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T
he June 23 meeting of the Punjab, Bihar, Jharkhand, and collective strength could make it

Opposition in Patna has set
the trajectory of Indian
politics, heralding the
advent of a make-or-break
battle for both the Opposition and the
BJP in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha
election. {Pushed into a corner by the
onslaught of probe agencies, the
Opposition is determined to confront
the BJP directly in a minimum of 400
constituencies. This gathering
represents a pivotal moment as the
majority of influential Opposition
leaders, with the exception of Arvind
Kejriwal from the AAP, have chosen
to set aside their political divergences
and embark on negotiations aimed at
ending Prime Minister Narendra
Modi's tenure next ten months.
The primary objective of the
meeting was to foster unity among
opposition parties and devise a
comprehensive strategy to challenge
the ruling party in the upcoming
elections. Discussions also revolved
around crucial national issues,
including economic policies,
unemployment, healthcare, agrarian
distress, and social justice. Electoral
alliances, seat-sharing arrangements,
and campaign coordination were also
key topics on the agenda.
With as many as 17 political
parties and three dozen leaders in
attendance, the Patna conclave is a
significant breakthrough that indicates
a promising development in the
opposition's unity. This positive
momentum is expected to continue
with the reconvening of these leaders
in Shimla in the second week of July,
further strengthening their joint
platform against Modi. Bihar Chief
Minister Nitish Kumar has already
laid the groundwork and proposed a
formula for seat adjustments, which
could serve as a starting point for
future negotiations, testing the
sincerity of these leaders in forging a
united front.
However, the absence of Janata
Dal (Secular), Bhartiya Rashtriya
Congress, Biju Janata Dal, and YSR
Congress at the meeting highlights the
limited scope for Opposition unity in
South India. The Congress and Left
Maharashtra. In addition, the
Congress will also contest elections on
its own in Madhya Pradesh,
Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Gujarat,
Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh.
A Congress and Trinamool Congress
alliance in Bengal and Tripura may
still be possible, but finding common
ground between the Left and Mamata
Banerjee's TMC presents challenges.
If the opposition does manage to
unite in North and West India, it
could result in direct contests in
nearly 400 seats. Some states where
multi-cornered contests might occur
include Uttar Pradesh (because of the
Mayawati factor). , Odisha, Andhra
Pradesh, Telangana, Punjab, and
Delhi. Out of these 400-plus seats, the
Congress is expected to contest
around 310-320 seats, sharing the
electoral space with the Shiv Sena-led
by Uddhav Thackeray, TMC, DMK,
SP, RJD, JD(U), NCP, and NC and
PDP.
Considering the current scenario,
if the Opposition manages to unite in
North and West India, Congress
leader Rahul Gandhi is likely to be
seen as a prominent candidate for the
prime ministerial role. Even if the
alliance doesn't officially project him
as such, the party's cadres and workers
are likely to see him in that role,
which could energize the party base
but also considerably clear the
confusion among the public about the
potential leader of the nation after
Modi.
While BJP leaders repeatedly
claim that a contest t between Rahul
and Modi will be a one-sided affair,
favoring the Gujarat stalwart,
undoubtedly, Rahul has gained
popularity following his successful
Bharat Yatra. If the Congress leader
undertakes a second round of Bharat
Yatras from west to east, Rahul could
further capitalize on his growing
popularity among the masses. The
Congress hopes that the appeal of
leaders like Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka
Gandhi among the middle class and
the poor voters, and Kharge among
Dalit and Muslim voters will lead to a
resurgence of the party, which aims to
extremely challenging for the BJP to
retain power. However, politics is not
a simple equation, and the Opposition
will need more than just numerical
superiority on their side.
To truly win over the electorate,
the Opposition must offer stability,
strong leadership, and a compelling
economic vision that convinces the
nation they are united not only to oust
Modi but also to formulate a
C74>??>B8C8>=B comprehensive plan addressing the
socio-economic divide that they talk
34B?4A0C8>=C> about day and night. In addition to
9>8=5>A24BBC4<B leadership and joint campaigns, a
5A><CF>2A8C820; significant portion of the middle class,
upwardly mobile, and educated voters
502C>ABC70C3A8E4 yearn to see a clear blueprint from the
C748A<>C8E0C8>= opposition. They seek a convincing
58ABC;HC74H70E4 demonstration that the Opposition
50243A4;4=C;4BB has a well-thought-out strategy to
deliver on the promise of "acche din"
C0A64C8=61H (good days) if they were to assume
?A>14064=284B8= power.
C74?0BC0=3540A The Patna event, with its lively
C70C85<>38 discussions, idea exchanges, and
shared commitment to democratic
A4CDA=BC>?>F4A values, exemplified the determination
C74BD=F8;; of opposition parties to shape the
5>A4E4AB4C3>F= future political landscape through
>=C748A?>;8C820; collaboration. Leaders from major
opposition parties across the country
5DCDA4C78B540A converged in Patna, representing
033BDA64=2HC> diverse political ideologies and
C748A455>ACBC> backgrounds. The presence of
D=8C40608=BCC74 influential figures such as Mamata
Banerjee, Sharad Pawar, Akhilesh
AD;8=6?0ACH Yadav, Uddhav Thackeray and
B42>=3;HC74H Sitaram Yechury added gravitas to the
14;84E4C70CB8=24 proceedings.
The meeting showcased a
=40A;H%!?4A24=C remarkable spirit of unity and
>5E>C4AB20BC collaboration among opposition
C748A10;;>CB parties. Leaders set aside their
0608=BCC7419?8= ideological differences and focused on
the shared goal of strengthening the
! (C748A democratic framework and
2>;;42C8E4 safeguarding the rights and welfare of
BCA4=6C72>D;3 citizens. They recognized that only by
<0:48C4GCA4<4;H joining forces could they present a
credible alternative to the ruling party.
270;;4=68=65>A Central to the discussions was the
C7419?C>A4C08= formulation of a common minimum
?>F4A7>F4E4A program, a guiding document that
?>;8C82B8B=>C0 would outline the alliance's shared
principles, goals, and policy
HY`dRZUhYRe0
7TaTPaTcWTbcPcT\T]cbX]
RWa^]^[^VXRP[^aSTa)
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish have decided to contest (Lok
Kumar stated, "We had a Sabha polls) together. Another
good meeting, and several
leaders expressed their views
meeting of all the (opposition)
parties will be held to decide
during the meeting. Seventeen the next course of action. In
parties have decided to work that meeting, almost
together and contest the Lok everything will be finalized.
Sabha elections unitedly. Very Mallikarjun Kharge will chair
positive talks were held today, and we that meeting early next month.”
National Conference leader back. Mehbooba Mufti and I
Omar Abdullah, after the belong to that part of the
joint opposition meeting in country where democracy is
Patna, said, ".17 parties from murdered...Yesterday in
Kashmir to Kanyakumari have America there were
come together not for power, discussions about
but for principles. We have
met to save the country from
democracy in the White
House...why this democracy
devastation and to bring democracy doesn't reach Jammu and Kashmir..."
NCP chief Rahul Gandhi: "It is a Tamil Nadu Chief
Sharad Pawar: battle of ideologies. Minister and DMK
“Just like JP Indeed, there will be supremo MK Stalin
movement, differences among us, said that no decision
our united but we have decided was taken on the PM
front will get to work together and candidate at the Patna
the blessings protect the ideologies opposition parties'
of the public.” shared by us." meeting.
West Bengal Chief Minister Patna, Mamata Banerjee
and Trinamool Congress said, "We are united, we will
supremo Mamata Banerjee fight unitedly... history
asserted that all the started from here (Patna),
Opposition parties will
unitedly fight against the
BJP wants that history
changed. And we want
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) history should be saved from
in the upcoming Lok Sabha Bihar. Our objective is to
election. Addressing the media after speak against this fascist
the Opposition leaders' meeting in government..."

parties, who were present at the Patna
conclave, are also political rivals in
Kerala. Since the BJP's influence in
Kerala is relatively low, these parties
see no need for seat adjustments in
the state.
Likewise, the Congress is prepared
to contest elections independently in
Telangana, Andhra Pradesh,
Karnataka, and Odisha, while
maintaining its existing alliance with
the DMK in Tamil Nadu. Therefore,
the main focus of the opposition's
unity efforts will primarily be in
North and Western India, particularly
in states such as Uttar Pradesh, West
Bengal, Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi,
win at least 100-plus seats. This could
be the best-case scenario in the
Opposition’s effort to end the Modi-
shah era.
The Opposition's desperation to
join forces stems from two critical
factors that drive their motivation.
Firstly, they have faced relentless
targeting by probe agencies in the past
and fear that if Modi returns to power,
their political aspirations may be
further thwarted. This fear adds
urgency to their efforts to unite
against the ruling party. Secondly,
they believe that since nearly 62
percent of voters cast their ballots
against the BJP in 2019, their
B8<?;44@D0C8>= framework. This program aimed to
0=3C74>??>B8C8>= provide a cohesive roadmap for the
F8;;=443<>A4 opposition coalition in effectively
C70=9DBC addressing the nation's challenges.
While the opposition parties in
=D<4A820; Patna demonstrated unity and
BD?4A8>A8CH>= determination, they also
C748AB834 acknowledged the formidable
challenges that lie ahead. The ruling
party's massive electoral machinery,
widespread support, and incumbency
advantages cannot be underestimated.
Furthermore, managing ideological
differences within the opposition
alliance will require adept handling to
maintain a united front.
To overcome these challenges,
leaders stressed the importance of
grassroots mobilization, direct voter
engagement, and addressing citizens'
concerns. Efficient resource
management, encompassing financial
and human resources, was also a key
topic of discussion.
The meeting of opposition parties
in Patna marks a crucial step towards
forging a stronger alliance, driven by
the objective of providing an
alternative vision for the country. The
leaders displayed an unwavering
commitment to democratic values and
principles, setting aside their
differences to work collectively for the
betterment of the nation. While
challenges lie ahead, the meeting
highlighted the determination and
resolve of the opposition parties to
build a formidable coalition. The
unity demonstrated in Patna sends a
clear message to the electorate that the
opposition is prepared to challenge
the ruling party's dominance and
present a viable alternative. As the
political landscape evolves in the
coming months, the true impact of
this meeting will become evident,
potentially shaping the course of
Indian politics and democracy for
years to come.
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magine a scenario where

I your mind is razor sharp

but you are unable to con-
trol your muscle move-
ment. So much so that you
gradually lose the power of
mobility and speech, the ability
to swallow or chew and even
breathe. Ultimately, the patient
needs permanent ventilator sup-
port. This is ALS, the rarest of
rare diseases,” Dr Nirmal Surya
, leading neurologist and chair-
man of the Indian Academy of
Neuro rehabilitation makes the
case for the ALS for its inclusion
in the Rare Disease category.
ALS affects an estimated
450,000 people worldwide, with
an average survival rate of just
two to five years. Every 90 min-
utes someone is diagnosed with
ALS and as many minutes
someone passes away from this
disease. In India alone, it is esti-
mated that around 75,000 to
100,000 people live with ALS.
Professor M Gourie Devi,
senior consultant neurologist, Sir
Ganga Ram Hospital points out
that in Western countries, peo-
ple developed ALS in their 60s
while in India it was observed
that nearly one-third of patients
were younger in the age group
of 40 to 50 years.
In fact, a study, “The profile
of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
in natives of Western Himalayas:
Hospital-based cohort study,”
appeared in the Journal of
Neurosciences in Rural Practices
uphelds Devi’s view. The study
was conducted in Himachal
Pradesh in 2018.
It too found that ALS
patients from India are younger
at disease onset and show longer
duration of symptoms com-
pared to patients from western
countries.
Besides genetic mutations,
which have been associated
with the familial and sporadic
forms of ALS, environmental
factors, including smoking, viral
infections, and exposure to tox-
ins, metals, solvents, pesticides,
radiation and electromagnetic
fields have also been linked to
the disease.
“About 50% of ALS patients
survive for three to five years
after the onset of symptoms,
while 30 % beyond five years
and around 20% may survive
longer as it depends on site of
onset, rate of progression and
availability of assistive devices,”
Devi maintains, adding that
patients having difficulty in
swallowing and breathing die
early.
“By integrating ALS into the
policy framework, we can
enhance awareness among med-
ical practitioners, thereby
enabling early and accurate
diagnosis, access to affordable
treatment options and assistive
devices, and supportive thera-
pies that can improve the qual-
ity of life and extend the lifes-
pan,” she said, echoing the views
of Dr Surya.
The progressive nature of
ALS presents unique challenges,
requiring comprehensive and
multidisciplinary support,
including exorbitant specialised
medical care, assistive devices,
and access to palliative care
services.
Being a debilitating condi-
tion, ALS not only poses
immense financial burden but
also adversely impacts the
physical, emotional and social
well-being of the affected indi-
viduals and their families. The
inclusion of ALS in the nation-
al rare disease policy would
send a strong message of
inclusivity and support for
those living with rare neurode-
generative diseases in the
country, as per the ALS Care
& Support Foundation. It has
identified a few key actions
that can make a substantial
difference- regular awareness
campaigns, financial support,
national registry of ALS
patients, research and trials in
India, multidisciplinary ALS
clinics, insurance coverage,
and access to global therapies,
drugs, supplements and assis-
tive devices.
“However, it is also true
that a person living with ALS
can lead a productive life.
Early intervention, compre-
hensive and committed care
and support, and advance-
ments in research can signif-
icantly enhance the quality of
life for those affected with the
What is ALS?
ALS, is a nervous system
(neurological) disease that
causes muscle weakness and
impacts physical function.
ALS is often called Lou
Gehrig’s disease, after the
famous baseball player who
was diagnosed with it. ALS is
a type of motor neuron disease
that causes nerve cells to grad-
ually break down and die.
In the United States, ALS is
sometimes called motor neu-
ron disease.
In most cases, doctors don’t
know why ALS occurs. A small
number of cases are inherited.
ALS often begins with
muscle twitching and weakness
in an arm or leg, or sometimes
with slurring of speech.
Eventually, ALS can affect your
ability to control the muscles
needed to move, speak, eat and
breathe. ALS can’t be cured and
eventually leads to death.
What are the symptoms of
ALS?
As motor neurons degen-
erate, they can no longer send
impulses to the muscle fibers
that normally result in muscle
movement.
Early symptoms of ALS
disease,” said Satvinder Kaur,
co-founder of the ALS Care &
Support Foundation.
“Focussed attention on the
needs of the ALS community
aligns with international best
practices in rare disease manage-
ment. Many countries recognize
502C58;4
often include increasing mus-
cle weakness, especially involv-
ing the arms and legs, speech,
swallowing or breathing.
When muscles no longer
receive the messages from the
motor neurons that they
require to function, the muscles
begin to atrophy (become
smaller).
Limbs begin to look “thin-
ner” as muscle tissue atro-
phies.
What are the effects of ALS?
● The body has many
kinds of nerves. There are
those involved in the process of
thinking, memory, and of
detecting sensations (such as
hot/cold, sharp/dull), and oth-
ers for vision, hearing, and
other bodily functions.
● The nerves that are
affected when you have ALS are
the motor neurons that provide
voluntary movements and
muscle power. Examples of
voluntary movements are your
making the effort to reach for
the phone or step off a curb;
these actions are controlled by
the muscles in the arms and
legs.
the significance of ALS and
have implemented policies that
priortises the unique needs of
ALS patients,” asserted Prof
Rajinder K Dhamija, Director
of the Delhi-based Institute of
Human Behaviour and Allied
Sciences and Neurologist.
● The heart and the diges-
tive system are also made of
muscle but a different kind, and
their movements are not under
voluntary control. When your
heart beats or a meal is digest-
ed, it all happens automatical-
ly. Therefore, the heart and
digestive system are not
involved in ALS. Breathing
also may seem to be involun-
tary.
● Remember, though,
while you cannot stop your
heart, you can hold your breath
- so be aware that ALS may
eventually have an impact on
breathing.
What are the early signs and
symptoms of ALS?
● Difficulty walking, trip-
ping or difficulty doing your
normal daily activities
● Weakness in your leg,
feet or ankles
● Hand weakness or clum-
siness
● Slurring of speech or
trouble swallowing
● Muscle cramps and
twitching in your arms, shoul-
ders and tongue
● Difficulty holding your
According to the ALS
Association, about 20 percent
of people live five years after
their diagnosis, 10 percent live
10 years after their diagnosis
and 5 percent live 20 years or
more. Probably well known
physicist, cosmologist and
author Stephen Hawking who
managed to survive till 70
years of age was from the 5 per
cent category.
Besides, factors such as
genetics and age at diagnosis
may play a role in a patient’s sur-
vival times.
Most people with ALS die
from respiratory failure, which
occurs when people cannot get
2DA4DB8=66>;3=0=>?0AC82;4B
head up or keeping a good pos-
ture
What are the treatment
options for motor neuron
disease or ALS?
*There is no definitive cure
for motor neuron disease in
India or in any country.
Medications and therapy can
lower motor neuron disease
progression which can be con-
sidered as a form of MND cure
in India. There are some med-
ications in the market which
have proven to slow the disease
considerably and should be
taken as advised by the special-
ist. Undergoing surgery should
be avoided as much as possible
and only to be approached as
a last resort.
Can ALS onset be prevented
or delayed with early detec-
tion?
Unfortunately, the answer
is no, for the time being.
However, this situation may
change with the new develop-
ment of therapeutic genome
editing. In the future, it the
mutation may be corrected
before the onset of the disease,
which will offer a fundamental
cure for the disease.
enough oxygen from their lungs
into their blood; or when they
cannot properly remove carbon
dioxide from their blood, accord-
ing to NINDS. In ALS, this hap-
pens because the disease can
eventually lead to paralysis of the
muscles that control breathing,
according to the Mayo Clinic.
In the late stages of ALS, it
becomes hard for patients to
exhale carbon dioxide. “High
levels of carbon dioxide in the
body cause low levels of con-
sciousness, leading patients to
sleep for long periods. Often,
patients with ALS die very
peacefully while sleeping,” as per
The ALS Association
A0H>57>?4
B284=C8BCB4=E8B8>=?>BB81;4
mit Dubey, a former
A researcher at Allahabad
University, along with
researchers from the
Shoolini University of
Himachal Pradesh and
Okinawa Institute of
Science and Technology
Graduate University, Japan,
have found evidence that
“self-therapeutic gold nano-
chaperon treatment” holds
a potential role in the
restoration of motor neuron
processivity.
The research results
have been published in the
prestigious New Journal of
Chemistry, Royal Society
of Chemistry (RSC), UK.
The researchers have
also identified the pharma-
cological potential of a syn-
thesised Gold-PEG
(PolyEthylene Glycol) — a
compound derived from
petroleum with many appli-
cations — like nanoconju-
gate in transgenic mice and
the mechanism through
which it could help in the
treatment of the disease.
Dubey, an AU alumnus
and a key research team
member said, “We have
reported the restoration of
motor neuron processivity
upon gold nano-chaperon
treatment in vitro. We eval-
uated the pharmacological
potential of a synthesised
BCD3H
><460"50CCH0283B;8=:43C>
B;>F4A342;8=48=0;B
eople with ALS who eat
P more foods high in cer-
tain omega-3 fatty acids
like flaxseed oil, walnuts,
canola oil and pumpkin
seeds may have a slower
physical decline from the
disease and may have a
slightly extended survival.
The study, which
looked at the survival of
people with ALS over the
course of 18 months, was
published in Neurology, a
medical journal of the
American Academy of
Neurology. Researchers
also found an omega-6
fatty acid may be beneficial.
The study does not prove
that these omega fatty acids
slow decline of ALS or
extend survival; it only
shows an association.
“The link our study
found between diet and ALS
is intriguing and suggests,
but does not prove, that
people with ALS may ben-
efit from incorporating
more omega-3 fatty acids
into their diet,” said Kjetil
Bjornevik, of Har vard
University in Boston,
Massachusetts, and member
of the American Academy
of Neurology. “It will now be
important to conduct addi-
Gold-PEG nanoconjugate
in transgenic mice. We
found differences in the
detection of the onset of
symptoms and the progres-
sion of the disease upon
Gold-PEG treatment when
assessed using behavioural
tests, such as rotarod and
walking tests.”
Dubey said histopathol-
ogy of the gastrocnemius
muscle (large posterior
muscle of the calf of the leg)
showed notable alteration
upon Gold-PEG adminis-
tration.
“The therapeutic poten-
tial of the nanoconjugate
was found to be notable, with
additional survival for mice,
and improved rotarod (rotat-
ing rod with forced motor
activity being applied) per-
formance,” he said.
Current findings sug-
gest that gold nanoparticles
can increase the survival of
ALS-suffering mice for
nearly seven days on aver-
age compared to a control.
Also, significant improve-
ments were seen in the
probability of onset and the
mean age at onset as deter-
mined via rotarod testing
and other examinations.
Gold-PEG-treated ALS
mice also showed a lower
extent of motor neuron
degeneration, he added.
tional research looking
specifically at the plant-
based omega-3 fatty acid
alpha-linolenic acid in peo-
ple with ALS to further
explore this possibility.”
The study involved 449
people who had ALS with
an average age of 58, who
were followed over 18
months. Of the total partic-
ipants, 126 or 28%, died by
the end of the study.
Researchers looked at
levels of omega-3 fatty
acids in participants’ blood.
They divided them into
four groups based on low-
est to highest amounts.
Participants took a test
to assess their disease pro-
gression and severity of
symptoms. The test mea-
sured 12 aspects of physi-
cal function including
swallowing, speaking,
chewing, and the ability to
use muscles in the hands,
arms, legs and torso, as well
as respiratory function.
Each category was scored
from zero, meaning no
ability, to four, meaning
normal ability. Total scores
ranged between zero to 48,
with higher scores indicat-
ing better function and less
severe symptoms.

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orld Digestive Health Day selected the theme for the year 2023 drugs, antibiotics and some other cat- Giloy, Haldi, Aloe vera, and bhas- foods like jalebi are also useful for dhatu is responsible for proper diges-

W may have gone, having

been observed on May 29,
but we must know that ensuring good
gut health is a daily affair. For, ‘A
healthy gut is a healthy you.’
Everyone wants to consume a
well balanced diet and quality food
for better immunity and endurance
but all of us are not lucky enough to
digest all the ingested food due to a
weak digestive system.
In view of the increasing num-
ber of patients of gastro-intestinal
diseases globally, World
Gastroenterology Organisation has
“Your Digestive Health: A Healthy
Gut From the Start”.
Good digestive health allows the
body to duly break down the ingest-
ed food and absorb nutrients to keep
the body healthy.
Enzymes and chemicals secret-
ed by the liver, pancreas, intestine, etc.
as well as microbes present in the gut
are responsible for quality of diges-
tion. Ingredients of ingested food are
equally responsible for good diges-
tion. Food, environment and medi-
cines also affect the gut bacteria.
Anti-tubercular and anti-cancer
egories of medicines prove harmful
for the gut bacteria which aid in
digestion. It harms not only the
digestive process, but also affects
assimilation and absorption of food
in the body adversely. As a result we
are neither benefited by the nutrients
present in the ingested food, nor are
the level of immunity improved. It is
clear that selection of foods along
with medicines is beneficial for
health as well as immunity.
Ayurvedic medicines like
Ashwagandha, Shatavari, Kutki,
Punarnava, Kalmegh, Bhringraj,
mas of Gold, Silver, Diamond,
Copper, Iron, etc. are quite safe for gut
microbiomes and highly effective to
cure the diseases.
Millets and whole grains like
grams, ragi, bajara, jwar, barley,
maize, beans, pulses, green vegetables
banana, mango, fruit juices contain
proteins, high fibre, vitamins are gut
microbiomes friendly and are easy
to digest.
They also reduce the level of
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digestive health. Foods containing
high quantities of fat, salt and sugar
are harmful for the digestive system
as well as for overall health. From the
Ayurvedic perspective, the human
body is made, developed and grown
by the seven dhatus- Rasa, Rakta,
Mans, Meda, Asthi, Majja & Shukra
which refers to the tissues plasma,
blood, muscles, fat or adipose tissue,
bone, bone marrow & the seminal
fluids respectively. All the seven
dhatus or tissues have their own Agni
or the fire element which is respon-
sible for metabolism. Agni of the rasa
tion, assimilation and absorption of
the food ingested. When agni or the
fire element is low, it affects the qual-
ity of digestion as well as formation
of the next dhatus adversely. So it is
advisable to select foods which aid to
keep the level of agni high and for-
mation of all the dhatus properly.
Living a stress-free and peaceful
life is also essential as hormones like
cortisols reduce the level of agni
which brings down the metabolism
and level of immunity. It is also
important to avoid smoking, alcohol,
and excessive caffeine.
 ce^TQi
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he foundation of any
T nation’s economy is its
banking system. The increased
loss to the banks affects every
citizen of the nation because
the deposits in the banks
belong to the citizens of the
country. Banks run their busi-
ness by giving loans to the
money that we deposit. In the
meantime, the June 8 release of
a circular by the RBI titled
“Framework for Compromised
Settlement and Technical
Write-off ” has several conse-
quences that may affect the
Indian banking system because
it allows compound settlement
for accounts that have been
deemed fraudulent, which is a
violation of justice and
accountability. Fraudulent busi-
nesses or wilful defaulters may
be eligible for a fresh loan after
completing 12 months (mini-
mum period) of settlement.
A wilful defaulter is some-
one who has resources but
refuses to make payments,
according to the 2015 RBI
Master Circular. Because a
company is a separate person
under the law and promoters’
personal assets cannot be
seized if they have not person-
ally guaranteed the loan, such
agreements are acceptable for
small loans (such as home and
auto loans) and to some extent
even with significant wilful
defaulters.
The circular dated June 8,
2023, now addresses settle-
ments with fraudulent bor-
rowers, which were not
addressed in the 2015 circular.
How can a bank settle with
someone who defrauded the
bank?
The circular refers to the
settlement of the loan. In such
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agreements, the bank receives
a portion of the outstanding
loan balance plus interest that
is agreed upon by both parties.
Its drawback is that it raises the
banks’ non-performing asset
(NPA) levels. On the other
hand, a wilful defaulter has an
advantage because he is exempt
from paying back the full
amount plus interest.
Neeraj Singhal, the man-
aging director of Bhushan Steel
Limited, was recently detained
by the Enforcement Directorate
in connection with a C56,000
crore fraud committed by
defrauding more than 36
banks. It was revealed to be the
biggest banking fraud in the
nation in 2018. Neeraj com-
mitted this bank fraud by scam
of C56,000 crore from more
than three dozen banks. To
show multiple entries, the loan
amount was transferred from
one shell company to another
after creating dummy or shell
companies for the loan. In the
name of his company and
business, Neeraj obtained loans
from banks, but he used the
money for himself.
The unique aspect is that
Neeraj continued to take out
loans without repaying the
original ones, and the banks
prepared for this. From 2007 to
2014, this game was ongoing.
There are numerous bank
frauds in front of us, including
Neeraj Singhal-Bhushan Steel
(C56,000 crore), DHFL
(C35,000 crore), ABG Shipyard
(C23,000 crore), Nirav Modi
and Mehul Choksi scam in
PNB scam (C11,400 crore),
Liquor businessman Vijay
Mallya (C10,000 crore) banks,
Andhra Bank Fraud (C8,100
crore), PMC scam (C4,355
rguably, or it goes without
A any argument, the man-
made disaster at Joshimath
reflects on India’s development
journey sans ethics. Following
the massive cracks identified in
the buildings in Joshimath
town and the subsequent evac-
uation of people from the area,
it has once again raised the dis-
for ethical (also environmen-
tally friendly) development
activities.
The natural and anthro-
pogenic reasons for the disas-
ter highlight several factors,
including the location of
Joshimath in a seismic zone,
reactivation of geographical
fault, landslides caused by the
undercuts by Alkananda and
Dhauliganga, and the con-
struction of large-scale devel-
opment projects such as
NTPC’s 520 MW Tapovan-
Vishnugad Hydroelectric
power project and Char Dham
project-road expansion activ-
ities.
Warning about such a dis-
Joshimath, the Mahes Chand
Mishra committee-1976,
observed that “Joshimath is a
deposit of sand and stone — it
is not the main rock — hence
it was not suitable for estab-
lishing a township”.
Both the natural and
anthropogenic reasons for the
Joshimath disaster merit fur-
ther (re)thinking and require
action on development activi-
ties so that a balance can be
struck between the environ-
ment, native people, and larg-
er developmental interests.
Accordingly, such man-made
disasters warrant critical analy-
sis from an ethical perspective.
Ethical analysis in this context
includes two dimensions
(which should not be seen as
binaries): environmental ethics
and development ethics.
Considering humans as
part of the environment, envi-
ronmental ethics engages with
man’s moral relationship with
the environment and its non-
human constituents, including
the moral status of the envi-
ronment. The natural reasons
crore), Rotomac Pen Scam
(C3,695 crore), Videocon Case
(C3,250 crore), Allahabad Bank
Fraud (C1,775 crore), Syndicate
Bank Scam (C1,000 crore),
Bank of Maharashtra scam
(C836 crore), Kanishk Gold
Bank Fraud (C824 crore), IDBI
Bank Fraud (C600 crore), RP
Info Systems Bank Scam (C515
crore) to name just a few.
According to Reserve Bank
of India data, just 312 major
defaulters account for more
show that the environment of
the Joshimath area is already
naturally fragile and thus needs
special attention and care.
Consequently, any deviation
from taking special care gives
rise to environmental ethical
concerns, questioning humans’
responsibility towards protect-
ing and sustaining the envi-
ronment.
Arguably, the successive
governments’ apathy and neg-
ligence of the Mishra commit-
tee report-1976 have adverse
effects on the Himalayan envi-
ronment, including the natives
of the regions. Thus, the
charges on the successive gov-
ernments and the agents of
than 76 per cent of total bad
loans. According to Banks’
reports, 16,044 borrowers had
wilful defaulted on loans total-
ing C346,479 crore as of
December 2022.
Large loan advance frauds
are not common, but they do
happen occasionally when
large lenders, bank officials, or
sometimes even third parties
like lawyers or chartered
accountants (CAs) are
involved. The amount stuck in
development being unethical
are not only on the eco-centric
ground — which attributes
moral standing to the envi-
ronment and claims its pro-
tection for the environment
itself — but also on the anthro-
pocentric ground — which
claims that the environment
needs to be protected merely
for the well-being of humans.
Furthermore, when talking
about development ethics, it
deals with the moral justifica-
tion that is grounded in any
developmental policy or pro-
ject(s). It mainly has two per-
spectives: a cost-benefit utili-
tarian account and an anti-
cost-benefit holistic account.
the wilful default category has
increased by 41 per cent or over
C1 lakh crore in the last two
years from C2,45,767 crore.
When the farmer is unable to
pay back the loan, the bank
sells his land at auction and
makes a profit.
However, when it comes to
business owners or industrial-
ists, the same banks become
paralyzed and learn about these
NPAs much later.
Ironically, there are no spe-
According to the former,
development is justified since
it maximises benefits over
costs. This justification under-
pins the traditional Western
notion of development that
primarily considers economic
development. Hence, under-
taking developmental actions,
including large-scale infra-
structure projects, is justified
since all these actions can
improve the economic stan-
dard of the locals as well as the
State.
However, considering that
humans are endowed with
multiple needs and flairs
(social, political, economic,
and cultural, to broadly cite),
cific skills required to become
a banker in an Indian bank,
despite the fact that banking is
regarded as a clerical occupa-
tion in India. It is necessary to
categorise the banking indus-
try as a skill-specific industry,
particularly its lending division.
When providing loans to
Indian businesses that have
taken out sizable loans abroad,
banks should exercise caution.
The banks’ internal and exter-
nal audit systems must be
“development ethics should
not be divorced from the hope,
expectations, and aspirations of
ordinary people.”
In the context of develop-
mental actions, concerning
morality, fundamental ques-
tions arise: development for
whom, by whom, and, most
importantly, at the cost of
what? Accordingly, develop-
ment ought to be inclusive of
critical evaluation and legiti-
mate justification to strength-
en itself. For example, there is
a need to critically reflect on
how far economic values and
interests need to be emphasised
and whether environmental
concerns should be compro-
KLEJEKJ
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strengthened immediately.
It’s crucial that employees
in the loan department rotate
quickly. A rigorous internal rat-
ing agency should be estab-
lished to evaluate major pro-
jects. Implementing a strong
management information sys-
tem (MIS) is necessary to mon-
itor early warning signs regard-
ing business projects.
In order to conduct a
forensic audit, RBI lacks the
necessary supervisory capaci-
ty, which needs to be strength-
ened with both human and
technical resources. The use of
artificial intelligence to moni-
tor financial transactions can
significantly reduce the inci-
dence of financial fraud.
Additionally, the branch’s input
on the borrowers’ backgrounds
and other pertinent ground
realities should be given the
appropriate weight. Creating a
“bad bank” is not the real
solution because these steps
only assist when a loan defaults
and do not prevent defaults in
the first place.
The RBI should strength-
en its loan recovery procedures
rather than keeping large cor-
porate bad loans from being
written off. In order to prevent
problems from occurring, the
government, RBI, and banks
will need to exercise more
supervision over credit man-
agement.
(The writer, the author of
the book ‘Changing Scenario of
Indian Banking Industry,’ is
Associate Professor, Atal Bihari
Vajpayee School of Management
and Entrepreneurship,
Jawaharlal Nehru University,
New Delhi. The views expressed
are personal.)
mised with economic values,
among others.
In this context, legitimate
justification provides a descrip-
tive ground based on the
approachable norms to demon-
strate why economic values
cannot be considered absolute
and thus makes a case for the
rationale of considering other
values and interests to an equal
extent. To put it in a broader
perspective, such an argument
entails that development is
meant for a certain end —
human well-being.
Thus, before implementing
any development projects, it is
essential to understand the
term “development” and focus
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on the basic requirements,
including the desires, expecta-
tions, and aspirations of people,
as well as the cultural, social,
and environmental values of
the area where the project
aims to be implemented. The
harmony between the objective
of a development activity and
the requirements of the local
people proves authentic praise-
worthy development and can
prevent undesirable anti-devel-
opment legacies and disasters.
However, such a desirable
and inclusive model of devel-
opment is only possible
through a deliberative democ-
ratic procedure of decision-
making that includes the free-
dom of the local people and
enables their participation in
the developmental policy-mak-
ing process.
On the contrary, a justifi-
catory reason for ignoring the
Mishra Committee seems to be
that the suggestions made in
this report do not promote the
commercial interests of the
state and the state-supported
private actors. Consequently,
immense construction work
resumed in the name of devel-
opment in this fragile area.
But the question remains
unanswered: should we call it
ethical, all-inclusive, and
praiseworthy development in
which the economic benefit of
the state and some private
individuals overshadow the
suffering and vulnerabilities
of the local people? As Danis
Goulet says, “societies are more
human or more developed,
not when men and women
‘have more’ but when they are
enabled ‘to be more’.”
Unfortunately, the develop-
ment activities carried out, in
general and in and around
environmentally fragile areas,
are neither inclusive towards
critical evaluation nor capable
of providing legitimate justifi-
cations and thus fail to with-
stand ethical and moral scruti-
ny.
(The writer is a former
ethical Consultant at the
National Institute of Advanced
Studies, Bengaluru.)
 08 MUMBAI
SUNDAY
JUNE 25, 2023

