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THE HINDU DELHI

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2022 SCIENCE  &  TECHNOLOGY 11


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SNAPSHOTS
Why cloudburst forecast in India still remains elusive
Monitoring stations on the ground can hardly capture cloudburst characteristics due to their highly localised and short occurrence 
Roxy Mathew Koll cloudbursts  occur  over  a the  precipitation  radars  of and intensity of cloudbursts
small geographical region of these satellites can be much worldwide.  As  the  air  gets
Cloudbursts  —  violent  and 20 to 30 sq. km. smaller than the area of indi­ warmer,  it  can  hold  more
voluminous amounts of rain In India, cloudbursts often vidual  cloudburst  events, moisture  and  for  a  longer
Ozone layer damage pouring down in a short du­ occur  during  the  monsoon and hence they go undetect­ time. We call this the Clausi­
Smoke from Australia’s ration  over  a  small  area  — season, when the southwest­ ed. Weather forecast models us Clapeyron relationship. A
extreme wildfires between have been reported since the erly monsoon winds bring in also face a similar challenge 1­degree Celsius rise in tem­
December 2019 and February mid­19th  century.  Yet,  the copious amounts of moisture in simulating the clouds at a perature may correspond to
2020 increased atmospheric characteristics  of  these inland.  The  moist  air  that high resolution.  a 7­10% increase in moisture
temperatures and probably events  remain  elusive,  and converges over land gets lift­ The skillful forecasting of and rainfall. This increase in
made the hole in the ozone our efforts in monitoring and ed  as  they  encounter  the rainfall  in  hilly  regions  re­ rainfall amount does not get
layer bigger. The plumes of forecasting them is at an em­ hills.  The  moist  air  reaches mains challenging due to the spread moderately through­
smoke that rose into the bryonic  stage.  However, an altitude and gets saturat­ uncertainties in the interac­ out the season. As the mois­
atmosphere caused their  disastrous  impact  that ed, and the water starts con­ tion  between  the  moisture ture  holding  capacity  of  air
temperatures to spike by 3°C cause  loss  of  lives  and  pro­ densing out of the air form­ convergence  and  the  hilly increases,  it  results  in  pro­
over Australia. perty are seemingly increas­ ing  clouds.  This  is  how terrain,  the  cloud  micro­ longed dry periods intermit­
ing in a changing climate and clouds  usually  form,  but physics,  and  the  heating­ tent  with  short  spells  of  ex­
have  led  to  close  observa­ such an orographic lifting to­ cooling mechanisms at diffe­ treme  rains.  More  deeper
tions  in  the  recent  decade, gether  with  a  strong  mois­ rent atmospheric levels. The cumulonimbus  clouds  form
advancing  our  understand­ ture convergence can lead to IMD’s  forecasts,  and  in  gen­ and  the  chances  of  cloud­
ing of these events. intense  cumulonimbus eral, the weather prediction bursts also increase.
Clouds blanket 70% of the clouds  taking  in  huge  vol­ scenario,  have  advanced
Earth’s  surface  at  any  given umes  of  moisture  that  is such  that  widespread  ex­ Frequent occurrences
time.  They  are  like  a  thin dumped during cloudbursts.  treme rains can be predicted Cloudbursts are reported fre­
layer  of  the  floating  ocean, Tall cumulonimbus clouds two­three  days  in  advance. quently  from  across  the
Flood in Pakistan with  enough  water  to  cover can develop in about half an Cyclones  can  be  predicted country. The climate change
With rivers breaking their the  entire  surface  of  Earth hour as the moisture updraft about one week in advance. signal is conspicuous, but we
banks glacial lakes bursting, with about one inch of rain. happens rapidly, at a pace of However,  cloudburst  fore­ do  not  have  long­term  (20
Pakistan is experiencing its A modest­sized cloud (1 cub­ 60 to 120 km/hr. A single­cell casts still remain elusive. years or more) hourly data to
worst floods this century. At ic  km)  may  contain  more cloud  may  last  for  an  hour Multiple doppler weather attest it. With IMD enhancing
least one-third of the country than 5,00,000 litres of water and dump all the rain in the radars can be used to moni­ its  automatic  weather  sta­
is under water, some 33 million — equivalent  to  the  mass  of last 20 to 30 minutes, while tor  moving  cloud  droplets tions,  we  may  have  hourly
people have been displaced hundred elephants. some of these clouds merge and help to provide nowcasts data  that  can  help  map
and more than 1,200 have Cloudburst  events  are  of­ to form multi­cell storms and (forecasts for the next three cloudburst­prone regions.
died. Scientists say that ten associated with cumulo­ last for several hours. hours).  This  can  be  a  quick The  change  in  monsoon
heatwaves and a stronger nimbus  clouds  that  cause measure for providing warn­ extremes  and  cloudbursts
monsoon led to floods. thunderstorms  and  occa­ More prone areas ings,  but  radars  are  an  ex­ we see now are in response
sionally  due  to  monsoon Cloudbursts,  hence,  occur the current monsoon season tics due to their highly local­ as  the  monsoon  winds pensive affair, and installing to the 1­degree Celsius rise in
wind  surges  and  other mostly  over  the  rugged  ter­ (2022). ised  and  short  occurrence. gained strength due to a low­ them across the country may global  surface  temperature.
weather phenomena. Cumu­ rains over the Himalayas, the On  July  8  2022,  flash Hence, most of these events pressure  area  developing  in not be practically feasible.  As emissions continue to in­
lonimbus  clouds  can  grow Western  Ghats,  and  north­ floods occurred in the Lidder go  unreported  due  to  the the Arabian Sea. A long­term  measure crease  and  global  commit­
up  to  12­15  km  in  height eastern  hill  States  of  India. Valley en route to Amarnath lack  of  monitoring  mechan­ Strong  monsoon  wind would be mapping the cloud­ ment  to  reduce  emissions
through the entire troposph­ The  heavy  spells  of  rain  on Temple in Jammu and Kash­ isms  in  the  region,  weaken­ surges along the coast can al­ burst­prone  regions  using proves  insufficient,  these
ere  (occasionally  up  to  21 the fragile steep slopes trig­ mir, taking the lives of sever­ ing our ability to understand so result in cloudbursts, as in automatic  rain  gauges.  If temperatures  are  set  to  hit
km)  and  can  hold  huge ger landslides, debris flows, al pilgrims. While the media these  events  in  complete the  case  of  Mumbai  (2005) cloudburst­prone  regions 1.5°C during 2020­2040 and
amounts of water. and  flash  floods,  causing linked  this  event  to  cloud­ perspective. and Chennai (2015). Coastal are  co­located  with  land­ 2°C  during  2040­2060.  We
large­scale  destruction  and bursts  that  occurred  up­ Heavy rains and waterlog­ cities are particularly vulner­ slide­prone regions, these lo­ will  need  urgent  action  and
No difference
Characteristics loss of people and property.  stream of the temple, there is ging brought Bengaluru to a able to cloudbursts since the cations can be designated as policies  to  protect  lives  and
The updated COVID-19
However,  cloudbursts  are Recent  cloudbursts  that no meteorological record in standstill  during  the  first flash  floods  make  the  con­ hazardous. The risk at these property  from  extreme
vaccines that have been
approved in the U.S. and the
not  defined  based  on  cloud caused  significant  devasta­ the  surrounding  regions  to week of September 2022. So­ ventional  stormwater  and locations would be huge, and events  that  will  amplify  as
U.K. offer roughly the same characteristics and do not in­ tion occurred over the Hima­ validate  this.  Weather  fore­ cial  media  was  abuzz,  pass­ flood  management  policies people  should  be  moved, the  global  temperature
protection as existing dicate  clouds  exploding. layan  foothills  in  Himachal casts  indicated  scattered ing  off  a  two­year­old  video in these cities dysfunctional. and construction and mining change doubles.
vaccines, suggests a preprint. Cloudbursts  are  defined  by Pradesh  (in  the  year  2003), light rains for the region, and of cloudbursts in Perth, Aus­ in nearby regions should be (Roxy Mathew Koll is a cli­
The analysis found that the the  amount  of  rainfall.  Ac­ Ladakh (2010), and Uttarak­ the IMD recorded moderate tralia,  as  Bangalore  cloud­ Detecting cloudbursts restricted as that can aggra­ mate  scientist  at  the  Indian
Omicron-specific boosters cording to the India Meteoro­ hand  (2013).  Cloudbursts rainfall at the temple station. bursts.  None  of  the  city’s While  satellites  are  exten­ vate the landslides and flash Institute  of  Tropical  Meteo­
have marginal benefits logical  Department  (IMD), were  reported  from  the Monitoring stations on the weather stations recorded a sively  useful  in  detecting flood impacts. rology  and  a  lead  author
compared with an extra dose 100 mm of rain in an hour is northeastern  States  and ground  can  hardly  capture cloudburst  but  indicated large­scale  monsoon  weath­ Climate change is project­ and reviewer of recent IPCC
of older vaccines. called a cloudburst. Usually, Western Ghats States during the  cloudburst  characteris­ heavy rains during the week er systems, the resolution of ed to increase the frequency reports.)

Aiming to build molecular neuromorphic computing technology


This can pave the way for computing that mimics the brain and helps establish artificial intelligence 
Shubashree Desikan been considered the poorest rials  can  compute  reliably plains  Prof.  Sreebrata functionalities  spanning  bi­ responses quenched, or flat­
of different material types in and,  in  some  aspects,  are Goswami. polar, unipolar, non­volatile, tened out as temperature was
Artificial  Intelligence  and making  computing  compo­ even  better  than  inorganic and volatile memristors. lowered.  “We  could  make  it
machine learning can cause nents because they were fra­ materials.  “The  molecular Many functionalities In Dr. Sreetosh Goswami’s work because our molecular
a veritable revolution in the gile and unstable. “We chose system  (transition  metal Molecular  materials  are  cha­ words,  this  is  an  “insane devices  are  robust,  and  the
working of the world today, this  genre  as  our  horse  for complexes of azo aromatic li­ racterised by interactions bet­ amount of variability,” to de­ switching  mechanisms  have
yet their development is hin­ the race because we believed gands) is a brainchild of my ween  molecules  and  ions, scribe which, the group had a thermodynamic  compo­
dered  by  the  fact  that  the that if there was a way to re­ father,  Prof.  Sreebrata  Gos­ which then present a multi­di­ to  design  a  mathematical nent  that  still  occurs  even
present  state  of  the  art  in solve  these  performance  is­ wami,”  says  Dr.  Sreetosh mensional  landscape  of  pa­ space  that  could  enable  al­ when  the  device  is  cooled,”
electronics  does  not  match sues,  the  functionalities  we Goswami in an email to The rameter space that can be tin­ most all possible characteris­ says  Santi  Prasad  Rath,  who
up to what is needed.  could  extract  out  of  these Hindu. kered with to develop suitable tic  variations  desirable  in is a Post­Doc at CeNSE, IISc,
In  a  move  towards  deve­ materials could blew anyth­ functionalities. The question neuromorphic devices. “The and  the  first  author  of  the
loping devices that can mim­ ing  else  that  exists,”  says The plastic brain Advantage: The same device can be operated in analog and they asked in a recent paper same device could be operat­ paper published in Advanced
ic the workings of neurons in Sreetosh Goswami from the The  human  brain  which  in­ digital regime by tuning the activation energy, says Sreetosh published in Advanced Mate­ ed both in analog and digital Materials. 
the  brain,  researchers  from Centre for Nanoscience and spired  the  researchers  in Goswami (left). SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
* rials was whether they could regime just by tuning the ac­ Dr.  Sreetosh  Goswami
Indian  Institute  of  Science, Engineering (CeNSE), IISc.  their  work,  in  the  words  of manipulate these many­body tivation  energy,”  says  Dr. says, “We are fairly confident
Bengaluru  (IISc),  have  de­ He  and  his  collaborators Sreebrata  Goswami,  who  is formance  uses  up  just  20 “The neurons in the brain interactions  to  achieve  plas­ Sreetosh Goswami. that we will be able to deve­
signed neuromorphic devic­ have  published  significant now with CeNSE, IISc, “vast­ watt of power over a space of operate  on  the  verge  of ticity and reconfigurability in lop  a  functional  neuromor­
es  using  organic  materials papers in this field since 2017 ly outperforms any artificial 1260 cc. Some of the proper­ chaos  with  a  highly  non­li­ the devices. They did this by Making it work phic  platform  based  on  our
that have not been used hith­ in Nature Materials, Nature electronic  analogues  in ties that it exhibits which are near  feedback  mechanism. measuring  the  current­vol­ The  challenge  was  that  dur­ metal  complexes  which
erto.  Their  work  since  2014 Nanotechnology,  Advanced terms of its learning, cogni­ desirable  include  intercon­ We are in search of materials tage  curves  as  a  function  of ing  low­temperature  mea­ could be world’s first molecu­
aimed towards this. Materials and  Nature,  esta­ tion  and  decision­making nectedness and reconfigura­ that  can  capture  such  pro­ temperature  over  a  wide surements,  in  molecular lar  neuromorphic  technolo­
Organic  materials  had blishing  that  organic  mate­ ability.”  Its  remarkable  per­ bility.  perties, an elusive goal…” ex­ range.  They  could  capture memristors,  the  switching gy.”

JNCASR’s novel molecule prevents obesity in mice seen around a star called


an M­dwarf. 
As the scientists
looked at 43 planets,
Currently, there are no reliable drugs available for obesity and its associated disorders  they saw a surprising
picture. The densities of
Tapas K. Kundu Over  the  past  two  de­ effect  against  obesity.  Ho­ indicate that this molecule is a large percentage of the
Aditya Bhattacharya cades,  our  laboratory  has wever,  its  exact  molecular almost  non­toxic.  To  in­ Question Corner planets suggested that
been  working  on  how  the targets were not known. Fur­ crease its efficacy, we have al­ they were too light for
In spite of all the discipline of modifications  of  the  gene thermore, its major chemical so  made  a  formulation  with Discovering water their size to be made up
diet  and  exercise,  are  you rather  than  the  gene  se­ constituent  garcinol  was this  molecule  as  its  active of pure rock. Instead,
still finding it difficult to stay quence  itself  can  regulate found to be toxic as it targets component.  How common are these planets are
in  shape?  The  developed gene  function.  This  branch many  enzymes  non­specifi­ This discovery is all set for water-containing probably something like
world suffers from numerous of molecular biology is called cally.  the  next  stages  of  drug exoplanets? half rock and half water,
cases  of  obesity  due  to  a epigenetics.  The  epigenetic Our  semi­synthetic  mole­ development. or lighter molecule.
more sedentary mode of life changes  are  reversible  and cule,  LTK­14A,  could  offer Our work on the discovery A new study suggests These planets are so
offered  by  the  comforts  of directly  correlated  with  ha­ greater efficacy due to target­ of this novel regulatory me­ that many more planets close to their suns that
the first world. In contrast, in bits as well as social and envi­ ed  inhibition  of  the  less chanism of obesity manifes­ may have large amounts any water on the surface
the developing world, due to ronmental cues.  abundant butyrylation modi­ tation and its specific inhibi­ of water than previously would exist in a
irregular  food  habits  and Our genetic material DNA fication  that  becomes  rele­ tor  has  recently  been thought — as much as supercritical gaseous
economic  stress,  a  large is  wrapped  around  protein vant in the context of fat cell accepted  for  publication  in half water and half rock. phase, which would
number  of  individuals  have balls called histones to form development. the Journal of Medicinal Che­ The catch? All that water enlarge their radius. That
an  accumulation  of  visceral the  highly  organised  ge­ mistry.  is probably embedded in suggests the water is not
fat especially in the stomach nome.  Different  chemical Safe: Pre-clinical studies indicate that the molecule is almost Shows promise This entire work is a result the rock, rather than in the form of surface
area as well as in the liver. modifications  of  both  DNA non-toxic in nature, say Tapas Kundu (right) and Aditya We have found that this mo­ of  a  collaboration  between flowing as oceans or ocean.
Although  obesity  is  more and histones can dictate the Bhattacharya. SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
* lecule  not  only  inhibits  fat scientists  from  the  Tran­ rivers on the surface. Instead, the water
of  a  lifestyle­related  health fate of genes in terms of them synthesis in mice cell line but scription  and  Disease  Labo­ “It was a surprise to could exist mixed into
disorder, it can lead to sever­ being switched on or remain­ molecule  that  could  specifi­ enzyme p300.  also prevents obesity in mice ratory,  Molecular  Biology see evidence for so many the rock or in pockets
al  other  diseases  such  as ing switched off. This on/off cally inhibit this modification Since  this  molecule feeding on high fat­diet. Very and Genetics Unit of Jawahar­ water worlds orbiting the below the surface. The
non­alcoholic fatty liver dis­ balance of gene expression is and thereby arrest or amelio­ (LTK­14A) is very specific for significantly,  this  molecule lal  Nehru  Centre  for  Ad­ most common type of finding matches a theory
ease,  diabetes  and  osteoar­ critical  for  health  and rate obesity. only  one  enzymatic  activity could  reduce  the  weight  of vanced  Scientific  Research, star in the galaxy,” Rafael of exoplanet formation
thritis.  Surprisingly,  there disease. After many years of effort, of  the  multi­functional  en­ genetically obese and highly Bengaluru and CSIR­Central Luque from the that had fallen out of
are no reliable drugs availa­ we could finally demonstrate zyme p300, we expected mi­ diabetic  mice  as  well.  Fur­ Drug  Research  Institute, University of Chicago favour in the past few
ble  for  obesity  and  its  asso­ Turning point that a semi­synthetic deriva­ nimal toxicity from this com­ thermore, administration of Lucknow. said in a release. years, which suggested
ciated disorders.  We have discovered that one tive  of  garcinol,  a  molecule pound  for  biological this  inhibitor  could  reduce (Tapas K. Kundu and Adi­ Scientists from the that many planets form
While  there  are  several such rarely studied chemical naturally  found  in  Garcinia applications. fat accumulation in the liver tya  Bhattacharya  are  from Institute of Astrophysics farther out in their solar
drugs  undergoing  clinical modification of histone — ly­ indica (kokum)  fruit  rind, also, making it a suitable can­ the  Transcription  and  Dis­ of the Canary Islands and systems and migrate
trials  for  tackling  obesity, sine butyrylation — is critical could selectively reduce the Protective effect didate for being used against ease  Laboratory,  Molecular the University of La inward over time.
many  have  already  fallen for fat cell development that levels of this modification by As  per  traditional  know­ non­alcoholic fatty liver dis­ Biology  and  Genetics  Unit, Laguna decided to take a
Readers may send their
through  due  to  undesirable underlies obesity manifesta­ inhibiting the catalytic activi­ ledge, kokum (Garcinia indi­ ease.  Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for population­level look at a questions / answers to
side  effects  in  human tion.  This  finding  encour­ ty of the enzyme responsible ca)  extracts  have  been We have also performed a Advanced  Scientific  Re­ group of planets that are questioncorner@thehindu.co.in
patients. aged us to search for a small for it — the master epigenetic known  to  have  a  protective few  pre­clinical  tests  which search, Bengaluru.)
CM M ND-NDE
YK
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12 FAQ DELHI

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2022


THE HINDU
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What is the G7 planning on Russian oil?


How will imposing a price cap on oil
purchases from Russia help? How is
India responding to the West’s call? 
Suhasini Haidar

 The story so far: On September 2, Finance Ministers of


all G7 countries, the U.S., Canada, the U.K., France,
Germany, Italy, Japan, as well as the European Union
announced their plan to “finalise and implement a
comprehensive prohibition of services which enable
maritime transportation of Russian­origin crude oil and
petroleum products globally”, unless they are purchased
at or below a “price cap” they will fix. The plan, however,
Big test: Dog trappers capturing stray dogs for doesn’t include Russian gas, which Europe is still quite
administering anti-rabies vaccine. VISHNU PRATHAP *
dependent on.  Supply crunch: The crude oil terminal Kozmino on the Nakhodka bay near the port city of Nakhodka, Russia. *
REUTERS

Risk from rabies What is the price cap plan?

■ The price cap plan is the latest of the sanctions
hurting the Russian economy and its ability to fund the
war in Ukraine. This could only work, of course, if all
countries joined the coalition. 
India to change its uncritical stance on Russia at the
United Nations, to cutting down oil imports, to stopping
defence and other purchases from Russia, and to avoid
proposed by Western countries against Russia for its the rupee­rouble payment mechanism that circumvent
Which virus causes the disease? invasion of Ukraine, as well as Belarus for its support to How has Russia reacted to the plan? their sanctions. Thus far, India has not obliged, and there
Russia. For the past few weeks, U.S. and EU officials have is little indication that New Delhi is likely to, just yet.
What is the treatment protocol? Are been trying to convince countries including India, China ■ Russian President Vladimir Putin has lashed out at the India’s oil intake from Russia, which was minuscule prior
vaccines effective? and Turkey to join the coalition or to at least support the plan, warning that Russia would not supply “anything at to the war has soared 50 times over. When asked,
price cap, which they say is in the interests of all oil all” if it contradicts Russian interests. Speaking at the Petroleum Minister Hardeep Puri rejected any “moral”
Jacob Koshy buyers from Russia as it will give them leverage to lower Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) in Vladivostok this week, duty to join the price cap coalition, and said his only duty
purchase prices.  that Prime Minister Narendra Modi joined virtually, he was to providing affordable oil to Indian consumers. At
The story so far: The death of a 12­year­old girl in threatened that Russia could stop supplies of gas, oil, the EEF, Mr. Modi said he wanted to “strengthen” ties
Kerala from rabies, despite having multiple inoculations How will it be enforced? coal, heating oil... leaving European countries to with Russia in the energy field and boost India’s $16
of the vaccine, has raised questions on the efficacy of “freeze”. On September 5, Russia also announced a halt billion investment in Russian oilfields. This week, Mr.
rabies vaccines in India and their availability. ■ For countries that join the coalition, it would mean on all supplies via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to Europe Modi will also join President Putin, Chinese President Xi
simply not buying Russian oil unless the price is reduced due to “maintenance issues” arising from the EU Jinping, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and
How does a rabies vaccine work? to where the cap is determined. For countries that don’t sanctions already in place, raising fears of a very difficult other leaders at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
join the coalition, or buy oil higher than the cap price, winter for European countries.  summit in Uzbekistan, where the price cap issue will no
■ Rabies is a disease that is caused by a family of viruses they would lose access to all services provided by the doubt be discussed from the opposite viewpoint to the
called the lyssaviruses and found in a range of mammals. coalition countries including for example, insurance, Will the Modi government comply with the price cap? G7’s. It also remains to be seen whether India will bargain
The virus targets the central nervous system and is currency payment, facilitation and vessel clearances for with the U.S. to set aside sanctions against Iran and
nearly 100% fatal to the host animal if it succeeds in their shipments. G7 countries say they are aiming to ■ The price cap is only the latest in a number of Venezuela, from which it cancelled oil imports under
infecting it. Though many animals from cats to reduce the price of oil, but not the quantity of oil that sanctions to hurt the Russian economy that the U.S. and pressure from the U.S. in 2017­18, in exchange for joining
crocodiles can be transmitters of the virus, it is most Russia sells, so as to control inflation globally while EU have tried to bring India on board with: from asking the price cap coalition. 
likely to spread to people from the bite of an infected dog
or a cat as they are the most common pets. Despite being
potentially lethal, the virus is slow­moving and it can be
several weeks before the disease manifests into a fatal
encephalitis which is why administering a vaccine, even
after being bitten by a rabid animal, is effective. A shot of
rabies immunoglobulin (rabies­antibodies against the
Why is the Kushiyara river treaty important?
virus derived either from people or horses) followed by a
four­week course of anti­rabies vaccine, is nearly What is the status of the Teesta river water sharing proposal between India and Bangladesh? 
guaranteed to prevent rabies. This translates to the first
dose being given on the same day as the immunoglobulin Kallol Bhattacherjee ation  of  rice  as  well  as  a  wide  variety  of  vegetables  for
followed by vaccinations on the 3rd, 7th and 14th day. which Sylhet is famous. The additional water of Kushiyara
There are other regimens, such as five shots which The story so far: During  Bangladesh  Prime  Minister through the Rahimpur Canal therefore is the only way to
include one on the 28th day approved by the World Sheikh Hasina’s visit to India from September 5 to 8, the ensure steady supply of water for irrigation of agriculture
Health Organization (WHO) which clinics may consider, two sides signed a slew of agreements, including the first fields and orchards of the subdivisions of Sylhet.
depending on the availability of the vaccine.  water sharing agreement since the landmark Ganga Wa­
ters Treaty, 1996. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) What was India’s objection to the Rahimpur Canal?
How is the vaccine made? was signed on sharing of the waters of the Kushiyara river,
a distributary of the Barak river which flows through As­ ■ The Kushiyara water sharing agreement finalised dur­
■ The vaccine is made up of an inactivated virus that is sam, and then on to Bangladesh. The agreement comes in ing the August 25 Joint River Commission and signed dur­
expected to induce the body into producing antibodies a year when both lower Assam in India and Sylhet in Ban­ ing Prime Minister Hasina’s visit was made possible as In­
that can neutralise the live virus in case of infection. gladesh have witnessed deadly floods highlighting the re­ dia  withdrew  its  objection  to  withdrawal  of  Kushiyara’s
There are also test vaccines that involve genetically quirement for greater cooperation on flood control and ir­ waters by Bangladesh through the Rahimpur Canal. With­
modified viruses. There is no single­shot rabies vaccine rigation­related issues between the two countries.  drawal of India’s objection is likely the main part of the
or one that offers permanent immunity. There are agreement, said Dr. Nishat. Before this, Bangladesh had
mainly two ways of administering the rabies vaccine. What is the Kushiyara agreement? carried out the Upper Surma Kushiyara Project which in­
One, called post­exposure cluded clearing and dredging of the canal and other con­
It is widely known prophylaxis (PEP), is given ■ Over the last century, the flow of the Barak river has nected channels of water; but the channels could not be of
changed in such a way that the bulk of the river’s water much  use  to  Bangladesh  because  India  objected  to  the
that vaccinating dogs to persons who have been flows into Kushiyara while the rest goes into Surma. Ac­ Kushiyara is expected to require much more work. move and claimed that the dyke and other infrastructure
exposed via a bite to an
is essential for the cording to water expert, Dr. Ainun Nishat, the agreement interfered in border security as Kushiyara itself forms part
animal suspected to be
elimination of rabies. infected. The vaccines are is aimed at addressing part of the problem that the chang­ How will Bangladesh use the water? of the border between the two sides. However, the agree­
But experts say that administered either into the ing nature of the river has posed before Bangladesh as it ment indicates that the economic benefits possible from
like in people, muscles, or into the skin. It unleashes floods during the monsoon and goes dry during ■ The water of Kushiyara will be channelled through the the river outweighed the security concerns. 
can also be given ahead of the winter when demand of water goes up because of a Rahimpur  Canal  project  in  Sylhet.  The  Rahimpur  Canal
vaccinating animals
time to persons who have a crop cycle in Sylhet. Though the details of the agreement project  in  Zakiganj  upazila  or  subdivision  of  Sylhet  was What are the hurdles to the Teesta agreement?
doesn’t guarantee are not yet known, Dr. Nishat says that under this MoU, built to help the farmers access Kushiyara’s water but the
high risk of being infected,
lifelong immunity such as veterinarians, Bangladesh will be able to withdraw 153 cusecs (cubic feet facility used to remain dry during the lean season without ■ The Kushiyara agreement is relatively smaller in scale in
from the disease animal handlers, areas with per second) of water from the Kushiyara out of the approx­ serving the purpose for which it was built. The eight km comparison to Teesta that involves West Bengal, which has
a high number of rabies imately 2,500 cusecs of water that is there in the river dur­ long canal is the only supplier of water from the Kushiyara problems with the proposal. The Kushiyara agreement did
infection, by what is called ing the winter season. There are various estimates about to the region and Bangladesh has built a pump house and not require a nod from any of the States like Assam from
Pre Exposure Prophylaxis the area that will benefit from this supply but it is generally other  facilities  for  withdrawal  of  water  that  can  now  be which the Barak emerges and branches into Kushiyara and
(PrEP). The advantage of a PrEP is that if bitten, one understood  that  approximately  10,000  hectares  of  land utilised.  Surma.The  reduced  water  flow  of  the  Kushiyara  during
doesn’t need a immunoglobulin injection, and two and millions of people will benefit from the water that will winter and Teesta too, however, raise important questions
subsequent shots of the vaccine will suffice for full flow through a network of canals in Sylhet benefiting the Why is the water from the Kushiyara so important for about the impact of climate change on South Asian rivers
protection, unlike the four­course prescription in the farmers involved in Boro rice, which is basically the rice Rahimpur Canal? that can affect communities and trigger migration. Bangla­
case of PEP. However, the WHO doesn’t recommend cultivated during the dry season of December to February desh has cited low water flow in its rivers during the winter
PrEP as a general preventive.  and harvested in early summer. Bangladesh has been com­ ■ The water of the Kushiyara has been used for centuries months as a matter of concern as it affects its agriculture
plaining that the Boro rice cultivation in the region had in Sylhet’s subdivisions like the Zakiganj, Kanaighat and sector. Dr. Nishat contends that the coming decades will
Are rabies vaccines easily available in India? been suffering as India did not allow it to withdraw the re­ Beanibazar areas. But Bangladesh has witnessed that the throw up similar challenging issues involving river water
quired water from the Kushiyara. The agreement address­ flow and volume of water in the canal has reduced during sharing as the impact of the climate crisis becomes more
■ According to the Health Ministry, there are at least six es Bangladesh’s concern over water supply along the river, the lean season. The utility of the river and the canal dur­ visible with water levels going down in several cross­bor­
rabies vaccines approved for India. They all contain during the winter months but flood control in the basin of ing the lean/winter season had gone down, affecting cultiv­ der rivers.
inactivated virus made of duck, chicken or human cell
cultures and are marked as safe, efficacious and with
long immunity. Rabies vaccines are available for free in

How does a COVID nasal vaccine work?


government dispensaries though vaccines administered
in a private clinic can cost up to ₹500 per dose. However,
reports of hospitals running out of vaccines continue to
surface and knowledge about vaccines and treatment is
still inadequate in India. The Health Ministry has said
that no centralised database of vaccine availability is Which age group is eligible? When will it be rolled out? Will it be able to prevent infection? 
maintained, being a State­procured product, but that
shortage had been reported in Punjab, Haryana, West Ramya Kannan reducing disease severity and preventing hospitalisation, but says scant data is available from either of them. 
Bengal and Karnataka. The Centre says that from but don’t block mild illness or transmission that well. The In a release, Bharat Biotech said: “The product —
2016­18, around 300 laboratory­confirmed rabies deaths The story so far: On September 6, Union Health reason for that is that they are injected into the muscle. iNCOVACC — is stable at 2­8°C for easy storage and
were reported in India. The WHO says India is endemic Minister Mansukh Mandaviya tweeted that the Central “Intramuscular shots prompt an immune response that distribution. The reactogenic events and adverse events
for rabies and accounts for 36% of the world’s deaths. Drugs Standard Control Organisation had approved includes T cells, which destroy infected cells, and B cells, that were documented during the trial were highly
The true burden of rabies in India is not fully known; Bharat Biotech’s nasal vaccine for primary immunisation which produce antibodies that ‘neutralise’ pathogens — comparable to the published data from other COVID­19
although as per available information, it causes against COVID­19 in the 18­plus age group for restricted binding to them to stop them entering healthy cells. vaccines. Product development data will be submitted to
18,000­20,000 deaths every year. About 30­60% of use in an emergency situation. It is hoped that Bharat These cells and antibodies circulate through the peer­reviewed journals and will be made available in the
reported rabies cases and deaths in India occur in Biotech’s ChAd36­SARS­CoV­S recombinant vaccine, to be bloodstream. But they aren’t present at high enough public domain.” 
children under the age of 15 years, as bites that occur in administered nasally and developed in association with levels in the nose and lungs to provide rapid protection. The University of Washington article indicated that two
children often go unrecognised and unreported, it notes. the University of Washington, will prove a powerful tool In the time it takes for them to journey there from the clinical trials of the nasal vaccine were conducted in
in the battle against the virus by preventing infections, bloodstream, the virus spreads, and the infected person India. “A phase 3 trial involving about 3,100 previously
What about vaccines for animals? something the other vaccines have not been able to do. gets ill.”  unvaccinated people who received two doses of the nasal
vaccine, and a booster trial with about 875 people who
■ Given that rabies treatment requires multiple shots of What does the vaccine do? Is a nasal vaccine the best defence against COVID-19 so received a single dose of the nasal vaccine after two doses
vaccine as well as immunoglobin, sticking to the far? of another COVID­19 vaccine. These trials, which
schedule is challenging. Governments of countries where ■ A nasal vaccine is delivered through the nose or mouth concluded in August, indicated that the vaccine is safe
rabies is endemic have frequently set targets to eliminate and it is expected to work on the mucosal lining, ■ “Exactly how successful these vaccines will be is and effective at eliciting a strong immune response in
the disease — India has committed to do so by 2030. Yet prompting an immune response at the entry points of the unclear. Expecting a vaccine to stop transmission of a people when used either as a primary vaccine or as a
it is widely acknowledged that this elimination requires virus in the human body. It likely prevents the infection virus or prevent even mild illness — achieving what is booster.” 
vaccination of dogs. Like in people, vaccinating animals right there, thereby also blocking its spread. Scientists called sterilising immunity — is a high bar. Bharat
too doesn’t guarantee lifelong immunity from the have called this sterilising immunity, where the virus is [Biotech] and CanSino [Chinese vaccine maker that has What next?
disease. Because dogs are deemed responsible for 99% of prevented from causing infection in the host effectively. secured a licence to use another nasal vaccine] won’t
all rabies infections in people, the government in its 2021 Early studies at Washington University, according to a know whether their vaccines can achieve this until they ■ Early publication of trial data and a speedy rollout of a
plan, called the ‘National Action for Plan — Rabies report published on the varsity’s website, “showed that have conducted further efficacy studies,” explains Ms. nasal vaccine would be ideal. By avoiding the jab, the
Elimination’, aims to vaccinate at least 70% of all dogs in nasal delivery of this vaccine creates a strong immune Waltz nasal vaccine might be more appealing to people not yet
a defined geographical area annually for three response throughout the body, especially in the nose and Both Bharat Biotech and CanSino have announced that vaccinated. It can be an option for children too, for whom
consecutive years. With this, a degree of herd immunity respiratory tract. In animal studies, the nasal vaccine their trials have been successful but have not released it has not been authorised for use yet. 
is expected leading to eventual elimination within eight prevented infection from taking hold in the body.”  data. She points to two other nasal vaccines that have Also, though two vaccines were authorised for use in
years. Rather than inoculate all dogs, the plan is to Emily Waltz explains in an article in Nature, that the reportedly been deployed in populations, one in Iran and the 5­12 and 6­12 age groups in April, there is no sign of a
identify ‘rabies hotspots’ in the country and target them. COVID­19 vaccines currently in use do a good job of the other, an intra­nasal version of Sputnik V in Russia, rollout for these candidates.
CM M ND-NDE
YK
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ILLUSTRATION: R. RAJESH

LIZ TRUSS

Promises to keep, an
emotional vacuum to fill
New U.K. Prime Minister is tasked with responding to the energy crisis,
enacting supply-side reforms to boost growth, revitalising the
Conservative Party and also leading the nation in mourning a monarch

Narayan Lakshman sense, to the collective emo­ ics  at  Oxford  University  —


tional needs of a nation once considered  to  be  the  classic

I
f  there  is  one  person again mourning the death of route  to  the  prime  ministe­
that  the  newly  minted a respected  member  of  the rial chair in the U.K. — where
In focus United  Kingdom  Prime royal family. Can Ms. Truss, she also became president of
B Liz Truss
Minister  Liz  Truss who  was  in  the  presence  of the  university’s  Liberal  De­
went to would probably wish to the  Queen  earlier  this  week mocrats. Her liberal politics
Oxford have  a  quiet  conversation after she won the race to be clearly ran deep at the time
University with during her first week in the country’s next Prime Mi­ for  she  also  on  the  record
and was office,  it  is  Tony  Blair,  the nister, rise to the challenge? spoke at a Liberal Democrat­
active in
former Labour Prime Minis­ A glance  backward  at  her ic  conference  in  favour  of
liberal
politics. But ter.  Mr.  Blair  set  alight  the path to higher office through abolishing the monarchy. Yet
by the end of imagination  of  a  nation many  years  in  the  trenches by the end of her time at Ox­
her time mourning the sudden death of  the  Conservative  Party ford she jumped ship to the
there, she of Diana, Princess of Wales, suggests that she has the per­ Tories, an act that is said to
jumped ship in a 1997 car crash in Paris, sonal  and  leadership  traits have come as a shock to her
to the Tories.
when he described her as the that  might  just  help  her  ac­ left­leaning  parents  but  one
B Ms. Truss’
“people’s princess.” At a time complish this. that  some  of  her  friends  re­
transformat- when the royal family faced Indeed,  if  there  is  one cognised  as  a  natural  philo­
ion into a
hardcore
criticism for lacking in its pu­ strength  that  Ms.  Truss  has sophical  progression  given
Conservative blic response to the tragedy, demonstrated in the past, it that  she  was  a  “market
came several Mr. Blair’s words brought so­ is  the  sheer  adaptability  of liberal.”
years later, lace to the British people and her politics, her flexibility of
when, as she established his credentials as political posture in response Thatcher’s image
rose through
the ranks, she
a leader attuned to the pulse to  big­picture  expediencies. Ms. Truss’ transformation in­
carefully of the nation. For  example,  in  the  early to  a  hardcore  Conservative
started Ms. Truss now faces simi­ years  of  Ms.  Truss’  political came  several  years  further
cultivating an lar  circumstances,  with  the career,  she  started  out  as  a down the road, when, as she
image akin to passing of the country’s lon­ member  of  Liberal  Demo­ rose  through  the  ranks,  she CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC cal  “chameleon”  or  “shape 60,399 votes. This was a far derscoring  its  capability  in
that of
gest  reigning  monarch, crats  Party,  a  great  political carefully  started  cultivating The government’s shifter”  with  a  pragmatic narrower  margin  than  ex­ terms  of  dealing  with  the
Margaret
Thatcher’s Queen  Elizabeth  II,  upend­ distance  to  the  position  she an image akin to that of Ms. edge.  Her  most  recent  han­ pected  and  represents  less post­Brexit  world  to  the  ad­
ing the Prime Minister’s well­ currently occupies. Thatcher’s,  from  dressing immediate plans dling of the saga of Mr. John­ than  50%  of  Conservative vantage of the British people
B The other
laid plans for her early days Born in 1975 in Oxford to a like the “Iron Lady” of Brit­ include an estimated son’s  exit  certainly  does Party  members,  given  that and U.K. businesses. This al­
major
transition that at 10 Downing Street. Those mathematics professor fath­ ish politics did to mirroring a £100 billion package point to her changeable pol­ nearly  20%  of  them  did  not so involves helping the party
Ms. Truss plans  include  an  estimated er  and  nurse  mother,  Ms. famous  picture  of  Ms. to cap skyrocketing itics.  While  she  was  astute vote.  This  means  that  now escape  the  reputational
underwent in £100 billion package intend­ Truss has described her pa­ Thatcher in Germany in 1986 enough to steer clear of the Ms.  Truss  will  have  to  con­ quagmire of sleaze scandals
her political ed to cap skyrocketing ener­ rents as “left­wing,” recalling by  posing  in  a  Challenger  2
energy prices at their Conservative coup that led to vince  a  substantial  propor­ that  held  back  the  Johnson
position was gy prices at their current le­ the many discussions on pol­ tank  while  visiting  British current level, a fiscal Mr.  Johnson’s  ouster  from tion  of  her  party  members government  and,  in  today’s
regarding her
switch from vel,  a  fiscal  intervention itical activism at their family troops in Estonia, when she intervention whose Downing  Street,  she  man­ that her approach to tackling context,  genuinely  repre­
being a whose size has few past pre­ dining  table.  When  she  was was  the  U.K.’s  Foreign size has few past aged  nevertheless  to  avoid the multi­pronged economic senting  the  spirit  of  the  na­
diehard cedents  except  in  wartime. still  young,  she  attended Secretary. being labelled as an unshake­ and energy crisis in the coun­ tion as it mourns the loss of
Remainer on The  Truss  government  will alongside her mother march­ The other major transition
precedents except  able  Johnson  supporter,  a try  is  the  optimal  one.  This Queen Elizabeth.
Brexit to also launch, in weeks ahead, es for the Campaign for Nu­ that Ms. Truss underwent in in wartime  fine  distinction  that  paved would apply to her the major For Ms. Truss, her greatest
becoming
former PM
a comprehensive response to clear  Disarmament,  “an  or­ her political position was re­ CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC the  way  for  her  subsequent policy initiatives that she has learning  at  10  Downing
Boris the looming challenge of the ganisation  vehemently garding her switch from be­ rise to the top job. spoken  of  so  far,  which  in­ Street  might  be  that  while
Johnson’s wobbly U.K. economy, likely opposed  to  the  [former ing  a  diehard  Remainer  on popular  with  the  hard­line clude  her  plan  to  introduce her  political  flip­flopping
frontline including  tax  cuts,  eschew­ Prime  Minister  Margaret] Brexit  to  becoming  former wing of the Conservative par­ Future challenges £30bn in tax cuts, reversing may  proffer  certain  advan­
warrior to ing  “handouts,”  enacting Thatcher government’s deci­ Prime  Minister  Boris  John­ ty. Regardless, the Ms. Truss’ Doubtless a future challenge the  rise  in  National  Insu­ tages, it can sometimes come
negotiate the
supply­side reforms to boost sion  to  allow  U.S.  nuclear son’s frontline warrior to ne­ government will face a chal­ that  Ms.  Truss  will  have  to rance, temporarily dropping with a high cost. It could well
terms of
post-Brexit growth, and bolstering with warheads  to  be  installed  at gotiate  the  terms  of  post­ lenge  on  this  front  on  Sep­ deal  with  is  the  fact  that  in green levies on energy bills, be  that  in  the  highly  visible
trade deals resources the struggling Na­ RAF  Greenham  Common,” Brexit  trade  deals  with  the tember 15, when they are re­ the contest for the prime mi­ and scrapping a planned rise role  of  Prime  Minister,  Ms.
with the EU tional Health Service and the not far from London. European  Union.  In  doing quired to respond to EU legal nisterial chair against former in corporation tax. Truss  finds  that  voters  hold
defence sector. After  finishing  school  in so, she adopted a confronta­ action on the alleged failure Chancellor  Rishi  Sunak  she In  the  broader  canvas  of her to a higher standard, one
Yet  these  policy  impera­ Leeds in the early 1990s, Ms. tional  stance  over  plans  for to implement this protocol. secured the backing of 81,326 British politics, there is an ur­ that  is  premised  on  dogged
tives  may  have  to  play  se­ Truss went on to read philo­ the  Northern  Ireland  proto­ Ms. Truss’ critics have of­ of  her  party’s  members, gent need for revitalising the commitment  and  holding
cond  fiddle,  in  a  political sophy, politics, and econom­ col,  a  tactic  that  made  her ten described her as a politi­ while  her  rival  garnered Conservative  Party  and  un­ firm to promises made.

