an staying in camps because the officers in display,” she says. In the second phase,
Indian National Army charge were discriminating against the SC TAACHT plans to develop in the complex a
recruit from Kerala. He had refugees and others. There is a letter museum dedicated to Dara Shukoh, the
enlisted for the Relief Wel- explaining the exploitation of the Sched- philosopher-king, and another one based
fare Ambulance in 1947 and uled Tribes at the height of refugee dis- on the antiquities from the collection of the
worked as an ambulance placement from East Pakistan; one brings Delhi State Archeological Department.
driver and medical assistant. to light evacuation of Scheduled Caste “Partition is a very important legacy for
With a camera in hand, he members from trapped pockets (apparent- Delhi as also the rest of India and should
clicked a lot of images at the ly in Pakistan); another hints at a sem- not be forgotten, especially for young peo-
Kurukshetra camp. Some hitherto blance of normalcy to their lives with the ple because the generation that faced Par-
unseen images are gory and the approval of 64 plots in Harijan Colony, tition is dying. This is a race against time,”
section advises visitors to exer- Kalkaji. says Desai.
cise discretion. Corpses Slowly, people picked up
Kashmir-born artist
lying abandoned at a rail- the pieces — looking for
Veer Munshi’s
way station, a mass land, home and educa- (Right, top to bottom) Recreating a refugee camp;
papier-mâché work
grave with a bull- is a stark reminder tion, first at the camps Re-settling: Settling, an installation by Debasish
dozer waiting of the cost spread across Delhi and Mukherjee; a letter box and some postcards for
to cover of Partition. then at the new refugee the visitors to write messages on; a section on
the bodies colonies, such as Pun- Bengal Partition (1905).
CHANDIGARH | 14 MAY 2023 Indepth 3
S
URPRISE was writ large on the ciation of India, do not have independent against an assistant coach deputed at the
faces of wrestlers Bajrang Punia, members in its ICC. The National Human Indira Gandhi stadium was dealt with differ-
Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik Rights Commission has sent notices to all ently. Despite complaining twice, the coach
when they first sat on dharna on federations and asked them to submit a was only given a warning. The cyclist from
January 18 demanding action detailed report within four weeks. Mean- Ludhiana has since quit the sport.
against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, presi- while, the Supreme Court has given all
dent of the Wrestling Federation of India ministries, government departments and No cases, no worries
(WFI). Earlier that day, the grapplers, who federations eight weeks’ time to constitute In states, the situation is anything but dif-
had shared two Olympic bronze medals and those bodies. ferent. Lack of awareness and indifference
a World Championship medal, had rocked In fact, the SAI is, perhaps, the only body towards gender sensitisation and safety of
the very foundation of the Indian sports involved in the sports ecosystem of India women athletes is rife.
variety
CAPTION CONTEST 1407 RAVI KUMAR
T
HERE is a Kumaoni folk change, and the adolescent guards
song that tugs at the heart- employed by contractors who had
strings of all paharis living claimed the produce of the trees lin-
perforce in the plains. The ing the India Gate lawns, have dis-
lines run: “Beru paak appeared. The mega beautifica-
barah masa ho narain kaaphal pako tion project has transformed the
Chaita!” (Wild figs ripen round the Central Vista. If you love jamuns
year but kaaphal ripens only in the and want to buy now, you better Ingredients
month of Chaitra). It isn’t only this head for expensive fruit marts Jamun..........................................................................................................250g
dark violet jungle berry found in the that have juicy jumbo jamuns
Cream cheese............................................................................................200g
Himalayan forests that has a short handpicked and packed like exot-
season but also phaalsa that resem- ic sweetmeats. Also, you don’t Marie biscuits...............................................................................................8-10
Entries are invited to suggest a caption for the photograph. bles kaaphal a lot is available for a have to wait for the first showers to Butter..............................................................................................................10g
The caption should only be in English, witty and not exceeding few weeks. However, the berry that enjoy these dark blue blackberries. Sugar............................................................................................................100g
10 words, and reach Spectrum, The Tribune, Chandigarh, 160030,
makes us pine as soon as the sky They appear early and stay on the A pinch of salt
by Thursday. The best five captions will be published and awarded
~300, ~250, ~200, ~150 and ~100, respectively. Each caption darkens is the one and only jamun, shelves long after the winds carry Gelatine or agar agar to set if not baking and setting in a refrigerator.
must be accompanied by a clipping of the caption contest and its much larger than kaaphal and away the rain-bearing clouds.
Method
number. Photocopies or scans of the caption photo won’t be phaalsa but sharing their sweet- We were pleasantly surprised
■ Line a shallow flan pan with a film of butter. Crush the biscuits coarsely
accepted. Online subscribers may attach an epaper clipping at astringent taste to tinge the tongue recently when a hostess prepared a
captionpics@tribunemail.com or a scanned copy of the e-paper clipping. and some softened butter to obtain a crumbly dough. Line the pan with
in purple hues. special treat for us — a jamun
Please mention the pin code and phone number in your address. this mix and press with a potato masher to level the surface.
Few people are aware that jamun, cheesecake that wasn’t baked in
■ Wash the jamun berries in a bowl with water two or three times. Then
Selected entries for Caption Contest 1406 also known as Java plum or Mal- the oven. Not to be outdone, a fel-
add these to a pan with a cup of water and half cup of sugar and allow
abar plum, is native to the subcon- low guest invited us to try her
May 7 issue (see photo) to boil. Let it simmer on medium flame for eight to 10 minutes. Remove
tinent and is entwined with our jamun pulao. Long years ago, good the scum that rises to surface from time to time. Remove the pan from
❚ Survival kit — Neeraj identity. Bharatvarsh, the land we friend, writer-publisher, heritage
Sabharwal, Chandigarh stove. Allow it to cool. Pour the watery syrup in a pan and rub the
inhabit, is situated in Jambu custodian Atiya Zaidi from Jaun- berries with palms to remove stones and separate the flesh. Discard all
❚ Head to mouth —
Rishu Rani via epaper, Dveep, a continent-sized island in pur had let us savour an excellent stones. Place the pulp and the syrup in a blender and puree. Stir in
Dhuri phaalsa pulao and Chef Nishant gelatine or agar agar dissolved in lukewarm water in this puree. Blend
❚ Transit business — Choubey had created an exotic well to avoid lumps. Allow to cool and set.
Ranjana Kumari, jamun ki chaat at a party, but ■ Spread a layer of this jam-like compote over the lined biscuits base in
Chandigarh cheesecake was something new. the pan. Save some for the top layer.
❚ Heady
responsibility—
Jamun pulao requires patience ■ Boil the cream cheese with milk, whisking constantly to ensure no
Pankaj Goel, Ambala and some skill to pull it off but the lumps. Cool and pour when the thick custard-like consistency in pan
city cheesecake is well within any over the jamun compote. Top cheesecake with another compote layer.
❚ Spice girl — Rajiv jamun lover’s reach. So we have ■ Keep overnight in the refrigerator to set well. Garnish with chopped
Sharma via epaper, great pleasure in sharing the recipe plump jamun, slice and enjoy.
Amritsar
with our readers.
ISTOCK
4 Books CHANDIGARH | 14 MAY 2023
H
ERE is a rare book that is tracing
untouchability’s demise. Hasn’t
Aradhika Sharma sisting of 13 fables, is called ‘Labdha untouchability died yet? Or are
Pranasham’ (Loss of acquired gains) we here to sustain untouchability
V
ISHNUSHARMA’S ‘ Pan- and the fifth, consisting of 12 fables, and its manifold manifestations?
chatantra’, authored in about is titled ‘Aparikshita Karakam’ (Ill- Manoj Mitta’s book is one of a kind. Dr BR
345-300 BCE, is a treasure considered actions). Ambedkar, through his works, had opened
Dr Ambedkar’s
trove of lessons in statesman- Each part contains a frame story the eyes of the world to untouchability, the
objections and
ship, kingship, strategy, governance, with several embedded stories narrat- reasons for it and how and why the Hindu suggestions
polity, conduct and the duties of a ruler. ed by one character to another. social order treats its own men the way it raised in 1955
This collection of fables is a corpus of There are innumerable pithy verses does. If some of us thought that after were accepted in
stories. Although in the present day, it interspersed in the stories, often in untouchability was abolished under the 1977 when the
is largely simplified as children’s liter- the form of a dialogue between char- Constitution of 1950, it has disappeared, we Indira Gandhi
ature, ‘Panchatantra’ has sustained acters. Usually replete with universal are under an illusion. Mitta’s book is a stark government
its impact on world literature. In this truths, they provide practical direc- reminder that there is a lot more to do. converted the
retelling, Meena Arora Nayak brings tions to life. The book tells the struggle through legisla- Untouchability
69 stories from ‘Panchatantra’ to a tive bodies, social movements and court- Offences Act into
new generation of readers. ‘A friend during adversity room interjections, the Victorian morals, the the Protection of
It is said that ‘Panchatantra’ was Is a true friend indeed Hindu-edified social divisions, how Ambed- Civil Rights Act,
created as a set of stories to educate In times of prosperity kar and Mahatma Gandhi and lesser-known 1977. FILE PHOTO:
THE TRIBUNE
the three unschooled sons of King Even the evil and the wicked fighters like Vittalbhai Patel fought for
Amarashakti of Mahilaropya. The Call themselves your friend’ emancipation, reform and equality. He CASTE PRIDE: BAT- ing the failure of the 1955 Act, converted the
wise king, despairing of his sons’ — describes how sanatanists like Madan TLES FOR EQUALITY Untouchability Offences Act into the Protec-
nescience, sought out the octo- ‘Unless one puts in the effort Mohan Malviya and scores like him couldn’t IN HINDU INDIA tion of Civil Rights Act, 1977, and included
genarian scholar Vishnushar- and does not shy from taking risks, grapple with the fast-changing India, then. by Manoj Mitta. Ambedkar’s 1955 suggestions.
ma to educate the young men success and progress do not happen. Mitta’s book also expands the under- Westland. The author lists the way courts dealt with
on being good rulers. The ven- Even Suryadeva must climb the standing of early 20th century where the and let off killers in horrifying inhuman
Pages 596.
erable sage accepted the task, scales of Libra law which sought equality and Hindu social massacres of Dalits in Kilvenmani,
~999
promising to accomplish it in to win victory over rain clouds.’ code, clashed in instances when upper Shankarbhiga, Belchi, Bathani Thola,
six months. To equip his stu- — castes felt offended if lower-caste women Tsundur, Jhajjar and finally, Khairlanji. He
dents with the maxims of polit- ‘Anger is a useless emotion for a man covered their breasts (Travancore state); and 20th centuries, while they decided on has missed institutional deaths like Rohith
ical ethics and principles of Who cannot do anything about it and how Rajputs (Rajasthan) were offend- the rights of women and untouchables. Vemula’s. The book leaves us pondering
THE PANCHATANTRA good government, he com- No matter how high a chickpea ed if their women were stopped from com- The author starts the milestones with a over the efficacy of implementation of the
OF VISHNUSHARMA: posed the ‘Panchatantra’ or bounces mitting sati on the pyre of their dead hus- 1795 incident where the East India Compa- Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes
A RETELLING the five treatises. It cannot crack open the roasting pan’ bands. Upper castes were offended that ny exempted the Banaras Brahmins from (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, and its
by Meena Arora The great work abounds with untouchables would make temple entry the death penalty in case of a crime, and newer version of 2016 to eliminate the man-
Nayak. animal, bird, and aquatic pro- Many stories are familiar to Indian and looked for ways to prevent untouch- ends with the 2019 ruling of the Supreme ifestations of untouchability.
Aleph. tagonists — lions, tigers, wolves, children — the blue jackal, the turtle ables from roaming in streets and drink Court upholding life sentences for the eight The book is a long journey of Hindu India’s
cats, tortoises, monkeys, deer, and the geese, the monkey and the water from any public-watering hole. Here accused in the Khairlanji atrocity. The book struggles to bring in equality in a deeply
Pages 373.
hares, snakes, crows, fish and crocodile, the tale of the iron-eating we see caste pride at play. details how Gandhi turned the national caste-entrenched and divided society. It takes
~999
crabs. However, explaining that mice and the boy devouring falcon, The second part of the book is all about movement into a social programme and the us through the differential punishment
‘ Panchatantra’ is an allegory of the story of the woman who killed how the law, the political game, Parliament entire Gandhi-driven temple entry legalisa- reserved for lower castes and the discrimina-
humanness, Nayak explains that the her mongoose son, the hare that out- and societal pressure worked both ways. tion debate is well chronicled. tion and oppression of women, Hindu Code
“animals are not zoomorphic; they are witted the lion, the tale of the mice Firstly, in expanding the legal punishment Post-Independence, Mitta takes the reader Bill and the rights of women, and how caste
actually humans wearing the mask of that freed the elephant, the tale of for untouchability and its related offences, through the debates in the Constituent has played a major role in the courtrooms on
animals”. the jackal who thought he was a lion. and then, after all of it, how the killings, Assembly on abolition of untouchability, aspects of discrimination, inheritance and
‘ Panchatantra’ uses the frame nar- Of the 84 stories in the ‘Pan- massacres and rapes wouldn’t stop. insertion of Article 17 and how it took five internecine rivalry between the varnas.
rative or a ‘story within a story’ tech- chatantra’, Nayak has chosen 69 for Mitta conveniently starts the book with years to criminalise abolition through the What Manoj Mitta undertakes in his mag-
nique in which the narrator in one her anthology, bringing them to the the advent of the British, the way they cre- Untouchability Offences Bill in 1955. The Bill num opus is of the play of the Hindu caste sys-
setting tells a story set in another contemporary, adult gaze. She has ated and evolved law, which in form and also subsumed all the temple entry legisla- tem within the legal framework and how the
time and place and is divided into retained the timelessness of this text is in today’s Constitution and legal tions of the national movement. We have the basic tenets of equality, fraternity and liberty
five sections. The theme running splendid literature, while making it a framework. Like a true legal expert, Mitta rare appearance of Ambedkar in the Rajya have been in conflict with the Hindu social
through the first two sections is modern and absorbing read. explains about a law or a resolution being Sabha (he resigned as the Law Minister in order. It will be a handbook for lawyers, histo-
friendship and political and social In the introductory essay, Nayak, a objected to by the male lawmakers. He goes 1951) debating the Bill. His objections and the rians, social activists and a must-read for all
alliance. The first tantra, consisting professor of English and mythology, into meticulous detail and gives a deep suggestions raised in 1955 were accepted in those who believe in creating an equitable
of 30 fables, is titled ‘Mitra Bheda’ discusses the genesis of ‘Pan- insight into the minds of men in the 19th 1977. Indira Gandhi’s government, after see- society of India for both women and Dalits.
(Estrangement or dissension among chatantra’ and its popularity across
friends), while the second tantra, the world, where it manifested in
consisting of 10 fables, is titled ‘Mitra different versions. She speaks at
Mapping a city T
ILL the Supreme Court ordered the
relocation of all factories out of Delhi
in 1988, the DCM factory in front of
Old Delhi’s then-iconic Filmistan
Cinema Theatre was one of the capital’s
and fiancée that the family did not ini-
tially approve of.