Reflections
{ CHANAKYA }

India-US relationship
takes a leap of trust
A clear political direction by
leaders who could not be more
different yet found common
ground, the hard work of their
teams, and the increasing areas
of convergence and diminishing
areas of differences led to a leap
in bilateral ties during PM’s visit
stick to a decision (think support for
Ukraine), and run an intellectually coherent
and broadly effective foreign policy in the
first two years of his term, which includes
methodical competition with China and,
now, the embrace of India.
The 80-year-old born in Pennsylvania’s
Scranton and 72-year-old born in Gujarat’s
Vadnagar could not be more different. One has
been a lifelong Democrat, held on to broadly
liberal internationalist positions, and found
his natural home in the American legislature
before making the journey down the hill on
told their systems to make it work, and
agreed that if democracies had to deliver,
they had to show outcomes.
Modi had external affairs minister S Jais-
hankar, national security adviser (NSA) Ajit
Doval, foreign secretary Vinay Mohan Kwa-
tra, Indian ambassador to the US Taranjit
Singh Sandhu, additional secretary in charge
of Americas Vani Rao, India’s deputy chief of
mission in Washington Sripriya Ranga-
nathan and their capable teams. Biden had
his NSA Jake Sullivan, National Security
Council (NSC) Indo-Pacific coordinator Kurt

T
here is something about Naren-
dra Modi. You may like him or
dislike him, vote for him or
oppose him viscerally. But it is
clear that the Prime Minister
knows how to seize an opportu-
nity, use his political strength to hold on to
certain positions, show flexibility when
needed, and then own the decision politi-
cally. And nowhere has this been more
apparent than in the domain of foreign pol-
icy in a particularly difficult environment.
Think terror on Pakistan, the balance on
Russia, the calibrated line on China, and,
now, the embrace of the US.
There is also something about Joe Biden.
You may think he is too old for the job, or
may admire his courage through adversity
and his experience. But it is clear that,
domestically, he has navigated the US
through a tough period (remember the Janu-
ary 6 Capitol storming and the pandemic),
pushed through transformative legislations
(pandemic relief, climate and domestic man-
ufacturing, semiconductors, infrastructure),
Washington’s Pennsylvania Avenue to the
executive branch in White House, as first vice-
president and then president. The other is
harder to categorise (the conventional social
and economic Left-Right matrix), has been an
ardent nationalist, and, as a man of action,
found his natural home in the political party
organisational structure and then the execu-
tive branch, and has treated the legislature as
necessary but also an impediment.
When the two men met, it was their com-
monalities rather than their differences that
prevailed. There was a conviction of what it
is their respective national interest; Biden
believes India is essential if China has to be
prevented from dominating future geopoli-
tics and geo-economics and the relationship
has depth due to the people-to-people con-
nect; Modi knows American and Indian soci-
eties have a natural warmth and US support
is critical to enhance Indian capabilities. And
they also ended up liking each other and
developing a connection.
Both took a decision, developed a personal
relationship, determined areas of priorities,
Campbell, NSC senior director Eileen Laub-
acher, NSC senior director for tech Tarun
Chhabra, secretary of state Antony J Blinken,
secretary of defense Lloyd Austin, commerce
secretary Gina Raimondo, and assistant sec-
retaries in Pentagon and State, Ely Ratner
and Donald Lu with their respective teams.
What happened in Washington over the
past week was this confluence of the per-
sonal connect between leaders, the decisive-
ness they showed, and the systemic conver-
gence that was enabled by the hard work of
ministers and bureaucrats on both sides.
The outcome is hard to describe. Is it a
turning point? Well, the India-US story has
been of increasing convergence — and so this
is not necessarily a shift. Is it just progress?
Well, the India-US story has also been
marked by incremental movement (barring
the nuclear deal) — and so it may not capture
the scale of what happened? But perhaps the
phrase that captures it is what was used in a
column on these pages sometime before the
visit — a Great Leap Forward.
Both leaders, and their systems, decided to
Biden, who got elected to the US Senate in the early 1970s in his late 20s, and Modi, who joined a political-cultural movement in the
1960s in his teens, trusted their experience and instincts.
take a leap of trust. The Americans realised
that to overcome the scepticism that has
remained deep within Indian defence and
intelligence set-ups about US reliability,
despite increasing cooperation in the past two
decades, they needed to show concrete deliver-
ables. They realised that specific interests, in
the context of China’s challenge in every
domain from geo-economics to geostrategy to
new technologies, required India’s slow, unan-
nounced, but institutionalised integration into
the domains of the future with the West. The
Indians realised that this was a new dynamic;
they could hold on to their positions in geo-
graphies where they differed with the US in
methods, but suddenly the convergence in
goals had expanded. And this could be trans-
lated into real dividends in multiple domains
where India needed the American State’s
approval for technology, its private sector’s
vast capital, and its unparalleled intellectual
infrastructure’s collaboration.
And this is why the Americans laid out the
red carpet with public flattery, pomp and
ceremony. And the Indians reciprocated by
truly acknowledging the symbolism and col-
laborating on the substance. For once, it
wasn’t hyperbole when American political
national security leaders and managers and
even the more cautious Indian political lead-
ership and bureaucratic executors said they
were thrilled with what had just happened.
One way to look at what happened is
through specific deals — the US allowing GE
jet engine tech transfer is a big deal, India
buying Predator drones is a big deal, India
signing the Artemis Accords is a big deal, the
US embracing India in the Mineral Security
Partnership is a big deal, Micron and other
semiconductor companies investing in India
is a big deal, more Indian investments in
American manufacturing and energy (who
would have that thought two decades ago?)
is a big deal, India and the US developing an
ANI
alternative telecom infrastructure is a big
deal, them deciding to work together in shap-
ing research in new scientific and tech
domains and how to regulate it is a big deal.
But even beyond that, the real significance
of what happened lies in the idea of trust and
the bet on the long-term. Both systems decided
that they wanted closer integration in their
most sensitive domains. And both decided
that they could trust each other enough to pro-
ceed with that. And that is where the two poli-
ticians came into the picture.
Biden, who got elected to the US Senate in
the early 1970s in his late 20s, and Modi, who
joined a political-cultural movement in the
1960s in his teens, trusted their experience
and instincts. What they delivered was a
transformative moment with consequences
for their countries, for the relationship, and
for the world.
letters@hindustantimes.com

the ball had come in my direction, present-

{ SUNDAY SENTIMENTS }
ing me a sitting catch, I dropped it.
GURU HELPED ME GROW { ENGENDER }
Karan Thapar Guru thus gave me the confidence Doon UP, BECOME AWARE OF Lalita Panicker
School would never have imparted on its MY TALENTS, MY
own. He helped me grow up, become
aware of my limitations as much as my tal-
LIMITATIONS AND TO

Three lessons from an ents and to handle setbacks, mistakes and

failures. He taught me to pick myself up
and go on. A necessary lesson, because I
often stumbled and fell.
HANDLE SETBACKS,
MISTAKES AND FAILURES.
HE TAUGHT ME TO PICK
Manipur’s women and
unforgettable teacher Years later, when I was an adult, I
recalled another lesson from Guru. Pun-
ishment is not necessarily the best
response when someone has erred. There
MYSELF UP AND GO ON

impression you leave behind. Greet people

children need succour
ut of affection, we called him ing of myself. are times when overlooking the error is when you enter a room and never forget omen in Manipur, indeed ular needs. Some women have alleged sex-

O Guru but, in fact, that is precisely

what he was. Not a vishwaguru
(global teacher), as is the fashion
these days, but a genuine, dedicated, car-
ing teacher. An Indian Mr Chips, if you
like. Guru was the moniker by which Doon
School boys knew Gurdial Singh. It was a
very apt nickname. It’s also how he’ll be
remembered after his death last month.
I was 10 when I first met Guru. He was
house master of Jaipur House. A tall, big
man, who, at my age, seemed even taller
and bigger. But when Guru smiled, my
fears and concerns were swept away.
When he laughed, I would crack up. There
was no way I could stop.
Officially he taught me geography, but
actually, he taught me some of the best les-
sons I have learnt. The first was not just
the most difficult but also the most reveal-
In the 1960s, Doon valued its sportsmen
far more than scholars. This meant that a
child who had never swung a cricket bat
nor kicked a football was at a significant
disadvantage. My talents lay in acting and
debating and, yes, cramming too. But these
were looked down upon.
Guru, however, would find ways of
making artistic talents feel better than
sporting achievements. He would recall
clever sentences from my debates – and I
could sense this was praise – or a dramatic
posture I struck on stage; and though he
was gently taking the mickey, he was also
conveying how attentive he’d been, and
make me feel special. In his estimation,
this was sufficient reason to make me
house captain in my last year, even though
the best I’d achieved at sport was Juniors
III in cricket. On the one solitary occasion
better.
Many are the times when Guru prac-
tised this principle. It covered instances of
blatant naughtiness to crafty lying to fool-
ish but wilful pranks. He was always aware
of my mistakes but overlooked them. Yet
from the expression on his face, I knew he
expected better. Even as a teenager, that
made me feel bad. More than anything
else, I wanted to be in his best books. His
disapproval was, therefore, crushing. Guru
knew that was punishment enough.
I try to remember this lesson when oth-
ers make mistakes, but it isn’t easy. It
requires wisdom and restraint. Guru had
both. I often have neither. This is a lesson
I haven’t properly learnt.
The third lesson, I’m glad to say, I do
practise. It’s a simple one. A little bit of eti-
quette makes a significant difference to the
“please” and “thank you”.
I don’t think Guru ever explicitly told
me to do this but, then, his example was
always there for everyone to see. So careful
was his cultivation of good manners and so
high the regard in which we held him, that
simply by emulating his example, these
graces became a habit for the rest of us. I
learnt by imitation.
As I look back on my life, Guru’s imprint
is unmistakable. I don’t know if the Battle
of Waterloo was won on the playing fields
of Eton, but certainly the man in me was
shaped by the house master of Jaipur
House. That’s why he will always be my
guru.
Karan Thapar is the author of
Devil’s Advocate: The Untold Story
The views expressed are personal
W across the Northeast, though
largely overlooked in the
cacophony of politics, have
been leading the fight against the narco-
mafia and excesses by security forces.
They have been at the forefront of protests
against forced detentions and disappear-
ances. Previous ethnic clashes have also
seen the efforts made by women to bring
back peace. But today, women and chil-
dren have become victims of Manipur’s
bloody ethnic clashes and are unable to
organise themselves or get the help that
they need so desperately.
Many women and children have had to
flee their burnt homes as the violence
spread, trudging through jungles to reach
refugee camps. Unofficial figures suggest
that at least 5,000 women and 2,000 chil-
dren are now homeless. The situation is
particularly dire for pregnant women and
women who have just given birth, both of
whom need urgent medical assistance.
ual harassment in the camps but, most of
all, there is a sense of hopelessness, of not
knowing how long this will last, or what
the future holds. The women need men-
strual hygiene products and medicines,
which are either in short supply or non-ex-
istent in the camps.
Ranjeeta Sadokpam, an activist and a
veteran of many peaceful protests, says
that the whole tragedy should not be seen
in ethnic or religious terms; for women,
she adds, it is an issue of immense trauma
as many of their husbands and sons have
stayed back in the troubled areas to defend
what is left of their lands and homes.
“These women have no timelines on when
things might get better, they are in a limbo.
The children are traumatised and worried
about their education, many have seen
their kin killed or their homes burned
down. We need counsellors but we are
lucky to get basic amenities. In this horrific
situation, a black market has sprung up

Change is constant. But They are crammed into camps set up in

schools and churches where there is no
separation between men and women –
leading to safety risks and no privacy at all.
where rice, which should be available for
Rs 3 a kilo, is selling for Rs 31 a kilo. A gas
cylinder is Rs 2,000, how does a person
who has lost everything survive?”

let Marine Drive remain Journalist Ninglun Hanghal says, “Most

of these women are from poor homes, they
now have nothing to go back to as their
houses have been burnt down. They will
Other activists, too, say that women
have been treated as collateral damage,
and no one has thought of addressing their
needs, health, safety or mental wellbeing.
arine Drive sits on the 1920s Marine Drive has been lost to a reclama- have to find some source of income which It is still not too late for the government

M Back Bay Reclamation that tion (the coastal road) while the southern
shaped a dream for a modern end stands tall, protected by the 2018
city. It had well-spaced apart- World Heritage Site inscription by Unesco,
ment blocks, a broad promenade, and a and the will of the people. This southern
road so wide you could land a small air- end is now unfortunately being roped into
makes them very vulnerable. The women,
especially those pregnant and nursing,
need nutrition. But they are solely depend-
ent on civil society organisations which
provide basics such as rice and dal which
to step up efforts with civil society groups
and ensure that the women and children
victims of this conflict are not further trau-
matised. Politics has to take a backseat in
the face of this human tragedy and the pri-
craft on it. That was when you travelled by a new BMC proposal to paint the facade of is food, but not the nutrition they need.” ority should be to provide succour to these
ship. Accentuating the sweep around the all 35 Art Deco buildings, altering their dis- Civil society organisations are doing defenceless women and children first.
bay lie 35 Art Deco buildings, crown jewels tinct character. their best but have no training in how to
that pay homage to an era of Marine Drive is synonymous deal with displacement or women’s partic- The views expressed are personal
emerging modernity expressed with Mumbai. Its spirit of social

through Art Deco, the prevailing
architectural style. The timeless-
ness of the classic design with-
stands the test of time. Its dyna-
A
mobility comes alive here in a
resplendent manner. Every
24-hour cycle brings marathon-
ers, students, families with chil-
Marine Drive became a respite from Mumbai’s relentless pace HT ARCHIVE

{ SUNDAY LETTERS }
l
mism and versatile interpretation dren and pets, and lovers holding jazz bar turned pizzeria, and an impecca- state-mandated calls for beautification?
gave homegrown architects Atul hands as they catch the day’s end ble 1930s Art Deco hotel (Sea Green Hotel), An instagrammable Marine Drive belongs
emerging from India’s premier Kumar over a glorious sunset. An escape still owned and managed by the family’s to everyone; every resident and visitor has Change the brain A father’s duty to his daughters
school of architecture – Sir J J from the city’s congested innards, fourth generation. Such was the milieu of invested their own meanings to it over drain perspective This is with reference to Nishtha Gautam’s ‘Fathers
School of Art (as it was known it sees throngs from all over the the time. Claude Batley, architect and head time. Even as the promenade sees an ever- need to break the taboo around sex’ (June 18). It is
then) – a way to acknowledge Bombay’s metropolis come to take in the open space, of the department of architecture from evolving footfall, some things remain con- This is with reference to important for the father to make his daughters aware
prowess as a port city, through a rich array creating a multicultural melting pot. The 1923-43 at Sir JJ School of Art, spoke of the stant. Prithwiraj Choudhury’s about the potential risks from sex in order to live a life
of nautical elements placed on buildings as bustling city with its sprawling slums and “worthwhileness” of this stretch by the sea, Twenty-six years ago, Marine Drive was ‘Leverage the IIT overseas of dignity with no embarrassment and discomfort. This
decorative motifs. Residents could look out luxurious towers may be disparate in drawing attention to the “happy throngs of renamed. Despite the persistent determi- network’ (June 18). duty is vital for a healthy attitude in our society towards
at the bay through a round window resem- many ways, but Marine Drive belongs to promenaders, of all sorts and conditions, nation, the new name remains elusive, The author is right in sex.
bling a porthole on a ship. They spent the everyone. Complete strangers sit in close drinking in the sea air morning and even- even to a newbie taxi driver. The character observing that we
evening on their terraces that resembled proximity, reciprocating accommodation ing.” Ironically, while Marine Drive’s of this precious seafront has evolved over need a major change in Manya Singh
turrets or viewing galleries, akin to an that reflects a unique social and cultural development did not escape allegations of the years, but on its own terms, and in con- how we view the brain
ocean liner, taking in the panoramic sea- comfort. That too at a place that offers no scams, corruption and scathing attacks by stant dialogue with its residents and visi- drain phenomenon. Novak’s unstoppable streak continues
scape and the evening sea breeze. It took food and barely a toilet. the legendary K F Nariman and others, it tors. Painting it with the same brush, as if Investing in retaining
us a century and another pandemic to Marine Drive has been home to the likes witnessed a constant traffic of the city’s it’s a static monument, not a living piece of India’s talent in the This is with reference to Ramesh Krishnan’s ‘Game, Set,
rediscover these spaces and reclaim them of film actress Nargis, former Prime Minis- who’s who, became a hub of recreation modern history, erases its essential charac- country will take more GOAT? The incredible era of Novak’ (June 18). Though
as our own. The uniform skyline, low com- ter Morarji Desai, and Kawasji Fakirji and respite from its relentless pace, and a ter. As Mumbai architect and historian dynamic efforts from the absence of Nadal could be a blessing in disguise for
pound walls and a respectful minimalism Sidhwa, Bombay’s foremost bootlegger of dynamic site seeded in people’s popular Kamu Iyer would say: “Some things are policy and governance Djokovic, we cannot overlook the latter’s tenacious
that clearly acknowledged the sea as the the 1930s, who boasted that his brew was imagination of the city. worth keeping even if they do not have a perspectives. attitude to hold on to the chances that came his way.
showpiece, led Unesco to comment that better than many a scotch. It hosted the Can we value the freedom and sense of patina acquired with age”.
the precinct retains a “high degree of integ- go-to costume maker Maganlal Dress- well-being Marine Drive affords us? Can Rupesh Singh N V Krishnan
rity in visual, spatial and planning terms.” walla, a cutlery showroom, trendy night- we challenge the seeming legitimisation of Atul Kumar is trustee, Art Deco Mumbai Trust.
100 years later, the northern end of clubs, restaurants, ice cream parlours, a appropriating this public space through The views expressed are personal Write to us at: letters@hindustantimes.com

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chandigarh | 25 JUNE 2023

The urge to tell their stories from their own Year-long events are underway to mark 75 In his autobiography, published four years after
point of view and in their own voice has created years of establishment of the National his death, former Chief Election Commissioner
the space for women theatre directors, but Defence Academy, an institution that occupies TN Seshan recaptures the power play of the
prejudices still mar the field ARTS page 2 a pride of place FOCUS page 3 times with thoroughness BOOKS page 4

For New Delhi, it would be imprudent to term the pacts on cutting-edge US technology an alignment shift
from Russia. It’s all about getting partners for the elusive military equipment as border threats rise

SPREADING
AjayBanerjee

A
FTER the United States offered India cut-
ting-edge, elusive and restricted technolo-

WINGS
gies on making aero-engines for fighter jets,
armed drones, semiconductors, space-
based radars, quantum computing and 6G
communications, New Delhi has made a
strategic shift — away from being Russia-
centric or France-centric — to access such
technologies. Aero-engines and armed
drones are military-use equipment. The oth-
er technologies are dual-use, which aid crit-
ical applications of modern-day militaries
during peace and conflict.
The bilateral meeting between Prime Min-
ister Narendra Modi and US President Joe
Biden in Washington DC on June 22 had
unprecedented announcements on technol-
ogy sharing. From New Delhi’s point of view,
it would be imprudent to term the shift pro-
American, or ‘moving away’ from Russia, its
longstanding ally. For now, it’s just about get-
ting partners for the elusive military technol-
ogy as threats from China rise.
In the past 60 years, India has licensed-pro-
duced military equipment of Russian/Soviet
Union parentage, including T-90 tanks,
Sukhoi 30 MKI and MiG-21 jets. India and
Russia co-produced the BrahMos missile.
Moscow handheld India in the nuclear sub-
marine programme; it converted a warship
into an aircraft carrier, INS Vikramaditya, and
supplied the S400 air-defence missile system.
Similarly, France joined hands with India
to make the Scorpene class submarines in
India. It sold the cutting-edge Rafale jets in
2019 and in 1980s, provided the Mirage 2000
jets, the latest at the time.
Sweden-based think tank Stockholm
International Peace Research Institute in
March released its assessment for a five-
year period (2018-2022). It said: “Russia THE UNMANNED MQ-9B. GA
remains the largest supplier of major arms
and supplied 45 per cent of all Indian
imports.” France and the US were second UNMANNED
and third with 29 per cent and 11 per cent
share, respectively. The report compared MQ-9B DISTINGUISHING FEATURES MQ-9B (UNMANNED) MANNED PATROL AIRCRAFT
the five-year period with the previous five- VERSUS Costs 86 per cent less to operate $5,000/per hour $35,000/per hour
year period to show that Russia’s share in
India’s market was declining.
MANNED More time in air, increasing ± 25 hours ± 10 hours
probability of detection of enemy
New Delhi was officially ‘non-aligned’ AIRCRAFT 90% less fuel than similarly 90 litres an hour 2,200 litres an hour
during the Cold War (1945-1991) but was an configured manned ISR aircraft.
ally of the Soviet Union, including signing in
August 1971 the Indo-Soviet Treaty of Peace, US WARSHIP USNS CHARLES DREW AT L&T YARD IN CHENNAI. US NAVY
Friendship and Cooperation. It allowed Sovi-
et Union to intervene to stall a possible US
strike during the 1971 Indo-Pak war.
The India-US strategic relations took baby
GE ENGINE PERFORMANCE India and USA also have a Space Situation-
al Awareness (SSA) arrangement. The India-
steps after the Cold War. In 1995, the two (SEA LEVEL/STANDARD DAY) US Civil Space Joint Working Group spans
agreed on having ‘defence relations’. Ten cutting-edge earth observation capabilities
years later, in 2005, the two signed a ‘frame- F414-GE-400; F414G, F414-INS6 SI measurement to interplanetary exploration. India is now a
work of defence relationship’. A buyer-sell- Thrust class 98 kN signatory to the Artemis Accords and joins
er relationship emerged. India sourced 26 countries committed to the peaceful, sus-
planes like the C-17, C-130 and the Boeing Length 391 cm tainable and transparent exploration of
P8I maritime reconnaissance planes. Heli- Airflow 77.1 kg/sec Moon, Mars, and beyond. Another $318 mil-
copters included the Apache, the Chinook lion investment has been made to construct
and the submarine-hunting MH 60R. There Maximum diameter 89 cm a Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave
was no technology transfer involved. Inlet diameter 79 cm Observatory in India, which will work in tan-
The India-US technology shift was dem with US, Europe and Japan.
described thus by President Biden at the Pressure ratio 30:1
joint press conference: “We have made criti- Semiconductors, the holy grail
Thrust-to-weight class 9:1 GE F414 ENGINE AT GE PLANT IN US. GE
cal and emerging technologies the pillar of Semiconductors are used by the military for
our next-generation partnership.” Biden is avionics on warships, planes, guiding mis-
not off the mark, as over the next three ered by GE F404. The transfer of technolo- operations) facility in India to support ship and marks the beginning of a new siles, computing and communications,
decades, US-origin technology will be a part gy includes critical and restricted technolo- India’s long-term goals to boost indigenous chapter for deeper engagements”. among other applications. SCL-Mohali, BEL
and parcel of India’s war-fighting effort. gies like crystal blade coating, laser drilling defence capabilities”. That means, similar Now, apart from L&T, the US Navy is final- and HAL cater to the defence and space sec-
and polymers, to name a few. The US, drones of other countries can undergo ising ship repair agreements with Mazagon tors. Capacities are limited and technology
US-origin engines France, UK and Russia have these elusive repair and overhaul here. Indian-origin Docks Limited, Mumbai, and Goa Shipyard. has overtaken these public sector entities.
US aerospace giant General Electric (GE) technologies. “India will get technology Vivek Lall, Chief Executive of General “These will allow mid-voyage US Navy The Modi-Biden meet announced a $825
and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) never transferred to any country,” said a top Atomics Global Corporation, was leading ships to undergo service and repair, facilitat- million investment by Micron Technology,
will produce the GE-F414 engines for fighter functionary in the defence establishment. this effort of getting India on board. ing cost-effective and (be) time-saving,” a another $400 million by Applied Materials,
jets in India. The US okaying technology The MQ-9B is classified as a category-1 fact sheet issued by the White House said. while Lam Research will train 60,000 engi-
transfer of 80 per cent of the engine means a Access to armed drones equipment under the Missile Technology The Indo-US Defence Industrial Roadmap neers. The new ecosystem is expected to spill
geo-strategic shift is set to unfold. Some three years ago, in August 2020, India, Control Regime (MTCR). It can be used to looks to work together for the creation of over into the military and strategic domains
US-origin engines could be put on 440 during the military standoff with China along target enemy positions on ground, warships logistic, repair and maintenance infrastruc- in terms of knowledge. Union Minister of
fighter jets scheduled to be made in India the Line of Actual Control (LAC), leased two at sea, submarines, airbases and even small ture for aircraft and vessels in India. State for Electronics and IT Rajeev Chan-
over the next two decades. This includes the MQ-9A surveillance drones from the US targets like planes, besides providing 24x7 drasekhar termed these “significant and
83 Tejas Mark 1A, the production of which company General Atomics. The images and surveillance capability. Space missions meaningful milestones”.
starts in February using the already contract- videos beamed live to controllers on the At sea, the drones buttress the Navy’s fleet In April 2024, it will be 40 years since
ed General Electric engine F404. ground provided inputs at a much lesser cost of P8I surveillance planes. “The drones can Squadron Leader Rakesh Sharma’s space Crucial information sharing
The next lot of Indian jets will get the high- than a manned surveillance plane. pick up signals from existing ‘sonobuoys’ flight onboard a Russian spacecraft. The The US and India are working to strengthen
er-powered F414 engine with a 98 kilo new- Now, India is ready to induct 31 armed at sea and remain focussed on target for year will mark a major transition for India- undersea domain awareness cooperation.
ton (kN) thrust. The F414 engine is good for drones, the MQ-9B, made by General Atom- longer periods,” says Vice Admiral Ravneet US space activities. NASA and ISRO have For the first time, Indian liaison officers will
130 of the Tejas Mark 2 jets and 100 of the ics. The US and its allies like the UK, Japan, Singh. On land, the Himalayas create a announced a joint manned mission to the be placed in three US commands — deepen-
twin-engine deck-based fighters (TEDBF) Canada or Australia have these. boundary between India and China. Vast International Space Station. Also, the NASA- ing critical information sharing. The two
for the Indian Navy. Besides this, the 126 Former Deputy Chief of the Navy, Vice areas that are physically inaccessible will be ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) sides are in talks for a Security of Supply
Indian Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft Admiral Ravneet Singh (retd), says: “The monitored by the drones. satellite is to be launched in 2024. Arrangement and Reciprocal Defence Pro-
(AMCA) are planned in two phases. The F414 MQ-9A increased our maritime domain The radar of the satellite was delivered to curement Arrangement that will enable the
engine is compatible with the first lot of 40 awareness. The MQ-9B has better sensors, US warship repairs ISRO’s UR Rao Satellite Centre in Bengalu- supply of defence goods in the event of
AMCAs. For the later version, GE has sub- range, endurance, electronic surveillance In August last year, US Navy Ship (USNS) ru in March this year. ISRO has identified a unanticipated supply chain disruptions.
mitted a proposal of co-developing and co- and can carry weapons.” Charles Drew arrived at L&T’s shipyard at range of applications of relevance to India, The defence industries are enabled for co-
manufacturing a higher-powered 110 kilo The India-US joint statement said: “MQ- Kattupalli, Chennai, for repairs, the first ever including monitoring of snow and glacier production of advanced systems as well as
newton thrust engine, it is learnt. 9Bs will be assembled in India. General repair of a US Navy ship in India. studies, coastal and ocean studies. India’s collaborative research, testing and prototyp-
The Tejas Mark 1 — 40 jets have been Atomics will also establish a comprehen- The Ministry of Defence said it “assumes boundary with China and a large part of the ing of the technologies that will determine
inducted in the Indian Air Force — is pow- sive global MRO (maintenance, repair and special significance in the strategic partner- boundary with Pakistan are snow-bound. the future of military power.
2 Arts CHANDIGARH | 25 JUNE 2023

theatre Women as Neelam Man Singh Chowdhry and playing, have increasingly blurred. They were completely disenfranchised

L
ET me start by being subjec-
tive and talk about the influ-
ences that created the con-
tours of my theatre making. I
had heard of Pina Bausch per-
forming her latest production,
‘Nelken’ (‘Carnations’), in Delhi. Even
though I was unfamiliar with her work,
her reputation as a director was formida-
The play used every nook and corner of
the campus and took theatre out of the-
atre buildings, changing the relationship
between the audience and performers.
The audience became participants.
It also changed the relationship the
audience had with each other. At that
time, going to the theatre involved sit-
ting in the dark and hardly acknowledg-
ing the presence of strangers with
and confined to a marginalised position,
robbing women of their own representa-
tion throughout modern theatre history.
The inclusion of women in the pan-
theon of this male-dominated industry
has been a slow and silent revolution. It
was inevitable that very little notice was
taken of the events that precipitated it.
This, to some extent, became the by-
product of the women’s movement,

DIRECTORS
ble. With my band of students from the
theatre department at Panjab University,
we hopped onto a train and joined the ser-
pentine queue outside the theatre in 1994.
I had no references about her work. Mere
whispers of her being one of the most
unusual theatre makers intrigued and
propelled me to experience her work. It
was the pre-Google, pre-Wikipedia era.
Seeing her work had me transfixed and
bewildered. Her visual, textural and
kinetic spectacle on the stage tossed my
tidy and safe definitions on what was
possible on the stage. The stage, covered
Nadira Babbar with silk carnations, had dancers in cock-
Sanjana Kapoor tail dresses crawling among the flowers,
giggling and playing leapfrog before
they were confronted by passport offi-
Mita Vashisht cers and snarling dogs. Later in the play,
actors sniffed onion slices and cried copi-
ously while a nude woman carried an
accordion, silently and hauntingly.
I remember one scene in which an
actor emptied a bottle of coffee over her
head, while reciting a poem. Buckets of
water were thrown on the stage.
Pina Bausch, the legendary German
director, ditched classical precepts
(straight storytelling) and created shows
that drew on, among other things, the
performers’ childhood memories,
dreams and subjective experiences.
There was shouting, conflict, collision,
The urge to tell and much rushing around to a sound-
their stories Usha Ganguly track of popular songs and classical
from their own music. I found the work incoherent and
point of view illogical and had no tools to access it. My
and in their limitations in comprehending a new per-
own voice formance language made me restless. I
created the took the easy way out and rejected it
genre known outright. But the show clung to me,
as women’s gnawing at me, making me restless.
theatre. Lillete Dubey My students looked at me for affirma-
tion, analysis and a dialogue but I
averted their gaze as I had no vocab-
ulary to explain this performance.
The idea of a Many days later, it dawned on me
woman’s voice in like an epiphany: the immense pos-
sibilities revealed through this artistic
theatre is finally being encounter. Anything can be made possi-
heard, but prejudices ble on the stage. It was empowering.
‘Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’, performed by
still mar the space students of the National School of Dra-
ma and directed by Anuradha Kapur,
made me realise that the lines between
art and everyday activity, between play
whom we sat shoulder to shoulder. See-
ing a play where I, as an audience, was
in a constant state of movement,
changed my perspective on a play being
a ‘frontal viewing experience’. Sudden-
ly, the performance and life, art and
everyday activity between the play and
playing were blurred.
At the helm of these two plays were
women directors. But what does it
mean to be a woman director? Does it
indicate women in general — such as
those who are playing their role within
the conventional formulations — or
does it suggest a group of women who
are holding a certain political position
within a performance, and their vision
and artistic choices?
The term ‘woman director’ implies a
certain amount of ghettoisation. It sug-
gests that, in some ways, women are dif-
ferent. This has changed drastically
since I joined theatre in the 1980s. Today,
women directors are acknowledged for
‘the art they make’.
Some questions persist nevertheless.
Does gender affect the success and failure
of one’s work? Do women coming from
different regional and social proclivities
share anything in common, beyond their
biology? Are they accepted on the same
platform as men, viewed through the
same lens? Are the rules for both the
same? The funding, the sponsorships…
Women directors, despite the unity of
their concerns, have had an array of
viewpoints, with diverse outlooks and
practice methodology. The existing blue-
prints have been avoided, in fact uncon-
sciously rejected, in the search for some-
thing new, something fresh. Innovation
and experimentation are a heady mix,
and women directors have plunged into
it as they have nothing to lose.
The word ‘director’ has a resonance
that seems to suggest male authority,
and that has made acting the obvious
career choice for women. In the past, if
you were poor but pretty, or came from a
family of dancers or musicians, theatre
was a good alternative to penury. Even
though some of the women left their
mark on the professional stage, they nev-
er came into positions of power, restrict-
ed by the blatant prejudice of not allow-
ing women any say in decision-making.
which encouraged more women to study
direction and inadvertently change the
templates of theatre-making.
The question now is that have women
managed to create an independent form
of aesthetics, a new way of looking at
space, text and characters? Have they
managed to move away from a stereotyp-
ical interpretation of gender? Is there a
feminine way of doing things?
I think it was the urge to tell their sto-
ries from their own point of view and in
their own voice that created this genre
known as women’s theatre. It is not to
say that women were not telling their sto-
ries before that, but they seemed to be
more on the fringe, creating a peripheral
contribution, while men were clustered
at the top of the echelon.
But the real change is noticed in the
choice of subject matter. Suddenly, large
events and the spectacular were replaced
by the quotidian. Women received their
inspiration from daily life — the sound of
bubbling oil, clothes being washed...
Every day, mundane images were trans-
formed and made ‘anew’ to be scruti-
nised, examined and interrogated. They
saw in these little parts of life an impor-
tance, equalling those climatic events that
are usually associated with high drama.
The historical development and forms
of women’s theatre in India have one crit-
ical political lesson for us: the response to
stasis, rigidity and formalisation is some-
times ordinary, fluid and quiet. The
essence of earlier representations of
women in the theatre — moving from
props to images to clichés to absences —
is now taken up as a mantle from where to
begin. The images become the real, the
absent becomes the visible, and the prop
becomes the character — but not through
a switch as much as a switch in perspec-
tive. Let women be absent, you hear them
say, because in absence, when represent-
ed properly, there is great power. After all,
modernism is as comfortable with muta-
tion as it is with stillness.
If culture wants us to nurture and grow,
we will transform, mutate and shake.
That is how, beyond the manifestations of
our methods, genders and ideologies,
women directors are united through
modernism. It is the womb that does not
gestate as much as it accelerates.