MAGSAYSAY AWARD HEMANT SOREN

In the eye of controversy Weathering the political storm


CPI(M) cites ‘anti-communist stance’ for declining the award for Shailaja From an engineering dropout to Jharkhand CM, he has come a long way

Sumeda first  Ramon  Magsaysay Amarnath Tewary ter for the first time on July


Award was given to five indi­ 15, 2013 with the support of

A F
controversy  over  the viduals  and  a  Philippine­ or  more  than  a  fort­ the Congress and the Rash­
‘joint’ decision of the based organisation to com­ night,  Hemant  Soren triya  Janata  Dal.  Between
Communist  Party  of memorate the birth anniver­ had been busy keeping 2015 and 2019, he served as
India  (Marxist),  or  CPI  (M), sary  of  Magsaysay.  Since his  flock  of  legislators  to­ the  Leader  of  the  Opposi­
to  decline  the  2022  Ramon then, a select few Asian per­ gether  after  Governor  Ra­ tion (LoP) in the House. He
Magsaysay  Award  nomina­ sonalities  and  institutions mesh  Bais  reportedly  re­ was again elected as the 11th
tion  for  former  Kerala are annually recognised for ceived  a  communication Chief Minister of the State in
Health Minister K.K. Shailaja their  transformative  social from  the  Election  Commis­ December  2019  with  the
has  brought  into  focus  the work. More than 300 people sion  of  India  (ECI),  seeking support of the Congress, the
prize and the former Philip­ and  25  organisations  from the  Jharkhand  Chief  Minis­ Rashtriya  Janata  Dal,  the
pines  President  in  whose 22  countries  have  been ter’s  disqualification  as  an Communist  Party  of  India
name  the  award  was  insti­ awarded so far. While a ma­ MLA  in  connection  with  a (Marxist­Leninist)  and  oth­
tuted in 1957. jority of awardees have been case lodged against him in­ ers.  The  president  of  the
Though  the  CPI(M)  has from Asia, some others have volving a stone chips mining JMM, Mr. Soren currently re­
cited  the  ‘anti­communist’ been  honoured  for  their lease  in  2019.  The  myste­ presents the Barhait consti­
stance of Ramon Magsaysay work in Asia.  rious envelope from the ECI tuency. 
in his political career to jus­ to become the seventh Pre­ Huks, a communist­led and Initially, the award was gi­ was  said  to  be  received  by counter  any  move  by  the due  to  brain  haemorrhage
tify  its  decision,  the  party sident of the Philippines. peasant­based  rebellion, ven  in  five  categories  —  go­ the Governor’s office on Au­ Opposition  to  bring  down in May 2009, pushed him in­ Spearheaded protests
has come under strong criti­ During  his  presidency with  the  assistance  of  the vernment  service,  public gust 25. Fearing poaching of his government. During the to politics as an engineering In 2016, when the then­BJP
cism for rejecting the presti­ from  1953  to  1957,  Magsay­ U.S. The Philippines formed service, community leader­ MLAs by the Opposition BJP, trust motion in the 81­mem­ dropout. government led by Chief Mi­
gious  award  that  has  expo­ say enjoyed widespread pu­ the  Southeast  Asia  Treaty ship,  journalism,  literature the  Mr.  Soren­led  United ber Assembly, as many as 48 Mr.  Soren  is  married  to nister Raghuvar Das tried to
nentially  grown  in  stature blic support for spearhead­ Organisation in 1954 to pre­ and  creative  communica­ Progressive  Alliance  (UPA) UPA MLAs voted for the go­ Kalpana  and  the  couple amend  the  Chota  Nagpur
since  its  inception  six  de­ ing  military,  administrative vent communism from gain­ tion arts, and peace and in­ had  even  shifted  some  of vernment,  while  the  BJP have two sons. His younger Tenancy  Act,  1908  and  the
cades ago. Regarded as the and agrarian reforms. Politi­ ing ground. ternational  understanding. them  to  neighbouring staged  a  walkout.  Speaker brother,  Basant  Soren,  a Santhal  Pargana  Tenancy
Asian equivalent of the No­ cal  scientist  Jose  Veloso Ramon Magsaysay was fa­ A new  category  to  honour Chhattisgarh.  Rabindra  Nath  Mahto  said JMM MLA from Dumka, was Act,  1949  which  allowed
bel,  the  Ramon  Magsaysay Abueva, who is also Magsay­ voured to win the next presi­ young Asian leaders was ad­ Amid  the  evolving  situa­ since  the  government  had recently  in  news  over  his transfer  of  Adivasi  land  for
Award has over the years es­ say’s  political  biographer, dential election, but the 49­ ded in 2000. It is funded by tion  in  the  tribal  State,  the won the trust vote, “there is controversial  comments building roads, canals, edu­
tablished its independent le­ refers to him as ‘the people’s year­old  was  killed  in  a a grant  by  the  U.S.­based UPA leaders met the Gover­ absolutely  no  uncertainty” that he was on a visit to Del­ cational institutions, hospi­
gacy, with the late President president’.  “…He  [Magsay­ plane  crash  in  Cebu  island Ford  Foundation.  In  2009, nor  on  August  31  and  sub­ over  its  fate.  Though  the hi to buy “undergarments”. tals  and  for  other  govern­
in  whose  name  the  award say]  was  their  man,  their on March 17, 1957. the  Foundation  disconti­ mitted a memorandum, urg­ mystery  over  the  ECI  com­ Mr. Soren also has a younger ment  purposes,  the
was instituted shifting to the leader and hero like no oth­ nued the award in fixed ca­ ing  him  to  clear  the  air munication is far from over, sister, Anjali.  Opposition led by Mr. Soren
background. er president ever was before The award tegories,  except  for  emer­ regarding the ECI decision. Mr.  Soren  seems  to  have Mr. Soren was elected to staged  strong  protests
him... The images that came The  Rockefeller  Brothers gent leadership. The Governor reportedly as­ weathered  the  political the  Rajya  Sabha  in  June against the Amendment Bill
Tracing the history across sharply in the media Fund (RBF), a private family In 2022, four people that sured  them  that  he  would storm, at least for now.  2009. He resigned from the till it was withdrawn in Au­
Born  in  1907,  Ramon  Mag­ were  those  of  a  man  who foundation  with  its  head­ have won the award are psy­ bring the matter to a closure Upper  House  in  January gust 2017. 
saysay  (in  picture,  centre) would take off his shoes and quarters in New York, esta­ chiatrist  Sotheara  Chhim in two days.  Reluctant politician 2010 after he was elected to The  protests,  many  in
quit his job at a bus compa­ walk  in  the  mud  with  the blished a non­profit organi­ (Cambodia),  paediatrician On September 5, Mr. So­ Mr. Soren, 47, son of three­ the State Assembly from the Jharkhand  say,  put  Mr.  So­
ny to join the Philippine Ar­ farmers, eat with his hands, sation  ‘the  Ramon Bernadette  Madrid  (Philip­ ren went on to prove major­ time  former  Chief  Minister Dumka  constituency.  He ren  at  the  centre  stage  of
my when Japan invaded the leap over ditches. And from Magsaysay  Award  Founda­ pines),  activist­filmmaker ity of his government on the and  Jharkhand  Mukti  Mor­ was quick to rise to the posi­ Jharkhand  politics  and
islands  during  Second the  time  he  became  Secre­ tion (RMAF)’ in 1957, which Gary  Bencheghib  (Indone­ floor of the House to assert cha  ( JMM)  patriarch  Shibu tion of Deputy Chief Minis­ made  him  the  true  heir  of
World  War.  Magsaysay  led tary of National Defence up instituted  the  award  to  re­ sia) and ophthalmologist Ta­ his  hold  over  the  alliance. Soren and Roopi Soren, was ter in September 2010, with their  Guruji, Shibu  Soren.
guerrilla  forces  against  the to  his  tenure  as  President, cognise persons and organi­ dashi Hattori (Vietnam).  The  Governor,  meanwhile, reluctant to join politics and BJP  leader  Arjun  Munda  as From a reluctant politician,
Japanese. The U.S. took note he  was  portrayed  as  a  no­ sations  in  Asia  who  have Ms.  Shailaja  would  have left  for  Delhi  and  returned wanted to become an engi­ the  Chief  Minister  and  the Mr. Soren had evolved into a
of  his  leadership  and  ap­ nonsense  reformer  who “helped  others  generously become the first woman re­ to State capital Ranchi after neer. He joined the Birla In­ JMM being an alliance partn­ “mature” one.
pointed him as the military cleaned up the military and without  anticipating  public cipient from Kerala had she a week on September 8. stitute of Technology, Mesra er. However, the bonhomie With  the  sword  of  dis­
governor  of  his  home  pro­ the bureaucracy,” he says.  recognition”,  regardless  of accepted  the  nomination. Mr. Soren faced the polit­ in Ranchi to pursue B.Tech. between  the  two  parties qualification  still  hanging
vince,  which  was  also  the During  his  presidency, race,  creed,  sex,  or Freedom  fighter  Vinoba ical  stalemate  with  a  com­ in mechanical engineering, soon turned sour.  over his head, it remains to
start of his political journey. Magsaysay  led  a  campaign nationality”. Bhave was the first Indian to posed  demeanour,  saying but the sudden death of his Mr. Soren was sworn in as be seen if Mr. Soren can con­
Ramon  Magsaysay  went  on against  the  Hukbalahap  or On  August  31,  1958,  the receive the award.  he  was  well­prepared  to elder brother, Durga Soren, the  Jharkhand  Chief  Minis­ tinue to beat the odds. 
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14 REFLECTIONS 123
JALANDHAR | SUNDAY | 11 SEPTEMBER 2022

Power of written word many mysteries


Asia Cup & the
I
WAS in school in Pune when I started read- side. This was easier said than done. One jour- receive plenty in return. Besides, I enjoyed talk-
ing newspapers. The Free Press Journal nalist summed it up: a story about the police ing to them as they have a wicked sense of
came to our home and that is what I read had to be negative to get published and read; an humour. There were innuendoes against me for
beginning with the sports page and then ‘all is well’ story would go directly to the shred- entertaining journalists but, these were brushed they shocked Sri Lanka and
moving on to others, while missing out on der. I met journalists, in fact sought them out. aside. I must point out that like police personnel, Bangladesh, and ran Sri Lanka close
the editorial pages. Then there was Russi They moved among people and politicians and the journalists in Punjab were also exposed to before giving Pakistan an almighty
Karanjia’s Blitz and again, the last page by KA carried a host of information. grave threats from the militants and it is a fact scare in Super 4 matches.
Abbas (and the picture of some gorgeous mod- Then came Emergency, which tested every- that many such brave men and women lost their Afghanistan’s story is uplifting for
THE INWARD EYE el or the other). Those were the glory days of the one in every profession, a time when some cow- lives. Such situations of terrorist threat and sentimental reasons. Just over a
GURBACHAN JAGAT Non-Aligned Movement and Panchsheel ered and crawled and some stood up tall. Some proxy warfare by a foreign power demand that year ago, when the Taliban routed
brought to us in great detail by Karanjia’s came up with blank spaces in place of editorials, regular channels of communication between GOOD SPORT the army and grabbed Kabul, the
It is the ability to exclusive interviews with Nehru, Nasser, Tito, others got used to publishing handouts of the the journalists and governments are kept open ROHIT MAHAJAN future of sport in the country was
Sukarno, etc. It was a time when India punched government. I remember a telling remark of to maintain the delicate balance on concerns threatened. When the Taliban last
write that makes us above its weight and as Arthur Miller famously the late Giani Zail Singh when he was the Pun- about security, human rights, civil liberties. ruled Afghanistan, between 1996

T
said, ‘A good newspaper, I suppose, is a nation jab CM. I was SSP, Patiala, and during one of his To quote Joseph Conrad, “My task which I am RY to savour the irony in and 2001, they imposed harsh
uniquely human. talking to itself.’ Progressing to college, my visits in 1975, he asked me to accompany him in trying to achieve is, by the power of the written Rahul Dravid’s current situa- restrictions on sports, and stadiums
Through the written exposure to newspapers grew: The Times of his car. Lala Jagat Narain was the owner of the word, to make you hear, to make you feel — it is, tion, after the team got ham- were turned into public execution
India, Hindustan Times, The Indian Express, Hind Samachar group of newspapers and was before all, to make you see. That — and no more, mered in the Asia Cup. Dravid venues. They did, however, tolerate
word, we are able to The Statesman, The Tribune, et al. Alongside, detained in a Patiala jail. The CM asked about and it is everything.” It is the ability to write that was the man who persuaded Sourav cricket, probably because of their
my interest in the editorial and op-ed sections his health in a sarcastic manner and then makes us uniquely human. Through the writ- Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar to close affiliation with Pakistan,
communicate over also grew, as it should have with editors like remarked that now is the time to enjoy ruling, ten word, we are able to communicate over time skip the inaugural T20 World Cup in where a large number of refugees
time and space. It Frank Moraes, Girilal Jain, JJ Irani, S Nihal no more worrying about what such people and space. It has helped shape our civilisations, 2007 — the idea was that even a glob- picked up the sport. After the Tal-
Singh, Arun Shourie, Kuldip Nayar, S Mul- write. I could see his tension-free demeanour our science, our religions. We learn from the al T20 tournament was a non-critical iban were ousted in 2001, cricket
has helped shape gaonkar and many more. Along with them, and the truth of the statement. Newspapers experience of others and this is precisely how a (read: frivolous) event, not important grew at an explosive speed.
civilisations, science, there were hordes of distinguished journalists
and columnists who dug up stories and offered
were not worth reading during the period
except for a column here and there. With the
good newspaper talks to a nation and its people.
In the modern age, this written word is avail-
enough for the three legends.
Dravid, now the head coach, is
Since taking power in August
2021, the Taliban have implement-
religions. We learn incisive and candid analyses. They were inde- end of Emergency and in the decades following able to us in real time through our phones but, being criticised for the team’s failure ed harsh laws based on their read-
pendent, they were bold, they were men and it, there was great political uncertainty and a the writer and the institution which enables in the T20 Asia Cup. He’s trying to ing of scriptures: most forms of
from the experience women of material and moral integrity who general decline in public institutions, political him remain the pivot and we restrain and con- defend himself: “Just because we lost public entertainment are barred
of others through this were not beholden to anyone for the positions
they occupied. This was because they truly rep-
parties and bureaucracy, which also affected
the profession of journalism. The giants were
fine them at our own peril. For, in doing so, we
bottle up the very freedom and creativity that
a couple of games, it doesn’t mean
we are a terrible team.”
and women’s sport has been wiped
out. But men’s cricket enjoys
medium and this is resented the voice and will of the people. They no longer seen, the shadow of owners was grow- humans seek to better themselves. The Renais- He’s right, but his words won’t be immunity, and the Afghanistan
spoke for the people to power, they were the ing longer and that of the government also. sance with its intellectual movement of any solace to the fan of the T20 for- Cricket Board is trying to upgrade
precisely how a good medium, they were the media. Moral and intellectual integrity were degraded ‘Humanism’ is largely credited with the mat; this form of cricket provides facilities in Kabul and take the
newspaper talks to a In college, I used to enjoy going to the library
or the newspaper easel. I liked to buy them
in society as a whole, but people still tried to
glean some truth from the newspapers. Howev-
advance of Europe out of the middle ages. It
would have been lost without the written word.
its fans mind-numbing highs and
lows in succession in three hours.
sport to more and more regions of
the country. However, ACB is facing
nation and its people. (from within a student’s allowance), feel and er, gradually, the corporates took over and the Newspapers in all their forms (to my genera- It’s very stimulating and thrilling, financial troubles because the
smell the fresh copy. I occasionally wrote for the editors ceded this space. There were hon- tion, it was the exciting crackle of fresh but the typical T20 fan is not partic- world has snapped ties with
Let us strive to keep college magazines and a letter to the editor once ourable exceptions among professionals and newsprint; to generation Z, it might be the hap- ularly nuanced about the differ- Afghanistan and the banking and
our windows open in a while. A thrill used to run up my spine while
seeing myself in print. Up to this time, I had no
institutions and they still remain. There were
some great investigative stories by journalists
py ping of phones) are the daily dose of informa-
tion and knowledge we seek — the ‘windows
ences between the three formats of
cricket. He’s looking for Test
foreign exchange systems have
been disrupted.
to the fresh air of occasion to interact with journalists and was of repute, carried by newspapers of integrity. to the world’. The advancement of civilisation match-like consistency in T20 Afghanistan’s spirited perform-
mostly in awe of them. At one stage, I was so Then came my long innings against militan- is based on the free flow of this information, cricket — but that’s something that ance in the Asia Cup, thus, is cred-
knowledge enamoured of the profession that I wanted to cy in Punjab, beginning in Amritsar and ending now more than ever as we enter the digital age. just does not exist. Dravid’s words itable. It brings some joy to a
join it but then fate and family intervened and in various HQ appointments in Chandigarh. I For, the phone enables institutions and govern- won’t carry much weight with this country where joy has been barred
I joined the Indian Police Service in 1966. In the will take up Amritsar and Chandigarh together. ments to instantly reach out to vast dispersed fan — the knives are out, and even by decree.
beginning of my career, I got posted in the dis- From the beginning to the end, rare was the populations which, in good hands, can lead to former India players such as Saba
tricts of Kapurthala, Bathinda, Patiala and journalist who wrote the truth or did not publish great advancements and in the hands of mis- Karim believe Dravid’s honey- Restive neighbours
Amritsar as Superintendent of Police. I had the press notes issued by militants. In my office in chievous elements, be an instrument of despair moon as coach is over. Victory in the Asia Cup would bring
opportunity of meeting district-level journalists Intelligence, there was always a regular flow of and misdirection. Let us strive to keep our win- joy to two other countries in despair,
regularly. They were usually many notches journalists and tea. I explained it to my seniors dows open to the fresh air of knowledge and not Sans logic Sri Lanka and Pakistan, when they
below in calibre to those at Chandigarh or Del- as follows: journalists and Intelligence officers let our future get shaped by those who through Afghanistan came to the Asia Cup meet in the final. Both are facing
hi. One also interacted with politicians of vari- both seek information and based on it both the spread of fear and falsehood would have us after being beaten by Ireland in their severe financial troubles — Sri Lan-
ous hues mainly about local news and the law analyse it. Journalists had direct access to cer- close these windows to a winter of despair. T20 series. In the first match of the ka has defaulted on its commit-
and order situation. Whenever I was posted to a tain sources which we did not and they also had — The writer is ex-chairman of UPSC, Asia Cup, Afghanistan thrashed Sri ments while Pakistan has been
new district, my only request to journalists was sharp, analytical minds. The challenge, howev- former Manipur Governor Lanka. Then India beat Pakistan. close to defaulting. Pakistan has
that they write their stories but also report our er, was to control what you gave away, but and served as J&K DGP Pakistan beat India. Sri Lanka beat also been hit by a calamitous flood
Afghanistan, and Sri Lanka beat that has destroyed lives, livelihoods
India. Pakistan scraped past and crops.
Afghanistan, whom India crushed. Then again, can a win in a cricket

When Telloo Khan became Tarlok Singh Sri Lanka crushed Pakistan.
In just over a week’s time, the
Asia Cup went something like this:
Afghanistan inferior to Ireland but
tournament be a solace to those
who have lost their loved ones, their
home and hearth and cattle and
food, to a natural disaster?

P
ARTITION had triggered unprecedent- ingly weighed by sorrow and despair. heartbreak but in the ultimate, barring about 50 much better than Sri Lanka; India The Asia Cup brought back some
ed violent civil unrest on both sides of The District Magistrate obviously had anten- deaths mostly age-related but aggravated by slightly better than Pakistan but ugly truths about South Asia:
the divide. Nearer home, the conglom- nae deployed and concluded that first and fore- trauma and fatigue, all the Muslim inhabitants then Pakistan slightly better than There’s a deep, historical chasm
erate of Phulkian princely states most, not a single Muslim of Nabha would face of Nabha crossed the Attari check-point safely. India; Sri Lanka slightly better among the fascinating spectrum of
(Patiala, Nabha, Malerkotla, Kapurthala, unnatural death under his watch, and in the pre- The District Magistrate had a more daunting than Afghanistan; Afghanistan people who live here. This was seen
Faridkot and Jind) were similarly buffeted by vailing circumstances, the best recourse was to task of personal nature on his hands. The fami- almost equal with Pakistan; India in the case of Arshdeep Singh after
the inexorable and cyclical waves of rapine arrange for the safe passage for some 12,000 ly owned a modest agricultural holding in Ram- very superior to Afghanistan and his dropped catch against Pakistan.
LT GEN BALJIT SINGH (RETD) and cold-blooded murders. Muslim inhabitants from Nabha to Attari and garh Chhanna village, off the Nabha-Patiala then Sri Lanka very, very superior There’s anger between Pakistan
Yet there was one exemplary patch of beyond. Once this plan became pub- road. The land had been tilled from the time of to Pakistan. and Afghanistan fans after their
sanity, sans killings and counter- lic, our home became akin to a his father by Muslim tenants. They were akin to Try to derive some pattern out of hard-fought Super 4 match. Years
Amid unprecedented killings, and that was the predomi- wailing chamber of sighs: an extended family, who made it clear that they this, will you? No, you won’t find ago, a Pakistani Punjabi auntyji in
nantly Muslim Malerkotla state. “Save us in Nabha, don’t intended to commit Hara-kiri en masse outside logic or pattern here — that’s the London said to this writer: ‘People
violence during Some 240 years earlier, its Nawab send us there.” his home but would not migrate to Pakistan. nature of T20 cricket. It’s a format who came from UP and Bihar to
Partition in 1947, had publicly condemned the grue- The Nabha Akal Infantry My father was a staunch atheist, yet in the made for the underdog, in which Pakistan in 1947 were fitna — trou-
some killings of Guru Gobind Battalion (present-day 14 hour of need, he reached out to the Sikh clergy. the modest skills of minor players blemakers!’ She harboured similar
there was one Singh’s two sons by a satrap of Punjab), veterans of WW-II, Two buses were hired to accommodate the 60- can match and even surpass the distrust for Pathans and Sindhis.
exemplary patch of Aurangzeb and in recognition of the
P N
was the lynchpin of his plan. odd adult tenants while my father and a posse vastly superior skills of the greats of After the Pakistan-Afghanistan
Nawab’s humanity, the Sikh Guru had ARTITIO The departure route was the of police, all armed with rifles, sat atop the bus the game for a brief period of time. match, this distrust for Pathans is
sanity, and that was issued an edict to his community to pro- Nabha-Amloh-Mandi Gobindgarh roofs and drove to Golden Temple, Amritsar. For instance, in isolated parts of now being played in mainstream
the Malerkotla state tect Malerkotla and its populace in perpetuity! road and thence along the GT Road to
So, the brotherhood of the remaining five, Jat- Attari. The soldiers were tasked to set up four
And in a brief, solemn ceremony, each bus pas-
senger was consecrated an Amritdhari Sikh.
India’s match with Hong Kong, the
anonymous non-stars of the island
media in Pakistan — Shoaib Akhtar
and Javed Miandad said Afghan
Sikh-Hindu-populated, Phulkian states hon- camps up to Gobindgarh, but GT road Telloo Khan became Tarlok Singh, Nooran team went toe to toe with India’s players are ungrateful. After
oured in letter and spirit the recompense onwards, being the Central administration Noor Kaur! After partaking of langar, they all superstars — Arshdeep Singh was Naseem Shah hit match-winning
granted by their Guru, to Malerkotla. jurisdiction, the caravan would, in literal sense, returned home and happily lived their natural hammered for 44 runs in his four sixers off Fazalhaq Farooqi, Akhtar,
My father, an administrator in the Maharaja be at God’s mercy. life spans, as do their progeny to this day. overs, and Hong Kong racked up a Punjabi, said: ‘Pathan thrashed
of Nabha’s civil service, happened to be posted A conscious effort was made to instill a sense Shortly, the Phulkian princely states were 152/5 in 20 overs. And then Pakistan Pathan!’ Afghan refugees are being
as the District Magistrate in early 1947. I was a of hope. A grand ceremonial parade was organ- reorganised into a single state (PEPSU) headed routed Hong Kong’s band of expats lampooned as menial workers and
year shy of entering my teens. Even though he ised and reviewed by the Maharaja and there- by the Maharaja of Patiala as “Raj Pramukh”, for 38 runs! street hawkers. But the trouble is
was mostly in the Secretariat from sunrise to after, it marched first to Kali Mandir and next to while the Magistrate was shifted to head the that it’s impossible to tell a Pak-
midnight, our home was a scene of constant the Akal-Garh Gurdwara Sahib, to seek divine new department, Custodian of Evacuee Proper- Afghan show istani Pathan apart from an Afghan
arrival and departure of Muslim men and blessings for the mission. On the day of the ties, rehabilitating several thousands uprooted Afghanistan’s performance through Pathan! A cricket match is causing
women, almost all with drooping heads, seem- departure, there were scenes of unending from the other side of the divide. the tournament won many hearts — all this. Is sport really worth it?

A way out of the chaos of verbal warfare of our times


W
E must have been married for These words did jog my memory. They there for a few months, I gave myself the He reminded me that our mutual friends he could not deny. We had enough com-
nearly a decade when my hus- also reminded me of a younger me who gift of a new home. In Jhabua, when I was had warned him about me by using the mon experiences by now to base our opin-
band brought up a new topic toyed much more freely with multiple asked where I was from, I would answer, word feminist as if it was a sign of danger ion of each other on actions rather than
during our morning tea ritual. identities. Who responded to stereotypes “Delhi.” In Delhi, when I was asked where in a person. He had reported it to me, mere words.
“You know,” he said, “you used to say and biases by choosing to be fluid in how I I was from, I would say, “Madhya Pradesh.” inspiring me to say, “Don’t believe what I am remembering this conversation
that you are not a feminist.” was defined. I was also inexperienced I had never lived in Punjab. It only anyone says about me. Believe me.” today in the context of the chaos of verbal
“What?” I said. I nearly spurted my enough to not understand the origin of the seemed accurate to say, “My parents are “I must have been so desperate for you,” warfare unleashed in today’s times. How
IMMORTAL FOR A MOMENT chai as I brought down the cup from my bias. Growing up as a young adult in Delhi from Punjab.” But it was often misunder- I said to husband, making him laugh. “I quick we are to hurl labels at each other
lips. There was almost no context for after our early childhood years were spent stood as rude or evasive. Besides, why was waiting for a time when we had a com- based on what we consider to be the val-
NATASHA BADHWAR
this question. in Bihar and West Bengal, I didn’t under- couldn’t I be from multiple places? That is mon language between us. Your idea of eti- ues or loyalties of the other. How swiftly
“Why would I say that I’m not a femi- stand why being a Punjabi meant being certainly how I felt. It also helped to navi- quette and my understanding of tehzeeb we write off those who seem different
How swiftly we write nist,” I said. “I don’t remember this at all.” the butt of other people’s jokes. When gate unnecessary biases and distasteful could easily have clashed because we were from us — as if the goal of communica-
“You did. You also said that you’re not a comments about the loud, crass manner- parochialism. If anyone thought they using different words for the same thing.” tion is to cause rifts rather than build a
off those who seem Punjabi.” isms of Delhi Punjabis were made in col- could shame me for being a Punjabi, I I could totally imagine myself defusing bridge between people. Did you recently
different from us — I laughed out loud at this additional com- lege canteens, I wouldn’t even notice that would just avoid the conflict by claiming to an early-stage conversation about labels by have an argument with someone who
ment. “But you knew that I am a Punjabi. I might be the target of the remark. I’d be a Bihari. Or from the vast interiors of just ducking, instead of getting into an you didn’t intend to alienate? Was it just
as if the goal of How can I say that I’m not one?” And look at others from Punjab in our group of MP. It didn’t change who I was. argument where we would only misunder- words that became hurtful shards? We
communication is same for feminist, I thought to myself.
“Remember, when we first knew each
friends and try to defend them. As far as I
was concerned, my Punjabi relatives often
Spurred by my husband’s comment, I
tried to remember when I might have
stand each other. We had grown up in dif-
ferent contexts that were unfamiliar to the
can reclaim peace in our environment;
we just have to agree to defuse that which
to cause rifts rather other, we had common friends who told us referred to my brothers and me as Bihari. claimed to not be a feminist. This sounded other. It was easy to accidentally confuse is designed to divide us. Connections and
than build a bridge things about each other. When you heard
about it, you had said to me — don’t
I saw no problem with that, nostalgic as I
was for my childhood towns.
incredulous. I was intuitively a feminist
even before I knew the word existed and
and misinterpret what the other meant.
“I always knew you are a feminist,” I said
empathy — each of us will receive what
we offer to others.
between people believe what anyone says about me. After college when I travelled repeatedly began to read more about it. I was proud to to him with a smile on my face. “I got my — The writer is a filmmaker & author
Believe me.” to Jhabua in Madhya Pradesh and lived be one. It was integral to who I was. confidence from there.” It was something natasha.badhwar@gmail.com
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06 NEW DELHI, 11 SEPTEMBER 2022 Vol. CXXXXXVI 37 (S)

With which is incorporated


Whither Bangla~I A MEMBER
OF THE

The Englishman ~ Founded 1821


Language chauvinism was evident in the renaming of Calcutta and many of its streets. ASIAN VOICES
A part of Curzon Park was renamed as Bhasha Udyaan, and Bhasha Dibash is observed
Rejection in Chile on 21 February and 19 May. The Banga Sanskriti Utsab was revived after a long gap and
PM Hasina's

C hile has rather emphatically rejected a pro-


posed new Constitution in last Sunday’s refer-
endum. The planned “progressive Constitu-
tion” would have replaced the charter that dated back
Banga Sammelans were organised, more to tap the market for nostalgia than open new
windows for investment opportunities. But what have those self-professed defenders
of Bengali really done for their mother tongue?
India visit 2022:
Will India ever
reciprocate
to the Pinochet era. Ergo, a moment in history has not
come to pass in a swathe of occasionally restive Latin our favour?

T
America. In a sense, time stands still in Chile for close
to 50 years not the least because the country will con- he key part of Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina's visit to India,
tinue to be governed by the Constitution that was which ends today, is over with
framed in 1974. the conclusion of the meeting
The people have voted resoundingly to reject a with her Indian counterpart Narendra
proposed document that President Gabriel Boric had Modi on September 6, 2022. The for-
argued would have ushered in a “new progressive malities of signing MoUs and the inau-
era”. As it turns out, the result has far exceeded the guration of projects are also complete.
expectations of the conservative opposition. Chileans The fate of the visit is now set. So, what
have thus missed the opportunity to give unto them- are the outcomes of this high-level
selves a Constitution that theoretically would have diplomatic engagement? What are the
gains for Bangladesh? During the meet-
been more riveted to social rights, the environment
ing, seven MoUs were exchanged and
and gender equality than the existing charter, which five projects were inaugurated.
had been adopted during the military rule of Among the MoUs, the most impor-
Augusto Pinochet. tant one is the withdrawal of 153 cusec
With 99 per cent of the votes counted in Sunday’s (cubic feet per second) water from the
plebiscite, the rejection bloc had 61.9 per cent in Kushiyara River by Bangladesh under
comparison to 38.1 per cent in favour of the new text. the upper Surma-Kushiyara project, via
There were reports of long queues at some of the Rahimpur.
3,000-odd voting centres across the country, with The water will be used for irriga-
about 15 million Chileans eligible to take part in the tion of about 5,000 hectares of land.
This is the first bilateral water-sharing
referendum. Voting is compulsory. It bears recall that arrangement between the two coun-
polls in April had predicted that more voters had tries since the Ganges treaty in 1996.
planned to reject the new Constitution. We must welcome this development.
The approval camp conceded defeat, with its However, the major water-sharing dis-
spokesman Vlado Mirosevic saying: “We recognise putes between the two countries
this result, and we listen with humility to what the remain unresolved.
Chilean people have expressed.” President Boric, who Unfortunately, there has been no
had lobbied hard for the new document, said the progress regarding the signing of the

I
results made it evident that people “were not satisfied Teesta water-sharing agreement, the
t is a matter of great pleasure move at the government level selves from the current stream of The mid 1980s experienced a
with the constitutional proposal that the convention that Bengal has made a mark would help the language regain literature written in English does new genre of poetry called Notun
presented to Chile.” The proposed charter was the on the global cultural map by its past glory. In gross violation of not help Bengali writers in any Kobita (New Poetry) ~ the poets
first in the world to be written by a convention split bagging the International the guidelines of the three-lan- way. The claim that a lot of Bangla associating themselves with print draft of which has been gathering dust
equally between male and female delegates, but crit- Tourism Award for the best desti- guage formula put forth by the literature published in Desh and and online media were Barin since 2011. It is still at the assurance
ics said it was too long, lacked clarity and went too far nation for culture. The State recei- Bhasha Commission in the 1960s, other magazines are high- if- not- Ghoshal, Soumitra Sengupta and level, and not even mentioned in the
in some of its measures, which included characteris- ved this distinction soon after the it was observed that in many world-class may be debatable, but Indranil Ghosh. The modernist statement issued by the Indian prime
ing Chile as a “plurinational” state, establishing UNESCO heritage status to Ben- Hindi-medium schools in an unfortunate fallout of this movement magazine group led minister after meeting his Bangladeshi
autonomous Indigenous territories, and prioritising gal’s Durga Puja gave a boost to Kolkata, Bengali was not taught. harping on the “We too are great” by the doyens of the Bengali liter- counterpart.
the environment. its recognition at a global level. Also, many English-medium line, fed and watered by so-called ary universe, including Kazi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in
However, there is considerable schools did not have a Bengali established Bengali writers has Nazrul Islam and Prem Chand her statement, only expressed hope
Hence the cavil that the Constitution leant too
concern over the fact that the Ba- language teacher. been the aliena- Mitra, picked up momentum in that the outstanding issues, including
far to one side and did not have the vision of Chileans ngla language is lagging behind in True, we have tion of the Bengali the 1960s with the Hungry Gen- the Teesta treaty, would be concluded
generally. The result is a major setback to Mr Boric, terms of recognition and respect state-controlled orga- writer from con- eration, a cultural, political and at an early date. The joint statement
who took office in March and, at 36, is Chile’s in its homeland, quite unlike the nisations for promot- temporary world literary movement spearheaded didn't mention India's current view on
youngest-ever president. He had tied his fortunes so status of other languages in their ing the language thro- literature. While by anti-establishment voices of the matter either. Meanwhile, new
closely to the new document that analysts said it was respective states. ugh books, films, the- Rabindranath Tag- the time such as Shakti Chat- dams are being planned on the Teesta
likely that some voters saw the plebiscite as a refer- By natural right, however, the atre, and the other art ore would keep topaadhyay, Maloy Roy Chaud- River in the Indian state of Sikkim,
endum on his government at a time when its language of the land should get forms, but can we asking for updates hury and Debi Roy. Sushanto which will further choke the river's
approval ratings were low. priority to be spoken or written ~ take it for granted that on T S Eliot and his Chaudhury's Bodh Shabdo is con- water flow.
a practice that is in vogue not only they are used proper- contemporaries sidered an important publication Similarly, although the delegations
in India but in other parts of the ly? Is the Bangla Acad- from younger writ- that belongs to what is referred to of the Joint River Commission (JRC)
Twitter tales world as well. It has been
observed that this language is not
emy always devoted
to the promotion of
ers, the poets of
the 1940s and
as the “New Age of the Little Mag-
azine Movement”.
discussed preparing the drafts of the
water-sharing frameworks for the