Bhasin also brings to life the senti-
ments of the time. In the 1860s, Sri
Ram’s uncle set up DCM as a joint stock
R
ARELY is one map the subject of a whole book. But this isn’t any ordi- prominent landmarks and a source of pride. firm. He was astute enough to realise
nary map — it is a plan of Shahjahanabad, the capital of the Mughal With the factory now relocated to Hisar, Del- that post-1857, it made smart business
Empire, once a thriving centre for arts and culture. It was founded by hi University’s Shri Ram College of Com- sense to warp the offer to sell shares as
Shahjahan in the mid-17th century as the empire’s capital at the glo- merce and Lady Shri Ram College now an endeavour to help the country devel-
ENTREPRENEURS
rious height of the Mughal dynasty. From this vantage point, it was also wit- remain as enduring legacies from a consti- op. The shares sold like hot cakes. Shri
WHO BUILT INDIA:
ness to the empire’s decline and eventual extinction. pated, sickly boy who entered a loveless mar- Ram carried forward the joint stock lega-
LALA SHRI RAM
Fortunately, in 1846, a mapmaker painstakingly depicted impor- riage but channeled all his energy into trad- cy and entered every sunrise sector that by Sonu Bhasin.
tant buildings, streets and landmarks, providing a wealth of infor- ing and manufacturing. was on the cusp of taking off. HarperCollins.
mation about the city as it had evolved up to that time. Visually Shri Ram’s legacy of the colleges was not Raising funds was just a quarter of the
Pages 309.
curated by Pramod Kapoor, founder and publisher of Roli Books, unique. It was that era when industrialists story. With no Chat GPT or Google to
~399
and Sneha Pamneja, art director at Roli Books, ‘Shahjahanabad: also had a social conscience, having risen give them tips and communication a
Mapping a Mughal City’ by Swapna Liddle reproduces this large- from the ranks, and gave back to society major bother, this is a saga of persist-
scale, beautifully drawn and coloured map as a pullout, besides some of what they had profited from. By the Shri Ram belonged to an era when industrialists also had ence and endurance by a group of peo-
taking the readers through it neighbourhood by neighbourhood, time he had greyed, Shri Ram made up for a social conscience. PHOTO COURTESY: HARPERCOLLINS ple who never called it quits. Living frugally,
SHAHJAHANABAD: building by building, street by street. his childhood loneliness with a vengeance. they put their shoulder to the DCM wheel to
MAPPING A Liddle says the map is a valuable resource for the study of the His house at 22 Curzon Road would be full of DCM and another in his foray in potteries in carry out feats that still seem impossible
MUGHAL CITY city in the first half of the 19th century. From important struc- people. A cultural centre near Mandi House Kolkata at a time when the country was brim- today, such as shifting a loss-making sugar
by Swapna Liddle. tures, complexes and spaces to the wall of the city, all have been would become a modern Delhi landmark. ming with idealist trade unions out to mill near the Nepal border to the sugar-grow-
Roli Books. shown in great detail and are neatly labelled. Interestingly, the The book is also about a once-reticent young- improve workers’ lives. ing belt of Mawana in western UP. In 1963, it
Pages 104. picture depicted by the map was drastically altered after the ster’s power of communication, which The deep dive into Shri Ram’s legacy by was fitting that the cortege that followed the
~2,495 Revolt of 1857. A must-have for anyone interested in cartography helped him chart a different ethos in industri- Sonu Bhasin, a specialist in biographies of vehicle carrying his body was the largest Del-
and Delhi’s vibrant cultural history. — TNS al relations. A solitary strike took place at industrialists, is once again not a simple col- hi had seen in recent years.
BACKFLAP
123
CHANDIGARH | SUNDAY | 14 MAY 2023 REFLECTIONS 5
B
crossed the finish line in second finished second, missing out on the first place by
position in the gruelling Golden a whisker’s margin. Thus, his achievement is Y the time this column appears, the Karnataka election results
Globe Race (GGR) in ocean sailing, not merely about a podium finish; it’s about will have been declared and the din and hysteria that have
it was, to misquote Neil Armstrong, fighting incredible odds and emerging tri- enveloped our lives for the last many weeks will have settled
one significant event for a man and umphant, about never giving up, about the finest down. I usually avoid writing on political issues as there is
one landmark moment for a nation. Tomy, a values and virtues that adventure sports engen- already a surfeit of commentators, analysts and other such
retired Indian Navy Commander, had notched der. Abhilash credits much of his toughness, sur- worthies who are far more qualified to do so. So I will talk of
SRIKANT B KESNUR up one of India’s finest sporting achievements, vival skills and sailing savvy to the Indian Navy certain issues that bother me about our obsession with treating elections
in a field traditionally dominated by western which has, in the last decade and a half, done like a do-or-die cricket match. Since the IPL matches and the Karnataka
Retired Navy officer nations. If leveraged properly and disseminated
widely, this event has the potential of providing
some heavy lifting to put eight persons in the cir-
cumnavigation club. The Indian Navy’s ocean
elections were running side by side, at some point they merged into a col-
lective national obsession and took on each other’s roles. For some time
Abhilash Tomy’s a huge impetus to sailing and can be as momen- sailing journey began in right earnest in 1988 now, we have made both into spectacles dominated by personalities and
tous as 1983 World Cup was for Indian cricket. when INSV Samudra, skippered by Cdr Vijay taken sides according to the bets that are placed upon one side or the oth-
second position in However, that involves ruminating over various Vadhera, went around the world, albeit with mul- er. The damage this is doing to the sober process of electing our govern-
the gruelling Golden aspects of the ocean sailing ecosystem in our tiple rotated crews and a few stops en route. Lat- ments is for all to see. Yatras, roadshows, low demagoguery — all these
country and what the future portends. er, Samudra undertook some more voyages have completely sidelined what ought to be the primary focus of the elec-
Globe Race in ocean To begin with, let’s understand the full involving ocean sailing expeditions. Concurrent- torate. Caste and religious affiliations — that our Constitution forbids for
sailing is not merely extent of Abhilash’s achievement. First, sail-
ing — implying travelling on wind power
ly, the Navy also acquired sail training ships —
Varuna, Tarangini and Sudarshini — to train
stirring public passions — have now become the primary focus of politi-
cal parties. Few of us had even heard of groupings called Lingayats and
about a podium finish. alone with no motor propulsion allowed — cadets during the ab initio phase. Vokkalingas (I still don’t know what they actually denote), yet every dis-
around the globe, non-stop, solo, is by itself a However, the major impetus to the quest hap- cussion on the final outcome of the result spoke of little else.
It’s about fighting Herculean ordeal and considered one of the pened when the late Vice Admiral MP Awati, a As for religion and the shameless wooing of communities by name, let’s
incredible odds, toughest challenges in the world. Such expe-
ditions usually last anywhere between 150
true sailing visionary, mooted the idea of solo cir-
cumnavigation and relentlessly campaigned for
not even talk of the harm this has done to our polity and social relations.
Time was when even reports on communal clashes desisted from nam-
about never giving and 300 days and, thus, it’s no wonder that it with the naval authorities. This bore fruit when ing religious groupings or miscreants by individual names that clearly
the club of solo circumnavigators has less Commander Dilip Donde became the first Indi- revealed their religious identities. No more. There is a determined pur-
up, about the finest members than ‘Everesters’ or those who
Commander Abhilash Tomy with the Tricolour. PTI
an to achieve this feat in 2009, followed by Abhi- pose in spelling out such details in black and white, as if we are expected
values and virtues have gone into space. Second, doing so as part world. His injury necessitated a surgery that lash Tomy in 2013 and six women officers in to take sides based only on religious groupings. Neither our Editors Guild
of a race is even more daunting and often involved fusing five vertebrae and inserting tita- 2018. A silent contributor to this magnificent nor the official agencies take note or bother to haul up such offenders.
that adventure described as the endeavour of those who are nium rods in his spine. Rehabilitation began endeavour was Ratnakar Dandekar, a Goa-based Politicians going to temples and
sports engender ‘truly mad’. The GGR itself has been held
only thrice (including the current edition)
with learning how to walk again; thus, participa-
tion in the ‘very race that killed him’ was about
shipbuilder who built most of the yachts used for
these voyages. Following on these successes, and
mosques, exhorting public recita-
tions are nauseating spectacles
and, typically, only around 20 per cent of the mental toughness and getting a ’monkey off his to give an institutional thrust and create a pool even by the low standards of our
participants complete the race, with the oth- back’. Second, despite his achievements, it was of qualified personnel, the Navy inaugurated the public behaviour. Eventually, this
ers giving up. Third, the GGR rules demand not easy for him to find sponsors and while his Ocean Sailing Node (OSN) in Goa a few years will lead to a social polarisation
that participants use technology as in 1968. fellow competitors were preparing for the race, ago. The node has a fleet of six vessels and, if that will forever tear apart the fab-
Thus, it’s a ‘retro race’ with no luxuries of Abhilash was running pillar to post to find some- reports are to be believed, preparations are afoot ric so carefully stitched by an ear-
GPS navigation or satellite communication one to back him and fund his equipment. Third, to soon flag off a woman-skippered solo-circum- lier generation of political leaders
available. Combating stormy seas, capricious very unfortunately and for no fault of his, just a navigation expedition. and convert us into a nation of TOUCHSTONES
weather, variable winds and a range of meteo- few weeks before the race, his yacht ‘Bayanat’ While the Indian Navy has ploughed a lonely warring tribes. If you don’t IRA PANDE
rological conditions on one hand and keeping was involved in a collision with a Dutch mer- furrow in this domain, making it a more popular believe me, look west to Pakistan
the tiny vessel in a seaworthy state by attend- chant ship. This damaged his bow and necessi- sport requires a ‘whole of India’ approach. Oth- and the Middle East where
ing to her maintenance requirements on the tated urgent repairs, making it a ‘touch and go’ er stakeholders in the maritime realm need to minorities have either been
Why do politicians find it
other, while simultaneously fighting loneli- situation with respect to his participation. His buy in to the idea, the government needs to cre- flushed out or reduced to terror- so difficult to apologise for
ness, fatigue, sleep deprivation, illness are the mental state can well be imagined. Fourth, the ate more maritime infrastructure such as mari- stricken groups that huddle
very stuff of superhuman challenges. And race itself was no cakewalk and presented the nas to encourage a range of waterfront and open together for safety. Always mistakes made by them?
Abhilash conquered them.
But he also overcame a few other demons that
full range of challenges that oceans do to those
who dare them. Consequently, Abhilash’s ves-
sea activities, and popular culture needs to cele-
brate the achievements of heroes like Abhilash
remember that what takes
decades to build can be
I am still puzzled by the
haunted him. First, he had experienced a set- sel was bruised and battered in unimaginable to fire people’s imagination. Abhilash’s awe- destroyed in just a few years. I complete silence over
back during GGR 2018 when, after encounter-
ing a severe storm in south-eastern Indian
ways. It was his genius at innovation and
‘jugaad’ that enabled him to manufacture or
some achievement will have a true imprint only
if an ocean sailing legacy is created in India.
dread to think of what will hap-
pen next year when frenzied
the charges made by our
Ocean, his vessel almost got wrecked and Abhi- conjure spares out of the unlikeliest of things; Abhilash has done his bit, now it remains for the mobs will be stirred to declare young wrestlers against
lash lay with a broken spine for 72 hours await- everyone in the GGR community acknowl- rest of us to do ours. their loyalty to political parties
ing rescue in one of the remotest parts of the edged Abhilash as the ultimate DIY maestro. — The writer is a Navy veteran as we head towards our next a man who has a lot of
General Elections. explaining to do
Why do politicians find it so dif-
S
the pleas of these young girls when they accuse this monster of sexual
IKHS remember Guru Gobind Singh his private property. The riches and gems Darbara Singh was serving as the Chief Min- harassment? Where are our sports icons and the woke feminists who
as the great spiritual light. At the same were sent to London to Queen Victoria on a ister. I was heading the Department of Tourism, are so vocal otherwise? There are nominated Rajya Sabha members
time, the royal symbolism of the Guru special ship. The validity of this record is Culture, Museum and Archaeology, Govern- from the sports world who have been given the highest awards and even
also pervades the Sikh psyche. Dasam proven by an eventful find that occurred in ment of Punjab; the museum was built by our a Bharat Ratna. I hear nothing but silence from that lot. When old
Guru is remembered as ‘Kalgianwala’ 1965. WC Archer, a British art historian and department in Ram Bagh, Amritsar. grannies and khap panchayats enter to fill this vacuum, one can imag-
(for wearing a plume), and for keeping curator, found various weapons belonging to The curator of Victoria and Albert Museum ine how the indifference from our leaders has hurt even the most con-
falcons and other regal symbols. Guru Gobind Singh from the residence of could not provide any details about Guru servative misogynists of Haryana, notorious for their past records of
The first historical account of the kalgi or crest Lord Dalhousie’s family. These weapons Sahib’s crest plume, as the museum lists had no female infanticide. Believe me, these are not good signs.
TARLOCHAN SINGH plume of Guru Gobind Singh is found in the were purchased by the Indian High Commis- record of it. On my request, he shared the I think the time has come to distinguish politicians from political lead-
records of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. It was kept in sioner and brought to Delhi on the orders of records of the Mughal plumes in the museum. ers. Those who join politics to further personal fortunes can never be
his toshakhana. The Maharaja, it was said, would the then Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shas- These had jade and diamonds set in them. expected to focus on a larger vision. Their interests will always be influ-
Found in the records daily pay his obeisance to Guru Sahib’s plume tri. The weapons are now securely kept in There was one plume about which the museum enced by promoting family members or their baradari so that they can
of Maharaja Ranjit kept in his protection. In 1849, the British
annexed Punjab. A frantic search for all valuable
Gurdwara Kesgarh Sahib, Anandpur.
Amidst all the loot of the Lahore Durbar
did not have any information. This crest plume,
kept in the Victoria and Albert Museum, with
secure a prosperous future. On the other hand are those who are leaders
in the true sense: Gandhiji and the freedom movement gave us those
Singh and kept in items was made by British officials when they toshakhana, the question about the where- no documented record, was purchased by a who dreamt of a free India where all Indians, regardless of their religion,
took the keys of the Lahore fort. abouts of Guru Gobind Singh’s kalgi British officer in 1853 from Calcutta and was name or lineage, would join in a collective effort to make this a better
his toshakhana, the John Spencer Login was appointed Governor remains rather intriguing. The kalgi that had exhibited in Paris. It was taken to London for an country. They were not afraid to admit that they occasionally erred and
kalgi went missing of the Lahore fort. He invited Misr Beli Ram, the
erstwhile custodian of the toshakhana, and pre-
been taken from the toshakhana to Calcutta
has been missing ever since.
exhibition where it is still housed.
Researchers and scholars should pay attention
were, therefore, readily forgiven because which human being has not
made mistakes? Increasingly, after that generation passed on, power
after the British pared an inventory. Sacred relics of all religions I went to London in 1965 and met K Natwar to this unnamed crest plume kept in the VA became concentrated in the hands of powerful political figures who
and royal relics of major kingdoms had been Singh, the then Deputy High Commissioner museum while keeping in mind that a crest became imperious and unyielding. They began to view public apologies
took control. Could carefully kept in the toshakhana. there. I sought to know the whereabouts of plume was gifted to Guru Gobind Singh by as a sign of weakness that would be exploited by their rivals and so we
it be the one at the Of these items, the thing of utmost sanctity and
historical importance was Guru Gobind Singh’s
Guru Sahib’s kalgi. He arranged a meeting
with the Victoria and Albert (VA) Museum
Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah during a meet-
ing at Agra in July 1707. Could there be any pos-
never had a proper acknowledgement of the lapses over the Sikh pogrom
or of the Godhra riots despite clear evidence of political conniving.
London museum? crest plume. This has been recorded as ‘Kalgi-e- curator, who furnished a list of all Sikh histori- sible link between this unnamed crest plume in Today, we have made this into an axiom of political policy: Say nothing
kuchh’ in the museum documents. All items pro- cal weapons and other relics kept in the muse- the Mughal collection at VA, which was pur- to the people or to the media for heaven knows what may happen if I apol-
cured from the treasury were sent to the British um. I gave this list to the then Chief Minister of chased in Calcutta, and Guru Goibind Singh ogise. If I can venture to give any advice to them, I would say that the peo-
capital of Calcutta. These items were at the dis- Punjab, Giani Zail Singh, and the then Chief crest plume in Login’s toshakhana inventory ple of this country are so large-hearted and forgiving that they would for-
posal of the then Viceroy, Lord Dalhousie. Secretary. In 1980, select items from that list which had gone missing in Calcutta? This give and move on. In the absence of any admission of a personal failing,
As per historical records, many of the fur- were brought to Punjab and exhibited in intriguing question needs further research. rumours, suspicion and a lingering sense of betrayal will remain.
nished items were kept by Lord Dalhousie as Maharaja Ranjit Singh Museum, Amritsar. — The writer is a former Rajya Sabha MP Just say sorry. It’s as simple as that.