Unsettling prose of Cormac McCarthy

Author of ‘No Country for Old Men’ and ‘The Road’, both of which were made into films, he pulled you into a violent world
Sundeep Misra Letters, the Guggenheim Foundation and

C
the Rockefeller Foundation. Later, he also
ORMAC McCARTHY can won the MacArthur Fellowship, which
make you very uncomfortable. supported the writing of ‘Blood Meridian’,
Because to understand him but initially, for many years, even ‘Blood
and his writings, you need to Meridian’ fared extremely poorly.
look inward — to see, imagine, In fact, an article by the New York Times
feel the pulsating flesh, dipped states that McCarthy wrote to a friend:
and corralled in its own blood. “I’ve been a full-time professional writer
That, actually, was just one part of Cor- for 28 years, and I’ve never received a roy-
PHOTO: BEOWULF SHEEHAN; COURTESY: PAN MACMILLAN

mac. Or just the way he expressed himself,
his thoughts to the world, especially in
‘Blood Meridian’. Three words would
describe that book for every reader who
read, tried to read, gave up reading — pow-
erful, unsettling, memorable.
Can one book describe an author? The
easy answer is ‘No’. But, for Cormac’s
legions of fans, who have read ‘The Coun-
selor’, ‘Outer Dark’, ‘Suttree’, ‘The Crossing’,
‘Cities of the Plain’, ‘The Sunset Limited’,
nothing sets him apart more than ‘Blood
Meridian’. Probably even more than ‘No
Country for Old Men’, which won four
Oscars. After the book was released in 2005,
Walter Kirn, reviewed it in the New York
Times: “The conflicts set on a stage as big as
Texas but as spiritually claustrophobic as a
back-room cockfight ring, resolve them-
selves with a mechanistic certitude that sat-
isfies the brain’s brute love of pattern and
bypasses its lofty emotional centres.”
McCarthy died on June 13 at his home in
Santa Fe at the age of 89. Those fingers, at
their end, may have become knobby, beat-
ing down on those typewriter keys but, he
was revered, underlined as one of the
greats to an extent that the critic Harold
Bloom put him in the same group, anoint-
ing him as one of the four major American
novelists of his time, alongside Philip
Roth, Don DeLillo and Thomas Pynchon.
Once, in an interview to the AV Club,
speaking about ‘Blood Meridian’ and its
place in American literature, Bloom said:
“The Judge is the book, and the Judge is,
short of Moby Dick, the most monstrous
apparition in all of American literature.
The Judge is violence incarnate. The Judge
stands for incessant warfare for its own
sake.” And whether McCarthy was suc-
cessful in using violence in the book,
Bloom said, “More than successful. It’s not
only the ultimate Western, the book is the
ultimate dark dramatisation of violence.
Again, I don’t see anyone surpassing it in
that regard.”
McCarthy’s writing compels you to read,
reread and then swallow the words, lines,
sentences — dismal, dreary and desolate.
Before you realise it, you have become part
of the man’s open-throated prose. A para-
graph from ‘Blood Meridian’ sums it up:
“They rode on and the sun in the east
flushed pale streaks of light and then a deep-
er run of colour like blood seeping up in sud-
den reaches flaring planewise and where the
earth drained up into the sky at the edge of
creation the top of the sun rose out of nothing
like the head of a great red phallus until it
cleared the unseen rim and sat squat and
pulsing and malevolent behind them.”
After his first five novels, McCarthy’s
career seemed destined to flare out with
him being just another notable novelist,
talented but not finding that one super-
nova. And, then he wrote ‘All the Pretty
Horses’, which won the National Book
Award and was also made into a film star-
ring Matt Damon and Penelope Cruz.
Even in the low phases, where his hard-
backs never sold beyond 5,000 copies, he
had the support of prestigious fellowships
like the American Academy of Arts and
alty cheque. That, I’ll betcha, is a record.”
The story of how McCarthy moved to
Alfred A Knopf is also part of folklore. The
agent Amanda ‘Binky’ Urban, who repre-
sented Toni Morrison, Haruki Murakami
and Mary Karr, among others way back,
was then working at International Cre-
ative Management (ICM) for Lynn Nesbit,
who one bright morning threw a letter on
her desk and said, “You might want to fol-
low up”, as reported by The Cut.
The letter was by McCarthy in which he
writes he ‘never had an agent’ and if any-
one is interested ‘please call me before
noon Rocky Mountain time’.
A little research told Binky Urban that
none of McCarthy’s books at Random
McCarthy’s writing
House had sold more than 2,500 copies. compels you to read,
Urban called Sonny Mehta, who had just
taken over at Knopf, and asked him if he reread and then swallow
wanted to publish McCarthy as ‘Random
House is not really doing a great job by
the words, lines,
him’. Sonny said, “I’d love that.” sentences — dismal,
Random House agreed to let McCarthy
move to Knopf.
dreary and desolate.
And, as it happens in fables and stories, Before you realise it, you
his next book, ‘All the Pretty Horses’,
became the super-nova. It was followed by have become part of his
‘The Road’, a post-apocalyptic novel
describing the journey of a father-son
open-throated writing
across a landscape destroyed by a cata-
clysm. It won McCarthy a Pulitzer and was hardly gave any interviews, probably a
made into a film directed by John Hillcoat. couple of them in three decades or more.
Stylistically, ‘The Road’ was, if not com- In an interview to The New York Times
pletely, a departure from his earlier novels. Magazine in 1992, he spoke about the vio-
McCarthy was 73 when he wrote it and one lence in his books. “There’s no such thing
does not know whether he believed a as life without bloodshed. I think the
world devastated by us only would play out notion that the species can be improved in
in the end as he envisaged in ‘The Road’. some way, that everyone can live in harmo-
The father and son, hanging onto each oth- ny, is a really dangerous idea.”
er, their odyssey, aimed at reaching the In the ‘Blood Meridian’, the Hermit
Gulf Coast across the ‘barren, silent’, of speaks to The Kid: “You can find meanness
whatever is left of the barren, ruined land. in the least of creatures, but when God
As reclusive as a platypus, McCarthy made man, the Devil was at his elbow.”
CHANDIGARH | 25 JUNE 2023
Celebrating NDA’s 75 glorious years
Bhartesh Singh Thakur
“The victory in World War II was a triumph
for the concept of the complete integration of
the three dimensions of war — ground, sea
and air… The great lesson for the future is
that success in the art of war depends upon
a complete integration of the Services.”
General Douglas MacArthur,
Commander of Allied forces in
Southwest Pacific Theatre
I
T was a chilly morning on January 6,
1949. At 6.30 am, DS Sabhiki was the
first cadet to report at the makeshift
Joint Services Wing (JSW) academy
in Clement Town, Dehradun. The
barracks which housed Italian prisoners
of war during World War II were spruced
up for the first batch of JSW. Over four
days, close to 190 cadets reported — 144
for the Army, 25 for the Navy and 21 for
the Air Force. Among them were SF
Rodrigues, NC Suri and L Ramdas, who
later became chiefs of the Army, Air
Force and Navy, respectively. Their
batchmates RM Vohra, Hanut Singh and
KS Pannu won the Maha Vir Chakra in
the 1971 war. Sabhiki rose to the rank of
Air Marshal and returned as Comman-
dant of the National Defence Academy
(NDA), his alma mater, in 1988.
Setting up a joint training academy to
bring about synergy among the three
arms of military was a significant lesson
World War II taught the strategists. On
May 2, 1945, a committee was formed
under the chairmanship of the Comman-
der-in-Chief, Field Marshal Sir Claude J
Auchinleck, to examine the viability of
training officers of the Army, Air Force
and Navy together. There was no such
institution across the world at the time.
The committee worked on the idea for 16
months. After Auchinleck left India fol-
lowing Partition, the idea was put on the
back burner. The report was finally
referred to the Chiefs of Staff Committee
in 1947. An interim JSW at the Indian Mil-
itary Academy (IMA), Dehradun, was giv-
en the go-ahead while a plan for a perma-
nent war academy at Khadakwasla in
Pune was envisioned. Prime Minister
Jawaharlal Nehru laid the foundation
stone of the NDA on October 6, 1949.
Three eminent educationists and a rep-
resentative from each of the three Ser-
vices visited military training institu-
tions in the UK, USA and Canada. The
Indian Military Academy was modelled
along the lines of Sandhurst (UK) but the
NDA was largely influenced by the US
Versatile sattu: Ready-to-eat wonder food
S
ATTU — ground parched gram and bar-
ley — has been the staple sustenance
for the abjectly poor in north India for
generations. Those embarking on a
journey carried this food with them
tied in a gamcha that also served as a towel,
belt and headgear. It is only in recent times
that city folk have woken up to the exception-
ally nutritious properties of sattu. Dieticians
don’t tire of recommending it to those who
have a weight issue or diabetes or are coping
with non-romantic heart problems.
It is indeed a ‘ready-to-eat’ flour of many
delights. It may need a little getting used to but
once you acquire the taste,
FOOD it can be addictive. One
can enjoy it almost effort-
TALK lessly in savoury and
sweet dishes. Sattu can be
pushpesh pant easily incorporated in sal-
ads or added to drinks.
For a simple but satiat-
ing breakfast, it is
Both as a stuffing enough to dissolve a few
heaped spoons of sattu in
for paranthas and water, add a pinch of
as a drink, this black/rock salt, finely
chopped onions, green
power-packed flour chillies and diced toma-
toes and substitute it for
is finding many the fashionable smooth-
ie. The sweet version —
new takers fortified with chopped
fruits, fresh and dried,
along with nuts and seeds of choice and a
trickle of honey — is no less attractive. In
summers, sattu ka gur wala sherbet not only
quenches the thirst but also rehydrates the
body. And when the pre-monsoon showers
arrive heralding rains, one can indulge in
makuni, a parantha packed with spicy sattu.
Our food-loving publisher friend Atiya Zai-
di, who hails from Jaunpur, served an excep-
tionally refreshing sattu ka sherbet a couple of
years back and Amarendra Singh, then serv-
ing as an IAS officer in Uttarakhand, treated
us to makuni, which were lovingly shallow-
fried at home in Dehradun. We share with our
readers the two recipes, slightly changed, urg-
ing you to try these at the earliest.
By the way, the grateful people of Poorvan-
chal annually celebrate satuaan as thanks-
giving to this time-tested friend.
Events lined up till January next year
■ NDA has initiated a year-long series of
events under ‘75 Glorious Year
Celebrations (GYC)’ from January 16, 2023.
Some of the events include ‘Open Sailing
Regatta’, ‘Superdimona Ferry’, drawing,
painting and poetry competitions, and the
inter-school competition ‘WIZQUIZ’.
October 6, 1949: PM Jawaharlal Nehru
lays the foundation stone of NDA
January 16, 1955: NDA is formally
inaugurated
June 5, 1955: First Passing-Out
Military Academy at West Point.
Gift from Sudan
The Sudanese government had gifted
£1,00,000 to Lord Linlithgow, then
Viceroy of India (1936-1944), for a war
memorial to commemorate the sacrifices
of the Indian troops for the liberation of
Sudan during World War II. The corpus
was utilised to build the Sudan block at
the NDA. The Sudan block resembles a
field gun of the Army. On one side of it is
the Vyas Library that appears like an
anchor, and on the other, Habibullah Hall
that is shaped like an aircraft.
On January 16, 1955, the NDA was for-
mally inaugurated. The book ‘National
Defence Academy: The Cradle of Military
Leadership’ mentions that Khadakwasla
was chosen for its “salubrious climatic
conditions, suitability of terrain for mili-
tary training, proximity to the Arabian
Sea, the existence of an operational air-
field at Lohegaon, vicinity of military
establishments and the presence of a lake
nearby”. Spread over 6,720 acres, NDA is
situated with Sinhgad Fort (Lion’s Fort) in
the backdrop.
SHERBET
INGREDIENTS
Sattu 1/2 cup
Lemon juice 2 tbsp
Black rock salt A pinch
Fresh mint leaves for garnishing
Jaggery to taste
METHOD
Slowly dissolve sattu into some water in a
bowl. Then add a jug full of chilled water.
Add lemon juice and black rock salt and stir
well. Crumble jaggery and add to taste. Stir
again. If you prefer, you may substitute
jaggery with a few drops of honey or
molasses. Garnish with mint leaves.
MAKUNI
INGREDIENTS
Sattu
Wheat flour
Onion (medium-sized)
Garlic cloves
Ginger piece
Green chillies
Kalonji seeds
Ajwain seeds
Lemon juice
Fresh coriander
Masala or oil of pickled red chilli
Black rock salt
Oil/ghee to shallow fry
Salt to taste
■ Mix sattu with salt in a bowl and add all
the other ingredients. Slowly add water to
avoid formation of lumps and keep this
moist stuffing aside.
■ Proceed to prepare the dough with wheat
flour for parantha; the dough must be
slightly stiff yet soft and supple; let it rest for
15 minutes.
■ Divide into equal portions and shape into
small balls. Flatten a little by pressing
between the palms and make a hollow in the
Focus 3
a larger course, 300-plus. We had the
dubious record of graduating without the
POP, as there was a storm. Our Comman-
dant, Rear Admiral MP Awati, in his usu-
al cool style, remarked, ‘When you have
an Admiral at the helm, water and sea
will come to you.’ POP or no POP, that
day is etched in our memory.”
Gruelling training
OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF NDA
A typical day for a cadet starts at 4.30 am
and by 10.30 pm, he or she has to go to
sleep. Retired Junior Warrant Officer
Pradip Mallick was the Physical Training
Instructor at NDA from 2003 to 2008. “If a
cadet is not physically fit, he can’t be
mentally fit. There is no shortcut for
GALLANTRY AWARDS
FOR NDA ALUMNI
moulding young cadets from various
backgrounds into fighting-fit officers
■ The celebrations will culminate in a Param Vir Chakra 3 strong in every field. Instructors have to
grand finale on January 15 and 16, Ashok Chakra 12 work equally hard and give extra time to
2024, where alumni are also invited. weak cadets.”
Maha Vir Chakra 32
Activities on both days would include a He recalls how Ground Training
leadership seminar, ceremonial events, Kirti Chakra 45 Instructors from the Air Force had to
sporting activities involving alumni and Shaurya Chakra 152 undergo a three-month course at the
cadets, and cultural evenings. Vir Chakra 163 Army School of Physical Training in
Pune before imparting training at NDA.
MILESTONES “Only the best instructors are posted at
Parade takes place at Khadakwasla, colours to NDA in recognition of 30 training centres.”
attended by PM Nehru years of service On moulding 18-year-olds, Maj Gen Raj
May 30, 1959: Sudan block unveiled September 22, 2021: Supreme Court Mehta (retd), who served as an instructor
December 16, 1978: President orders Centre to admit women cadets at NDA from 1981-1984 as a Captain/Major,
Neelam Sanjiva Reddy presents from the current session says, “You need to become a child to teach
a child. How would you teach a cadet to
More than 38,000 cadets have been officers fought from the front in 1971 and face life’s challenges? You have to empha-
trained into scholar-warriors at the NDA in Kargil. “Our brave soldiers have sise taking challenges as serious fun. In
so far, along with over 1,000 cadets from demonstrated the academy motto ‘serv- the end, it’s mental strength which makes
friendly foreign countries. ice before self’ during the testing times — you succeed. For that, you need patience
each time, every time.” and you only learn from mistakes.”
Unique jointmanship On comparisons with foreign armies, Air Citing an example, he says, “You are fac-
Air Marshal KS Gill (retd), who served as Marshal Kler says, “Our ability to lead ing bullets. A task has to be completed with
the Commandant of NDA from 2013-14, from the front in any battle scenario minimum loss and maximum gain. Your
describes it as a unique academy makes us stand out. Officers of the Indian bullet has to hit the enemy, and you have to
premised on the solid foundation of aca- armed forces tower head and shoulders dodge his bullet. There may be other ways
demic and service training. “The educa- above the rest with their traits of ethos, to make him surrender. Now, it is a mental
tion branch caters to 70 per cent of the commitment, courage, the ‘izzat’ of the thing and not a physical one. A soldier in
training and offers graduation courses, regiment, and the adulation of the men the end will say that his best friend was the
along with a degree in BTech. The adapt- they command.” failures he experienced.”
ability trait and constantly-evolving pat- The inclusion of women cadets does not On reporting to the NDA, a cadet is allotted
terns of academics define NDA’s vision surprise the veterans. “As of today, 38 are one of the 18 squadrons which then becomes
towards jointmanship.” being trained. They were able to make a his/her home for the next three years. Admi-
Air Marshal Jasjit Singh Kler (retd), who smooth entry due to the embracing ral Sunil Lanba (retd), former Chief of Naval
served as the Commandant of NDA from approach and adaptability trait of NDA,” Staff, is from the 51st course of NDA. “My
2016-2018, agrees that only the physical says Gill. It was inevitable, adds Kler. favourite memory,” he says, “was being part
regimen has not been diluted since it “Despite the hullabaloo, the girls will only of the Golf Squadron. There were 15 of us
directly impacts the mental strength of add to the essence of our armed forces and who joined together. If any of us made a mis-
the cadets. “In my heyday, we were not give us strength. Of course, their exposure take, all 15 used to be punished. Such was
tech-savvy but now we produce scholar- in combat will be a graded response.” the bonding.”
warriors — the tip of the spear.” Lt Gen KJ Singh (retd), former Army Air Marshal Gill has the last word as he
On what makes NDA passouts stand out Commander, Western Command, recalls recalls what actor Amitabh Bachchan had to
as officers, Air Marshal Gill says the proof the Passing-Out Parade (POP), or the say when he was invited to the NDA: “Why
of the pudding is in the way the young lack of it, of his 50th course (1973). “It was can’t India be like NDA!”
variety
CAPTION CONTEST 1413 MUKESH AGGARWAL
1 cup
1 cup
1
6-8
Entries are invited to suggest a caption for the photograph.
The caption should only be in English, witty and not exceeding
2 inch 10 words, and reach Spectrum, The Tribune, Chandigarh, 160030,
4 by Thursday. The best five captions will be published and awarded
~300, ~250, ~200, ~150 and ~100, respectively.
1/2 tsp
1/2 tsp
Each caption must be accompanied by a clipping of the caption
contest and its number. Photocopies or scans of the caption photo
1 tsp won’t be accepted. Online subscribers may attach an epaper
clipping at captionpics@tribunemail.com or a scanned copy of the
1/4 cup e-paper clipping. Please mention the pin code and phone number
1 tsp in your address.
A pinch
Selected entries for Caption Contest 1412
June 18 issue
ISTOCK (see photo)
❚ Cover story —
METHOD Surendra Miglani,
middle with a thumb. Place a portion of the Kaithal
sattu filling in it and reseal by firmly pressing ❚ Quiet respite —
Harpreet Singh via
at the edges. Reshape into small balls. epaper, Panchkula
Flatten & roll into small round discs with a ❚ Standing tall,
rolling pin. Dust with dry flour as needed. serving all —
■ Heat a tawa and line it with oil/ghee and Narinder Sharma,
Panchkula
place the stuffed makuni on it. Cook on
❚ Grounded — Daljit
medium flame, flipping it once and drizzling Kaur, Chandigarh
it with ghee/oil till the surface is evenly ❚ Summer halt —
crisped and blisters appear on it. Alisha Chandra,
■ Serve with chutney or pickle. Chandigarh
4 Books
Moves and moods of a ‘reluctant CEC’
K Govindan Kutty
T
HE blurb opens with an arresting
observation: “2 August: A red-let-
ter day for democracy in India.”
That day in 1993, TN Seshan,
who made a difference to Indian
elections as Chief Election Commissioner,
put on hold all elections. It was like the life-
giver becoming the hangman, the man to
conduct elections cancelling them.
That day, my editor asked me to meet
and make sense of this unusual man and
his moods, his moves. And that led to a
quick book, ‘Seshan: An Intimate Story’,
an early precursor to his own comprehen-
sive account.
Seshan’s epic order left India’s political
system vulnerable to one man’s whim. The
deadlock was, he argued, “solely the mak-
ing of the government”. Postponement of
“all and every election” was a Seshanesque
response to the government’s ploys to ren-
der the Election Commission into one of its
departments. Seshan’s mission was to
recover its autonomy.
He was mercurial. There was something
about him that intimidated people. I took
to him a journalist who was somewhat of a
Seshan acolyte. Seshan was a picture of
amiability. He was asked what book had
influenced him most. Pat came the reply,
“Bhagavad Gita.” The next question was
deadly: “How did he face the Emergency?”
The man who was a study in calm lapsed
into paroxysms of anger. Such display of
outrage was not unusual.
He was a reluctant CEC. So he would
have us believe. As Cabinet Secretary, he
was no darling of VP Singh. When he
became PM, Seshan was eased out. His
stars were again aglow when Chandra
Shekhar replaced Singh. In this autobiog-
Ecological wonders,
human blunders
Manu Moudgil
T
HERE are very few storytellers
who can let go of their comforts
and immerse themselves in the
harsh environments they talk
about. Arati Kumar-Rao is one of
them, which is why her work never fails to
inform and astound. Her first piece of jour-
nalism involved observing a landscape in
the Thar desert in different seasons for one
year. In the era of clickbait and desk/studio-
based reporting, such an effort seems
bizarre, even unnerving at first but tremen-
dously inspiring afterwards.
What makes this book special is that
it’s not an academic exercise on Indi-
an landscapes. It is more about the
lives, both human and wild, that are
an intrinsic part of these ecosystems.
Rao combines folklore, science, histo-
ry, personal accounts and policy deci-
sions to paint images through words
that illuminate our understanding.
From the floodplains of Assam to the
MARGINLANDS: sand dunes of Thar, from the shores of
INDIAN Kerala to the artificial glaciers of
LANDSCAPES Ladakh, dense forests of Arunachal
ON THE BRINK Pradesh to the coasts of Goa, sandbar
by Arati Kumar-Rao. islands on Ganga, perilous Sunder-
Pan Macmillan. bans, rivers of Punjab and the backyard
Pages 240. of an urban settlement in Bengaluru,
~699 all these landscapes with varying soils,
vegetation and skies become thriving
habitats. Tigers, wolves, vultures, eels,
egrets, black-necked cranes, limpet and
many more creatures who make these places
functional walk through the pages. Hunting
with dolphins, hosting bees, fostering the
non-glamorous plants, Rao allures us with
the marvellous and then offers the bitter pill
of how all these places and lives are under
threat because of short-sighted government
policies focussed on profiteering through
dams and weirs, waterways, mining, defor-
estation, commercial fishing, concretisation
Making sense of free trade agreements
F REE trade agreements (FTAs) have
proliferated around the
world and their number
The author points out that India’s past
today exceeds 350. Former
ambassador VS Seshadri says it
is important to recognise that
every new FTA, whether India
is party to it or not, can poten-
tially affect its trade prospects
to a small or large extent. Some
impact could be in the form of FREE TRADE AGREE- ment of FTAs and looks at the
market access. They could also MENTS: INDIA AND way ahead for the nation. It also
be in the form of regulatory THE WORLD
changes and facilitatory frame- by VS Seshadri.
works developing elsewhere. Oxford University
This book is a comprehensive Press.
work on the evolution of FTAs Pages 394.
across the world and how India ~1,495
should navigate these.
A 1991 photograph of TN Seshan, who made waves as the Chief Election Commissioner. PTI
raphy, he recaptures the power play of
those times with thoroughness.
One dull evening, Cabinet Secretary Vin-
od Pande called to tell him he was being
made CEC. Seshan said he was “not fit for
the job”. It was a rare show of modesty.
Three years later, Subramanian Swamy,
who was a prime mover in making Seshan
CEC, shouted from the housetops that he
had “begged” for the position.
Seshan sought the views of three persons
other than astrologers: President
Venkataraman, former Prime Minister
Rajiv Gandhi and Paramacharya of
Kanchi. Venkataraman asked if he could
not find another job. Rajiv said they would
“repent” for making him CEC. Para-
macharya mumbled his approval. And
Seshan took the job.
and thrust on private transport. It’s a book
that lays bare the ecological wonders and
human blunders of India.
The stories of people living on the margins
are told with empathy. Whether it’s a widow
trying to raise money for her son’s exams by
catching crabs in crocodile-infested waters or
a man who has been displaced eight times by
barrage-induced floods, or a Kerala family
huddled in a small kitchen because rest of
their house has turned into rubble, Rao gives
a glimpse into their challenges and that of mil-
lions of others who are either forced to leave
their homes or turned into paupers overnight.
It is rare for such accounts to reach the urban
audience, which is instead fed an overdose of
positive news on governance and GDP.
Rao also introduces us to a few special peo-
ple who inspire hope. The local guides, shep-
herds, fishers and farmers, who uphold the
traditional wisdom and scientific tempera-
ment. They are the ones offering sustainable
solutions and countering the onslaught of rot
learning, which is alienating people from
their ecosystems. What comes as a pleasant
surprise is the spirituality in this book. It is
made possible only because the author chose
to tell the stories through people rather than
the western concepts of conservation and
environmentalism. Rao’s slow trek through
these landscapes is itself a meditative prac-
tice. Whether it’s walking through the ver-
dant forests, gazing into the starry skies of
Himalayas, floating on the vast arms of the
Brahmaputra, plodding through sand dunes
or listening to the night through the window
of her bedroom, she tunes into the universal
heartbeat that connects everything.
The writing is supplemented by photo-
graphs and sketches which make the book
part coffee table book, part travelogue and
part socio-ecological research. A few portions
can seem heavy for some, especially those
not acquainted with environmental writing.
But what’s the point of reading a book if you
don’t get to learn something new?
FTAs have been limited even as
the government has taken
revived interest and recently
signed FTAs with the UAE and
Australia. It is essential that India
remains alert to various develop-
ments related to FTAs.
Divided into seven chapters,
the book focuses on the develop-
flags the key aspects that may
need to be kept in view taking
forward the ongoing or future
negotiations. Seshadri outlines a
fivefold plan on monitoring and
implementation of FTAs once
they are concluded. — TNS
Though India is acclaimed as the land of
the “largest electoral exercise in the
world”, it had long-standing election rules
which were flouted widely and unabashed-
ly. Seshan’s camera contingents went
around recording wall writings and expen-
sive election conventions. That had a salu-
tary effect for some time.
Rajya Sabha, envisaged as the council of
states, had to have its members representing
their respective states, where they were reg-
ular residents. It was traditionally a sham.
For instance, a Kannadiga could be thrown
up from Kolkata or a Punjabi from Palakkad.
One could falsely affirm one’s regular resi-
dency of a place which one had not visited
more than a few times. When Seshan rolled
his eyeballs, they changed the statute.
For a civil servant of his stature, he had
The last queen standing
Salil Misra
I
N 1857, the British rule in India
was hit by a huge tsumani which
shook its foundations. It started
from Bengal with Mangal
Pandey’s rebellion and soon
reached Delhi, Lucknow, Jhansi, Kan-
pur and many other places. It lasted
for a whole year and subsided by the
end of 1858 without meeting its objec-
tive. The book under review tells the
story of the rebellion through one of
its central characters, Begum Hazrat
Mahal. It belongs to the genre of his-
torical fiction. To her credit, Malathi
Ramachandran, the author, has not
fictionalised history and has
remained as close to the actual histor-
ical process as possible. All the histor-
ical events and many of the characters
described in the novel are real. Using
history as the backdrop, the author
has created a fictionalised world
around the life of Hazrat Mahal. The
account is authentic, enchanting and
tragic, at the same time.
Begum Hazrat Mahal was the queen
of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah of Awadh.
When he was dethroned by the British
and exiled to Calcutta, she chose not
to go with him and instead stayed
behind in her beloved Lucknow along
with her 12-year-old son Birjis Qadir.
The novel tells the story of how she
fought the British in Awadh with a
fierce determination to expel them
from both Awadh and Hindustan. In
this venture, she was helped by a
strong team of local rulers who were
just as patriotic and fiercely anti-
British. In the war against the British,
Hazrat Mahal had the full support of
the merchants, zamindars and the
local people. They organised a suc-
cessful siege of the Residency in June
1857 with around 3,000 British
hostages, both officials and civilians.
The battle was evenly matched. The
L ONG before he became the enlight-
ened leader Gautam Buddha, he
was a boy oblivious of the world. As
a young prince, Siddhartha navigates
politics and relationships and slowly
begins to question his oppressively per-
fect life. Meanwhile, his family strug-
gles to maintain their deception — from
banishing the old and sick to hiding
their own advancing age — in the hope
that they can mould him into a dutiful
king. In Advait Kottary’s intricately
woven narrative, raw human emotion
and conflict are tempered with the
boundless compassion of the Buddha.
‘Siddhartha’ is both a riveting story
and a profound meditation on our
shared quest for truth. In the Foreword,
singer Rekha Bhardwaj says the sim-
plicity of Kottary’s language will appeal
to an impatient generation.
CHANDIGARH | 25 JUNE 2023
aired facetious observations. An abortive mania, spiritualism, relations with col-
attempt on Rajiv Gandhi from the shrubs leagues and so on. A sample on his procliv-
in Raj Ghat was, Seshan suspected, a con- ity for dictatorship: “Like all praises, this
spiracy by his own buddies. “They merely criticism was part of what came on my plate.
wanted to scare him, not hurt!” There was Even now I do not need a certificate of mer-
again a theory of conspiracy, this time with it, most certainly not from those who had
sources abroad. A commission of inquiry axes to grind or feathers to nest.”
went about interrogating everyone CEC Seshan was becoming
who was someone. There was still a popular. Many looked up to
question hanging fire, even after him as a role model. The
muddy water flowing down the masses viewed him as a man
Coovum river. of destiny. His diatribes
If any official exercise in against self-important politi-
Seshan’s career mattered much, cos pleased them. Sitting
though not as much as CEC, it was cross-legged on the floor,
during his tenure as district collec- clad in no more than a vest,
tor, Madurai. It was the fulcrum of he would enquire, he would
the anti-Hindi agitation in the Six- THROUGH THE solicitously ask what people
ties. It was Seshan’s job to contain BROKEN GLASS: AN thought of him.
it, using force minimally. Violence AUTOBIOGRAPHY Cloistered corridors of the
erupted in one college where a pro- by TN Seshan. power tower were agog with
fessor of Seshan was the principal. Rupa. gossip about what Seshan
Seshan had pangs of conscience might do. The government
Pages 368.
when the agitating students were outdid him, inducting two
~795
disciplined by force. more Election Commission-
The sporadic agitation had, ers. Trusting people’s moods,
Seshan suspected, some foreign encour- he joined the race for Raisina Hll. Soon he
agement. He had a lot of sensitive infor- realised there was dichotomy in realpolitik
mation coming his way. So be it. Unautho- between reality and delusion. He lost mas-
risedly, I watered down the fury of certain sively, garnering no promised support.
inferences when I was writing his story “Everyone ditched me barring Shiv Sena.”
with a chapter on “A CIA Agent”. Tamil That was an embittering end of a stellar
sensitivities were hurt. Tamil politicians of mission. Bitterness and equanimity, in an
all hues jumped into the fray in an orgy of unlikely combination, marked his conclu-
competitive extremism. Chief Minister sion. “As I look back on my life and career,
Jayalalithaa led the agitation by waking up all that I can think and say is: ‘Life has
a judge at an odd hour to obtain a stay on been great, stormy but great.’”
the book release. Seshan’s autobiography He died four years ago, he had made
makes no mention of CIA’s peccadilloes. waves three decades earlier. Why he chose
There was a certain masochist streak in to release his memoir now is a pointless
Seshan. He has a full chapter on his public thought. ‘An Autobiography’ has been
and private persona. Questions are raised presented by Nixon Fernando, his research
and instantly answered about his megalo- assistant. Copyright rests with Nixon.
rebels were confident of victory. “We minated in the Rebellion of 1857. The
have over five thousand men to their second level offers an important slice
seven hundred!” claimed one of the of that rebellion as it unfolded in
rebels. It was a battle between raw Awadh, particularly during May-
passion, patriotism and fierce deter- October 1857. There were crucial
mination on the one side and the episodes of struggle in this rebellion
mighty British imperialism on the with Begum Hazrat Mahal as the
other. The outcome of the battle was leader. At the micro level, however,
not clear to the actors involved. Their the novel tells the stories of important
resources were evenly matched. The individuals with their dilemmas and
rebels were short on predicaments. It also tells the
ammunition and were at story of love, longing, lust and
risk of running out of it. betrayal. A particularly
But there was no shortage endearing character is that of
of food and other ameni- Kamla, who experiences a
ties, all of which were romantic life in the midst of
generously supplied by the turmoil. She and a young
the people. British officer, James Grant,
It was just the other way fall in love with each other.
round for the British. She carries their baby in her
They had the weapons but womb with the promise of
BEGUM HAZRAT
were greatly at risk of marriage at the end of the
MAHAL: WARRIOR
being starved to death rebellion. However, Kamla
QUEEN OF AWADH
inside the Residency soon discovers that he has no
by Malathi
because of scarcity of food. Ramachandran. intentions of fulfilling the
The rebels were opti- promise. Her love turns into
Niyogi Books.
mistic; the British low in rage, both against James
morale. Finally, the Pages 330. Grant and the British. Kamla
British were rescued by ~595 decides to follow Hazat Mahal
the arrival of supplies and joins her army by becom-
from Kanpur and that ing a Veerangini (warrior). She
turned the tables on the rebels. The fights the British army valiantly and
battle took a very different turn. We also makes a determined though
now know that eventually the mighty unsuccessful effort at eliminating the
British imperialism with its great sup- once-upon-a-time love of her life. The
port system triumphed over the patri- novel offers a glimpse of many such
otism of Hazrat Mahal. Awadh was people — birds caught in a storm —
recaptured by the British. The queen whose lives are changed forever.
exiled herself and her son to Nepal It is a novel whose climax happens
towards the end of 1858. not at the end but somewhere in the
The historical novel proceeds at middle, with the prospects of a victory
three levels. At the macro level, it tells for the rebels. The novel ends tragical-
the story of the great pan-Indian ly, not with a bang but with a whimper.
encounter between British imperial- That was exactly how the Rebellion of
ism and the great resistance to it from 1857 ended. It would take a whole cen-
different parts of the country. It cul- tury for multiple patriotisms to trans-
form into a robust Indian nationalism
which would eventually achieve what
1857 could not.
BACKFLAP
D O offices have secrets waiting to be
discovered? Can these secrets help
us become more effective man-
agers? Yes, says author Harish Bhat.
These secrets are beyond financial num-
bers and confidential strategy docu-
ments hidden away in locked drawers.
Instead, these are pretty simple ones,
like good filter coffee, generosity and 30
SIDDHARTHA minutes of me-time. Through real and OFFICE SECRETS
by Advait Kottary. fictional stories, the book offers a selec- by Harish Bhat.
Hachette. tion of fascinating and useful secrets Penguin Random
Pages 316. that can help you be far more successful House.
~499 at your workplace. It covers a range of Pages 237.
subjects: the best methods of fighting ~399
exhaustion, organising your work desk,
the power of listening, why kindness is
so important, workplace lessons from
Hercule Poirot, et al. The author, brand
custodian at Tata Sons, has been with the
Tata Group for 35 years.
123
CHANDIGARH | SUNDAY | 25 JUNE 2023 REFLECTIONS 5