E
the option for the majority; it has the best of Bengali A K 1950s ~ Jibananan- There have also been post- Manu, Muhuri, Khowai, Gumti, Dharla
arly this month, the day when Twitter unveiled been relegated to the background literature making it a
GHOSH
da Das, Buddha- modern movements in the later and Dudhkumar rivers, they couldn't
its long-awaited ‘edit’ button sending frissons of too. Responding to the cry, the valuable reference The writer, a former dev Basu, Bishnu part of the 20th century, like the finalise them.
excitement among those whose lives are seem- government, in the past, took the point for scholars and
Associate Professor,
department of English, De and Sudhin- Kallol Movement, Hungry Move- The Bangladesh government's
ingly defined by the 280 characters that pass for pub- initiative to re-establish the sta- researchers? Has the Gurudas College, Kolkata, is
presently with Rabindra
dranath Datta ~ ment and Little Magazine. These poor water diplomacy has failed us
lic discourse, the Government of India was raining tus of the Bengali language in its Kolkata Book Fair Bharati University found an easy affi- movements witnessed some again. They have failed to make India
on its parade. Terming Twitter “habitually non- home state by introducing the proved itself as a sub- nity with the WH emerging leaders like Sukumar understand that Bangladesh can't wait
compliant”, the Centre submitted to Karnataka High three language formula at the stantial platform for Auden generation. Roy, Jibanananda Das, Sunil forever to resolve the issues of sharing
Court that the micro-blogging platform cannot be school level, which envisaged quality Bengali literature to crop Unfortunately, the young crop of Gangopadhyay and Syed the water of the common rivers. It is
equal emphasis on Bengali, Eng- up? Well, we are proud of some of Bengali poets and writers do not Mustafa Siraj to name a few. One worth mentioning that the JRC minis-
the arbiter of what content threatens national securi-
lish and a third language. India's finest talents in the tradi- seem to have tryst with writings cannot help noticing that much terial-level meeting was held on August
ty and public order and what does not. Whatever Language chauvinism was tional forms of music and theatre, in languages other than Bengali. of the stuff inscrutably filled up 25, 2022 after about 12 years. Can we
one’s political views, there is merit in the argument evident in the renaming of Cal- but can we readily mention the Works of once rich Bengali litera- in the pages of little or big maga- expect a better result?
that a democratically elected representative govern- cutta and many of its streets. A number of plays by Sambhu Mitra ture include the writings of poets zines is still heavy with Among the projects inaugurated, a
ment is in a better position to take that call ~ espe- part of Curzon Park was renamed or Ajitesh Bandopadhyay, pub- and writers like Tagore, Michael reportage, feminine discourse or major one is the unveiling of the Unit I
cially given the checks-and-balances built into the as Bhasha Udyaan, and Bhasha lished by the West Bengal Natya Madhusudan Dutt, Bankim tedious emotional outpourings of the Maitree power plant. The 1,320
system even if they need strengthening ~ than Messrs Dibash is observed on 21 Febru- Academy? Chandra Chattopadhyay, Sarat of the unemployed young man (660x2) MW supercritical coal-fired
Jack Dorsey and Parag Agrawal. ary and 19 May. The Banga San- The activities of the State Chandra Chattopadhyay, Kazi trying to recover from a broken thermal power plant in Rampal, Khulna
The government’s statement of objections on skriti Utsab was revived after a Music Academy are seldom Nazrul Islam et al. Some of their heart. is being set up at an estimated cost of
long gap and Banga Sammelans extended to old lyricists and com- well-known works are ~ Geetan- We do have occasional sur- approximately USD 2 billion, with USD
Twitter’s plea against blocking/take-down orders reit-
were organised, more to tap the posers, the folk forms and musical jali (Tagore) and Ananda math prises though. Joy Goswami’s 1.6 billion as Indian Development
erates fundamental principles which need elucidat- market for nostalgia than open styles. Having once won for itself and Durgesnondoni (Bankim). engaging novel in verse Jara Assistance under Concessional Financ-
ing. Not only is the Government of India acting law- new windows for investment the highest recognition ~ the Bauls (traditional folk Brishtitey Bhijecchilo, for exam- ing Scheme. There has been strong
fully ~ and that is always subject to judicial review ~ opportunities. But what have Nobel Prize ~ Bengali literature is singers) and Rabindra Sangeet ple. Experimental fiction like criticism and protest against this con-
when it issues blocking orders to Twitter and the like, those self-professed defenders of struggling for existence, its youth- also play very important roles in Abdul Bashar's Surer Sampan troversial project since its inception.
it would be a gross dereliction of its Constitutional Bengali really done for their ful leadership fast falling by the strengthening Bengali culture. and Swapnamoy Chakraborty's Numerous studies have shown that the
duty if in its assessment a statement or allegation in mother tongue? Those worried wayside. The reason perhaps lies There has been a long tradition of Chatushpathi also resonate benefits of the Rampal coal-fired power
the public domain undermined national security or about the dwindling importance in the fact that it lacks a global folktales like the Thakumar Jhuli, with poetic sensibilities that plant are negligible compared to its
public order, but it did nothing about it. The High of the language welcomed the perspective. It is too much about stories of Gopal Bhar, which in linger long. negative irreversible impacts on the
Court is scheduled to take up on 8 September Twit- decision to give equal emphasis the nuances of Bengal and ignor- their popularity bear resemblance (To be concluded) ecosystem of the Sundarbans, a natural
on the three languages, although es the world or, for that matter, to famous stories like the Arabian Whither Bangla~II shield against cyclones and storm
ter’s petition challenging a series of orders issued by they were not sure whether such a the rest of India. Alienating them- Nights and the Panchatantra. A K Ghosh surges for Bangladesh.
the Centre.
According to the petitioner, a total of 1,474
accounts and 175 tweets have been ordered to be LETTERS TO THE EDITOR editor@thestatesman.com
blocked by the government in recent times. Given
there are close to an estimated 24 million Twitter
Climate events
state that proper attention must be
users in India, the third largest user base for the plat- paid to this region. As the NOT QUITE
form in the world after its home country the USA, Himalayas are a source of one of
and Japan, the number of instructions prima facie the major river systems in the SIR, I am afraid there is a slight error in Kanchan Siddiqui’ s report on
SIR, Submerged Bengaluru roads, the overall ecosystem have incre- world, from the Ganges to Satluj, Page 3 of your paper today. The Duke did not accompany the Queen
do not seem excessive. One must, of course, guard
flooded rivers in Kerala and rains ased the vulnerability of people Beas, Ravi, etc., there are ecosys- to Durgapur. He was at Jorhat from where he arrived at Pannagarh
against governmental overreach on issues of privacy wreaking havoc in Himachal and the lands. Let us take two tems linked to these river systems. Airport the following day and there waited for the Queen, who
and free speech. But like other fundamental rights, Pradesh are the abiding images of examples. The Himalayas need a These river systems are also a arrived from Durgapur and both of them proceeded to Calcutta.
the right to privacy is not absolute and can, in certain this year's monsoon. Predominant- different development paradigm. source of tremendous hydropower It was my pleasure, as the local Magistrate, to receive the Duke
circumstances, be overridden by competing ly in South Asia, where the impact The first one is from Himachal potential. The hydropower plants at the airport and to wait for the Queen, whom I met in a brief
state interests. of climate change is severe, there Pradesh, a state in the lap of the pose significant challenges in the ceremony.
Similarly, while endorsing freedom of speech as are significant losses to lives and Himalayas, one of the youngest Himalayas, particularly in Hima- Yours, etc., S M Murshed,
an “invaluable” right of citizens, the Centre submitted assets. The development strategies ranges of mountains in the world. chal Pradesh, where both the large Kolkata, 10 September.
that “under the guise of freedom of speech and adopted in the region for hard Many geologists and climate dam and the 'run of the river dam'
expression, no one is permitted to transgress legal infrastructure without credence to experts, including the IPCC report, technologies have been used.
In the large dam technology, Both do not speak to each other, such a vast open space is taken
boundaries and publish objectionable comments or Bhakra, Pong, and Koldam dams but both emanate from each other. over for commercial projects, not
tweets to disrupt the peace.” The key charge against are examples where a large land The second example is from even documenting its impact on
governments by online free speech proponents is mass was submerged, and people the national capital, Delhi. Recent the ecological footprint, it will only
their allegedly arbitrary use of power. This would be a lost lands they had cultivated for events prove that the development worsen the situation.
valid criticism of a totalitarian system but cuts ages. It is estimated that more than pace and its impact on lives, partic- As it is evident, the rainfall pat-
little ice in a rule-of-law premised governance struc- 1 lakh hectares of fertile land in ularly of recent rains, is wide- tern is changing dramatically.
ture wherein any content removal or blocking of Himachal got submerged in the spread. Still, the particular case of There is a trend in the increase in
information on social media can only be ordered hydropower projects. the felling of trees for the GPRA rainfall, but the precipitation
under relevant sections of the IT Act which have to be In fact, the impact of climate (general pool residential accom- occurs in a shorter time period. If it
change and the development modation) in Sarojini Nagar is continues, this pattern requires
justified by the executive, if challenged, before a
growth trajectory is linked. The quite interesting. EIA reports pre- resilient infrastructure, and the
court of law. state disaster mitigation and adap- pared with no ground reality show core of such infrastructure is cre-
What is of particular concern on the flip side, tation plans must consider such a “list of villages around the site”. ating more open spaces rather than
though, is the Centre’s submission that Twitter rou- development strategies. And above And guess which are these villages usurping them across the country.
tinely “unblocks blocked account(s) without the all, the people's voices must be ~ “Parliament Street” and “Con- This will only increase the vulnera-
instructions of the executive, undermining the exec- heard and incorporated into such naught Place”. So, both these bility and endanger people's lives
utive’s role in a democratic setup, and such action projects. Else, there are two paral- places now become villages in the and assets for no fault of theirs.
also amounts to causing prejudice to the action taken lels going on simultaneously, the EIA report. Then there are anom- Yours, etc.,
by the executive (in the) discharge of its functions”. If development plan and the disaster alies and anomalies. These run into Shovanlal Chakraborty,
true, Twitter clearly thinks it’s a law unto itself. mitigation and adaptation plan. volumes. The point is that once Kolkata, 7 September.
NEW DELHI, 11 SEPTEMBER 2022 07
A visit that strengthens ties
NOW AND AGAIN

Memories of a
great teacher
SHANTANU MUKHARJI
BUDDHADEV NANDI

O
rdinarily, a visit by a Head of

I
Government to a neigh- cannot recollect the year, but I am sure in the
bouring country is more cus- mid-1970s. I was then a student of the sub-
tomary and ceremonial and junior class of Bishnupur High School, the
not necessarily high in substance. oldest school in the sub-division. A few days
However, Bangladesh Prime Minister before Teachers’ Day that year, the entire school
Sheikh Hasina’s most recent India was suffused with delight as Maniklal Singha, one
visit (August 5-8) was not only highly of the senior-most teachers at our school was cho-
ceremonial, high in optics, but also sub- sen for the National Award to Teachers that year.
stantive as her meeting with her Indi- Though we were then not old enough to under-
an counterpart, Prime Minister Naren- stand the gravity of the award, I can still hear the
dra Modi was tangible and result ori- thunderous applause that seemed to bring the
ented. No wonder, Hasina described roof of the class down when our class teacher told
her visit as not only successful but us. Manikbabu decided to distribute sweets and
unprecedented too. Further, she gave snacks among all the students.
out that at present, Bangladesh and India Manikbabu, of a tall and upright stature
enjoy the best of bilateral relationships, with a dignified demeanour, taught us Geogra-
as never before in the past. phy and Bengali till we had been students of
During her four day stay in class X. But we could not discern the subject in
India, Bangladesh signed as many as which he was especially proficient. In absence
seven agreements (MoUs) and five of other teachers, sometimes he taught us Eng-
projects with India in the areas of lish, History, Sanskrit and even Mathematics
trade, energy, connectivity, water with equal expertise. Therefore, it took several
resources and defence. However, years for me to know from the annual school
among the MoUs, the most impor- magazine, where the educational qualifications
tant one is perhaps the withdrawal of teaching staff would be mentioned, that he
of 153 cusec (cubic feet per second) was an M.A in Bengali from Calcutta University.
water from the Kushiyara River by Never did he inflict corporal punishment on his
Bangladesh under the upper Surma- wards, and even his scolding was mild.
Kushiyara project, via Rahimpur. The He was a favourite teacher because he
water will be used for irrigation of would tell us interesting stories about the
about 5,000 hectares of land. This is exploits of local freedom fighters that went
the first bilateral water-sharing estimated cost of approximately and cooperation in space technolo- ture on part of Prime Minister Hasina from the Tata Group at an approxi- beyond history books. We did not know that
arrangement between the two coun- US$2 billion, with $1.6 billion as Indi- gy. Those will definitely contribute to came to light on September 7 when mate cost of $2.2 million. Manikbabu was an ardent revolutionary until
tries since the Ganges treaty of 1996. an Development Assistance under strengthening the bilateral relation- she distributed scholarships in mem- On the sidelines of the visit, we happened to hear it from our headmaster
However, the major water-shar- Concessional Financing Scheme. ship between the two neighbours. ory of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to the Prime Minister Hasina assured the during his Independence Day speech one year.
ing disputes between the two coun- There has been criticism of this con- Importantly, during the Indo-BD grandchildren of Indian officers and Indian side that Hindu minorities We came to know that Manikbabu joined the
tries remain unresolved. Having said troversial project since its inception. summit, the Comprehensive Eco- jawans who were martyred in the enjoyed all the religious freedom and freedom movement when he was a student of
this, critics in Bangladesh have criti- Some allege that the benefits of the nomic Partnership Agreement 1971 war of liberation fighting along- were given adequate security and class seven. He became a member of the Yugan-
cized the Hasina government for its Rampal coal-fired power plant are (CEPA) came to the fore when the side the Bangladeshi freedom fight- protection to perform their religious tar Dal at the age of 14. He joined as an active
“poor water diplomacy” which has negligible compared to its negative Indian Prime Minister disclosed that ers against the Pakistani occupation practices. On the whole, the visit member of the Anushilan Samiti when he was a
allegedly failed Bangladesh. This is irreversible impacts on the ecosys- both the countries will soon com- forces. The scene was poignant, and from the point of view of both coun- student of the tenth standard. He was deeply
also ascribed to the failure of arriv- tem of the Sundarbans, a natural mence discussions for a free trade this gesture will go a long way in rein- tries ended on a satisfactory note. inspired by the political ideology of Netaji Sub-
ing at any settlement on the Teesta shield against cyclones and storms. agreement and CEPA is likely to forcing Indo-Bangladesh ties as The two neighbours have moved to has Chandra Bose and attended Netaji’s politi-
water issue. This perceived failure Meanwhile, a section of the focus on trade in goods, services and Hasina has talked time and again further strengthen their friendship cal conference in Bankura in 1933.
may haunt Hasina during her elec- Bangladesh print media reckons that investments. This is critical as India about the sacrifices made by the gal- proving to be the staunchest allies in Manikbabu was charged with sedition in
tion canvassing in the 2023 general Indian business tycoon Gautam is Bangladesh’s second largest trad- lant Indian armed forces. As many as South Asia. Detractors of Hasina will 1936. From Bishnupur Jail he was transferred
elections when her opponents are Adani has proposed to invest on a ing partner. 1,984 Indian army personnel lost of course try to find fault with her on to Medinipur Central Jail and then to Madarganj
bound to question her for giving out large scale in Bangladesh's energy Further, the discussions from their lives in the liberation war. her India visit and may also ask in Mymensingh division, now in Bangladesh.
more than she got to India. and infrastructure sectors. They have both sides to combat terrorism and In the defence sector, uncomfortable questions to draw He was released from jail on 22 December 1937.
In the sphere of power projects cautioned that Bangladesh must be radicalism are seen as significant Bangladesh army is believed to have political mileage in the forthcoming But Manikbabu never uttered a word on his life
signed between India and aware of the “Adani trap” so as not because India and Bangladesh feel that approved procurement of three general election. Yet, given her polit- as a freedom fighter. Very often we importuned
Bangladesh during the just conclud- to fall prey like Sri Lanka. despite its economic growth, the latter items so far under the Line of Credit ical astuteness and maturity, Hasina him to tell us of his struggles. But he humbly
ed visit, a major one is the unveiling This visit also saw the two coun- continues to witness increasing radi- (LoC) – five Bridge Layer Tanks (BLT- is expected to navigate the visit to her avoided our requests just saying, “It was our
of Unit I of the Maitree power plant. tries make some progress on the calization. The two countries under- 72) at a cost of approximately $10 political advantage. sacred duty to emancipate our motherland
The 1,320 (660x2) MW supercritical upgradation of train tracks, signalling lined renewed efforts to confront million, seven portable steel bridges from the foreign yoke”.
coal-fired thermal power plant in systems and railway stations, train- extremist forces threatening them. (Bailey) at a cost of around $2.2 mil- The writer is a Bangladesh expert. Manikbabu was a versatile genius. He was
Rampal, Khulna is being set up at an ing of Bangladeshi judicial officers, A notable and extraordinary ges- lion and 11 Mine Protective Vehicles The views expressed are personal. an archaeologist, writer, poet, folk-culture schol-
ar and novelist. He founded Acharya Jogesh
POLITICAL DIARY | KALYANI SHANKAR Chandra Purakriti Bhawan (District Museum)
and Bangiya Sahitya Parishad, (Bishnupur

Will Rahul’s yatra strike a chord?


Branch) popularly known as Bishnupur Muse-
um in 1951. During the 1970s, he took the ini-
tiative to excavate Dihar village, an ancient
archaeological site on the northern banks of the

C
ongress leader Rahul Gand- money launderer. river Dwarakeswar, most probably belonging
hi struggles to invent a new The Congress believes the Yatra to a socio-culturally and technologically
persona that would convey his will be a "transformational moment" advanced branch of the Austroasiatic ethno-lin-
leadership personality and for Indian politics and a "decisive guistic group. He recorded his research works in
script India's future, apparently to moment" for the party's rejuvena- his books ‘Kasai Sabhyata”, “Paschim Rarh
rescue the country from Prime Min- tion. Rahul claims he will be an alter- Tatha Bankura Sanskriti”, “Subarnarekha Hoite
ister Narendra Modi. Since 2004 when native to the "politics of fear, bigotry Mayurakshi”, “Rarher Jati o Kristi” and so on.
Rahul entered politics as a first time and prejudice" and the "economics Sometimes he took students to the muse-
Member of Parliament, he has been of livelihood destruction, increasing um or to the old temples or to historical sites
trying out different roles for himself. unemployment and growing scattered in every nook and corner of our his-
Image building is significant for inequalities". He claims that the torical town and related stories about the glori-
present-day politicians worldwide, Yatra was like a Tapasya for him and ous past of the Malla dynasty. Manikbabu won
and Rahul is no exception. After all, that he was ready for the "long bat- the heart of every student with his oceanic
politics is perception. tle" to unite the country. knowledge and down-to-earth personality.
Of late image-building compa- Mass contact programmes gen- Manikbabu is no more. I came across many
nies are in high demand. Many lead- erally help politicians, and a success- great teachers in my student life. But
ers, including Prime Minister Naren- ful Bharat Jodo Yatra will no doubt Manikbabu’s influence left an indelible mark
dra Modi, Akhilesh Yadav (Uttar help Rahul and the Congress, but it on me.
Pradesh), M.K.Stalin (Tamil Nadu,) could succeed only if he strikes a
and K.Chandrashekhar Rao (Telan- chord with masses. . 100 YEARS AGO
gana,) have engaged image-building There are many ifs and buts in
companies to build themselves. the gamble. Will Rahul be able to go qeb�jlrkq�bsbobpq�afp^pqbo�
While some have succeeded, others through this ordeal without taking a To The Editor Of The Statesman
have not. holiday break? That may be a more SIR, - Now that the detailed report of the
Rahul claimed to be in the learn- the party loses in 2024. The party has improve his image and leadership Desam Party leader Chandrababu demanding endurance test for him Mount Everest disaster is published will some
ing process throughout the Con- brought over 200 civil society organi- qualities. "This is a public, open, Naidu (2013) and YS Jagan Mohan than anything else. one take up the question of raising funds for
gress-led UPA rule ( 2004-2014). He sations to support the 'Bharat Jodo transparent exercise," says party Reddy (2019) also succeeded with Secondly, sustaining the public the dependents of the seven hillmen victims?
tinkered with the Youth Congress but Yatra. The Yatra is a big show with a spokesman Jairam Ramesh. It is to their padayatras. Other leaders like interest for five long months is hard. There is no question about the extreme hard-
failed. Then he projected himself as sizable contingent of Congress mem- show Rahul is a man of the masses. It N.T.Rama Rao and L.K. Advani had Rahul has to find something new ships of the porters who suffered from frost-
an angry young man, restless to bers, including party MPs, partici- is the most protracted campaign in undertaken similar yatras on 'raths' daily to keep himself and the Con- bite in temperature several dozen degrees
change the system and a reformer pating and covering 3,500 kilome- Rahul's nearly two-decade-long or buses. gress in the news. He will not even below freezing point, not to speak of the
with new ideas of democracy. ters through twelve states and two political career. Rahul is trying to pre- The question is whether Rahul be able to quit halfway without losing extreme breathing difficulties experienced on
After the party's miserable Union Territories in the next 150 sent himself as a grassroots leader, a can convert the crowds into voters. face. Thirdly, the momentum has to very high altitudes. In fact it was facing death
defeat in the 2014 and 2019 Lok days. The tagline or slogan for the leader for women and youth, as he Also, physical contact with the mass- be sustained until the 2024 polls. It during the greater portion of the climb to earn a
Sabha polls and losing 45 times in nationwide foot march is "mile has little to show in terms of the work es would help in the digital age. Till is challenging work for Rahul and the few rupees in wages. I have no doubt that the
different states, Rahul resigned as the kadam, jude vatan" (walk together, he has done so far. now, Rahul's strategists have Congress ahead. public response to an appeal on behalf of the
party chief taking responsibility for unite the country). Political Yantras are not new. released pictures of his bodybuilding Eyeing the party's revival families and dependents of the victims would
the decimation in August 2019 and, During the 150 days of the Yatra, The country has seen them since the exercises, his culinary skills and ahead of the 2024 elections, party be generous. It is not much consolation to say
since then, has been working Rahul Gandhi will not give speeches days of Mahatma Gandhi's Dandi swimming with the fisherman. He chief Sonia Gandhi described the that the Mountain Goddess has exacted her
through remote control. and will remain a listener. Rahul is yatra in 1930. Others have undertak- has cycled to Parliament to protest march as a "landmark occasion" human toll and the passage of the climb will
Why this Bharat Jodo yatra? The attempting a last-ditch effort with a en padayatras, like Vinobha Bhave, against high fuel prices. and hoped it would help rejuve- be more easy next time. I shall be glad to know
next Lok Sabha polls are just two mass contact programme to connect Janata party president Chan- On the other hand, the BJP nate the grand old party. The coun- if any compensation will be paid to the depen-
years away. Congress has been out of with the sections who have moved to drashekhar (1983), and Andhra wants to show him as intellectually try needs strong opposition, and dents out of the Expedition funds.
power for the past ten years. And the other parties. The current campaign Pradesh Congress leader YS inadequate, emotionally unstable, Congress is the only other pan- K.C. ROY CHOWDHURY.
workers will be demoralized further if will provide him with a platform to Rajasekhara Reddy( 2004). Telugu organisationally inept, and an alleged national party. India Club.

CROSSWORD `^qqib�fk�fkaf^�
NO 292188 To The Editor Of The Statesman
SIR, - The deterioration of cattle in this
country prompts me to say a few words about
these unfortunate creatures, with a view that
YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION ACROSS jaundiced (8) following the current of kennels (5) 16 Frolic in meadow some steps may be taken by societies and sym-
17 Party of snoopers figures (5) 3
Woodland deity quietly with sailor
1/4 Bounce around with
from across The 28 Small step led three retreats south and away from home pathetic men to improve their conditions. The
fondness for bulls are as necessary for agriculture in India as
Pond sitting in the oddly to discover sleeps (4) (4,5)
housework (6,8)
9 Mushroom article
sun (6) compound (9) 5 Played right in middle 18 Wife perched on cows are for supply of milk but they are fast
19/26 Mole buys tea 29 30 Across arranged of mere and died (6) stand for devious deteriorating in every way. The causes are not
featuring in older
after ordering finalities of hare 6 Twitch follows fellow (6)
cookery sheets? (4,5)
something to brew it hunt. Nothing so far fractured tibia, on 19 Defence of messing far to seek. They do not receive the treatment
11 Wind in the Willows they deserve. Men overwork their bulls without
in (6,4) (3,2,3) medication (10) about in boats (7)
included seven tales
orginally (5)
20 Holy man and clueless 30 Boy to traverse river?
7 Cod line disentangled 21 Location coops up giving them sufficient substantial food, and
daughter brought Don’t go! (4,2) from top of cap (9) ten plucked hens – or cows are not allowed to give sufficient milk to
12 Leading edge of Wild
back those who’d 8 Secure 1 Across and half a dozen more?
Wood scrub (4)
lost their way (8) DOWN improve health (3,4) (7) their young who either die from this neglect or if
13 Donkey and scruffy they survive are neither as healthy nor capable
23 Foolish Toad wishes 1 Head of State with 10 Badger is safe, 22 Put upset girl in
eagle stuffed by
doctor for collection
to be most stomach nearly protecting entrance network of cells (6) as they ought to be. I appeal to my countrymen,
mysterious (10) drained is very thin to sett (6) 25 Irritable spoilt child’s and the Government and those enlightened
(10)
24 Old lizard twisted in (7) 14 Peep perhaps at head clipped with
15 Shouty person circles
exertion (1-3) 2 Stones legendary bird families’ waterside sides of tray (5) Europeans who have evinced deep interest in
town centre, the welfare of these dumb creatures who daily
27 Politicians are adjacent to outskirts buildings (10) 26 See 19 Across
becoming more
supply us with food and drink so necessary for
our existence.
NOTE: Figures in parentheses denote the number of letters in the words required. (By arrangement with The Independent, London)
PROMATHA NATH MULLICK.
Calcutta.
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er Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
H passed away at the age of 96.
She spent her last days in Scotland,
her summer palace known as
Balmoral Castle. She has left
behind a historical legacy full of
D62WPb\PST\d[cX_[T hits and misses. She became Queen
at the age of 27 in the year 1952
TUU^acbc^_dcbcaXRcaTbcaXRcX^]b when the world had just come out
^]R[^]TY^da]P[bBcX[[ of a devastating Second World War,
the first ever atomic bombing over
UPRd[cXTbfW^bTPRPST\XR Japan, the Holocaust and the loss
of the largest treasure of the British
_a^\^cX^]bPaTSdT_dQ[XbW colonial empire i.e. India. She set
cWTXa_P_TabX]cWTbTR[^]T the record of becoming the longest
serving monarch of the UK by
Y^da]P[bfXcW^dcZ]^fX]VcWTXa serving the nation for seven long
decades.
PdcWT]cXRXchP]SbcP]SPaSb ?A0B70=C110AC7F0; Once the news of the death of
the Queen spread, thousands
esearch is a significant part of higher education, and publishing a research thronged her official residence,
R paper is even more critical for institutionalising the significance of acade-
mics in higher education. Hence, research papers have been considered the most
the Buckingham Palace in London,
and all other royal palaces around
essential part of academics. No academics in higher education are complete with- the country. Despite heavy down-
out a well-written research paper with an appropriate methodology and significant pour across the UK, the mourners
paradigms. This helps every scholar, researcher, and academician to thoroughly came out in hordes simply to bid
evaluate or re-examine the subject. On November 28, 2018, University Grants adieu to their dear monarch. And
Commission (UGC) issued a public notice “to stimulate and empower the Indian finally, all quietly sang: “God save
academia” through its quality mandate and that notice announced the estab- the Queen.”
lishment of a dedicated “Consortium for Academic and Research Ethics (CARE)” In keeping with the royal tra-
to fulfil this objective. Therefore, there is a need to evaluate the objectives of dition, a written statement men-
this initiative where it intends (i) to promote quality research, integrity and pub- tioning the death of the Queen was
lication ethics, (ii) to promote high-quality publication, (iii) to develop research displayed on all the palace gates.
paradigms and methodology for the identification of standard journals, and (iv) The statement read: “The Queen
to stop the predatory or dubious journals. Since then, there has been a massive died peacefully at Balmoral this
academic research revolution, and an unexpected mad race for publishing research afternoon. The King and the
paper(s) in UGC CARE Listed Journals. Queen Consort will remain at
But unfortunately, these listed journals have brought many severe shifts in Balmoral this evening and will
the publication process. The shift allows the researchers to indulge in many return to London tomorrow.”
illegalities, such as publishing research papers in dubious journals. We now know This indicates that there was no
these journals with a new form, i.e., “clone journals”. There are many instances specific illness mentioned in the 0caXQdcTc^@dTT]4[XiPQTcW88^]PQdbbc^_X];^]S^]´bFTbc4]S 0?
where one can easily trace the clone of the listed journals in the academic world. royal statement of death.
Researchers publish their papers in most educational institutions (including The Queen probably could be
leading universities and colleges) without knowing its worst impact. They are the last ever female heir to the seat al and technological advances of day. He has pledged to serve the truly lived the life of faith, service
publishing their papers for the minimum eligibility to submit their thesis and of the British sovereign for anoth- our time. That the Commonwealth nation with the same “unswerving and a sense of duty. This was
dissertations; faculties are publishing their papers for their due promotions. er century. Now the second stands ever taller is a credit to all devotion”, as his mother did. He echoed in one of her historic
As a matter of fact, UGC has made multiple efforts to put strict restric- Elizabethan era has gone. Though who have been involved.” This became King immediately after the speeches that she made in 1947 @dTT]4[XiPQTcW88
tions on these clone journals. Still, faculties whose academic promotions are the British people never ever highlights how deeply she felt the death of his mother, but the before she became the monarch.
due publish their papers in these clone journals without knowing the authen- looked at the Queen for political bond between the nations and Accession Council has to make the She said: “My whole life, whether aT\PX]TSP
ticity and standards of these journals. Despite multiple and sincere efforts by
CARE, it has come to public notice that many have published their papers, though
leadership, they all identified her
with “stability”. Despite all the ifs
their incremental growth in the
recent decades. The
formal proclamation of the suc-
cessor. He is already the King,
it be long or short, will be devot-
ed in service.” The great British QTPR^]^U
sometimes intentionally, in clone journals, especially in language specification
journals; for instance, foreign language journals are published multi-lingual-
and buts, she remained steadfast
and took the leadership to the
Commonwealth was formed ini-
tially as the British Commonwealth
according to the terms of the Act
of Settlement 1701. The very pur-
royalty survived and sustained
with full might and dignity under
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ly in clone format. And many instances are also there where many publishers world stage. She oversaw Britain of nations through the Balfour pose of the Accession Council is her leadership. [Pbc&hTPabBWT
and editors are publishing the papers with password-protected mechanisms and from a war-weary European nation Declaration at the historic 1926 purely a ceremonial one and it Modern Britain indeed built its
publishing the papers under “multidisciplinary” despite subject-specific to a modern multicultural one, Imperial Conference. But the group announces the name of the new edifice on her statesmanship. While fX[[P[fPhbQT
authorisation. This process of publishing papers in “listed journals” has also finally a sad divorce from the paying tribute to her, UK Prime
supported the idea of introducing the “clone” journals because it has been wide- European Union, after a long part-
was formalised later only in the
year 1931 by the UK through the
monarch. Generally such a procla-
mation is made within 24 hours of Minister Liz Truss said, “Queen U^]S[h
ly noticed that those in listed categories charge a huge amount for publishing
a single paper.
nership of 47 years.
The Queen was the head of the
Statute of Westminster. But the pre-
sent shape of the Commonwealth
the death of the monarch. But this
time it has taken a little more time.
Elizabeth the second was the rock
on which modern Britain was
aT\T\QTaTSU^a
In contrast, on the other hand, many leading listed journals are forcing the
researchers to subscribe to their journals or take their lifetime membership to
56-member Commonwealth
nations around the world. Her
was given under the London
Declaration of 1949. And Queen
Again this occasion will have a his-
toric break-as the new King has
built. Our country has grown and
flourished under her reign.”
WTa[PaVTacWP]
publish their research papers. And even after subscribing to the journals, they Commonwealth leadership though Elizabeth took over the headship of decided to televise the Accession It’s a clear indication that the [XUTX\PVTP]ScWT
are taking a lot of time to publish the research papers. This time-consuming purely ceremonial spanned across this very historic organisation just Council ceremony. current political leadership of the
process, which is undoubtedly essential to publish any paper as a part of the all the five continents covering a after three years. She had the expe- The new monarch has paid his UK has rightly recognised the a^[TbWT_[PhTS
peer-reviewed process, is somehow an invitation to accept the calls from the
clone journals to publish the research papers. CARE regularly revisits the stan-
population of almost 2.5 billion.
Today, the Commonwealth is
rience of the service of 15 British
Prime Ministers and met 14 US
tribute to his “Darling Mama” and
called her an inspiration. He also
robust role played by the late
Queen. The majestic Queen was X]_dQ[XR[XUT
dards based on their set norms and parameters to halt such unacademic acts proud that during her tenure as the Presidents during her long tenure has vowed lifelong service to the fondly remembered as the “Little
over such invitations. They have also removed many leading journals from their Head of the organisation, she trav- as the monarch. people. He further said: “Queen Lilibet” by her family as she could
listed categories. elled to almost all the nations of the The reign of her son, King Elizabeth was a life well lived; a not pronounce her name
Above all, some leading journals publish research papers strictly based on bloc. Between 1971 and 2018, the Charles III, has just begun. He will promise with destiny kept and she “Elizabeth” properly during her
ideological shifts, which is a matter of grave concern. If we are talking about Queen missed only one Head of be handling a Britain far more is mourned most deeply in her childhood. Today we all miss both
the standard of academics through this consortium, we must first stop this “mar- Government Meeting. Her awe- politically polarised than what his passing. That promise of lifelong the hilarious Little Lilibet and Her
ketisation of academics”. Therefore, it should be the ethical concern of every- some sense of duty and responsi- mother had witnessed. Today, the service I renew to you all today.” Majesty Queen Elizabeth.
one to pursue the research with proper care, and we all need to follow the sug- bility as the head of the group was Conservatives are widely separat- Queen Elizabeth II remained a
gestions carefully and unconditionally given by the CARE to maintain the stan- always reflected in her actions. She ed from each other as it was seen beacon of stability for the last 70 (Dr Makhan Saikia has taught
dard and integrity of research. But still, CARE also needs to understand these was both a generous host and a during the last race for the post of years. She will always be fondly political science and international rela-
issues where, to some extent, the theory is a bit different from praxis and puts consummate diplomat. The last the Prime Minister. And sadly, the remembered for her larger-than- tions for over a decade in institutions
severe restrictions on such unacademic acts. Conclusively, we all need to work message she sent out for the Labour is on the decline, and life image and the role she played of national and international repute
together to put restrictions over such unacademic steps not only to maintain Commonwealth described the Jeremy Corbyn has left no chance in public life. She was an extraor- after specialisation in globalisation
the standard and integrity but also to protect the apt research environment and, nations as “a modern, vibrant and of hope for the party in the near dinary person who also lived an and governance from Tata Institute of <0:70=BB08:80
above all, the value of the research. connected Commonwealth that future unless a new leader emerges. extraordinary life. To many of the Social Sciences, Mumbai. He is the
combines a wealth of history, and It is rightly said that King Charles people of the Commonwealth and chief editor of the Journal of Global
(The writer is Assistant Professor in Sri Aurobindo College, University of Delhi) tradition with great social, cultur- has prepared for all his life for this those who know her closely, she Studies, an international journal.)

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ural poverty and inequali- vast that the penetration of ser- youth, they look for holistic June 15 2015. four-tier structure from cluster starting their enterprises from es supported under the SVEP
R ty are significant road-
blocks to building an egalitar-
vices and products is only pos-
sible through indigenous vil-
employment. The technologi-
cal advancement in the agri-
Deendayal antodaya
Yojana (DAY-NRLM) has been
level federation to village
organisation to self-help group
the National Rural Livelihood
Mission (NRLM), Self Help
from 2018-19 to 2020-2021 is
1,34,475. The breadth of block
ian society. Even after 75 years lage entrepreneurs. And hence cultural sector has changed centrally sponsored and and finally reach beneficiary Groups (SHGs), banks and development is blossoming.
of Independence, it is a signif- the concept and importance of the dimensions of dependency implemented since May 2013. members. This four-tier struc- cluster level federation. There The inception was with only
icant challenge because a large village entrepreneurs is now of rural and marginal workers The main objective of the mis- ture gives an implementation are a few conditions which 125 blocks across the country;
section of the rural population taken into account by policy- on agriculture sectors. Rural sion is to eliminate rural pover- roadmap for SVEP to block entrepreneurs need to justify to during 2021-22, it stood at 205
depends on agriculture. makers with the much-dis- youths are looking after their ty through an innovative resource centres. get the benefits from this pro- blocks. A total of 19 blocks are
Looking for a way to eco- cussed rural economy now career in entrepreneurship, ser- implementation strategy The SVEP is implemented gramme. These conditions are under implementation in Uttar
nomically empower rural getting the limelight. vices and self-employment. involving four core compo- in a project mode through that the entrepreneur should be Pradesh which stood first; the
India, a well-known manage- The rural economy of This new wave of educated nents viz., (1) social mobilisa- Implementing Agencies (PIAs). either a member of SHGs second is Jharkhand, with 18
ment consultant, CK Prahalad, India has been facing an agrar- rural youth is a challenge for tion and community institution The PIAs include the State working in the blocks of a blocks under implementation.
coined the word “future at the ian crisis because of poverty, the policymakers and the building; (2) financial inclu- Rural Livelihood Mission selected district or a member of Policymakers should focus on
0AE8=30
0A070=C bottom of the pyramid” (BOP), unemployment and migration. Government to formulate a sion; (3) livelihood promo- (SRLM), higher-level SHG fed- their family, preferably a female this large chunk of the rural
eradicating poverty through The village economy of India is policy that caters to the large tions; (4) convergence and eration and NGO/NRO with a member. population through an income-
profits. not sustainable, which is a big masses of the rural population. social development. good track record of promot- One of the mid-term generating innovative entre-
Prahalad highlighted the challenge for policymakers, The startup village entrepre- The SVEP proposes to ing rural livelihood. The cur- reviews conducted by the preneurship model. The SVEP
challenges of rural poverty, and there are many reasons. neurship programme is the address the three major prob- rent pattern of Central assis- Quality Council of India in is all set to transform the lives
which need to be addressed by Even after 75 years of gem among all whose pro- lems of start-ups. Through the tance for SVEP projects is 2019 highlights that 75 per of the rural poor, and women
multinational companies Independence, the rural youth grammes to resolve the agrar- programme, the rural entre- 60:40 (Centre-State). The ceil- cent of enterprises were man- entrepreneurs have shown their
(MNCs). A book was also pub- strive for jobs and a decent ian crisis. preneurs will get the technical ing on the administrative cost aged and owned by women. We capabilities to lead.
lished under the same name standard of life. The lack of Start-up Village support such that the enter- of the SVEP project is 6 per find the fulfilment of social
with some innovative, fruitful employment creates migration Entrepreneurship Programme prises (both existing and newly cent of the total approved bud- inclusion one of the core ideas (Prof Narendra Kumar is
ideas from the bottom of the of the rural population to (SVEP) is a budget announced promoted) would be profitable get. The SVEP intends to of the national rural livelihood chairperson at Center for
pyramid. urban cities. However, the edu- scheme and was approved by through addressing ecosystem enable the rural poor to set up mission satisfied because the Political studies; Arvind
Even today, MNCs’ reach cational campaign by the the Minister of Rural vis., (i) a missing knowledge business enterprises through sampled entrepreneurs across Arahant is an Associate
to the remotely heterogenous Government for the rural Development, Government of ecosystem, (ii) a missing incu- village-level Community the blocks reported being from Professor at School of
=0A4=3A0::D<0A
rural population remains a youth has motivated them. India, on May 6, 2015, as a sub- bation ecosystem; and (iii) a Resource Persons (CRPs) sup- SC, ST, and OBC categories, Management &
distant dream. The horizon of Due to the increase in lit- scheme under the DAY-NRLM missing financial ecosystem. port. It helps the rural entre- which stood at 82 per cent. Entrepreneurship, both at JNU,
the Indian rural market is so eracy rate among the rural and the guideline was issued on The SVEP programme is a preneurs to get finance for The number of enterpris- New Delhi)
EDIT
THE ASIAN AGE | SUNDAY | 11 SEPTEMBER 2022 | NEW DELHI
pg 5

Subhani

11 SEPTEMBER 2022

Krishna Shastri
Devulapalli
Off the beaten track

Trespassers will
be garlanded
A
few years ago, one of the country’s top law firms invited me to be
part of a discussion on intellectual property rights. The other
panellist was a former judge, a world-renowned expert on the
subject. While she must have wondered why she was on a panel
with a man known primarily for his views on Kangana Ranaut and oddly
named underwear brands, in my defence, I’d been included as one of my
novels dealt with the rampant IP theft by our film industry.