Germany to give USD 3 bn military assistance to Ukraine Poland detects incursion in airspace
Berlin, May 13 Ukraine, defended by then Warsaw, May 13 Russia launched its full-
Germany will provide Announcement comes before possible Zelenskyy visit Chancellor Angela Merkel. Poland Defence Ministry Likely an observation scale invasion of Ukraine,
Ukraine with an additional Her successor, Olaf Scholz, said on Saturday that it which lies on Poland’s east-
military aid worth more than UKRAINE PRESIDENT TO agreed to phase out Russian detected an object in the
balloon that flew ern border.
2.7 billion Euros ($3 billion), MEET POPE IN ROME energy imports after the inva- country’s Polish airspace from Belarus: Govt In November, two Polish
including tanks, anti-aircraft sion but initially hesitated to that flew in from the direc- men were killed when a
■ Ukrainian President Volodymr
systems and ammunition, the provide Ukraine with lethal tion of Belarus, and that it’s Ewa Zlotnicka, told the tel- missile landed in eastern
government said Saturday. Zelenskyy is making a trip to weapons, fearing Germany probably an observation evision broadcaster TVN24. Poland. Western officials
The announcement came as
Rome and he will meet with Pope could be drawn into the con- balloon. The object was spotted on said they believed a Ukrain-
Francis and Italian leaders on Sat-
preparations were underway flict. With Washington, War- The ministry tweeted that Friday at around 8:30 pm ian air defence missile went
urday, the Vatican said
in Berlin for a possible first saw and London more overtly radar contact with the local time near Bialowieza, astray as Ukrainian air
■ Zelenskyy will hold midday meet-
visit to Germany by Ukrain- supportive of Ukraine’s object was lost near Rypin, which is near Poland’s bor- forces tried to repel a large-
ian President Volodymyr ings with Italian Premier Giorgia efforts to defend itself, Berlin a town in central Poland 143 der with Belarus. Radar scale attack by Russia.
Zelenskyy since Russia
Meloni, who staunchly backs mili- got the cold diplomatic shoul- kilometre northwest of the monitoring was carried out, Polish military and politi-
tary and other aid for Ukraine
invaded his country last year. der from Kyiv. capital, Warsaw. but at around 12:30 am on cal officials are also facing
■ Zelenskyy’s exact schedule was-
Defense Minister Boris Pis- German President Frank- A search was launched in Saturday, the object ceased questions about another
torius said that Berlin wants Italian President Sergio Mattarella with Ukrainian President n’t being publicly announced Walter Steinmeier was disin- the vicinity of Rypin involv- to be visible, Zlotnicka said object that landed on Polish
to show with the latest pack- Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Rome. REUTERS because of security concerns vited from Ukraine last year, ing a helicopter, a drone and in a phone interview with territory in December, but
age of arms “that Germany is prompting annoyance in Ger- ground groups from the the private TV station. which was only discovered
serious in its support” for While Zelenskyy’s visit on Ukraine and Germany have cious of Germany’s reliance many, which pointed out that it Territorial Defence Forces, The development report- in April by chance by a
Ukraine. “Germany will pro- Sunday has yet to be official- improved markedly after a on Russian energy and sup- has given financial aid to Kyiv a press officer with the ed Saturday follows two member of the public who
vide all the help it can, as ly confirmed, it would be a rocky patch. port for the Nord Stream gas and taken in more than a mil- Operational Command of other known incursions was riding a horse in a for-
long as it takes,” he said. sign that relations between Kyiv has long been suspi- pipelines circumventing lion refugees. — PTI the Armed Forces, Capt into Poland’s airspace since est. — AP
Sudan talks to resume amid airstrikes, Saudi invites Army chief to summit situation in the occupied West
Bank, the Israeli military raid-
ed the Balata refugee camp in
where millions of Israelis
were instructed to remain
close to safe rooms and
RIYADH, May 13 has also invited army chief Despite Burhan’s invita- His rival RSF chief access, but there has been no Talks would then move the northern city of Nablus, bomb shelters.
Sudan’s warring army and Abdel Fattah al-Burhan to Fri- tion to the Jeddah summit, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, let up in the fighting, with onto ways to end the conflict, killing two Palestinians. Israeli officials told media
Rapid Support Forces para- day’s Arab League summit in he is not expected to leave known as Hemedti, is deputy clashes and strikes ringing eventually paving the way The Palestinian Health Min- that Egyptian-led efforts to
military will resume talks on Jeddah, the diplomat said. Sudan for security reasons, head of the council. around Khartoum and neigh- for a civilian government. istry identified the two as 32- broker a cease-fire were still
Sunday, a senior Saudi diplo- The conflict that broke out two other diplomats in the “We haven’t yet received bouring areas. “The nature of the conflict year-old Said Mesha and 19- underway but that Israel has
mat said, as air strikes and suddenly a month ago has Gulf said. Burhan was invited the names of the delegation, In the resumed talks in Jed- affects the dialogue. Yet I year-old Adnan Araj. ruled out the conditions pre-
heavy fighting raged killed hundreds, sent more because he is head of but we are expecting Sudan to dah, the sides will start by dis- found a very good spirit from At least three other Pales- sented by Islamic Jihad in
overnight around Khartoum than 200,000 people into Sudan’s Sovereign Council be represented in the sum- cussing mechanisms to both sides,” the Saudi diplo- tinians were wounded in the the talks.
despite an agreement to pro- neighbouring states, displaced that was meant to be oversee- mit,” the Saudi diplomat said. implement Thursday’s mat said. In public neither raid, the latest of near-daily If the rocket fire continues
tect civilians. another 700,000 inside the ing a planned transition to The two sides agreed on agreement including plans side has shown any sign it is Israeli arrest operations from Gaza, Israeli officials
Saudi Arabia, which has country and risks drawing in civilian rule before the con- Thursday to a “declaration of for aid delivery, safe corridors willing to compromise and against suspected militants told local media, “the strikes
been hosting the talks aimed outside powers and destabilis- flict erupted, the Saudi diplo- principles” to protect civil- and the removal of forces they battled through previous in the territory. (on Gaza) will continue and
at securing a ceasefire deal, ing the region. mat said. ians and allow humanitarian from civilian areas. truces. — Reuters Meanwhile, hopes for an intensify.” — AP
THE HINDU
12 Sunday, May 14, 2023
SCIENCE
Delhi
U.K. sees success in mitochondrial replacement therapy SNAPSHOTS
쑽
R. Prasad IVFbased procedure on a The mitochondrial re embryo does not inherit is also called threeparent can save around 10 lives
casebycase basis, recent placements in “less than the mitochondrial disease. IVF (in vitro fertilisation). each year in the U.K.
Eight years after the U.K. ly confirmed this in res five” children were carried This would allow a woman According to the HFEA, Mitochondria is the po
became the first country in ponse to a freedom of in out by the Newcastle Fertil carrying mitochondrial one in 6,500 babies in the werhouse of a cell, and any
the world to approve a re formation request. The ity Centre, U.K., the only diseases to have healthy U.K. is born with a mito mutation that damages
productive technique fertility regulator refused clinic that has been ap children. The resulting IVF chondrial disorder which the mitochondria tends to
known as mitochondrial to share more information proved by the regulator to embryo combines sperm can lead to serious pro affect energyhungry or
replacement therapy about the birth details of conduct this therapy. and egg from the biological blems such as heart and gans the most.
(MRT), “less than five” chil the children as that “could parents, while the mito liver disease, and respira As of 2013, about 12,000
dren have been born using lead to the identification of Threeparent IVF chondria is from the do tory problems, which can people in the U.K. live with
the procedure, as of April a person to whom the Mitochondria replacement nor’s egg. even lead to the death of such conditions, the rea
2023. HFEA owes a duty of involves transferring nu As a result, the baby has the infant. son why the therapy was
The Human Fertilisation confidentiality”. clear genetic material from DNA from each of its pa approved by the HFEA.
and Embryology Authority
(HFEA), the U.K. fertility
Last year, Australia be
came the second country
a mother’s egg into a do
nor egg that has had its nu
rents, along with 37 genes
from the donor. This is the
Lifesaver
The Authority said, in
In the U.S., 1,0004,000
babies with mitochondrial
Hammerhead sharks hold
regulator that approves the to approve this therapy. clear DNA removed so the reason why this technique 2013, that this procedure disease are born each year. their breath during diving
As per a new study (Science), hammerhead
sharks hold their breath to maintain body
Rajeev Jayadevan lenging for many reasons.
Firstly, many infections oc
ometimes, I cur without symptoms. Se
“S
pause and think.”
forget what
I was doing,
and have to
“After having COVID19,
cond, the virus is constant
ly evolving to escape
human immune responses
arising from vaccination
and/or prior infection.
I have not been able to go This means that repeated
to work due to breathing bouts of COVID19 can be
difficulty.” expected, especially when
“I feel so tired, with ach
es and pains in my muscles
precautions are not fol
lowed during a regional
Data reveal Homo adaptation
and joints.” surge. A recent study pu to diverse environments
These are complaints blished by the CDC found
voiced by some people that 15% of reinfections oc Homo species — particularly Homo sapiens —
long after recovering from curred as early as two were uniquely equipped to adapt to diverse
COVID19. While it is not months after initial infec environments (Science), which may have enabled
unusual for a viral fever to tion. Every (re)infection our species and that of our closely related
leave a person feeling tired has a possibility of causing ancestors to survive in highly fluctuating
for a few days, people with long COVID. Pleistocene environments. Whether this is
long COVID experience because our species was uniquely successful at
symptoms for several Pandemic fatigue adapting to Pleistocene environments, because
months or even longer. The recent declaration by we outcompeted other contemporary Homo
the WHO ending the CO species, or because we simply outlived others by
Several symptoms VID19 public health emer chance remains largely unknown.
The World Health Organi gency of international con
zation (WHO) defines long cern is misunderstood as
COVID as the continuation plies that one out of 20 pa ly discussed hard outcome specific age group or the the end of the pandemic it
or development of new tients with COVID19 go on measure. However, long severity of the initial infec self. Blame it on pandemic
symptoms (beyond three to develop long COVID. COVID is a relatively soft tion. Initially, long COVID fatigue, despite the WHO’s
months after the initial in While gradual recovery has outcome because its onset was thought to be an au assertion that COVID19
fection) lasting for over occurred in some cases, is more insidious and its toimmune phenomenon, continues to be an “esta
two months with no alter this has not been the case diagnosis is less certain. and some believe it is due blished and ongoing health
native explanation. Studies for others. For instance, a Many people experiencing to persistence of the virus issue”, people end up tak
have attempted to deter paper from Kerala reports long COVID do not rush to in remote parts of the bo ing home a different mes
mine how commonly it oc that 62% of long COVID pa the doctor, and among dy, such as the gut. Reactiv sage. For them, the decla
curs. However, since there tients who became unem those who do, a diagnosis ation of other viruses in ration of the end of the
are several symptoms re ployed following their in is seldom made. the body is also implicated. public health emergency is
ported by those who suffer itial illness remained so Frequently, such people There is evidence of an ab tantamount to the pan
from long COVID, classifi even at 10 months are ignored as ‘psychologi normal immune response demic coming to an end.
cation has become diffi postinfection. cal’ or ‘anxietyrelated’. in long COVID, but it is not This could worsen the
cult. For instance, a study Across the world, mil Unfortunately, there are no clear what drives this res spread of the virus.
that uses tiredness as a cri lions continue to suffer diagnostic tests such as X ponse or what can be done Recognising the exis
Using disposable diaper waste
terion could overestimate from long COVID, and a rays, CT scans, or blood to alleviate it. tence of long COVID and as a construction material
the prevalence, as that study last year by the At tests to confirm long CO At present, there are no continuing to implement
symptom is already com lantabased CDC found VID. Therefore, a sizeable approved drugs for treat regionally appropriate mi Up to 8% of the sand in concrete and mortar
mon among the general that nearly onefifth of peo number of patients with ing long COVID, and multi tigation measures when used to make a singlestorey house could be
population. ple in the U.S. who had the long COVID go undetected. ple clinical trials are cur the situation so demands replaced with shredded, used disposable diapers
A study of long COVID disease in the last two Research is ongoing to rently under way. The will help in reducing the without diminishing their strength, as per a study
from AIIMS, Delhi during years continued to suffer determine why only some WHO said the best way to negative impact of the pan (Scientific Reports). Researchers tested six
the first wave reported its from long COVID. individuals develop long prevent long COVID is to demic on global health and samples containing different proportions of
incidence to be as high as The impact of any dis COVID. Some studies have avoid getting infected with productivity. diaper waste to measure how much pressure
10%. More recent studies ease is assessed based on found that it is more com SARSCoV2 virus. (Rajeev Jayadevan is co they could withstand. Then, they calculated the
estimate the true incidence certain outcomes. For CO mon in women, but it has Preventing COVID19 on Chairman, National IMA maximum proportion of sand that could be
to be around 5%, which im VID19, death is a frequent not been linked to any a forward timeline is chal COVID Task Force) replaced with these diapers in building materials.
A break in the Western Ghats
side of the Palghat Gap. dant in the Western Ghats
south of the Palghat Gap, as
Geological upheaval reported in a recent study by
The Gap is a geological shear groups from the CCMB at Hyd
Question Corner
SPEAKING OF zone that runs from east to erabad and other institutions
SCIENCE
D. Balasubramanian
west. Shear zones are weak
regions in the earth’s crust —
(Proceedings of the Royal So
ciety B, April 2023). There are Sea level rise
this is the reason why tremors over 450 species of trees here,
Often called as a significant are sometimes felt in Coimba including some such as Mag Has the future sea level melt ice at an accelerated
discontinuity in the Western tore. nolia champaca (Champa; Ta rise been correctly rate (Proceedings of the
Ghats, the Palghat Gap is The origin of the Palghat mil: Sambagan) that have estimated? National Academy of
about 40 km wide, with the Gap also stems from the drift been around for over 130 mil Sciences).
steep Nilgiris and Anamalai of continental shelves after lion years. Researchers have The researchers found that
hills, both rising above 2,000 Australia and Africa broke off Warm weather due to prox uncovered a previously as the Petermann Glacier’s
msl, on either side. from the Gondwana Variation: There are biogeographic distinctions in species north and south imity to the equator, and unseen way in which ice grounding line retreated
The Palghat Gap has histor landmass. of the Palghat Gap. FILE PHOTO moist air brings plenty of rain and an ocean interacts. nearly 4 km between 2016
ically been important as a sig India and Madagascar re to the southern Western According to glaciologists, and 2022, warm water
nificant gateway into the State mained as one landmass until in north and south of the Gap Budan are called the Nilgiri Ghats. Therefore, this region this could mean that the carved a 670foottall
of Kerala. largescale volcanic activity could be due to an ancient riv blue robin; the Anamalai has been an island refuge for climate community has cavity in the underside of
It is a corridor for both split the two, the split occur er or an incursion of the sea in group differs slightly in appea all forms of life, even as cycles been underestimating the the glacier, and that
roads and railways that con ring where the Palghat Gap is the distant past. Elephant rance, and is called the White of ice ages and droughts have magnitude of future sea abscess remained there for
nects Coimbatore with Palak located — this is mirrored in populations on the Nilgiris bellied blue robin. reduced biodiversity in sur level rise caused by polar all of 2022. The new study
kad. The Bharathappuzha riv the Ranotsara Gap on the east side differ in their mitochon rounding areas. The Western ice deterioration. shows that warm ocean
er flows through it. ern face of Madagascar. How drial DNA from elephants in South of the Gap Ghats in north of the Palghat Using satellite radar data water intrudes beneath the
In contrast to the tropical long ago did the Gap origi the Anamalai and the Periyar The biodiversity of a region is Gap receive more rain annual from three European ice through preexisting
rainforests of the Western nate? The landmass split sanctuaries. expressed in two ways: spe ly, but the south gets rain missions, the team learned subglacial channels, with
Ghats, the vegetation in the about 100 million years ago, One study from IISc Banga cies richness, which relates to more evenly throughout the that the Petermann the highest melt rates
Palghat Gap is classified as dry and the Gap had formed be lore has analysed DNA se how many species are found year. Glacier’s grounding line — occurring at the grounding
evergreen forest. fore this; although how long quence divergence data in in an ecosystem, and phyloge (The article was written in col where ice detaches from zone, says a release.