Careful, online shoppers Forgotten promises

W F
HO wants to buy travel
insurance for a domestic
flight? Yet, many con-
sumers purchasing domes-
tic airline tickets online end
up with travel insurance
that they never intended to buy, thanks to deceit-
CONSUMER RIGHTS ful user interfaces that trick them into paying for
PUSHPA GIRIMAJI such policies. Last month, a reader told me about
one such purchase of insurance, along with his
airline tickets. He said he never wanted the
Digital ‘dark patterns’ insurance, but somehow ended up having to pay
~249 extra for the policy on each ticket!
exploit consumer Well, it was not an inadvertent mistake com-
vulnerability. Interfaces mitted by the consumer, but a deliberate ploy
on the part of the service provider to sell the
on websites or devices insurance through subterfuge. The user inter-
face on some websites is designed in such a
are tweaked to deceive, way that when you buy an air ticket, a pre-
hoodwink or push checked box opting for travel insurance will
appear. Since you are not interested in the
consumers into insurance and do not expect someone to sell
making unintended it to you without your consent, you do not
notice that the website has already tick-
purchase decisions marked your acceptance of the offer. So, obvi-
ously, you do not negate or reverse it.
inimical to their In other words, the default option is purchase
interest or even share of insurance, and if you do not see it and change
it, you are charged for the insurance. Thus, the
personal data insurer sells a policy, the portal gets its commis-
unintentionally, sion and the consumer suffers a loss. This is a
clear case of fraud, an unfair trade practice. It
affecting their privacy also violates insurance regulations governing
the sale of insurance.
Yet, such practices, described as digital ‘dark
patterns’, continue to exploit consumer vulner-
ability. What consumers do not know is that
businesses are increasingly spending money
on ‘User Experience’ (UX) designers to create
user interfaces (or your interaction with a web-
site, an application or an electronic device) that
are deliberately tweaked to hoodwink, manip-
ulate, deceive or push consumers into making
unintended purchase decisions inimical to
their interest or even share personal data unin-
tentionally, affecting their privacy.
‘Bait and switch’ is another such example,
where a website offers some goods or products
at rock-bottom prices, but as soon as you opt for
them, their prices suddenly go up or a different,
higher price is shown. And it happens so quick-
Many carefully crafted user interfaces are aimed at exploiting consumer behaviour and psychology. ISTOCK
ly that you will wonder whether you mistook
the earlier price claim!
Similarly, when you are buying clothes
online, you choose a dress based on its quality,
design and price, but as soon as you indicate
your size, the price goes up, implying that only
that particular size is priced higher. Log on to
the website in another name and try another
size — you will find the same response.
Sometimes, when you are trying to make an
informed decision, you are hustled into making
a purchase by an announcement that the prod-
uct is available at that price only for a very short
duration, and only one item is left! The ticking
of the countdown timer only adds to the panic,
forcing you to make a decision that may not be
in your best interest. Well, do not be surprised if
the same product is still available the next day,
at the same price!
Make no mistake — these are not some inad-
vertent flaws in technology, but carefully craft-
ed user interfaces aimed at exploiting con-
sumer behaviour and psychology and they are
becoming more and more sophisticated and
pervasive, requiring consumers to be extreme-
ly alert while interacting with a website or an
app or an e-merchant.
As consumer protection agencies around the
world express concern over this increasing
trend and come up with measures to counter
them, many UX designers are exhorting their
co-professionals to practice ethical designing
and come up with configurations that are fair to
consumers and completely transparent. Such a
plea for an ethical code and self-regulation
comes in the wake of consumer demand that
not just companies, but even UX designers be
hauled up for ‘dark patterns’.
The Advertising Standards Council of India,
which last year brought out a comprehensive
report on ‘dark patterns’, has also strongly
urged companies not to exploit UX designs to
build stakeholder value by compromising con-
sumer value. A good piece of advice!
Those who do not heed this advice will
have to face the law. Already, the Union Min-
istry of Consumer Affairs is looking at ways
and means of curbing such practices and
protecting consumers. While rules and regu-
lations (under the Consumer Protection Act)
defining ‘dark patterns’ and prohibiting
them is the need of the hour, even under the
existing provisions of the Consumer Protec-
tion Act, the Central Consumer Protection
Authority (CCPA) can haul up online entities
for ‘dark patterns’. Since the CCPA has
wide-ranging powers to deal with unfair
trade practices, including deceptive advertis-
ing and promotion, it can also impose deter-
rent fines and penalties.
Educating consumers on the ‘dark patterns’
is equally important. That would not only pre-
vent consumers from falling prey to these kind
of machinations, but will also give the CCPA
good feedback for action.
— The writer is a consumer affairs expert
and the age of anger
OR several years now, I save all the big, fat books I never find
the time for during the rest of the year for these long, lan-
guorous summer days. They are all books that frighten the
reader by their sheer size and deep content. The other day, I
picked up another one to add to this pile: a new biography of
Atal Behari Vajpayee by Abhishek Choudhary that has attract-
ed many admirers. The occasion was a panel discussion between the
young author and two political personalities who are a joy to hear —
Shashi Tharoor and Swapan Dasgupta. The moderator, Manisha Pande
(wonder if she’s a Pahari like me), is a journalist.
The hall was packed, despite the heat outside, although many familiar
faces were missing, possibly because they were out of town. This hefty vol-
ume is Part I of Choudhary’s biography and traces Atalji’s life from his birth
in 1924 to 1977. The subsequent volume will track his life and career from
1977 to 2015 or so, when he officially retired from public life. Unlike many
political biographies, Choudhary has chosen to not write a mere hagiogra-
phy but tackles the growth of Vajpayee from an RSS pracharak to holding
the office of the Prime Minister, juggling the NDA coalition with skill and
an ‘insaniyat’ that won him admirers even among his political rivals and
critics. More importantly, it traces the ascent of the right-wing party from its
Jan Sangh days to its present avatar, backed by first-rate research and inter-
views with a wide spectrum of characters.
Choudhary was awarded the prestigious New India Foundation fellow-
ship that has a special project helmed by eminent academics (such as
Ramachandra Guha and Niraja Gopal Jayal) on researchers working on
contemporary history. It promises to be a delightful read since it is history
written with a lay reader in mind, distinct from the polemical treatises by
those historians who write for each other in a convoluted and heavily biased
prose that is seriously off-putting. And often not very honest either. A lot of
the audience was what Shashi Tha-
roor describes humorously as the
‘ Tik-Tok generation’, backpacked,
baseball-capped and wired to their
mobiles. They are unlikely to either
buy or read it, yet it was good to see
young people on an occasion like
this. The discussion between Tha-
roor and Dasgupta traced the rise and
fall of the ‘original’ right-wing
TOUCHSTONES
Swatantra Party (Minoo Masani et al).
IRA PANDE
Dasgupta also explained how there
was always a right-leaning cabal even Where are political leaders
in the Nehru Congress. The left turn
that the Congress later took probably
like Gandhi, Mandela and
explains how it has now been deplet- Lincoln whose lessons
ed of several members unable to
accept this turn. One can argue with
have been twisted out
this but it struck a chord in people of of recognition?
my generation who can recall those
fearless speakers and some brilliant
parliamentarians, such as Piloo Mody. That’s one Modi that I think Rahul
Gandhi forgot in his tirade against the rest.
The other big, fat book is one that came out a few years ago: William Dal-

For whom the belly tolls

rymple’s ‘Anarchy’, a brilliant and delightfully readable account of the loot
of India by the East India Company. Again, it is an absorbing story, written
with no bias and so well-researched that it takes your breath away. The read-
er can almost hear Dalrymple’s Scottish voice speak to her as he uncovers

T
HIS was one of the many moments
that have, subsequently, been rued.
It was another one of those times
when the larynx and the brain were
not connected and yet, the mouth
found a mind of its own and opened
to speak. The rather plump teacher in school
informed the rather skinny me, “Looking at
RAAJA BHASIN you, one would think there is a famine in the
country.” Without thinking, I had retorted,
“And looking at you, sir, one would think that
I have never cared for you are the cause of it.” Needless to add, we did
not see paunch to belly after that.
the word ‘foodie’. In Our older son, who was good at drawing,
my head, it seems once made a picture of me in my uniform of
jeans, sneakers and a tee. Not to be outdone,
to imply that food the younger one presented his own version of
me. This was a rather large representation of
is something we the alphabet ‘p’. The explanation that came
can do without with it was simple — head to toe, the stick was
me and the bulge was my stomach. Com-
bined, they made ‘daddy’.
So how did that paunch, the subject of fam-
ily portraits and assorted comments, arrive?
Did it sneak in at night while one slept after a
‘hearty and handsome’ repast, as a phrase of
middle-English goes? Did it decide to become
an unforgiving appendage in a haze of alcohol
and no exercise? While one still works out, the
modus operandi of the paunch, one knows
that one day it wasn’t there, and the next, it
had arrived, sneakily whispering, “You are
now middle-aged”. With bags full of calories,
the unwelcome guest had come to stay. But
now that it was here, there was little choice
except to deal with it and even make friends
with this new addition to the body.
I have never cared for the word ‘foodie’. In
my head, it seems to imply that food is some-
thing we can do without. One may as well use
words like ‘air-ie’, or ‘water-ie’. It becomes
even worse when one thinks of the thousands
that sleep on less than full stomachs. The
Buddhist saint Milarepa survived for several
years on nettle soup and many of his images
depict him with a large earthen pot of what
sustained him. That’s when even my
thoughts turned to how some ingredients still
come from the wild.
At different times of the year in the hills,
many leaves, fungi and flowers collected from
the wild are readily available in vegetable
markets. For example, the fiddlehead fern
with a thick stem, called lungru or lingri,
grows in the mid-hills; this is cooked in
yoghurt and can also be pickled. It can also be
lightly sautéed. Bichhu buti, the stinging net-
tle; kachnaar, Bauhinia Tomentosa’s flowers;
and bathu, a chenopod, are collected from the
hillsides and cooked. But of all things that
come from nature and form a part of regular
cuisine, perhaps nothing can surpass guchhi,
the morels that grow in cedar and oak woods
and sell for substantial amounts in the mar-
kets. And this is apart from the endless array
of herbs that find their way to markets in Del-
hi, Amritsar and elsewhere.
Just before the outbreak of Covid-19, we
were invited to a meal that had been curated
by a Michelin star chef out of ingredients col-
lected from the forests. Seeds, sorrel, nettle
stems and much else was used with aplomb
and served with finesse. That our stomachs
reeled with these unfamiliar ingredients
makes for another tale. And that one time of
food culled from the wild, at least for me,
decided that one would happily stick with the
familiar. Paunch or no paunch.
the shameful tale of those natives who betrayed their own motherland for a
few pieces of silver. Incidentally, the word ‘loot’, he tells us, entered the Eng-
lish language from this shameful plunder of a land the English left impov-
erished and shattered. From the Kohinoor to the shiploads of gold, silver and
precious stones to paintings, manuscripts and heaven knows what else.
Robert Clive, Warren Hastings and others like them have much to answer
for. It is not surprising that the wealth of 19th century England that many
now believe came from the Industrial Revolution was the loot that destroyed
the flourishing crafts and textiles here. Human rights? What are those?
The third one is the oldest in this series, Pankaj Mishra’s ‘Age of Anger:
A History of the Present’, and brings this trio lying in my study to a close.
This is the hardest to read as I have discovered over the last few summers.
Mishra’s canvas is huge: from 200 years of European imperialism to the
rise of the Al-Qaeda, ISIS and Boko Haram. His argument is that the roots
of anger in our age lie in the forgotten promise of freedom, equality and
dignity through growth, industrialisation and nation-building. The trau-
matic social and economic changes these led to created a vast population
of betrayed and rootless youth, who were in search of wealth, a secure
future and a reliable messiah. It is only through an understanding of this
that we can begin to comprehend the rise of militant movements, lawless-
ness and a self-destroying anger that has spun out of control.
To build a future that will appease this anger, we will have to go to the past
and create a present that provides dignity and safety to all. And although this
is easy to write about, where are political leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Nel-
son Mandela and Abraham Lincoln whose lessons have been forgotten and
twisted out of recognition? The Age of Innocence never existed, it seems,
except as a dream that we have been fed by self-serving politicians.

Why trying to save Kolkata’s trams seems lost cause

O
NE of my pleasantest child-
hood memories is of taking
a ride with an elder on
Route 32 of Calcutta
Tramways. It went from
Howrah, across the famous
bridge, via Dalhousie Square, Esplanade,
an incomparable part of the evergreen
SUBIR ROY Maidan and upmarket Alipore. It then
passed through Kalighat, went past the
Tram enthusiasts have Tollygunge race course and ended up at
the Tollygunge depot amid pleasant sub-
now been joined by urbia. Other than the scenery that the
environmentalists route offered, trams were clean and com-
fortable, and had huge windows through
who are advocating for which you could see the world.
On the other hand, trying to save
these electricity-run Kolkata’s trams, the only city in the coun-
vehicles as an try which can boast of them, today seems
an almost lost cause, suitably romantic but
alternative to those hopeless nevertheless. The city’s tram
services have been declining for a long
running on gasoline time, and if the current trend continues,
then it can be only a matter of time before
the trams disappear altogether from the
streets and this grand relic of the past ends
up as an odd museum piece.
Some of the finest cities in the world like
Paris, Berlin, Florence, Barcelona, Istan-
bul, Zurich, St Petersburg, Shanghai and
Hong Kong are proud to have elegant
trams plying their streets, and Kolkata
should have been equally proud to belong
Tram services have been declining in Kolkata. Those that are still plying are the refurbished ones.
to that group. Its trams are one of the ele-
ments that go into making it a heritage city,
which at one time was considered to be the
second city of the British Empire.
The practical reason why trams are on
their way out is that the city has not been
making the regular two-carriage trams for
three decades now. Those that still ply are
reconditioned and refurbished ones. The
underlying real reason is that successive
state governments have not cared to devel-
op a blueprint for their revival and put their
money into making the plan work.
This is sad as the city otherwise has a
keen sense of history. Again the explana-
tion is that those who care about the city’s
heritage and seek to nurture it through aca-
demic and voluntary efforts and the politi-
cal class that has ruled the city for the most
part since Independence are two different
entities between which there is little cross-
fertilisation of ideas.
Those among tram lovers who like to
remain optimistic, come what may, are pin-
ning their hopes on an affidavit filed by the
West Bengal Government before the Cal-
cutta High Court stating that it plans to
revive seven tram routes. If this were to
happen, the city would have 10 tram routes
compared to the three at present.
But there is a catch. The affidavit says the
route revival will take two more years (by
2025) to complete and going by the amount
of work that will need to be done and the
degree of cooperation that will be required
between government agencies, in all likeli-
hood the deadline will be missed.
Sections of tram tracks that have been
blocked due to the work being done to
expand the city’s metro rail footprint will
have to be restored. This will need cooper-
ation from the Rail Vikas Nigam. Metro
rail work has rendered non-functional
most of the tram routes in the south and
central parts of the city.
This has disconnected two tram depots in
well-known city areas like Tollygunge and
Ballygunge from the workshop at Noapara,
where trams have to be taken for repair and
overhaul. For the restoration of the tram
routes, two bridges going over railway lines
will have to be tested to make sure that they
can carry the intrinsically heavy trams,
which are almost entirely made of metal.
Perhaps, even more intractable is the sit-
uation on one key road in the densely pop-
ulated north of the city, which has been
made one-way by the traffic police to cope
with the rise in vehicular traffic as a result
of halted tram services. A lot of tram pas-
sengers are now travelling by three-wheel-
er auto-rickshaws. The politically well-
connected young drivers will fight tooth
and nail to resist their vehicles having to
make way for restored tram services.
The biggest hurdle in the way of reviving
tram services is a problem that lies within
the powers of the West Bengal Transport
Corporation itself which runs the trams.
Revival means finding more drivers as
many of the drivers have grown old, retired
and gone away. Getting more trams on the
road means recruiting many more drivers,
which is not easily done.
Those who want trams to remain, and the
tramways to thrive, cherish trams as an
embellishment from a historic past and a
tourist attraction. Many first-time visitors
have a tram ride on their to-do list as a nov-
el experience. Plus, these enthusiasts have
been joined by environmentalists who want
more trams that run on electricity rather
than vehicles that run on gasoline and belch
smoke. So, the lobby for trams is growing.
But the city has an intrinsic problem.
Most of its roads are narrow (a far cry from
South Delhi, not to speak of Chandigarh)
and tram tracks block other traffic. Plus,
roads with tram tracks get damaged more
easily, and are therefore costlier to main-
tain. One solution is to have trolley buses,
which run on bus tyres (so they don’t need
tracks) and draw power from overhead
cables. But there is no one making trolley
buses in the country.
Over time, a dwindling number of ele-
gant-looking refurbished and recondi-
tioned trams will continue to ornament the
city until a day comes when they will get
too old to be repaired for a new lease of life.
— The writer is a Kolkata-based
senior economic analyst
 Sometimes we feel we straddle
two cultures; at other times, Salman
that we fall between two stools Rushdie

06 TIRUPATI, SUNDAY 25 06 2023

� � THE NEW SUNDAY EXPRESS

OPPOSITION’S NO VACCINE FOR SPAMPEDIMIC VIRUS OF NEXUS

MISSION 2024 OR was offered a bank loan on his phone or-
dered the government to take action but
Yoga gurus, sex advisors and fitness
freaks have become e-commerce enti-
ers. Though the companies are aware of
the weaknesses in the regularity system,

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE?
the criminal caucus of telemarketers ties. They don’t have to spend huge mon- they don’t want to spend on client secu-
and telecom thieves proved more formi- ey on advertising themselves as motiva- rity. The Telephone Regulatory Author-
dable than the judicial luminary thought. tional speakers or gym rats. All they ity of India (TRAI) has almost shrugged

T
Almost every minister or corporate cap- need are telephone numbers to flood off all responsibility to protect consum-
HIS week more than a dozen political parties came to- tain gets pesky calls offering them fur- with enticing email and texts as sms or ers. Ironically most TRAI chairpersons
gether to forge a front to oust the Modi regime. The ag- niture, hotel, flats, insurance, interior WhattsApp. Since smart phones and are superannuated Secretaries of the
gression in the speechifying which followed was aggres- POWER & POLITICS decoration services, swimming classes their software vulnerabilities provide Telecommunications Department who
sive and reflects the urge for preservation. Nitish Kumar, PRABHU CHAWLA and dancing lessons at home. The irony ample options to lure and loot unsus- are disinterested in resolving the very
who hosted the jamboree in Patna, said “We have come prabhuchawla@newindianexpress.com of democracy is transparency. Power pecting users, many have lost their life issues they have created themselves
together in national interest; those in power at Centre are Follow him on Twitter @PrabhuChawla loves control and governments love to savings, property and premium posses- through a faulty policy framework. Re-
against national interest.” DMK chief MK Stalin called the snoop on their citizens. A phalanx of sions. Apple and Samsung make billions cently Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Union
meeting a “war cry” against a “fascist and autocratic government agencies that store individ- of dollars selling cell phones, without Minister for Communications, cau-

T
regime.” HE paradox of technology is ual data is a karmic metaphor that spans uploading enough preventive software tioned, “People should never pick up
Omar Abdullah underlined that he and “Mehbooba Mufti that what starts as a blessing is life and death: by issuing birth certifi- in their overpriced gadgets. calls made from unknown numbers. I re-
belong to that part of the country where democracy is mur- fated to become a curse. Almost cates, death certificates and everything If handsets are at the receiving end of quest every citizen that they should re-
dered.” Mehbooba asserted: “We can’t let Gandhi’s India be- over a century ago Finnish in- in between, they are squarely responsi- slippery seduction, criminal neglect by spond to calls from only (telephone/mo-
come Godse’s country.” TMC chief Mamata Banerjee declared: ventor Eric Tigerstedt created a ble for the pilferage of private informa- telecom companies, government agen- bile) those numbers they recognise.”
“We will fight together with the aim of ending BJP rule.” Con- “pocket-size folding telephone” tion from their cies, big e-com- According to a published report “Indi-
gress President Mallikarjun Kharge said: “we have decided to for radio communication be- servers. They have merce giants and ans were the ninth most affected among
contest together.” And NCP chief tween ships and trains. Little become a gargan- other digital para- people from 20 countries being targeted
Sharad Pawar proclaimed that “just did he know that the 21st century ver- tuan shopping sites are behind by spam calls.” Vaishnaw said that the
like the JP movement, our united sion of his mobile phone would become mall where cell the data leakages. government had recently launched the
front will get blessings from the Frankenstein’s monster. The ubiquitous phone numbers In fact, Aadhar ‘Sanchar Saathi’ portal to block spam
public.” The rhetoric echoed the smart tool of myriad shapes and sizes as can be sold and was the beginning calls and cyber frauds. He also claimed
spectre painted five decades back varied as Bruce Lee’s moves has infil- bought covertly when data stealing that his ministry had blacklisted over 40
prior to the 1971 polls. trated the privacy of boardrooms and for a price. Digital became as com- lakh dodgy SIMs and 41,000 crooked
“Never before has a Prime Minis- bedrooms, recording confidential con- India was a power- mon as toothpaste. “points of sale” agents. So far, it hasn’t
ter in a democracy entered into versations, emptying bank accounts, ac- ful slogan meant Though the gov- stopped them from popping up like toxic
THE THIRD EYE such open collusion with anti-na- cessing intimate details like photos, to empower India. SOUMYADIP SINHA ernment denied re- mushrooms after a malefic monsoon. Yet
SHANKKAR AIYAR tional and anti-democratic forces. messages, contacts and such personal The country takes cent reports of a it is a big business as number robbers
Author of The Gated Republic, Aadhaar: Never before has a clique in power data, and resorting to bluster and black- pride in leading the world in digital massive breach, it’s unclear whether the are willing to give as much as one dollar
A Biometric History of India’s 12 Digit treated the judiciary and Parlia- mail. However, the cell phone is an es- transactions. In the process, it is also technology itself isn’t vulnerable to in- for every ten digit number.
Revolution, and Accidental India ment with such contempt. Never sential evil of the New World. Mobile plagued by spammers and scammers. filtration: Aadhaar has the maximum Private banking and financial institu-
(shankkar.aiyar@gmail.com) before has a government had such calls are invisible invaders, not differen- Since India is the world’s biggest con- private details on its servers since users’ tions are even bigger culprits. Going by
a dismal record of unmitigated fail- tiating between the rich and poor. They sumer market, global tele-terrorists are mobiles are compulsorily linked to it. spam calls ostensibly from banks, it’s
ure in the maintenance of law and have become weapons to steal wealth obsessively pursuing its quarry offering During Covid, another data collection gi- clear that less banking and more com-
order…” The assertions are from the 1971 Manifesto of the with stealth. The Spampedimic is the everything from potatoes to potassium. ant Covin was launched with much fan- merce is the norm. Even credible banks
Bharatiya Jana Sangh. current curse of capitalism sans cure. A tech savvy mafia of mobile number fare and lauded for its sheer size and like the HDFC, Axis, Kotak and more
The battle then was against Indira Gandhi and her Congress. With the global Smartphone market hawkers operates all over the world with faultless implementation. Now it has be- seem to have engaged faceless salesmen
The battle cry now is against Narendra Modi and the avatar size touching $ 457.18 billion in 2021, mo- a technology-driven target-oriented come an egregious embarrassment with- to hawk insurance, motor vehicles etc to
of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, namely the BJP. Participating bile models are proliferating faster than modus operandi. They divide the market out ownership after news about a mas- their account holders. HDFC leads the
entities included the Congress, TMC, AAP, NCP, Shiv Sena, proverbial rabbits. There are over 14 bil- by products. While one agency harvests sive data leak hit the headlines. More nefarious pack of spam callers. With Big
DMK, Samajwadi Party, National Conference, PDP, JD (U), lion mobile devices in the world, averag- intel on guests checking into luxury ho- disturbing is the unwillingness by tele- Business dictating and directing poli-
RJD, CPI, CPM, CPI ML and others. Missing from what Home ing two mobile connections per person. tels, others go after high value shoppers com companies to install tools to spot cies worldwide, no vaccine will be in-
Minister Amit Shah called a “photo session” were the BSP, the India, with 1.30 billion SIM cards is in and pricey hospitals to collect informa- and stop spam calls passing through vented to prevent the Spampedimic
BRS, Biju Janata Dal, Janata Dal (S) and Akali Dal. the lead while China comes second with tion on aspirations and antibiotics. their gateways. Spammers have easy ac- whose viruses of corporate greed are de-
India’s political geography is defined by history. Every party 1.60 billion. The US has over 350 million Within moments of a high roller check- cess to greedy telecom executives who stroying the mental and financial health
is either an offshoot of the Congress or was created by the urge smart and not so smart phones. Accord- ing out of a hotel, they get calls, SMSs sell them phone numbers in bulk. Spam- of mankind. Unregulated and excessive
of anti-Congressism. It is verily a collection of frenemies. ing to government sources, over a mil- and WhatsApp chats, offering them bet- mers have bagged even VIP numbers use of technology provides them with a
Shiv Sena has fought against Congress and NCP, the TMC has lion spam calls are generated daily in ter deals and a room with a view on their originally allotted to important opinion mantra of minimising costs and maxim-
defeated Congress and the Left front, the Abdullahs have India. A former finance minister and the next visit. As tech giants make access to makers in the late 1990s. Unscrupulous ising profits. For them a wrong
fought the Muftis and the Congress, and AAP is still warring President of India got phone calls offer- technology cheaper, they have fathered tele-saboteurs purvey these digital digits number is now the prevalent phrase of
with the Congress. For sure, the BJP may dub the alliance as ing personal loans. A furious judge who an illegitimate brood of telemarketers. to agents who harass potential custom- the times.
opportunistic, dynastic or the coalition of the corrupt. The fact
is most of the parties have partnered with the BJP and the
Congress – the DMK in Tamil Nadu, the Shiv Sena in Mahar-
ashtra, the JD (U) in Bihar, the NC and PDP in Kashmir and
so on.
The binding glue of alliances is either conviction – for in-
stance after the Emergency in 1977 and in 1989 -- or existential
angst. The images from the Patna summit reflect the old cliché
THE MEDIEVAL DESTINATION CITY
that politics makes strange bed-fellows. The Opposition is fac- ited Kozhikode at least six times. His called Vikramapuram with a Siva temple of this place [Kozhikode] are so wealthy
ing the toughest challenge in decades. The BJP’s success is itinerary mentions most of the ports on at its centre. But this name did not be- that one them can purchase the whole
built around the blend of Hindutva and nationalism, organi- the west coast, like Mangalore, Valapat- come popular. The people called it Kolik- freightage of such vessels as put in here
sational potency and above all, the charisma of Modi. tanam, Pantalayini and Kollam, but ig- kotu.” Many misunderstood the word de- and fit out others like them.” Another
The playbook of Mission 2024 is familiar. The Opposition nores Muziris and Kochi, clearly hinting riving from the Malayalam for rooster, merchant Ibn Battuta met was Nakhuda
alliance is scaffolded by the arithmetic of votes – in 2019 the at the destruction of Muziris. Ibn Bat- Koli [Kozhi]. Krishna Ayyar clarifies: Midkhal from Yemen. It might have been
BJP bagged 37.7 per cent of the votes polled and the hope is tuta was elated to see the big Chinese “The town derives its name from Koyilko- the same person, Nakhuda Mishkal, who
they can garner a bigger share of the rest. Electoral success ships which could carry more than a tu or Koyilkotta, the fortified palace of built the magnificent Mishkal Palli in
however is more than just arithmetic and demands a curious A COUNTRY OF MANY GODS thousand people. He also reports that Zamorin, which was its commanding fea- t h e Ku t t i c h i r a p r i n c i p a l i t y o f
confluence of voter-leader chemistry and believability among DR JAYARAM PODUVAL ports which could accommodate these ture.” Though we know that the palace of Kozhikode.
contesting claims. Head, Department of Art History & Aesthetics, Faculty of Fine ships were Haili [Ezhimala, North Ker- Samutiri was somewhere near Tali Siva Kuttichira is between the erstwhile
Mandates and regime change in India, beyond the basic Arts, The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Gujarat ala], Kozhikode and Kollam [South Ker- Temple, presently, no building can claim palace complex of the Samutiris and the
math, are powered by public trust and the magic of persua- (jpoduval@gmail.com) ala]. Comparing Battuta’s travelogue such a position. Soon Kozhikode was Kozhikode beach. Built around a water
sion. In 1977, the voters were persuaded in the north of India with present-day geographical locations, preeminent among northern Kerala’s nu- tank [Chira], this locality still has some

A
(but not in the south) of the horrors of Emergency. In 1989, we can assume that the Kozhikode port merous and active ports, enabling the old houses and two mosques dating back
Rajiv Gandhi was ousted by allegations of corruption in de- city’s misfortune always marks of call also included ports of call at Pan- Samutiris to develop lucrative mercantile to the 13th and 14th centuries. The oldest
fence deals. The Rao regime was ousted following riots and the rise of another city. We see talayini, Kappad [where Vasco Da Gama of the Mosques is Muchundi Mosque
scandals. In more recent years the Congress-led UPA won in this often in medieval India. landed], Elatthoor, Kozhikode, Chaliyum which has a granite inscription, the
2009 despite serial blasts and the 26/11 attacks. The greatest example is the de- and Beypore, many of them on the estu- script of which is datable to the 13th cen-
In 2014 the BJP highlighted corruption in the UPA raj and struction of Vijayanagara and aries of the Rivers like Korappuzha, Ka- tury CE. The text is written half in Ma-
presented an aspirational alternative. In 2019 the Modi regime the rise of Vijayapura, both in llayippuzha, and Chaliyar. After the layalam Vattelutthu script and the rest
won more seats in spite of anger about demonetisation and Karnataka. The former’s dev- downfall of Muziris, the spice export Kozhikode’s ascendance is also linked to in Arabic, recording the endowment to
stalling growth as voters invested in the idea of “strong India.” astation and loot and the possession of business might have been looking for an the emergence of a dynasty that the Mosque by Samutiri himself. It also
The Congress forfeited deposits in 148 of 421 Lok Sabha seats the fertile Raichur Doab enabled the alternate port of call on the west coast, remained the patron of the flourishing mentions one Shahab al-din Raihan as
it contested. Adil Shahi Sultans to invest in great and Kozhikode was the answer. the chief patron. Mishkal Palli, on the
Politics cannot be merely an argument industry producing buildings at Vijayapura. This, indeed, Kozhikode’s ascendance is also linked
trade. This ruling house is known as the other bank of Kuttichira Tank, is one of
memes on social media. Parties sense there is a distinct dis- was a man-made destruction. A similar to the emergence of a dynasty that re- Samutiris or Zamorins the unique mosques in India. Built fully
quiet about disharmony, disenchantment among sections of story occurred in Kerala but by an act of mained the patron of the flourishing of wood, it has exquisite decorative mo-
the middle class and distress at the lower levels of the income God. Major floods in the Periyar River in trade. This ruling house is known as the tifs and calligraphy carved out of wood.
pyramid but struggle to weave a narrative. The Congress, bu- 1341 CE destroyed the ancient port city Samutiris or Zamorins. The ancestors of The great settlement of the Moham-
oyed after the wins in Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka, may of Muziris. Though the same flood gave the Samutiris, principal rulers of north- connections with the Red Sea, Persia, Ma- madan merchants, which Ibn Battuta
be onto something in their thesis of localised polls and guar- birth to the port of Kochi, it also allowed ern Kerala from the 14th century on- laysia and China. mentions in his travelogue, is probably
anteed freebies. However, the context of Lok Sabha polls is another port city on the Malaibar coast wards, were the Eratis of Nediyirippu. The picture Ibn Battuta paints of the same. But the Mishkal mosque might
national and post-2014 very presidential. The question is to prosper. That port was Qaliqut, as the The Keralopatti relates that after the Era- Kozhikode is that of a great metropoli- have been under construction during his
whether the opposition alliance can evolve beyond the oust medieval travellers referred to it, or tis received a gift of land from Cheraman tan city. Noting the ruler as non-Muslim, visit because Battuta is silent about the
Modi slogan to engineer an idea and an identity. Kozhikode as we know it now. Perumal, they moved north to Kozhikode, Ibn Battuta was surprised to see a Bah- mosque. Such a magnificent structure
India’s political discourse is thirsting for competing ideas. The writings of Ibn Battuta, the cele- from where they set about subduing their raini Muslim, Shihab-ud-Din Khasaru- would have meant a lot to an eloquent
The architects of Mission 2024 will need to produce a compel- brated Moroccan traveller, tell us how rivals, the Porlatiris of Polanad in the fer- nias, as the port officer [Shahbandar]. traveller like Ibn Battuta to write about,
ling alternative of what it stands for and how it will deliver or Muziris stopped being a port of call on tile hinterland to the East. KV Krishna He also reports that Muslims controlled along with the description of Kozhikode,
else Mission 2024 could well turn into Mission Impossible. It the west coast. Battuta, as Mohammed Ayyar, in his book, The Zamorins of Cali- all commerce in Kozhikode. “The great- the great metropolis of the East, the me-
will be yesterday once more! bin Tughluk’s ambassador to China, vis- cut, informs, “Samutiri founded a town est part of the Mohammadan merchants dieval destination city.