Can India become an LETTERS


“For me, the attitude of my countrymen with regard to IPR,” I said, “is
best exemplified by the morning walker, the guy who casually plucks

CONCRETE JUNGLE
flowers from the trees that grow in the homes along his path... so he can
offer them piously to the gods in his puja room. Without permission from
the flower grower. Or a hint of irony, for that matter. I’ve never been able
to understand how he hopes to pull the wool over God’s all-seeing eye by
When the focus of the

Indian Ocean power?


offering her something totally unearned.”
A couple of weeks ago, a so-called independent journalist lifted — as is government, the
— several parts of a book review I’d written in this very newspaper. His Opposition and the entire
contribution: altering a few of my words with inappropriate synonyms. It
was published by a supposedly reputed journal. To this day, despite my
political class is on the
protest on social media, and the support of writers and journalists, the hijab, Savarkar, Tipu
piece remains online. Gloriously, shamelessly, as is. Not a word from India sits astride critical first, they seek to project Sultan and a whole host
either the ‘journalist’ or their military might; and
sea lines of communica- second, they aim to sustain
of irrelevant issues, where
Manish Tewari
the journal. That’s the
world we live in. The tion, a position that their military power at is the time for gover-
‘independent journalist’ uniquely empowers it to longer distances from their nance? The state of the
will continue to get work. become a truly regional own coastline. However, garden city, Bengaluru, is
naval power. But to do
State of the Union
From the same journal. now their aspirations have
gone far beyond the String deplorable. The situation
And from others. He will so, the Indian navy was particularly bad in
no doubt thrive. of Pearls. Both these aspects
would require to have must lead India to think of
Not unlike a pathologi-
substantive tactical the parts that have been

W
cal serial plagiarist from ith the induc- with just an aircraft carri- newer ways to counter
the film industry who tion of INS er or even two, no matter presence in the West China’s influence in the
developed over the last
garnered himself a par- Vikrant as its how significant an achieve- Indian Ocean Region. Indian Ocean. couple of decades. When
liamentary seat recently. first indige- ment it may seem at first Last, as the Chinese pres- you are building an IT
Or a ‘historian’, who lift- nously built blush. Two carrier battle ence in the Indian Ocean superstructure, would
ed parts of an award-win- aircraft carrier, India seems groups do not really make lies on the Horn of Africa grows, it is bound to nega-
ning undergraduate the- all set to further augment its for a blue water navy until adjacent to the Gulf of Aden. tively affect India’s ability you not factor all the
sis and articles written When the average Indian thinks he can naval prowess. While, and unless you have over- With Gwadar in Pakistan, to both manoeuvre and pro- things that go with it?
by two other scholars, fool the Omniscient One with pilfered undoubtedly, Vikrant seas military and maritime Hambantota in Sri Lanka tect its interests. It is well They have just built con-
currently doing a round would be a considerable facilities where the navy and a surveillance station understood that the String
of lit fests sporting what
flowers, in his eyes, who are we idiot force multiplier insofar as can be forward deployed. on Coco Islands in of Pearls Plus and China’s crete houses with scant
was originally known as mortals endeavouring to write, our maritime power projec- The West Indian Ocean Myanmar, the Chinese have Belt and Road Initiative regard to the environ-
the Nehru vest and a compose, paint and create original tion capabilities are con- Region is, therefore, of criti- gradually enhanced their considerably heighten ment. With construction
repellent wtf-can-you-do material? cerned, with the Chinese cal import. Indeed, India’s maritime footprint and are India’s strategic vulnerabil-
going on nonstop, the
grin. aggressively pushing for maritime security strategy now looking beyond the ity. While the British, the
At the panel discussion, as I spluttered on about the impunity with expansive influence global- of 2015 recognises that for String of Pearls at other Americans, and the French city of lakes has now
which the average Indian co-opted copyright material, and how, coming ly through both the Belt and India to have a true blue partners in the western have multiple bases all become a city of layouts.
from a family of poets and artists, having our intellectual property stolen, Road initiative and a blue water navy, there is Indian Ocean — around the world — partly C.K. Subramaniam
cut-and-pasted, misused, abused and profited from had become a frustrat- water navy, in their efforts absolutely no option but to Madagascar being one the legacies of empire and
ing rite of passage, my learned co-panellist made an interesting to exercise greater domi- have a naval presence in the among myriad other poten- partly due to the Cold War Navi Mumbai
observation. nance in the Indian Ocean region. Thus the worm- tial candidates. With two — India needs to assert its
“You have to understand our culture a bit, Krishna,” she said, trying to
calm me down. “For centuries, our artists, sculptors, composers and poets
Region (IOR), it is apposite
to ask — how ready is India
eaten strut of “no bases
abroad” is a non-sequitur.
decades of debt diplomacy
in Africa to boot the
own dominance in the
region through a carefully BJP RATTLED?
were used to not putting their ‘signature’ on their creations. When you go to counter this threat that Creating a blue water navy Chinese have developed the calibrated approach that IT APPEARS as if the BJP is run-
to the Louvre, you know which painting is by which artist. But when we could potentially diminish is a gargantuan task but equities and IOUs to move takes the apprehensions of ning out of ideas on how to attack
go to, say, a temple here, do we know who the sculptor is? The artist here its ability to secure its simply building more carri- from a commercial to a mil- the West Indian Ocean Rahul Gandhi. How else can one
worked for king or god. And understanding the concept of copyright — a strategic, economic and, er battle groups without the itary presence on that conti- Region countries into con- explain the party’s criticism of an
Western invention — is going to take time for us.” most especially, trade inter- support infrastructure nent. sideration. There has been expensive T-shirt worn by him?
While this clarified my need as an artist to stay somewhat detached in ests? where they have to operate The Chinese naval base in an increase in maritime and Predictably, the Congress rejoin-
the vein of my forefathers with regard to ‘ownership’, it didn’t throw fresh India sits astride critical to play a meaningful role Djibouti houses helicopter security cooperation with der came in the monogrammed
light on why today’s average Indian thinks nothing of plagiarism. sea lines of communication, can be a self-defeating enter- pads and is big enough to the West Indian Ocean suit and Maybach sunglasses worn
As someone who posts something on social media on a daily basis, over a position that uniquely prise. A more conceptual host aircraft carriers and Region countries but much by the PM on different occasions. It
the years, I have got used to receiving my own posts as WhatsApp for- empowers it to become a approach is required to submarines. The Chinese more needs to be done. is unfortunate that clothes and
wards attributed to others. That’s the price you pay for making your posts truly regional naval power. make the navy a player in even attempted to develop a India needs to leverage its food have become the focus of polit-
public, said a friend. I’m pretty sure private posts are no less vulnerable. To achieve this objective, it the Indian Ocean region. facility in the United Arab goodwill it enjoys in these ical debate. This has got to end.
In India — from PhD theses to family photographs, from poster designs to needs to do two things. The Chinese are on the Emirates, which was countries to enhance naval Otherwise, we are likely to become
entire movie plots, from architectural plans to ad jingles — everything is First, India needs to develop ball with despatch. The PLA nipped in the bud after the cooperation and commer- a cause of laughter to those who
a flower growing on the hapless overhanging branch of someone else’s the capacities that would Navy (PLAN) is far ahead of US intervened. With cial activity. are watching India. The manner in
tree. Ripe for plucking, cutting, pasting, forwarding, claiming, selling and enable it to become the us in terms of having a sub- China’s Ream naval base in Its basing initiatives, both which the BJP is reacting to the
given as an offering at the feet of the ultimate god of all — oneself. linchpin security provider stantial presence in the Cambodia coming to in Mauritius and Bharat Jodo Yatra shows that the
If we go by recent development indices, our glorious nation is pretty to nations that inhabit the Indian Ocean region. While fruition, its ability to domi- Seychelles, seem to have BJP is rattled in no small measure.
much at the bottom of most. I wonder if there is an index for intellectual IOR rim. This would enable the commissioning of its nate the Gulf of Thailand stalled substantively Anthony Henriques
property theft. Because if there is, we’d be Number One. (The truth is India to play a stabilising newest aircraft carrier, and, by extension, both the because of domestic opposi- Mumbai
China is the topper here. They do it large scale at a corporate level. But role in the region by ensur- Fujian, in June this year, mouth of the Indo-Pacific tion fermented by both
I’m sure the average Indian beats the Gobi Manchurian out of the Chinese
when it comes to daily, casual, copyright theft.)
ing the security of sea-lanes
and providing humanitari-
Beijing is eyeing overseas
facilities that would help
and South China Sea, as
well as surmount the
‘friends’ and adversaries
who do not want India to PARTISAN STEP
Finally, an anecdote from our beloved film industry. About a decade ago, an assistance when sustain and support its blue Malacca dilemma, would acquire a foothold in the IT IS SURPRISING as to why the
a well-known actor ugly-cried in public about how the movie they had required. water naval presence with get further enhanced. playground of the great Tamil Nadu state government has
made with much love, effort and money had been callously leaked online Second, the Indian navy even greater urgency. China’s 2019 defence white powers. This undermines stopped Class X and Class XII stu-
before its release. The film fraternity went en masse to the CM seeking would require to have sub- This search for overseas paper is instructive in out- our strategic and tactical dents from registering with the
justice for this heinous crime perpetrated on them. At the press confer- stantive tactical presence in bases has even the US wor- lining its naval strategy presence considerably. employment exchange. Is it
ence, a superstar known for his philosophical finger-swishing delivered the West Indian Ocean ried. Gen. Stephen going forward. It is explicit India must be cognisant of because this scheme was started by
the ultimate punch dialogue to the TV reporters... without a hint of irony. Region that consists of, Townsend, commander of in stating — the PLA must Themistocles’s old adage the late chief minister, J.
“You know, originally, I was supposed to do this movie. The director among others countries, the US military’s Africa develop “overseas logistics that “he who commands the Jayalalithaa of AIADMK? Or is it a
showed me a DVD of a Korean film and said we should ‘remake’ it...” such as Mauritius, Command, referred to facilities” and “safeguard sea, commands every- ploy to show that there are fewer
In essence, what our film fraternity was lamenting was that the materi- Seychelles, Madagascar, China’s attempts at creating China’s overseas interests”. thing”. It is as true today as unemployed youth in the state?
al they had piously stolen for profit and glory had been dishonourably re- Kenya, Somalia, the French naval bases around Africa The Chinese have long spo- it was then. We feel the students must be
stolen by someone else to cut into their profit and glory. I wonder what the overseas Island of Réunion, as the “most significant ken of the String of Pearls allowed to register right at their
Korean filmmaker would have said had he been present. the British Indian Ocean threat”. paradigm which posits that The author is a lawyer, schools if they are studying in
I really don’t know what I’m going on about though. When the average Territory and Diego Garcia, China is focussing on the China needs a string of Member of Parliament and Class XII.
Indian thinks he can fool the Omniscient One with pilfered flowers, in his the latter two being colonial Indian Ocean with laser bases across the Indian former Union information N. Mahadevan
eyes, who are we idiot mortals endeavouring to write, compose, paint and vestiges transformed into intensity. It has invested in Ocean to protect Chinese and broadcasting minister. Chennai
create original material? Western military bases. ports in multiple countries resources and shipping The views expressed are
These two goals are, of to augment its maritime lanes. Through their basing personal. Twitter handle Every Monday the best letter of
Krishna Shastri Devulapalli is a humour writer, novelist, columnist course, interrelated. India presence. In 2017, it built a strategy, the Chinese hope @manishtewari. the week wins `500. Email:
and screenwriter. The views expressed are personal. cannot hope to achieve this naval base in Djibouti that to achieve two things — asianage.letters@gmail.com.

J
ust a couple of days after Mikhail serving in a different form both its polity and an economy that stopped fatuous coup attempt in August 1991 effectively dissolved the Soviet Union.
Gorbachev was laid to rest, a socialistic impulses and its multicul- well short of meeting people’s needs. ought not to have come as a surprise, Gorbachev had no choice but to
Moscow court took away the tural essence. Gorbachev had been in charge of agri- but its rapid failure owes as much to accept the fait accompli, and formally
newspaper Novaya Gazeta’s It wasn’t initially obvious that the culture during his journey to the helm. the freedom of expression that resigned his presidential post on
licence to publish. It seemed as if the project was doomed. The Soviet Union He knew all too well, including during Gorbachev had succeeded in institut- Christmas Day in 1991. What followed,
last vestiges of Gorbachev’s legacy had plenty of resources, both natural his stint as the party chief in his native ing as it does to Boris Yeltsin’s com- for Russia in particular under Yelt-sin,
were being buried alongside his mortal and human, that could have been Stavropol, that much needed to mendable posturing. was a travesty. But it’s absurd to blame
Mahir Ali remains.
Novaya Gazeta’s editor-in-chief,
deployed to overcome the stasis of the
Brezhnev-era stagnation through
change. He also realised it wouldn’t be
easy. It proved even harder than he
Gorbachev survived the coup, but
returned to Moscow a diminished
Gorbachev for the neoliberal ‘shock
therapy’ and its consequences. That
Dmitry Muratov, who shared last much of the 1970s. But the path to had probably envisaged, not least leader. The party he led had sought to wasn’t his chosen path.
year’s Nobel Peace Prize with Filipina achieving that goal was not surprising- because of his own reforms. Enabling topple him and return to the stagnant Putin’s Russia suggests the appropri-
journalist Maria Ressa, was prominent ly, never clear. the right to free speech, unknown in alternative, but the vast majority of ate lessons have not been learned from
among the thousands of mourners who Gorbachev wasn’t initially singled the Soviet Union since the 1920s, meant Russians resented and resisted the ret- the frequently uplifting Gorbachev
Death of hope: attended Gorbachev’s funeral last
Saturday. The independent newspaper
was founded in 1993, partly with pro-
out as a reformist when he assumed
power in 1985. It was obvious that he, at
54, was considerably younger than his
that his accomplishments would be
subjected to unprecedented scrutiny
and the doubts about his agenda would
rograde effort. This was due, in large
part, to what Gorba-chev had achieved
in the previous six years. Dissent no
era. At his crowded funeral, a photog-
rapher commented: “It’s been six
months since so many decent people

Gorbachev’s ceeds from Gorbachev’s Nobel Prize,


and had ever since remained a voluble
source of dissent in the Russia that
emerged from the dissolution of the
three geriatric predecessors. It took a
year for what he had in mind to
become a little more clear. And it was
momentous.
be publicly aired.
Gorbachev wasn’t too worried. The
initial domestic reaction to his
reformism was largely positive. Hardly
longer seemed like a straight path to
prison.
Russians took to the streets en masse
to resist the atte-m-p-ted coup. And,
have together been in one place.”
Among them was the veteran liberal
politician Grigory Yavlinsky, who
noted: “These people came to

dream stayed Soviet Union 30 years ago.


It’s distressingly common for that
collapse to be blamed mainly on
Glasnost was the relatively easy part.
Perestroikainevitably proved much
trickier. The first involved lifting the
any Soviet leader since Vladimir Lenin
had frivolously mingled with ordinary
citizens. In due course, however, he
cruc-ially, soldiers refused orders to
shoot fellow citizens. But Gorbachev’s
project to retain what remained of the
Gorbachev to say, ‘Thank you, Mr
Gorbachev. You gave us a chance, but
we lost this chance’.”

unfulfilled... Gorbachev, the last leader of the USSR.


In the aftermath, Gorbachev grudging-
ly acknowledged that the criticism
wasn’t entirely unfair. But that was
curbs on free expression that had sur-
vived the Stalin era and, as Gorbachev
put it, filling in the blank pages of
Soviet history. He did not need to point
became one of the most hated leaders
— and, thanks to him, the hatred did
not need to be concealed.
That in itself was a triumph. It also
USSR after the Baltic republics had
exited with a union treaty encompass-
ing a looser Soviet federation was
thwarted by the elected presidents of
Perhaps “You gave us a chance”
would serve as a suitable epitaph for a
leader who tried, but failed, to save the
Soviet Union.
never his intent. He was determined to out that such pages were plentiful. spelled the end of the USSR. Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, who sur-
transform the behemoth while pre- The second related to transforming a The end came rather suddenly. The reptitiously signed an agreement that By arrangement with Dawn

EDITOR: KAUSHIK MITTER, PRINTER & PUBLISHER: K. SUDHAKAR; THE ASIAN AGE office is located at: New Delhi: Jawaharlal Nehru National Youth Centre, 219 Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg, New Delhi-110002. Phone: (011) 23211124;
Published and Printed on behalf of and for; Deccan Chronicle Holdings Limited, Jawaharlal Nehru National Youth Centre, 219 Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg, New Delhi 110 002 at BFL Infotech Ltd., C-9, Sector-III, Noida -201301;
London: Quickmarsh Ltd, 8th Floor, Block 2, Elizabeth House, 39 York Road, London, SE1 7NQ; RNI Registration number: 57290/94
6 READERS’ PULSE TirupaTi SunDaY 11 SepTember 2022

INBOX thehansreader@gmail.com
thehansreader@gmail.com

Reservations conundrum in India


A propitious time for Rahul There will not be any objection for the people to provide free education to SC, ST and other backward classes
till their knowledge is improved and till they get ready to compete with general candidates, but providing
reservation throughout their lives in jobs and promotions will certainly discourage the merit candidates
T his is in continuation of Hans
editorial (Sept. 8). Jawaharlal
Nehru quoted in his treatise Dis-
from Kanyakumari covering
various places across the coun-
try in an attempt to send a mes- S everal objections were raised
and several petitions filed in
covery of India a famous poem sage to the people to vote out the apex court on the 103rd
of Robert Frost as a guide to ac- the NDA is not so easy as he Constitution Amendment Act
complish his vision: thinks. Rahul's inability to strike passed by the parliament, which
"e woods are lovely, dark and chord with the rank and file of provides 10% quota to
deep But I have promises to keep the party and grassroots workers economical weaker sections of
And miles to go before I sleep despite holding prime posts in the society in government jobs
And miles to go before the party hierarchy for more and educational institutions on
I sleep " than a decade saw the party get- its validity. In fact, it is to be
Former Congress President ting severe drubbing is a fact. remembered that the 10-year
Rahul Ghandhi's foot march over Sidelining old guards coupled reservation policy framed after
3,500 km, in six months at a walk with multiple high-profile de- independence has been regularly
of 25 km per day covering 12 sertions due to culture of coterie extended till now. Why is it so? If
states, making promises, convinc- syndrome and factionalism saw the government is always
ing people, setting right the cal- the party lose everywhere. It is interested in those SCs, STs and
culated disdainful rule of Modi
government with the sole aim to
II for India and strengthen our na-
tion. e main aim of this yatra is
a pity that Congress CWC still
relies on Gandhi family to
OBCs what about other sections
of the people, irrespective of the
rebuild the lost glory of more Your editorial "Congress needs to fight against the issues such as change its fortune and lead the castes who are economically
than century-old freedom completely new narrative" was a price rise, unemployment, polar- way instead of introspecting its weak and have been suffering lives in jobs and promotions will survey was made regarding the
achiever Congress Party is in a very apt editorial. You rightly said ization and economic in equality failures and take corrective severely in not getting jobs and certainly discourage the merit genuineness of the caste
propitious time ahead of 2024 Congress' Bharat Jodo yatra is cer- etc. e yatra is important because measures. A question arises as admissions into colleges? Is it the candidates. The present 103rd certificates on which basis they
elections and people are also tainly an appreciable act and is it lost connectivity with common how would the Congress attend sin that they were born in poor amendment will somehow satisfy are provided reservation. This is
looking forward to change of pregnant with the possibility of man and this yatra will bring to pressing matters relating to upper castes by which they are the other sections of the people all a vote-catching game played
guard at Centre. revival of the Congress. In the ed- common man nearer to party. party's presidential elections and denied all reservations. There who are economically weak by the political parties whoever
Hurdles are there, surmount- itorial, further it is said that BJP - Zeeshaan, Kazipet. assembly elections in a few im- will not be any objection for the including the upper castes. rule the government. It is
ing them with timely knack wins had a single point agenda of Ram portant states even when it is people to provide free education Suggestions are encouraged to suggested to remove the present
the set goals for a better India. All temple at Ayodhya but Congress struggling to counter the per- to SC, ST and other backward satisfy both sections of the reservation policy and frame a
the best Rahulji. lacks clarity in Bharat jodo yatra. III ceptions of corruption and pol- classes till their knowledge is people without changing the fresh one based on the
- Dr NSR Murthy, But I think Congress has a good The five-month "Bharat Jodo" icy paralysis? improved and till they get ready basic structure of the 50% quota. economically weaker sections
Secunderabad intention and a clear agenda. padayatra undertaken by Rahul - K R Srinivasan, to compete with general In fact during these many years irrespective of caste and creed.
e aim of this yatra is to unite and other Congress members Secunderabad candidates, but providing where reservations are provided
reservation throughout their on caste basis, not a single - TSN Rao, Hyderabad

Will Congress chief Address plight of Indifference to TS


election be fair? govt hostel students Governor quite bad
T he Bharat Jodo Yatra started
from Kanyakumari to Kash-
mir under the leadership of
roor, who is in the fray, and
Karthi Chidambaram.
Sonia has been insisting the T here are umpteen laws and
rules which say that quality and
A er completing three
years as Governor of
Telangana state, Dr Tamilisai
values and ethics, the Gover-
nor would not have criticised
the Chief Minister nor be bit-
Rahul Gandhi is expected to party cadre to work only under hygienic food should be made Soundararajan again came out ter with him. Observers and
unify the party nation-wide. Fol- Rahul leadership which has re- available to all hostel students. But heavily against Chief Minister intellectuals and all say they
lowing the resignation of former sulted in several Congress lead- wardens oen find it hard to supply while bringing out her good never came across such a bad
CM of J&K and senior congress ers fleeing the party. Many Con- even clean food and portable water and bad experiences in the situation at any time in the
leader, Gulam Nabi Azad from gress leaders including the for seven days in a week, thanks to state. Governor’s relations with united
the party, the hopes of Congress seniors are leaving the party to their funds crunch! Officials are Telangana government and
leaders have been belied. Azad join BJP. also there to monitor these hostels Chief Minister is a never
slammed Rahul for lack of politi- Despite Congress losing its but, alas, they are too busy to move ending story of mutual
cal will/wisdom out of their cozy cubicles differences. It is true
and resolve to We make a lot of hullabaloo over that Telangana gov-
take key deci- food quality at home or at a hotel, ernment has been
sions. but, alas, we are indifferent to the not only indifferent
The elections plight of poor students in govern- alarming regularity. So far in 2022, kitchens are generally rich, power- to the Governor but
to elect Con- ment hostels. eir rooms are usu- about 1,100 students have been ful, and related to local leaders. So not respecting the
gress president ally dark, dingy and over crowded, hospitalised due to food poisoning, the main concern of these contrac- chair of constitution
are scheduled to their surroundings unhygienic, and according to one latest survey. In tors is how to make a profit and irrespective of per-
be held in Octo- their food is oen no better than August alone about 350 hostel stu- grease the palms of officials to stay sonal issues. Constitu-
ber for which swill, to say the least. Frogs and dents were treated for food poison- in the race! And the governments tion protocols are not
the list of voters lizards make 'special appearances' ing and, alas, a couple of them suc- allocate a shoe-string budget and followed. Even officials are
in the electoral in food items! cumbed to this avoidable take lots of time to clear even instructed orally not to fol-
college is al- Most wardens show no qualms man-made tragedy. Of course, the monthly bills of these hostels! is low Governor during her visits Andhra
ready prepared. to "treat" inmates with leovers for situation in other States is no better has prompted the Congress leader in the state which is highly Pradesh as well
Congress Presi- breakfast and undone and half- either. Who is responsible for this Revanth Reddy to express his an- condemnable. as Telangana state and that it
dential elections done rice and dal for lunch! Of bad state of affairs? Wardens? Con- guish and anger at the plight of hos- In response to Governor’s is an abnormal, unwanted and
have never been conducted in a cadre in a large numbers due to course, they don't mind lining their tractors? or Governments? tel students and to call Residential briefing on completing three preventable situation in the
transparent manner as the voters growing dissidence, Sonia has pockets at the cost of these students ere are umpteen laws and Schools, "Death Traps!" years term on various issues, state. Politicians and individ-
list of names are kept in secrecy not tried to mend the ways. In who are born in penury and who rules which say that quality and hy- All these things make it very Telangana Rashtra Samithi al- uals come and go but institu-
and appointment of returning case Rahul fails to make ‘Bharat bear all these hard things and in- gienic food should be made avail- clear that many people are respon- leged that Governor is defam- tions are eternal and all have
officer was done at the behest of Jodo Yatra‘ a success, it would no human conditions just for a morsel able to all hostel students. But war- sible for these pitiable state of af- ing the Chief Minister and to respect them as per the con-
Sonia Gandhi. There being a doubt be true that many Con- of food! e less we talk about dens oen find it hard to supply fairs. However governments know turned Raj Bhavan into a po- stitution when an oath is taken
political conspiracy behind the gress leaders would tread the bathrooms and toilets in these hos- even clean food and portable water that the buck stops at them and litical stage. But if Telangana while forming the government
elections, the voters list can only path of Gulam Nabi Azad and tels, the better. is is the scene in for seven days in a week, thanks to they can and have to do anything govt respects Governor as per as per the constitution.
be accessible to the contestants leave the party in large numbers. almost every welfare hostel in the their funds crunch! Officials are to clear the 'mess' in every sense of constitution, followed proto-
in fray. Delhi's voters list would, It is questionable as to what So- country for ages where providing also there to monitor these hostels the term in these hostels and in par- cols and respected with human - JP Reddy, Nalgonda
however, be available to Sonia nia could do to revive the party. inmates with all minimal facilities but, alas, they are too busy to move ticular to ensure the supply of clean,
and Rahul at the earliest. The In case the party gets defeated is an exception rather than a regular out of their cozy cubicles. Only in- safe, and healthy food and water to
process to elect the President next time, it would be impossible norm! cidents of food poisoning goad these children of a lesser god.
and the reason for keeping the to recover again. e incidents of food poisoning them into action, albeit reluctantly.
voters list on AICC website have in the government-run hostels in Contractors who supply provi- – M Somasekhar Prasad,
been questioned by Shashi Tha- - Bh Indu Sekhar, Hyderabad Telangana are taking place with sions and groceries to these Hyderabad

Indians at greater risk India has no national


policy to stop suicides
of antibiotic resistance S uicide is a serious national public
health problem in India that can

L ancet has published that India


is a big market of unapproved
resort’ due to their very high prob-
ability of causing antibiotic resist-
have long-lasting effects on individu-
als, families, and communities. Ac-
Bengaluru’s historic restaurant Samrat to
antibiotics which indicates a serious ance. But in India, they’re overpre- cording to a World Health Organiza- close by September 21
concern about the health of a com- scribed — and worse, many tion (WHO) report, more than 8 lakh
mon man. Due to overmedicating unapproved formulations comprise people in the world commit suicide BENGALuRu: e Samrat restaurant in Bengaluru, a favourite of the
on unapproved drugs, public is get- a major part of Indians’ consump- every 30 seconds. One out of every 4 students die by suicide every year in public, will close on September 21. On Race Course Road near the
ting antibiotic resistance which is tion. suicides in the world is recorded in our country. In the last 25 years from Basaveshwara Circle, the restaurant is located inside the Chalukya Hotel.
not a good sign for a common In- It is expected from the central India. It is important to note that 1995 to 2021, nearly 2 lakh students Because it was close to the Vidhana Soudha in the city's centre, the
dian. government that immediately among the people who commit sui- have been lost to suicide. In 2018, the famed eatery which has been running for 45 years—famous for its masala
e private sector contributes to and unapproved formulations were proper action should be taken be- cide in the world, there are more peo- central government also constituted dosas, rava idlis, badami halwas, and more—became a gathering place
about 85-90 per cent of the total 47.1%. FDCs are the combinations fore it harms the health of a com- ple between the ages of 15 and 30, an expert committee to formulate a for politicians, residents, and visitors. Bengaluru's internet was buzzing
antibiotic use in India and more of two or more active drugs in a mon man who is totally unaware especially men than women. Accord- comprehensive approach to national with comments from netizens who were upset to learn that their favourite
than 47 per cent of the formulations single dosage form. e study au- about the dangerous impacts of ing to the National Crime Records Bu- suicide prevention. One out of every 4 eatery was closing.” is is really sad. I used to go there for Rava Idli. e
used in 2019 are not approved by thors said, “centrally unapproved these unwanted antibiotics reau NCRB -2021 report, 1.64.033 peo- suicides in the world is recorded in best Rava Idli I have ever eaten," expressed a twitter user.
the Central Drugs Standard Con- formulations accounted for 47.1% - Yash Pal Ralhan, Jalandhar ple committed suicide in 2021 in India. It is important to note that “Samrat?! Really?! But why?! It's one of my favourites! at was THE
trol Organization (CDSCO). Ac- (2,408 million) of total DDDs. India, of which 45.056 were women. among the people who commit sui- spot for every politician, bureaucrat, lawyer, businessman and the under-
cording to the study, Cefixime 200 Cephalosporins, macrolides, and II India has an average of 450 people cide in the people between the ages world! Every hustler in town used to hang out there! Man, I gotta get
mg tablets and Azithromycin 500 penicillins were the top three an- e recent revelation that about every day, 18.7 people every hour, of 15 and 30 years. Even though sui- there tomorrow,” wrote another Twitterati.
mg tablets are the two most popular tibiotic classes among unapproved 47% of antibiotics used in India are more than one in every 20 seconds. cides are happening on such a large
antibiotic formulations in the coun- formulations." unapproved is shocking and pre- Men commit suicide on an average of scale, it is sad that the government 126 lakes in Bengaluru inundated
try during the year of reporting. Based on an analysis of a pri- cisely speaking 13 out of top 20 pre- 326 per day, 13.6 per hour, one every does not pay attention to them. It has BENGALuRu: In Tech City, 126 lakes have overflowed as a result of the
"Inappropriate use of antibiotics is vately-operated, nationally repre- scribed antibiotic combinations are 4.4 minutes, while women commit been 4 years since that a committee early-week downpours. According to the BBMP's data, the Mahadevpura
a significant driver of antibiotic re- sentative dataset of drug sales neither accredited nor considered suicide on an average of 124 per day, was set up, but the result is that the zone, which was badly impacted by flooding, has the highest number of
sistance in India," noted the study. across India, the study makes use worth recommending for usage by 5.1 per hour, i.e., one woman com- attitude of the Central government lakes that overflowed. ere was an overflow of 42 lakes in this zone.
As per WHO, antibiotic resist- of WHO’s AWaRe (Access, Watch, WHO. e MOHFW & Indian mits suicide every 10 minutes. Ac- and officials is the same as where the Numerous areas in the Bommanahalli zone also received the majority
ance is rising to dangerously high Reserve) classification of drugs to drug regulatory authorities should cording to an analysis of National gong is placed. It is very sad that of the rain, and about 30 lakes in this zone overflowed. 2 lakes in the
levels in all parts of the world. examine the sale and consumption swing into action, look sharp and Crime Records Bureau NCRB data even today there is no proper com- east, 1 in the west, 20 in RR Nagar, 19 in Yelahanka, 6 in Dasarahalli, and
"Where antibiotics can be bought of antibiotics in the country. Watch ban their sale in the country. since 1995. 2021 led to the highest prehensive national suicide preven- 4 in the south zone overflow. However, Mahadevpura, Bommanahalli,
for human or animal use without a and Reserve class of antibiotics are Above all, our country has mil- number of student suicides in the tion policy or strategy even though and East zones have experienced significant water logging. According to
prescription, the emergence and to be used sparingly as they are lions of unqualified doctors who country, but nearly 2 lakh of them young people, women and low experts, the intrusion of stormwater drains led to floods in the newly
spread of resistance is made worse." prone to drive antibiotic resistance. use antibiotics according to their died by suicide in the last 25 years. economies are taking their lives un- constructed suburbs. According to BBMP sources, this may be the first
e study shows that formula- While the Watch class of antibi- whims and wishes without bother- According to a recent study, a stu- stoppably, Suicide is often preventa- time in several decades that these several lakes have overflowed.
tions listed in the national list of otics is to be prescribed for specific ing that the misuse of antibiotics dent commits suicide every 40 min- ble and the efforts to prevent it may
essential medicines (NLEM) con-
tributed 49% while fixed-dose com-
diseases in limited doses as a first
or second choice, the Reserve class
makes the microorganisms highly
resistant.
utes in India. On an average, about 36
student suicides are reported every
occur at the community, and govern-
ment level.
Read more at
binations (FDC) contributed 34%, of antibiotics is meant to be the ‘last - Dr Sunil Chopra, Ludhiana day. Approximately 7-8 per cent of - Dr B Keshavulu, Hyderabad https://epaper.thehansindia.com (Bengaluru edition)
CMYK

2
From
AHMEDABAD SUNDAY 11/9/2022
Editorial
Editor’s
Desk

Power of silence:
Queen Elizabeth II’s reticence
stood her and her country in
good stead in times of tumult
and change
At times, especially during family dramas and
tragedies, that silence dented her image. In the
larger reckoning, though, it kept her above the fray
At several points during the 70-year reign of
Queen Elizabeth II — which ended with her death
on September 8 — the very institution of the Crown
was brought into question. It was criticised by the
Right for presiding over the end of Empire. For
progressives in Britain and beyond, it was the ulti-
mate symbol of aristocracy and unearned privilege;
the tentpole that held up a class structure that was
obsolete and obscene. Britain’s longest-serving Mumbai based photographer Ujwal puri clicked some photos for Ganesh Visarjan 2022 in mumbai. He shared photos on twitter.
monarch transcended the limitations of her office
by staying true to the best principles of being the
constitutional head of a democratic state. In doing
so, she ensured that the Crown not only survived
the post-War churn but also continued to be a
steady hand, a sort of over-arching spirit of a na-
tion, through the tectonic shifts in politics and soci-
ety for the better part of a century.
Neev lit fest for kids returns offline with 6th edition
On June 2, 1952, when Elizabeth unexpectedly Bengaluru, Sep 10 (IANS) On the theme, 'Read- ing for lifelong learning, and the power dominated by Western titles. Indian ogy and Math, Arefa Tehsin will
ascended to the throne, the “jewel of the empire” ing takes you places', young literary enthusiasts in of Indian stories for building identity," books focussed on personal chronol- describe what it was like to
had already conducted its first general election. the city are in for a treat as the annual Neev Litera- co-founder and curator Kavita Gupta ogy, mythology and folk tales are won- grow up as a naturalist's daugh-
Over the next few years, as the head of a diminished ture Festival is all set to make a physical comeback Sabharwal said."With changing family derful, but must also convey the Ideas ter. Popular YA writer Andaleeb
Commonwealth, she was witness to a wave of after two years of be- of India@75 and the hopes of Wajid will run a Masterclass for
decolonisation. Workers’ rights, European unity, ing held online. India@100. students on arriving at one's
emerging from war-time frugality, the sexual and To be held on "The profession of own writing style. Historian
social liberation of the 1960s — through fraught September 24 and children's writing must also Devika Rangachari will conduct
times in politics and society, the Queen maintained 25, the festival will fo- become more financially sus- a Masterclass for parents of
a studied neutrality. Today, in an age of constant cus on the power of tainable in India. This is a com- women who carved a niche for
opinions, social media rants and virtue signalling, books to set one free munity and space that we are themselves, as described in his-
the power of that silence can easily be underesti- to experience new committed to building for our torical texts that go back hun-
mated. Yet, it is that reticence that gave the head of places of this world in children's future," Sabharwal dreds of years. International
the British state and the Church of England the abil- their imagination added. teacher-librarians Katie Day and
ity to remain the most prominent signifier of nation- and explore various This year, NLF will witness Nadine Bailey will speak about
hood as the UK became increasingly culturally and cultural perspectives. 92 sessions with over 60 speak- new research and trends being
ethnically diverse. At times, especially during family It will see myriad ers from around the globe to practiced in growing readers at
dramas and tragedies — the controversial love life events with noted enlighten young minds on school.With 13 sessions for par-
of her sister Princess Margaret, the tragic death of authors, librarians, topics ranging from climate ents and teachers, 17 interactive
Diana, the politically-incorrect gaffes by her consort, award?winning film- change to writing from conflict sessions, 20 master classes for
the departure of Meghan Markle and Harry — that makers, and storytell- zones. The event sets a plat- students, and 42 book readings
silence dented her image. In the larger reckoning, ers discussing and in- form for the reading enthusi- by authors, this festival is sure to
though, it kept her above the fray. teracting with the au- asts to interact and engage be a literary paradise of enlight-
In ways subtle and grand, from her face on cur- dience on a plethora with distinguished authors ening conversations and gath-
rency notes to the warm Christmas address, the of topics. structures and constant digital inva- such as Roopa Pai, Anushka ering knowledge. Dedicated to
Queen has been a fixture in the lives of her country’s The winners of four categories of the Neev Book sion, children's books are now the lit- Ravishankar, Paro Anand, Jane De Suza, celebrating the joy of reading,
people. By the sheer dint of her longevity, she is also Award -- Early Years (5-7 years), Emerging Readers erary mirrors, and windows to the Samina Mishra, Venita Coelho, the festival will touch upon
a global figure. In a new period of uncertainty in the (6-8 years), Junior Readers (9-12 years), and Young whole world of possibility."The festival Shabnam Minwalla, Sandhya Rao, Bijal some pertinent, thought-pro-
UK, from the fallout of the Ukraine crisis to the Adult (13-18 years) -- will also be announced dur- and book award are shifting focus, Vaccharajani, Arundhati Venkatesh, voking topics and make this an
strained relationship with Europe, most people of ing the festival."The Neev Literature Festival in its with a report on the State of Indian and Menaka Raman. enriching experience for the
that country are bound to miss the only monarch 6th edition aims to evangelise the power of read- Children's Writing, that tells us the While Priya Narayanan will con- young and the old alike.--IANS
they have ever known. children's book market is small and duct an interactive session on Mythol-

Adding mineral & crystal-infused


skincare products to your beauty routine
By IANSlife Beauty By Bie, shares trending miner- thickening, and lubricating ingredient
New Delhi, Sep 10 (IANSlife) In re- als and crystals to look for in your * Iron Oxide: Mostly added in cos-
cent months, what we have been wit- skincare products: metics to increase pigment. This min-
nessing is a great shift in the beauty * Diamond dust: Diamonds are eral is clean, hypoallergenic, and helps
industry. Skincare and wellness prod- truly a girl's best friend. This ingredi- increase the SPF protection offered by
ucts are now front and centre, shad- ent is packed with exfoliating features sunscreens. Its ability to protect skin
owing the pre-pandemic focus on that wash off toxins and deliver a from UV and blue light makes it a
make-up and beauty. Going through glowing complexion. Their highly ab- must-have ingredient for people expe-
a pandemic has turned the collective sorbent nature gives them skin-light- riencing melasma
consciousness towards the wellness ening properties. Diamond dust is * Rose quartz: This crystal is known
space, taking care of mind, body, and known to remove blemishes and fade as the crystal of unconditional love,
soul. Aromatherapy and crystal-based acne and dark spots. Other benefits and is said to boost feelings of self-love
healing are just two ways in which include: exfoliating dead skin cells, as well. It has remarkable benefits in
The Postcard Hotel recognised as people have sought nourishment of
their bodily senses.
What are the benefits of minerals
skincare like the ability to stimulate
blood flow to supply more oxygen to
the skin, resulting in a flushed, natural

'Asia's leading boutique hotel brand' and crystals in skincare?


This wellness trend has also made
its way into the skincare industry. Al-
glow. It also helps to relax facial
muscles and ease stress
* Amethyst: This crystal represents
New Delhi, Sep 10 (IANSlife) In a ing our benchmark hospitality expe- birds and the occasional roar of the though mineral and crystal-infused purification and connection to spiri-
spectacular ceremony held in Ho Chi rience, in every aspect. We are majestic lions. skincare has been around since the tual and divine beings. Amethysts help
Minh City, Vietnam, The Postcard Ho- humbled by the multiple recognition The Postcard Hideaway, Netravali, ancient Egyptians, today these com- to cleanse and detoxify the body, mind
tel, which is scaling new heights in received at this year's World Travel Goa, is a discrete, ultra-modern hotel pounds are being added to every- and soul. Their skin benefits include:
providing unmatched experience Awards 2022. located on 20 acre of lush vegetation thing from serums to moisturisers and boosting collagen, curbing inflamma-
luxury to discerning guests, wins vari- We see it as a testament to our in a remote part of south Goa. The re- face massage tools. Fascinating ingre- tion, and increasing circulation
ous recognitions and makes a mark team's unwavering effort in offering sort provides total seclusion and lei- dients such as diamond dust, gold and * Malachite: This crystal is said to
once more.The Postcard Hotel has the best-in-class experience to our sure with uninterrupted views of the silver leaf, rose quartz, and amethyst, preventing skin aging, and hydrating absorb negative energies, and heal the
been named "Asia's Leading Boutique guests and are grateful to our loyal hills and Western Ghats in the area. are being hailed as 'game changers' the skin body from multiple ailments. Also
Hotel Brand," and its list of important guests for this honour," says Kapil The Postcard Hideaway, in the skincare industry for their skin * Pearl protein: The richness of this known as the botox of the crystal
accolades also includes:* The Postcard Chopra, Founder and Chief Executive Netravali, Goa and spiritual benefits. The energetic ingredient helps regenerate collagen, world, malachite helps to gently
Dewa, Thimphu, Bhutan, as 'Asia's Officer, The Postcard Hotel. The Postcard Mandalay Hall in healing frequency of these crystals making wrinkles appear less promi- cleanse clogged pores and visibly firm
Leading Boutique Hotel'* The Post- On the fringes of Bhutan's capital Kochi has been designed to provide a and minerals can calm, soothe, uplift nent. It also promotes cellular repair, and lift skin. Additionally, it supports
card Gir Wildlife Sanctuary, Gujarat, as city are The Postcard Dewa and memorable experience that connects and revitalise skin. protects the skin from pollution and the skin's natural defences against free
'Asia's Leading Wildlife Resort'* The Thimphu. It has 15 opulent rooms and Kochi's history and present. It is a Minerals are also crucial for over- gives a luminous sheen to the skin radicalsBiE's Moongleam Precious Gel
Postcard Hideaway, Netravali, Goa, as is tucked away in a woodland with beautiful art hotel that is tucked away all health and well-being, they are nu- * Gold and silver leaf: These luxu- Cream is finished with precious gold
'India's Leading Boutique Hotel' magnificent mountain views as a stun- in the cobbled streets of Mattancherry. trients that the body cannot do with- rious, ancient beauty ingredients act and silver leaf, diamond dust, and pearl
* The Postcard Mandalay Hall, ning backdrop. The hotel is the ideal Each of the five luxurious rooms is an out. Minerals themselves are inorganic as antioxidants and strengthen the protein, making it an ultra-luxe cream.
Kochi, as 'India's Leading Design Ho- location for relaxing in the middle of immersive living gallery with installa- solids that exist naturally, through skin barrier. They also aid in boosting It acts as a dual-benefit primer and
tel' nature while taking in the stunning tions and works of art by well-known geological processes, and have a spe- circulation, improving skin elasticity, moisturiser that imparts radiance, in-
The Postcard Dewa, Thimphu, views of the Khasadrapchu valley and artists.Three more hotels will debut in cific and pre-determined chemical and protecting against environmen- creases elasticity, and leaves skin with
Bhutan the Wang Chhu river. 2022 for The Postcard Hotel. The Post- composition. Some vital minerals your tal stressors* Titanium Dioxide: Works a dewy, golden sheen.Adding these
"Since its inception, The Postcard The Postcard Gir Wildlife Sanctuary, card on the Arabian Sea will be located skin needs are magnesium, potas- as a UV filter in skincare products, es- minerals and crystals to your daily
Hotel has stayed true to the vision of GujaratThe Postcard Gir Wildlife Sanc- on the beach, within a 1.5-hour drive sium, silica, calcium and zinc. pecially in physical sunscreens. It is skincare regime can help lead to
providing transformational experien- tuary, GujaratGujarat's Postcard Gir from the Mangalore airport. All of the Queenie Singh Sethia, Founder of also commonly used as a lightening, healthy-looking and glowing skin.
tial luxury for perceptive travellers. We Wildlife Sanctuary is located there and hotel's rooms will have ocean views,
continue to take a distinctive ap- spans 16 acre of mango orchards. It is so visitors can experience the beauty
proach across our intimate hotel of- in the home of the Asiatic Lion. The of the ocean straight from their bed
ferings, right from the design and ar-
chitecture, cuisine to service philoso-
phies and beyond.
hotel is an entry into the fascinating
and uncharted region of Saurashtra
and pays homage to the richness of
as well as the sound of the waves as
they awaken.In 2022, the brand's first
hotel in the Northeast will debut. The
UN chief urges protecting right to education
United Nations, Sep 10 (IANS) UN sexual violence and child recruitment monitoring, investigate all attacks and
Our hotels merge seamlessly into nature. It gives the unique feeling of Durrung Tea Estate, which spans 1,400 Secretary-General Antonio Guterres
the community and become a part of being alone in the wild while listening acre and is home to stunning tea gar- by armed groups. They must stop im- hold perpetrators to account," he said.
has called for efforts to protect the mediately," said the UN chief. In marking the international day
the neighbourhood, all while deliver- to the soothing chirping of migrating dens, contains The Postcard. right to education in his message for Guterres welcomed steps taken by and in the lead up to the Transform-
the International Day to Protect Edu- many countries to protect educational ing Education Summit, which will be
cation from Attack. institutions and urged "all member convened at the UN headquarters in
A collaboration that celebrates the Education is a fundamental human
right and "an essential driver for
achieving peace and sustainable de-
velopment," the top UN official was
New York from September 16 to 19,
Guterres encouraged everyone to
"act together to guarantee safe

delights of childhood experiences


By IANSlife This edit of thirty styles, suitably transitional separates, you can easily
quoted as saying by Xinhua news
agency. Unfortunately, this right con-
tinues to fall under attack, especially
education for all."
Attacks on education and mili-
tary use of schools increased by
one-third in 2020 compared to
in conflict-affected areas, he said. 2019, and maintained the same rate
New Delhi, Sep 10 (IANSlife) What titled "It's The Time To Mickey," is in- transition into easy ensembles for "Classrooms must remain places of
better way to commemorate the spirit spired by the iconic Mickey Mouse, al- work, your upcoming vacation, or even peace and learning," Guterres noted. in 2021. Six attacks on education or
of "bouncing back" than with a twist though in a different form! a fast Sunday brunch. In 2020 and 2021, the Global Coa- incidents of military use occurred
of nostalgia when the world around us This collection stands out for its "There is nothing more nostalgic lition to Protect Education from Attack each day.
starts to live, work, holiday and see atypical depiction of Mickey in the than Mickey Mouse and his fun, play- reported over 5,000 assaults and cases Explosive weapons were used
family and friends outside of home shape of intriguing graphics like ful energy we have all grown up with! of military use of schools and univer- in around one-fifth of all reported
once again? doodles and scribbles that are embel- The Disney x The Label Life collection sities. And more than 9,000 students attacks on education during the re-
It's "The Time To Mickey", a collabo- lishing the outfits in unusual locations celebrates the joy of nostalgia and is and educators were killed, abducted, porting period, according to the
ration collection that celebrates the and formats. everything you need now! And of arbitrarily arrested, or injured, the ma- United Nations. The International Day
delights of childhood experiences that Although Mickey is drawn in his course, the collection portrays my states to endorse and implement the to Protect Education from Attack,
jority of whom were women and girls. Safe Schools Declaration." which aims to raise awareness to pre-
bring Disney's iconic figure Mickey trademark colours, the pop colours of favourite Mickey Mouse in our signa- "These attacks deprive millions of
Mouse to life, has been released by the clothing give the image a cheery ture elevated styles with jumpsuits "International law and interna- serve education and protect it from
vulnerable learners from accessing tional humanitarian law obligations attacks, is observed on September 9
'The Label Life', India's well-known ce- vibe. With a variety of designs in the and co-ords," says Malaika Arora, Style education and increase the risk of
lebrity lifestyle brand! collection, including airy dresses and Editor, The Label Life. must be respected. We must pursue every year.