It also marks a divide in the before is debated. populations of the Whitebel netic diversity, where you add laboration with Sushil Chan land bed and floats in the
flora and fauna of the region. It has been speculated that lied Shortwing, an endemic up the evolutionary age of all dani, who works in molecular ocean — shifts during tidal
Readers may send their questions /
For example, several species one reason for the biogeo and threatened bird. Birds the species you find. modelling. sushilchanda cycles, allowing warm answers to
of frogs are found only on one graphic distinctions in species found around Ooty and Baba Both these traits are abun ni@gmail.com) seawater to intrude and questioncorner@thehindu.co.in
CM A ND-NDE
YK
THE HINDU
Sunday, May 14, 2023 13
PROFILES
Delhi
M
ultiple factors led to the Bamons and Kshatriyas are against the More than 83% of the Meitei
ethnic conflict that ST status, as are the SCs who feel they people are associated with
erupted in Manipur on will lose out if they compete with Hinduism, followed by the
May 3 that left more than Meiteis and existing tribes if they are Meitei Pangals or Manipuri
60 dead, 231 injured, and 1,700 granted the ST status, first demanded Muslims (8.4%) and Christians
houses, many belonging to tribes of by the Scheduled Tribe Demand (above 1%). The rest adhere to
the Kuki group, destroyed. The most Committee of Manipur in 2012. Sanamahi, an indigenous faith
recent was a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’,
spurred by the Manipur High Court’s ST status 쑽
March 27 order (issued on April 19) The committee claimed the existence While the Sanamahi followers
that revived a decadeold demand of a of the Meitei community was under are not SC, those Meiteis
section of the Meitei people that they threat from outsiders, primarily the following Hinduism account for
be granted the Scheduled Tribe status KukiChin people allegedly settling in the bulk of the State’s 3.8% SC
for protecting their “ancestral land, Manipur from Myanmar illegally. It population. the Scheduled
traditions, culture and language”. New said the space for the Meitei people is Tribe Demand Committee of
Delhi rushed thousands of Central shrinking as the ST people are allowed Manipur has demanded ST
forces to the State as violence spread. to buy land in the Imphal Valley while status for them
An uneasy calm has prevailed over the the Meiteis, without the ST tag, are
State ever since, but the equations kept away from the hills. The demand 쑽
between communities remain tense. was later taken up by the Meetei The existing tribal communities
Manipur, one of the eight (Meitei) Tribe Union, which filed a oppose any such move, saying
northeastern States, covers an area of petition in the Manipur High Court. Meiteis are already an
22,327 sq. km and has a rich cultural, The petitioners claimed the Meiteis advanced community
literary and administrative history. The were recognised as a tribe before the
State’s territory, according to merger of Manipur with the Union of
Britishera maps in the 1850s, once Manipur. Meiteis account for about Kangjei, which evolved into the mouth. The symbol is ubiquitous India, although many contest this
extended up to the Ningthee or 53% of the State’s total population of modern polo. across the areas dominated by the theory. Citing a May 2013 letter from
Chindwin river beyond the Kabaw or 2.85 million. Also known as Meetei or Meiteis. Hinduism penetrated the the Tribal Affairs Ministry to the
Kubo Valley in Myanmar. The Manipuri, the community is spread Four eras, seven clans Meitei kingdom in the late 15th century Manipur government seeking a specific
presentday Manipur can be broadly across the other northeastern States, The history of the Meities, broadly but largescale adoption of the religion recommendation along with the latest
divided into two valleys that account Bangladesh, and Myanmar. Their divided into four eras from the ancient is attributed to the influence of socioeconomic survey and
for a little more than 10% of the language, Meiteilon, is one of 22 to the modern, is chronicled in Puyas Vaishnav monks and adherents from ethnographic report, the court
landmass and the hills covering the recognised tongues that has been or texts such as Cheitharol Kumbaba, Bengal who fled persecution under the directed the State government to
rest. included in the Eighth Schedule of the Ninghthou Kangbalon, Ningthourol sultans of Bengal. The indigenous propose the inclusion of the Meitei
About 60% of Manipur’s Constitution. Their ancient script, Lambuba, Poireiton Khunthokpa and deities such as Panthoibi were community in the ST list to the Centre.
population, largely the nontribal Meitei Mayek, of the sixthcentury Panthoibi Khongkul. According to the gradually given a Hindu makeover. The court order led to the ‘Tribal
Meitei, live in the 1,864.44 sq.km vintage, is undergoing a process of chronicles, the Meiteis are divided into Caste entered Manipur via Solidarity March’ organised by the All
Imphal Valley, comprising five revival. seven Salai or clans — Mangang, Hinduism. The Meitei community can Tribal Students’ Union of Manipur
districts, almost at the centre of the More than 83% of the Meitei people Luwang, Khuman, Angom, Moirang be broadly divided into three castes — (ATSUM), representing the State’s 33
State. The remaining 40% inhabit the are associated with Hinduism, Kha, Ngangba, and Sarang the Bamons or Brahmins, the tribes divided unequally into Kuki and
surrounding hills divided into 10 followed by the Meitei Pangals or Leishangthem. The Meitei kingdom, Kshatriyas, and the Scheduled Castes. Naga groups. The union said the
districts besides the 232 sq.km valley Manipuri Muslims (8.4%) and called Kangleipak, traces its origin to The Bamons are believed to have Meiteis enjoy a demographic and
of Jiribam, also a district, adjoining Christians (above 1%). The rest adhere Pakhangba (14451405 BCE), who came settled from elsewhere in India after political advantage (Imphal and
southern Assam’s Cachar. Jiribam is to Sanamahi, an indigenous faith first from presentday China and settled in marrying locally and are primarily the Jiribam valleys send 40 MLAs to the
the access point of one of the two mentioned in the Cheitharol Kumbaba, the Koubru hills, about 35 km priests who perform rituals or cook 60member Assembly, while the tribal
major National Highways and a railway the royal chronicle of Kangleipak — the northwest of Imphal. during festivals and other religious hills send 20) and are more advanced
(partially completed) linking the State’s old name of Manipur — from 33154 CE. Pakhangba founded the Ningthouja functions. The Kshatriyas adopted in every spheres. Pointing out that the
capital Imphal. The other arterial The Manipuri dance, one of India’s dynasty belonging to the Mangang Singh as the surname but are subtly Meiteis already have access to benefits
highway is via Nagaland to the north. principal classical dance forms, has its clan, which exercised some clout until different from the RKs — Rajkumars associated with the SC, OBC, or
Extremismrelated and ethnic conflicts roots in the Lai Haraoba, a festival Manipur’s merger with the Indian and Rajkumaris — who have the royal Economically Weaker Section status,
have often disrupted vehicular associated with pleasing the Sanamahi Union in 1949. Pakhangba is also lineage. The third category of Meitei the union said the demand was a
movement on these highways largely deities. The royal patronage also represented as the presiding deity of comprises the Lois and Chakpas, who strategy of the valley dwellers to
through tribal areas, resulting in a fuel, yielded Thangta, a Manipuri martial both Hindu and preHindu Meitei can be both Hindu and Sanamahi. acquire land in the hills and push the
food and medicine scarcity in the art involving fighting with swords and people and is symbolised as a While the Sanamahi followers are tribals out. What followed the march
Imphal Valley and elsewhere in spears and gave the world Sagoj dragonlike serpent with its tail in its not SC, those following Hinduism were violent clashes.
I A
n June last year, the pears to be circumscribed bout 64 million regulations were given the
startling dénouement only to his stronghold Turks will cast short shrift. However, by
to Maharashtra’s re Thane. Besides, the Sena their ballot on Sun and large, Mr. Kilicdaroglu
gime change drama came cadre continues to side day in presidential and par has chosen not to focus on
when BJP leader Devendra with the Thackeray clan, liamentary elections Mr. Erdogan, preferring in
Fadnavis, widely consi underscoring the reso deemed to be highly conse stead to offer a positive
dered the frontrunner for nance of the 'Thackeray' quential — both for the fu message of hope, change
the top post, bit the bullet name with the party rank ture of Turkish democracy and democratic freedoms.
and announced ‘rebel’ andfile despite the Elec and geopolitics in the re But Mr. Kilicdaroglu’s
Shiv Sena leader Eknath tion Commission awarding gion. They will choose bet love for democratic free
Shinde’s name as the the party name and sym ween President Recep Tay doms doesn’t extend to the
State's 20th Chief Minister. bol to Mr. Shinde's faction. yip Erdogan (69), leader of millions of Syrian and Af
The crisis triggered by While claiming to be Bal the Justice and Develop ghan refugees in Turkey.
Mr. Shinde’s revolt, which Thackeray's legitimate pol ment Party (AKP), and Ke Like Mr. Erdogan, he too
vertically split the 56year shaw in Thane to support Janmabhoomi agitation. itical heir, Mr. Shinde has mal Kilicdaroglu (74), the CHP from 2010, and has though not always — of de has taken a nationalistic
old party founded by the his family, has become the In 1997, he first tasted struggled to shake off the presidential candidate of lost a series of elections to fending democratic rights stance on this issue, vow
late Bal Thackeray and top stuff of legend in Maha electoral success, becom image of being a 'BJP pup the Table of Six, a united Mr. Erdogan. in Turkey. In 2017, he led a ing to send them back to
pled the tripartite Maha Vi rashtra's politics (He finally ing a corporator in the pet' with its top brass in front of six parties. march of more than their countries of origin if
kas Aghadi (MVA) govern took a B.A. degree in Thane Municipal Corpora Delhi dictating Maharash Mr. Erdogan has been in A career bureaucrat 400km to protest against voted in. When it comes to
ment led by Uddhav 2020). With no platinum tion. In 2000, Mr. Shinde's tra’s script. There is also an power, either as Prime Mi Mr. Kilicdaroglu doesn’t Mr. Erdogan’s crackdown foreign policy, where Mr.
Thackeray, significantly al spoon or political pedi life entered a traumatic inbuilt friction with Mr. nister or President, since have the charisma or the on Opposition politicians. Erdogan has chosen to
tered Maharashtra's politi gree, Mr. Shinde built one phase when two of his chil Fadnavis and the unenvia 2003. There is a sense penchant for the polarising So far, the only major vic play all sides and even risk
cal equation. for himself, nurtured and dren tragically died in a ble task of managing dis among political observers rhetoric of Mr. Erdogan. As tories under his leadership antagonising the U.S. in his
But in the 10 months mentored by the fiery and boating accident. He went sensions within his faction. that if Mr. Erdogan wins yet a career bureaucrat, he has have come in the mayoral bid to develop Turkey into
since Mr. Shinde's faction fearsome Anand Dighe, into a shock, but was More problematically again, Turkey would tran a staid, professorial style elections of Istanbul and an influential power brok
of 50 MLAs (40 from the the late Sena strongman brought back into active for the ShindeBJP dispen sition to a de facto dictator that has led many to dis Ankara, Turkey’s largest ci er, Mr. Kilicdaroglu has
undivided Sena and 10 In dubbed the 'Bal Thackeray politics by Dighe. sation, it seems to be losing ship. The man vested with miss him as ‘boring’ and ties, sparking hope that the promised a more “ba
dependents) formed a new of Thane.' electoral ground to the the responsibility to pre discount his chances Opposition may have final lanced” relationship with
government with the BJP, Mr. Shinde, who be Party organiser MVA. The ruling alliance vent such an eventuality is against a mass leader like ly found a strategy to un the U.S. and indicated he
there have been questions come a Sena branch head His skills as a superb organ was trounced by the MVA Mr. Kilicdaroglu, leader of Mr. Erdogan. In fact, as seat Mr. Erdogan. would prefer Turkey to be
about the constitutional in Thane when he was just iser and dynamic worker in the recent Legislative the centreleft Republican soon as he was anointed as There is clearly a lot of more readily compliant
and moral legitimacy of his 18 in 1982, modelled his translated into electoral Council bypolls and the People’s Party (CHP), the the Opposition’s joint can discontent against the in with its commitments as a
government. Those ques personality on Dighe, who success with Mr. Shinde Andheri and Kasba Peth largest constituent of the didate for the Presidential cumbent. While a stalling NATO member — which
tions were reinforced by was known for his simplic first becoming a legislator, Assembly bypolls. Table of Six. race, fractures appeared in yet inflationary economy is may not be great news for
Supreme Court's verdict ity, honesty and round winning the Thane As The longpending civic Born in 1948 in eastern the Table of Six, with Meral a major issue, the more im Russia.
last week in the Sena vs Se theclock accessibility for sembly seat in 2004 and polls, particularly the criti Turkey, he was one of the Aksener, leader of the mediate cause of public an Mr. Kilicdaroglu’s big
na case, which held that poorer sections but a thereby winning the Kopri cal cashrich Mumbai civic seven children in a family centreright Iyi party, pull ger is the government’s gest achievement so far has
Maharashtra Governor dangerous man to cross Pachpakhadi seat (created body (BMC), will be the from the Alevi religious mi ing out of the coalition. But mishandling of the res been uniting the perennial
Bhagat Singh Koshiyari’s when dealing with political from the Thane segment) acid test for Mr. Uddhav as nority. After a degree in the swift resolution of this ponse to the February ly bickering Opposition
call for a trust vote that led or personal betrayal. The for three consecutive well as Mr. Shinde and the economics, he worked crisis underscored Mr. Kil 2023 earthquake which parties into a singular front
to the resignation of the 1980s were momentous for terms. Importantly, he BJP. Mr. Shinde will know with Turkey’s top financial icdaroglu’s ability to nego killed more than 50,000 against Mr. Erdogan. While
Uddhav Thackerayled go Mr. Shinde’s career; this emerged as a bridge bet whether he is in control of institutions, including the tiate and make deals with people in Turkey and he is slightly ahead of Mr.
vernment, was illegal. was a period when Bal ween the BJP and the Shiv the chain of events he set Ministry of Finance. He en political rivals. northern Syria. Mr. Kilicda Erdogan in the polls, it re
The rise of the current Thackeray made a notable Sena when faultlines ap in motion and the BJP will tered Parliament on a CHP As head of the century roglu in his campaign has mains to be seen whether
CM, from his hardscrabble shift from his party's nati peared in the alliance after learn whether they did ticket for the first time in old secularist party creat said the large scale col he can draw enough voters
early years working in a vist plank to adopt a har Bal Thackeray’s death. right by propelling a ‘sup 2002, the same year that ed by Mustafa Kemal Ata lapse of residential build away from Mr. Erdogan’s
brewery, then leaving stu dline 'Hindutva' stance by However, despite Mr. porting actor’ to ‘leading saw AKP commence its turk, Mr. Kilicdaroglu has ings was due to corruption conservative base to get
dies to drive an autorick piggybacking on the Ram Shinde's personal qualities man’ status. long reign. He has led the been at the forefront — under the Erdogan govern past the finish line.