In the post-COVID era, the world order is taking a new
Rural polls
shape. In this time period, the friendship between
Poll-related violence and loss of lives are not ac-
India and the U.S. will be instrumental in enhancing ceptable in a democracy (Violence continues ahead
the strength of the whole world. The two countries are of WB rural polls - June 24). As the Bengal governor
committed to work together for the global good and pointed out correctly, victory depends on votes, not
for global peace, stability, and prosperity dead bodies. One can imagine the scenario on elec-
Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India tion day. The central forces may not be of any use
unless parties come to a compromise, ensuring free
and fair polls.
Together, India and the United States are working closely on everything from Dr M Haneef, Kottayam
ending poverty and expanding access to healthcare to addressing climate Party chemistry
change to tackling food and energy insecurity stoked by Russia’s unprovoked Apropos of AAP bump on Oppn’s march to 2024
war on Ukraine polls (June 24). The decision of the Opposition par-
Joe Biden, President of the United States ties to put up a strong Opposition candidate against
the BJP in 300 Lok Sabha seats, with the weak par-
t i es s u p p o r t i n g t h e co m m o n ca n d i d a te, i s
What all of us have to do is to make sure we are using AI in a way that is for the arithmetically correct. But what about their
benefit of humanity, not to the detriment of humanity chemistry?
Tim Cook, Chief Executive Officer of Apple G Nataraja Perumal, Tenkasi
Kejriwal’s role
Kejriwal cannot play a national role in Opposition
unity with the lame excuse of Congress going
against the Centre’s ordinance. Kejriwal’s role is
minuscule and his party will make a mess of itself
in Opposition unity parleys. In the next Shimla
meet, he may shake hands with Kharge and all will
be hunky dory. The AAP is neither a bump on the
road nor a storm in the tea cup. It is a minor ripple
in the lake, which must be ignored by all.
Parthasarathy Mandadi, Tirupati
Patna meeting
The parties in the Patna meeting will surely defeat
Modi in 2024, provided there is a leader of great
stature among the present Opposition leaders.
Their aim should be to unseat Modi and not grab
power. Only then will people have hope and confi-
dence in an alternate mechanism.
Sundaram Govind, Aluva
Modi’s commitment
Apropos of ‘No ifs and buts in dealing with terror,
Modi tells US lawmakers’ (June 24). By saying this,
Modi has given a strong warning to the nations
sponsoring terrorism. It is most gratifying that he
got a warm welcome wherever he went in the USA.
The way US Congress members gave him a standing
ovation 15 times during his address shows how im-
pressed they were. Prime Minister Modi has become
a brand for India and his firm faith in climbing to
the third position from the fifth vis-a-vis the world
economy shows his commitment. The world is opti-
mistic about the Indian economy. Kozhikode’s as-
cendance is also linked to the emergence of a dy-
nasty that remained the patron of the flourishing
trade. This ruling house is known as the Samutiris
or Zamorins.
Jayaprakash Reddy, Michigan
Obama’s interview
President Obama was right in his recent interview.
Both tragedies this week were immensely disturb-
ing: The Titan submersible collapsed and the refu-
gee boat sank off the Greek coast. Yet, as he la-
mented, the first one, not the second, was tracked
24 X 7 for days by world media and given unprece-
dented support. What is the world coming to?
M Balakrishnan, Bengaluru
Nation’s integrity
Apropos of Balkanisation, delimitation, and rum-
bling in the states (June 24). The sacrifice of lead-
ers during the freedom struggle gave our nation a
strong integument of unity. The delimitation should
be utilised for making the administration handy,
and not for perpetuating the ruling party.
S Madhavan Thampi, Haripad
Employment opportunities
With reference to ‘Job creation: A big challenge for
the govt (June 23), both the Centre and state govts
are wooing investors to create jobs for the youth,
which does not always fructify. The govts can fill
the lakhs of vacant posts in the Railways, police
departments, etc. The education sector can create
millions of jobs. Efforts in upskilling for self-em-
ployment need to be strengthened.
A M Chakravarty, Hyderabad

THE NEW SUNDAY EXPRESS

Chairman of the Board: Manoj Kumar Sonthalia Editor: Santwana Bhattacharya
Resident Editor (Andhra Pradesh): T Kalyan Chakravarthy* Published by R K Jhunjhunwala on behalf of Express Publications (Madurai) Private Limited, at 4th Floor, No. V, MM Complex, Opp. More super Market, AIR Bypass Road, Tirupati - 517 502. and printed by him at Sakshi Press, Survey No.2/4, Kotha Palem Village, Renigunta Mandal, Tirupati Revenue Division,
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 16 OPINION
Across
THEAISLE
PCHIDAMBARAM
Website:pchidambaram.in
Twitter @Pchidambaram_IN
One engine in Manipur (state
government) has run out of
fuel; the other engine (central
government) has decided to
decouple itself and hide in
the loco shed. Thanks to the
double-engine, Manipur is a
boiling cauldron. Cry, my
beloved country
Atrocities on Dalits
and a dead society
Dalitality
SURAJYENGDE
suraj.yengde@gmail.comard.e
du
I DO notlike to write about this. It is one of
the 50,000-plus acts committed last year.
Caste atrocities committed against Dalits
is a topic I avoid writing about. It is too
much to take. To relive the atrocities and
trytomakesenseof whathappenedisvis-
ceral, with fear and tremors pacing
throughout the body. It sends shivers
while reading the news and transcribing
it. An atrocity committed against a per-
son,moresoaDalit,feelslikeanorganhas
been mutilated in my body.
To investigate the case and fathom the
pains of my fellow beings withdraws me
from the world. Whether I am sitting at
my desk in a foreign country or covering
miles across India, the emotions travel
faster than light to transmit the message
of people’s agony.
Once it is committed, I create scenar-
ios in my mind. Most of them are fatal.
What if someone enters the house and
does the same to me? Reasons may vary,
but consequences of fear and alarm are
constant, causing anxiety attacks. We're
constantly looking back as if a ghostly
shadow is following us in the dark.
IhavewritteninCasteMattershowthe
insulting behaviour met to the Dalit girl
students in Gujarat tore me down. I kept
walking in the cold, shivering rain in
London,cryingitoutforthebrutalitiesthat
have been normalised on my children.
More than a decade ago, Dalit schol-
ars in the US intended to start a web por-
tal to exclusively report atrocities. They
enlisted me. However, I could not.
Dealing with cases of Dalit atrocities is
like working in a mortuary. You witness
newbodieseveryday,andyourjobistoas-
sess the cause of their death. One cannot,
in the right mind, accept this job without
killingsomenervesof emotionseveryday,
dryingouttheliquidof tearsandaffection.
After the atrocities, people like me are
invited to comment on it. It has become a
ritual; a dead Dalit is a space of congrega-
tion for the media who want to sympa-
thetically understand the nature of Dalit
On the
LOOSE
LEHERKALA
leherkala@gmail.com
A FAMILY dining out in Noida came to
blows with the restaurant staff for having
the temerity to automatically add a serv-
ice charge onto their bill. A mere Rs 970
addition on a total bill of Rs 12,000 ended
up causing a roaring fracas. In the shock-
ing video floating around, both sides can
be heard hurling abuses while punching
and slapping each other. Eventually, five
people were arrested of whom two were
customers. It’s accepted practice for
restaurants to levy gratuity for their
workers (ten per cent is the norm for tip-
ping in India) though by law, service
charge is not mandatory and is a volun-
tary contribution.
Irrespective of who was at fault, this
Incompetence, injury & insult
ARTICLE 355 of the Constitution reads as
under:
“It shall be the duty of the Union to
protect every State against external ag-
gression and internal disturbance and to
ensure that the government of every
Stateiscarriedoninaccordancewiththe
provisions of this Constitution.”
TheArticleissignificantinmoreways
than one. The Union (central govern-
ment)hastheduty toprotect everyState,
not to undermine or destroy it. Thus,
Article 355 is an affirmation of the fed-
eral nature of the Indian State. The cen-
tral government is also obliged to ensure
that every State is governed according to
the Constitution. It is a reminder to the
central government that it cannot be a
bystander when a State is misgoverned
or not governed at all. These are two dis-
tinct obligations.
The Union is a constitutional con-
cept. Ultimately, it is men and women
who act and speak on behalf of the
Union government. That body of men
and women is the Council of Ministers.
The lynchpin of the council of minis-
ters is the prime minister.
TWIN OBLIGATIONS
In the case of Manipur, both obliga-
tions are being violated every day since
May 3, 2023. Instead of discharging the
dutiesimposedbyArticle 355, theUnion
(that is the council of minsters and the
prime minister) is violating the
Constitution. Since May 3, the prime
minister has not uttered a word on
response.
Dalits are not your celebrity film stars,
athletesorpowerfulbusinesscommunity
who can force the might of the state to
turn in their direction.
Various governments have been try-
ing to tackle the plague of caste atrocities.
They have strengthened the Prevention
of Atrocities Act which ironically makes it
difficult to get the cases registered. Due to
the stringent law, the police
administration mostly works in favour of
the accused. In response to the atrocity
case, a counter case of robbery
and sexual harassment is filed against
Dalits, making them two-pole victims—
that of the caste atrocity and the victim of
vengeance.
Just earlier this month, Akshay
Bhalerao, 24, decided to organise
Ambedkar’s Jayanti in Bondhara, near
Nanded, my hometown. The landowning
Marathadidnot appreciatethis assertion.
Asaresult,Akshaywasstabbedwithsuch
force that his intestines popped out. His
mother rushed, trying to save his son,
holding the blood-laden innards in her
handsandpushingthembackintohisgut.
IscelebratingAmbedkarthereasonfor
the atrocity? If this was the case, then the
casteist goons would unleash similar as-
saults on the Prime Minister and Chief
Ministers.Casteatrocityisnotconfinedto
self-assertion. Like many other atrocities
in villages, it is related to land and the po-
litical economy of the state.
A few recommendations to prevent
atrocities.
1. Arming the Dalit community with
weapons in atrocity-prone areas for self-
protection.Theculpritisarmed.Theyfear-
monger the poor, helpless fiefs.
2. Having a special court and a parallel
system to deal exclusively with cases of
atrocities.
3. The highest offices of the govern-
ment and its leaders should regularly ad-
vertise in newspapers and TV against
caste-based atrocities.
4. Start an app that would live-report
cases of atrocities to the local police and
administration.
5. Whenever such incidents of atroci-
ties happen, declare the constituency as
inept and dry it with state funds.
6. Creating newer trained units of the
SamataSainikDaltotacklesuchuntoward
incidents and administer values of the
Constitution in the society.
The tipping point
would have been a harsh lesson in humil-
ity for these customers. It’ll be hard living
down the embarrassment of getting into
fisticuffs, and jail, over a few hundred ru-
pees. The word “tip” comes from the
phrase “To Insure Promptness” and the
practice traces its origins to Tudor
England, when guests drinking at taverns
left alittle something for the people tend-
ingtothem.Evenif notstrictlylawful,gra-
tuity built-in to the bill is absolutely nec-
essary because of a widespread
problem—thatIndianscanbeshamelessly
thrifty. Wherever they can unscrupu-
lously get away with saving a buck they’ll
go to any lengths to do so. It’s become a
cliche to point out that people driving in
the fanciest of cars will haggle with a
bedraggled, roadside fruit seller but it’s a
cliche precisely because it’s true. Speak to
any service provider, Uber drivers,
Manipur — not even appeal for peace.
Nor has he considered it necessary to
visit Manipur.Meanwhile,over120peo-
ple have been killed.
If some critics think this to be mad-
ness, we must examine the reasons be-
hind the madness. I can think of the fol-
lowing reasons:
1. Manipur is ruled by the BJP and if
the central government reprimanded
or dismissed the state government it
may be a self-inflicted wound. So much
for the boast of “my country above my
party”.
2. Mr Narendra Modi may wish to
dissociate himself from the unpopular
Mr Biren Singh, chief minister of
Manipur. So much for the boast of “dou-
ble-engine government”.
3. Manipur is distant. What happens
in Manipur has no reverberations in the
restof thecountry.Somuchfortheboast
of “Act East”.
4. Let the Meiteis and the Kukis fight.
With the support of the Meitei-con-
trolledstategovernmentandtheMeitei-
dominated BJP, the Meiteis will ulti-
mately prevail. So much for the boast of
“Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka
Vishwas”.
If one or more of the above reasons is
true,itisevidentthattheManipurpolicy
of the central government is a cynical
mixture of selfishness and callousness.
BLACK DAY REPEATED
May 3 is a black day in the history of
Manipur. Thirty years ago, on May 3,
history
HEADLINE
SHYAMLALYADAV
MAY 15 was the 25th anniversary of the
National Democratic Alliance (NDA) that
was formed in 1998. On May 26, Prime
Minister Narendra Modi reminded his
party that no alliance other than the NDA
has remained intact for a quarter century.
And he was correct.
While it's right that the NDA in its cur-
rentformhascompleted25years,thefirst
avatar of the alliance came about much
earlier — in August 1983 — but it did not
work and collapsed just a year later.
Those days, much like it is today, the
ruling party at the Centre was in formida-
ble form and the Opposition was strug-
gling to find its feet. The Congress had re-
turned to power in 1980 and later, the
Indira Gandhi government had sacked
some non-Congress state governments.
The Janata Party, which had come to
powerin1977asanamalgamationof par-
ties with different ideologies, was splin-
tering into groups. In April 1980, those
who joined the Janata Party from the
Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS) decided to
form a new party, which they named the
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Effortstoformalliancesagainstthecen-
tral government gathered pace – not very
different from the situation now, when 15
non-BJP leaders met in Patna to come up
with a strategy ahead of the 2024 polls.
After the Indira government had com-
pleted nearly half its tenure, these efforts
were hastened. In the meantime, some
statessawfreshAssemblypollsandimpor-
tant changes happened in Karnataka and
Andhra Pradesh. In Jammu and Kashmir,
FarooqAbdullahtookoverasChiefMinister
on September 8, 1982, the day his father
Sheikh Abdullah passed away. While his
government continued in 1983 Assembly
polls, in Karnataka, a new government un-
der the Janata Party was formed with
Ramakrishna Hegde as CM on January 10,
1983. In Andhra Pradesh, Telugu film star-
turned-politicianNTRamaRaooftheTelugu
Desam Party (TDP) took oath as Chief
Minister on January 9, 1983. In the coming
years,thesethreeChiefMinisterswouldplay
keyrolesinOppositionunityefforts.
Thechurnof thoseyearssawtheemer-
gence of leaders and the decline of others.
ChaudharyCharanSingh,whohadsplitthe
Janata Party to form the Janata Party
(Secular) to take oath as Prime Minister in
1979, later renamed his party Lok Dal. The
Amazon courier and Zomato delivery
agents, they’ll attest, tipping is non-exis-
tent in this country.
Aristotle famously said what is “just
by nature” is not always the same as what
is“justbylaw”.Ourdailylivesarebasedon
some instinctive and universal moral
principles: for example, kindness is good,
killingiswrong.There’snomonetaryben-
efittosaying“please”and“thankyou”but
we say it anyway, subliminally aware that
politeness makes interactions between
strangers easier. From an ethical perspec-
tive, one can righteously claim that tip-
ping is entirely the prerogative of the cus-
tomer based on how happy they are with
the service and the overall experience.
Regarding the food industry specifically,
the waiter gets a salary for doing his job
and the chef for cooking. It’s not incum-
bent upon us to sweeten their deal fur-
1993, there were violent clashes be-
tween Meitei Hindus and Meitei
Muslims (Pangals) and over 100 people
were killed. History repeated itself on
May 3, 2023. This time, the violent con-
flict is between Meiteis and Kukis. The
trigger was an ill-advised order of the
High Court of Manipur.
The Meitei community has de-
manded for long that Meiteis should be
included in the list of Scheduled Tribes
for Manipur. Successive state govern-
ments, advisedly, did not act upon it be-
cause there were conflicting interests in
a state thatiscomprisedof, mostly, three
communities — Meiteis, Kukis
and Nagas. The governments were ac-
cused of “dragging their feet”, but there
wasalargerpurposeinnottakingaquick
decision. Before Independence,
the Meiteis were listed as one of the
tribes of Manipur but the community
was not included in the Constitution
(Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950.
Presently, most Meiteis are categorized
inthegeneralcategory;about17percent
are OBCs.
Thepoliticalbalanceamongthethree
major communities is delicate. Of the 60
constituencies in the legislative assem-
bly, 40 are dominated by Meiteis, 10 by
the Kukis and 10 by the Nagas. The Kukis
and the Nagas are among 36
communities categorized as scheduled
tribes. If Meteis are categorized as ST, it
may make little difference to the elec-
toral map but there are implications for
owning land in notified tribal areas and
government jobs.
Before NDA came into
being, a flicker of a deal
Charan Singh (right) with Vajpayee. Their alliance lasted a year. Express Archive
Lok Dal was further divided into Lok Dal
(Charan Singh) and Lok Dal (Karpuri
Thakur).SeveralintheOppositionwereone-
man parties or rode on the popularity of a
singleleader:Congress(Jagjivan)ofJagjivan
Ram,theDemocraticSocialistParty(DSP)of
H N Bahuguna, the Janwadi Party of
ChandrajitYadavandLokDal(K),whichhad
leaders like George Fernandes, Madhu
Limaye, Devi Lal and Biju Patnaik. Efforts
were on to form a single party merging the
JanataParty,theDSPandtheJanwadiParty,
but Morarji Desai had some reservations
againstthemove.ChandraShekharheaded
theJanataPartyandinAugust1983,intense
talks were on for a possible alliance among
“progressive and socialist” national and re-
gionalpartiesoroverthemergerofsomeof
them. The United Front (UF) was formed
later, towards the end of 1983, with the
JanataPartybeingabigplayerinthealliance.
At the same time, there were efforts
for the merger of two big players of the
Opposition — the Lok Dal (C) and the BJP.
Talks were on between BJP chief Atal
Bihari Vajpayee and Charan Singh. Still
scarred from its experience in the Janata
Party, the BJP kept declining Charan
Singh’s proposal. In a meeting of its na-
tional executive in Bhubaneswar on
February 12-14, 1982, the BJP said it was
againstamergerwithanyotherparty,but
clarified that it would follow the policy of
“meaningful cooperation”.
While Charan Singh kept demanding
a merger, Vajpayee clarified in Shimla in
April 1983 that he and his party were
against any sort of merger. However, the
BJP kept raising the need for a national
ther. Except, that if one can afford to blow
up 12 grand on an evening, surely, one
wouldn’t grudge the guys working night
shifts on weekends a tip, for being at our
beck and call?
I had a boss who used to throw wrap-
pers and cigarette butts out of a moving
car,sayingthereshouldbeworkforevery-
one, including sweepers and the munici-
palities entrusted with upkeep of the
streets. In India there’s no social censure
for participating in petty and small injus-
tices.Cunninglyworkingthesystemtoca-
sually exploit someone lacking power is
completely normalised. Scamming wait-
staff is par for the course here but the
same people wouldn’t dare try it abroad.
Etiquette demands that the perpetually
hassled, lone waiter in European cafete-
rias be acknowledged;15% servicecharge
islockedintothebillinFrance.InAmerica,
WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM
THE SUNDAY EXPRESS, JUNE 25, 2023
ILL-ADVISED
DIRECTION
As I noted, the trigger was the judg-
ment of Mr Justice Muralidaran, Acting
Chief Justice of Manipur. Noting that the
state government had not submitted a
recommendation on inclusion of
Meiteis in the ST list for 10 years, the
Court directed the state government to
send a recommendation to the central
government in four weeks. There is
much that can be said on both sides,
but it was certainly not an issue on
which the Court should have issued a
direction. The Court ought to have
lobbed the ball into the corner of the po-
litical institutions such as the legislative
assembly and the Commission for the
Scheduled Tribes.
A 30-member delegation of BJP
MLAs was not given an appointment by
the prime minister. Ten Opposition par-
ties led by a former chief minister of
Manipur, Mr Ibobi Singh, waited in vain
for an appointment. The honourable
prime minister left the state of
Manipur to burn. Incompetence,
neglect and partisanship have marked
the tenure of the Biren Singh govern-
ment in Manipur. Insult has been
added now.
One engine in Manipur (state gov-
ernment) has run out of fuel; the other
engine (central government) has de-
cided to decouple itself and hide in the
loco shed. Thanks to the double-engine,
Manipur is a boiling cauldron. Cry, my
beloved country.
democratic front against the ruling
Congress (I) and meetings between lead-
ers of the BJP and Lok Dal (C) started
afresh. In mid-August 1983, the NDA was
formed withthese two players. As per the
agreement, Charan Singh became the
leader of the NDA in the Lok Sabha and L
K Advani in the Rajya Sabha. And that is
how the NDA was first born.
With the formation of the NDA, with
its two parties, and the UF, with its nine
parties, efforts were on to form an under-
standing between both alliances in order
to fight against the Congress (I).
In October 1983, J&K Chief Minister
Farooq Abdullah hosted a meeting of
Opposition leaders in Srinagar. After the
meeting, a resolution on Centre-state ties
wasadopted.Themeetingwasattendedby
Opposition stalwarts Parkash Singh Badal,
ChandrajitYadav,BijuPatnaik,JagjivanRam
and N T Rama Rao. Despite being invited,
Charan Singh and Vajpayee did not attend
the meeting. Later, they claimed that they
received the invite quite late.
But the NDA, formed with an eye on
the elections, did not survive long. In
August 1984, merely a year after it was
formed, both parties started making con-
flicting statements. Vajpayee and Charan
Singh would often say that they were un-
sure about the future of the NDA. While
the BJP decided to go it alone, Charan
Singh formed a new party, the Dalit
Mazdoor Kisan Party (DMKP).
The assassination of Indira Gandhi in
October 1984 changed the political scene.
Riding on a wave of sympathy, the
Congress swept to power.
one needstohave thehideof a rhinoceros
to withstand the looks of withering con-
tempt waiters throw back, for a poor tip.
“NoblesseOblige”ismorelikeathreat-
ening command there, it’s not seen as a
guest magnanimously bestowing a favor
on a minion. However, one must philo-
sophically accept that when in Rome do
as the Romans and give in to the “recom-
mended tip”, often, more than 20% of the
total amount.
What would happen if everybody
broke the unspoken social contracts that
bind and connect us? Human life would
besolitary,andlonely,witheveryonemis-
trustfully sizing each other up. It’s only by
surrendering a little to our fellow citizens
in the interest of the greater good, that
civilisation can truly flourish.
The writer is director, Hutkay Films
Fifth
COLUMN
TAVLEENSINGH
Twitter@tavleen_singh
Democracy
in our DNA?
IN THE pomp and pageantry that defined
our Prime Minister’s visit to Washington
last week there was one thing that re-
mained unsaid. This was the dodgy hu-
man rights record of the Modi govern-
ment. If Joe Biden brought it up privately,
as he may have done, it did nothing to
spoil the magic of marching bands in the
lawns of the White House or the specially
designedstatebanquetwithsaffronflow-
ers decorating the table and a vegetarian
menu. At the first and only press confer-
ence that Modi has addressed in the past
nine years he was asked a direct question
about human rights by an American re-
porter, and he gave an indirect answer.
“Democracy is in our DNA. Democracy is
inourspirit.Democracyrunsinourveins.”
The implication being that where there is
democracy there cannot be any threat to
human rights.
Not true, Prime Minister. In the past
nine years we have seen the targeted
lynching of Muslim cattle farmers by vig-
ilanteswhooweallegiancetotheRSS.And
because Modi has not condemned these
horrific murders, they are now so routine,
they barely make news. On top of this
havecomedemandsforlawsagainst‘love
jihad’ from BJP chief ministers and when
there has been violence or riots, Modi’s
chief ministershavesentbulldozerstode-
molish only the homes of Muslim rioters.
Democracy may be ‘in our DNA’ but it has
donenothingtopreventthebrutaltarget-
ing of Muslims. Bulldozer justice is a di-
rect threat to democracy because it gives
officials the right to violate the rule of law.
There is no question that the magnif-
icentwelcomegiventoIndia’sprimemin-
isterbytheAmericanpresidentshouldfill
the hearts of Indians (including your
columnist) with pride. There is no ques-
tion that one reason for Modi’s enduring
popularity with ordinary voters is that
they believe that hehas done much to en-
hanceIndia’s prestige in the forums of the
world. Having said this, let me add that it
is my fervent hope that Modi will have
discovered from this trip that there is
muchthatwecanlearnaboutrealdemoc-
racy from the Americans.
The difference between the first
amendments to our constitutions says a
great deal. The first amendment to the
American constitution guarantees the
right to free speech and dissent. The first
amendment to India’s constitution was
brought to restrict it. So, democracy may
‘run in our veins’ but it differs in vital nu-
ances from American democracy. Free
speechanddissentwerealwaysrestricted
inourdearBharatMatabutneverasruth-
lessly as in the past nine years. Dissidents,
journalists,humanrightsactivists,andstu-
dentleadershavebeenjailedwithouttrial
for months under laws made to prevent
terrorism. It is because of this that India is
now seen as an ‘illiberal’ democracy.
This is a shame because the world’s
oldest democracy is a natural ally of the
world’s largest democracy. Modi must be
given full credit for having approached
this relationship with real sincerity and
without the antipathy that former Indian
prime ministers so clearly had. Modi may
not have condemned Russia openly for its
war crimes in Ukraine but what has been
evident for a while is that he sees the
United States as a better friend of India.
This was not true of prime ministers past
who made it abundantly obvious that
they thought of the former Soviet Union
as not just a friend but a role model. Modi
has shown an affection for the United
Statesdespitehavingbeenunfairlydenied
a visa for more than a decade. Rajiv
Gandhi was not denied a visa after the
pogrom he justified, and Indira Gandhi
wasnotdeniedavisaaftertheEmergency.
If Modiwantstobuildonthesuccessof
his first state visit to the United States, he
will need to do a lot more than say nice
things about democracy. He will need to
takesomevisiblestepstoallowmoredissi-
denceandfreespeechbecausethesethings
are the lifeblood of real democracies. It is
hard to understand why a man whose ap-
proval ratings are higher than any other
worldleadershouldbeafraidofdissidence.
Speaking for myself, I admit that the
coverage of Modi’s American trip by our
‘independent’ news channels made me
cringe. Famous anchors behaved like
cheerleaders and ended up singing
paeans to Modi and our ‘great culture’ in-
stead of reporting the news dispassion-
ately. It made me feel nostalgic about
dreary old Doordarshan times. At least
then we knew that the purpose of our
state-owned TV channels was to support
the leader in power and nobody else.
Whenever I have said this before I have
beenremindedthatthosejournalistswho
have dared to do real journalism have
faced dire consequences.
Sadly, when democracies become
places in which dissidence and free
speech are seen as crimes, when religious
minorities are wrongly targeted and
when political opponents are crushed by
the repressiveorgans of the state, they are
called autocracies and not democracies.
There is much more to democracy than
holdingregularelectionsandthisappears
to be something that has been forgotten
by the people who Modi has chosen to
gather around him. If this visit has given
himsomeidea of what a truly democratic
country looks like it will benefit not just
him personally but all of us.
Pune
 THE HINDU
Sunday, June 25, 2023 13
SCIENCE
Delhi

The role of the Y chromosome in cancer outcomes studied SNAPSHOTS

쑽

The Hindu Bureau
Two  studies  have  shed
light  on  the  role  of  the  Y
chromosome  in  cancer
outcomes, in which males
are  often  more  adversely
affected than females. The
results of the studies were
published in Nature.  clinical  outcomes  and  tu­
One paper identified an
upregulated gene on the Y
chromosome  that  contri­
butes to colorectal cancer
in mice by driving tumour
invasion  and  aiding  im­
mune escape in males. The
other study demonstrated
how the loss of the Y chro­
mosome in bladder cancer
generates a more immuno­
suppressive  tumour  mi­
croenvironment  and  con­
tributes  to  worse
outcomes. Sex is known to
affect  cancer  incidence,
mour  biology,  with  most
cancers causing worse out­
comes in males than in fe­
males.  Some  studies  have
suggested that the function
of the Y chromosome may
have a role.
Ronald  DePinho  from
the University of Texas MD
Anderson  Cancer  Center
and  colleagues  assessed
sex differences in colorec­
tal cancer in a mouse mo­
del of the disease.  zyme which drives tumour
Colorectal cancer is the
second  most  common
cause  of  cancer­related
deaths,  which  is  more  ag­
gressive  and  metastatic  in
males. The model is a spec­
ific form of the disease, dri­
ven by a known oncogene
called KRAS. The research­
ers observed a higher fre­
quency  of  metastasis  and
worse  survival  in  male
mice,  mirroring  the  out­
comes seen in humans.  of  the  Y  chromosome
Analyses reveal upregu­
lation of a gene for an en­
invasion  and  immune  es­
cape.  in multiple cancer types.
This  gene  is  expressed
on the Y chromosome, the­
reby providing a potential
basis for sex­specific diffe­
rences  in  the  progression
of  KRAS­driven  colorectal
cancer. In an other study,
Dan Theodorescu from Ce­
dars­Sinai Medical Center,
Los Angeles and colleagues
investigated  how  the  loss
might  affect  cancer
outcomes.
Loss  of  the  Y  chromo­
some is a feature observed
They first looked at clin­
ical data from 300 male pa­
tients with bladder cancer
to  identify  an  association
between  Y  chromosome
loss and poor prognosis.
They  studied  bladder
cancer cell lines and found
that tumours lacking the Y
chromosome  were  more
aggressive and had a dam­
pened T cell­mediated im­
mune response compared
with  tumours  which  had
the Y chromosomes intact. 
They  note  that  loss  of
the Y chromosome is asso­
ciated  with  an  increased
response to a specific type
of  immunotherapy  called
anti­PD1 checkpoint block­
ade  therapy  in  both  mice
and humans, suggesting a
Tundra diversity decline seen
potential treatment for this with sea ice disappearance
subset of bladder cancers.
Tundra diversity, including plants, lichens and
fungi, declined over a 15­year experiment in the
Arctic due to warming temperatures mediated by

Mosquito surveillance in
the disappearance of sea ice. However, the
presence of large herbivores such as caribou and
musk oxen slowed this decline, by affecting the
plant understory with their different browsing
behaviours, a study found. The findings offer

non-residential areas needed support for the idea that encouraging herbivore

diversity in the tundra could temper some of the
impacts of climate warming.