CMYK
www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epapers
PERSPECTIVE
delhi I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia NEW DELHI | SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2022
04

IN-DEPTH

REMEMBERING
THE MELTING OF
ICE IN EASTERN
LADAKH A THUMBS
QUEEN ELIZABETH II UP FOR DIALOGUE

HER VISITS
TO INDIA T
he announcement
that Indian and Chi-
nese forces have
started the process of
disengagement at Pa-
trolling Point 15 in eastern
Ladakh is a positive development
in the Sino-India ties after a few
years’ of tension. The disengage-
ment is expected to be over on
Monday giving hope for further
disengagement. India is cautious
lest the Chinese soldiers repeat
This was bad news. I told the their Galwan-like assault on In-
High Commissioner that I dian troops while disengaging
would pass on Mrs Thatcher’s from Point 14 two years ago. The
K NATWAR SINGH response to Mrs Gandhi, but I two sides have also agreed to
The author is Former wanted to make it clear that cease forward deployments and
Minister of External Affairs of India my recommendation to Mrs dismantle their temporary struc-
Gandhi would be that we could tures. The development is
not agree to a formal “Investi- enough to silence Prime Minis-
ture” at Rashtrapati Bhavan. ter Narendra Modi’s critics. The

T
he Commonwealth Heads of Here was high-grade proto- disengagement in Ladakh could
State and Government was col dynamite. The dramatis pave the way for a likely summit
held in New Delhi in Novem- personae consisted of four between Modi and President Xi
ber 1983. The Prime Minister world famous ladies. Two pow- Jinping. With India moving clos-
appointed me Chief Coordina- erful Prime Ministers, One er to Russia after the Ukraine
tor. Her Majesty Queen Eliza- Queen and the fourth some- war, the dynamics between India
beth, as Head of Common- Natwar Singh, Prime Minister thing more than a Saint. What, and China are also giving hints
Indira Gandhi and Queen Elizabeth if the Indian Press got hold of of change.
wealth came to New Delhi for
the occasion. She and her hus- the story. What a diplomatic Those hints, like the disen-
band, Prince Philip stayed at The Commonwealth Heads of State and Government bonfire that would light!
I reported to Mrs Gandhi
gagement, will not make India
Rashtrapati Bhavan. The first lower its guard against the Chi-
item on the agenda was to se- was held in New Delhi in November 1983. The Prime what her British counterpart nese who are always looking for
lect a new Secretary General Minister appointed me Chief Coordinator. Her had said. A fleeting irritation, a a chance to hurt India.
to succeed Sonny Ramphal moment’s pause and then a
who completed his five years Majesty Queen Elizabeth, as Head of masterly diplomatic googly.
term. Mrs Gandhi wanted Commonwealth came to New Delhi for the “Natwar, go back to Mrs Thatch-
SPIRITUAL SPEAK
Ramphal to get another term. er and tell her from me that the
Mrs Thatcher did not. Indiraji
occasion. She and her husband, Prince Philip Queen can have the “Investi-
was the Chairman. She got stayed at Rashtrapati Bhavan ture” at Rashtapati Bhavan. But Train up a child in the
Ramphal his second term. leave her in no doubt about the
Outside the Summit, a mini matter being raised in Parlia-
way he should go, and
crisis was averted. As far as I source gathered that the an accomplished and skilful ment the next day. Critical refer- when he is old, he will not
remember, it was the second Queen was to hold an “Inves- diplomat. I asked him to con- ences would be made and the depart from it.
day. Mrs Gandhi asked me to titure” at RB for Mother Te- vey to Mrs Thatcher and Her Queen’s name would be dragged —Bible
quietly enquire from Rashtra- resa. He hoped that what he Majesty the Queen that the in. it was only fair the Queen be
pati Bhavan if the Queen was heard was incorrect. Only the proposed “Investiture” could made aware of this.”
holding an “Investiture’ at President of India could hold not be arranged at RB. It could It really was a brilliant ri-
It really was a brilliant
riposte. No “Investiture” was Rashtrapati Bhavan for giv- an “Investiture” at RB. If the be held either at the UK High poste. No “Investiture” was
held at Rashtrpati Bhavan. ing Mother Teresa the Order queen was to go ahead with Commission or the residence held at Rashtrpati Bhavan. The TOP TWEETS
The Queen invited Mother of Merit. The Rashtrapati the “Investiture” then he and of the High Commissioner. I Queen invited Mother Teresa
Teresa to tea in the garden Bhavan confirmed what the other Opposition leaders added that we held Queen in to tea in the garden where she Dharmendra Pradhan
where she handed the OM to Prime Minister had heard. would be compelled to raise high esteem and Mother Te- handed the OM to the Nobel @dpradhanbjp
the Nobel Laureate, who was Invitations for the “Investi- the matter in the Lok Sabha. resa was a very special per- Laureate, who was blissfully
blissfully unaware of the ture” had apparently been is- It was quite evident that Ba- son. At the same time, we unaware of the diplomatic up-
diplomatic upheaval she sued, that too on “Bucking- huguna was right and the Brit- could not countenance and heaval she had caused. The fi-
had caused. The finale was ham Palace” stationery, with- ish, had, in good faith, erred. were surprised that we had nale was entirely satisfying to
entirely satisfying to me out consulting the Secretary That error had to be rectified. not been consulted. me personally. Prime Minister
personally. Prime Minister or the Military Secretary to It fell to my lot as Chief Coor- Within two hours he rang Thatcher in the concluding ses-
Thatcher in the concluding President Giani Zail Singh. dinator of CHOGM to sort this back to say that his Prime sion singled me out of praise.
session singled me out of I conveyed this to Mrs Gan- quite unprecedented and spec- Minister felt it was too late to Before leaving India, the Queen Its a great honour to be in the by-lanes
praise. Before leaving India, dhi, who did not like what she tacular protocol cock-up. change the venue. Invitations received me. She could not from where PM @narendramodi ji
the Queen received me. She heard. In the meanwhile HN Mrs Gandhi asked me to get had been sent and above all the have been more gracious; she embarked on his inspiring life journey.
could not have been more Bahuguna, MP, had written in touch with Mrs Thatcher Queen would be inconven- even had a royal gift for me. This tea stall at Vadnagar railway
gracious; she even had to the Prime Minister saying and get back to her. The Brit- ienced. The UK Press too were THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY station where he helped his father
a royal gift for me that he had from his own ish High Commissioner, was aware of the “Investiture”. THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL
is an edifice of grit, determination,
courage and hardwork.

Kiren Rijiju
@KirenRijiju

BAIL FOR KERALA JOURNO KAPPAN


S
iddique Kappan Granting Kappan bail, a The Supreme Court put a
has been granted pertinent question, “See eve-
bail by the Su- three-judge Bench headed ry person has the right to Diamond Jubilee ceremony of the Bar
preme Court after by the Chief Justice of free expression and there- Council of Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram,
the Kerala jour- fore he is trying to propagate Arunachal Pradesh & Sikkim is a
nalist spent over two years in
India, Justice UU Lalit, an idea that there is this vic- momentous occasion to celebrate. I
jail. His actual crime: he was emphasised that “every tim who requires justice and extend my heartiest congratulations to
both the Members of the Bench and
headed towards Hathras to citizen has the right to therefore let us raise a com-
the Bar of Guwahati High Court.
cover the gang-rape and mon voice. Is that something
murder of a Dalit girl. But
free expression” and like a crime in the eyes of
adept as they are at creating underlined UP govt’s law?” Yes, your lordships, in
l Vol 2 l Issue No.13
wrong perceptions, the UP inability to produce any some places it is.
Police arrested him under Siddique Kappan has been lRNI TITLE NO. DELENG/2021/19840
the Unlawful Activities Pre- evidence against Kappan granted bail by the Supreme Printed and published by
vention Act for allegedly “that was provocative” Court after the Kerala jour- Anita Hada Sangwan on behalf of
planning to incite violence. nalist spent over two years in First Express Publishers. Printed at
It was a charge that did not jail. His actual crime: he was Impressions Printing and Packaging
stand scrutiny in the court. government’s inability to pointed out that they were pamphlets was about justice headed towards Hathras to Limited, C-21, 22 Sector-59,
Granting Kappan bail, a produce any evidence unrelated to India and talked for the Hathras gang-rape cover the gang-rape and Noida-201301. Published at G-20,
three-judge Bench headed by against Kappan “that was about Black people. victim. It was clear that a murder of a Dalit girl. But 3rd Floor, 309, Preet Vihar, New
the Chief Justice of India, provocative”. When Senior That hints at the journal- protest for the victim by a adept as they are at creating Delhi-110092. Phone 011-49846474.
Justice UU Lalit, emphasised Advocate Mahesh Jethmala- ist being falsely implicated. journalist or the crime’s cov- wrong perceptions, the UP Editor-In-Chief: Dr Jagdeesh Chandra
that “every citizen has the ni, representing UP, read out That possibility was further erage would have damaged Police arrested him under Editor: Anita Hada Sangwan
right to free expression” and the documents recovered strengthened when the court reputations. Putting him be- the Unlawful Activities Pre- responsible for selection of news
underlined Uttar Pradesh from Kappan, the court pointed out that one of the hind bars was easier. vention Act. under the PRB Act
6
TM

Srinagar | Sunday | 11-09-2022

Former Top Cop’s


KASHMIR

Kashmir Chronicle
Printed & Published by Sajjad Haider on behalf of the
Kashmir Observer LLP
Published from: # 5- Boulevard, Srinagar-190001

Late cop-governor Ved Marwah’s 12-year-old book, “India in


Printed at: KT Press Pvt. Ltd, Rangreth Budgam.
RNI Registration No: 69503/98
Postal Registration No-L/159/KO/SK/2014-16 Turmoil”, makes more sense than generic garbled opinions on
Kashmir; however, a lot is left to be read in between the lines.
Editor-in-Chief : Sajjad Haider
Legal Counsel: Tasaduq Khwaja
Switchboard: (0194) 2502327 | +91 1947969705
Editorial: (0194) 2502327 Yash Daiv

O
Email editorial: editor@kashmirobserver.net
ne can imagine top cop and former
governor Ved Marwah as a schoolboy
in Peshawar during 1947. He must’ve
been 13 years old when he saw the long

Shades of Persia
convoys of trucks carrying Pathans from tribal
areas of Pakistan. They were raising weapons
in the air, vowing liberation of Kashmir. These
people were revered by the government as was
Shubhanjana Das even apparent to his adolescent self, he claims.

A
He records such observations in the book,
rt and craft practices in Kashmir are not only mark- ‘India in Turmoil’. It’s the kind of hardcover
ers but also the result of political, cultural, and ar- you would rarely expect on the shelves of a
tistic exchanges with erstwhile Persia and beyond. quaint café situated thousands of kilometres
Over the past few centuries, these crafts have ab- away from Kashmir. I got my hands on this 2009
sorbed local tradition, resulting in a visual vocabulary that edition — a commentary on shortcomings of
is Kashmir’s own. decision-making and internal security threats
The third generation of the handicrafts dynasty of Suffer- to India — at a coffee shop in Pune.
ing Moses, Muzaffar Sadiq’s familial history is a case in point. The intention of picking it up was simple: I
He recounts that his ancestors were brought from modern-day wanted to know how Marwah, spent his child-
Iran to the Kashmir Valley at the mandate of the 13th centu- hood in Pakistan, has observed the security is-
ry Muslim saint-reformer Shah-i-Hamdan and then the 15th sues of India (especially Kashmir), left-extrem-
century emperor known as Badshah (Sultan Zain-ul-Abidin) ism and the quest for a solution.
to teach the locals the finer handicrafts of papier-mâché and Marwah does not mince words while de-
wood carving. scribing India’s posture in the introduction. He ex-cop completely omits the Maharaja’s inten- words (The Cambridge Companion to New Re-
Along with similarities in the linguistics, architecture, lit- labels India a soft state where the rule of law is tions while acceding to accession. They’ve been ligious Movements states that Jihad is “a hard
erature, art, cuisine, and the cultural traditions, the sartorial often shuttled around in vote-bank politics. He perhaps best laid by Journalist KS Komireddi term to define”).
resemblance with Iran is also prominent. writes, “All pervasive corruption is eating into in his “Malevolent Republic: A Short History of Also, Marwah’s nonchalant reference to
“It is for these and other cultural influences that Kashmir the vitals of the Indian state. In public percep- the New India”. He states, “He (Singh), anxious Kashmir’s sovereignty as a “mere theory” back
is often termed as the Iran-e-Saghir in the academic parlance,” tion, most, if not everyone, politics and admin- to keep the Muslim socialist out of power, insist- in 1947 (which, he says, eventually escalated)
states Prof. Mushtaq A. Kaw, Former Director, Centre of Cen- istration are corrupt. Corruption flows from ed on retaining some of his royal prerogatives.” impinges the narrative flow. His objective tell-
tral Asian Studies and Dean College Development Council, top to bottom, and one sees new acceptability Moreover, Marwah — in his black-and- ing of events fails to capture the complexity of
University of Kashmir. to blatant corruption at the highest echelons in white style of saying things — has employed the sentiment that has become a genetic code of
“The Kashmiri dress has the Afghan, Bukharan and Ira- administration.” the word Jihad in its most negative connota- sorts.
nian influence. However, it is distinguishable by needle, Concerning Kashmir, which comprises 100- tion, despite several researchers and linguists The emotion was rife even during the Parti-
stitch or embroidery works of various sorts, motif and floral odd pages, the ex-cop laments the growing inef- demanding decorum while using ambiguous tion, as was described by American journalist
designs.” fectiveness of the government. He has described Margaret Bourke-White, who was in Kashmir
Traditionally, the kurta-salwar, made of wool, cotton the chronology of problems through decades during that momentous time. She detailed the
and silk, resembling an Afghani Khan dress, layered with a concisely. territory as “heaped with rubble and blackened
woollen-cotton made pheran, going from the neck down to the He begins with Hari Singh “being cornered” with fire”. Locals were mourning the martyr-
knees, besides a Kashmiri pashmina or tus shawl spread over into signing the Instrument of Accession, so dom of a local leader, thus being far from the
the shoulders and a skull-cap constituted the men’s dress. that army could be sent to Srinagar in response idea of ascension and closer to the notion of
For women, it was salwar-kameez made of wool, cotton to the “liberation army” from Pakistan. In- freedom and autonomy.
and silk, designed with intricate embroideries, donned with a dia then handed over the reins of Kashmir to Further, the objectiveness derails in be-
woollen-cotton made pheran, besides a dupatta or head-scarf Sheikh Abdullah, who demanded autonomy tween when Marwah revers India. He claims
called kasaba in Kashmiri, and a pashmina or tus shawl worn much to the horror of Jawaharlal Nehru, who that India had rejected the Two-Nation theory
over the shoulders, notes Prof. Kaw. wanted his “friend” on board to validate his and still hopes that Hindu and Muslims will
Besides giving warmth, the pheran is roomy enough for secularistic stance. live in harmony on the land. The naïve thought
the kangri, a winter essential, which generates additional Abdullah’s arrest, Marwah says, incited is slightly outlandish since he chose to write
heat to the body against chilly winters. the separatist movement and then on, birthed it down after major communally violent mile-
Sadiq points that the 8-9 months long extreme winter isn’t many internal issues and carnages. stones — Babri, Godhra, etc.
the only natural influence on Kashmir’s clothing traditions; In the solution section of the book, Marwah The flaws aside, the concise history is read-
the motifs used by karigars in papier-mâché and wood-carv- perhaps has said the most sensible thing any- able, but under supervision. With an inherent
ing as well as on textiles borrow heavily from the valley’s bi- body has in a while. sense of responsibility missing among social
otic elements. While rebuking division of Kashmir on media patrons, who feel Kashmir is inscrutably
Along with the omnipresent paisley, gulaab (rose), pam- any lines (he heavily criticises the proposal of infested with violent ideas (a garish failure of
posh (lotus), the kingfishers of the Dal Lake, and the Chinar seven regions based on ethnic lines), he states mainstream media for having carved it in their
leaves are some of the most recognisable motifs embroidered that New Delhi “should not interfere”. Only if minds), it has become all the more important to
on Kashmiri clothing. the governments over the decade had heard its guard the sanctity of the subject.
The founder of design house Raffughar, Wajahat Rath- worker bees! I find myself going back to the initial
er, notes how some artisans would refer to a certain colour Despite such laudable assertions, Marwah’s thought: What was this book doing on a quaint
scheme as ‘harud’, meaning ‘autumn’ in Kashmiri, indicating account of Kashmir comes with its own set of café’s shelf? Who put it there? From the copy
“how they follow and harmonise colours by looking at nature. problems. in my hand, it could be safe to assume that the
They never get it wrong”. The narrative lacks editorial deftness — a previous reader was interested in a few para-
The climatic conditions in Kashmir also dictated the fab- lot is left for the reader to guess. For instance, graphs. If any of those were read out of context,
rics that were predominantly produced locally. While cotton while talking about the Hari Singh phase, the the picture would be different.
cultivation was not productive due to its poor yield, extensive
green regions provided an adequate grazing ground to sheep.
As a result, wool was produced in a much larger ratio.
. Beside this, there were abundant mulberry trees in the ar-

I Women Should Fight


eas of Kishtwar whereupon silk worms were raised upon the t’s so disappointing to see how expecting a baby. The husband de-
mulberry tree’s leaves. Presently, the majority of the fabrics some vocal Muslim women are sired a daughter but it was his wife
used in Kashmir are made in mills, imported from different demanding equality at the cost who kept telling him that she shall

For Balance Not Equality


parts of India, as well as outside the country. of their true stature. I don’t only give birth to a boy.
The luxurious and super-fine pashmina, raffel, and silk, disregard advocating feminism, but Incidents like these give birth to
however, continue to act as canvases for the painstaking em- I sincerely wonder over some icon a fractured society where man keeps
broidery practiced by Kashmiri karigars such as kashida, choices. yelling at her woman and a woman
sozni, kani, and aari, among others.
One of these embroidery forms now coveted world over is
While Bronte sisters, Virginia
Wolf, Jane Austen, and Sarah Grimke Women demanding equality with men acts total number eventually.
The problem is way big to be sold
the exquisite and exclusive tilla embroidery done on pherans are hailed as Sheroes and champions in couple of days, and obviously it
using gold and silver metallic threads, a wedding trousseau
essential for every Kashmiri Muslim bride.
of the women cause, I haven’t seen
many feminists talking about Syeda
are making a mockery of themselves. will take some time to get it resolved
on ground.
However, Gulzar notes that tilla is now getting a contem- Fatimah az-Zahra, the commander of Nahila Bashir Malik I leave you with a thought in the
porary spin for everyday wear. “5 out of 10 clients are asking faithful woman in both the worlds. end; fight with men for equality and
for tilla embroidery nowadays, be it in their stoles, scarves, or As an epitome of many women- then burn the language itself because
kurtis in silk, georgette, crepe, or velvet,” he says. related emancipatory initiatives, the it’s manish too.
Gulzar also notes that an increasing share of his local cli- contribution and the person of the Fight for balance and lay the
entele now opts for made-to-measure clothing in traditional prophet’s beloved daughter is being foundation of who you are. Shun
textiles but contemporary silhouettes over readymade en- conveniently brushed aside in the ignorance and take pride in being a
sembles. larger discourse of feminism. woman, because that’s what you are
Designer and stylist Shahid Rashid Bhat, whose designs Seeking light from a faraway — a jewel beyond man’s possession.
are heavily informed by Kashmir’s nature and its rich artistic source when a glowing lamp is al-
history, agrees that contemporisation is key in order to sus- ready in our house looks a tad uncan-
tain certain embroidery and clothing traditions of Kashmir. ny. The whole point of making this
He, too, observes that “the youth of Kashmir wants to
amalgamate the old and the new. They want to flaunt Kash-
argument is not to question anyone’s
choice of inspiration though, but to Seeking light
miri traditions, but with a contemporary twist.” analyse our own illusions. from a faraway
From using traditional embroidery outside shawls and But amid this whole debate, I feel
the salwar kameez to rethinking the silhouette of the pheran it’s foolishness to label a man and a source when a
for the modern clientele, there are multiple innovative design
opportunities that contemporary Kashmiri designers are now
woman equal, for I believe woman glowing lamp
is way superior than any man, espe-
exploring, albeit on the foundation of its perdurable artisanry. cially if one looks it in the history of is already in our
For Wajahat Rather, the traditional pheran itself champi-
oned modern sartorial trends like sustainability, zero-waste,
Islam. Even our beloved prophet’s
conduct supports this statement.
house looks a tad
androgynous designs, and relaxed fits. “Even though this vo- He himself stood up every time uncanny. The whole
Women should invoke their pow- that lies on our shelf creates cancel.
cabulary was not there, pheran was all this, even when the
fashion world wasn’t talking about it,” he says.
in welcoming his daughter. There’s
a chapter in Holy Quran on woman’s ers and fight for what God has given Though man is responsible for point of making this
He also goes back to the pheran as well as the enduring name. If only women ponder on this them, without limiting themselves to giving birth to patriarchy, gullible argument is not to
social media-male bashing. woman is equally responsible for
embroidery forms of Kashmir for his collections with an effort
to innovate them.
basic thing, they will understand
who they are. We need to kill patriarchy with this menace. They’ve limited their question anyone’s
Both Rather and Bhat echo that even in the face of rampant God created man and woman its all roots but this idea is not some-
thing new.
horizon around this menish thing.
I remember every woman who
choice of inspiration
mechanisation and replication in the handicrafts industry, the
intricacy, quality, and durability of embroideries and art forms
keeping balance in consideration be-
tween them, not equality. Equality We’ve all the literature available calls herself brave and yet utters, “Bi though, but to
done by hand will continue to remain inimitable and coveted is a smaller part of what balance is. in the world. I really doubt if any
other religion, book stress on women
chas zanan mehnou” (I’m woman) to
show that she owns a sense of secu-
analyse our own
around the world. “Kashmiri handmade fabric has been sus-
taining despite the Industrial Revolution in the past and free
Think about it!
Fighting for equality is not good; affairs as much as Quran does it. rity. illusions.
market economy in the present,” observes Prof. Kaw. one should be fighting for balance. The fact that we choose to read Interestingly, a married couple
neighbour’s book and skip the one in our village sometimes back was
The – LEO BUSCAGLIA

6 NEWS JAMMU
SUNDAY
Change is the end result of
all true learning.
NOW SEPTEMBER 11, 2022

UPCOMING UN GRILLING SESSIONS


sanctions.The SCO agenda proposed by
The main reason is that the Ukraine War has pitted P-5 members Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, its
current chair, besides the standard phrase
about enhancing its potential talks of en-
against each other. This causes the role of the United Nations to be suring peace and stability, reducing
poverty and enabling food security. Iron-
negated as the UNSC is stymied by internal wrangling and geostrate- ically the inflationary spiral hitting global
food and energy prices has been exacer-
Edit&Opinion
bated by Russia starting the Ukraine War.
gic cracks.Resultantly, Russian President Vladimir Putin, treated as a SCO would provide Russia and China the
stage to pillory the west. Former has a
litany of grouses against the west for ig-
pariah by the western powers, is giving UNGA a miss. It is also unlikely noring Russian security concerns in Eu-
rope. China has exaggerated claims in its
maritime neighbourhood in the South
that the Chinese President Xi Jinping would arrive for the summit, as and East China seas.Considering the still
JAYANT MURALIDHARAN unsettled condition of the Line of Actual
he has not travelled abroad since Covid outbreak in early 2020. He is Control (LAC) in Ladakh and Chinese un-

S
eptember is the month when the willingness to restore status quo ante, the
United Nations opens its fresh an- Indian attendance at prime ministerial
nual session with a high level Gen- still seething over US Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan. level has questionable utility. But it would
certainly heighten US doubts about In-
eral Debate which the heads of state and
government of its 193 members vie to at- western powers, is giving UNGA a miss. clear weapons in the Ukraine War. Sep- ates like India. India is attempting to keep dian reliability.
tend.This year, although the 77th session It is also unlikely that the Chinese Presi- tember 21 is the 30th anniversary of adop- both camps humoured. For instance it is India benefiting from discounted oil
commences on September 13, the high dent Xi Jinping would arrive for the sum- tion of the Declaration on the Rights of participating in Russia-led "Vostok- purchases from Russia is one thing. but
level portion runs from September 20-26. mit, as he has not travelled abroad since Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, 2022" military exercise in eastern Russia. imagining that China can be softened by
The US President, as usual, will be the sec- Covid outbreak in early 2020. He is still Religious and Linguistic Minorities. Co- The US may resent this as it lends legiti- pandering to its regional aspirations
ond speaker after Brazil on September 21. seething over US Speaker Nancy Pelosi's incidently the UN High Commissioner for macy to Putin's Russia when the western would be a mistake.President Xi Jinping is
And then follow presidents or prime min- visit to Taiwan. This was the first high Human Rights' delayed report on Xin- powers are sanctioning it.Prime Minister preparing for the Chinese Communist
isters of the five permanent members of level political visit in decades to the island jiang is now available. Even in India a Narendra Modi, is also likely to skip the Party's Congress on October 16, when he is
the UN Security Council (UNSC), called nation that China claims. Britain is just controversy arose over the treatment of UNGA session, but is expected to attend expected to obtain an unprecedented
P-5. But the buzz that normally prevails anointing the new Prime Minister Liz Rohingyas, with a flip-flop by the union the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation third term. With evidence of Chinese eco-
in New York as the city becomes fully Truss, after a bruising contest with her In- government on treating them humanely (SCO) summit on September 15-16 at nomic slowdown mounting Xi may have
functional after Labor Day is missing. The dian origin rival. As a former foreign min- or targeting them as illegal intruders. Samarkand, Uzbekistan. The eight-mem- no option but to maintain a jingoistic
main reason is that the Ukraine War has ister she may attend the UNGA Globally there has been regression on this ber organisation will enable Russian pres- stance. There is danger in trying to play
pitted P-5 members against each other. session.On UNGA's agenda are two im- count, leaving the UN unable to seek ac- ident V. Putin to rub shoulders with Xi both sides in a polarised world. Losing a
This causes the role of the United Nations portant plenaries. September 26 marks countability. This becomes impossible and Modi, besides leaders of four Central friend's confidence without gaining the
to be negated as the UNSC is stymied by the International Day for the Complete when a P-5 member is at fault.A new Cold Asian nations, Pakistan and Iran. The In- antagonist's goodwill is not great diplo-
internal wrangling and geostrategic Elimination of Nuclear Weapons. This as- War is gathering pace between the Rus- dian participation again may not amuse macy. Thus it may end less happily for In-
cracks.Resultantly, Russian President sumes importance against the backdrop sia-China axis opposing the US, its allies the western powers as it enables Putin to dia than the movie Come September did
Vladimir Putin, treated as a pariah by the of Russia threatening obliquely to use nu- like NATO members and new close associ- show he is not isolated, despite the West's for Rock Hudson.INAV

JUDICIARY NO FAST ENOUGH


oners in the country are under trials. Such
SRINIVASAN K. RANGACHARY
under trials don't get bails in the same
manner as Setalvad managed to get.How
Vacancies of judges, frequent adjournments
O
ne civil suit that was filed in 1958 could there be two faces of justice for the
by a resident in the Paharganj area
of the national capital was finally
people of the country when we say that all
are equal before the law. Indeed, the man-
and lack of adequate arrangement to moni-
settled by the third generation heirs of the date for the disposal of cases in courts lies
litigants out of the court in 2018. For six
decades, the two families and their sev-
with the judiciary. No time frame is pre-
scribed for disposal of various kinds of tor, track and bunch cases for hearing are
eral branches afterwards ran to different cases, and the government has no role in
courts in the national capital in the hope speeding up the disposal of the court
that the judiciary would give them justice.
They spent their savings, and even bor-
cases.Timely disposal of cases depend on
several factors which, inter-alia, include
cited as reasons for the delays in the disposal
rowed money to bear the legal costs.The availability of adequate number of judges
family members of the litigants, who were
brothers, lived the lives of sworn enemies.
and judicial officers, supporting court
staff and physical infrastructure, besides
of the cases. As of May 2022, India has a
They not only bore the costs of the litiga- investigation of the cases and their adjudi-
tion dearly, but also invested a heavy
amount of time of their life, which other-
cation on the cases on the basis of evi-
dence on records.Vacancies of judges, fre-
sanctioned strength (Judge/per million pop-
wise could have been spent on gainful ac- quent adjournments and lack of adequate
tivities or in carrying out businesses. If
only they had known that they would have
arrangement to monitor, track and bunch
cases for hearing are cited as reasons for ulation) of 25,628 judges, while 59 lakh
had to settle the case mutually out of the the delays in the disposal of the cases. As of
court, their life wouldn't have been that May 2022, India has a sanctioned
acrimonious.This is not a standalone case.
There are millions of such cases in the
strength (Judge/per million population) of
25,628 judges, while 59 lakh cases are
cases are pending before the High Courts and
country. The official statistics say that pending before the High Courts and over
there are not less than 4.7 crore cases
pending before the courts. Four crore of
70,000 cases in the Supreme Court).An
analysis of data on the National Judicial
over 70,000 cases in the Supreme Court)
them are pending before the district Data Grid, a database of the Department of
courts alone. Besides the financial bur- Justice, shows that the judicial ecosystem Supreme Court. The Supreme Court Bar the State legislatures and the President Translation of judicial documents, Legal
den, the human cost is overwhelming. As- saw an increase of 27 per cent in pendency Association has blamed it for creating a gave his assent on December 31, 2014. research assistance and Process automa-
suming that a case may involve 10 people between December 2019 and April "give-and-take" culture, creating a rift be- The NJAC Act and the Constitutional tion.The e-Court Integrated Mission
from the two sides, there could be almost 2022.There are around 25,628 judges to tween the haves and have-nots.It's time Amendment Act came into force from Mode Project was launched with the ob-
40 crore people in the country suffering hear or decide over 4.7 crore pending that the merits of the collegium system be April 13, 2015. In May 2016, the Supreme jective of improving access to justice us-
the agony of the delayed justice, which is cases in Indian courts as of May 2022. The weighed on the scale of the democratic Court struck it down. ing technology.AI is expected to solve the
rightly called justice denied.Additionally, sanctioned strength of judicial officers in norms. Why should there be a judicial This needs to be visited again, because problem of pendency. Various adminis-
when cases at such magnitude remain subordinate and High Courts saw a grad- monarch as the practice of the collegium the rationale on which the NJAC was trative obligations at top courts, besides
pending before the courts, even the tough- ual increase with the population explosion system conveys, and why should the peo- struck down can still be contested.At a case hearings, such as official communica-
est of the laws would look toothless. That is in India. However, vacancies increased ple not hold the judiciary accountable for time when the world, including India, is tions, planning and organizing different
because the deterrence value of the laws from 18 per cent to 21 per cent across its still remaining in the old days. Which evolving into an ecosystem where the categories of trials could be easily man-
takes a backseat. India is in the midst of courts between 2010 and 2020, an analy- profession in the country or anywhere in services are guaranteed within a time aged through AI too. The automation of
the celebrations of 'Azadi ka Amrit Kaal'. sis by PRS Legislative Research the world goes on vacation, as is the prac- frame, will it not be appropriate that the such tasks through AI would allow the ju-
Parliament enacts laws to fulfil the aspi- reveals.The Collegium system consisting of tice in the judiciary?National Judicial Ap- same be expected from the judiciary.In dicial body to focus on their core responsi-
rations of the people. But they get stunted the Chief Justice of India and four senior pointments Commission (NJAC) was es- fact, it will be most appropriate if the Chief bilities.
for lack of speedy justice.Ironically, the most judges recommend appointments tablished by amending the Constitution Justice, SC and High Court judges along There are many instances of AI already
activist Teesta Setalvad avail an interim and transfers of judges, while this has no by the Constitution (Ninety Ninth) with officials of Ministry of Law & Justice, assisting judges in bail and parole hear-
bail from the Supreme Court even while place in the Indian Constitution. The sys- Amendment Act, 2014 passed by the Lok and civil society should brainstorm over ings. For instance, in the US courts, an AI-
her plea is with the Gujarat High Court. tem was evolved through Supreme Court Sabha and the Rajya Sabha in August the roadmap for ensuring mechanism for based tool called 'Safety Assessment'
She is resourceful, and can avail of the judgments. The Union government has 2014. Alongside, Parliament also passed reforms in judiciary.Besides, the Supreme (PSA) helps judges make a decision in
The NEWS NOW services of the costly lawyers to get the in-
terim bail and walk out free. But at the
criticized the Collegium system by saying
that it has created an imperium in imperia
the National Judicial Appointments Com-
mission Act, 2014, to regulate the NJAC's
Court has constituted an Artificial Intel-
ligence Committee which has mainly
such hearings by producing a high risk
score after factoring in different pre-laid
same time 77 per cent of the 5.4 lakh pris- (empire within an empire) within the functions. Both Bills were ratified by 16 of identified application of AI technology in out parameters.INAV
RNI No
JKENG/2006/17883
Edited, Printed and
Published by


RAHUL BANSAL
and Owned by
The News Now (LLP).
WORLD HISTORY ON SEPTEMBER 11
Printed and Published at  1297 Battle at Stirling Bridge, Scottish rebel William Wallace defeats the English
Bansal Printers, Plot No 38,
Phase 3, Gangyal Industrial  1609 Expulsion order announced against the Moriscos of Valencia; beginning of the expulsion of all Spain's Moriscos
Estate, Jammu. 180010
(J&K).  1697 Battle of Zenta: forces of Prince Eugen of Savoye defeat the Turks, ending Ottoman control of large parts of Cen-
tral Europe
Ph:01913510144,
0191-2482244 .  1708 Great Northern war: Charles XII of Sweden stops his march to conquer Moscow outside Smolensk, marking the
editor@thenewsnow.co.in
All disputes subject to the turning point in the war
jurisdiction of courts and
tribunals in Jammu district.

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Obliterate our sandcastles.
OBLITERATE in Context
Did You Know?
Obliterate has been preserved in our language for
anything from existence. In the meantime, physicians
began using obliterate for the surgical act of filling or
"In June, for the first time in her career, Taylor took centuries, and that's not nothing! The earliest evi- closing up a vessel, cavity, or passage with tissue,
DISCLAIMER: The views verb uh-BLIT-uh-rayt a summer break of three weeks to jump on a motorcy- dence in our files traces obliterate back to the mid- which would then cause the bodily part to collapse or
and opinions expressed in the What It Means cle and ride across the country. Publicly, she posted 16th century as a word for removing something from disappear.
articles are those of their Obliterate most often means "to remove from exis- footage of food and the road. Privately, she sought memory. Soon after, Today obliterate thrives in the English lexicon with
respective author(s) and do
not necessarily reflect the tence; to destroy utterly all trace, indication, or sig- conversation and connection that would obliterate English speakers began to use it for the specific act the various senses it has acquired over the years, in-
official policy or position of nificance of." her bubble." - Matt Pearl, ABC Action News (Tampa of blotting out or obscuring anything written, and cluding its final stamp on the language: "to cancel
The News Now. // The tide eventually obliterated all evidence of Bay, Florida), 14 July 2022 eventually its meaning was generalized to removing (something, especially a postage stamp)."
The
Op-Ed SUNDAY
JAMMU NEWS 7
SEPTEMBER 11, 2022 NOW

OMKAR DATTATRAY
PEN TERRORISM IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE
fore it damages our system fully. Therefore, hapless employees so that they are forced to is needed is that the package employees
it is our moral and human duty to fight those rejoin their duties across Kashmir. There is should be united and fight the highhanded-

T
he Pen Terrorism is relatively a new who use pen terrorism to put the employees no denying that the government fully knows ness of the bureaucracy of Jammu and Kash-
incorporation in the vocabulary of ter- under duress and perpetual fear and panic. that the ground situation is not conducive mir and not be forced to resume their duties
rorism. This form and type of Unfortunately these days those at the helm and feasible for the living and working of in Kashmir valley as it is very risky for them
terrorism is much harsh and is used in the so- of affairs in Kashmir valley and Kashmir cen- Pandit Package employees in Kashmir be- to work in Kashmir at present juncture be-
ciety by those who use pen to attain their tre bureaucrats are resorting to the use of pen cause the killings of the selective and soft tar- cause the situation is not feasible for their liv-
vested objectives and thus it is believed that terrorism to achieve their selfish and anti-na- gets is continuing and there is no respite from ing and working across Kashmir due to spate
pen terrorism is more dangerous than the tional objectives. They are exploiting the the targeted killings of the innocent Kashmiri of targeted killings of the religious minorities
terrorism, therefore we should fight this form needs and urge of innocent citizens by the use Pandits, package employees, other Hindu from the last two years. Therefore, these na-
of terrorism with grit and determination. of the pen terrorism so that the undesirable employees from Jammu division and the non tionalist and patriotic package employees
Unarguably, the pen terrorism is doing objectives of those who are at the helm of af- local laborers. Thus there is an environment should not be harassed and exploited by
rounds in the terrorist manifested erstwhile fairs are achieved. Thus with the use of pen of fear and panic in the valley and in such sur- withholding of their salaries which come
state of Jammu and Kashmir and it is used terrorism those holding big portfolios are charged conditions the package employees from the security related budget of the centre.
by the people in authority to browbeat the in- threatening and coercing the innocent em- will not risk their lives and so they refuse to It needs no repetition that these PM package
nocent citizens so that the nefarious aims of ployees to run on the path of violence and to work in Kashmir citing the fear that they will employees are the supernumerary and
the broad terrorism will be achieved. Thus achieve the goals which are against the unity be neutralized in Kashmir. Therefore, the shadow employees so the work will not suffer
pen terrorism is currently used by the men at and integrity of the nation. In Jammu and package employees are demanding the right in their absence because they are working on
the helm of affairs in Jammu and Kashmir to Kashmir those in power are using pen terror- to life and survival and so cannot risk their additional shadow posts.
achieve that what could not be achieved by ism to coerce the PM package Pandit employ- lives in Kashmir and thus they demand their It is high time now that the government
the proper terrorism. This form of terrorism ees so that these hapless employees who are shifting out of the valley and adjustment and should stop to use pen terror to exploit,
is used to frighten the government/semi-gov- on indefinite strike since 12th of May are attachment in Relief Commissioner’s office. harass, intimidate and coerce these
ernment employees so that they are forced to forced to resume their duties in Kashmir. Those in power in J&K should not make employees to join back their duties in
Thus it seems that the government is using use of the pen terror to frighten, intimidate Kashmir because it may prove counterpro-
submit to the will of the pen terrorists. To be
the pen terrorism to force the package em- and harass the innocent package employees ductive as their precious lives are at the risk
more precise, the pen terrorism is more lethal
but the fact is that the government is using
than the actual proper terrorism and the peo- ployees to resume their duties across and they are becoming proverbial and sacri-
the pen terrorism to achieve its nefarious
ple should be aware of the contours of pen Kashmir. But those in power at the centre and ficial goats in Kashmir & therefore they
ends in Jammu and Kashmir and the package
terrorism so that it can be fought to finish. It the UT should know that their tactics of using should not be forced to return Kashmir under
employees should be united and fight back
is the oppressive tool used by men in power the pen terrorism will not serve any purpose fear and panic. It is good that the package em-
the pen terrorism so that it will fail to produce
to browbeat, threaten and exploit the govern- except to create big void between the its undesirable results. The centre ployees should be asked to work in the Relief
ment/private officials so that they fall in line innocent and hapless package employees and government of the NDA had taken bold and Organization Jammu and its various coun-
and support the terrorist activities of those the government which will be difficult to fill historical decisions of abrogation of contro- ters/wings in Jammu division. This way their
who are using this tool to frighten, exploit and and therefore the pen terrorism should not versial article-370 and 35-A of the services can be utilized in Jammu and their
to put under duress the employees. In this be used to harass, intimidate and fierce the constitution and had also repealed the three lives will also be saved from the jaws of the
way, they are forced to submit to the dictates employees to fall in line and to submit to the farm laws in the interest of the nation. There- terrorists. The governmental functionaries
of those who yield the pen terrorism to will of the pen terrorists. Already many Kash- fore the centre government should take the should desist from using pen terrorism to
further their nefarious activities. Thus what miri Pandit Package employees have lost decision of relocation of the package employ- achieve their selfish designs and to coerce the
could not be achieved by the terrorism is their lives due to this pen terrorism. It is very ees to Jammu division and the government package employees to resume their duties in
sought to be achieved by the pen terrorism sorry state of affairs that the LG administra- should shun its ego/prestige and order dep- Kashmir. To conclude, it can be said with cer-
ostensibly in the interest of administration tion is not paying any sort of heed towards utation of all package employees in Jammu tainty that the pen is mightier than the sword
but in actuality it is used to force the employ- this grave concern and thus all package em- division. The package employees should not and those at the helm of affairs should not
ees to fall in line and help in the achievement ployees are left in lurch. The Kashmiri gave in but opposes the pen terrorism so that make use of the pen terror to achieve its
of the undesirable goals which are anti-social, Pandits and the PM package employees its impact is reduced and it will not be suc- Machiavellian ends in Jammu and Kashmir.
anti-human and anti-national and therefore should be cautious and aware of the use of cessful in intimidating and harassing the The author is a columnist,
there is urgent need to stop pen terrorism be- pen terrorism to intimidate and harass the hapless and innocent employees. Thus what social and KP activist.