CM A ND-NDE
YK
Mankind’s true moral test, its fundamental
test, consists of its attitude towards those Milan
who are at its mercy: animals Kundera
OF ECONOMICS
were raking in the moolah, showing 2 adopted innovative adventurism in con-
to 3 minutes of sponsored features tent creation and generation, along
showcasing AK’s idea of good govern- with better visuals and GFX. To counter
T
ance, modern school education and a the combative and agenda-driven talk
HE cult of electoral sops has reached a new milestone. It is robust healthcare system. Massive shows hosted by privately owned TV
no longer enough to promise benefits, they have to be backed hoardings and bus backs bore his pic- channels daily, it chose prominent civil
by signed guarantee cards. POWER & POLITICS tures all over Delhi. For every single servants, netas and thought leaders to
The Indian National Congress promised Rs 2,000 per month PRABHU CHAWLA hoarding of Modi, Kejriwal put up two host shows on special subjects from his-
to women heads of families, Rs 3,000 monthly allowance for prabhuchawla@newindianexpress.com of himself. Before the last Assembly tory and culture to political matters. To
unemployed graduates, 200 units of free electricity, and 10 kg of Follow him on Twitter @PrabhuChawla elections, the BJP couldn’t find hoard- reflect Parliamentary plurality, it se-
rice to low-income families. The promises have been underwritten ing space at strategic locations because ideologies, coupled with the fear of ED lected individuals from non-BJP parties
on a guarantee card, co-signed by Congress leaders Siddaramaiah AAP had booked most of them in ad- and CBI raids, Kumar hopes to get Op- to anchor the shows with a special look
and D K Shivakumar. Apparently, nearly 2 crore persons – that is, Kejriwal’s Face Wins in Face Off vance. Saxena had pressed the brakes position leaders together to fight the and feel. A Congress MP was asked to
roughly one of three residents in Karnataka -- possesses an IOU on this publicity binge. The Delhi gov- BJP and its powerful general, Narendra present the show, “To the Point”, in
from Congress. ernment spent almost Rs 1.5 crore a day Modi. Of course, the subtitles mean Ku- which credible personalities from vari-
The BJP on its part promised five kg of millet, five kg of rice, in the print and electronic media show- mar will be the helmsman. He flew from ous fields would talk about their experi-
half a litre of Nandini milk, three cooking gas cylinders to every ing Kejriwal’s beaming visage. AAP Kolkata to Mumbai via Lucknow and ences. A Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP was
BPL household and a matching grant of up to Rs 10,000 in savings used crores to advertise in some south- Bhubaneswar. Since Nitish’s political asked to bring “Meri Kahani” onstage
deposits. The Janata Dal (S) promised Rs 10,000 per acre capped 10 ern and eastern states where it didn’t career spans over 45 years as Union to showcase the difficulties women MPs
acres for farmers to procure inputs, Rs 2,000 for farm labourers, exist. The ad-binge was an effort to Minister and six-time chief minister, face in their political and personal life.
Rs 2 lakh to women who marry agri- project Kejriwal as the potential alter- almost everyone gave him an audience. Bibek Debroy, an economist of repute
culturists and five cooking gas native to Modi. In March, Saxena held With his numerous previous flip-flops, and a prolific and
cylinders. back approval of the Delhi govern- he has lost much of the credibility he authoritative au-
That the sops race should star in ment’s annual budget because the Un- once enjoyed. But people judge him by thor on Indian
election manifestoes in Karnataka is ion government felt that spending Rs the company he keeps. Most Opposition heritage and ep-
a testimony to the expansion of heli- 550 crore for publicity was excessive in leaders were uncomfortable with Yadav ics, expounded on
copter politics. Karnataka is the hy- THE political underdog’s bark is usu- a Rs 78,000 crore budget. Even the Infor- Jr’s presence in the confabulations India’s glorious
per-hub of India’s tech prowess – in- ally worse than the bite. Arvind Kejri- mation and Publicity department, since he doesn’t have enough experi- heritage on his
deed it was showcased to visiting wal, adept at playing the role, has, this which reports to the CM or deputy CM, ence in dealing with senior CMs and show “Ithihasaa.”
THE THIRD EYE leaders from G20 nations. It has over time, got a big bite off the power pie af- was ordered to recover Rs 163 crore titans like Sharad Pawar. His own party Another econo-
SHANKKAR AIYAR 5,500 ITES companies, nearly 700 ter the Supreme Court handed him con- from AAP. Now, after the Supreme is ridden with factions, and the entire mist, Dr Sanjeev
Author of The Gated Republic, Aadhaar: MNCs, accounts for a fourth of the trol over Delhi government officials. Court order, expect Kejriwal to be back Yadav clan is under investigation. One Sanyal, has been hosting “Economic
A Biometric History of India’s 12 Digit state output and contributes over $50 The 104 page judgement is a well-argued in the media with a vengeance. Since Opposition leader is believed to have Sutra” to speak about India’s economic
Revolution, and Accidental India billion in export earnings. The Eco- document granting Kejriwal a prime Delhi is a revenue surplus state, his face conveyed to Nitish that Tejashwi ac- strides. Former diplomat Vikas Swa-
shankkar.aiyar@gmail.com nomic Survey for 2022-23 underlines position after eight years of strife with will be plastered on every wall, at air- quiring a prominent place in the firma- roop, the author of Slumdog Million-
that its GSDP (gross state domestic the Centre. He had been using advertis- ports, on TV and on thousands of web- ment of concord could collapse coad- aire, dissected international affairs
product) grew by 14.2 per cent to Rs ing largesse to laminate himself and sites nationwide. His political sponsors unation even before it is taken seriously with an Indian angle on his “Diplomat-
22.41 lakh crore and boasts that its per capita income at “Rs 3,01,673 his government using media space. In are elated at the prospect of positioning by leaders who can effectively challenge ic Dispatch”. With over seven million
is higher by 77% to All India Per Capita Income of Rs 1,70,620 dur- his testy tussle with Lt Governor Vinay the AAP supremo’s pictures next to Mo- Modified BJP. Yet Nitish hasn’t given up YouTube subscribers, Sansad TV guar-
ing 2022-23.” Kumar Saxena, the habitual martyr’s di’s using the combined revenue of over and is planning a big Opposition Sum- antees huge exposure. All its shows
Karnataka is scarcely the only state where electoral sops have PR exercise had been crippled. Now the Rs 1,500 crore from Punjab and Delhi. mit in Patna, which he claims would have rich content, which commercially
occupied headline attention. In Gujarat, another industrialised SC has categorically classified that the And the money starved media houses remind people of the rally hosted by motivated channels lack. However,
state, the Aam Aadmi Party promised 300 units of free electricity, Government of National Capital Delhi will be smiling all the way to the bank. Jayprakash Narayan in 1974 that spelt these shows are running into problems.
unemployment allowance of Rs 3,000 and Rs 1,000 for women be- (GNCD) will have total control over all the beginning of the end for Indira Gan- Both Tharoor and Chaturvedi left in
sides stipends for lawyers. The Congress promised loan waiver of services barring law and order and land
Bihar weathervane’s excess baggage dhi then. The difference: none of the protest, while others aren’t sure about
Rs 3 lakh and LPG cylinder at Rs 500. issues. Kejriwal had been trudging Personality cults are the steroids of leaders on JP’s stage was tainted or an uninterrupted continuity of their
The race for Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh is as along as CM, looking over his shoulder politics. As Arvind Kejriwal looks for- tamed by her regime. shows since the channel hasn’t been al-
yet some months away but the sops race has begun and is manifest each time he wrote a word on a file. He ward to regaining nationwide visibility located enough funds. They may have
in budgets and statements. The Ashok Gehlot regime in Rajasthan was initially a media creation, and through a new well-funded media blitz,
Let MPs pay for Bipartisan TRPs found sources from the Ministries they
unveiled an election budget with sops ranging from free power to Saxena’s block on self-promotion was power hopper and Bihar’s Chief Minis- Sansad TV is in the news for the wrong belong to. Perhaps, it wouldn’t be a bad
subsidised LPG cylinders, ramped up health cover et al. In Madhya hurting him. Kejriwal is the alpha and ter Nitish Kumar is chasing the mirage reasons. It is being blamed for blacking idea to deduct money from the salaries
Pradesh, Chief Minister Shivraj Chauhan has announced Rs 1,000 omega of AAP, just like Modi is for the of opposition unity by crisscrossing the out the Opposition when speaking of MPs for disrupting House proceed-
per month to women who do not pay income tax and the Congress BJP. Before Saxena, hardly a day passed country with deputy Tejashwi Yadav in against the government or the PM. It ings and spend it on bipartisan words
in response has announced an allowance of Rs 1,500 per woman without daily full page newspaper ads tow. Despite a clash of personalities and can’t be blamed for functional infirmi- of televised wisdom.
per month.
The price being paid is visible both in denial of services, poorly
funded health and education, in unfilled vacancies -- it is estimated
that there are over a million government posts vacant across state
governments. It is also manifest in project funding delays and costs
paid by the taxpayer – non-development expenditure of state gov-
ernments has shot up from Rs 10.63 lakh crore in 2020-21 to over Rs
KARNATAKA: CASTE FACTOR & NEW SOCIAL COALITION
14.18 lakh crore. Ostensibly, real development is harder and elec-
tion sops deliver better returns in the hustings. The dominant castes - Lingayats and in Northern Karnataka indicate the suc- won the elections. Secondly, it could be
Wooing voters is not limited to giveaways. Political parties are Vokkaligas, have been key players in the cess of the rainbow social coalition that argued that the Prime Minister’s rally
reversing reforms which threaten to distort the fiscal balance of state. The major forward caste in the the Congress was able to stitch together. over the weekend before the elections
states. The pension burden of states is estimated at Rs 4 trillion state has been the Brahmins, whose nu- In Coastal Karnataka, the BJP imple- may have helped boost the BJP candi-
and is growing. In Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand merical strength is limited, though it mented its Gujarat Model of changing dates’ chances.
Chhattisgarh, Punjab, in state after state parties are reverting does play an influential role in key par- many sitting MLAs. The party’s new can- The Old Mysore region saw the clear
from the fiscally prudent market-related new pension scheme in- ties. The non-dominant backward castes didates reflect a balancing of the impor- play of the caste factor. The Vokkaliga
troduced in 2003-04 to the old pension scheme which increases the have been a force to reckon with, while tant social groups in this region. This vote saw a three-way split, with the Ja-
burden on states. The pitfalls of such moves have been illustrated OPINION the Dalits and Tribals have impacted caste combination, along with the other nata Dal (S) and the Congress drawing
in many studies. DR SANDEEP SHASTRI electoral outcomes. Religious minorities specific dynamics of the region, possibly the lion’s share with a small slice siding
Indeed the Reserve Bank of India in its report ‘State Finances Director, Academics, NITTE Education Trust and National have sought to be mobilised on key is- led to the BJP retaining a nearly upper with the BJP. What is critical to explain
– A Risk Analysis’ observes that the “sustainability of public debt Coordinator Lokniti Network. sues. This context is critical to under- hand in the region. Improved perform- the good performance of the Congress is
at national and sub-national levels” is yet again a dominant fiscal (sshastri48@gmail.com) standing (and appreciating) the Con- ance by the Congress in this region re- the role of the rainbow social coalition
risk. It cautions “Given this parlous situation, the tendency to- gress’ victory in 2023. flects the impact of anti-incumbency of Non-Dominant Backward Castes, Dal-
wards handing out cash subsidies, in normal times, provision of The Lingayats have been largely sup- its, Tribals and Muslims that it was able
A
free utility services, and revival of the old pension scheme by some porting the BJP in the last two decades. to garner the support of besides the
states and extension of implicit and explicit guarantees by various state election that assumed na- They were the only party to offer a Lin- Vokkaligas. The fact that the party did
state governments in India act like swords of Damocles.” tional importance has witnessed gayat Chief Minister candidate in B S not declare a Chief Ministerial candi-
The issue has been examined by the Supreme Court following a the defeat of the ruling party. Yediyurappa. This time around, data date to ensure the rainbow coalition re-
PIL. In October 2022 the Election Commission of India proposed The Congress was returned to from the Axis-My India Poll indicates Old Mysore saw the clear play of the caste mains in place needs to be kept in mind.
changes in proposed changes to its manifesto guidelines and power in Karnataka with a clear that they have retained much of the Lin- factor. The Vokkaliga vote split 3-way, with Both Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar
sought the response of parties requiring disclosures on implemen- majority. This confirms a trend gayat vote, though a small chunk has JDS and Congress drawing the lion’s share represented important social groups
tation and impact of poll promises. Political rhetoric though has that Karnataka has seen over moved to the Congress. The fact that the whose support was vital for the party.
bypassed sage advice. close to four decades of the ruling party BJP did not project its sitting Chief Min- with a small slice siding with the BJP While the BJP also increased its vote
Electoral sops are effectively the preferred political flyover de- not being favoured with a majority in the ister (who is a Lingayat) as their Chief share in this region, the steep fall of the
ployed by parties – and no party can claim innocence -- to overcome next elections. Some would describe this Ministerial candidate and the departure Janata Dal(S) vote and the bulk of that
inadequacies in governance and target particular groups of voters result as an anti-incumbency vote of key Lingayat leaders from the BJP against BJP candidates and a moving to the Congress not only benefit-
to seize power. This, in the fifth largest, fastest growing economy against the state government, while oth- could have accounted for this decline. possible consolidation of the minority ed the new ruling party but adversely af-
which runs the world’s largest food security programme covering ers would see the result as reflecting the The creditable performance of the vote in this region with the Congress. fected the chances of BJP candidates.
800 million people and one of the largest insurance schemes cover- voters privileging the `local` over the Congress in Kalyana Karnataka (Hydera- A marginal decline in the voting in The verdict, when viewed from the
ing 500 million people. The bitter reality is that in recent years, the `national`. While both these arguments bad Karnataka) and Kittur Karnataka Coastal Karnataka is also indicative of a lens of caste calculations, indicates the
cult of taxpayer-paid promises has led to the exponential expan- merit attention, this column will argue (Mumbai-Karnataka) regions has been lack of interest of the committed voters success of the rainbow coalition that the
sion of an electoral constituency dubbed as “beneficiaries”. that the Congress succeeded because of because they have been able to consoli- of the BJP. Congress was able to stitch together. Its
The challenge under the big tent is to devise policies to accom- its caste arithmetic adding up. The BJP date the non-Lingayat vote (non-domi- Bengaluru city saw a keen competition leadership, which included Congress
modate the aspirations of the working-age populace at the bottom and the Congress attempted to create a nant OBCs, Dalits, Tribals and Muslims) between the Congress and the BJP and president Mallikarjun Kharge, Siddara-
of the income pyramid. The noise around every election campaign rainbow social coalition of castes to and top it up with a slice of the Lingayat the sharing of seats. This time around, maiah and Shivakumar, were instrumen-
is about the legendary potency of caste arithmetic. In the coming cross the halfway mark. The Congress vote. In 2018, data indicates that a seg- what added to the complexity were two tal in bringing together this rainbow so-
days and weeks, pollsters and parties will torture election data to effort succeeded, while the BJP experi- ment of the Non-Dominant OBC, Dalit, factors. A chunk of those who moved cial coalition even as the minorities
derive convenient convictions. The inconvenient truth is that the ment fell short of what was required. and Tribal vote had gone with the BJP. from the Congress and JDS to the BJP tended to vote for the Congress. The caste
magic of socially engineered electoral math has come face to face Karnataka politics has often been seen This time around, a section of that vote during the term of the earlier legislature arithmetic added up, as did the social bal-
with the politics of economics. through the prism of caste calculations. has returned to the Congress. The results hailed from this region. Most of them ancing across regions.
Governors’ ways tonly stabbed to death inside a hospital in Kerala. tion. The rival and the ruling dispensation BJP has
The ‘Supreme Court has pressed the reset button of The version that the police fled the scene and left fought with all cylinders fired. The campaign wit-
Allowing an MP or MLA facing disqualification to the Governors’ (May 13) powers for their function- the house surgeon to the mercy of the attacker is nessed long road shows by the PM. But regional
Karnataka result ing in the states like Delhi and Maharastra. The shocking. Healthcare professionals are like the rest issues have played a major role in deciding the re-
participate in a floor test caused by his own doings
The BJP tried every trick in its bag to retain power non-BJP states’ Governors are taking the power of of us; we must have empathy for their situations. sult. That shows Modi’s image can add shine to the
will defeat the very purpose of Tenth Schedule. in Karnataka. But the Congress stood up to the BJP the elected government, not allowing them to It is incumbent on the government to ensure their campaign, but can’t alter the course totally.