In contrast to World Health Organization’s door-to-door larval surveillance protocol, a study found that urban
environments with non-residential locations too harbour ideal breeding sites

R. Prasad Ae. aegypti and Ae. albop­
ictus larvae. But the preva­
longitudinal stu­ lence  in  stagnant  water

A dy  conducted
between  Febru­
ary  2021  and
June 2022 in Bengaluru ci­
ty has found how urbanisa­
tion affects mosquito ecol­
ogy  and  how  mosquito
species diversity and abun­
dance changes across ma­
cro and microhabitats. The
study found that the quali­
ty  of  breeding  sites  deter­
mines the abundance and
distribution  of  mosquito
species,  specifically  the
ones that cause dengue.
Water  containers,  dis­
carded  grinding  stones,
tyres  and  plastic  contain­
ers served as perfect man­
made  larval  habitats,  the
way  mosquitoes  interact
with larval habitats in diffe­
rent  macrohabitats  did
play  an  important  role  in
determining  mosquito  di­
versity  and  abundance.
Whereas  plantations,  ow­
ing  to  diverse  habitat
types, proved to have high
mosquito species diversity
and  richness  compared
with high­density populat­
ed  areas  in  the  city,  even
barren lands did have mi­
crohabitats  conducive  for
breeding.  This  allowed  sampling
The results of the study,
posted in the medRxiv pre­
print  server,  are  yet  to  be
peer­reviewed.
Six macrohabitats were
studied.  These  include:
barren  lands,  lakes  and
their surroundings, planta­
tions, and high dense, me­
dium  dense,  and  low
dense urban areas. A total
of  48  index  grids  (fixed)
were  selected  with  eight
replicates  of  each  macro­
habitat  type,  which  were
surveyed  during  all  four
seasons  —  dry  ( January­
March),  pre­monsoon
(April­June), monsoon ( Ju­
ly­September),  post­mon­
soon (October­December).
In  addition,  98  random
grids  representing  a  ma­
crohabitat  type  were  sur­
veyed during two seasons
(April­June  and  July­Sep­
tember).  larvae  in  containers,  the
mosquitoes  in  varied  eco­
logical  niches  in  the  city
while surveying fixed grids
on a seasonal basis. In each
macrohabitat the research­
ers  visually  inspected  for
the  presence  of  mosquito
larvae.
A total of 8,717 container
breeding  sites  were  in­
spected by the researchers
and 1,619 mosquito larvae
were  collected  from  six
macrohabitats  and  nine
microhabitats.  Of  these
nearly  1,300  mosquitoes
emerged  comprising  16
species  from  five  genera.
Aedes  aegypti  was  the
most  dominant  species
(55%),  followed  by  Aedes
albopictus (28%).  ing author of the preprint.
While  the  WHO  proto­
cols are restricted to door­
to­door larval surveillance
and  looking  for  mosquito
study  has  demonstrated
that  urban  environments
with  non­residential  loca­
tions  too  harbour  ideal
breeding sites.  serve  only  as  ephemeral
Any  programme  aimed
at  reducing  dengue  trans­
mission should also factor
in neighbourhood surveil­
lance  to  prevent  and  con­
trol  the  rising  threat  of
Aedes species. “We found
landscape  ecology  drives
mosquito  diversity  and
abundance even at a small
spatial scale, and this could
be  affecting  the  localised
dengue  outbreaks,”  says
Dr. Farah Ishtiaq from the
Bengaluru­based  Tata  In­
stitute for Genetics and So­
ciety, and the correspond­
“We  found  man­made
artificial  containers  ac­
counted  for  over  90%  of
larval habitats. Water stor­
age containers came out as
the  most  common  breed­
ing habitat for Ae. aegypti,
but  since  the  containers
are  actively  in  use,  they
habitats due to high distur­
bance,” she says.  must  include  urban  envi­
The  surprise  finding
was not just the preference
for  discarded  grinding
stones as breeding sites but
these  microhabitats  con­
taining  the  highest  preva­
lence of Aedes larvae. “Dis­
carded  grinding  stones
showed high prevalence of
was less as these are open
water  bodies  and  more
polluted,” Dr. Ishtiaq says.
While plastic containers
such as cups and coconut
shells were abundant, dis­
carded tyres were not. For
Ae.  aegypti,  tyres  and  co­
conut  shells  did  serve  as
Hard and soft materials form
ideal  habitats  but  were  li­ a fatigue-resistant fan
mited  in  numbers.  In  the
case of Ae. Albopictus, al­ A mussel shell opens and shuts without damage
beit at low frequency, plant for hundreds of thousands of cycles during
axils and tree holes served bivalve’s lifetime. A study found that the hinge of
as breeding sites while co­ the valve gets its unique properties through a
conut shells did not. structure that resembles a folding fan, with
The  heterogeneity  in biomineralised aragonite nanowires making up
macrohabitat  types  was the ribs of the fan, and a softer organic matrix as
masked  by  the  man­made the folds. The nanowires provide rigidity and
microhabitats, which were distribute stresses toward the circumference of
ubiquitous  in  all  the  six the hinge. The soft matrix absorbs compressive
landscapes  studied,  and and shear stresses as the valve opens and closes.
these microhabitats played
key ecological roles. Habi­
tat  preference  by  the  two
Aedes species appeared to
be driven at the microhab­
itat level. 
Mosquitoes  that
emerged from the discard­
ed grinding stones had sig­
nificantly  larger  wing
length than discarded con­
tainers or coconut shells. 
When  both  Aedes  spe­
cies co­existed in a micro­
habitat,  Ae.  albopictus  al­
ways  ended  up  with
reduced wing. 
“Our findings show that
The role of hybridisation
sampling  strategies  for in mammalian evolution
mosquito  surveillance
A study has now focused on hybridisation in
ronments  with  non­resi­ mammalian evolution. The researchers studied
dential locations. And den­ the genome sequences from a group of monkey
gue  transmission species in the Rhinopithecus genus and
reduction  programmes foundevidence that the grey snub­nosed monkey
should  focus  on  ‘neigh­ is derived from hybridisation between the golden
bourhood  surveillance’  as snub­nosed monkey and the ancestor of two
well to prevent and control extant Rhinopithecus species. One group of
the rising threat of Aedes­ species that has been identified as having a
borne diseases,” she says. history of hybridisation is the baboons.

How prokaryotes led to eukaryotes

SPEAKING OF
SCIENCE
D. Balasubramanian
Organisms on planet earth are
broadly  divided  into  proka­
ryotes  and  eukaryotes.  The
former are unicellular, do not
have  any  organelles  such  as
mitochondria, and their DNA
is  not  packaged  into  a  nu­
cleus.  Many  other  related  mem­
Eukaryotes have mitochon­
dria, their DNA is packaged in­
to  a  nucleus,  and  most  of
them are complex, multicellu­
lar beings.  the Gods in Norse mythology.
About 50 years ago, a sub­
set  of  unicellular  organisms,
the  Archaea,  were  shown  to
have a different line of descent
as compared to bacteria. The
two differ in the composition
of their cell walls, and in the
sequence  of  some  of  their
genes. The term Archaea, was
used  because  the  first  mem­
bers  of  this  domain  were
CM
YK
found living in extreme envi­
ronments  of  very  high  tem­
peratures or very high salt. 
The endosymbionts
One  group  of  archaea  were
shown  to  have  proteins  that
closely resembled eukaryotic
proteins. These organisms are
found  in  a  geological  forma­
tion where geothermally heat­
ed  water  is  forced  out  of  a
ridge  in  the  Atlantic  Ocean
floor  at  a  depth  of  2400  me­
ters below sea level.  have evolved from free­living bacteria. GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCKPHOTO
bers  were  later  found  in  un­
usual  ecosystems,  and  came
to  be  collectively  called  the
Asgard, which is the home of
The  mitochondria,  which
are the energy­generating or­
ganelles  of  eukaryotic  cells,
and  the  photosynthesizing
chloroplasts  found  in  plant
cells, have evolved from free­
living bacteria.
The ancestor of mitochon­
dria was a proteobacteria that
was engulfed by an Asgard ar­
chaean  organism.  Descen­
to  the  nucleus,  perhaps  a
more efficient arrangement.
The group of Rajan Sanka­
Question Corner
ranarayanan at the CCMB has
performed  extensive  studies
on the reconfiguring of cellu­
lar  processes  in  these  endo­
Standing erect
symbiotic relationships. They Was any other early muscles in each leg, most
compared  animals  and  fungi human ancestor able to of which were much larger
with  plants,  where  it  is  even stand erect like modern in Lucy and occupied
more  complicated  as  three humans? greater space in the legs
gene sets were involved in the compared to modern
course of their evolution.  Researchers have for the humans.
The origin: Mitochondria in eukaryotic cells and chloroplasts in plant cells Proteins  are  made  up  of first time digitally Australopithecus afarensis
amino acids. Nature uses only reconstructed the missing was an early human
left­handed  amino  acids;  the soft tissue of an early species that lived in East
dants  of  this  endosymbiotic tionship  between  two  inde­ right­handed ones can be poi­ human ancestor Africa over three million
union  gave  rise  to  animals, pendent  life  forms  poses sonous.  The  mechanism  for (hominin), revealing a years ago. 
fungi and plants.  many challenges. discriminating  ‘good’  from capability to stand as erect Shorter than modern
In plants, the Asgard­mito­ ‘bad’  is  different  for  Asgards as we Homo sapiens do humans, with an ape­like
chondrial union was followed Plants do it differently and  bacteria.  The  paper today (Royal Society Open face and smaller brain, but
by  the  intake  of  a  photosyn­ There  was  no  need  to  retain shows that animals and fungi Science).  able to walk on two legs, it
thesizing  cyanobacterium, two full sets of genes, so choic­ work  their  way  around  this Cambridge University adapted to both tree and
which  became  the  chloro­ es were made: for Information discrepancy by forcing the mi­ researcher 3D­modelled savannah dwelling —
plast.  Technology  (cell  replication, tochondria  to  change.  Plants the leg and pelvis muscles helping the species survive
A few years ago, we Indians etc.), archaean genes were re­ segregate the two policing ma­ of the hominin for almost a million years.
had  seen  complicated  merg­ tained;  for  operations  and chineries  in  the  cytoplasm Australopithecus afarensis
ers  of  public­sector  banks, housekeeping  (assembling and in mitochondria. using scans of ‘Lucy’: the
broughtin  order  to  optimize proteins),  bacterial  genes (The article was written in col­ famous fossil specimen
their operations.  were preferred.  laboration  with  Sushil  Chan­ discovered in Ethiopia in
Readers may send their questions /
In a similar vein, establish­ Over  time,  most  genes  of dani, who works in molecular the mid­1970s.  answers to
ing a workable symbiotic rela­ the organelle were transferred modelling) The research recreated 36 questioncorner@thehindu.co.in
M ND-NDE

14
What does U.S.
approval for lab
meat mean?
Is it viable to sell cell­cultivated chicken?
Why are stakeholders hailing it as a
major step to reduce carbon emissions?
Vasudevan Mukunth
The story so far:  other areas. The U.S.­India joint statement
n June 21, two California­based
O companies were cleared to make and
sell cell­cultivated chicken, the ‘official’
name of chicken meat that is grown in a
laboratory for human consumption. As a
concept, it is being hailed by stakeholders as a
major step towards reducing carbon emissions
associated with the food industry worldwide.  agreement has been submitted for
What did the FDA approve?  While the most critical technologies of the
The two companies, Good Meat and Upside
Foods, have received the U.S. government’s
approval to make and sell their cell­cultivated
chicken. In cases like these, a company in
question is required to assess the safety of its
own facilities and the veracity of its production
process. Sometimes, in order to boost consumer
and investor confidence, it may consult with the
Food and Drug Administration (FDA). At the end
of this process, if the FDA is satisfied by the
company's submissions, it will send a “no
questions” letter, signalling its tacit approval.
The FDA provided such letters to Upside in
November 2022 and to Good Meat in March
2023. In June, the U.S. Department of
Agriculture provided a ‘grant of inspection’,
which is required to operate production
facilities, to the companies.  The U.S. has stringent export controls and
What is cell­cultivated chicken?  development of nine full prototype engines and
To make cell­cultivated meat, the two
companies isolate the cells that make up the
meat (the meat that we consume), and put them
in a setting where they have all the resources
they need to grow and make more copies of
themselves. These resources are typically
nutrients, fats, carbohydrates, amino acids, the
right temperature, etc. The ‘setting’ in which
this process transpires
The  proponents  of is often a bioreactor
alternative  meat (also known as a
have  advanced ‘cultivator’), a
several  arguments sensor­fit device — like
on  its  behalf,  from a container — that has
been designed to
emissions  and  land support a particular
use  to  prevention  of biological
animal  cruelty  environment. Once
there are enough of
these cells, which takes around two to three
weeks in Upside’s process, they resemble a mass
of minced meat. They are collected and
processed with additives to improve texture. 
Which forms of cell­cultivated meat exist? 
Chicken is the second most widely consumed
meat in the world, according to the UN Food
and Agriculture Organization (FAO). However, in
the U.S. it has been the highest consumed meat
since 2010. Good Meat and Upside have focused
on chicken, and plan to expand their offerings to
include other meats in the future. The New York
Times wrote that “beef, with its higher fat
content and more complex flavour, is harder to
replicate.” Researchers are also developing
cell­cultivated versions of sea bass, tuna, and
shrimp. A 2021 report estimated that there were
107 companies in 24 countries working on
developing similar alternatives to meat (two
companies were from India).  an agreement for a 1,200 MW
Why was cell­cultivated meat created?  nuclear complex in Pakistan. The
Its proponents have advanced the following
arguments, among others — emissions, land use,
prevention of animal cruelty, and food security.
The first two are related to climate mitigation.
The FAO has estimated that global livestock is
responsible for 14.5% of all anthropogenic
greenhouse­gas emissions. Of this, the
production of beef as a commodity accounted
for 41% whereas chicken meat and eggs
accounted for 8%. Similarly, the 2021 report
estimated that lab­cultivated meat would use
63% less land in the case of chicken. Alternative
meat’s proponents have advanced it as a way to
meet the world’s nutritional security needs.  for the construction of a 1,200 MW nuclear
What are the challenges?  nuclear complex (C­5). The financial details have
There are broadly four kinds of challenges.  not been spelled out, but Mr. Sharif said China
First is consumer acceptance. Perfectly
substituting animal meat with alternative meat
requires it to match the original in taste, texture
and appearance. Researchers have achieved
some success on these counts but it remains a
work in progress. Second, the cost of
cell­cultivated meat is expected to remain high
in the near future. One 2020 analysis concluded
that it may never be cost­competitive, while
reports have also expressed concerns about the
costs imposed by quality control, especially at
scale. Third, for cultivation, researchers require
high quality cells, a suitable growth­medium in
which the cells can be cultured, plus other
resources required to maintain the quality of the
final product. And fourth are the uncertainties
associated with it. A recent study by the
University of California, Davis, found that if cell
cultivation requires a “highly refined growth
medium”, like that used in the pharmaceutical
industry, the “environmental impact of
near­term [cell­cultivated meat] production is
likely to be orders of magnitude higher than
median beef production.” The paper is yet to be
peer­reviewed.
CM
YK
THE HINDU
FAQ
Why is U.S.­India fighter jet deal important?
With General Electric and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited signing a memorandum of
understanding to co­produce F414 engines in India, how will it boost IAF strength? Will the U.S.
government and Congressional approvals come through for the deal?
Dinakar Peri Except  for  a
small
The story so far:  component,
oinciding with Prime Minister Modi’s
C
the
first state visit, India and the U.S. have
announced a slew of deals in defence
F414­INS6
cooperation, space technology, AI and engine  will
be  entirely
mentions the “landmark” signing of a made  in
Memorandum of Understanding between
General Electric (GE) and Hindustan
Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the manufacture
India  almost the entire engine technology compared
of GE F414 jet engines in India, for the Light
Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk2. A fact sheet issued
by the U.S. said a manufacturing licence
Congressional notification.  only its closest allies.
What is the status of the deal?  engine will be off limits, Indian industry, both
A senior Defence Ministry official said it is an
“almost done” deal with some commercial
terms pending finalisation, in addition to the
U.S. Congressional approval, while stating that
there would be an 80% transfer of production
technology which will see some critical
technologies transferred to India.  What is the status of indigenous tech
“It will take three years for the first engine to
roll out once the contract is signed. It will see
80% technology transfer to HAL. Such a thing
has never occurred before in the history of
India’s quest for high technology,” the official
said. Except for a small component, the
F414­INS6 engine will be entirely manufactured
in India which also shows the trust India has
evoked in the U.S., the official stated.  Security (CCS) in 1989, and over the course of 30
Major haul: Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 14th edition of Aero India
2023, in Bengaluru on February 13. PTI
Does China­Pak. N­deal flout global rules?
What are the Pakistan government’s reasons for going ahead with a nuclear power plant with
Chinese help? Why has Beijing not sought waivers from the Nuclear Suppliers Group? How will it
impact the governance of nuclear commerce?
Ananth Krishnan Pakistan’s
Ministry  of
The story so far:  Energy  says
n June 20, China and Pakistan signed
O
the  country
nuclear power plant in the Chashma needs  to
urgently
deal, reported to be worth $4.8 billion, comes increase
amid Pakistan facing a dual energy and nuclear
economic crisis. The latest nuclear deal between energy
China and Pakistan has implications not only for
the crisis­hit country but also for the global
governance of nuclear commerce, with Beijing
proceeding with the recent deal without seeking
necessary waivers from the Nuclear Suppliers
Group (NSG).  Nuclear Power Plant (KANUPP). Pakistan’s oldest
What is the latest deal?  decommissioned, while KANUPP­2 and
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on
June 20 witnessed the signing of the agreement
plant. This is the fifth reactor at the Chashma
had given “special concessions” for financing
Power needs: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif with Chinese
President Xi Jinping in 2022. REUTERS
licensing systems for sharing sensitive and niche
technologies. The final deal can be concluded
only after the U.S. Congress approves it, though
with the bipartisan support for India at the
Congress, officials on both sides have expressed
confidence that it will go through.  Mk1.
Why is it significant?  and Swedish Gripen among others. According to
If the deal goes through, it will mean transfer of
to the ‘Engine Development Agreement’ worked
out in 2012 between GE and HAL for the F414
engine with 58% technology transfer, officials
said. This heralds a major high technology
cooperation between the oldest and largest
democracies, which the U.S. has shared with
public and private, will get a chance to upgrade
their capacities and skills as significant sourcing
as well as manufacturing will be done in the
country, with the technologies that GE has
agreed to transfer.
development?  According to GE, a total of 75 F404 engines have
Jet engine technology is the proprietary right of
very few countries and is a closely guarded
secret due to its extreme criticality in modern
warfare. India made unsuccessful attempts in
the past to develop an engine locally under the
now shelved ‘Kaveri’ project. The Kaveri project
was sanctioned by the Cabinet Committee on
years before it was shut down it entailed an
expenditure of ₹2035.56 crore which led to the
four core engines.  on order under a ₹47,000 crore deal with HAL.
Where will the GE engines be fitted?  first three Mk1A aircraft in 2024 and 16 aircraft
The F414 engines are meant to power the
indigenous LCA­Mk2, a larger and more capable
variant of the LCA currently in service, and also
the initial version of the fifth generation
Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) that
is under development. The F414 is from the
family of the F404 engine that powers the
current LCA­Mk1 and also the LCA­Mk1A that the
Indian Air Force (IAF) will start receiving
early­2024 onwards. An F414 engine produces
98kN thrust compared to 84kN by the F404
engine.  approved by the Defence Acquisition Council
Last August, the CCS approved the
development of the LCA­Mk2 at a total
development cost of ₹9,000 crore of which
₹2,500 crore has already been spent. The rollout
of the LCA­Mk2 is targeted by 2024 and the plan
is to complete the flight testing by 2027, officials
the construction amid Pakistan’s continuing
financial crisis and on­going negotiations for a
bailout from the International Monetary Fund
(IMF). C­5 will be the biggest reactor at
Chashma, where China has already constructed
four phases of the complex, with four reactors
of around 325 MW each. It will use China’s
Hualong One reactor, which has also been
installed in two plants in Karachi.  Non­Proliferation Treaty (NPT). China joined the
How many other nuclear plants has China
built for Pakistan?  4 reactors were “grandfathered” under its
Pakistan is currently operating six China­built
nuclear plants, four smaller reactors at the
Chashma complex and two at the Karachi
reactor, the Canada­built KANUPP­1, is now
KANUPP­3 both use 1,100 MW Chinese Hualong
One reactors. KANUPP­3, with a $2.7 billion
investment, went fully online in the past year
and was hailed by Mr. Sharif as helping ease
Pakistan’s energy crisis. An agreement for
KANUPP­3 was signed in 2013, the year Chinese
President Xi Jinping launched his Belt and Road
Initiative (BRI), and became a flagship energy
project as part of the China Pakistan Economic
Corridor (CPEC) of the BRI.  civilian and military nuclear programmes and a
According to Pakistan’s Ministry of Energy,
faced with a continuing energy deficit, financial
crisis and rising import bills, the country needs
to urgently increase the share of renewables and
nuclear energy. “The energy sector is heavily
dependent on imported fuel including oil and
LNG and will continue to rely on its imports
because of the low domestic capacity,” the
2021­2022 Economic Survey said. “Higher oil
prices in the global market and massive
depreciation of the Pakistani rupee is making oil
imports more expensive, triggering external
sector pressure and widening trade deficit of the
country.”
The Alternative and Renewable Energy Policy
rolled out in 2019 envisages increasing the share
of renewables to 30% by 2030. Currently,
thermal sources account for 61% of the energy
mix, while hydropower accounts for 24%,
nuclear 12%, and wind and solar only 3%,
according to the 2021­22 Economic Survey. On
Sunday, June 25, 2023
Delhi
from the Defence Research and Development
Organisation (DRDO) had stated earlier. The CCS
sanction for the AMCA is expected soon. 
The LCA­Mk2 will feature enhanced range and
endurance including an Onboard Oxygen
Generation System which is being integrated for
the first time; it will also have the ability to carry
heavy weapons of the class of Scalp, Crystal
Maze and Spice­2000. The Mk2 is 1,350mm
longer than Mk1 featuring canards and can carry
a payload of 6,500kgs compared to 3,500kgs by
 
The F414 also powers the F/A­18 Super Hornet
a GE data sheet, the F414 shares its basic design
with the F404 engine; it stands on a foundation
of over 5,600 F404/F414 engines built, and a
combined 18 million engine flight hours. More
than 1,600 F414 engines have been delivered,
accumulating over five million engine flight
hours, it stated. This deal makes GE the front
runner for another Indian proposal to jointly
produce a 110kN jet engine for the AMCA­Mk2
for which Safran of France and Rolls Royce of
the U.K. are competing and have submitted
detailed technology transfer proposals. In this
regard, GE said it will continue to collaborate
with the Indian government on the AMCA Mk2
engine programme. 
What is the timeline for production and
delivery? 
been delivered and another 99 are on order for
the LCA Mk1A, while eight F414 engines have
been delivered as part of an ongoing
development programme for LCA Mk2. 
The F414 engine has been long chosen to
power the LCA Mk­2, which has been designed
around the engine, making it a larger, heavier
and more capable jet, equal to the Mirage­2000
in terms of capability, as stated by officials
earlier. The IAF has ordered 40 LCA Mk1, most
of which have been inducted, and 83 LCA­Mk1A,
As per schedule, HAL is expected to deliver the
per year for the subsequent five years
completing the deal by 2028­29.
The LCA­Mk2 is a major fillip for the IAF to
arrest the dwindling fighter squadron as several
frontline fighters like Mirage­2000, Jaguars and
MiG­29s will be phased out by the end of the
decade. The three existing Mig­21 squadrons will
also be phased out by end­2025. The strength of
India’s fighter squadron is 31 now from a
sanctioned strength of 42.
While the number of Mk2 jets are yet to be
(DAC) headed by the Defence Minister, it is
expected to be between 120 and 130 fighters,
according to officials. With the combined
requirement, the number of F414 engines
needed over the next two decades could be well
over 200. 
the nuclear side, gross capacity of nuclear plants
had increased by 39% annually to 3,530 MW. 
What are the broader implications? 
China’s civilian nuclear projects with Pakistan
have come under scrutiny because the Nuclear
Suppliers Group (NSG), which describes itself as
a group of nuclear supplier countries “that seeks
to contribute to the non­proliferation of nuclear
weapons through the implementation of two
sets of Guidelines for nuclear exports and
nuclear­related exports”, explicitly prohibits the
transfer of nuclear technology by its members to
countries that have not signed the nuclear
48­member grouping in 2004, and argued
subsequently that the Chashma 3 and Chashma
earlier Chashma deals with Pakistan that
pre­dated its joining of the NSG. 
Chinese analysts have now justified the
continuing nuclear commerce, despite Beijing’s
NSG commitments, by pointing to the India­U.S.
nuclear deal. There are, however, significant
differences. For one, India and the U.S. had to
seek a waiver from the NSG for their civilian
nuclear deal, which was granted in 2008, paving
the way for India to enter the tent of global
nuclear commerce. 
That was, however, only granted after India
undertook a number of commitments such as
placing facilities under International Atomic
Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards, separating
continued moratorium on testing. Neither has
China sought any such waiver from the NSG nor
has Pakistan undertaken similar commitments.
China has suggested that the reactors being
under IAEA safeguards would suffice.
While China had explained its C­4 and C­5
deals as being part of an earlier agreement, the
KANUPP­2 and KANUPP­3 plants were agreed to
in 2013, a decade into its NSG membership.
Meanwhile, long­running negotiations to include
India as a full­fledged NSG member have run
into a Chinese wall. A years­long effort, which
included talks with China, appeared to run
aground in 2015 when Beijing started to link
India’s aspirations for NSG membership with
that of Pakistan’s. Experts fear the latest deals
have only further eroded the global rules
governing nuclear commerce, and also raised
questions about both the continuing relevance
and future of the NSG and governance of global
nuclear commerce.
M ND-NDE
 THE HINDU
Sunday, June 25, 2023 15
PROFILES
Delhi

God’s own publisher

Gita Press
The publisher which started its journey a century ago at a ₹10 rented accommodation in Gorakhpur in eastern Uttar Pradesh has now evolved into 
a giant institution that has published millions of copies of Hindu religious texts 
ILLUSTRATION: R. RAJESH
Mayank Kumar copies of 1,800 different religious and Mukul in which he unearths the THE GIST
spiritual books and other materials in stormy relations it had with the 쑽

O
n June 18, a jury headed by
Prime Minister Narendra
Modi announced to confer
the Gorakhpur­based Gita
Press with the Gandhi Peace Prize for
2021 for its “outstanding contribution
towards social, economic and political
transformation through non­violent
and other Gandhian methods”. The
press, established in 1923 by Jaya Dayal
Goyanka and Ghanshyam Das Jalan,
two Marwari businessmen, has
become a household name in most of
the Hindi heartland with its
low­priced, popular Hindu religious
texts. It now claims to be the world's
largest publisher of Hindu religious
texts with an objective to “promote
and spread the principles of Sanatana
Dharma, the Hindu religion among the
general public”. The Gita Press
publications can be found in most bus
stops and public places across North
India.
The publisher which started its
journey a century ago at a ₹10 rented
accommodation in Gorakhpur, a
small­town in Eastern U.P. famous for
the Gorakhnath Math, whose Mahanth
is U.P. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath,
has now evolved into a giant institution
with a wide variety of publications.
The idea of the Press was sown years
back in the early 1900s, when Jay
Dayal Goyandka, who was travelling
across north Indian towns for business
purposes, formed groups of friends to
discuss religious texts. Goyandka, a
trader of textiles and cotton, failed to
get any authentic translation of the
Gita for discussion. After his attempt to
get the text published by an external
publisher failed, Goyandka decided to
start his own publishing house with
the support of fellow businessmen.
Ghanshyam Das Jalan, informed him
that in Gorakhpur, it could be initiated
as it's a religious place along with
concentration of the Marwari business
class.  society which manages the institution.
Gita Press now claims to have
published more than 910 million
15 languages since its inception. At
least 70,000 books are printed every
day at its modern printing press. The
Press has printed more than 162.1
million copies of Shrimad Bhagwat
Gita and 26.8 million copies of Puranas
and Upanishads so far. More than 41%
of its publications are in Hindi, while
5% make up English books. It has
published 729 different Hindu religious
and spiritual texts in Hindi, 78 in Tamil
and 131 in Bangla. Similarly, the Gita
Press prints 88 religious texts in
English, 164 in Telugu, 98 in Oriya and
44 in Nepali.
The books published apart from the
popular ones such as Shrimad Bhagvad
Gita include Ramcharitmanas,
Literature of Soordas, Literature of
Tulsidas and children's books. The
press printed more than 24 million
copies of various texts, including
Kalyan, a monthly magazine
containing topics of devotion, dharma,
detachment and spirituality, in
2022­23, worth ₹111 crore.
The Gita Press building's entrance
takes inspiration from renowned
ancient temple architecture: the pillars
of the entrance, for example, are
inspired by the pillars of the famous
cave­temple of Ellora, Maharashtra.
The entrance of the building, where
450­odd employees of Gita Press work,
was inaugurated by Dr. Rajendra
Prasad, India's first President, in 1955.
In the contemporary age of Internet
revolution, the Press is aiming for a
major expansion, aided by tech, by
making available Gita, Ramayana,
discourses of eminent Hindu saints,
Upanishads, Puranas and other
religious books and magazines online,
many free of cost.  which render services at reasonable
“A mobile application of the Geeta
Press will be ready very soon, from
where people can download books
and also order them,” said Devi Dayal
Agarwal, one of the 11 Trustees of the
The publisher also aims to provide free
downloading of 500 different books
and manuscripts through its website.  Agarwal, hinting at the political change
According to its website, “the
institution neither solicits donations
nor accepts advertisements in its
publications.  criticism,” said Rakesh Yadav, a former
The deficit is met by the surplus
from other departments of the society
cost, in accordance with the objects of
the society.”  in­charge of communications, Jairam
The Press sees a huge demand for
its offering and is struggling to meet it.
“There is religious awakening among
the people since 2014 and and they
want to learn and read more spiritual
and Sanatana texts,” added Mr.
in India that saw the BJP coming to
power in the year. “The Press is able to
meet only 60­70% of the demand.”  recognition. It is not the time for
‘Political agenda’
Hours after the award for Gita Press
was announced, Congress Rajya Sabha
member and general secretary
Ramesh, said, “The Gandhi Peace
Prize for 2021 has been conferred on
the Gita Press at Gorakhpur which is
celebrating its centenary this year.
There is a very fine biography from
2015 of this organisation by Akshaya
Mahatma and the running battles it Gita Press claims to have
carried on with him on his political, published more than 910
religious and social agenda. The million copies of 1,800 different
decision is really a travesty and is like religious and spiritual books
awarding Savarkar and Godse.” Mr. and other materials in 15
Ramesh also shared the cover page of languages since its inception
Gita Press and the Making of Hindu
India, written by Akshaya Mukul.  쑽
“We never comment on such The Press has printed more
statements,” said Mr. Agarwal, than 162.1 million copies of
referring to the criticism. “Why those Shrimad Bhagwat Gita and
people are commenting like this. They 26.8 million copies of Puranas
don’t know anything about Gita Press,” and Upanishads
he added. 
But the Press had its share of 쑽
controversies. According to Mr. The press printed more than 24
Mukul’s book, Hanuman Prasad million copies of various texts,
Poddar, one of the former editors of including Kalyan, a monthly
Kalyan, the Gita Press magazine, was magazine containing topics of
among the key organisers of the Hindu devotion, dharma, detachment
Mahasabha’s annual convention in and spirituality, in 2022­23,
Gorakhpur in 1946 and was briefly in worth ₹111 crore
trouble after the assassination of
Mahatma Gandhi on January 30, 1948
by Nathuram Vinayak Godse due to his
alleged association with the then
banned right­wing organisations. 
Local support
In Gorakhpur, the city whose name
has been associated with the Gita
Press, the locals, irrespective of their
ideological and political affiliations,
largely support the publication, calling
the prize it won a proud moment for
the city.
“It is a proud moment for every
person of Gorakhpur as the Gita Press
gained national and international
district chief of the Congress in
Gorakhpur. Similar sentiments were
shared by many locals, including the
Samajwadi Party (SP) district
president, Brajesh Kumar Gautam.
People in the city are aware of the fact
that wherever they go, by trains or
buses, Gita Press books would be
there. For them, “the institution that is
contributing to Hindu religion”, is also
bringing goodwill to Gorakhpur.