ADVOCATE MALIK SLAMS NC, PDP, CONGRESS FOR


MOHD. LATIF MALIK
BETRAYING PEOPLE FROM OBC CATEGORY
ical parties for the present day situation of of reservation. According to Mr. Malik, after Hon’ble Supreme Court titled Indra
ADVOCATE, JAMMU OBCs of JK which still not provided reserva- the abrogation of Article 370 and 5th of Sawhney & Ors. V/S U.O.I. & others decided
tion as in implemented since 1992 in rest of August move of the Union Government of In- on 16.11.1992 in J&K and grant 27% reser-

R
enowned Social activist and crusader the country after the implementation of the dia with regard to J&K, the OBCs of the erst- vation to the OBCs of J&K in government
for the rights of OBCs of the J&K Ad- Mandal Commission recommendations and while state of J&K was having high expecta- jobs and promotions. Mr. Malik, appealed
vocate Mohd. Latif Malik, toady in a the judgment of the Hon’ble Supreme tions and hopeful that they will soon get 27% the Hon’ble PM Sh. Narinder Modi, Home
press note lambasted National Conference, Court titled Indra Sawhney & Ors. V/S U.O.I. reservation as is being provided to the OBCs Minister Sh. Amit Shah and to Hon’ble LG
Congress and PDP for betray the people be- & others decided on 16.11.1992. Mr. Malik of the rest of the country, but even after the Sh. Manoj Sinha and implement the judg-
longing to the OBCs by deliberately not im- further blamed NC, Congress and PDP for us- 5th of August 2019 decision of the Govern- ment of the Hon’ble Supreme Court titled In-
plementing the 27 % reservation. Mr. Malik ing the OBCs for the vote Bank politics and ment of India, the OBCs of the J&K UT is de- dra Sawhney & Ors. V/S U.O.I. & others de-
submitted that the Political parties which re- before elections, every time, these political prived of their due established share of 27% cided on 16.11.1992 in toto in the UT of J&K
main in Power in J&K since 1992 are solely parties made false promises of fulfilling the reservation. Social activist and senior Teli Bi- and grant 27% reservation is right of OBCs
responsible for depriving the OBCs of UT of long pending demand of 27 % reservation but radari Leader Advocate Mohd. Latif Malik of J&K, otherwise the historic decision of ab-
Jammu and Kashmir for depriving them once, these parties came in power, they forget appealed the Hon’ble LG to take steps to rogation of Article 370 of the Constitution of
from their established legitimate right of 27 all their promises and till date the OBCs of forthwith implement Mandal Commission India will be of no benefit for the OBCs of
% reservation. Mr. Malik blamed these polit- the UT of J&K still not getting their due right recommendations and the judgment of the J&K. .

VIJAY GARG
DO NOT LET PLASTIC BECOME A PART OF EVERYDAY LIFE
single-use plastic bags, but even today the However, in the months of July and August bag was in use for a long time. Bags made of
required awareness to stop using it could More than ninety-nine thousand people cloth rarely cause pollution or harm to the

P
lastic bags hanging in their hands not be created. Is. It is not without reason were fined for violating the ban on single- environment in any way. But today people
may be convenient for people to that even today people do not feel hesitant use plastics across the country, but the im- go to the market empty handed and bring
bring any goods from the market, to bring any goods in plastic bags. Whereas pact it has had on the ground is generally goods in plastic bags.Considered a measure
but due to this, the challenge that has arisen these bags, which accumulate one by one, visible everywhere. After the implementa- of hobbies or status. How such bags accu-
in front of the environment today, it is not become one of the biggest factors of pollu- tion of the new law, investigative teams of mulated in homes are thrown away care-
tion.Haven't done Significantly, about two the Ministry of Environment and local bod- lessly, it is well known. Since the process of
hidden. The condition is that today plastic is
months ago, the government completely ies across the country specifically identified their destruction is very complex, they carry
playing a big role in polluting the surround-
banned single-use plastic across the coun- airports, railway stations and bus stands out chemical reactions that pollute the cli-
ing areas and the everyday life of the people
try. Despite this, it continues to be used al- and found the most violations of these. In mate by going through drains and through
is also badly affected. This is when the pollu- most everywhere. The shopkeepers give addition, it is still used today in the shops rivers or by depositing in garbage dumps.
tion caused by polythene bags for a long goods to the people in such bags and the and markets of residential settlements.I am Many people are now aware of its danger.
time has caused many problems in the envi- common people without any question or It's hard to understand why people don't try But there are many people who, even know-
ronment.New challenges have arisen and hesitation go home with any item in these to avoid using single-use plastics despite ingly, are making single-use plastic a part of
due to this common people are also worried. bags. According to a recent report by the knowing the dangers of it! There was a time everyday life. the question is Who will ulti-
It can be gauged from this that in view of the Union Environment Ministry itself, despite when people used to take clothes or any mately bear the brunt of this?
future crisis arising out of this, strict steps the ban, people are using single-use plastic other bag from their house if they went to The author is Educational
have been taken by the government to ban the most in public places in the country. the shop or market to buy something. That Columnist Malout Punjab.

VIJAY GARG
THE TEACHER TEACHES TO FIGHT WITH CHALLENGES
Teaching is the most influential profession of the teachers nowadays are limited to im- evil. Desire for Education: The ideal student
in the world. A teacher lays the foundation parting book knowledge to the children. is one who Considers knowledge as the first

E
very student compares the ideal for a child's future and helps to make them They don't have time to know about the per- ideal of life. He who does not desire knowl-
teacher with him and wants to have responsible citizens. The education im- sonal life of the students but still there are edge cannot be an ideal student. Education
such a teacher but for that too we parted by the teachers reveals the future of some teachers who consider teaching not is what makes a person successful, patient
need to be an ideal student. It is a day to the children. Teachers play an important just a profession but a responsibility.per- and virtuous. A student can go ahead and
honor our teachers, it is a day to make them role in building a good society. On this day, form with They prepare students to face become a worthy citizen only by acquiring
feel that they are very special to us. Parents the President awards the best teachers from challenges and show them the way to suc- knowledge. Respect for teacher: An ideal
are the first teachers Parents are the first the Government of India across the country cess. The first female teacher was Savitri Bai student respects his teacher. He tries to ele-
and best teachers in life because they give is given The state governments also honor Phule Savitri Bai Phule has the honor of be- vate his personality. He obeys the words of
you knowledge about life. The education the best teachers of their respective states ing the first teacher of the country. The elders and teachers and follows them. Avoid
given by them is invaluable. of the houseA because the ideal teacher is the person who countrymen call her the first woman laziness: The ideal student should be simple
pleasant environment is essential for the sets high ideals in the society. The teacher teacher. She wanted to educate girls as
and genuine. He should not be lazy. hard
mental development of a child. Home is makes a friend of time Teachers are oceans much as possible. New experiences are hap-
work should be done Apart from studies,
children's first school and parents are teach- of knowledge for the entire humanity. In the pening in the field of education today. He
one should participate in sports and other
ers. Parents become the guides of children current era, the teacher also has a big re- said that never be afraid of exams because
sponsibility to make the students peers, a what the teachers teach us in the class, they activities. He should develop his personality
by showing them how to live a life with high
ideals. Teachers are called the builders of successful example of which was found dur- only want to see.What have you learned? by participating in all the activities in the
the future because they enable us to con- ing the lockdown due to covid-19. He has Then why panic about exams? You are the school. An ideal student always keeps his
tribute to nation building. Teachers are not also given the result of his courage and abil- future of the country. Respect the teachers, goal in mind and excels in everything. It is
only those who teach us in school or college, ity by teaching children online through new study with heart and go ahead. Five quali- important to be disciplined: To live in an
but at every turn of life, sometimes we find methods of education. The teacher Today's ties will make you an ideal student Love of ideal way, it is necessary to be disciplined. It
such teachers in the form of our partners, students can turn their dreams into the real- books: The ideal student is the one who has means keeping oneself under control. With-
colleagues, who help us in making us quali- ity of success by fighting for inspiration and a special place not only in the school and in out it, a person is an animal. A disciplined
fied.They also play an important role. There giving due respect to it. Show the way to suc- the classroom but also in the heart of the life of a student can lead him to his destina-
have been many such great teachers in every cess Sometimes the teacher scolds you for teacher. He loves books. He adopts every- tion.
field in our country, due to which modern mistakes, but the teacher is as happy with thing told by the teacher in his life. He The author is Educational
and progressive India is in front of all of us. your success as you are with yourself. Most adopts good qualities and stays away from Columnist Malout Punjab.
ORISSA TIMES BHUBANESWAR Sunday 11 September 2022
2

ORISSA TIMES
The teacher teaches to fight with challenges
EDITORIAL Every student com- He adopts good quali-
Sunday 11 September 2022 pares the ideal teacher ties and stays away
with him and wants to from evil. Desire for

Royal wisdom have such a teacher


but for that too we
need to be an ideal stu-
Education: The ideal
student is one who Con-
siders knowledge as the
Queen Elizabeth II never forgot that she was dent. It is a day to first ideal of life. He who
anointed, not appointed, to reign, not to rule honor our teachers, it does not desire knowl-
End of an era’ is a clichéd headline of news is a day to make them edge cannot be an ideal
reports about the death of some towering feel that they are very student. Education is
personality. In the case of Queen Elizabeth special to us. Parents what makes a person
II, however, it was the end of many eras. are the first teachers successful, patient and
Queen Elizabeth II, who died on Thursday Parents are the first virtuous. A student can
at the age of 96, wore the crown for 70 years, and best teachers in life go ahead and become
becoming the longest reigning monarch in because they give you a worthy citizen only by
British history, and the second-longest in knowledge about life. acquiring knowledge.
world history. She saw 15 prime ministers, The education given by Respect for teacher: An
from Winston Churchill to Margaret Thatcher them is invaluable. of the foundation for a courage and ability by Phule Savitri Bai Phule ideal student respects
and now Liz Truss. She became the heir ap- the houseA pleasant child's future and helps teaching children online has the honor of being his teacher. He tries to
parent before the Second World War and environment is essential to make them respon- through new methods the first teacher of the elevate his personality.
Queen in 1952, when Churchill was prime for the mental develop- sible citizens. The edu- of education. The country. The country- He obeys the words of
minister. It was a different world, a world ment of a child. Home cation imparted by the teacher Today's stu- men call her the first elders and teachers and
that is now part of history and even folklore. is children's first school teachers reveals the dents can turn their woman teacher. She follows them. Avoid la-
The British Empire was folding up; the very and parents are teach- future of the children. dreams into the reality wanted to educate girls ziness: The ideal stu-
idea of monarchy was being questioned, even ers. Parents become Teachers play an im- of success by fighting as much as possible. dent should be simple
her own country, by the people who had em- the guides of children by portant role in building for inspiration and giv- New experiences are and genuine. He should
braced the principles of fairness and equal- showing them how to a good society. On this ing due respect to it. happening in the field of not be lazy. hard work
ity (In her earlier days, British Prime Minis- live a life with high ide- day, the President Show the way to suc- education today. He should be done Apart
ter Liz Truss also favoured republicanism). als. Teachers are called awards the best teach- cess Sometimes the said that never be from studies, one
To ascend the throne at such a time was the builders of the fu- ers from the Govern- teacher scolds you for afraid of exams be- should participate in
tough; it became tougher by the course of ture because they en- ment of India across mistakes, but the cause what the teach- sports and other activi-
events—many of which had origins in the able us to contribute to the country is given The teacher is as happy with ers teach us in the ties. He should develop
royal family itself—as years and decades nation building. Teach- state governments also your success as you class, they only want to his personality by par-
passed. Never did Elizabeth II allow the per- ers are not only those honor the best teach- are with yourself. Most see.What have you ticipating in all the ac-
sonal and family problems and national, po- who teach us in school ers of their respective of the teachers nowa- learned? Then why tivities in the school. An
litical controversies scratch the veneer of or college, but at every states because the ideal days are limited to im- panic about exams? ideal student always
royalty. She never forgot that she was turn of life, sometimes teacher is the person parting book knowledge You are the future of keeps his goal in mind
anointed, not appointed, to reign, not to rule. we find such teachers who sets high ideals in to the children. They the country. Respect and excels in every-
It was because of this dogged insistence on in the form of our part- the society. The don't have time to know the teachers, study thing. It is important to
such separation that she was able to main- ners, colleagues, who teacher makes a friend about the personal life with heart and go be disciplined: To live in
tain the glow and the gravity of the institu- help us in making us of time Teachers are of the students but still ahead. Five qualities will an ideal way, it is nec-
tion of royalty in the UK.Unsurprisingly, her qualified.They also play oceans of knowledge there are some teach- make you an ideal stu- essary to be disciplined.
public statements were words of wisdom an important role. There for the entire humanity. ers who consider teach- dent Love of books: It means keeping one-
(some may say trite), never political state- have been many such In the current era, the ing not just a profession The ideal student is the self under control. With-
ments. So, in her 2019 Christmas broadcast, great teachers in every teacher also has a big but a one who has a special out it, a person is an
she said, “It’s worth remembering that it is field in our country, due responsibility to make responsibility.perform place not only in the animal. A disciplined life
often the small steps, not the giant leaps, to which modern and the students peers, a with They prepare stu- school and in the class- of a student can lead
that bring about the most lasting change.” progressive India is in successful example of dents to face chal- room but also in the him to his destination.
In her 1991 Christmas broadcast, she said, front of all of us. Teach- which was found during lenges and show them heart of the teacher. Vijay Garg Retired
“Let us not take ourselves too seriously.She ing is the most influen- the lockdown due to the way to success. He loves books. He Principal Educa-
never forgot that she was anointed, not ap- tial profession in the covid-19. He has also The first female adopts everything told tional columnist
pointed, to reign, not to rule. It was because world. A teacher lays given the result of his teacher was Savitri Bai by the teacher in his life. Malout
of this dogged insistence on such separa-
tion that she was able to maintain the glow
and the gravity of the institution of royalty
Mid-day Meal showed malnourished children the way to school
in the UK.Unsurprisingly, her public state- The truth about the mid-day meal scheme is that it has given a MeThe plan was started. By the way, during the days of colonial
ments were words of wisdom (some may boost to primary education. The poor and malnourished children rule, such a program was first started in the Madras Municipal
say trite), never political statements. So, in of the country have been shown the way to school. The number Corporation in 1925 for the underprivileged children. There is no
her 2019 Christmas broadcast, she said, “It’s of students in schools has increased. They are being encouraged doubt that this scheme has been successful in bringing the children
worth remembering that it is often the small to come to school. Leaving school has not been stopped, but this to school, but the reality is that the success has not been as much
steps, not the giant leaps, that bring about scheme is proving effective in reducing it. Education is the foun- as the figures are counted. It is the responsibility of the govern-
the most lasting change.” In her 1991 Christ- dation from which the building of India begins. This is why the ment to bridge this gap between figures and reality. It is worth
mas broadcast, she said, “Let us not take 1990 World Conference for All Compulsory education was an- mentioning that no matter how powerful and effective a plan is, its
ourselves too seriously. None of us has a nounced and on August 15, 1995, the government started the execution is seldom possible. midday meal The plan is no differ-
monopoly on wisdom.” Wise or trite, her re- mid-day meal scheme in schools. From 'Chalo School Chalein' to ent. The report of 'Unified District Information System for Educa-
marks or actions never brought any disre- 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' concepts have been made in this di- tion' shows that the number of government schools in the country
pute to the royal family or the British gov- rection. But the question remains whether the best system of has decreased, while the number of private schools has increased.
ernment. Our political system is patterned primary education in India has been achieved over the years. At According to the report, more than fifty thousand government
on the British one. So, our leaders—especially the moment this question is floating on the floor with incomplete schools were closed in the country in 2018-19. Despite the mid-
those holding offices that ought to be biparti- answers. The goal of making primary education free and compul- day meal scheme, the process of dropping out among the chil-
san—can learn many lessons from Queen sory for all children is not new, its journey is more or less as old as dren has not stopped. It is clear from the latest UNESCO report
Elizabeth II. First and foremost is reticence. independence.It is. Despite this, the picture about school educa- that the number of children dropping out due to the corona epi-
They must realise that silence and truisms tion does not appear to be emerging very well. Yes, it is another demic has increased rapidly. Mid-Day Meal Scheme 1997-98A was
are better than bombastic remarks which at- matter that it has increased progressively in the midst of the ongo- implemented in all the states of the country. Madrasas were also
tract undue attention and thus uncharitable ing effort, but the two years of Covid-19 have hurt the entire included in it in 2002. In 2014-15, this scheme was running in
comments; such a situation is detrimental not schooling. Significantly, on March 14, 2020, the mid-day meal scheme eleven and a half lakh primary and upper primary schools. The
only to the image of the person occupying a was put on hold. It was more fatal for children who were attached figures then show that ten crore children were getting benefitted.
high office but also the office he holds. There to education and school for food. Although the mid-day meal scheme According to the data released by the Planning Commission in
have been instances in the past when some is now on its way once again, but the children who have been 2011, the number of schools in India was 15 lakhs. Looking at the
Indian presidents’ behaviour smacked of in- connected to education through food since years ago.The work progressive development of education, it can be understood that
terference in governance and often encroach- was done, how many of them have been returned, it is a matter after a decade this figure would have been even higher. In a
ment upon the domain of the executive. Sec- of investigation. At present, due to this scheme, about twelve country where every fourth person is below the poverty line and
ond is respect for conventions and precedents. crore children in the age group of six to fourteen years and from this figure is the cause of illiteracy.However, the cost of such plans
They must acknowledge the fact that democ- class one to eight are covered. It is noteworthy that the govern- becomes much higher. It cannot be denied that education very
racy cannot thrive without conventions and ment provides lunch to the students of classes one to eight in rarely thrives in poverty and financial constraints. It is also a mat-
precedents—something Elizabeth religiously recognized schools including government, non-government and non- ter of reference that 100 grams of cereals, pulses and vegetables
stuck to. Hopefully, her son and heir Charles government schools. In 2021, its name was changed to PM Nutri- are being given daily to all the children of classes I to V and 150
will remember these lessons, and our politi- tion Scheme. There is better development of children and more grams of the same food items are being given to the children of
cians will learn them. and more children can come to school, for this purpose, Mid-Day classes VI to VIII.
Everyone thinks of changing
the world, but no one thinks Leo
of changing himself Tolstoy

06 HYDERABAD SUNDAY 11 09 2022


� � THE NEW SUNDAY EXPRESS

YATRA POLITICS, MUSCULAR NATIONALISM, PUGNACIOUS BHARAT


DEFIANT STOCKS, pensation that firmly believes that the
Congress and its fellow travellers con-
ers, it is purging the Nehruvian model
of politics and governance from the na-
have been just footnotes in history text-
books. Shivaji is one such prominent

SORROW AND SIGHS


verted India into an inferior nation that tional mainstream. From 2014 onwards, national idol who fought the Mughals
sought endorsement and alms from for- it is adopting and promoting other lead- and won. Though confined to Mahar-
eigners. The fatal flaw in the Congress ers like Patel, Veer Savarkar, Baba Sa- ashtra, the Modi government placed

C
dogma is that the national leadership hib Ambedkar, et al. to minimise the him in the company of national figures,
OME September! The fall season, it would seem, is also the was the sole property of Nehru and the spread of the dynastic political pan- and named institutions after him. In
time to rise. The onset of autumn has been frenetic as Gandhis. Modi wants to change this demic. Its emphasis has always been on March, Modi unveiled a 9.5 feet-tall stat-
events tripped and trailed headlines across time zones, POWER & POLITICS perception. He believes that his bête personalities who defied the Congress ue of Shivaji in Pune. Inaugurated by
colouring rhetoric and reflections, leaving the plebeians, PRABHU CHAWLA noire shrunk India’s geography by pro- and the Mughals with either weapons the prime minister, the Indian Navy un-
politicos and pashas agog. In a week in which the Indian prabhuchawla@newindianexpress.com moting the Partition and, worse, expel- or wisdom. Bose is one such credible veiled a new Naval insignia that proud-
National Congress attempts to reincarnate history when stock Follow him on Twitter @PrabhuChawla ling other players from the subjectivity alternative icon. Promoting the INA’s ly displays the octagonal seal of the
markets dare and defy central bankers and as parts of the world of the Congress-led freedom struggle. founder is a politically correct action erstwhile Maratha kingdom while com-
soak in sorrow and sighs, a few observations. Last week, Modi decisively reminded that puts in perspective militant nation- missioning the INS Vikrant, India’s

A
Like, the expedition by the Congress Party, the idea of the Indians that the Ne- alism which could first indigenously built aircraft carri-
3500-plus km Bharat Jodo Yatra, from Kanyakumari to Kash- nation comes of age when his- hru-Gandhi parivar have prevented Par- er— a metaphor for Atma Nirbhar. A
mir, covering 12 states, is a page from the past. It is nearly a tory reconciles the past with grabbed the credit tition. Modi’s sights statement by the Indian Navy explained:
decade since his anointment as the heir apparent in 2013 and the present seamlessly for a for India’s Inde- have been on West “The twin octagonal borders draw their
Rahul Gandhi continues to add chapters to his discovery of roadmap for the future. A war pendence from Bengal for a while inspiration from Shivaji Maharaj Raj-
India. is going on in India’s collective Muscular National- now—the BJP mudra or the Seal of Chhatrapati Shiv-
The aspiration: “I will get some understanding about myself memory between Our History ists who aggressive- needs an ideologi- aji Maharaj, one of the prominent In-
and this beautiful country from Yatra, and in these 2-3 months, vs Their History. This conflict ly opposed British cal mascot to chal- dian kings with a visionary maritime
I will be wiser.” The party is trekking along hoping to find that has birthed warring ideologies of Sub- rule. A 28-feet tall lenge Mamata Ban- outlook, who built a credible Naval
idea which will revive the leader jective Nationalism and Muscular Na- statue of Subhas erjee’s domination Fleet that earned grudging admiration
and the party. tionalism. The turning point was when Chandra Bose, In- of the voter gestalt. from European Navies operating in the
Like, the archives of Independent Narendra Modi became India’s 15th dia’s best known Modi started to ag- region at the time.”
India’s politics is replete with in- prime minister in 2014. Since then he military leader, has gressively market Besides Shivaji, Modi is exalting Lax-
stances of yatra politics – for in- has been relentlessly erasing the sub- come up at India Bose in 2018. To mi Bai, the Hindu queen of Jhansi, as a
stance, N T Rama Rao pioneered the jectively interpretative description and Gate. Modi told the commemorate the brave Bharatiya naari who took up
idea of ‘rath yatra’ in 1982, Chan- portrayal of India’s heritage and recast- nation, “In the last 75th Anniversary arms and sacrificed her life in a battle
drashekhar walked to challenge In- ing its struggles against Mughal tyran- eight years, we have of the proclamation against the British. Just before the UP
dira Gandhi in 1983, Rajiv Gandhi ny and colonial cravenness. Writing in taken many such of the Azad Hind Assembly elections, he travelled to
THE THIRD EYE travelled across India to reclaim ‘Crowds and Power,’ Elias Canetti out- decisions one after Provisional govern- Jhansi, where he vowed to develop the
SHANKKAR AIYAR power in 1990, and L K Advani rode lines the difference between the mass the other, which are ment, the PM hoist- backward Bundelkhand region—the
Author of The Gated Republic, Aadhaar: the chariot from Somnath to and the elite: the former unites to disa- imprinted with the ed the Indian na- Rani’s karma bhumi—as India’s only
A Biometric History of India’s 12 Digit Ayodhya. gree or agree on a subject while the lat- ideals and dreams tional flag on Red defence corridor. Celebrating the valor-
Revolution, and Accidental India History shows the travels haven’t ter agrees or disagrees on the subject, of Netaji. Netaji Fort. Wearing an ous sacrifices of forgotten heroes, the
shankkar.aiyar@gmail.com always taken the travellers to the but for different reasons. The Modi era Subhash was the INA cap, he took a BJP is projecting the image of India as
destination. Whether the yatra con- has midwifed a new Indian elite, which first head of dig at the Congress: neither submissive nor defensive. Vari-
nects the party with the people or doesn’t tolerate mementos of India’s en- Akhand Bharat, “In an ef fort to ous cultural bodies and Bollywood are
the party with the leader there is no disputing that RaGa has slaved past. The names of the cities and who freed Anda- highlight the role being nudged to glorify Indian heritage
aggregated attention even if momentarily. institutions are being changed. New man before 1947 and of one family, ef- and heroes. Over half a dozen docu-
Like, it is all fine to punctuate air time and populate column icons are being fleshed out in the fields hoisted the Tricolor.” And he defined forts were made to deliberately ignore mentaries, about 50 books and numer-
space. To expand market share, the Congress must travel from of culture, art, religion, social work and the contours of New India as “we are and forget contributions made by oth- ous feature films have been liberally
convenient ambivalence to political purpose, find that one idea even the Independence movement that filling the picture of tomorrow with ers in the independence struggle and financed by the establishment and its
and an organisation to mobilise mass affiliation. Does RaGa fit the current narrative. His mission is new colours, leaving behind the past”. later in creating a new India,...But our admirers. The aggressive new depic-
have a signature tune? The party which was in power when loud and clear: exile the pluralistic The Akhand Bharat terminology is government is changing all that.” His tion of the leonine national symbol re-
liberalisation was unleashed is yet to come to terms with an present into the dishonourable past to notable since it is the Sangh’s pan-Asian government declassified numerous flects Modi’s Muscular Bharat, where
open economy and struggles to articulate the right or the left create a purely Native Now. For secular- trope. The parivar to which Modi be- Bose related documents. Such actions mock modesty has no place. Confronta-
way. As Sharad Pawar quipped, ‘The Congress is like an impov- ists, India’s present and the conception longs has been swedging against the dovetail with the Sangh’s belief in Bose tion for a Cause, at the risk of sounding
erished landlord sans land in a crumbling haveli!’ There is the of the Congress are concurrent events. Congress propaganda as India’s singu- as the most powerful proponent of a divisive, is the new normal. As the Con-
absence of an idea, and then there is the incapacity of the The nationalists share the BJP’s vision lar saviour. Their seven decade old militarised struggle against gress marches to its own drum in a
party. of India’s past as a terrain of saints, so- grouse is against the narrative that pro- colonialism. countrywide padayatra, Modi is beat-
Like, it is not Rahul Gandhi alone who is attempting to rein- cial reformers, poets, authors and war- motes fake liberalism, slavish secular- Bose isn’t the only militant national- ing the drums of war in his battle
vent relevance. JD-U leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish riors who were martyred protecting the ism and amplifying the family cult. ist the Centre has adopted. During the against history’s mistakes artistically
Kumar, the master of u-turns, once the dark horse of 2014, is motherland centuries ago. The past is While the BJP has retained Mahatma past decade, the BJP has showcased pre- stored and preserved in archives and
back on the trail positioning himself as the ‘possible’ national now the property of the Modified dis- Gandhi as one of India’s greatest lead- Congress and Mughal era heroes who museums.
alternative for 2024. His travels to Delhi have seen him parley-
ing with AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, NCP leader Sharad Pawar
and SP’s Akhilesh Yadav, among others.

FAREWELL TO A GRACIOUS QUEEN


Like the answer to the question of ‘Modi vs who’ in 2024 is
unclear but the collegium of the affected seem to be coalescing
around the idea of a common front. In Kolkata, Mamata Ban-
erjee issued the clarion call ‘Khela Hobey’ (game on) and de-
clared the formation of a front with Nitish Kumar along with
JMM chief and Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren. It is argued that Only months later the Britain passed greater in the north of England than the nus horribilis’ after a fire at Windsor
Nitish Kumar has the ‘Hindi’ belt advantage, but the crux is the Independence of India Act, but it South East. Castle, the divorces of two of her chil-
that any ‘third front’ requires a critical mass of over 150 seats. was another three years before India Meanwhile the calls for Scottish inde- dren, and revelations in Diana: Her True
The numbers are yet to add up. could formally shake off the trammels pendence get louder by the day, with an- Story that her son Charles was in a long-
Like, the seasonal convulsions in alliance politics are possi- of Empire to become a secular republic. other referendum promised next year, term extra-marital affair with Camilla
bly explained by the regional satraps sensing an opportunity Hackles may still rise on the subconti- and the Welsh Parliament has become Parker-Bowles.
in the dismal economic forecasts caused by spiralling inflation nent when people realise that the Kohi- increasingly self-assured. On the island But there were other such years. In
across the world. As this column observed, the world is poised noor diamond with its disputed prove- of Ireland Sinn Fein, the republican par- the 1980s two of her cousins, reportedly
at the brink of a recession as central banks hike interest rates OPINION nance will adorn the crown worn by the ty, is scheduled to become the biggest dead, turned out to be alive. Katherine
to curb inflation and protect currencies. MIKE JEMPSON new king’s consort Camilla at his forth- political party again, north and south. and Nerissa Bowes-Lyon had been con-
India is definitely better placed both on inflation and growth, London-based journalist and Director, The MediaWise Trust coming coronation. One of the most notable achievements signed to the Royal Earlswood Institu-
but it is by no means decoupled from the impact of rising Although Britain flexed its muscles in of the queen was her gracious acknowl- tion for Mental Defectives in 1941, along
interest rates and falling growth. The need for fiscal Palestine, Korea and Malaya in the 1950s, edgement in 2012 of Northern Ireland’s with three other cousins, Etheldreda,

T
response, articulated recently by Finance Minister Nirmala gradually its world domination fell away Deputy First Minister Martin McGuin- Idonea and Rosemary Fane. Imagine
Sitharaman, along with RBI’s monetary policy, underlines HE death of Queen Elizabeth II during the queen’s long reign. Once ness, a former commander in the Irish what a difference it might have made to
potential risks. has inevitably brought about Britain was humiliated by General Nass- Republican Army which in 1979, had as- the lives of so many if the royal family
Like, it would seem the stock markets are in a parallel uni- wall to wall tributes across the er in the Suez Crisis of 1956, the domino sassinated her uncle, Earl Mountbatten, had accepted these relatives instead of
verse. Notwithstanding growth downgrades and clear indica- media to a woman who symbol- effect was inevitable. the architect of Partition in India. locking them away.
tions of falling earnings, stock indices have been rising across ised the notion of public serv- The desire for self-determination was McGuinness saw it as a significant More recently the scandal of Prince
the globe, including the Nifty50 in India. On Friday, the US in- ice not just to Britain but evident as the “wind of change” swept contribution to the peace process. He Andrew’s association with under-age
dices S&P 500, Nasdaq 100 and DJIA closed higher. In Germany, around the world. Peel back the through Africa in the 1960s and the mon- called her a “remarkable woman.… I girls would cost her dearly. But none of
which is clearly heading for a recession, stocks bounced off a emotional displays and rhetoric, how- arch’s plenipotentiaries were despatched hold her in great esteem for doing some- this appeared to dent her personal repu-
double bottom. Yes, oil prices are lower, but inflation is still way ever, and we see the infantilising effect far and wide to run the Union Jack down thing that can’t have been easy for her.” tation, and she remained welcome
higher than tolerance levels in India, US, UK and Europe. The of monarchy in a democratic age, and flagpoles. In a conciliatory speech during a visit around the world.
rise challenges denials by central banks of any pause or pivot. the remnants of entitlement that infects The new king will reign over only 15 to Dublin a year earlier she spoke of “the Unlike her great-great grandmother
It is as if the market is telling central bankers it knows so many British attitudes. territories, including the UK. Even the painful legacy” of Anglo-Irish relations, Victoria, the Empress of India, who nev-
better! On her 21st birthday in 1947, speaking 56 member Commonwealth of Nations and when asked later about greeting er visited the country, the queen made
Like the passing away of Queen Elizabeth II has triggered an by radio from Cape Town she urged lis- has lost its British tag. McGuinness, her answer was very Brit- three trips. In 1961 she spent weeks
outpouring of sorrow – even from those countries which faced teners to “go forward together with an But no amount of pomp and ceremony ish: “Of course, I shook his hand. It traveling the subcontinent with her hus-
the darkness of British colonialism. The ascension of Prince unwavering faith… to make this ancient can disguise the fact that the UK is riven, would be awkward not to.” band. She was back in 1983 for a Com-
Charles as King Charles III, which has triggered sighs amongst commonwealth, an even grander thing and not just by the divisions caused by Her equanimity and her sense of hu- monwealth Summit. During her final
many, comes at a critical intersection. Britain is yet dealing - more free, more prosperous, more hap- the disaster Brexit turned out to be. mour were perhaps her most winning visit in 1997 to celebrate the 50th anni-
with Brexit which is stalled at the gate. Double digit inflation py and a more powerful influence for In England alone less than 1 per cent characteristics. She would have needed versary of Independence she touched on
has unleashed cost of living crisis resulting in one of the big- good in the world - than it has been in the of the population own and control more both to survive in the dysfunctional one of the many massacres by British
gest subsidy programmes on energy. Will the king stay neutral greatest days of our forefathers”. than half the land. The Crown owns a households she presided over, according troops in colonial days. “[H]istory can-
like his mother or will the once passionate voice on green poli- She declared that her “whole life massive portfolio of properties, art- to former palace official Malcolm Bark- not be rewritten,” she said “however
cies be heard? whether it be long or short shall be de- works and jewellery. Since 1992 the mon- er. His Courting Disaster, a 1990 book much we might sometimes wish other-
Finally, it is worth noting that between them, governments voted to your service and the service of arch pays tax on personal earnings, but banned in Britain, is a hair-raising ac- wise. It has its moments of sadness, as
in Europe and the UK will spend well over $ 500 billion in direct our great imperial family to which we all the public purse shells out more than count of corruption and sexual miscon- well as gladness. We must learn from the
subvention in the next 12 months to protect consumers. The belong”. She would certainly keep her £86million a year in a Sovereign Grant duct. One of the less shocking incidents sadness and build on the gladness.”
massive spend opens up the space for debate on the future of part of the bargain so far as service was to cover all household, maintenance and was the night a drunken page boy tum- That might serve as a fitting epitaph
the role of the state of governments in mitigating the conse- concerned, but many would now query travel expenses. bled down stairs and floored the queen for a woman who clearly touched the
quences of crises. And more may follow. As the adage goes, how ‘great’ the days of Empire had been, The huge disparity between the rich as she made her way to bed. hearts of many, even those who would
welcome to interesting times. especially now the world has moved on. and poor is widening, with poverty far Elizabeth famously called 1992 her ‘an- prefer to see the monarchy abolished.

treated like a terrorist and deprived of his essential support BJP in 2024 Lok Sabha election. after vaccination is a grave reality. It demonstrates
human rights. When granting him bail, Chief Jus- G.Purushothaman, Tirunelveli the failure of authorities to rescue hapless people.
Queen Elizabeth was a life well lived. Throughout tice of India U.U. Lalit stated, “Every person has the There is no justification for such a man-made
Freebies for votes right to free expression.” This case will live on in End patriarchy calamity.
her life, Queen was an inspiration. A promise with
This has reference to the article on Freebies best the minds of all individuals who respect the ideas Apropos of Indian Society Needs to Change its Pa- B Veerakumaran Thampi, Pattom
destiny kept and she is mourned most deeply in left to government and voters to negotiate (Sep- of democracy and press freedom. triarchial Ways (September 10). A girl is differenti-
her passing. That promise of lifelong service I renew tember 10). Offers of free saris, etc., tend to keep Diljo Pious, Bengaluru ated glaringly compared to boys in many families. Adopt strays
to you all today the ignorant masses as they are and do not facili- It continues to be so in all spheres -- education, Animal lovers do not want anyone to hurt stray
tate these voters to think of long term gains such Stalin and BJP jobs, property rights, marriage, etc. Our younger dogs. However, they do not mind if the stray dogs
King Charles III
as infrastructure, employment opportunities. This is with reference to ‘Stalin fortifying his image generation should be educated on the importance hurt or kill human beings. If the animal lovers are
R Kasthurirangan, Bengaluru as opposition connector for 2024’ (Sep. 10). Stalin of respecting women. so fond of stray dogs, why don’t they adopt them?
is a blind follower of Congress. Kabil Sibal and Ghu- Jayaraman CP, Chalakudi However, it is clearly a false love for these animals.
In an event like the Euros, you are fighting for equality, seeing these amazing Kappan bail lam Nabi Azad quitting the Congress should have These animal lovers are in fact enemies of human
athletes, women athletes performing at the highest level and given respect...I This letter is in relation to the article Two years on, been eye opener for Stalin. The BJP is not an un- Stray dog menace beings, particularly young children who are falling
feel like what’s happening in Afghanistan where women are not even allowed journalist Kappan gets bail (Sept 10). His case is touchable party. When M. Karunanidhi was alive, Apropos of Make those who feed strays pay for bit- prey to stray dogs. Let each animal lover adopt five
to go to school or attend work -- it’s so weird and it’s so hard to understand seen by many experts as an example of a vindictive he had aligned with it and joined the government ten people’s care, says SC (Sept 10). Recurring inci- dogs, which will mean that there will not be any
prosecution without substantial evidence and pur- under the leadership of Vajpayee at the Centre. I dents of stray dogs attacking pedestrians is com- more stray dogs on the streets.
Nadia Nadim, Afghan-born US football player poseful abuse of Indian law. It is tragic that he was believe that good sense will prevail on Stalin to mon and highest in Kerala. Fatal dog-bites even Thomas Dominic, Aluva

THE NEW SUNDAY EXPRESS


Chairman of the Board: Manoj Kumar Sonthalia Editor: Santwana Bhattacharya
Resident Editor (Telangana) : T Kalyan Chakravarthy* Printed and Published by R K Jhunjhunwala on behalf of Express Publications (Madurai) Private Ltd., at H.No.6-3-1113/1, B.S.Makta Lane, Somajiguda, Near Grand Kakatiya Hotel, Punjagutta, Hyderabad – 500 016. and printed by him at Sakshi Press, Plot No.D-75 & E-52, Industrial Estate (APIE), Balanagar, Medchal-Malkajgiri
District, Telangana. Hyderabad. Vol. 23, No. 35. RNI Reg. No. TELENG/2000/3501. Phone: 040-23413908. * Responsible for selection of News under the PRB Act. Copyright: Express Publications (Madurai) Private Ltd. All rights reserved. Reproduction in any manner, electronic or otherwise, in whole or in part, without prior written permission is prohibited.
08 SEPTEMBER 11, 2022
MUMBAI
SUNDAY

Reflections
Viswanathan
Anand

Making sporting access


universal is important
never rest on these things. You have to keep
India turned 75 on August 15. It is a moment of celebration but doing more.
also of quiet reflection and planning — to ensure a strong and Over the next 25 years, I want to see the
growth in the game continue. I want to see
prosperous India in 2047, the centenary of our Independence. more and more people take part. Of course,
As the country stands on the cusp of history, Hindustan Times this has to be done gradually. Right now, let’s
say the centre of gravity for chess in India is
brings together India’s top minds and personalities in every Tamil Nadu. Some other states are also
field with one question — what is your vision for India@100? involved. I want to see chess spread to all cor-
ners of the country and for young people
Their responses will be carried in these pages over the next from every state to come and enjoy the game. I would like chess to spread to all the states and for youngsters to come from all parts of India. I would also like to see more girls
I would also like to see more girls participate. participate. We are making substantial progress in these two areas, but we have a long way to go
few months. In the first edition, Viswanathan Anand spells We are making substantial progress in both
AMAL KS/HT PHOTO

out his plan to take chess and sport to newer heights these areas, but have a long way to go. remember for the next 20-30 years. The scale big step. You have to aspire higher. You have may live somewhere where it is not easy to
Another thing that we have to accomplish of the Olympiad also showed that we are got to want something before achieving it. play sport or even have a patch of open land.
became India’s first Grandmaster (GM) tic. The momentum is now picking up, show- is to produce another world champion. I am capable of organising big sporting events. It The central and state governments are try- Regular sport is essential. Forget sport, regu-