Allowing such MLAs to attend a trust vote would onslaught and came out victorious. Now, it is up to function independently. All those who have faith safety. Dr D V G Sankararao, Vizianagaram
amount to legitimising a constitutional sin the Congress to live up to its poll promises. The in democracy welcomed the Court verdict. G David Milton, Maruthancode
rejection of its double-engine slogan is a big jolt to S Chockalingam, Kottaram Federal structure
Justice D Y Chandrachud, CJI Nurses’ condition
the BJP. India is a parliamentary democracy with Federal
C G Kuriakose, Kothamangalam Doctor’s murder Apropos ‘Nightingales’ take to new migratory structure. The relations between Union govern-
It is our historical responsibility of modern generations to make full punishment Instead of Kerala Health Minister Veena George be- routes’ (May 12). Malayali nurses known for their ment and States are well-defined. Unfortunately,
Sebi probe ing emotional in front of killed Dr Vandana’s par- dedication are forced to migrate to new pastures it is the Supreme Court of India which intervenes
for aggression inevitable in order to prevent not only the recurrence of This refers to report, ‘Hindenburg case: SC may give ents, she should have foreseen such a situation other than West Asian countries. They are now time again to settle disputes between state gov-
aggression against our country, but also new wars 3 months to SEBI to finish probe’. It raises eyebrows and made fool proof arrangements to ensure the flocking to Canada, Australia and Europe. Working ernments and the Union government particularly
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President, Ukraine that till now SEBI has not been able to come up safety of doctors. The young inexperienced intern conditions of the descendants of the ‘lady with the where States are ruled by different political par-
with a suitable solution. Furthermore, any dilly - may not have known how to face a violent man and lamp’ must improve in this country to avert a ties. It is praiseworthy that Supreme Court gave
dallying now shall erode the investor confidence. had to face death as a result. healthcare crisis. unanimous judgement in granting administrative
At a time when SEBI ought to perform its protective Elizabeth Koshy, Pathanamthitta Dr George Jacob, Kochi executive powers to elected government, against
We are ready to humanely process and remove people without a legal basis to functions, it seems that it is solely shying away the backdrop of the friction between the govern-
be in the US. The border is not open from its responsibility. Protect doctors Congress victory ment and Lt-Governor.
Alejandro Mayorkas, Secretary, Homeland Security, USA Aanya Singhal, Noida The young house surgeon Dr Vandana Das was wan- The Congress win in Karnataka deserves apprecia- K S Sundaram, Coimbatore
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06 NEW DELHI, 14 MAY 2023 Vol. CXXXXXVII 20 (S)
C
manner that best suits their larger narra- is imperative ox's Bazar's struggle with
tive, its significance must neither be under- nor waste mismanagement seems
over-estimated. Given that the state has seldom to have no end in sight. The
in recent times returned an incumbent to power, tourist city, extremely popular
the Bharatiya Janata Party will seek to underplay with tourists from home and abroad, is
mired nose-deep in all sorts of waste,
the loss, even though it means it now has no pres-
including human effluent, aquaculture
ence south of the Vindhyas. Given that the Con- waste, plastic waste, and transbound-
gress has over the past nine years lost power in ary plastic waste. What makes the situa-
state after state, it will be euphoric about this vic- tion worse is that it is not a new probl-
tory, and will claim popular endorsement of its em. This issue has been so vehemently
charge that its opponent is corrupt, vindictive and persistent that even the High Court had
divisive. Finally, given that the Opposition in gen- to intervene in this matter in 2019 and
eral has been groping for a narrative to match that question the inability of the govern-
of the BJP under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it ment to address it, in response to a writ
will see in this result more than there might be petition filed by the Bangladesh Envi-
from the perspective of the national election next ronmental Lawyers Association (BELA).
The daily Prothom Alo recently
year. While there may be kernels of truth in each of reported on the unhealthy, unhygienic
these narratives, they may not, even taken togeth- and irresponsible sewage management
er, provide a complete picture. There are several (or the lack thereof) of the city. Of the
points to consider. Karnataka is a traditional Con- 538 hotels, motels, resorts, and cottages
gress bastion, a state even its most influential lead- built in the Kalatali area next to the sea
ers sought sanctuary in when rejected elsewhere. beach, 532 do not have any sewage
Corruption in the state is endemic, and not con- treatment plants (STPs).
fined to a particular dispensation. While caste is a The report further states that the
factor in other parts of the country as well, Kar- mandatory rule of incorporating an STP
system in the construction of a hotel,
nataka’s mix is peculiar to it and quite distinct
motel or guest house is not followed at
from even its immediate neighbours. In sum, a all, as a result of which the majority of
fair summation would be that this result, while these hotels are using septic tanks to
politically significant, is not as much of a game- manage human waste.
changer as some people would project it to be. During peak tourist seasons as well
But the victory is a shot in the arm for the Con- as the monsoon, the tanks are not able
gress, and will certainly boost the morale of its to take the load of the sewage and it is
cadres. While it did win Himachal Pradesh late last spilled into the rivers and the sea,
year, it is after a long time that the party has putting marine lives and local ecologi-
Figure 1: Some of the elements of a circular economy mentioned above and others in relation to each other (Source: PBL, 2019) cal balance at risk. Although the hotel,
secured victory in a major state. The Congress will
thus project this as a triumph for Rahul Gandhi
I
'regenerative' approach of circu- dealing with plastic have come and waste to almost nil. This will
and his Bharat Jodo Yatra, and use it to burnish his ndia aspires by 2025 to be a lar economy is in contrast to the together last year to form an result in huge reduction in mil-
credentials for a larger role in national politics. It five trillion-dollar economy throw-away attitude of capitalist alliance against plastic waste. lions of tonnes of waste and CO2 motel, and guesthouse owners are will-
would do well though to draw one lesson, which is that would generate business society of 'make, use and dis- India recycles or reuses over 90 emissions. The government poli- ing to contribute financially to con-
that it is important for a party to present a united and new entrepreneurs. This pose'. The developing world has per cent of all the PET (polyethyl- cy enables reuse of waste and re- struct a central STP system, little mea-
face when going into an election. The Congress would also increase resource and been observing circular strategy ene terephthalate plastic) manu- double recycle rate of key materi- sure has been taken so far by the
was able to underplay the presence of rival camps energy consumption and waste since long due to lack of resour- factured in the country. als to 50 per cent in five years. authorities to install one.
within its Karnataka unit successfully, while the generation. ces and has been reusing, recy- India has also shown im- It envisions setting up a Na- But this is just the tip of the ice-
To achieve the target of a five cling and remaking objects with proved electronics recycling. By tional Resource Efficiency Au- berg. It has been reported earlier in the
BJP was riven by dissensions as it conveyed the
trillion-dollar economy in tune same or different use. This saves signing 'extended producer thority, which like the Bureau of media that around 124 tonnes of waste,
impression of having forsaken the man who had with sustainable development on the material and other costs. responsibility' more than 700 Energy Efficiency, will offer including plastic, are removed from
first brought it to power in the state. As elections principles, it is necessary to * Reduce (minimum use of raw electronics producers have come strategies for key sectors ~ auto- Cox's Bazar city every day.
for three large and important states ~ Rajasthan, ensure low carbon footprints for materials) together to reduce e-waste. mobiles, plastic packaging, build- In a report published in April last
Chhatisgarh and Madhya Pradesh ~ approach, the climate-change. Principles of cir- * Reuse (maximum reuse of There is huge scope of re- ing and construction, electrical year, this daily pointed out the non-
Congress would do well to address problems it has cular economy will be the key dri- products and components) using, repairing, refurbishing, and electronic, equipment, solar functional waste management system
in its units in these states, especially the first two ver to achieve this mission. * Recycle (high quality reuse of remaking and recycling in the photo-voltaic, and steel and alu- in Cox's Bazar city.
where it will additionally battle anti-incumbency. Circular systems emphasise raw materials) textile industry. Craze for new minium to begin with. While garbage keeps piling at Kas-
Mr Ashok Gehlot and Mr Sachin Pilot in Rajasthan, reuse, repair, refurbish, remanu- With the envi- varieties and styles To implement circular econ- turighat landfill, there is little the
and Mr Bhupendra Baghel and Mr T S Singh Deo facture and recycle, thereby min- ronment law enforc- have pushed the omy principles and circular econ- authorities can do to dispose of plastic
imizing wastes that reach land- ing agencies enacting young generation omy strategies in organisations, waste, as it is non-biodegradable, and it
in Chhatisgarh will have to reach reasonable fills or incinerators, reducing stringent environ- into buying sur- the British Standards Institution cannot be burnt either as doing so will
accommodations with each other if the party is to carbon emissions and utilizing ment laws, many plus clothes. (BSI) had launched the standard release toxic fumes. So, without a prop-
have a chance. clean energy. vehicles not con- The owner's 'BS 8001:2017'. er waste management system, plastic
In contrast to the linear sys- forming to these will utilization time India is realising the impor- keeps filling up the landfills.
tems that have been working on go off the roads. This and recycling of tance of having its own regulatory Moreover, the rivers and the sea
Running back the concept to create, use and
dispose, the circular system is a
provides immense
opportunities for cir-
the clothes is very
low due to which
framework such as National Ma-
terial Recycling Policy, National
are getting clogged up by ill-managed
plastic waste. Take the case of Bakkhali
Unjustified
ranks ~ which many deemed an acknowledgment ban on the screening of the film tral Board of Film Certification had
of guilt ~ but history alone will say if, for a second ‘The Kerala Story’. West Bengal examined the movie and found it
time in the movement, the wrestlers erred in became the first state to ban the suitable for public exhibition. So,
allowing themselves to nudge away well-wishers film, which narrates the ordeal of Isn’t it against the law for a state
SIR, Through the columns of your three women who are trafficked to government to ban the film when
whom they could have leaned on. esteemed daily, I would like to ISIS camps after being converted the censor board has no com-
The first time around, in January, the athletes express my concern about the front to Islam through marriage. plaints?
spurned politically grounded assistance when page report, “Bengal bans ‘The The Kerala High Court had Once the CBFC clears a movie
they were clearly up against it, hoping that not to Kerala story’ screening” (9 May). refused to stay the release and said for release, it is the responsibility
rub the ruling party up the wrong way would It is very unfortunate that the the trailer does not contain any- of the state governments to ensure
persuade it to reckon with their point of view. And West Bengal Chief Minister on thing offensive to any particular that there is no law and order prob-
in April, when they were back at Jantar Mantar, Monday ordered an immediate community. It noted that the Cen- lem during the screening. One may
saying that word given had not been lived up to, a or may not agree with the theme of
the movie or the way it has been
“come-one-come-all” message from them gave
acted, directed or shot.
the plot a narrative drive which lost a lot of its People may also feel strongly
panache subsequently. against a movie or a particular KEEPING TIME
What the authorities do not seem alive to is character or scene in it, and have
the long-term damage the confrontation can the freedom to speak out against it SIR, Please refer to today’s report “Boro Ghori of Howrah Station
inflict. India may not be the sort of country where or criticise it. But to demand a ban turns 97”. It’s heartening to read that the iconic Boro Ghori clocked
someone like Brigitte Bardot would have railed, on a movie just because one does 97 years of time-keeping at one of the busiest stations in the country.
as she has, against the staging of the Olympics in not agree with its politics would be The dual-faced Boro Ghori, mounted on a heavy wooden frame, was
Paris or the cruelty of equestrianism to horses. But to trample on the freedom of installed in 1926. Manufactured by Gents Co, London, it was installed
when the police in the nation’s capital suggest a expression of the director, produc- at Howrah by the famous clock merchant of Calcutta during the
er or actors. colonial period, late Deb Prosad Roy of M/s Roy Brothers Co.
near-total organisational inertia in the face of top- If people are not happy with a One dial of the Boro Ghori faces platforms 1 to 8 whereas the
level athletes' complaints against a federation movie, they have the freedom to other faces iplatforms 9 to 15. It has not only unerringly kept time for
chief with dozens of cases against him in his stay away from theatres showing it nearly a century, it has also served as a vantage point where we have
“more-equal-than-others” status, it probably tells and can choose to watch some- traditionally assembled before embarking on a journey. The “Big
people who we collectively are. If Indian girls thing else but it would be wrong on Ben of Howrah”, as it is popularly known, has stood the test of time.
henceforth come to be withheld by their families their part to prevent others from The locational uniqueness of the clock still makes it serve as a meet-
from sport, we can only whistle for glory stories watching it. ing point in this era of smart phones and Google maps.
of the future, whilst recalling PV Sindhu, Anju Yours, etc. , Yours, etc., Khokan Das,
Bobby George or PT Usha. We are running back, Diganta Chakraborty, Kolkata, 8 May.
Hooghly, 9 May.
very fast.
NEW DELHI, 14 MAY 2023 07
Why better Tokyo-Seoul
NOW AND AGAIN
S
outh Korea-Japan relations tries for energy. Kishida face elements of domestic One day, we found two small squirrels
appear to be improving, To hedge their risks against the opposition to their decision to that had fallen from the rainwater duct run-
heralding a promising develop- fossil fuel coercion that Putin is improve ties. ning down from our terrace. Of course, my
ment for the security and pros- known to employ, Yoon and Kishida President Yoon has been pilloried daughter found them and brought them
perity of the Indo-Pacific. discussed ways to diversify their ener- for creating a fund to pay surviving home. My 'no' didn't work this time as my
The latest sign of this promising gy sources as well as to cooperate on forced labourers who suffered at the wife vetoed me and sided with her. She was
trend is Japanese Prime Minister liquified natural gas joint purchases hands of Imperial Japan. The fund is equally fascinated by the squirrels, and
Kishida Fumio’s May 7-8 visit to and price negotiations, according to to be paid for by South Korean com- enthusiastically tended to them.
Seoul, the first official visit by a Japan- reporting by Nikkei. panies as opposed to Japanese corpo- She helped my daughter feed the cubs
ese leader to South Korea in over 12 Other security-related topics of rations, an arrangement that some in by squeezing cotton dipped in milk, drop by
years. discussion during the May 7-8 sum- South Korea say lets Japan off the drop, into their mouths. The effort was not
Mr. Kishida’s visit was notewor- mit involved Seoul, Tokyo and Wash- hook for its harsh treatment of Kore- futile, and the squirrels survived. While
thy given that ties between Seoul and ington implementing faster informa- ans as a colonial power. watching over them, my wife also used them
Tokyo over the past decade have been tion exchanges about North Korean In Japan, Prime Minister Kishi- to blackmail my daughter into running small
strained over disputes involving missile tests; shared intelligence; and da’s engagement with Seoul has led errands, completing homework on time, and
Japan’s colonization of the Korean Japan possibly joining a U.S.-South to criticism by nationalist factions so on. And there was peace at home.
peninsula from 1910-1945. Korea U.S.-ROK Nuclear Consultative within the ruling Liberal Democratic The two creatures were well acquainted
President Yoon and Prime Min- Group nuclear deterrence consulta- Party who oppose concessions on his- with the home and the people. They were
ister Kishida are making efforts to tions. The two economically interde- torical issues relating to Imperial found everywhere in the house. Except when
build better relations and work along- pendent powers have also started to Japan’s conduct. There are others in she was in the kitchen, they were with my wife
side the U.S. in order to address the re-establish their relationship in non- Japan who are skeptical as to whether wherever she was - while she prayed, recited
growing challenges to their collective security areas. During their meetings, agreements struck with South Korea the Chandi, or went about her household
security. Mr. Yoon and Mr. Kishida discussed will be honoured by Yoon’s successor chores, they used to be on her lap or squatting
Both states face common threats collaboration on material sciences, or even by Yoon himself as political beside her, wrapped in a part of her sari or
emanating from North Korea, China Kishida demonstrated political efforts to check North Korean aggres- biotech, space, AI and securing supply pressures mount. dupatta. As time passed, they abandoned the
and Russia - each of which seek to courage by visiting President Yoon sion and counterbalance China’s ris- chains. While not providing details, Domestic politics in South Korea box meant for them and started occupying
change the security architecture and despite opposition from conservative ing influence in the region. the two leaders also agreed to cooper- and Japan notwithstanding, the the space next to my daughter's pillow.
rules-based order that was put in elements in Japan. Pyongyang’s ongoing bellicosity, ate on semiconductor chips. South improving ties between the two coun- They started going out and coming
place by the United States and its Mr. Kishida engaged in a rarity for continued PLA incursions into its Korea’s semiconductor production tries have come about due to a con- back after some time. The length of their
allies after World War II. post-war Japanese political leaders by neighbours’ territorial waters and air- capabilities and Japan’s competences fluence of issues that are forcing their excursions increased. One day, one of them
The recent progress between expressing sympathy for the Koreans space as well as Xi’s heightened pres- in producing semiconductor materi- leaders to work together on common returned and the other didn't. We waited
Seoul and Tokyo is welcomed by their who were forced into slavery during sure campaign against Taiwan have als make them natural partners. interests while not forgetting about for it to return, but in vain. The other one
mutual ally - Washington - as well as Japan’s colonial rule, saying that his unnerved Seoul and Tokyo. This has Addressing a long-held concern their difficult past. returned dutifully every night and scratched
other partners in the Indo-Pacific, i.e., ”heart aches” over Korea’s suffering compelled Yoon and Kishida to try of Seoul, Prime Minister Kishida By taking steps to use their com- the window pane to be let in. On getting
India, Southeast Asia, Australia, New during that era. setting aside the past and working granted South Korean officials per- bined resources for addressing shared entry, it went straight to my daughter’s pil-
Zealand and Canada. Kishida also said it was his together to address common threats. mission to visit the Daiichi nuclear challenges, Seoul and Tokyo are ful- low to rest after a hectic day.