Rebalancing portfolio Deep sea tragedy

Micron Technology Titan submersible
The U.S.­based memory chip maker, whose China operations face risks amid worsening bilateral OceanGate, which operated the ‘Titan’ that was destroyed during its expedition to the Titanic
ties, will set up a testing and packaging plant in Gujarat  wreckage, had been called out over the submersible’s safety standards in the past 
PHOTO CREDIT: REUTERS PHOTO CREDIT: AP
John Xavier about a tenth of its annual Sahana Venugopal could be detected.
sales, which is a little over In 2018, OceanGate fired

M O
icron Technology
is an unusual tech
giant. It does not
have  the  signature  Silicon
Valley origin in which the
founders  start  a  company
from a garage in California.
The  memory  chip  maker
was incorporated 45 years
ago  in  Idaho,  a  State  that
largely  depended  on  agri­
culture  and  food  process­
ing industries at that time.
The  four­member  found­
ing team from Dallas, Tex­
as,  moved  into  a  dentist’s
basement in Boise, Idaho,
with  a  goal  to  design  the
next gen memory chip.
The startup shipped its
first  64K  DRAM  (Dynamic
Random  Access  Memory)
chip from its fabrication fa­
cility  in  Boise  in  1981.
Three  years  later,  it  un­
veiled the world’s smallest
256K DRAM chip, an indus­
try milestone and a spring­
board  for  future  efficien­
cies in memory devices.
Since  then,  the  Ameri­
can  semiconductor  com­
pany  has  been  revolutio­
nising the memory storage
devices  industry  through
cutting­edge  innovation
and  strategic  business  ac­
quisitions. It synchronised
and pre­defined cycles for
data transfers with the Syn­
chronous DRAM (SDRAM),
and then introduced high­
capacity,  low  power
DRAMs  for  cell  phones  as
mobile  handhelds  started
to support multimedia be­
sides  voice  and  text
features.
Micron  also  bought  a
part of Japan­based Toshi­
ba’s  DRAM  business,  and
CM
YK
signed  a  deal  with  South
Korea’s  SK  Hynix  that
would  give  the  American
company control over Hy­
nix’s  memory  operations,
including  its  chip  design
asset. Such deals marked a
growing  trend  towards
consolidation  in  the  me­
mory  chip  industry,  mak­
ing Micron one of the top
three  players  alongside
Samsung  and  SK  Hynix.
But during this time, its re­
lationship with Boise start­
ed to change. It was invest­
ing in production facilities
overseas,  particularly  in
Asia. Within a span of five
years,  starting  in  1998,  it
opened two production fa­
cilities in Singapore to test
and  package  NAND  flash
memory.  Its  workforce  in
the  city­state  grew  to  al­
most a sixth of the compa­
ny’s global workforce.  flash  memory  chips,  and
Semiconductor  is  a  cy­
clical  business  that  is
prone  to  both  high  de­
mand and supply glut. As a
result,  firms  have  had  to
cut costs to maintain prof­
itability. One of the major
costs  is  labour.  And  chip
testing and packaging pro­
$3 billion.
Some  estimates  note
that  the  company  has  a
25%  market  share  in  the
country. But its market has
taken a hit because of the
tit­for­tat trade moves bet­
ween Washington and Beij­
ing. Most recently, in May,
the  Cyberspace  Adminis­
tration  of  China  (CAC)
banned  operators  of  criti­
cal  infrastructure  in  the
country  from  buying  Mi­
cron  products,  citing  na­
cesses  continue  to  be  the tional  security  risks.  Still
most  labour­intensive Micron continues to invest
parts in chip production.  in mainland China. On Fri­
According to some esti­ day, it committed to invest
mates, a fifth of the cost of $603 billion in the country.
such a facility is labour. So, But  the  hostility  bet­
as  Micron  increased  its ween the U.S. and China is
presence in Asia, it was al­ making  the  memory  chip
so  cutting  corners  at  the maker rebalance its portfo­
Boise facility with a series lio  in  Asia  with  a  $2.7­bil­
of layoffs. By 2009, it end­ lion  semiconductor  as­
ed  chip  making  in  Boise, sembly and testing plant in
and in the years since, the India.  To  set  up  a  testing
campus  has  remained  its and packaging plant in Guj­
headquarters  and  princi­ arat, the company will get
pal  research  and  innova­ 50% fiscal support and an
tion centre. additional 20% in the form
of incentives from the State
China phase government.
Boise’s  loss  was  Xi’an’s The  company’s  invest­
gain. Just two years before ments in India and China,
the  end  of  production  in however, pale in compari­
Idaho, Micron announced son to the Megafab facility
plans to set up its first plant it  plans  to  build  in  Clay,
in China’s Xi’an to test and New  York.  It  will  invest
package  DRAM,  NAND $100  billion  over  the  next
two decades to develop the
CMOS  image  sensors.  In plant.  In  the  past  two  de­
China,  the  company  got cades,  Micron’s  compass
more than it bargained for. moved  east  as  a  result  of
It  was  not  just  exporting globalisation and cost effi­
products;  it  was  also  buy­ ciencies. The next two de­
ing  from  the  chip  maker. cades could possibly bring
By  2022,  China  had  be­ the chip maker back to the
come an important market West  because  of  national
for Micron, accounting for interest.
n June 18, contact
was lost with a 6.7
metre  long  sub­
mersible  named  ‘Titan’
which was carrying one pi­
lot and four crew members
to a depth of around 3,800
metres to see the wreckage
of  the  RMS Titanic in  the
frigid  waters  of  the  North
Atlantic  Ocean.  The  U.S
Coast Guard confirmed on
June  22  that  parts  of  the
submersible  and  “debris”
were found near the Titan-
ic, and said this was consis­
tent  with  a  “catastrophic
loss of the pressure cham­
ber.”  All  those  onboard
have  died.  The  U.S.  Navy
also confirmed evidence of
an implosion or explosion
near  Titan’s  last  recorded
location.
Titan’s  five  crew  mem­
bers were billionaire Ham­
ish  Harding,  businessman
Shahzada Dawood and his
university­going  son  Sule­
man  Dawood,  and  Titanic
researcher Paul­Henri Nar­
geolet.  Piloting  the  sub­
mersible  was  Stockton
Rush, the CEO of the com­
pany which operated Titan
— OceanGate Inc. The tour
reportedly cost $250,000.
Titan was one hour and
forty­five minutes into the
dive  when  it  lost  contact.
Through  the  week,  U.S.,
Canadian,  and  French
authorities  used  planes,
boats, and remote operat­
ed vehicles to re­establish
contact  with  Titan,  which
had  life  support  of  96
hours for five persons.
As a submersible, Titan
was  designed  to  be
launched  and  recovered
with the help of a surface
vessel.  Made  of  carbon
fibre  and  titanium,  and
weighing  10,432  kg,  Titan
was  built  with  “off­the­
shelf”  components,  ac­
cording  to  OceanGate’s
website,  making  it  lighter
and  less  expensive  to  re­
place.  Its  CEO  had  shown
BBC that Titan was operat­
ed  with  one  button  and  a
“Sony  PlayStation­style
controller” made by Logi­
tech. Titan had a small por­
thole window and toilet at
one  end,  and  needed  ex­
ternal crew to open it from
the  outside.  There  was
enough  space  to  sit,
though not stand inside.
Past expeditions
OceanGate said it had con­
ducted “successful” Titan-
ic expeditions in 2021 and
2022, in line with National
Oceanic  and  Atmospheric
Administration  (NOAA)
and  UNESCO  regulations.
The British passenger liner
Titanic sank  on  April  15,
1912  after  hitting  an  iceb­
erg, killing over 1,500 peo­
ple.  It  is  important  to  re­
member that the Titanic is
a grave site where victims
experienced unimaginable
horror  and  suffering  in
their  final  hours.  Ocean­
Gate noted its expeditions
were  meant  to  document
the  Titanic and  its  rate  of
decay on the ocean floor.
OceanGate  said  in  a
statement on June 23 that
the five crew members had
“sadly  been  lost”.  Howev­
er, the company had been
called out over Titan’s safe­
ty  standards  in  the  past.
CBS  Sunday  Morning  cor­
respondent  David  Pogue
claimed that Titan was lost
for  a  few  hours  when  he
was  part  of  an  expedition
last  year  as  a  journalist,
though  he  was  on  a  ship
and  not  on  the  submersi­
ble at the time. He claimed
the company could text Ti­
tan  that  day  but  did  not
know where the submersi­
ble was.  pancy  between  the  ad­
Mr. Pogue added that In­
ternet was shut off to stop
those on the surface from
tweeting,  though  he  did
not report this on the show
at  the  time.  He  also
claimed  the  submersible
did not have a beacon that
its  employee  David  Lo­
chridge and sued him after
he  filed  a  whistle­blower
complaint  with  the  Occu­
pational Safety and Health
Administration over the sa­
fety  of  the  Titan,  CBS  re­
ported.  Mr.  Lochridge  al­
legedly  pushed  for  better
testing of the submersible’s
hull before sending it down
for dives.
According  to  Mr.  Lo­
chridge’s court filings from
August 15, 2018, he learned
that  “the  viewport  at  the
forward of the submersible
was only built to a certified
pressure of 1,300 megtres,
although  OceanGate  in­
tended to take passengers
down  to  depths  of  4,000
metres.” 
Experimental design
His  filing  said  OceanGate
refused to pay for the ma­
nufacturer to build a view­
port  that  would  meet  the
expedition requirements.
The  fired  employee’s
other  concerns  included
the “experimental” design,
a lack  of  comprehensive
hull testing, and the use of
hazardous  flammable  ma­
terials inside the submersi­
ble, as per the filings.
While authorities furth­
er  investigate  the  tragedy,
the Titan deaths have ignit­
ed debate about the discre­
vanced  rescue  efforts  for
the crew onboard the mis­
sing  submersible  and  the
chaotic aid received by mi­
grants on a sinking boat off
the  Greece  coast,  where
dozens  died  and  are  still
missing.
M ND-NDE
 THE HINDU
16 Sunday, June 25, 2023

Business Delhi

INBRIEF
쑽 Airlines battle problem of ‘parking full’ 
Network planners say they often assign final flights for the day to smaller cities or Gulf countries to overcome parking constraints at hubs in Delhi
and Mumbai; Air India, IndiGo and Vistara — which control 85% of the market — now avail of only about half the parking capacity they would like to

Jagriti Chandra them.  Recent  orders  of The  lack  of  night  park­ work planning team of an
NEW DELHI 500 aircraft by IndiGo, on ing stands often forces air­ airline.
top of its previous order of lines to fly the last flight of Alternatively, airlines al­

I
ndian  airlines  await
the delivery of almost
1,500 aircraft over the
Edtech firm Byju’s global next  7  to  12  years.  But  at
half  that  fleet  size  today,
investors confirm board exits they  often  grapple  with
parking  challenges  for
All three global investors at Byju’s confirmed on their aircraft.
Friday that their representatives had resigned Two  of  the  biggest  air­
from the board of the once high­flying Indian ports  —  ie  in  Delhi  and
start­up that has been battling pressure from Mumbai — used as hub air­
lenders amid a steep drop in its valuation. The ports  for  flight  operations
resignations of G.V. Ravishankar of Peak XV by  various  Indian  airlines
Partners, earlier Sequoia Capital India, Russell as well as bases for their pi­
Dreisenstock of Prosus, and Chan Zuckerberg lots and cabin crew, have a
Initiative’s Vivian Wu mean Byju’s board now combined parking capaci­
only comprises the founder’s family.  REUTERS ty  of  364  aircraft  for  the
close to 700 planes among
480, and 470 by Air India
along with a three­digit or­
der by Akasa likely by the
end of the year imply that
by 2030 end, when a large
chunk  of  these  planes  ar­
rive,  expansion  of  airport
capacity  including  space
for  parking  these  planes
will have to keep pace.
There  are  233  parking
stands in Delhi for narrow­
body  and  widebody
planes,  according  to  the
Aeronautical  Information­
al Publication, and 131 for
narrowbodies  in  Mumbai.
An  airline  executive  said
that airlines such as Air In­
dia,  IndiGo  and  Vistara
that  control  85%  of  the
market are able to avail on­
ly  about  half  the  parking
capacity they would like to
have to help plan flights in
a commercially  viable
manner.  Delhi  and  Mum­
bai  airports  account  for
one in three domestic and
international flights.
the  day  to  smaller  cities
such  as  Ahmedabad  (the
alternative  airport  for
Mumbai) and Lucknow (al­
ternative for Delhi), which
are unlikely to record high
seat  occupancy  or  com­
mand high airfares as they
would  on  metro­to­metro
flights.
‘Additional burden’
“This  is  an  additional  fi­
nancial burden on the air­
line as only the most price­
sensitive  customers  will
opt  for  such  flights,”  said
an  executive  in  the  net­
so deploy their aircraft for
red­eye  flights  (late  night
departure and early morn­
ing arrival) such as a three­
hour­long  Delhi­Chennai
flight  or  to  Gulf  countries
to  obviate  the  need  for
parking space.
The parking space is re­
quired to carry out mainte­
nance checks that can take
2 to  3  hours,  which  are
scheduled in the night for
domestic flights because of
the  low  passenger  de­
mand,  explained  another
official  handling  opera­
tions at an airline.

World Bank okays $255.5 mn
loan for govt. tech institutions  Google’s Pichai meets PM Modi, ‘PM Modi’s U.S. visit
The World Bank has approved a $255.5 million
loan for improving the quality of technical
education in government­run institutions in
announces Gujarat fintech centre to bolster bilateral
India. Over the next 5 years, the Multidisciplinary
Education and Research Improvement in Sriram Lakshman Digitization Fund in 2020. $12.9 billion in the country
collaboration’
Technical Education Project will support about WASHINGTON DC The Hindu reached  out by the end of 2030.
275 government­run technical institutions in to Google on Saturday for Earlier, Amazon had an­ Press Trust of India India  Inc.  expects
select States, benefitting more than 3.5 lakh Prime Minister Modi’s visit details  of  the  fintech nounced  a  $6.5  billion  in­ NEW DELHI collaboration  in
students each year. Students will get access to to the U.S. has sealed some centre,  which  have  not vestment  plan,  largely  to
areas  such  as  space,
upgraded curricula, the World Bank said.  REUTERS big wins for his home State been announced. boost its e­commerce busi­ Prime  Minister  Narendra
of  Gujarat,  including  with ness  where  it  competes Modi’s U.S. visit will boost semiconductor,
Google, which announced Amazon invests further with  Walmart’s  Flipkart bilateral  ties  and  deepen defence  and  AI
the  opening  of  a  Global Amazon.com  Inc.  said  on and  billionaire  Mukesh strategic  technology  col­
Ipca Labs’ formulations unit FinTech Operations Center
in GIFT City, Gujarat. Sundar Pichai
Friday it would take its in­
vestments  in  India  to  $26
Ambani’s Reliance Retail.
The investment amount
laboration in areas such as
defence,  semiconductor, ‘we  see  new  areas  where
gets U.S. FDA observations  “It  will  cement  India’s billion  by  2030,  adding committed  now  comes  to space  and  artificial  intelli­ industry  on  both  sides
fintech  leadership  thanks progress is definitely excit­ $6.5 billion in new planned around $6.5 billion. gence,  India  Inc.  said  on would benefit significantly
Drugmaker Ipca Laboratories’ formulations to UPI, and we are going to ing,” he added. investments in an announ­ The announcement dur­ Saturday. from the outcomes’.
manufacturing facility in Pithampur, Madhya build  on  that  foundation GIFT  City,  which  is  in cement  made  after  CEO ing Mr. Modi’s trip adds to CII  Director  General Another  industry  body
Pradesh, has been issued a Form 483 with eight and take it globally,” Goo­ the process of being built, Andy Jassy met Mr. Modi in other  firms’,  including Chandrajit Banerjee stated Assocham  said  the  Prime
observations by the U.S. Food and Drug gle CEO Sundar Pichai said is  the  business  district  in the U.S. semiconductor  toolmaker that the visit had culminat­ Minister’s  visit  had  taken
Administration U.S. (FDA). The U.S. FDA had on  Friday,  when  he  met Gandhinagar. Though  Mr.  Jassy  gave Applied Materials and me­ ed in laying a strong foun­ India­U.S.  strategic  and
inspected the facility from June 15­23. The Form Prime  Minister  Narendra Mr.  Pichai  voiced  his no  breakdown,  the  an­ mory  chip  firm  Micron dation  for  further  streng­ commercial  relations  to
483 was issued on conclusion of the inspection, Modi  in  Washington  DC. support  for  the  govern­ nouncement follows Ama­ Technology,  which  made thening  the  Indo­U.S. ‘greater heights, paving the
the company said in an exchange filing on Friday. “… And with the advent of ment’s  ‘Digital  India’  vi­ zon’s cloud computing unit commitments  during  the relationship.  way  for  immense  oppor­
The company said it would be submitting a AI, I think the opportunity sion.  Google  had  an­ Amazon Web Services say­ Prime Minister’s state visit. He observed that the vi­ tunities’  for  bilateral
comprehensive response on the observations. for  India  to  make  more nounced a $10­billion India ing last month it will invest (With Reuters inputs) sit  was  also  significant  as engagement.

WS Industries shifts focus to
infrastructure development  non­executive
N. Anand
CHENNAI
Chennai­based  WS  Indus­
tries  Ltd.  (WSIL) said  it  is
betting  on  its  ‘huge’  land
bank in and around Chen­
nai to develop IT and logis­
tics  parks  as  well  as  elec­
tronics  factories  to  revive
its fortunes.
The  six­decade­old  ma­
nufacturer of porcelain in­
sulators  for  electrical
transmission lines had shut
down  its  business  unit  at
Porur in November 2018.
However,  it  is  back  in
the limelight after the take­
over in June last year by its
new  promoters,  who  are
said to have two decades of
experience  in  the  infras­
tructure segment.
“WSIL  was  out  of  busi­
ness  for  almost  10  years,”
whole­time  director  K.V.
The  manufacturer  of
porcelain  insulators
shut  down  its
business  unit  at
Porur  in  2018
Prakash said during a call
with analysts.
“The insulator business
was  very  challenging  and
so  it  was  phased  out.  We
don’t intend restarting the
business,” he said.  we’ve  executed  the  storm
“The new set of promo­
ters is in the infra segment.
So, we intend carrying this
business  to  the  next  level
and as you can see, the tur­
nover has shown a signifi­
cant increase,” he added.
Mr.  Prakash  said  that
WS Industries is in an ad­
vanced stage of discussion
with a leading realtor to de­
velop its 7­acre property in
Porur into a 1 million sq. ft
IT/ITES building. 
This would be complet­
ed in 36­48 months.  KOLKATA
A government  order  to
this  effect  has  been  ob­
tained and the partnership
will  be  announced  soon,
he added.
Besides,  WSIL  is  also
close to signing up orders
worth  about  ₹400­500
crore in the next quarter.
“In  the  infra  segment,
water drain project to the
tune of ₹70 crore in Chen­
nai  and  another  one  for
₹47 crore. We are also con­
structing a bus terminus at
Tiruchi  estimated  at  ₹200
crore,” Mr. Prakash said.
A recent announcement
of  two  infrastructure  or­
ders  saw  WSIL  shares  hit­
ting a 52­week high on the
NSE at ₹103.10.
Govt. approves
wage hike for
staff of CIL
Press Trust of India
The  Coal  Ministry  said  it
had approved a wage revi­
sion  agreement  that  was
reached with trade unions
for  non­executive  em­
ployees of Coal India Limit­
ed (CIL).
The agreement provides
for  19%  of  minimum  gua­
ranteed benefit from July 1,
2021,  on  emoluments  –
basic,  Variable  Dearness
Allowance  (VDA),  Special
Dearness Allowance (SDA)
and attendance bonus – be­
sides  a  25%  increase  in
allowances.
The  agreement  will  be­
nefit  about  2.81  lakh  em­
ployees  of  CIL  and  SCCL
who  were  on  the  rolls  of
the firm as on July 1, 2021.

Lucas to raise IRDAI expands scope Zydus arm to

stake in India
Nippon to
over 70%
The Hindu Bureau
CHENNAI
Lucas  Indian  Service  Ltd.
(LIS), one of the promoters
of India Nippon Electricals
Ltd., has agreed to acquire
more  than  44  lakh  shares
from  two  other  promoter
entities for ₹168.91 crore.
A Share Purchase Agree­
ment was signed between
LIS and Mahle Holding (In­
dia)  Pvt.  Ltd.  (MHIPL)  on
Friday and a second agree­
ment  was  entered  into
with Mahle Electric Drives
Japan Corporation (MEDJ).
After  the  transfer,  the
stake of MHIPL and MEDJ
would  be  reduced  to  ‘Nil’
and LIS will hold 70.32%.
CM
YK
of ‘use and file’
The Hindu Bureau
HYDERABAD
Insurance regulator IRDAI
has extended the scope of
the  ‘Use  and  File’  proce­
dure to cover more life in­
surance products.  response  to  market  de­
Essentially  allowing  in­
surers to launch a product
first  and  then  submit  de­
tails  to  the  regulator,  the
procedure  has  now  been
extended  to  group  unit­
linked insurance products,
individual  ULIPs offered
with new funds and ‘com­
bi’  products  in  which  the
life insurer acts as the lead.
“Now,  life  insurers  can
launch  these  products
without prior approval, en­
hancing ease of doing busi­
ness and encouraging swift
Life  insurers  can
now  introduce  more
products  without
prior  approval  from
the  regulator
mands. This will boost in­
novation in products,” IR­
DAI said on Friday.  Mylab Discovery Solutions
In  October  2022,  the
regulator had extended the
‘Use and File’ procedure to
all  term  insurance  pro­
ducts,  individual  ULIPs
with  existing  funds  and
non­linked  group  insu­
rance products.
The  new  additions  are
based  on  the  feedback
from industry and to help
facilitate  insurance  pene­
tration, IRDAI said.
acquire 6.5%
stake in Mylab
for ₹106 crore
The Hindu Bureau
HYDERABAD
Zydus  Lifesciences,
through  a  wholly­owned
subsidiary, has decided to
acquire a 6.5% equity stake
in biotechnology company
for ₹106 crore.
The  proposed  invest­
ment will help Zydus parti­
cipate in the growing diag­
nostics  space  which  is
expected  to  witness  in­
creased  penetration
through in­clinic solutions
with ‘point of care’ testing
devices, the company said
in a filing. In the fiscal end­
ed March, Mylab clocked a
turnover of ₹95 crore.
M ND-NDE
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THE ASIAN AGE | SUNDAY | 25 JUNE 2023 | NEW DELHI
pg 5

Subhani

25 JUNE 2023

Ranjona Banerji
Off the beaten track

How gold star journals

get their science wrong
B
etelgeuse is a red supergiant star, the western shoulder of the hunter Orion.
The constellation is one of the best known in the night sky. The name comes
from the Arabic via French, shoulder of the giant, “bit-al-jauza”.
There is uncertainty about as big as the star on the pronunciation of its name.
When I was young, we were told it was “Beetelgeeze” with a hard “g”. This carried
on until the 1988 comedy film Beetlejuice arrived. It was difficult to tell the par-
ents’ generation that they were wrong and even more difficult to change a habit of
a lifetime.
How did we manage before the Internet?

Jairam vitriol on Gita Press LETTERS

I for one have forgotten how to look at the funny letters in a dictionary and fig-
ure out pronunciation from them. I used to know. Really, I did.
Anyway, this Betelgeuse or Bit Al-Jauza, is on its last legs. It is massive, it is in
our galaxy and it will soon go supernova. The problem is the “soon”. In astro- DISCORDANT NOTE
nomical terms, soon could be anything from tomorrow to 100,000 years.
For context, Betelgeuse shines over 7000 times brighter than our sun. When it

reeks of liberal illiberalism

goes supernova, it may well be visible in the day time. And after this, is when all Fifteen political parties
hell breaks loose in the world of news. gathered in Patna and
Because my dear friends in the general media will make up or misunderstand agreed to join forces in
all scientific evidence and hypotheses and then broadcast the most sensational
elements of any new information. This is why you almost never get any science
the 2024 Lok Sabha elec-
news in non-science publications. Research is often full of theories and compli- If religious funda- decades after we have tions. Congress president
cated mathematical proofs; it is high on uncertainties and counter-arguments. mentalism is adopted our Constitution Mallikarjun Kharge said
The scientist has to cover as many possibilities. The journalist wants drama, that guarantees respect for the next Opposition
which is usually found in uncertified theories. The biggest demands for sensa- Pavan K. Varma irrationally bigoted,
shallow liberalism is
all faiths. Savarkar’s real
meeting would be held in
tionalism come from two far removed aspects of human life — glamorous people contribution — on which
and science. Stars and stars. smugly dogmatic. If he wrote in far more detail Shimla to complete their
A couple of years ago, Betelgeuse appeared to one is doctrinaire — was the need for social plan. Nonetheless, the
become dimmer. Although it is a variable star — it
dims and brightens — this dimness was extraordi-
Chanakya’s View and prone to reform within Hinduism,
something which his blind AAP sounded discordant,
nary. It was named The Great Dimming. The
violence, the other is acolytes have conveniently saying it cannot be a part
Internet was full of excitement. Then the dimming culturally rootless forgotten. After Gandhiji’s of any alliance with the

T
turned out to be dust and gas. Like Delhi meets a he Gandhi Peace
Great Dimming every winter. Explosion was not Prize for 2021 has
imminent nor contingent on the loss of brightness. been given to the
Now a new theory says the explosion is immi- Gita Press. The
nent. Callooh Callay! Earth will witness a superno- Press was found-
va after ages — the last one we all saw was in 1604! ed in 1923, and started pub-
People in the southern hemisphere were lucky lication in 1927. Its avowed
with 1987A, a star that went supernova in one of Betelgeuse, as seen by the purpose was to make avail-
our small companion galaxies, the Larger Atacama Large Millimeter/sub- able at affordable prices
Magellanic Cloud. millimeter Array (ALMA) seminal texts pertaining to
But. And here’s the but in the midst of all the Hinduism. By now, it has
excitement. The new research is not peer-reviewed, which means something in published some 160 million
science. The researchers say that Betelgeuse has reached the end of the line in star copies in 14 languages of
life — the burning of its core. Other scientists disagree. Also it is at the end of the the Bhagwat Gita, over a
day, as vague as all the other predictions. Could be tomorrow, could be whenever. 100 million copies of
And then there’s the “could have already happened but when will we know”. The Tulsidas’ Ramcharit-
light from our sun takes eight minutes to reach us. Betelgeuse is 642 light years
away from us. So if Betelgeuse went supernova yesterday, we would only know
manas, and other texts
including the Maha-
642 years from today. And so it goes. Basically, our best shot is that Betelgeuse bharata, Puranas, Upani-
went supernova 642 years ago today. shads and Surdas. It also
Then up comes the story in a very reputed Indian journal which confuses The has an archive of 3500
Great Dimming and the rumours of 2019 with the new non-peer reviewed research Hindu manuscripts.
of 2023. And thus repeats the old story of 2019 as the reason for the expected Today, it is the world’s
supernova. largest publisher of Hindu
I understand why the media gets frustrated. The editor tells you “give me some- religious texts.
thing big”. So a supernova is a good way to go. Or you want to a prominent byline The announcement of
and you know your editor is a gullible fool. I just read something in a British news- this Prize led Congress
paper — not a Harry-Meghan type tabloid even — that made my brain go super- media head, Jairam
nova. Aliens “might” use a recent supernova in the Pinwheel Galaxy to commu- Ramesh, to issue a vitriolic
nicate with earth. tweet stating that giving
The Pinwheel Galaxy (Messier 101) is 20.87 million light years from earth. I leave the Gandhi Peace Prize to
you to work out the maths. The aliens sent us a message 20.87 million earth years Gita Press was a “travesty
ago. We get it now. Then we reply. We have no technology that covers even at the and like awarding
speed of light such distances. So some millions of earth years later our signal Savarkar and Godse”.
reaches these aliens. Then they visit us to colonise us. Some more millions of Frankly, I was taken aback
earth years later. And so on. What fun it will be for whatever’s happening on the by this ill-informed and
planet then. trigger-happy response.
For non-science people, the scale of the cosmos, the distance equals time issue, I am against all religious
these are not easy to grasp. It takes effort. You look up at the night sky; you’re look- bigotry, and I do not sup-
ing at the past. You look at the sun — you shouldn’t, except at sunrise and sunset port Hindu majoritarian-
— and you’re looking at eight minutes ago. It’s fascinating and sends a shiver ism, or the outdated and
down your back. impractical idea of Hindu
The small part we play in the cosmos should come back to us, as we look up. Carl Rashtra. But I am a proud
Sagan’s words resonate: “Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delu-
sion that we have some privileged place in the Universe are challenged by this
Hindu, who believes there
is a profound grandeur in
point of pale light. Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic Hindu philosophy. I have,
dark.” therefore, great respect for
I have spent my life staring at Betelgeuse, no matter how I mispronounced it. I the Gita Press that has
would love to watch it go supernova. To see the constellation of Orion changed for- enabled Hindu thought to
ever. Even though I know there is no constellation and it is all perspective. be widely disseminated,
And in case anyone gets worried, the Sun will not go supernova. It is too small, not only among Hindus,
below the Chandrasekhar limit. But do get worried. In about four or five billion but beyond. This was par-
years, it will become a red giant and expand up to the surface of earth scorching ticularly necessary after
everything. Obviously, it will gobble up Mercury and Venus. Around the same centuries of colonial rule
time, the Milky Way will merge with Andromeda. and the earlier Turkic
Meanwhile, those aliens in the Pinwheel Galaxy might still be sending us mes- invasion had broken the
sages. My next prediction for science “journalism”: Will Earth be swallowed by a continuum of Hindu
passing black hole? civilisation.
If we’re lucky, that might also be an end to bad journalism. The Gita Press took the
sublime message of the
The writer is a senior journalist who writes on media affairs, politics and social Bhagwat Gita — Mahatma
trends. She tweets at @ranjona. Gandhi’s favourite reli-
gious text — to millions of
Hindus. It also put the
Ramcharitmanas, which
Gandhiji described as “the
greatest book in all devo-
tional literature”, in almost
every Hindu home, espe-
cially in north India. In
1926, Hanuman Prasad
Poddar, who was one of the
co-founders of the Press,
and the editor of the maga-
zine Kalyan published by
it, accompanied Jamnalal
Bajaj to meet Gandhiji and
seek his blessings for
Kalyan. Gandhiji blessed
it, but asked Poddar not to
take advertisements and do
book reviews. The Gita
Press honoured both com-
mitments, and even now
has refused to accept the Rs
1 crore prize money accom-
panying the Prize.
If religious fundamental-
ism is irrationally bigoted,
shallow liberalism is smug-
ly dogmatic. If one is doc-
trinaire and prone to vio-
lence, the other is cultural-
ly rootless and superficial-
ly cosmopolitan. In both
there is no space for bal-
ance or nuance. The ire of
Ramesh is based on a book
by journalist Akshay
Mukul, titled Gita Press
and the Making of Hindu
India, which argues that
the Gita Press was silent
after the assassination of
Gandhiji, and contributed
to the growth of Hindu
revivalism. Mukul also
points out that Poddar and
Gandhiji had differences of
opinion later on, and that
Poddar was arrested in
1948 after Gandhi’s assassi-
nation. These facts are
true. But Poddar was
among 25,000 people arrest-
ed after the assassination,
released soon thereafter,
and never convicted. As
regards differences of opin-
ion, Dr Ambedkar and
Jawaharlal Nehru also dif-
fered with Gandhi on key
issues. Did that automati-
cally make them viscerally
and only superficially
cosmopolitan.
opposed to Gandhi? And
since when has pride in
Hinduism and propagating
its texts become a crime
comparable to what Godse
did? In any case, the Prize
has been given to Gita
Press as an institution and
not to Poddar.
Ramesh conveniently for-
gets that Congress Prime
Minister (PM) P.V.
Narasimha Rao issued a
postage stamp in 1992 to
honour Poddar and the
Gita Press. The reflex secu-
larist demonisation of
Savarkar, too, is extreme. I
emphatically disagree with
Savarkar’s espousal of a
Hindu Rashtra, but I have
no doubt that he was a rev-
olutionary patriot, who
greatly suffered for the
courage of his convictions,
spending over a decade in
the horrific Kala Pani jail
in the Andamans — most of
which in solitary confine-
ment — and was no ‘cow-
ard’ begging for pardon
from the British. It is the
ultra-right in India which
has myopically latched on
to his argument of Hindu
Rashtra, which was a short
polemic he wrote while
still under house arrest in
Ratnagiri, and in response
to certain specific develop-
ments then, including the
support by Gandhiji to the
pan-Islamicist Khilafat
Movement, the demand by
some Muslim League lead-
ers for a separate state for
Muslims, and the down-
playing by the Congress of
the terrible killing of
Hindus in the Moplah riots
in Kerala. That was in 1923,
and it is on record that
Savarkar himself subse-
quently downplayed his
earlier ill-thought advoca-
cy. We are now in 2023, a
century after what he
wrote, and over seven
assassination, he did come
under suspicion, but was
never convicted. In fact,
Ramesh and his ilk forget
that PM Indira Gandhi her-
self issued a postage stamp
in 1970 to commemorate
his contribution as a free-
dom fighter. All of this has
been authentically docu-
mented in Vikram
Sampath’s majestic two
volume biography of
Savarkar.
No prize is perfect in
every respect. Previous
recipients include interna-
tional luminaries like
Julius Nyerere, Nelson
Mandela and Desmond
Tutu. But in the case of
Nyerere, for instance,
while he was a staunch
freedom fighter, and an
inspiration for the struggle
against colonialism across
Africa, he also ran an
authoritarian one-party
government in indepen-
dent Tanzania, which
enabled him to remain
President for over two
decades (1964 to 1985). Was
giving him the Gandhi
Prize thus equivalent to
endorsing dictatorship?
Secularism is an impera-
tive for the plural, multi-
religious reality of India.
But to be credible it must
not automatically conflate
recognition of Hindu
achievements for commu-
nalism. Respect for all
faiths, and the right to
“freely profess, practice
and propagate religion”, as
guaranteed by Article 25 of
the Fundamental Rights of
our Constitution, need to
be harmonised. Ramesh
should think before he
impulsively tweets, and
one can only hope that his
views are not that of the
Congress Party.
The writer is an author,
diplomat and former
member of Parliament
(Rajya Sabha)
Congress unless the latter
publicly announces sup-
port on the contentious
Delhi ordinance issue.
Amit Shah, the Union
home minister, mocked
the meeting, claiming the
BJP will have 300 seats
in 2024.
N.J. Ravi Chander
Bengaluru
SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE
WHENEVER man had cared to dare,
progress of every description willingly
embraced him. That daring arises sole-
ly out of his curiosity in pursuit of his
imagination. If ancient warriors for-
ayed into unexplored lands to expand
their rule, explorers travelled over
uncharted seas to discover new habita-
tions. These added cumulatively to our
wisdom. The Titanic, the largest ship
afloat even prior to WW1, sank in its
maiden voyage. Earlier, the Wright
brothers pursuing the dream of
manned flight seeded modern day avi-
ation. Space shuttle Challenger disin-
tegrated after take-off and yet we cease-
lessly plan to land on a planet. The
deep diving submarine, tragic may its
end have been, would only add to our
scientific and technological progress.
Intelligence can only be of as much
utility to man as his curiosity.
R. Narayanan
Navi Mumbai
GLORY OF HAJ
THE MEANING of the word, Haj, is to
think and intend. Haj is a special pil-
grimage that takes place from the 8th to
the 13th of Dhul Hijjah, the last month of
the Islamic lunar year. About 4,000 years
ago, the Haj was initiated by Prophet
Ibrahim’s announcement. The acts of
Haj refer to the memories of Prophet Ib-
rahim (Abraham), his wife Hajara (Ha-
gar) and their son Ismael (Ishmael) who
rebuilt the Kaaba. Haj commemorates a
model family setting an example. The
family gives us the lesson that no matter
how much we value each other in the end
we have to live with our own conscience.
Habeeb Rahman
Calicut, Kerala

W W
hile Prime Minister including those who worked hen Priyanka Gandhi Vasundhara Raje as its Sachin Pilot ings at Jaipur’s prime spots.
Narendra Modi was behind the scenes. But there was no Vadra was given charge of given her persistent efforts to

W
being feted by US acknowledgement for his predeces- Uttar Pradesh on joining extract a fair deal for herself in the hile Congress leaders wait
Anita Katyal President Joe Biden, his
Cabinet colleagues back home are
sor Sushma Swaraj who steered the
ministry for five of the nine years.
politics in 2019, it was expected that
she would revive the Congress in
run-up to the year-end assembly
poll. There is no clarity on Ms
anxiously for
announcement on the con-
the

racing against time to complete the
Political “homework” assigned to them
Gup-Shup before the expiry of the month-end
deadline set for them. Tasked with
Incidentally, Mr Jaishankar served
as foreign secretary under her for
three years.
this electorally-crucial state. Raje’s status though she is pushing stitution of the new working com-
Though she made no headway in the leadership to project her as the mittee, insiders bemoan the emer-
the electoral arena, she had pub-
licly declared that she was commit-
BJP’s chief ministerial face or
ensure that her legislator son
gence of multiple power centres in
the party. They point out that there

highlighting the Modi govern-
ment’s achievements over the past
nine years, Union ministers and
Bharatiya Janata Party chief min-
R
esponding to the all-round
criticism of the Centre’s con-
tinuing indifference to the
prolonged ethnic violence in
ted to strengthening the Congress Dushyant is rewarded well in case was one power centre when Sonia
in Uttar Pradesh. But, from all the party comes to power. Congress Gandhi was party chief, with her
accounts, Priyanka appears to have rebel leader Sachin Pilot finds him- all-powerful political secretary
given up on this assignment. She self in a similar situation. He is Ahmed Patel handling contentious

When Sushma isters have been busy addressing

press conferences, holding meet-
ings with various citizen groups
and organising town halls for this
was forgotten; specific purpose. There are days
when two or even three ministers
hold separate press conferences on
Manipur, Union home minister
Amit Shah has finally called an all-
party meeting on this issue.
However, every effort has been
made to keep Prime Minister
Narendra Modi away from this cri-
sis to underline that this was Mr
barely visits the state while her
involvement with the activities of
the party’s state unit is virtually
nil. Even her personal team in the
state, including the unpopular
Sandeep Singh, are planning to
close shop. According to the cur-
continuously planning his next
move since he has been unsuccess-
ful in his mission to replace chief
matters even after Rahul Gandhi
became active in the organisation.
Today, Congress leaders said, there
minister Ashok Gehlot. is a Rahul Gandhi camp, a
Alternatively, he would like the
Congress to declare him as the
party’s future chief minister and
Priyanka Gandhi coterie, Sonia
Gandhi loyalists and party presi-
dent Mallikarjun Kharge’s support-

why Modi mum the given subject. The urgency is

understandable as the ministers
have to submit a detailed report
about their mass contact pro-
Shah’s responsibility and he should
be left to handle it. The Prime
Minister’s silence on the subject
has also been attributed to the fact
rent buzz in the Congress, Priyanka
is being prepared for a bigger role
in the party organisation. She is
also being fielded extensively in
give him sufficient say in the distri-
bution of tickets in the coming elec-
tion. Meanwhile, Mr Pilot has
asked his staff to reach out to
ers. With each one lobbying for the
inclusion of his or her own proteges
in the party’s highest decision-mak-
ing body, all-round confusion pre-

about Manipur gramme and its media coverage.