I in 1988. The country got its second GM in


1991, and then it took us 13 years to get to
the next six GMs. So, the bulk of our GMs
came over the last decade.
There has been a snowball
ing how much depth we have in the game.
If you ask me whether I am happy about
our progress in chess since Independence, I
would say you can’t ever be sat-
isfied. But we are doing incredi-
supporting youngsters at my academy and
sharing my experiences with them as they
improve their game. It is a realistic goal. This
is not to say that we are the frontrunners —
after all, talents today are mushrooming all
made chess the focal point of conversation
and will serve as a source of inspiration,
encouragement and conversation for people
who may have had only a cursory exposure
to the game. The key is for tournaments to be
ing different approaches. Maybe some work
and some don’t. But each government is con-
stantly experimenting and trying. Right now,
sport is viable. Many private organisations
are also getting involved. I am part of the
lar exercise is vital for your health. This is
one of the challenges we will face in the dec-
ades to come. I think the contribution sport
can make is by inspiring people to want to
play and driving the need for sporting facili-
effect recently, and it is only bly well now. The fact that the over the world at a pace imaginable even a held regularly in India. A big sport has to Olympic Gold Quest, for instance. It is hard ties, parks and gardens where you can
gathering steam. I believe chess Tamil Nadu government got decade ago — but to underline that we have keep engaging with fans, and we need big to imagine that this will not lead to great engage in physical activity and come
is now a mainstream sport in involved and backed the Chess what it takes to accomplish it. We have a tal- events in India to attract people’s attention results. together as a community. This is an area we
India in a way that it was not Olympiad in such a big way ented bunch of youngsters. And I feel that and showcase what chess is all about. By 2047, I want to see an India where need to work on. Making sporting access uni-
when I began. We have so many recently was pleasing. You see over the next decade, they are going to make In the broader sporting context, you can everyone has access to food, water and shel- versal is important. It has nothing to do with
people playing now that some-
times we have five or six GMs in
India@100 interesting engagements by the
state and the central govern-
us proud. We have already seen how well the
likes of D Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa and
also see the same kind of factors working.
You have more and more people playing
ter. I would like us to do this while still con-
serving what we can of our nature. That’s a
medals, but a tremendous lot with the health
of the future citizens of India.
the same year. The big differ- ments now. Athletes are getting Nihal Sarin fared at the Olympiad. Tourna- sport. Everyone’s ambition has skyrocketed. good place to start. Once basic facilities have
ence between then and now is a lot of support. The Union ments are what people remember. The It is no longer enough to go and compete in been assured for everyone, I hope sport can
that many more youngsters are playing. We sports ministry is putting in a lot of effort to Olympiad was on such a scale that all the the Olympics and come back. People want to become a part of our culture in a much more Viswanathan Anand is a five-time
have so many young men and women under get more medals. Things have never been best players in the world were here in India. win Olympic gold medals. People want to meaningful and holistic way. One of India’s world chess champion
15 who are GMs. That is an impressive statis- this good. Let’s acknowledge that but you can It was the sort of event that people will win the world championship. That is the first thorniest urbanisation problems is that you The views expressed are personal

RISHI SUNAK’S POLITICAL


State, CSOs must join
{ SUNDAY SENTIMENTS } stand. But it wasn’t and the Conservative
Party membership, who live in the shires
and are often elderly, are very different
FUTURE COULD DEPEND
Karan Thapar ON HOW PM LIZ TRUSS
people. Truss’s message seemed to be bet-
ter directed at them. This is important
because they were the voters.
PERFORMS... AS THINGS
STAND, POLLS SUGGEST forces to help children
Sunak lost, but he has Another explanation is that loyal John-
son supporters voted against Sunak
because they believe he’s responsible for
SHE WILL LOSE TO
LABOUR’S KIER STARMER n her 2021-22 Budget speech, Union tional and non-institutional care models

his eye on the future


bringing down their man. Polls suggest
that among Tory members, Johnson
remains far more popular than either
Sunak or Truss. The Times even suggests
he’s contemplating a comeback. So, it
IN 2024. THAT COULD
PAVE THE WAY FOR
SUNAK’S RETURN
I finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman and targeting child rehabilitation could
announced the launch of Mission Vat- bring about immense progress in children’s
salya — erstwhile Child Protection Ser- development. The institutional care model
vices scheme (CPS), which focuses on chil- refers to the care provided through State-
dren’s protection, rehabilitation, and reinte- funded Child Care Institutions (CCIs),
e’ll never know for sure his resignation brought a still surprisingly seems Sunak could have paid a price for gration. The new guidelines lay down the whereas the non-institutional care model

W whether Rishi Sunak’s ethnic-


ity and religion played a part
in his defeat in the British
Conservative Party’s leadership election.
Those who insist it did cannot be con-
popular Johnson tumbling down and
maybe, just maybe, in his style and per-
sonality. If there is a fault, it lies not so
much in his stars but, possibly, in himself
and his reluctance to offer the British peo-
being one of the first to resign. Truss, on
the other hand, stayed loyal to Johnson
and might have benefitted.
A third explanation might lie in
Sunak’s style and personality. In different
said, suggested he was out of touch with
grassroots Tory members.
So, if Sunak’s ethnicity was a concern I
doubt if it was the decisive factor. At
most, it may have added to everything
roles and responsibilities for childcare and includes family or community-based care
protection institutions and re-de-
fine the scheme’s implementation
by the ministry of women and
child development (MoWCD) at
through adoption and foster care.
These public-private invest-
ments can be directed towards
revamping the infrastructure of
vinced it did not. Whilst those who main- ple what they think they want. and seemingly small ways, this remained else. the central, state, and district lev- CCIs or building new ones.
tain it did not cannot prove it. My hunch The most obvious explanation is an issue. But that could have added up to Now, not surprisingly, Sunak’s political els. While family or community-
is it may have, but it almost certainly was Sunak’s stand on taxation. The Tories are another concern. For instance, at the first future could depend on how Truss per- While the revised framework Nalini based care is preferred for the
not the dominant or, even, the main rea- a low-tax party. For them, this is an article debate, people thought he was arrogant forms. Though she’s won, the polls sug- comprises many crucial aspects, a holistic development of children
son why he lost. The truth is Britain has of sacred belief. However, Sunak as chan- and many accused him of mansplaining. gest a paradoxical lack of confidence in potential area of progress could be Bhandari instead of institutional care, these
become a very different country to what cellor raised taxes substantially and only And right through the last six weeks, her prime ministership. As things stand, public-private partnership for CCIs are still home to many chil-
most people believe it to be. The days talked about cutting them once inflation questions kept being asked about his they also suggest she will lose to Labour’s strengthening the rehabilitation dren in their growing years and
when Asians and Blacks were dismissed was brought under control. Truss, on the wealth. No doubt he answered them effec- Kier Starmer in 2024. That could pave the and reintegration of children in distress. On can have a lasting impact on them. There-
as “wogs” and “nig-nogs” are long past. other hand, promised a sharp reduction tively but the issue did not disappear. way for Sunak’s return. the one hand, the government can be con- fore, it is necessary to build them as per the
You only have to look at Theresa May, at the very start of her prime minister- A particularly intriguing manifestation He’s 42 and if he has to wait till 2029, sidered the main provider to the larger pop- needs, comfort and most importantly, the
Boris Johnson and Liz Truss’s cabinets ship. of this concern was reported by the Daily he’ll still be under 50. His decision to sit ulation, and, on the other hand, civil society safety of children.
and the faces on the BBC to realise that. Most economists and industrialists Telegraph. According to the paper, on the back benches is a sign he has his organisations (CSOs) can provide special- Beyond infrastructure, such investments
And then there’s the Duchess of Sussex. believe Sunak is right. The Wembley rally Sunak’s team began to fear things were eye on the future. ised services that cater to diverse cultural should also be made towards strengthening
This is why I believe the real reasons suggests Londoners also agree. Now, if going wrong because of his constant ref- and demographic contexts. the technical capacity of the managing staff
for Sunak’s loss lie elsewhere. In his track this had been a national election cam- erences to California in the early hustings. Karan Thapar is the author of Devil’s Advo- However, until now, collaborations for — which can transform the functioning of
record as chancellor and, possibly, in the paign, Sunak might have carried the day. Sunak did not hide his admiration for Cal- cate: The Untold Story investing in children’s welfare have been CCIs. It is crucial to train the staff on con-
character of his campaign, in the fact that The country seemed to agree with his ifornia’s culture of enterprise. This, it’s The views expressed are personal dominated by funding initiatives focused on temporary childcare practices and compli-
education, health, and nutrition. Although ances.
these are crucial, there remains a dearth of Another area of intervention is the after-
investments that can be utilised for sup- care of children, i.e., the reintegration of

Collaborate to build
porting children in vulnerable circumstan- children who are leaving CCIs at 18 years.
ces. Therefore, the mission’s launch can be Along with financial support, funding
seen as an opportunity to encourage more should be provided to organisations that
funding and corporate social responsibility can design and implement programmes on

up climate resilience agencies to invest in the rehabilitation and therapy, career counselling, digital and
reintegration of vulnerable children, which financial literacy, skill and vocational train-
is being facilitated by the State and CSOs. ing, and mentorship to help these children
Together, such partnerships can offer tai- live an independent life.
he floods in Pakistan have dis- cal challenges will remain in this high- lormade services for children. In addition, Evaluating what these partnerships can

T placed 33 million people — almost strung region, and so will intense climate
the population of Canada — and upheaval. How the two intersect can save
assets worth millions have been lives and dollars.
lost. These angry waters are a result of Millions of South Asians living along
wrong land use, aggravated by the climate rivers, deltas, forests and coasts are repos-
these partnerships have the potential to achieve, it is unfortunate that many agen-
develop state-of-the-art models for child cies still don’t prioritise funding child pro-
welfare. One good example of this is the tection initiatives. This further impacts the
model anganwadis in the form of nand functioning of child rights organisations,
ghars — funded by Vedanta under the Anil often resulting in the under-utilisation of
crisis. For South Asia, this disaster and itories of ecological knowledge. Why not Agarwal foundation initiative with MoWCD their expertise. However, given that the
the climate crisis hold up a mirror to deploy them to boost regional resilience? — which provides integrated and high-qual- government has been trying to push part-
many realities. These show that there is Prime Minister Narendra Modi has advo- ity services for early childhood education, nerships in this area, the launch of the new
an urgent need for regional col- cated Lifestyle for Environment nutrition, maternal and child health, and guidelines offers a perfect opportunity to
laboration, rethinking of devel- (LIFE) as a key part of climate skill development programmes for women translate this into reality.
opment models, mainstreaming solutions. However, to main- at the doorstep.
neglected local knowledge and stream this, we must reconsider Inferring from the success of this project, Nalini Bhandari is manager, Strategic Invest-
spotlighting climate finance at our development pathway. Build- it is practical to say that replication of such ment Research Unit, Invest India
the forthcoming United Nations ing large infrastructure along riv- alliances for the development of institu- The views expressed are personal
Climate Change Conference ers and oceans, over grasslands
Bharati
(COP27) in Egypt.

Asia has been mauled by


and wetlands, and in mountains
In the last two years, South Chaturvedi isn’t economically viable any-
more.
A
l
cyclones, heatwaves and floods. Like other parts of the Global { SUNDAY LETTERS }
The intense, year-round air pollution is South, our region has been left to its own
also influenced by the climate crisis. devices in the face of climate calamities. Like other parts of the Global South, our region has also been left to its own devices Bilkis Bano case: A The Congress is in trouble, but don’t write it off
Regional collaboration can transform our This is evident in the uneasy global in the face of climate calamities. This is evident in the uneasy global silence around litmus test for SC This is with reference to Nalin Mehta’s The two
preparedness in two ways. silence around climate finance. The forth- climate finance. The forthcoming COP27 is an opportunity to highlight the forgotten I agree with Karan different machines of Modi’s BJP and Congress (The Big
First, when tragedies occur, the first coming COP27 is an opportunity to high- promise by wealthy countries of $100 billion annually in climate finance AP Thapar’s column — Of Picture, September 4). The party has two choices before
responders must be from the region; this light the forgotten promise by wealthy Bilkis Bano, remission, it: Either to revive and strengthen itself or go into
is quicker, more appropriate and a collec- countries of $100 billion annually in cli- India to Net Zero. It suggested India take on the rightful responsibility of the and the Supreme Court oblivion. But the party can’t be written off yet, even
tive means to keep our region safer. To do mate finance. advance peak emissions and hit targets wealthy? (Sunday Sentiments, though its current state has affected its image.
this well, we must set up emergency plans South Asian negotiators must insist on earlier, attracting greater investment. By South Asia, home to 25% of the world’s September 4). However,
Jaya Gupta, via email
and protocols. new and additional payments, not re-la- making Indian emissions an issue, the population, is also a climate-vulnerable this is not Bano’s fight
Second, South Asia can build shared belling existing development aid, even if report tosses aside the sacred premise of region. Let’s not shy away from holding alone. The Supreme
resilience to soften the blow. Whether it fights this climate crisis. Funds must be climate negotiations: Common but differ- developed countries accountable for the Court must stand by II
these take the form of sharing innovation paid by milestones, transparently. Pay- entiated responsibilities. The think-tank, crisis they have burdened us with. Invest- Bilkis Bano and her The Gandhi family is integral to the Congress but
or building scientific capacity and joint ments for loss and damage are additional Council on Energy, Environment and ing in South Asia offers everyone a better family and send the increasingly it is becoming obvious that the they are no
research, we don’t know till we do a deep and non-negotiable. The developed world, Water, shows that China, the European chance to live better in this age of uncer- convicts back to prison. longer vote-catchers. It is probably time for them to
dive. Inter-governmental institutions home to 12% of the world’s population, Union and the United States will save tainty. Bilkis and her family move aside and let other leaders take over. Hopefully,
such as the International Centre for Inte- has contributed to well over 50% of the 28.5% of the global carbon budget to stay have struggled enough. the next party polls will show the way.
grated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) historic greenhouse gases. below 1.5 °C, just by advancing their net- Bharati Chaturvedi is an environmentalist and
in Nepal, where all South Asian nations Funds alone are not the entire negotia- zero year by a decade. This effort will help writer. She is the founder and director of Chin- K Mehta, via email S Srinivasan, via email
participate, can serve as initial platforms tion. The Asia Society Policy Institute the world’s poor to survive. So why tan Environmental Research and Action Group
while broader ideas are incubated. Politi- recently released a report — Bringing should the Global South, fighting poverty, The views expressed are personal Write to us at: letters@hindustantimes.com

RNI No. MAHENG/2005/15187, AIR SURCHARGE : Ahmedabad, Nagpur and beyond by Rail or Road - Rs. 2 /-.

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OPINION
Comment&analysis t h e su nday gua r dia n

The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity.
| 11 – 17 se p tember 2022 | new delhi WWW.SUNDAYGUARDIANLIVE.COM

OF THE Amelia Earhart

WEEK
PicK OF EDITORIAL
ALONG LAC
tHe WeeK Only PM MOdi can
Citizens’
duty ensure an equitable
Volunteers from different settleMent
There are occasions when involvement at the highest level is
organisations participate
needed, even if not in public, in matters usually left to much
in a clean-up drive lower levels. That stage has arrived where LAC-related nego-
post-Ganpati Visarjan, at tiations between the Indian army and its Chinese counterpart
Aksa Beach, in Mumbai are concerned. The reason is that the few concessions that
the PLA is making are merely tactical, and do not affect in
on Saturday. ANI
any appreciable manner its strategic objective of seeking a
substantial portion of additional Indian territory on our side
of the LAC. In August 2020, the PLA conducted a stealth
operation designed to grab the heights south of Pangong
Tso, now that they had occupied vantage points north of that
strategically important body of water. Once given freedom
of operation by PM Modi rather than be held back by the
political establishment in the manner that was all too visible
during previous regimes, Indian ground forces took control
of vantage points on the Kailash Range situated south of the
lake. Control of the Kailash heights ensured field dominance,
including over Spanggur Tso, half of which is Indian, but is
nevertheless occupied in its entirety by the PLA. Through the
Spanggur Gap, the PLA can move light armour and artillery
in a bid to capture Leh, the capital of Ladakh, which several
PLA maps wrongly show as belonging to China. Control
over the Kailash Heights boosted significantly our Army’s
capability to block any such attempt by the PLA, and in the
process defend Chushul and Leh against any PLA effort
at capturing these locations. Xi seeks not just a third but a
fourth term, and hence needs military successes. His intent
for making kinetic moves has been made clear, not just by
an acceleration of activity in the South China Sea or in the
unprecedented PLA effort to intimidate Taiwan, but through
WrOnG directiOn their occupation of several points within the LAC two years
ago, through diversion of forces from Xinjiang, as well as by
the PLA’s substantial investment in logistics in the region,

The crowning glory of


a factor explainable only in terms of an offensive and not
a defensive operation plan. Given the overlay of influence
GHQ Rawalpindi has on the senior command of the PLA
concerning India, such moves should cause no surprise. Both
the PLA as well as GHQ Rawalpindi seek to ensure that the
Karakoram Highway is rendered beyond risk of interdiction

Liz Truss is her nemesis


by Indian ground forces. At the same time, the PLA is seeking
to secure vantage positions in contested locations from where
further PRC land grab efforts can get made, which could
subsequently be taken advantage of by GHQ Rawalpindi.
In 2020, Galwan was a target for PLA encroachment that
was foiled through the bravery of our soldiers.
Re-establishment of Indian control over Depsang is essential
Prime Minister Truss appears not to have understood that the hopeless hero for boosting the security of the region against any future PLA
ground assault, which is why the Chinese side has declined to
Volodymyr Zelenskyy provides drag rather than lift to her popularity. make even token concessions on this. The buffer zones that
have been created since the status quo was disturbed by the
they are being asked to make them. The longer the cru- PLA in April 2020 are mostly on the Indian side, and are no
by their elected leaders in or- sade against Putin goes on, insurance against future PLA aggression. The withdrawal
der to continue with NATO’s the more disastrous will the from Kailash Heights did not result in any move of correspond-
crusade against Russia. On economic effects be. A US ing magnitude from the Chinese side. The Kailash Heights
the other side, Xi Jinping is Supreme Court that acts as were earlier abandoned by India during the 1962 Chinese
roots of power making sure that Moscow
has ample financial resources
though “We the People” in
the US Constitution means
invasion. Chushul and Leh are proclaimed objectives of the
PLA, and control over the Kailash Heights remains important
to continue the war, while at “We the Supreme Court Ma- in such a context. Which is why this writer was not among
M.D. NALAPAT the same time coyly smiling jority” is assisting the Demo- those in ecstasy over the August 2021 agreement to withdraw
at the leaders of the Atlantic cratic Party to perhaps even from the heights. A year after promising to do so immediately
Alliance who serially beseech overcome the handicap that after India withdrew its forces from the Kailash Heights,
him to stop a war in which Xi the White House has become there is agreement over the Gogra-Hot Springs area. In any
that were imposed by mem- is the primary beneficiary. to that party’s candidates in situation, Indian forces having field dominance over PP-15
bers of that alliance on the Self-sacrifice may have been the coming midterm elec- is vital for securing adequate defensive positions. As former
Russian Federation. When the motif of the saintly lead- tions. However, the reality Lt-Gen Rakesh Sharma pointedly warned, “How much is
the Treasury Department in ers of India’s freedom move- is that the longer Xi’s ask of the distance for the patrolling moratorium along Kurang
the US and EU “top brains” ment, but that quality (or, in Putin gets fulfilled and the Nallah at PP-15?” Through control of PP-15 and other key
such as the clearly harried the view of a few, shortcom- Ukraine war continues, the vantage points, the Indian Army needs to retain the capability
Ursula von der Leyen prove ing) is not typical of the CCP’s harder will fall the popular- of a swift and decisive response to any future adventurism
themselves unable or unwill- leadership, something that ity of Biden, Scholz, Macron, by the PLA. How this strategic requirement has been met
ing to calculate the actual ef- Biden, Macron and Scholz Truss and others who are the by the latest agreement between the two sides is not clear.
Liz Truss after her victory over Rishi Sunak.
fectiveness of the sanctions do not seem to have yet un- principal protagonists in NA- Given the risks involved, what is imperative is for the nation’s
they imposed against “Putin’s derstood, possibly due to the in the 2022 Ukraine conflict track to witness the eclipse of TO’s crusade against Putin. highest level of leadership to step in to ensure that strategic

J
oe Biden turbocharged Russia”, doubts about their relevant memos not reaching the perfect method of divert- Europe as a location where Thus far, Prime Minister essentialities are not given up in order to secure temporary
the NATO response to level of competence in their their desks. ing attention from Partygate living standards are high. Truss appears not to have forward tactical movement. Given the fact that prospects for
Russian troops in their present jobs is understand- Enter Liz Truss, the latest and other peccadilloes that Truss was clever in playing understood that the fact that a kinetic showdown between India and the PRC are high,
24 February 2022 entry into able. Several months ago, at a Conservative Party occupant Boris has been known for to the ordinary Tory voter in it was the hopeless hero, Prime Minister Narendra Modi needs to have the decisive
regions already outside the conference of Risk Managers of 10 Downing Street. Her throughout his life. Unfor- the way Margaret Thatcher, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who say in matters relating to border agreements with the PRC,
control of Ukraine for ratio- of around forty large compa- party appears to have come to tunately for Johnson, being the daughter of a Grantham first spoke to the new PM, exactly the way CCP General Secretary Xi Jinping has. Because
nal reasons. Removing Rus- nies that was held in the rest- the conclusion that as many the other booster of NATO’s grocer, did. She was far more provides drag rather than of the diversion of his attention towards Taiwan, Xi is trying
sian (and as collateral dam- ful surroundings of the L&T Tory MPs as possible should operations against “Putin’s convincing in that role than lift to her popularity. If she to try temporarily calm down Sino-Indian border tensions.
age, Ukrainian) grain and training facility at Lonavala, at least for a while enjoy the Russia” could not rescue him Rishi Sunak, who hails from continues on the course fa- The fact is that from the 1950s, the Chinese side has never
petroleum resources from the this columnist had said that privileges which come with from having to exit Number a family of millionaires and voured by Boris Johnson and made any serious effort at coming to an amicable resolution
international market would the chill of winter would being resident in that ad- Ten. Despite the horrible has married into a family of continues to ignore reality by of border issues with India the way the PRC did with Russia
give US oil and grain export- cool down NATO’s appetite dress. While Joe Biden had cost that the operation was billionaires, and makes no ef- accelerating rather than de- and Myanmar under earlier leadership. Reality rather than
ers new and immense ave- for prosecuting their George sound commercial reasons having on the UK economy, fort to conceal that in either celerating the Ukraine war, misperceptions of benign intent need to be tackled. For this to
nues of profit. What the Biden W. Bush (circa “Operation for prosecuting NATO’s own Johnson’s Foreign Secretary deportment or clothes. The Liz Truss will get replaced. happen, the involvement, even if not public, of PM Narendra
team omitted in their calcula- Get Saddam” 2003) model version of “Special Military Liz Truss was among the problem is that the Biden- Not by Boris Johnson but Modi in Sino-Indian negotiations on the LAC is essential in
tions was the blowback to not war against Vladimir Putin. Operations” against Russia, most vociferous in carrying Johnson war is proving to by some Tory leader who order to strongly secure the national interest from future
just the poorer nations but to This has begun to take place, for Boris Johnson, the mo- forward and indeed further be a death knell for grocery has shown better sense than PLA aggression.
the member-states of NATO with more and more voters tivation was political. The deepening UK involvement stores in the Atlantic Alli- Johnson or Truss has in this MADHAV DAS NALAPAT
from the raft of sanctions unhappy with the sacrifices now ex-PM of Britain saw in an operation that seems on ance and those who shop in debilitating conflict.
WWW.SUNDAYGUARDIANLIVE.COM
t h e su nday gua r dia n
1 1– 1 7 se p t e m b e r 2 0 2 2
new de l h i comment & analysis 9
BEING NEIGHBOURLY CONFUSING

Congress
Is resumption of trade with inspired by
BJP’s Ekta Yatra
Pak around the corner?
Progress will be arduous but is worth striving for.
on the imperative of human lation, and genuine need by the sagacious Premier relief-aid from Pakistan. If
between us
development, it has pushed for effecting noticeable im- Vajpayee that the basis of the Pakistan’s internal politics
the hard working and tal- provements in their living relationship with Pakistan are making it difficult to ac- PANKAJ VOHRA
ented citizens in the country standards, multilateral aid should be “Insaniyat,” or cept such emergency relief
opinion into impoverishment rather
than ushering in welfare
agencies through their mu-
nificence have also ended
on humanly considerations,
carries much gravitas. A vi-
today, India could consider
offering it to the India based
and prosperity. Severe in- up helping keep the military sion of mutual prosperity UN relief agencies for distri- The fundamental mistake
AJAY DUA equalities in wealth and in- afloat. in the region can lower the bution under their banner. the Congress appears to
come between a handful of Such “success” in attract- perception in the average Soon after the floods, the have made while launching
civilian-families and army ing international and bilat- Pakistani’s mind that India UN launched a campaign its ambitious 3,500-kilometre
generals on the one hand, eral assistance has also en- is an eternal enemy or an ex- for assistance to Pakistan long, Bharat Jodo Yatra, is its
war and the withdrawal of and the suffering citizen fac- abled the Pakistani military istential threat. and sought $160 mn to sup- description and nomencla-
the troops across the inter- ing utter hopelessness on (and the numerous puppet It is in the light of these port government relief ef- ture. A party that histori-
national border. That was the other, have been perpet- governments propped up constraints in governance, forts. The international aid cally united more than 600
post Pakistan’s defeat in uated one generation after by it) to maintain its hostile that India needs to view agencies have also called for Riyasats of the country after
East Pakistan, by then new- another. The all-pervasive stance towards India. As Finance Minister Miftah Is- the opening of borders with Independence, to make it into
ly christened Bangladesh. dominance of the military Sharat Sabharwal, another mail’s suggestion to open up India to allow emergency a strong and united India is
When both India and has been described well by well regarded Indian High trade borders for importing supplies to enter. undoing its own efforts.
Pakistan entered the World G. Parthasarathy, a former Commissioner to Pakistan, essential foods, as well as The opportunity to offer Yes, there are allegations in public domain that the BJP and
Trade Organisation (WTO) Indian High Commissioner puts it in his recent book the blunt but well-meaning food and other essential aid the Sangh Parivar have been pursuing a divisive agenda that
in 1996, their trade was to Pakistan, when he quotes “India’s Pakistan Conundrum: earlier appeal to normalize in a time of widespread dis- is creating differences between various communities. How-

T
he devastation to life supposed to be covered by a post, “while every country Managing a Complex Relation- trade by its Foreign Minister tress might by itself end up ever, no one can claim that the country was disintegrating
and property caused its rules and procedures. has an army, in Pakistan, ship,” it is Pakistan’s fragile Bilawal Zardari. Not unex- facilitating the re-initiation geographically that such a journey had to be undertaken.
by last fortnight’s An important provision of the army has a country.” For self-identity of being “not pectedly, a few days later, of the process of normalis- There has been no demand from any region to delink it with
flash floods and landslides these rules was the Most decades together, the army India” that comes in the way Premier Shehbaz Sharif ing trade. However, given the rest of the nation, so the Bharat Jodo slogan appears to be
in Pakistan has rekindled Favoured Nation (MFN) sta- has taken over all critical of rational decision-making. had diluted the earnest- the numerous known road- a bit ambiguous.
the idea of resuming trade tus, a jargon for giving equal functions of governance, He quotes a former Minis- ness of this proposal when blocks, the expectations at As a political exercise aimed at reviving the party, the effort
between India and Paki- treatment to all trading part- ruling the politics of the na- ter Aitzaz Hussain when he he stated in an interaction every stage should be mod- is worth making, but if that was the case, the Congress should
stan. About a third of Paki- ners. Pakistan, however, tion through the notorious says that Pakistanis “have with the Australian High erate. An initial goal could have invoked the name of Indira Gandhi while deciding on
stan’s geographical area, has ab initio not honoured ISI. Let alone the executive, been told that their very Commissioner: “While be the restoration of status the nomenclature. Till this day, Indira Gandhi remains the
and 15% of its population of this stipulation vis-a-vis In- quo ante to what prevailed most charismatic leader with unparalleled mass appeal and
200 mn, has been impacted dia; in turn, India withdrew before February 2019. Prior the Congress should have perhaps attached her name to this
by the heavy rainfall, esti- this position from Pakistan to Pakistan putting a com- programme.
mated to be three times the in February 2019 after the plete halt to trade, and India It is a matter of record that even after 38 years of her assas-
national average over the Pulwama attack. Through hiking up duties on certain sination, maximum people who visit the capital from various
last 30 years. Reportedly, this chequered history, imports to 200% and with- parts as tourists make it a point to pay homage to her at the
1,400 human lives have bilateral trade has been drawing MFN status, the 1, Safdarjung Road-1, Akbar Road Memorial. Rahul Gandhi
been lost and the cost of re- restricted with arbitrary aggregate bilateral trade would have done well that before going to Sriperumbudur
construction is estimated impositions—for instance, was worth $2.6bn. This en route to Kanyakumari to pay a tribute to his late father,
in the region of US$10 bn. Pakistan had a negative list dwindled to under half a Rajiv Gandhi, he should have also visited his grandmother’s
Calls for urgent humani- of 1,209 products before billion dollars (during the memorial.
tarian aid and the opening February 2019 and India a pandemic, as an exception The Congress appears to have forgotten that the largest sur-
of borders to permit the somewhat shorter one, cus- to its total ban, Pakistan had render of a hostile Army took place when Indira Gandhi carved
import of vegetables and toms duties on imports and allowed the import of phar- out Bangladesh and the 93,000 Pakistani soldiers who were
essential food from India exports have been imposed maceuticals and related made prisoners of war, remained in the custody of India that
,have come from Pakistan’s at will by both nations, and raw materials from India). provided for their food, clothing and other needs. It was a
Finance Minister Miftah the mode of transport for Without raw cotton imports big statement of nationalism which could have been used to
Ismail. Previously, Bilawal specific exports and the from India, the exports of counter the BJP’s commitment to nationalism.
Bhutto Zardari, the young points of entry are mandat- cotton textiles from Paki- The Bharat Jodo Yatra may keep the Congress in news for
Foreign Minister in the new ed. With such constraints, it stan, its biggest foreign ex- 150 days, but its impact could also get lost if the party were to
government, had also urged is little wonder that even at change earner, have halved. come third in a state like Gujarat. It is also evident that Rahul
the normalization of trade its peak, India’s total trade Similarly, without Indian Gandhi would not be contesting the party polls and is wishing
relations between Pakistan with Pakistan has been un- imports, sugar prices have to emerge as a Super Leader, whose writ may run through his
and India, as well as its oth- der 1% of its aggregate glob- sharply escalated and there chosen proxies.
er immediate neighbours. al trade. is an acute domestic short- There have been comparisons that are being drawn in politi-
It is worth recalling that it Interestingly, a substantial age. cal circles between the Congress exercise and the one under-
was in reaction to India’s ab- amount of trade, especially After the initial steps, a taken by the BJP in December, 1991 during the presidentship
rogation of Article 370 of its Indian exports to Pakistan, second stage of normalisa- of Dr Murli Manohar Joshi, who was accompanied throughout
Constitution about Jammu takes place through Dubai. tion could include expand- his journey from Kanyakumari to Srinagar by the current
& Kashmir, that Pakistan For the last decade, UAE ing the list of items that can Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, then a BJP activist.
decided to put a complete has been the second largest be exported, with the nega- Unlike the Somnath to Ayodhya Rath Yatra, a brainchild of
stop to bilateral trade in late exporter to Pakistan, with Representational photo: Border Security Force (BSF) personnel and Pakistan Rangers exchange
tive lists on both sides being Lal Krishna Advani, to offset the impact of the Mandalisation
2019. Prior to that in 2018, its share in total Pakistan greetings on the occasion of 76th Independence Day, at Attari-Wagah border on 15 August. ANI sharply reduced along with of Indian politics by Vishwanath Pratap Singh, the Ekta Yatra
India had actually become import ranging between the applicable duties on had the complete backing of the RSS and aimed at reinforcing
its 8th largest exporter with 10% and 14% (China has it has even able to have its identity was their un-Indi- Pakistan desires peaceful allowable exports. Along- national integration by uniting various sections.
a 3.2% share in Pakistan’s remained at the top with its sway on the judiciary as anness: banish this thought ties with India based on the side, India could seriously Having closely covered the Ekta Yatra for the Hindu from its
imports; India accounted share soaring from 20% to well. from their mind and the principles of equity, justice consider whether Pakistan starting point at Kanyakumari where top BJP leaders includ-
for 64% of its meat imports, 28%). With its various in- Conventional Pakistani country will collapse.” His and mutual respect, a just could be facilitated by being ing Atal Behari Vajpayee and Vijay Raje Scindia were present,
42% of cotton, and 15% of termediaries involved, such thinking about India is a suggestion is to build mu- and peaceful resolution of permitted to pay for its im- besides the families of martyrs such as Havaldar Abdul Hamid,
milling industry products entrepot trade through the product of convoluted cir- tual trust to reach out to the the Jammu & Kashmir dis- ports from India by partial- recipient of Param Vir Chakra in the 1965 war, the Congress
(wheat and cereal flour). Gulf undoubtedly reduces cumstances. In many ways, general public of Pakistan pute in accordance with the ly paying in its own curren- Yatra needs to bring in more purpose in its final objective.
Sugar, dairy and vegetables the inherent advantages it stems from the constant through “the information relevant UNSC resolution cy rather than all in a hard During the final leg of the Ekta Yatra, the P.V. Narasimha Rao
imports were also consider- of free and direct transac- portrayal to its citizens revolution which has made and the Kashmiri people, currency. A sort of counter government at the Centre, had no intentions of allowing Dr
able. With the restrictions, tions. In fact, now that India that India’s occupation of it difficult for the state and was indispensable.” Under trade arrangement rather Joshi, Modi and the rest of the entourage of get into Srinagar.
these numbers came down and the UAE have put a free Jammu and Kashmir is the security establishment such political compulsions, than plain trade in which The motorcade of hundreds of vehicles was stopped at Patnitop
drastically to a virtually un- trade agreement in place, totally illegal. Evicting In- to control the national nar- trade-normalisation will Pakistan, given its precari- beyond Jammu on 25 January 1992 and Dr Joshi was clearly
noticeable 0.5% of the share the temptation of pursuing dia from there and other- rative.” Despite the deep inevitably proceed in flips ous foreign exchange situa- informed that there was no way he would be permitted to
of imports. That said, even such trade will only grow. wise in check by whatever entrenchment of the Kash- and flops. Yet, it is worth- tion, is required to pay vir- hoist the National flag at Lal Chowk.
in best of times, the overall Additionally, with the Ira- means required, has been mir dispute in Pakistan’s while to keep up the endeav- tually through its nose for Kashmir was witnessing a lot of targeted killings of Kashmiri
bilateral trade between the nian government permit- the bedrock of the Pakistan social consciousness, and ours. Trade has the proven the imports, should be the Pandits and the situation in the Valley was explosive. The
two neighbours was not ting India to complete the Army’s strategy of ingra- the challenges emanating potential to bring about goal. (Under a countertrade Indian Army, which was overseeing the operations there, was
significant, seldom reaching Chabahar port close to their tiating itself with the gen- from the military’s intran- greater prosperity, and can regime, exchange of goods not in agreement with the decision of the Centre. In Fact, both
US$3bn. This number re- border with Pakistan, yet eral public and thereby per- sigence in letting relations ultimately bring the whole and services takes place in Dr Joshi and Prime Minister Modi were flown to Srinagar
mained paltry despite there another convenient location petuating its control of the between the neighbours im- region greater stability with whole or part, with other in military aircraft and it was because of the intervention of
being obvious complemen- will become available for in- dysfunctional state. So far, prove, India must invariably the lessening of hostilities. goods and services as pay- the Indian Army that the Centre changed its decision and
tarities and economic ben- direct trade. the military has succeeded demonstrate its readiness to In pursuance of the mes- ment, rather than with any allowed them to unfurl the Tiranga at the Lal Chowk on the
efits in intensifying bilateral Ever since the two na- with this approach of liv- explore ways and means to sage of sympathy sent out acceptable currency). Such Republic Day.
trade. tions were created in 1947, ing by the sword, and there change the status quo. by Prime Minister Naren- accommodating moves Several senior officials of the military thanked Dr Joshi and
The frequent ups and the unfortunate reality of is little evidence that things For this to truly happen, dra Modi to his counterpart would also help reduce said that if they had not done what they did, it would have
downs in political rela- economic relationship be- will change any time soon. it would need to put aside in Pakistan, India would the entrepot trade through been extremely difficult to hold on to the Valley.
tions—which for the most tween India and Pakistan Despite this, the nation has the persisting differences meanwhile do well to be Dubai and other ports. Fi- Thus, the purpose of the Ekta Yatra was fully realised. The
part have remained adver- is that it has been extrane- also succeeded in getting (whatever their background ready to immediately send nally, perhaps sometime in question that needs to be asked at this juncture is whether the
sarial for the last 75 years— ous considerations and not international recognition might be) and instead build out large quantities of re- the not-too-distant future, Bharat Jodo Yatra would achieve its objectives. The Congress
have not permitted the ground level economic or and acceptance, besides on the commonalities of lief material such as tents, a trade pact (not necessar- is losing control in a majority of the states and its organisa-
full attainment of bilateral business considerations considerable military and interest, howsoever small medicines, rubber boots ily a free trade agreement to tional structure is in extremely poor state. It does not seem
economic potential. A mu- that have determined the financial support. For the these might appear at the and ready-to-eat food pack- start with) can be endeav- to understand that in order to face PM Modi, the Congress
tual trade framework has pace of growth. The Paki- first few decades, this came moment. Only then, ratio- ages. Such relief would be oured. A broad agreed draft needs to also strengthen itself to battle the BJP’s formidable
not been evolved and there stani military leadership from Western nations led by nal choices would emerge in a similar vein to what it of 2013-14 is available to be organisation.
is no trade or investment has directly ruled the coun- the US and UK who found from the consistent Indian did when the civilian gov- built upon. Undoubtedly, The Ekta Yatra was sanctioned by the RSS when the BJP’s
agreement. In fact, the only try for 33 years, and heavily Pakistan geographically recognition that political ernment in Afghanistan reaching that stage will be fortunes were brightening up nationally. It helped the Sangh
worthwhile understand- influenced it for the rest by well situated as a strategic parties in Pakistan are per- had fallen to the Taliban in a protracted process, and at Parivar to consolidate its position, though from within, there
ings entered into between determining the complex- ally in their handling of the mitted very little leeway to mid 2021. After the 2006 times even a frustrating ex- was an attempt by some senior leaders of that time to ensure
the two neighbours are ion and policies of civilian Cold War with Russia. For push peace keeping efforts earthquake in Pakistan ercise. Yet, it is worth striv- that Dr Joshi’s mission was sabotaged.
the Indus Water Sharing governments. Not being ac- the last two decades, the with India. Consequently, and similar floods in 2010, ing for. Rahul is obviously going to remain busy with his political
Agreement, brokered by countable to anyone, it has Chinese, in pursuit of their any overtures and discreet India had sent out such es- Dr Ajay Dua, a development exercise but he should be aware that other Opposition leaders
the World Bank in 1960, seldom put public interest ambition of dominance over proposals for improving the sentials; conversely, dur- economist, is a former Secre- have also thrown their hat in the ring to challenge the Prime
and the 1972 Simla Pact for ahead of its own. By repeat- South Asia, have come in state of affairs have to origi- ing the 2003 earthquake in tary of the Union Ministry of Minister in 2024. Nitish Kumar is emerging as the front run-
the exchange of prisoners of edly taking myopic views handy. Given its large popu- nate in India. The suggestion Gujarat, India had accepted Commerce & Industry. ner. Between us.
10 comment & analysis the s unday guardian
11– 17 s ep tember 2022
new delhi
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FREEDOM A MUST CHOGM

There is no end to history The Queen, Mrs Thatcher


Thirty years on, it is clear that there is no decisive global victory of liberal
democracy and free markets. Even so, both are ideas worth fighting for.
The political legacy of 1991 In defence of Gorbachev, it
and Mrs Gandhi: The tale
bottom line
is less definitive. The fact is
that today the rising second
superpower of the world
is a Communist polity. The
fact also is that the one ma-
could be argued that those
countries had more space to
make the transition. They
were poor countries and
the populations had lim-
of a diplomatic minefield lot as Chief Coordinator of on Mrs Thatcher’s response
jor country at war with a ited expectations when re- CHOGM to sort this quite to Mrs Gandhi, but I wanted
DHIRAJ NAYYAR neighbour in defiance of the forms began. Soviet Union unprecedented and spectac- to make it clear that my rec-
pre-eminent superpower is under Gorbachev had been ular protocol cock-up. ommendation to Mrs Gandhi
also an authoritarian state
and the successor state of
a global superpower for half
a century and had consider-
as i please Mrs Gandhi asked me to get
in touch with Mrs Thatcher
would be that we could not
agree to a formal “Investi-
the Soviet Union. The peo- able achievements in terms and get back to her. The Brit- ture” at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
State intervention leads ple of Russia may look at of industry and technology. K. NATWAR SINGH ish High Commissioner was Here was high-grade proto-
to positive outcomes only China and, more recently, It was also engaged in an an accomplished and skil- col dynamite. The dramatis
when State capacity is high Vietnam and rue how Gor- expensive Cold War with ful diplomat. I asked him to personae consisted of four
and not overly interfering bachev and his fellow Com- the West, which drained its convey to Mrs Thatcher and world famous ladies. Two
with the business of busi- munists ran their country resources. Perhaps there Prime Minister had heard. Her Majesty the Queen that powerful Prime Ministers,
ness. aground—the economy’s could have been no man- Invitations for the “Investi- the proposed “Investiture” One Queen and the fourth
The rise of China remains best assets captured by oli- aged transition from where ture” had apparently been could not be arranged at something more than a Saint.
the defining economic sto- garchs, a collapse of GDP the Soviet Union stood in issued, that too on “Bucking- R.B. It could be held either What if the Indian press got
ry of the golden age of free pushing the population the 1980s—an Emperor ham Palace” stationery, with- at the UK High Commission hold of the story. What a dip-
markets—the quarter of a with no clothes. China’s out consulting the Secretary or the residence of the High lomatic bonfire that would
century after the collapse economic rise happened or the Military Secretary to Commissioner. I added that light!
The death of Mikhail Gor- of the Soviet Union. Chi- over quarter of a century, President Giani Zail Singh. we held the Queen in high I reported to Mrs Gandhi
bachev, the last leader of the na, with its superior state Vietnam’s even longer. I conveyed this to Mrs Gan- esteem and Mother Teresa what her British counterpart
Soviet Union, brought back capacity and liberal poli- The Communists in Russia dhi, who did not like what was a very special person. had said. A fleeting irritation,
memories of the proclama- cies towards business has may not have the time, re- she heard. In the meanwhile, At the same time, we could a moment’s pause and then a
tions of the end of history moved from a per capita sources or public support H.N. Bahuguna, MP, had masterly diplomatic googly.