Much credit goes to South Kore- “responsibility as prime minister of Additionally, Vladimir Putin’s plant in Fukushima which incurred filling a long-needed role of con- Gradually, its returns became sporadic
an President Yoon Suk Yeol for his ini- Japan to cooperate with President February, 2022 invasion of Ukraine heavy damage during the 2011 earth- tributing to the region’s security and and then stopped completely. For a long
tial overtures to Japan to repair rela- Yoon and South Korea for the future, soon after entering into his “no limits” quake and tsunami. Accessing the economic well-being. time, my family awaited its return. In fact,
tions that were damaged under his continuing our predecessors’ efforts partnership with Xi Jinping sent off facility will help Seoul learn more Making progress on overcoming my daughter kept the window open. I could
predecessor, Moon Jae-in, and for not to overcome difficult periods.” alarm bells in Seoul and Tokyo, about Tokyo’s decision to release the Seoul’s and Tokyo’s acrimonious past see my family missed the little creatures, but
letting history dictate the present. Both men should be commended heightening concerns about both plant’s treated radioactive water into can be another by-product of their no one discussed them. Their absence cre-
“We can’t let historical issues for acknowledging their countries’ leaders’ regional ambitions. the Pacific. new joint efforts. This inevitably ated a void that stayed, but we never had a
stop us from taking steps forward,” tragic history while looking forward to The attacks on Ukraine have also Last but not least, included in bumpy road will require sustained pet at home thereafter.
Yoon said on May 7 during Japanese the future. served as a wake-up call for South Yoon’s and Kishida’s talks were plans political courage on both sides and is
Prime Minister Kishida Fumio’s trip The deepening of ties between Korea and Japan about how their for increased youth and culture peo- deserving of support. 100 YEARS AGO
to Seoul. the two Asian powers not only bene- security in part relies on access to ple-to-people exchanges between
For his part, Prime Minister fits their societies but augments uninterrupted supplies of oil and nat- their two countries. (The writer is Associate Clinical Professor at
Claremont Graduate University in Los Angeles.) THE ''OKARA''
To The Editor Of The Statesman
POLITICAL DIARY KALYANI SHANKAR SIR, - With reference to the report pub-
lished by you this morning of a question
asked in the House of Commons with regard
C
ould the United States also Trump said some encouraging words: thoroughness of these repairs will be indi-
favour an Indian American "I am pleased to see that Vivek cated by the fact that the time occupied in
for the top job in the 2024 Ramaswamy is doing so well in the effecting them was over four months, and
polls? It is a million-dollar most recent Republican Primary Poll, that the cost was about Rs. 6,75,000. Since
question. But it does not stop the CBS YouGov." the survey referred to was carried out, the
American Indians from dreaming The Indian-origin candidates Okara has been dry-docked periodically for
about it. After all, the United Kingdom have many hurdles to cross, even to examination. The last occasion on which this
has chosen an Indian-origin Prime get their respective party's nomina- was done was on April 20, ten days before
Minister in Rishi Sunak. tion in the primary in which the she sailed on her last voyage. The reports of
As for the Indian Americans, it is Whites dominate. the Company's Marine Superintendent and
a long road to occupying the White In the Republican Party, after Superintending Engineer, who examined the
House. Over the years, they have Trump (52 per cent) and Florida Gov- ship in dock, are to the effect that she was in
become affluent and also ambitious. ernor Ron DeSantis (24 per cent), a thoroughly seaworthy condition.
Their success is a unique coming-of- Nikki has only 18 per cent support. It MACKINNON MACKENZIE & CO.
age story. indicates she has a long way to go Calcutta.
Today, the Indian American dias- before being considered a serious
pora is 4 million plus, of which at
least 2 million are voters. It is the sec-
candidate.
The second would be to catch DISPENSARIES IN
ond-largest immigrant group in the
United States. Affluent Indian Ameri-
the imagination of the Americans.
They know that their ethnic back- HOWRAH DISTRICT
cans also donate money to the two ground alone cannot win them an To The Editor Of The Statesman
major parties. The number of Indian election. SIR, - It is rumoured in authoritative cir-
Americans appointed to high-profile Thirdly, it is a question mark cles that the charitable dispensaries estab-
positions has multiplied in recent cans intend to run for president in Harris, the first woman Vice Pres- history as the state's first female gov- whether Americans would vote for a lished under the auspices of the Union Boards
years. The most significant example 2024. They are former U.S. Ambas- ident was at a knocking distance from ernor. At 39, Nikki was the youngest woman and that too of ethnic origin. in Sadar, Howrah, with a grant from the
was Kamala Harris, the U.S. Vice sador to the UN Nikki Hailey and mil- the Oval Office. She had sought the governor in the U.S. in January 2011. Even Hillary Clinton, a white Ameri- Howrah District Board, will shortly cease to
President. lionaire entrepreneur Vivek Democratic Party nomination for the Nikki was also the state's first Indian- can, was rejected earlier as she could have the annual grant of the District Board. If
No one would have imagined Ramaswamy. His parents are the first 2020 election before dropping out in American governor. She is projecting not mobilize the women voters in her such an untoward event happens, these char-
that Indian Americans would bid for generation immigrants from Kerala. the campaign's initial stages. Kamala herself as a changemaker who can favour. itable dispensaries, which cannot stand on
the Oval Office a few years ago. Then Ramaswamy focuses on "getting rid agreed to run as Biden's running reinvigorate a party. Her biggest chal- Apart from these, others like Asa their own legs without the support from the
Louisiana Governor Piyush Bobby of 'affirmative action" and allowing mate in 2020 when everyone thought lenge comes from her former boss, Hutchinson, Robert Kennedy Jr, Mar- District Board, will soon cease to exist. There
Jindal in 2016 and Kamala Harris in more highly skilled immigrants into he wouldn't seek a second term. She Trump. He advised her to follow her ianne Williamson, Tim Scott, Larry is no gainsaying the fact that since the estab-
2020 joined the presidential race only the U.S. also became the U.S.'s first 'woman heart when she informed him about Elder and Mike Pence are likely presi- lishment of these dispensaries they have been
to be disappointed. Their number is While they all represent "America acting president' for 55 minutes on 19 her intention to contest. dential candidates. DeSantis is yet to doing a great service by granting free med-
gradually growing in the U.S. Con- first," they know that the road to the November 2021, when Biden under- Nikki and Kamala have the announce his candidacy. He is con- ical aid to the helpless poor and needy. In
gress and the state assemblies. White House is a long one. went a colonoscopy. advantage of name recognition, but sidered Trump's top challenger for the these hard times, when every one is strug-
The 2024 Presidential polls will be The primary contenders would A sitting President has never been Vivek is less well-known. The 37-year- 2024 nomination. Biden is the book- gling for bare existence, it would be injudi-
interesting for Indian Americans. Vice be President Biden and his prede- defeated historically. Kamala Harris, old studied at Harvard and Yale, ies' current favourite. He is surging cious to withdraw that boon which our
President Kamala Harris has been cessor Donald Trump. The latter who is only 58, is Biden's running earned millions as a biotechnology and leads both Trump and DeSantis benign Government have been kind enough
announced as the running mate of will be the same age as Biden was mate again. entrepreneur, and founded an asset in the polls. He has the momentum to give to the people in the way of village self-
President Biden, who is seeking re- when he was elected in 2020. Will The two-time former South Car- management firm. and financial muscle to embark on government. We hope our Hon. Minister-in-
election. either of them have a chance to win olina Governor Nikki Haley, daughter It would be difficult for Vivek, another successful presidential cam- charge will take these facts into considera-
At least two Indian-origin Ameri- in 2024? of Indian-origin immigrants, made with no political experience, to join paign. But it is too early to predict. tion.
CHARU CH. PAUL.
Howrah.
CROSSWORD NO-292431
ALIGARH OLD BOYS
1 2 3 4 5 6 ACROSS 12 Ring tone playing 26 Vetting procedure predecessor with 15 Handsome knight To The Editor Of The Statesman
part of air (8) ultimately generates nervous energy usurps youths place
7 8 14 Last sibling gets brief character study (10) (8) SIR, - The Old Boys' annual reunion,
YESTERDAY'S SOLUTION 7 Question
fresh clothing (7) (8) 4 Went on air and 17 The majority which was such a pleasing features of Aligarh
concerned with
church bears fruit
16 Nanny imposing 27 First pair of Czech broadcast complaint almost leave opening but which could not be held for the last two
9 10 B I D E F ORD S T A P L E end to extra pocket trousers tailored (4) of Olivia de Havilland years, will take place this year on April 2,
E E L E A A X (6)
money (7) thin material 5 Hospital work that production
S A L T A S H COU L D B E 8 One with memory
19 Sell-out show (6) devoted nurses (8) 1923. The Old Boys' Association which lately
11 12 13 L O S O L N S T like a goldfish perhaps
unintentionally displayed too much? 18 Cover of record has been in a state of suspended animation
recalled excerpt
O A S T HOU S E T I T L E disheartened (8) by member of will be reorganised and its constitution
B Y S M O R
with difficulty DOWN
(8)
everybody (8) 6 Thrash youths The Cardigans? reconsidered. Invitations to Old Boys whose
B UD E F E V E R F EW 21 Reveal state accepts 1 Leaders of the backside in pen (6)
14 15 16 17
E U C N A S
9 Tried to make
new degree courses Temperance League (6) 20 Quote author about addresses are known to us are being sent but
18 R E S T OR E CON T RO L
peace as Im leaving
(6) organised training 8 Stickler for the rules gut-wrenching there are so many who have not kept touch
next day (8)
19 20 21 22
T R R Y H E O 10 What contributes
23 Derek Jarmans (8) gasped following material (6) with their alma mater that I crave the hospi-
D E C A N T E R M E A D OW to how a pit initially
première could be 2 Heartless family editors promotion 22 Announcement of tality of your columns for this letter in the
E A W M L A R D does? (6)
pulled abruptly supporting article (6) Prime Minister
hope that it may reach them. Old Boys paying
V E R S A T I L E T RURO (6) in Le Monde 13 True Blue Conservative deceives development
23 24 25
O T L T N E T W
11 Exposed crime
25 Memorable description (6) Nationalist creates agency (6) half per cent of their monthly income since
writers name
N A S A L E N DOR P H I N (6)
of the Olympics? 3 Having lost weight, turmoil 24 Service charge levied January, 1923, or who pay at that rate on the
26 27
(8) fights Stallones (10) on alcohol? (4) occasion of the reunion will be entitled to
take part in the discussion as to the lines on
which the association is to be reorganised.
NOTE: Figures in parentheses denote the number of letters in the words required. (By arrangement with The Independent, London)
SYED SAJJAD HYDER.
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10 BENGALURU
SUNDAY
MAY 14, 2023
Opinion
{ OUR TAKE }
E STA B L I S H E D I N 1 9 24
Southern setback for Strike Rates
BJP 2018 2023 CONGRESS 2018
(in %)
2023
57
46
T
he Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is not Seats where
invincible. In the 57 state elections it has
support his party in bringing up heads of household, and 200 free
KJP vote share 21
T
he 2023 Karnataka elec- “hijab and halal issues”. As I had units of electricity. This was particu-
contested since May 2014, it has lost 29 tions are undoubtedly an argued in a previous piece, this left larly effective because the BJP was was over 20% 31
(including the 2023 Karnataka polls). That isn’t extraordinary achieve- the BJP particularly vulnerable in a saddled with accusations of corrup- in 2013
ment for the Congress, former place of strength — areas tion and not caring about the com- 67
a sign of invincibility. Nor is the fact that in the 28 winning 136 seats on a supporting Yediyurappa, especially mon person.
where it did form the government after the elections, it 43.1% vote share — the among the Lingayat community. One way to test if welfarism was
Seats where
40
highest by any party in the state In 2013, Yediyurappa impactful is to see if a
had a majority of its own only in 12 and was the single
since 1989. The Bharatiya Janata contested under his own greater urban-rural divide KJP vote share 30
largest party in 18. Sure, the party now has a presence
(often a vocal one heavily amplified by social media) in
Party (BJP) sensed that it was facing
strong local anti-incumbency and
banner, the Karnataka Jan-
ata Paksha (KJP). And
was generated between the
2018 and 2023 elections. In
was less than 37
20% in 2013
places where it once did not. And sure, it competes sought to nationalise the election although the KJP won only order to characterise how 61
with Prime Minister Narendra six seats in 2013, it bagged “urban” a constituency
hard, throwing everything it has at the elections. But it Modi’s rallies and overt attempts at 20% vote share in 48 con- might be, I use satellite data
has lost 29 state elections since May 2014. Hindu-Muslim polarisation. In the stituencies. In 2018, the BJP Neelanjan from the European Space from 55% to 25% between 2018 and seen as the welfarist party against
As Opposition parties brainstorm after the end, though, little worked for the won 29 of these 48 seats, Sircar Agency tabulated by my col- 2023, in the most rural constituen- an Opposition that was led by a
BJP as it was decimated in the polls. on an average seat-wise league Shamindra Nath Roy cies. This provides evidence of a dominant caste Yadav, whose com-
favourable Karnataka verdict, the question they face is What features of the elections vote share of 41.8% — for a to estimate the percentage sharp rural-urban divide generated munity does not always share good
this: Why can’t they defeat the BJP in national polls? To help us understand why Hindu- strike rate of 60%. But this time, the of land used for dense urban or peri- in this election — perhaps due to the relations with other, more margina-
refine that further, they would need to ask: How is it Muslim polarisation was so insignif- BJP lost an average of 5.2 percentage urban settlements. We then com- relative appeal of welfarism. lised, caste groups.
icant this time, when it has mattered points in these seats, winning only pare the strike rates of the BJP in the Much like in West Bengal or The BJP is still the odds on
that the BJP wins national elections even in states so much in other contexts? 10 for a paltry strike rate of 21%. top and bottom quintile of urbanity, Delhi, the Karnataka elections con- favourite to win the national elec-
where it has recently lost assembly polls? For instance, At the outset, it is important to Compare this to the 156 seats in meaning the 20% most urban con- tinued a series of elections in which tions. Nonetheless, with the relative
in 2018, the Congress won in Rajasthan, Madhya understand the scale of the BJP’s which the KJP received less than stituencies (more than 40% of the the BJP performed poorly when success of the Bharat Jodo Yatra,
loss. In aggregate, BJP’s vote share 20% votes — in 2018, the BJP had a land is densely populated) to the faced with welfarism and a political and demonstrated electoral success
Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh in state elections; just a few dipped marginally, from 36.4% in strike rate of 40% in these seats, 20% most rural constituencies (less leader who could credibly claim to of welfarism, a clear Opposition
months later, it won just three of the 65 Lok Sabha 2018 to 35.7% in these elections. But dropping to 30% in this election. than 10% of the land is densely pop- represent disadvantaged or poor strategy is starting to emerge for the
seats in the three states and the BJP won 62. The lazy this masks the fact that the BJP This means that in 2023, the BJP ulated). We find that the BJP’s strike communities. In these contexts as upcoming year.
largely gained votes in places where actually did slightly better outside of rate dropped only slightly, from 57% well, the BJP sought overt Hindu-
explanation is that people vote differently in state and it had too little presence initially for Yediyurappa’s strongholds than in to 50% between 2018 and 2023, in Muslim polarisation as an electoral Neelanjan Sircar is senior
national elections. This is true to some extent – the it to matter much. In fact, the BJP his pocket boroughs. the most urban constituencies. But strategy with little success. By con- fellow, Centre for Policy Research
more local an election, the more tactical voters get – but lost an average of 5.1 percentage The second major factor that had its strike rate dropped precipitously, trast, in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP was The views expressed are personal
A
But first, what explains the BJP’s loss in a state it ment’s performance was considered subpar, but four crucial assembly elections are
with allegations of corruption at the highest scheduled later this year — Rajasthan, Mad-
considers its stronghold in the South? There were level, and little to claim on the governance hya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Telangana.
many factors – the reduced stature of BS Yediyurappa; front. With its tallest leader BS Yediyurappa First, the biggest lesson for the Congress
anti-incumbency; the Congress’s success in not in contention for the chief minister from Karnataka should be to keep the state-
(CM)’s post, the incumbent Basavaraj Bom- level leadership united during the cam-
consolidating the anti-BJP vote (at 43.1%, its vote share mai seemed a poor match for the Congress’s paign. There may be no love lost between
Regd. Office : HT Media Ltd. 18-20, Kasturba Gandhi Marg, New Delhi-110001 BOARD: (011)23361234 ● EDITORIAL: (011)66561234 Extn. 1254, 1268
Subhani
14 MAY 2023
Ranjona Banerji
Off the beaten track
T
I shan’t get into the biryani argument at all. Is it he results in disappointment. It was takeaway is to soon. The Bharat Jodo
a pulao, if it’s vegetarian? Is a real one with mutton Karnataka may corrupt — dubbed the 40 avoid euphoria. Yatra was a good initia-
next year. It will also be
or chicken? Lucknow or Calcutta or Hyderabad or or may not influ- per cent commission gov- tive, but it is no substitute in a better position to
one of the various hybrid versions available all ence the final ernment — incompetent, for the hard grind of build- bargain for more seats in
over? Did Wajid Ali Shah add potatoes because he outcome in the divided and led by a lack- either vote for us, or you ing a strong organisation case there is an attempt
liked them or because he ran out of money in exile? parliamentary elections lustre chief minister. will suffer, since the at the grassroots, which
Is this what the Mughal Army marched on? That’s next year, but they hold Bengaluru, the knowledge Central government will the Congress sorely lacks to have a united
for another time. important takeaways for capital of India, had a not work in your interest. in most places, and contin- Opposition. Why the
Instead, my mind wanders to something much all parties, especially the crumbling infrastructure, It also goes against the fed- ues not to pay attention to. Congress won is open to
worse: particular types of vegetables. I can feel the Bharatiya Janata Party. with an alarming number eral principle, which mat- Eighth, when a govern-
bristling already. First, from the Millennials and The first, and the most of deaths due to potholes ters to people in states. ment is unpopular, money debate, but why the BJP
Gen Zees who eat a “plant-based” diet which main- important one, is that on the roads, repeated Fifth, the people are by power has limitations. The lost is not. The allega-
ly consists of avocado and “oat milk”. They are eas- And funnily, as there are limits, if not cases of flooding, polluted and large disapproving of BJP is not short — to put it tions of corruption hurt it
ily upset and ready to “cancel” you of course if you often happens, diminishing returns, from lakes, and traffic snarls. unethical practices like mildly — of financial badly while all the
disagree. Then come the vegetarians. The latter are the overused policy of divi- The farmers were hurting, Operation Lotus, which resources. But money is
the worst hypocrites. I have lived around many
planty-type plants I sive politics. The constant, and unemployment was a the BJP has turned into a not enough to beat anti- appeals to Bajrangbali
avowed vegetarians and their “plant-based” diet hated in my cynical and dangerous pol- potent issue. The people fine art. There are innu- incumbency when it is per- have not worked. If the
mainly consists of potatoes, Bengal gram flour, childhood I quite itics of seeking electoral were disappointed, and merable occasions when vasive. In fact, when the trend continues in other
lentils, pulses, rice and wheat. The green stuff at enjoy now. Like dividends on the basis of they showed their opinion the BJP even in a minority voter has made up her
best comes from coriander garnish. capsicum. Any sort accentuating the Hindu- through the ballot box. has cobbled together a gov- mind, inducements or dis- states, the BJP would be
I, on the other hand, ahem, eat a lot of plant-based of peppers, really. Muslim divide, has Third, the BJP cannot ernment through allegedly play of money power can hard-pressed to win for a
vegetables, or vegetable-based plants or whatever
And spicy food. I increasingly been seen by expect Prime Minister money power or other backfire. third time!
the trendy name currently is. Not just tomato and voters for what it is, and Narendra Modi to shore up inducements, thereby viti- Last of all, regional out- Anthony Henriques
lettuce. You don’t even get lettuce all year round. couldn’t even eat they are developing a cer- badly-run state govern- ating the actual mandate of fits such as the JD(S) can-
That’s the other problem: I eat seasonal. I don’t raw green chillis tain immunity to its vitri- ments on every occasion. the people. To counter this, not always hope to play the Mumbai
shop for plant-based plants from that giant transna- until I was about 50. olic rhetoric, arbitrary vio- There is no doubt that the the people now are role of a kingmaker. Too
tional delivery behemoth. I don’t even shop from
shops. I buy from roadside vegetable vendors. So apart from summer staples like
lence,
instability.
and endemic PM enjoys a great deal of
personal popularity, and
inclined to vote in govern-
ments of their choice with
often in Karnataka poli-
tics, we have seen “jod-tod”
MORALEBOOSTER
pointed gourd (or what Bengalis call potol, in Hindi it’s parwal and many people hate For a national party like his personal charisma is a mandate large enough to sarkars, where in a frac- KARNATAKA CONGRESS presi-
it), whatever sort of brinjal is in season, I get delicious green leaves like bathua — the BJP, to base its elec- unmatched, but it does not prevent the BJP from fish- tured mandate, horse-trad- dent D.K. Shivakumar, overjoyed
pigweed? — and some exotica I met recently like kachnar buds — from the Bauhinea toral strategy singularly necessarily work in state ing in troubled waters. I ing is the norm, and par- by the Congress's performance in
tree. on issues such as quotas elections where local am personally aware that ties like the JD(S) have the Karnataka assembly election
What I avoid if I can is the worst of the gourd family. Especially bottle gourd or for Muslims, halal, hijab, issues dominate. The PM the statement made by a prospered. This time the 2023, on Saturday got emotional
lauki, which is something of a watery bland abomination in my head. The fault lies azaan, Bajrangbali, and spoke about what he had minister in the Karnataka voter was resolved to give while recalling senior leader Sonia
clearly with health nuts, who convinced me to drink lauki juice every day for some directly or indirectly achieved nationally, while government after the a definitive mandate, elim- Gandhi’s visit to Delhi's Tihar jail
years. It benefitted me not. And pained me a lot. I have thus reverted to my Bengali demonising the minority the Congress focused on polling, where he spoke inating the revolting spec- to meet him in 2020 when he was
roots and can only eat “lau” if it is suitably disguised with some chingri that is community, is an embar- local angsts, which was the about a “Plan B”, had cre- tacle of legislators being arrested by the ED in connection
prawns. But then I recently met someone who said his version of food heaven was a rassment. The Congress right strategy. Also, it is ated a general sense of bought, or locked up in with a money laundering case.
slice of lightly salted steamed lauki. Human beings are truly marvellous. need not have equated the hardly edifying to see the revulsion in many resorts, or money chang- This win is a moralebooster for the
Gourds are a funny group of plant-based plants. They specialise in tastelessness Popular Front of India PM descending to the level Kannadigas. The people ing hands to somehow Congress before the impending
and need severe embellishment to be properly edible. Why else would one drown a (PFI), which is a terrorist of blatant religious polari- are getting rather tired of form a government that general elections.
bottle gourd in sugar to make a sweetie out of it and then it still remains boring after organisation, with the sation, as a substitute for this kind of cynical poli- has the least interest in Sankar Paul
all that effort? I can manage the ridge gourd with the ridges but not its close cousin Bajrang Dal, which is a col- burning issues of gover- tics, which reflects poorly good governance. Chakdaha, West Bengal
without ridges. They are even better as loofahs though. Which I suspect is their true lective of rowdy lumpen nance troubling the ordi- on the claims of the BJP The Congress deserves to
purpose.
I have never eaten a “tinda”, which the search engine tells me is a Praecitrullus fis-
elements. But for the
Prime Minister, no less, to
nary citizen.
Fourth, this entire hype
itself that it is a party with
a difference.
be congratulated for this
emphatic win. It is also a
HIGH POWER TARIFF
tolosus. This nomenclature is not appetising at all. That the beautiful Indian labur- take up this matter, and of “double engine sarkar” Seventh, there are timely reminder to the BJP THE KARNATAKA Electricity
num is Cassia fistula is equally unfair. Such a broad range covered by this fistula reiterate in speech after has lost its sheen. It did not lessons for the Congress to rein in its hubris, and Regulatory Commission (KERC)
word, from a vegetable I will never eat to a summer flowering delight to a terrible speech, that the Congress work in Himachal Pradesh too. The foremost of these think of strategies beyond delivered a shock on Friday by
anal problem. was trying to “imprison” earlier. And, it has not is to focus on local issues in religious polarisation. For announcing a hike in power tariff
And funnily, as often happens, planty-type plants I hated in my childhood I quite Bajrangbali, like they did worked in Karnataka. Assembly elections, which the Congress too, the sim- by 70 paise per unit. The tariff hike
enjoy now. Like capsicum. Any sort of peppers, really. And spicy food. I couldn’t with Shri Ram, was politi- Quite apart from the fact they did. The other impor- ple lesson is that one is almost double compared to last
even eat raw green chillis and onions until I was about 50. cal immaturity that hardly that in Assembly elections tant takeaway is to avoid Karnataka does not imply year. With this revision, a domes-
But what is really odd is that the most obnoxious vegetable on the planet is the one edified his desired stature people vote for the govern- euphoria. The Congress a victory for it in the tic consumer must fork out
which really riles some Indians if you say you don’t like it. It’s called “gawar (ka) as a statesman, focused on ment they think can work won in Karnataka not Assembly and parliamen- `4.15/unit if consumption is
phalli”. I am not sure if the gawar is a socially offensive insult to a village bumpkin development and econom- for them directly, there is because it has suddenly tary elections to follow, between 0 and 100 units, `7
but it is more probable it has something to do to guar gum, a food emulsifier. For ic progress, and a leader also something unaccept- become organisationally unless it shapes up organi- between 100 and 150 units and `7
philistines like me, tasteless usefulness makes better sense than having to eat the for all Indians. able in the logic of the strong, but because of the sationally. above 150 units. The fixed charge
stuff. It’s a very divisive vegetable. Not even prawns can save it. Why would you ruin Second, the people are “double engine” argument, poor performance of the under different escoms has gone up
prawns like that anyway? not in a mood to reward because it insults the pride BJP government. Nor The writer is an author, from `110 to `210 for consumers
bad governance. The BJP and self-respect of the peo- should the Congress think diplomat and former utilising over 50 KW.
The writer is a senior journalist who writes on media affairs, politics and social government is Karnataka ple of the state. To them it that a win in Karnataka is member of Parliament N.J. Ravi Chander
trends. She tweets at @ranjona. was, to say the least, a deep appears like a threat, that an endorsement for the (Rajya Sabha) Bengaluru
A
s the Karnataka election deliberate as it was clear that Prime Kharge’s role could not be denied. Bharat Jodo Yatra and he learned Gehlot-Sachin Pilot tug-a-war in
results poured on Saturday, Minister Narendra Modi and other Despite his advancing years, he kept about their plight as many of them Rajasthan is continuing, the
there was a dramatic BJP leaders would grab this oppor- a punishing schedule during the poll were driven to take up this work Congress has been quick off the
Anita Katyal change in the mood at the tunity to give a communal twist to campaign. The fact that Mr Kharge despite their high educational quali- mark in Madhya Pradesh where
BJP headquarters. When the count- the campaign. And that’s what the is from the state proved to be a huge fications because there were no jobs there is increasing talk of attrition
Political ing began in the morning, several
party spokespersons were happily
Congress wanted as their surveys
had shown that voters were wary of
plus as he managed to strike a chord
with the people and kept the focus on
in the market. Furthermore, an
input given by former Rajya Sabha
from the Bharatiya Janata Party’s
ranks. Last week, Deepak Joshi, son
Gup-Shup giving soundbites to the a communal pitch and wanted the local issues. There is no doubt that TV head Gurdeep Sappal, currently of former chief minister and senior
media, claiming that even if the election to be about pressing local the result has strengthened Mr a coordinator in Congress president BJP leader Kailash Joshi, crossed
party did not win, it won’t perform issues. Barring stray clarifications Kharge’s position within the Mallikarjun Kharge’s office, ensured over to the Congress. There is a
very poorly and may be able to form and comments on the Bajrang Dal party. It will be easier for him to go that gig workers found a special strong buzz in Madhya Pradesh that
the government with the help of the issue, the Congress kept its focus on ahead with the long overdue consti- mention in the manifesto. Sappal this is only the beginning and that as
Janata Dal (S).The usual caterers local matters and its five guarantees tution of his team. Congress insiders pointed out that a large number of in the case of Karnataka and
Rahul & Kharge were also at the office providing
snacks, tea, coffee. But the
spokespersons gradually made
while the BJP spoke only of
Bajrangbali. The results, they said,
have shown that the communal
said a big organisational reshuffle
can now be expected within the next
few weeks. But before that, Mr
workers who lost their jobs when
Rajya Sabha TV was closed down
went on to become gig workers for
Himachal Pradesh, several other
leaders are planning to leave the
party. Anoop Mishra, Atal Behari
victory; MP sees asked to pack up and leave. A Delhi for the BJP in the past. But even gig worker during his Karnataka sides. Other names doing the rounds
T
BJP leader present at the headquar- here, the BJP lost considerable here was all-round surprise election campaign to send out a mes- include Ajay Vishnoi ,Satyanarayan
ters was heard saying, “chalo cater- ground even though it registered a when the Congress party’s sage that the Congress is serious Sattan, Bhanwar Shekhawat. BJP
er gaya toh confirm ho gaya ki koi sweep in Udupi and Uttara Kannada. election manifesto for about their demands for better job leaders who had to make way for
saffron exodus umeed nahi hai.” Karnataka contained a reference to security. The results show it was a Jyotiraditya Scindia’s sup-
O
nce it became clear that the the working conditions of the grow- smart move. porters are particularly upset as
W
ith the Congress on course to Congress was comfortably ing number of gig workers in the they are unlikely to get tickets in the
N
forming the next govern- ahead in the Karnataka elec- workforce with a promise to set up a ow that the Karnataka elec- coming elections. The churn in the
ment in Karnataka, the big toral race, party leaders and cadres welfare board for them with a seed tion is over, political parties BJP is expected to intensify as polls
buzz is whether party strategists lost no time in giving all credit to fund of `3,000 crore. Gig workers have started focussing on the draw close.
pulled a fast one on the BJP with its Rahul Gandhi for the victory. But have been on the Congress agenda year-end assembly polls in Madhya
election promise to ban the Bajrang they privately acknowledged that ever since Rahul Gandhi interacted Pradesh, Rajasthan and Anita Katyal is a Delhi-based
Dal. Congress insiders said this was party president Mallikarjun with some of them during the Chhattisgarh. While the Ashok journalist
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