T
that followed the spectacu- income of around $350 to to transition a superpower he Commonwealth written to the Prime Minis- Here was “Natwar, go back to Mrs
lar collapse of Communism $12,000 after 1991. The rise to something less before a Heads of State and ter, saying that he had from Thatcher and tell her from
in Europe. But thirty years of India, which has moved long comeback. Still, the Government was held his own source gathered that high-grade me that the Queen can have
on, it is clear that there is no from a similar per capita plain fact remains that con- in New Delhi in November the Queen was to hold an “In- protocol dynamite. the ‘Investiture’ at Rashtra-
decisive global victory of income to China in 1991 to trolled and insular political 1983. The Prime Minister vestiture” at R.B. for Mother pati Bhavan. But leave her
liberal democracy and free $2,100 thirty years later, systems seem to have a lon- appointed me Chief Coordi- Teresa. He hoped that what in no doubt about the matter
markets. Even so, both are is also a thumbs up to the gevity that controlled and nator. he heard was incorrect. Only not countenance and were being raised in Parliament
ideas worth fighting for. power of markets while also insular economic systems Her Majesty Queen Eliza- the President of India could surprised that we had not the next day. Critical refer-
Fortunately, globally the being a cautionary tale of Mikhail Gorbachev do not. beth, as Head of Common- hold an “Investiture” at R.B. been consulted. ences would be made and
market economy remains inferior state capacity and Even in Russia, after the wealth came to New Delhi If the Queen was to go ahead Within two hours he rang the Queen’s name would be
the favoured system to de- excessive state interven- into poverty and an un- chaos of the Yeltsin years, for the occasion. She and with the “Investiture” then back to say that his Prime dragged in. it was only fair
liver prosperity, but there is tion which have prevented stable electoral democracy Vladimir Putin restored a her husband, Prince Philip he and other Opposition Minister felt it was too late the Queen be made aware of
a return of a greater degree growth from being as rapid which faded within a de- controlled and insular po- stayed at Rashtrapati Bha- leaders would be compelled to change the venue. Invi- this.”
of State intervention in both as it might have been. cade. China, on the other litical system with consid- van. to raise the matter in the Lok tations had been sent and It really was a brilliant ri-
the advanced and emerging The other impressive hand, began its transition erable help from a bounty The first item on the agenda Sabha. above all the Queen would poste. No “Investiture” was
economies of the world. Of story of markets delivering away from a controlled and of oil and gas revenues. was to select a new Secretary It was quite evident that be inconvenienced. The UK held at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
course, no economy is ever prosperity has come from autarkic economy in 1987, However, in a bitter twist of General to succeed Sonny Bahuguna was right and press too were aware of the The Queen invited Mother
entirely free. But the after- East Europe, where after an several years before Gor- fate, it is now a subordinate Ramphal, who completed the British, had, in good “Investiture”. This was bad Teresa to tea in the garden
math of the global financial initial struggle, most coun- bachev’s Perestroika and power to China, unthink- his five-year term. Mrs Gan- faith, erred. That error had news. I told the High Com- where she handed the O.M
crisis of 2008, the Covid tries have achieved reason- Glasnost. Vietnam began able in the heydays of the dhi wanted Ramphal to get to be rectified. It fell to my missioner that I would pass to the Nobel Laureate, who
pandemic of 2020 and the able economic prosperity its “Doi Moi” economic re- Soviet Union. another term. Mrs Thatcher was blissfully unaware of
Russia-Ukraine war have mentored by the European forms in 1986, not that far A global churn is ongo- did not. Indiraji was the the diplomatic upheaval
made the faith in markets Union. Almost every non- behind Gorbachev. Howev- ing in politics. Like econo- Chairman. She got Ramphal she had caused. The finale
decline and made the envi- USSR Communist coun- er, the Communist leaders mies, politics also moves in his second term. was entirely satisfying to me
ronment for more extensive try is a member of the EU. of both the countries, be- cycles. Still, there is every Outside the Summit, a mini personally. Prime Minister
State intervention more Some have even adopted ginning with Deng Xiaop- likelihood that the long arc crisis was averted. As far as I Thatcher, in the concluding
fertile. Who would have the euro as currency, in- ing in China and Nguyen of global history will still remember, it was the second session, singled me out for
thought that the successors cluding the three ex-Soviet Van Linh in Vietnam man- bend in favour of freedom, day. Mrs Gandhi asked me to praise. Before leaving India,
of Margaret Thatcher in the Baltic Republics. In terms aged a difficult transition both political and eco- quietly enquire from Rash- the Queen received me. She
UK would implement price of per capita income, most much more successfully nomic, but it will require a trapati Bhavan if the Queen could not have been more
caps (on energy) financed are still well behind the lev- than Gorbachev, preserv- continuous, tireless battle was holding an “Investiture” gracious; she even had a
by a big fiscal deficit! How- els of rich Northern Euro- ing their political power against forces that favour at Rashtrapati Bhavan for royal gift for me.
ever, what should not be pean countries, but much by delivering growth and control. giving Mother Teresa the Or- In the photo: Myself, Prime
forgotten even as the State of East Europe has caught increased incomes for the The author is Chief Economist, der of Merit. The Rashtrapati Minister Indira Gandhi and
makes a comeback is that up with Southern Europe. people. Vedanta Bhavan confirmed what the Indira Gandhi, Natwar Singh and Queen Elizabeth. Queen Elizabeth.

Editorial dirEctor

People Of The Sacred Books Prof. M.D. Nalapat


Managing Editor
Pankaj Vohra
Editor
HINDUISM ISLAM SIKHISM CHRISTIANITY Joyeeta Basu

Shraadh: A tribute Gender equality Pillars of a A flourishing life Printed and Published by
Rakesh Sharma for and on
behalf of Good Morning India
to ancestors God had made biological and
By (Late) Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
plural nation By Rev. Dr. Richard Howell

Suman knows it is possible to grow and flourish as


Media Pvt. Ltd.
By Prarthna Saran By Davinder P.S. Sandhu Printed at:
psychological differences between a a child of God even amid crisis, and therefore, along Good Morning India
In youthful irreverence and educational pride, a The number five is important across cultures. There with the Psalmist, she exclaims, “It is good to praise Media Pvt. Ltd,
young person asked Swami Chinmayanandaji to ex-
man and a woman. This difference are five books of the Torah, five pillars of Islam, and the Lord and make music to your name, O Most Khasra No. 39, Village Basai
plain how the offerings of food and water and char- is made so that they become good the five wounds of Jesus Christ. In the Indian sub- High” (Ps. 92:1). Praising God means more than Brahuddin Nagar, Gautam
ity in the name of loved ancestors ever reached them. life partners of one another. Both are continent, the system of local governance is based just making a statement of words, it involves living Buddha Nagar, Noida,
Swamiji explained that the ritual was basically an on the panchayat, the village body led by five wise in ways consistent with God’s character of holy love Uttar Pradesh, (U.P.-
complementary to one another. 201301).
act of gratitude towards one’s parents. He explained: members of the community. In 1699 AD, Guru Gobind revealed in Jesus Christ.
“When you post a letter in India, you have faith that At a seminar in Delhi, I met a retired Judge who Singh called for five volunteers to lead the commu- As a child of God, Suman, along with the psalmist, Published at :
there is an order, a system that will work intelligent- asked, “Maulana Sahab, do you know what the nity. The Guru appeared in the congregation with an rejoices not only because God is a loving and faithful B-116, Okhla Industrial
ly to reach it to the loved one in America. Similarly, weakest point in Islam is? Islam does not admit unsheathed sword, and announced that while every Father but also because God‘s works are great and Estate
charity performed by you in deep emotional grati- gender equality!” member of the community was equally dear to him, His wisdom is profound! (v.4). Is this our experience Phase-I, New Delhi - 110020
tude to your father will leave the gross behind and Modern man finds such concepts unaccept- he was looking for the one who was willing to give as well? The Editorial offices:
reach his subtle body (sookshma sharir) in subtle able. The modern age is one of gender equality, his head. Some devotees were taken aback, and some Many a time, we insult God’s name when we call 275 Captain Gaur Marg
form.” He added that the subtle body (mind and while Islam talks of gender inequality. This con- even left the congregation in fear. After some time, a ourselves children of God and live in ways that vio- Sriniwaspuri Okhla
intellect) functions at subtle levels to convey subtly cept is shared by most people of the world today. But devotee offered his head. Five times was the call made, late God’s holy nature. New Delhi - 110065
what words and deeds are helpless to do. Science is this concept is not based on a deeper reflection of and five devotees came forward. The Guru anointed At the same time, one can worship in the house of Mumbai Office: Juhu Hotel,
still exploring and trying to unravel the mysteries of the term. Gender inequality is a matter concerning them as the Panj Pyare—the Five Beloved who would the Lord for protection and exploit others through Juhu Tara Road, Santa
the mind and its pervasive outreaches. gender difference, and does not concern itself be the leaders of the community. To establish this new deceit, injustice, or abusive power thereby denying Cruz-West,
In this ritual, the grateful son or daughter satisfies with gender inequality. The whole world is based institution, he then requested the Panj Pyare to anoint that God is just and loves all. It is good to praise God Mumbai-400049.
the hunger of all species, as represented by humans, on this difference, and the matter concerning him too. Guru Nanak Dev travelled to the North East, with both our lips and our lives. Chandigarh Office:
cows, dogs (animals large and small) ants (insects) men and women is not an exception to this rule. East, South, and the West and North of the Indian Suman has truly experienced that God strength- SCO-7, Sector 17-E,
and crows (birds). One feels fulfilled in being able There is nothing negative about this difference. sub-continent. Guru Gobind Singh cemented this vi- ens her and grants her favour and blessings at home Chandigarh- 160017
to gratify the beings one lives among. The term Difference is a positive term. The difference sion, by creating a pan-Indian community, as against and in the workplace. Once we become aware of
“shraadh” is from (Shraddha) “faith” in the family between men and women can be compared to the a “regional” one. The Guru’s creation of the Panj Pyare God’s presence and power working in our lives, we rni rEgistration no.
like oneness of all creatures, big and small. One re- two wheels of a cart. One wheel is not equal to the was a unique template of a plural India, united on prin- live a life of victory and reject a wayward lifestyle. DELENG/2010/31355
members one’s parents’ efforts and good deeds and other. They are complementary to one another. God ciples of humanity. Consider the diverse geography and Can we say with King David, “I have hidden your Postal rEgn no.
then in thankful appreciation, steps forward to do the had made biological and psychological differ- caste identities which the Five Beloved represented. word in my heart that I might not sin against you DL(S) -17/3366/2013-15
same towards fellow creatures. ences between a man and a woman. This differ- Daya Ram, a Khatri (trader) of Lahore; Dharam Singh, (Ps. 119:11)? Are we filled with the Spirit daily so that For Subscriptions and
An article written years back by a German research- ence is made so that they become good life part- a Jat (farmer) from Hastinapur; Mohkam Chand, a we experience God’s guidance regarding the path Circulation Complaints
er on “Aryan Rituals”, talked of the nutritional test- ners of one another. Both are complementary to chhimba (tailor) from Dwarka; Himmat Rai, a khe- we should pursue? Contact:
ing of the rice ball offering (pind) in the last rites of one another. wat (water-bearer) from Jagannath Puri; and Sahib When the Word of God dwells in us richly and the DELHI
Hindus. Tested before the puja the rice ball had all The concept of gender equality is an unnatural Chand, a nayee (barber) from Bidar. Connect these Spirit leads us, we become resilient and lead a victo- Mahesh Chandra Saxena
the nutrition, after the mantras and offerings on it concept. It creates unnecessary conflict between dots, and you see an approximation of the of a map of rious life in Christ. Mobile:+ 91 9911825289
the testing showed all nutrition gone. He concluded the two. But the concept of gender differences modern India—plural in all dimensions, yet united on We thrive and flourish even in harsh and difficult isn 0976 - 0008
that, thus, the subtle aspect of rice was accepted by produces the concept of being complementary to constitutional and human principles. It is our sacred conditions, amid life’s storms and tempests, and
the subtle body of the ancestor. each other, of supporting each other. It enables duty as Indians to preserve this gift. this makes our life distinctive to a watching world!
Prarthna Saran, President Chinmaya Mission, New Del- the partners to run the cart of life like two wheels This first appeared on 26 August, 2018. The writer is not writing due to Suman’s life radiates peace and joy which is an over-
hi. Email: prarthnasaran@gmail.com joined together. unavoidable circumstances. flow of God’s indwelling Spirit.
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new de l h i comment & analysis 11
MISREPRESENTED

Hinduphobia in the US is real


Despite the members of Indian-American community occupying high-profile political posts,
the diaspora has failed to produce leadership that champions
Indian-American and Hindu-American causes.
The man repeatedly called tute at Rutgers University. ated a highly negative image
Iyer “dirty Hindu” and “ugly The study noted that the of the Hindus, the largest
Hindu” who “bathes in cow Hinduphobic tropes are religious group among In-
urine” and “eats cow shit.” now “a critical asset for the dian-Americans. The spec-
chicago diary Cow, cow urine, and “cow
shit” are some of the most
media and platforms.”
Hindumisia.ai, an AI-
ter of “Hindu Nationalism,”
“Hindutva,” caste, etc., has
common anti-Hindu slurs. based website that tracks been raised—without much
AVATANS KUMAR The police later arrested Hindu hate on the micro- understanding and contex-
Tejinder Singh and charged blogging platform Twitter, tualization—to demean and
him with multiple counts of backs those claims. “Hin- create hatred against the
crime. dumisia.ai seeks to enable followers of one of the old-
First, miscreants vandal- The report of the third an analytical approach to est and most liberal faiths.
ized a statue of Mahatma incident came from the counter anti-Hindu hate “We see academics line up to
Gandhi in South Richmond southern state of Texas. A Ann Coulter Amy Wax Audrey Truschke
seen on Twitter,” said worry about Indian democ-
Hills, New York. The statue viral video on social media Ramsundar Lakshmina- racy, fearing Hindus will
was found face down on the showed a woman shouting for Polish only. You are not the monopolists and the The FBI started tracking rayanan, the site developer. cast their vote to elect lead-
ground with debris around racist comments and physi- Polish,” said the abuser. supremacists but also ‘pro- hate crimes against Hindus “The anti-Hindu hate we ers of their choice,” said Rao,
it. The back of the figure cally assaulting a group of Ann Coulter, a conserva- gressive’ Democrats,” noted in 2013. “The actual hate see is just mind-boggling… “but who never express con-
was spray painted with the women. “We don’t want you tive commentator, accused Ramesh Rao, a professor of crimes data on Hindus is The Twitter gravy train for cerns about Muslims, Chris-
word “kutta,” Hindi for a here,” the woman, a self-de- Indians of taking up af- Communication Studies at still in its nascent stages,” anti-Hindu hate must be tians, Sikhs doing the same.” 
dog. According to the po- scribed Mexican-American, firmative action jobs from Columbus State University.  said Suhag Shukla of the stopped,” Laxminarayanan Despite the members of
lice, six suspects, aged 25-30, can be heard saying, “I hate “Black people.” Amy Wax, Hate crimes have consis- HAF. Many anti-Hindu in- added.   Indian-American commu-
smashed the statue with a you f***ing Indians,” she a professor at the Univer- tently risen in the US in the cidents do not get recorded It’s no secret that the nity occupying high-profile

A
carefully crafted sledgehammer at 1:30 am. said, along with other racist sity of Pennsylvania Law last few years. According to as such by law enforcement West’s perception of Indian political posts, the diaspora
elitist and toxic anti- The scene of the crime was abuse. The police charged School, called India a “shit- stats available through the agencies due to mistaken culture, texts, and traditions has failed to produce lead-
India, Hinduphobic Shri Tulsi Mandir, a Hindu the woman with bodily as- hole” country where “Brah- Federal Bureau of Inves- identities. For example, is at odds with the ground ership that champions In-
narrative gained momen- temple. This was the sec- sault and injury and terrorist min women” are taught they tigation’s Uniform Crime some crimes motivated by reality. The overriding Ori- dian-American and Hindu-
tum in the United States ond toppling of this statue threats. One of the women in are better than everybody. Reporting (UCR) database anti-Arab or anti-Muslim entalist and colonial dis- American causes. “Not one
and much of the Western in less than two weeks. Ac- the group was identified as India’s stance on the Russo- (available through 2019), sentiment may involve course about India fosters a institution, group, or leader
world after the election cording to the Hindu Amer- Rani Banerjee. Ukrainian war drew vile an- the reported hate crimes Hindu victims. On the other dubious and distorted “out- who claims the mantle of
of Narendra Modi as the ican Foundation (HAF), a In yet another incident, ti-Indian and Hinduphobic jumped from 7,175 in 2017 to hand, some crimes against sider” narrative at the cost of ‘secularism,’ or being ‘pro-
Prime Minister of India in US-based Hindu advocacy an Indian man was stalked reactions from high-profile 7,314 in 2019, an increase of Hindus may also be based a native and authentic one. gressive,’ or ‘South Asian,’
2014. The concerted cam- group, the perpetrators were and verbally abused across social media handles. Last about two percentage points.  on their racial or ethnic This perspective has perme- or whose concern is ‘human
paign of the leftwing media, making “repeated calls for the Atlantic in Poland. The year, academicians partici- The 2019 UCR data shows identity.  ated deep into the Western rights,” said Rao, “has gone
academia, and activists has Khalistan.” abuser identified himself as pated in the Hinduphobic that 4,784 hate crimes were A recent study titled “Anti- consciousness and mani- to bat for Hindus.” 
finally started showing signs Another incident cap- an American in the video “Dismantling Global Hin- racially and ethnically Hindu Disinformation: A fests in academic and popu-
of fruition. A spate of anti- tured on video occurred and called the Indian man dutva Conference.” Audrey motivated. Of those, 4.3% Case Study of Hinduphobia lar presentations. A devia- A JNU, New Delhi, and the
Indian and anti-Hindu hate in Freemont, California. a “parasite” and a “geno- Truschke of Rutgers Uni- (3.1% in 2017) were against on Social Media” found an tion from such an outsider University of Illinois at Urbana-
speech and hate crimes in Krishnan Iyer had gone to cider.” “You have your own versity was one of the con- Asian-Americans, a broad environment of widespread presentation or breaching Champaign alumnus, Avatans
the US has sent shockwaves pick up his online food or- country,” one could hear the ference’s main organizers.   category including Indian- hate on social media against the “academic consensus” Kumar holds graduate degrees
among the members of the der from a Mexican fast-food abuser saying in this viral Needless to say, “these Americans. One thousand the world’s minority Hindu is rejected as “Hindutva” in Linguistics. Avatans is a
Indian diaspora, especially restaurant. There, Iyer was video. “You are an invader. programmatic and sys- six hundred five hate crimes community. The study was terrorism. recipient of the 2021 San Fran-
among the minority Hindu deluged in a barrage of anti- Go home, invader. We don’t tematic attacks on Hindus had religious bases, and conducted by the National The left-dominated aca- cisco Press Club’s Bay Area
community.  Hindu slurs by another man. want you in Europe. Poland are coming not just from seven were against Hindus.  Contagion Research Insti- demia and media have cre- Journalism award.)

STRATEGIC THINKING

China’s grand strategy and Taiwan imperatives


China has a long-term and deeply nuanced understanding of ‘comprehensive national power’ (‘zonghe’) and its projection.
“zonghe” for targeted coun- chain. Access to SCS from its relatively prosperous east- A combination of encroach-
tries. These have been trans- the Indian Ocean is through ern coast and its much poorer ment, force projection, sub-
lated as use of “harassment”, the narrow Malacca straits interior have threatened to version and economics will
“demoralization” and “influ- bordered by Singapore, Ma- tear the country apart. Issues be used to pressurize neigh-
analysis encing and shaping public
opinion, discourse, percep-
laysia, Indonesia, and India
(Andaman and Nicobar Is-
related to Taiwan and Japan
help to increase nationalism
bours. China has several
levers for this. India will be
tion and attitudes”, with pen- lands). An alternative route and national identity. With contained through multi-
VIVEK JOSHI etration of media, academia passes through a “tri-seas” the buffer states firmly un- pronged support to Pakistan,
and think-tanks as vehicles. area of Philippines, Indone- der its control, a reasonably “string of pearls containment”,
The national defence policy sia and north-east of Brunei. strong Chinese identity and encouraging internal discor-
of 2015 enunciated “forward Beyond this first chain of enabling social and physical dance and strife, and harass-
defence”, improving military islands lies a “second chain infrastructure, China has had ment by infiltration. Japan
the forces of the Nationalist capabilities accompanied of islands”, starting from significant success in build- is likely to be the primary
party, which fled to Taiwan. with assertiveness. China the east of Japan in the north, ing a nation-state. Fragility challenger in the Asian con-
The 1839-1945 “century of hu- could claim only Pakistan passing through the Mariana consequent to single-party text, positioning itself as an
miliation” by foreign powers and North Korea as allies, Islands, Guam, Micronesia, authoritarian rule and ex- alternative “centre of gravity”
is deeply seared into the con- but isolation will force Rus- and almost to Indonesia in ternal misadventures are for Asia. Given the gap with
sciousness of China. Modern sia and Iran to move closer. the south. Further beyond key risks. b) Ensure social the US in technology, alli-
China (PRC) has clashed with Tibet controls the third larg- this second chain are Hawaii stability and monopoly of ances, military expenditure
neighbours, including Tibet, est source of freshwater in and Guam, and then China the CPC: Despite impressive and prosperity, China will not
Xinjiang, India, Vietnam the world with estimates that directly faces the western economic gains, more than strive to displace the US as
and Philippines, the Korean China can control 30% of the seaboard of the US. Several 700 million people in China the pre-eminent power in the
War (1953) and Sino-Soviet river flow into India by 2030. countries which incorporate continue to be very poor. The foreseeable future. The goal
The analysis here follows clashes across the Ussuri China has the second largest the “first and second island First and Second Island Chains. Illustration by US Department rapid growth of the economy will be to make China and its
three principles of strategic River. China claims very large economy in the world and chains” are potential adver- of Defense. has helped to maintain social core interests invulnerable,
thinking: (a) focus on capabil- portions of the resource-rich the second largest outlay on saries of China, allied with stability. Unlike in the Soviet except at unacceptable cost
ities, which take a long time to and critical trade routes of the the military with 70% of the the US. the centre of this chain, de- ment for an invasion. As- Union, the CPC has legiti- to the adversary.
build, and not on intentions, South China Seas (SCS) re- arms produced domestically. Critical raw material sourc- scribed by Gen McArthur sembling an invading force, mized authoritarian commu- As the dominant power,
which can change overnight; gardless of international laws The country is approaching es for China are scattered as an “unsinkable aircraft traveling through waters nism by providing economic the US will be content to be
(b) focus on actions and not and conventions. an important economic turn- across the world. Unlike the carrier”. Gaining control infested with submarines, growth, jobs, improvement in a “status quo” power. Con-
on postures; and (c) evalua- China has a long-term ing point. China has not yet US, China cannot yet control over Taiwan, therefore, is mines, anti-ship missiles the standard of living and a strained in the subcontinent,
tion of actors, their powers and deeply nuanced under- developed the soft power to its entire supply chain, which imperative for China. Freed and airpower, landing a force reasonably efficient govern- India will need to be content
and their interests. standing of “comprehensive the extent that the United traverses several seas. The from the constraints of the against opposition, and then ment. The balance between with the status-quo for a
China borders as many as national power” (“zonghe”) States, India and now South locations described above first island chain, China conquering cities is beyond “legitimacy” and “power” of considerable period of time.
17 countries and is the “centre and its projection. Xinjiang, Korea have. have several bottlenecks at can then strive to extend the military capabilities of the state continues to be heav- As the only country in a posi-
of gravity” of Asia along with Tibet, Inner Mongolia and which supply into China can its dominance farther out China currently if the US in- ily tilted towards “power”. tion to eventually challenge
Japan. The core “Han” Chi- Manchuria were annexed THE TAIWAN be chocked by hostile powers. to the second island chain, tervenes. The US maintains The overriding priority on re- the US, China will need to
na, comprising about 90% as buffers to protect its core. IMPERATIVES The US started its journey to and onwards potentially be “strategic ambiguity” over the taining the supremacy of the be revisionist. The natural
of the population originally Principles like “to subdue the Geography seriously con- become a global power by a threat to the western sea- status of Taiwan after aban- CPC, potentially threatened progression of the “zhonge”
occupied about 40% of the enemy without fighting is the strains China. To the east first consolidating unques- board and vital interests of doning it in 1971, opposing a by social disruption, is the of China will result in posi-
landmass of the present day pinnacle of skill” and “war- and southeast are the Yellow tioned supremacy over the the US. Access to capabilities change of status-quo by force. proverbial “Achilles heel” of tions inevitably conflicting
territory. Dynastic rule in fare includes hard and soft Sea, East China Sea and the Caribbean, and then extend- like semiconductor design China. c) Dominance over its with its periphery, and with
China came to an end with power” continue to influence South China Sea (SCS). From ing outwards. China cannot and fabrication in Taiwan GRAND STRATEGY periphery and then beyond: the US. In the quest for the
the fall of the Qing dynasty the PRC. China has, or will north to south runs the “first progress much further in can be secured through eco- IMPERATIVES China will strive to attain “Asian Century”, the maturity
in 1911, and a weak republic soon have, the largest army island chain or first 9-dash its journey towards super- nomic engagement and devel- China’s grand strategy im- “anti-access and area-denial” of the leaders of China and
came into existence with the and submarine force, a very line”, from Kuril Islands power status if its access to opment, and are not fuelling peratives can be summarized capabilities over other navies Asia will be severely tested in
Nationalist Party (Kuomin- large air force, an innovative (north of Japan), through Ja- the sea can be blocked by ri- the confrontation. China has as: a) Maintain the unity of in the SCS, including the US this decade.
tang). The communist party ballistic missile program, pan, Ryukyu islands, Taiwan, vals. Given the importance of declared that it will invade if China. Unlike the US, neither Navy, by around the middle
(CPC) was established in 1921 large naval capabilities, and north Philippines and ending the SCS for China, attaining Taiwan ever formally strives China nor India can take the of 2020s. Over the next two Vivek Joshi is an Advisor with
by Mao Zedong. A civil war leading capabilities in cyber at Borneo in the South. Ac- supremacy here is the first for independence. However, unity of the nation-state for decades, it will strive to ex- A-Joshi Strategy Consultants
started in 1927, Mao retreated and space warfare. In 2003, cess to the Pacific Ocean from step, for which China needs large bodies of water have granted. Whenever China tend this supremacy up to Pvt Ltd, and has more than 25
into the deep interior on his the CPC formalized the use the SCS passes through the to “break through” the first their own stopping power, has opened out to the world, the second island chain, and years of international manage-
“long march”, and defeated of psychology and media in lower half of this first island island chain. Taiwan lies at which is a serious impedi- the internal conflict between through the Indian Ocean. ment experience.
12 legally speaking the s unday guardian
11– 17 s ep tember 2022
new delhi
WWW.SUNDAYGUARDIANLIVE.COM

ClaIM of ownershIP

Land, property and concept of


adverse possession ful disposition of the rightful Recently the Hon’ble Su-
owner and be actual, visible, preme Court in the case of
exclusive, hostile and con- Ravinder Kaur Grewal vs
tinued over the statutory manjit kaur Civil Appeal
analysis period. Physical fact of ex-
clusive possession and the
No.7764 of 2014 which was
decided on 7th August 2019,
animus possidendi to hold held that:-
VAIBHAV MISHRA as owner in exclusion to the “Plea of acquisition of title
actual owner are the most by adverse possession can
important factors that are to be taken by Plaintiff under
be accounted in cases of this Article 65 of the Limitation

A
dverse possession is question by way of adverse nature. Plea of adverse pos- Act and there is no bar un-
based on the theory possession. session is not a pure ques- der the Limitation Act, 1963
or presumption that It is said that in order to tion of law but a blended one to sue on aforesaid basis in
the owner has abandoned lay claim of ownership on of fact and law. Therefore, a the case of infringement of
the property to the adverse the basis of adverse posses- person who claims adverse any rights of a Plaintiff.”
possessor on the acquies- sion, it is to be proved that possession should show: Therefore a Plaintiff can
cence of the owner to the such adverse possession is (a) on what date he came also take a plea of Adverse
hostile acts and claims of the open and uninterrupted to into possession, Possession in a suit for
person in possession. It fol- the enjoyment of the person (b) what was the nature of declaration of title and for
lows that sound qualities of claiming adverse posses- his possession, recovery of possession. Ad-
a typical adverse possession sion for more than 12 years (c) whether the factum of verse possession is one of
lie in it being open, continu- as contended in the case possession was known to the ways in which title to
ous and hostile. of M. Venkatesh & Ors. v. the other party, (d) how long the land is acquired if cer-
It is quite interesting to Commissioner, Bangalore his possession has contin- tain ingredients are satis-
note that Section 27 of Limi- Development Authority, ued, and fied for establishment of the
tation Act, 1963 is an excep- (2015) 10 Scale 27. In the (e) his possession was same. For applying the con-
tion to the general principle case of Karnataka Board of open and undisturbed. cept of Adverse Possession
of law of limitation and is Wakf v. Government of In- A person pleading adverse there should be continuous
the genesis of Adverse Pos- dia, (1995) 6 SCC 309 it was possession has no equities should be definitely alleged date the defendant’s pos- law it was held in the case of acquired or extinguished. uninterrupted occupancy
session. As per the afore- held that an owner would in his favour. Since he is try- how and when adverse pos- session becomes adverse as Rama Shankar & Anr.v. Om A prescription, by which a over the land. As per the Ar-
said section if a person fails be deemed to be in posses- ing to defeat the rights of the session commenced. Such contended in Saroop Singh Prakash Likhdhari & Ors., right is acquired, is called ticle 65 of the Limitation Act,
to file suit for recovery of sion of a property so long as true owner, it is for him to as the defendant has dispos- v. Banto (2005) 8 SCC 330. by the Hon’ble Allahabad an ‘acquisitive prescription’. 1963 the prescribed period
possession, within a period there is no intrusion. Non- clearly plead and establish sessed the plaintiff and has The same being reiterated in High Court that: A prescription by which is 12 years for private land
of limitation, his right to re- use of the property by the all facts necessary to estab- been in possession continu- Vasantiben Prahladji Nayak “21. The principle of ad- a right is extinguished and the prescribed period
cover the possession of that owner even for a long time lish his adverse possession. ously ever since, or the de- v. Somnath Muljibhai Nay- verse possession and its is called ‘extinctive pre- in case of Government is 30
property also extinguishes. won’t affect his title. But The same also being held in fendant has been open and ak, (2004) 3 SCC 376 by the consequences wherever at- scription’. The distinction years over the land which is
Thus a genuine owner of the position will be altered the case of Mahesh Chand continuously in possession Hon’ble Supreme Court also. tracted has been recognized between the two is not of to be considered for adverse
the property in question when another person takes Sharma (Dr.) v. Raj Kumari for more than 12 years to the Another important ingre- in the statute dealing with much practical importance possession. The starting
shall then loose his owner- possession of the property Sharma, (1996) 8 SCC 128. knowledge of the plaintiff, dient in the concept of Ad- limitation. The first codified or substance. The extinc- point of limitation begins
ship over the property. The and asserts a right over it. As per Law of Pleadings or the defendant has been verse Possession is “Animus statute dealing with limita- tion of right of one party is from hostility which would
property in question must Adverse possession is a hos- by Mogha the adverse pos- in possession continuously Possidendi”, which means tion came to be enacted in often the mode of acquir- result in denial of title of the
also be then in the name of tile possession by clearly as- session is one of the defence. for more than 12 years so that unless the person pos- 1840. The Act 14 of 1840 in ing it by another. The right land to the real owner of
any other person or any oth- serting hostile title in denial The period limitation is 12 openly that either the plain- sessing the land has the fact was an enactment appli- extinguished is virtually the land. Onus for the same
er person must be entitled to of the title of the true owner. years against private land tiff was aware of his posses- requisite animus the pe- cable in England but it was transferred to the person squarely is lies on the party
have right over it. Adverse It is also a well-settled and 30 years against Gov- sion or ought to have been riod for prescription does extended to the territory who claims it by prescrip- which is showing Adverse
Possession therefore grows principle that a party claim- ernment land and starts aware had he exercise due not commence. Based on of Indian continent which tion. Prescription implies Possession to set up the title
from such a scenario. If a ing adverse possession from the date when the pos- diligence. the plethora of judgments was under the reign of East with the thing prescribed on the basis of his/her con-
person has possession over must prove that his pos- session of the defendant be- With regard to limitation on the principles of law on India Company, by an au- for is the property of an- tinuous and uninterrupted
a property which is in real- session is “nec vi, nec clam, comes adverse to the plain- period applicable in terms this subject what is to be thority of Privy Council in other and that it is enjoyed possession. However it is
ity in adverse to the interest nec precario”, which means tiff. For adverse possession of adverse possession it seen is not just whether the the East India Company v. adversely to that other. In also quite quintessential to
of true owner of the prop- “without force, without se- it is necessary for the person was held that in terms party is in possession, but Oditchurn Paul, 1849 (Cases this respect it must be dis- note that proving Adverse
erty and true owner fails crecy, without permission”. to admit the title of the real ofArticle 65 of the Limita- whether the party has been in the Privy Council on Ap- tinguished from acquisition Possession cannot be based
to file a suit for recovery of The possession must be owner and to establish his tion Act, 1963the starting in adverse possession for peal from the East Indies). by mere occupation as in on presumption and prob-
possession within a period adequate in continuity, in open and hostile possession point of limitation does not the statutory period of 12 The law of Prescription the case of res nullius. The abilities but requires hard
of limitation, then such a publicity and in extent to without any interruption. It commence from the date years and whether that has prescribes the period at the acquisition in such cases fact evidence.
person who is in possession show that their possession is not sufficient to plead that when the right of owner- perfected their title on the expiry of which not only the does not depend upon oc-
adversely shall then become is adverse to the true owner. a party has been in adverse ship arises to the plaintiff suit land. judicial remedy is barred cupation for any particular The writer is a advocate prac-
the owner of property in It must start with a wrong- possession for 12 years, it but commences from the On the same principles of but a substantive right is length of time.” tising at Supreme Court

renewal of a lease

aPPlICaBIlITY of arBITraTIon ClaUse on lease aGreeMenTs


tary, Department of Tourism tion of Mr. Oberoi for the the court elucidated that hand. lease, the arbitration agree-
and Civil Aviation refused appointment of arbitrator. tenancy disputes under the Accordingly, it observed ment cannot be rendered 114A of the Act. In Vidya Case
to renew the lease over the Aggrieved by the order of TP Act are related to infe- that the expression “exis- ineffectual. Furthermore, though the court upheld that
analysis said property. Mr. Oberoi
by a letter dated 21st May
the High Court, Mr. Oberoi
filed a Special Leave Petition
rior rights in personam that
derive from superior rights
tence of an arbitration agree-
ment” in Section 11 of the
debunking the argument of
the Respondent State who
the Transfer of Property Act
did not bar the adjudication
2021 requested the respon- before the Hon’ble Supreme in rem and therefore such Arbitration Act, would in- wants to formulate a policy of dispute related to tenancy
KAPIL SHRIVASTAVA & dents to refrain from hand- Court of India. The question rights fall under the realm of clude aspect of validity of an for energetic qualified young by an arbitrator but it also
ing over the said property to for consideration before the arbitrator. For instance, arbitration agreement, albeit generation and to encour- has clarified the position
UTKARSH PANDIT any third party till disputes the Hon’ble Supreme Court rights under copyright as- the court at the referral stage age self-employment of local that disputes governed by
are resolved through arbi- was whether an arbitration signment may be arbitrable, would apply the prima facie youth who are competent specific rent control legisla-
tration. clause could be invoked however the protection af- test on the basis of principles to run the hotel court held tion would be bestowed with
Recently, the Supreme Court analyze this order of the Su- Mr. Oberoi, then filed an only when the proposal for forded by an assignment of set out in this judgment. In that such policy decision specific courts and forums
of India, in its judgement preme Court. application u/s 9 of the Ar- renewal was accepted by the copyright per se may not be cases of debatable and dis- cannot influence an existing to adjudicate upon special
dated 18.08.2022 in Brij bitration and Conciliation lessor? adjudicated through arbitral putable facts, and good rea- agreement with a renewal rights and liabilities with an
Raj Oberoi v. The Secretary, BRIEF BACKGROUND Act, 1996 in the Commer- proceedings. sonable arguable case, etc., clause. All disagreement exclusive jurisdiction.
Tourism and Civil Aviation The State of Sikkim is the cial Court. After listening to COURT’S ANALYSIS The court while explain- the court would force the between the parties with Further, the court placing
Department & Anr. held that owner of the property bear- the parties, the Commercial The Court herein took the ing the interpretation of parties to abide by the arbi- respect to renewal and/or reliance on the Vidya Case
the disputes involving lease ing Plot No.309, Paljor Sta- Court ordered by restraining view that the present writ arbitration agreement shed tration agreement as the Ar- non-renewal of the lease, the also clarified the fine line
matters can be referred to dium Road, Gangtok, East the respondents from dis- petition was maintainable. light on three rules of inter- bitral Tribunal has primary amount of rent and the ten- between the disputes that
arbitration. The dispute in Sikkim, known as Norkhill turbing Mr. Oberoi’s posses- It asserted this view by plac- pretation firstly, Pro Arbitra- jurisdiction and authority to ure of renewal will be within are arbitrable and which
the present case was with Hotel. Brij Raj Oberoi and sion until arbitral proceed- ing reliance on a three-judge tion or Broad approach, it decide the disputes includ- the realm of the Arbitrator, are not by reading the terms
respect to the renewal of a the State of Sikkim entered ings commence. An appeal bench of the Supreme Court generally applied to inter- ing the question of jurisdic- as noted above. In view of and conditions of the deed of
lease deed where Mr. Oberoi into an agreement for the was preferred against the (“SC”) in Vidya Drolia and national instruments, and tion and non-arbitrability. the above, the appeals were lease as a whole.
sought recourse to the Com- lease of the said property said order by the Respon- Others vs. Durga Trading Cor- commercial transactions is Following the aforemen- allowed, the issue of arbi- While this judgement is
mercial Court which was by a registered deed of dents u/s 37 of the Arbitra- poration, wherein the court founded upon the principle tioned holdings in Vidya trability of the dispute over an extension of what was
pleased to restrain the re- lease dated 9th December tion and Conciliation Act, has significantly elucidated that the arbitration clause Case, the SC in the present non-renewal of the lease held in Vidya case, it is un-
spondents from taking co- 1997 which was supposed 1996 read with Section 13 of the position on intricacies should be construed as per case held that the arbitra- would be decided by the Ar- doubtedly significant not
ercive actions which were to expire on 31st May 2021. the Commercial Courts Act, surrounding subject-matter the prescribed contractual tion clause was expressed bitral Tribunal/Arbitrator. only with respect to the
against the interests of the Therefore, Mr. Oberoi by 2015 and Article 227 of the arbitrability. In Vidya Case, language. Secondly, restric- in a way that if both the trend of Indian Judiciary
appellants. Further, the a letter dated 12th Novem- Constitution of India. While the court overturned its ver- tive interpretation is based parties agree to the renewal AUTHORS’ COMMENT in upholding pro arbitra-
High Court passed an order ber 2020 offered to renew Mr. Oberoi, filed an applica- dict of Himangni Enterprises on the reason that the ar- of agreement, then the dis- The Supreme Court’s clarifi- tion approach – but it will
dismissing the application to the Terms and Conditions tion under Section 11 of the by holding that the find- bitration should be seen as putes regarding the tenure cation that arbitration clause increase the chances of
appoint an arbitrator. Thus, of the lease for further 30 Arbitration and Conciliation ings were not supported an exception to the judicial and the quantum of rent can be invoked even if there’s reaching settlement which
the issue to dismantle the years with 10% escalation Act, 1996 read with Section by suitable reasoning and or court system. Thirdly, to were arbitrable disputes. In non-renewal of the lease is can then be recorded and
applicability of the arbitra- in interest rate every three 10 of the Commercial Courts that the mere fact that the avoid either broad or nar- the present case, both the altogether necessary. It also even if they did not, there
tion clause over the present years. Thereafter, a dispute Act, 2015 for the appoint- government could revoke row approach and instead parties have disagreement finds support under Trans- are recognised criteria for
dispute of renewal of the arose between the parties ment of an arbitrator. The the exemption for leased go with intention of the par- on the renewal due to the fer of Property Act, upon fixing rent and period hav-
deed of lease came before with respect to the renewal Division Bench of the High properties under the Delhi ties as to scope of the clause dispute on period and rent of careful analysis of right and ing regard to “assumptions”
the Hon’ble Supreme Court. of the lease. However, on 17th Court set aside the order of Rent Act, 1995, did not make is understood by consider- the lease. It noted that mere- liabilities of landlord and and “disregards” which are
In the present article, the May 2021, Dr. K. Jayakumar, the Commercial Court and tenancy disputes inadmis- ing the strict language and ly because the respondent tenants which is provided internationally recognised
authors try to dissect and IAS, Additional Chief Secre- also dismissed the applica- sible to arbitration. Further, circumstance of the case in State refuses to renew the under Sections 111, 114 and for coming to a decision.

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