Foreign minister S. Jaishankar has
no worries on this score as he is
easily the most visible minister,
receiving extensive press coverage.
He began with a long press confer-
that Mr Modi did not want to be
associated with anything negative
at a time when he was set for a state
visit to the US where President Joe
Biden rolled out the red carpet for
him. In fact, a discrete message was
election-bound states, making sure
she is not confined to one state
where she is in the direct line of fire
in case of failure. As it happened in
Uttar Pradesh.
Gehlot supporters and meet work-
ers from their area. Apparently,
posters are being prepared which
show Mr Pilot with these work-
ers and with Rahul and Priyanka
Gandhi to underline that he enjoys
vails. Congress members who are
not affiliated to any camp are
unsure about their future as they
believe meritorious leaders will fail
to make the cut while coterie poli-
tics will continue to thrive.

T
ence where he was gracious enough conveyed to media houses that they he Bharatiya Janata Party’s the Gandhi family’s support. Mr
to acknowledge the role of the steer clear of any negative coverage Rajasthan unit jokingly refers Pilot also plans to put up these Anita Katyal is a Delhi-based
external affairs ministry’s staff, during Mr Modi’s US sojourn. to former chief minister posters close to Mr Gehlot’s hoard- journalist

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;
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06 NEW DELHI, 25 JUNE 2023 Vol. CXXXXXVII 26 (S)

With which is incorporated

Judicial restraint A MEMBER
OF THE

The Englishman ~ Founded 1821

Big deal
T
he most significant outcome of Prime Minister
Narendra Modi’s landmark first state visit to
the United States of America (USA) is the ink-
ing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
between General Electric (GE) Aerospace and the
The issue of exercise of right of freedom of speech and expression by a sitting judge ASIAN VOICES
boils down to two questions: (i) is there any specific law imposing any restrictions on
his freedom of speech and expression? and (ii) does an interview given to a print or Vital yet
vulnerable
electronic media by him in respect of cases which are being heard by him fall into any
of those restrictions?
I
qbal of Cumilla sadar sustained a
severe spinal injury after falling
from a two-storey construction site

state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)
to produce fighter jet engines for the Indian Air
Force (IAF). The deal, inked on Thursday, draws a
line under Washington’s technology-denial regime
which began after India’s nuclear tests in Pokhran in
1998 and had obstructed Delhi’s pursuit of advanced
combat jet engine technology. As the GE Aerospace
Press statement put it, the pact marks “a major mile-
stone… and is a key element in strengthening
defence cooperation between the two countries”.
This is no hyperbole. For, the deal includes the
potential joint production of GE Aerospace’s F414
engines in India, for which the aerospace major is
working with the US government to receive neces-
sary export authorisation, widely expected to be a
formality. The IAF is in dire need of this jet engine.
The indigenous Kaveri jet engine project that began
in 1986 had to be shut down by the Indian govern-
ment because of a lack of progress despite attempts
to revive it with the help of French engine-maker
Snecma. This galvanised the IAF to emphasise to
the Defence Ministry the need to seek foreign
engines to meet its immediate requirements. Espe-
cially significant is the need for India to maintain
strategic parity in the region; it requires jet engines
that can match or exceed China’s advancements. A
high-thrust engine is essential for India's fighter jet
programmes such as the Tejas Mk2 and the
Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA). The
GE F414 offers the necessary thrust levels to meet
these requirements and is expected to be a good fit
for the Tejas Mk2 ~ a substantially heavier fighter
jet than the LCA Tejas Mk1. This would enable the
Tejas Mk2 to carry a payload of more than six tonnes
compared to the three-and-half tonnes carried by
the LCA. The increased payload and advanced elec-
tronic systems of the Tejas Mk2 demand a higher
level of thrust and electrical power and the F414
engine, with a maximum thrust of 98 kN, is consid-
ered by experts as well-suited for the Tejas Mk2. It
may be recalled that the indigenous Kaveri engine
programme suffered from various technical difficul-
ties and significant delays. The engine was unable to
produce sufficient thrust, suffered poor performance
at high altitudes, and had excessive weight. Further,
it was only able to produce thrust which was much
lower than the targeted 81 kN. An additional imped-
iment was the lack of testing facilities in India; inad-
equate funding severely hampered the programme
too. It is to the Prime Minister’s credit that despite
his emphasis on the Make-in-India scheme, espe-
cially for the defence sector, he has not hesitated to
ensure the Indian armed forces get what they need.
That Mr Modi’s American interlocutor President Joe
Biden has delivered on the technology transfer
aspect of the deal must be appreciated as well, con-
sidering the pressure on him from the left-radical
(in the American context) cabal in the Democratic
Party. It is a big deal.
Opening doors
S
ince passing of an order by
the Supreme Court on 28
April 2023 (in Special
Leave Petition (Civil) Diary
No. 15883/2023 i.e., Abhishek
Banerjee vs Soumen Nandy and
Kuntal Ghosh vs State of West
Bengal) directing the then Acting
Chief Justice of Calcutta High
Court to reassign two cases Jus-
tice Abhijit Gangopadhyay was
hearing to some other judge, an
issue hinging on the contours of
judicial conduct of sitting judges
has emerged in the public
domain. The Supreme Court in
its utter anguish passed the order
openly expressing its displeasure
after being apprised of the inci-
dent of Justice Gangopadhyay
giving an interview to a TV chan-
nel in respect of the two cases.
The anguish of the Supreme
Court is understood to be a
reflection of Apex Court’s out-
right disapproval of the conduct
of a sitting judge.
There is no law prohibiting a
sitting judge from giving an inter-
view to any print or electronic
media. On the contrary, a sitting
judge in India, like any other indi-
vidual, has his freedom of speech
and expression.
The pertinent question in
the context is: ‘Is his freedom of
speech and expression truly at
par with freedom of speech and
expression of any other individ-
ual?’ It is however not so and the
reasons are replete in the code of
conduct applicable to and ex-
pected from sitting judges. Such
code of conduct however has no
legislative support.
In India nobody including a
sitting Judge has absolute free-
dom of speech and expression.
Freedom of speech and expres-
sion although constitutionally
protected as a fundamental right
in India (Article 19(1)(a)) never-
theless is not absolute as Article
19(2) expressly provides that free-
dom of speech and expression
would not affect operation of any
law imposing reasonable restric-
tions on exercise of the right in
the interests of sovereignty,
integrity and security of the state,
friendly relations with foreign
states, public order, decency or
morality or in relation of con-
tempt of court or defamation or
incitement of an offence.
The issue of exercise of right
of freedom of speech and expres-
sion by a sitting judge boils down
to two questions: (i) is there any
specific law imposing any restric-
court, must maintain and en-
hance the confidence of all who
may come in or may be expected
to come in the way and field of
his occupation. He must conduct
himself, as far as reasonable, to
minimise the occasions on which
it may be necessary for him to be
disqualified from hearing or
deciding cases.
A sitting Judge should not
knowingly, while a proceeding is
before or could come before him,
make any comment that might
reasonably be expected to affect
the outcome of such proceeding
or impair the manifest fairness of
the process, nor should he make
any comment in public or other-
wise that might affect the fair trial
or lead any member of the public
to lose confidence in him, or dis-
qualifying him from hearing the
case.
There is however need for a
proviso that his disqualification
may not be required if no other
tribunal can be constituted to
deal with the case. In other
words, his integrity should be
above reproach in the view of
As opposed to a retired judge tic society. reasonable observers.
who is no more than an ordinary In 2001, at the second meet- Propriety and also appear-
citizen, a sitting judge is more ing of the Judicial Group on ance of propriety are essential to
than an ordinary citizen because Strengthening Judicial Integrity the performance of all activities
of his especially ordained current held in Bangalore, the Chief Jus- of a sitting Judge. As a subject of
state in life and consequential tices were unanimous on the constant public scrutiny he must
demands of his occupation. need for standards of judicial freely and willingly accept per-
He is especially selected by a integrity and drafted the Banga- sonal restrictions that might
legally approved process and lore Principles of Judicial Con- be viewed as burdensome by
placed in the position of an duct endorsed by various judicial any ordinary citizen. He is also
arbiter in the higher rung of his fora including the Round Table to conduct himself in a way
society as an adjudicating author- Meeting of Chief Justices held at consistent with the dignity of
ity in respect of disputes brought The Hague on 25 and 26 Novem- his judicial office giving no scope
before him by the people of his ber 2002. for variation in perception of
society for adjudication. The Bangalore principles impropriety.
What may be proper for an have set six values namely, Therefore a sitting Judge:
ordinary individual of that soci- (i)independence, (ii) impartiality, (i) shall avoid impropriety and
ety may not be so for a sitting (iii) integrity, (iv) propriety, (v) the appearance of impropriety in
Judge and again what may be equality and (vi) competence and all of the judge’s activities;
improper for an individual may diligence for a judicial officer. (ii) shall not, in the performance
be a virtue or a vice for a sitting These six values are prerequisites of his judicial duties, by words or
Judge. This situation leads us to for good conduct of a Judge to conduct, manifest bias or preju-
the question of “sen- uphold rule of law dice towards any person or
se of propriety” ap- and a guarantee group;
plicable to and exp- for fair trial. Under (iii) shall maintain order and
ected from a sitting the heading of decorum in all proceedings
judge. Absence of a each value there before the court and be patient,
sense of propriety are clusters of cla- dignified and courteous in rela-
befitting a sitting uses providing gu- tion to litigants, jurors, witness-
Judge is sure to be idelines for good es, lawyers and others with whom
damaging and at conduct of a sit- the judge deals in an official
times disastrous from ting Judge. As a capacity and correspondingly he
the point of view of constituent of the also shall require and/or enforce
his obligation to be judiciary he is similar conduct of legal represen-
careful and cautious expected not only tatives, court staff and others
in preserving dignity, BIMAL KUMAR to uphold but also attending the court, and
CHATTERJEE
impartiality and in-
dependence of his The writer is Barrister-at-Law,
Senior Advocate and former
to exemplify judi-
cial independence
(iv) shall not engage in conduct
incompatible with the diligent
judicial office in par- Advocate General of the both at his per- discharge of his judicial duties.
in Bahrain. He was taken to the
hospital and provided with emergency
care. After 10 days, he was sent back
home, his critical injury hardly treated.
Though Iqbal had insurance coverage
and his employer had promised to bear
all his expenses, he has not received a
penny in the last three years since he
has been back.
With his dream shattered, Iqbal is
now a burden on his family. After
enduring a lot of abuse at the hands of
her Saudi employer, domestic worker
Meher Nigar (of Birganj, Dinajpur)
became very ill and was admitted to
hospital. However, instead of continu-
ing with the treatment, without any
prior consultation she was put on a
flight back home, for which she was
made to pay from her savings.
For the sake of her children’s
future, Zakia (of Savar) endured wage
theft and abusive work conditions for
more than a year. Her Saudi employer
refused to take any action when she
reported that there was a lump in her
breast causing pain. When her condi-
tion aggravated, Zakia’s employer
transferred her to the placement
agency. She was finally sent back home
only after her family arranged to pay
for her return air ticket.
Though Imdad (of Natore) was
placed in construction instead of pipe-
fitting work, his six-year stint in Qatar
was largely successful. One day, he was
apprehended by the authorities along
with two other undocumented migran-
ts. A migrant with regular status, Imdad
demanded the reason for his detention
only to suffer severe assault by mem-
bers of the law enforcement agency. He
was in severe pain and was subse-
quently taken into custody.
Initially, he was denied any treat-
ment, but when other detainees inter-
vened, he was taken to a medical facili-
ty and a plaster was put on his broken
leg. Within days, Imdad was deported
home. His mobile phone was confiscat-
ed by the authorities. He was not even
allowed to contact his employer to
claim his outstanding benefits and
other entitlements.
The Gulf states’ shift to mandatory
private health insurance for all, includ-
ing low-paid workers, has created fresh
hurdles to healthcare access. The non-
citizens are no longer eligible for free
non-emergency care and require pri-
vate health insurance or government-
issued health cards to access healthcare
in government hospitals and private
clinics. Often, employers fail to adhere
to the contract and buy or renew insur-
ance for the workers. In instances in
which they do so, those are not of qual-

A
merica’s decision to set up two new consulates
~ in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad ~ in addition
to consular services it already offers at New
Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Hyderabad,
will prove to be a boon to Indian travellers. But the
decision, announced during the Prime Minister’s
visit to the United States, is guided as much by
Washington’s need to further bilateral ties as it is to
feather its own nest. Last year, India generated Asia’s
highest outbound travel volumes, overtaking China,
Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. Nearly two-thirds of
those who travelled outside the country were on hol-
iday and leisure tourism is always more lucrative for
host countries. Only Dubai attracted more Indians
than the United States did. Travel to American desti-
nations more than 12,000 km away exceeded that
to countries in the vicinity such as Thailand, Saudi
Arabia and Singapore. Indians made up the third
highest group of foreign visitors to America. These
facts, brought out in a report by an international
travel consultancy, would not be unknown to the
Americans. They would similarly know that travel
plans of Indians to the United States are increasing-
ly frustrated by the slow pace of visa processing,
with wait times of 337 days reported in April this
year. With the prospect of earning nearly Rs 12,000
from each visa issued, with US airlines such as
American, Delta and United hoping to pick up a
chunk of the traffic, and with trips to the US being of
longer duration than to those in the vicinity, there
are spin-off benefits that the Americans cannot pos-
sibly ignore. Indeed, American Airlines had returned
to India after nearly a decade in 2021 after seeing
the potential for business. Data from the US Depart-
ment of Commerce’s National Travel and Tourism
Office shows that travel from India to America has
crossed pre-pandemic levels in the first five months
tions on his freedom of speech
and expression?, and, (ii) does
an interview given to a print or
electronic media by him in
respect of cases which are being
heard by him fall into any of
those restrictions? The Supreme
Court while passing the said
order has not reminded us of any
such restrictions.
The Supreme Court’s direc-
tion means and implies stripping
Justice Gangopadhyay of his
jurisdiction and power to hear
and decide those two cases. It
may not be that impertinent for
anybody to ask what then clothed
the Supreme Court with the pow-
er either to make those deprecat-
ing observations openly in court
or to pass the said order direct-
ing the Acting Chief Justice of the
High Court to reassign those two
cases to some other judge?
The answers to both the qu-
estions lie not in law but in the
sense of propriety of the Judge
concerned and/or in ‘code of
conduct’ applicable to him. How
come then that a “code of con-
duct” which has no backing of
any law anywhere and not at least
in India comes into play to guide
freedom of speech and expres-
sion of a sitting judge?
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
ticular and the judi- state of West Bengal sonal level and It will not therefore be an ity and have limited acceptance, and
ciary as a whole. also at institution- over statement if it is said that thus do not cover the workers’ needs.
All resolutions historically al level. All these values however before the said order and/or “Good insurance isn’t cheap and
and unequivocally adopted at do not touch upon the limited direction had been passed by the cheap insurance isn’t good,” as the
United Nations level say that a issue this essay has embarked Supreme Court, Justice Gan- saying goes.
judge, like any other citizen, is upon. It needs to be noted that gopadhyay had disqualified him- The above narratives collected
entitled to freedom of expression, said six values are prefaced with self from hearing and deciding from the returnee Bangladeshi migra-
belief, association and assembly, these words: those two cases by giving an nts by the Refugee and Migratory
but in exercising such rights he (a) The principles are intended interview to the TV channel. Movements Research Unit (RMMRU)
shall always conduct himself or to establish standards for ethical It is equally needless to say provide important insights on their
herself in such a manner as to conduct of judges. They are that the Supreme Court by its health vulnerability in destination
preserve the dignity of his judi- designed to provide guidance to said order/ direction was only countries, including those in the Gulf.
cial office, and impartiality and judges and to afford the judiciary affirming the said disqualification The case studies also shine a light on
independence of the judiciary. a framework for regulating judi- expressing its instant displeasure. the gaping holes in the migrant protec-
Therefore, contours of a sit- cial conduct. Nonetheless the question rem- tion and service structures of those
ting Judge’s right to freedom of (b) These principles presuppose ains if the Supreme Court was countries.
speech and expression according that judges are accountable for right in expressing its displeasure Over the last two years, a five-
to those resolutions have been their conduct to appropriate in the manner and language it did country Vital Signs study has garnered
outlined by those three words e.g. institutions established to openly, apparently adversely important evidence and insights about
affecting the fitness and image of
dignity, impartiality and inde- maintain judicial standards, the health vulnerability of low-skilled
pendence of judiciary and in par- which are themselves indepen- Justice Gangopadhyay as a migrant workers who are subjected to a
ticular of his judicial office oblig- dent and impartial, and are Judge in the eyes of the public at wide range of cumulative risks to their
ing the Judge to conduct himself intended to supplement and not large, particularly when the issue physical and mental health. The study
(“he” embraces “she”) according- to derogate from existing rules of public confidence not only finds that those risks originate from
ly. The international judicial of law and conduct that bind in a particular judicial officer but their workplace, living conditions and
community have shown their the judge. in the entire judiciary is of the environment, and include heat and
concern in a Judge’s duty to There are however no known vital importance for judicial inde- humidity, pollution, abusive working
uphold rule of law and constitu- existing legislative rules and pendence and a guarantee for a conditions, excessive working hours
tionalism with a view to ensure conduct that bind the Judge uni- fair trial. Was it not also at the and heavy physical workloads, lax
and also enhance public trust versally. same time necessary for the occupational health and safety (OHS)
and confidence in the judicial A sitting judge is required to Supreme Court to be more practices, exposure to long-term chron-
system of a democracy. Existence be absolutely impartial in per- restrained in its language while ic psychosocial stress, and, in the case
of public trust and confidence in forming his judicial duties with- reacting to the conduct of a sit- of female domestic workers, acute vul-
the judicial system is a sine qua out favour, bias or prejudice and ting Judge of the High Court in nerability to physical, psychological
non or prerequisite of a democra- his conduct, both in and out of the said Special Leave Petition? and sexual abuse.
editor@thestatesman.com

of this year, and the Americans have issued 44 per
cent more visas to Indians this year than they did in
the same period in 2019, the year before the pan-
demic struck. On the other hand, India last year
drew the third highest number of foreign visitors in
Asia. Driven largely by the need of members of the
Indian diaspora to visit relatives and aging parents
after the Covid years, most visitors to India were
from the United States, followed by the United
Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates. Thus, ade-
quate provision of consular services to their own
nationals would also have been a factor that helped
the Americans decide to open additional consulates.
The outlook for the rest of 2023 looks just as promis-
ing, with a 26 per cent jump projected in travel from
India to the United States. It is not surprising there-
fore that the Americans have decided to up their
consular game.
Stronger teams
SIR, The Indian senior men’s
team's resounding 4-0 victory over
Pakistan in the SAFF Champi-
onship Football tournament is
excellent news for football enthusi-
asts and the team itself. The ongo-
ing 8-nation tournament, along
with the recently concluded Inter-
continental Cup where India tri-
umphed over Lebanon, not only
boosts the morale of our players
but also provides crucial match
practice for the upcoming Asia Cup
scheduled for January next year.
These matches offer a valuable
opportunity for our coach, Igor Sti-
mac, to observe and analyze the
players' performances, as well as
identify their shortcomings, which
I am confident he will address in
the coming days. India's men's
current FIFA ranking is 101. Our
highest-ever ranking was 94,
achieved when the ranking system
was first introduced, but unfortu- pete against teams ranked above Pakistan (195) does not serve much Qatar, and others.
nately, we have not surpassed that us, especially those within the 75- purpose in terms of improving our Therefore, I believe we should
achievement. 100 range, such as Oman, Uzbek- FIFA ranking or preparing the team carefully consider the selection of
To set a realistic target of istan, and North Macedonia. Play- to face challenges from Asian pow- participating teams.
breaking into the 85-90 range in the ing against weaker opponents like erhouses like Australia, South Yours, etc., Dibyendu Mitra Roy,
FIFA Rankings, we need to com- Vanuatu (168), Mongolia (183), or Korea, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Kolkata, 22 June.

Sustainable fishing to offset
climate change impacts
DILIP KUMAR GHOSHAL
he year 2022 ended several
T months ago, without settling
anything or solving anything
on the havoc likely to be
wrought by global climate change,
though we heard eloquent rhetoric in
international forums. Mother Earth,
the only human habitat so far known,
has been anxiously waiting to witness
positive, visible action to prevent the
dreaded catastrophe of climate
change, already hissing before biting.
Climate, our long-time nourisher,
cannot be provoked to ruin our civili-
sation. The less developed and poor
countries will suffer from the disas-
trous effects of climate change much
more, while rich countries with their
unrestrained pursuit of higher con-
sumption will continue to add to the
calamity. The gap of inequality and
undeserved suffering between the
rich and the poor countries will
widen.
When the sea level will start rising
menacingly, the estuarine areas and
the coastline of West Bengal, as the
experts fear, will be the first to sub-
merge in sea-water. Agriculturists and
fisherfolk of our Sundarban areas,
already in penury and badly mauled
by their inhospitable surroundings
will find their cultivable pieces of land
more salty. Their ponds and wetlands
will be plagued with salty water, inca-
pacitating healthy fish culture.
Their hopelessness will deepen
when their wobbly huts will crumble
with the lashing, cruel blasts of pre-
dicted cyclonic storms. If a cyclone,
with capricious mercy, spares the ill-
protected island hamlets, and they
take the risk, to stave off impending
starvation, of venturing out on their
boats fish in the canals and streams
dangerously close to the Sundarban
forests, they face the risk of the tru-
culently prowling tiger, a hungry car-
nivore, chasing their movements with
deadly stealth.
Tiger conservation is imperative
to prevent extinction of this endan-
gered species but lives of poor fisher-
POLITICAL DIARY KALYANI SHANKAR
Modi's outreach to Indian diaspora works
rime Minister Narendra Modi
P had been wooing the Indian
diaspora even as chief minis-
ter of Gujarat. Consciously he
made all efforts to endear himself to
people of Indian origin people settled
abroad, whether in America, Great
Britain or Australia.
The recently concluded visit to
the United States was a critical
moment for Modi's international rep-
utation. The visit displayed the
increasing significance of growing
Indo-U.S. ties.
Modi was pleased to receive top
honors from Washington. This
included a state dinner at the White
House, prestigious accommodations
at Blair House, and an opportunity to
address the U.S. Congress for the sec-
ond time in nine years.
Modi as chief minister of Gujarat,
was denied a U.S. visa in 2005 for
alleged human rights violations. But
the U.S. has embraced him progres-
sively as Prime Minister, and now
more than ever.
The culturally rich, highly edu-
cated, and wealthy Indian diaspora is
a link between the largest and the old-
est democracies of the world. This
relationship has moved from Prime
Minister Nehru's non-interference
outlook to the diaspora's engagement
during the regimes of Atal Behari Vaj-
payee and Modi.
The four-million-strong commu-
nity's political weight has not been
lost on Biden or Modi. It is the sec-
ond-largest and fastest-growing com-
munity. They are key voters in several
CROSSWORD
1 2 3 4 5 6
9 (7)
10
12 13
14 15 16
19 20 21
22 23
24
26 27
28 29
men also matter. The crisis demands
much-needed cooperation and coor-
dination between the Forest and Fish-
eries departments, and from pan-
chayat bodies. It must be backed by
the people’s responsible response and
active participation for reducing this
man-animal conflict.
While the Royal Bengal tigers
May live majestically in the forest, the
fisherfolk also cannot be robbed of
their right to live on fishing and allied
avocations. They can surely sustain
themselves with supplementary and
allied activities like horticulture, ani-
mal husbandry, bee-keeping, duck-
ery, piggery, goats-rearing etc.,
besides safe fishing. Success depends
on diligent entrepreneurship, with aid
and advice from government func-
tionaries and panchayats.
They should free themselves
from the dishonour of begging and
struggle, and help themselves go up
the socio-economic ladder. Then, the
buffets of nature or man-made
calamity will fail to defeat them. The
challenge of the hungry tides will then
bring an opportunity to rise. But all
stake-holders must work with trans-
parency, above narrow political parti-
sanship.
It is nobody’s business to dis-
swing states. According to American
media, 74 per cent of Indian Ameri-
can voters backed Biden in 2020.
Modi's visit was not solely meant
to improve bilateral relations but also
to cement his bonds with the Indian
diaspora and business leaders. He
made it a point to complement the
diaspora in all his speeches, includ-
ing his address to the U.S. Congress.
Modi projected India as a grow-
ing global power, instilled a sense of
pride in them, and used it to build his
constituency back home.
Indian Americans, on their part,
7 8
11
YESTERDAY'S SOLUTION
R E C I T E F I E RC E
E H E C E A
S T ROMA T A I GNOR E
R W R S N E N
HO T D E S K I NG WE E D
E I D A S nature’s in trouble
S A R I N E S C A L A T E
17 18
T T O L
COU S COU S N I F T Y
N P P V A you down
B E T A P R OV I S I ON S
25 C G E O V R O
DOA B L E N A I L D OWN
L O P A O A
D E L I S H I L L S A Y
NOTE: Figures in parentheses denote the number of letters in the words required. (By arrangement with The Independent, London)
courage tourism which ushers in eco-
nomic growth. But tourism and
development cannot mean thought-
less or reckless profit-seeking that
result in denudation of the estuarine
mangrove forest, which is a protective
wall against tides and cyclones.
Unplanned and perilous conversion
of wetlands and tide-fed canals into
shrimp-culture sites, to feed our lust
for export earnings may quicken the
harmful effects of man-made climate-
change.
Mere electoral victory, which in
reality means enthronement for dom-
ination, is powerless before the swal-
lowing tides and too weak to stop the
lashing hail of cyclonic storms. If
political victory can usher in all-inclu-
sive socio-economic, morale-boost-
ing well-being for all, especially the
indigent, ceaselessly struggling fish-
ermen, it will be a triumph of the peo-
ple. For this, divisive and constant
bickering and narrow political feuds
must yield space to well-thought-out,
corruption-free implementation of
eco-friendly, employment-generating
projects.
A large portion of the wetlands of
our country lie in West Bengal. Preser-
vation of our wetlands, without any
concession or compromise will pre-
turned out in large numbers at events
during the PM's visit. When he landed
in New York, he was greeted with
chants of 'Modi Modi', 'Bharat Mata
ki Jai' and 'Vande Mataram.' They
cheered him at the South Lawn of the
White House, where President Biden
and First Lady Jill Biden gave the
Prime Minister a grand welcome.
"I have come here many times,
but today for the first time, the doors
of the White House have been opened
for the Indian American community
in such large numbers," Modi said in
his reply. He called the Indian dias-
ACROSS 14 Grotesque growth
a feature of this beast
1 Might he make a
mug out of Ronnie
16 Light discharge
O’Sullivan? (6)
(4)
19 League of Nations
4 Person I suspect has
held back by protocol
right to be inside? (8)
breach (4)
10 Criticism of minor
21 Fantastic beast’s
routes over
accidents, essentially
beginning to confirm
(9)
(7)
11 Hill – famous one on
24 Pay for holiday,
reflection for rambler
(5)
you say? That’ll slow
12 It turns but
(4,5)
remains unchanged
(5)
25 Eyes – not misty,
13 Bread not cut
peeled (5)
26 Primitive home,
before supper, say
(9)
one with good facilities
(5)
vent further fall of our underground
water levels. Strict protection of our
wetlands, ponds and tanks, whether
privately or public owned, is an effec-
tive step towards a secure tomorrow
for our children.
Fisheries, hygienically practised,
in all our water bodies will bring
income for the right entrepreneurs.
Wetlands cannot be wastelands. Pis-
ciculture requires disciplined, trained
and duly authorised groups, not mus-
cle-flexing gangs of encroachers. Such
well-maintained and productively
cultivated wetlands, in both rural and
urban areas will be a check on
unscrupulous builders who are look-
ing to fill up, especially in urban areas,
any wetland for building sky-scrap-
pers.
We must not be blind to the sig-
nificant numbers of large or medium-
sized water bodies in many govern-
ment-owned or managed premises.
No such water body should remain
fallow if found useful from the fish-
eries point of view. Our environment
will thrive in health and not fall sick
with conservation of water and pro-
ductive fisheries.
Special schemes for women’s
participation in fish culture and fish
seed, fish-feed production, with nec-
pora "the real strength" of the U.S.-
India relationship.
In applauding the diaspora, Modi
told the community that they are bril-
liant in every field, not just Spelling
Bee, and have played a significant role
in the country's relationship with
America.
Why does the diaspora admire
Modi? Over the decades, the BJP has
built up a carefully committed dias-
pora. "The Friends of BJP" is an influ-
ential organisation in America.
Late BJP Prime Minister Vajpayee
started the Pravasi Divas and hon-
oured Indian-Americans. He even
appointed an NRI, B K Agnihotri as a
roving ambassador. However, the U.S.
government refused to recognize a
second envoy.
Modi announced many facilities,
like a more accessible visa regime and
an Overseas Indian card. The diaspora
wants voting rights, but this will take a
long time.
Modi impressed Americans soon
after he took over with his memorable
event in Madison Square Garden,
New York, in 2014. Some American
lawmakers addressed the Indian dias-
pora alongside Modi. Then came the
Howdy Modi rally in Houston, which
stunned President Donald Trump.
Secondly, after the liberalization
in the nineties, India's economy is
becoming the third-largest in the
world. It offers an attractive market.
As Prime Minister, Modi has
interacted with three Presidents in the
past nine years – Barack Obama,
Trump and now Biden. They had all
27 One makes mistakes
more miserable when
goofy nerd’s involved
(9)
28 Animal killers held
in esteem, a tad,
or scorn
(8)
29 Claw right back
almost to the
beginning, revealing
a pop star
(6)
DOWN
1 Turn up combative
to begin with during
fight in boozy
night out
(3-5)
NEW DELHI, 25 JUNE 2023
essary government and panchayat
support and proper training, will be a
silent but sure step to income genera-
tion in the rural areas, besides pre-
venting the upcoming water crisis.
The learned research scholars
and fisheries scientists should leave
their ivory tower of scholarship and
come down to learn lessons from
ground-level partnerships. Modern
information technology may be fruit-
fully used to make this project a suc-
cess for all. Cutting down forests, eco-
logically disastrous mining and hasty
and unplanned construction of
dams/barrages, throwing environ-
mental and geological concerns to the
winds in mountainous regions
invokes Nature’s furious wrath in the
form of snap and destructive floods
in the nearby residential plains. It also
results in silting of rivers and streams.
Innumerable fishermen who have
lived near rivers for centuries are get-
ting less and less catch as silted up
riverbeds are detrimental to fish habi-
tats. Rivers and streams with adequate
fish as before may reduce degradation
of our rivers, even after providing liveli-
hood to our fishermen. The fishermen,
too, must play a responsible role.
Sewage treatment plants, eco-
nomically managed, for cleaning up
municipal sewage or factory waste,
are useful for stopping untreated
sewage from falling into our rivers.
Sewage-fed fisheries, around the east-
ern fringe of Kolkata, are the natural
cleaners of the tanks.
The marine fisheries sector also
needs proper regulation. Mindless
and merciless mechanical sweeping
of the sea-floors with trawlers, mostly
foreign, are sure to decimate the flora
and fauna of the seas and ocean.
Besides, over-fishing round the year
leaves little time for breeding and sus-
tainable growth of marine fish. If the
Marine Fisheries Regulation Act and
Rules continue to be ignored, this will
endanger the ecology of our seas and
oceans.
(The writer, a former IAS officer, served as
Director of Fisheries, West Bengal.)
appointed many members of the
diaspora in their administrations.
Biden has appointed 130 Indian
Americans in many key positions.
Prominent figures like Vice President
Kamala Harris and presidential hope-
ful Nikky Haley have shattered barri-
ers. Business leaders from the diaspo-
ra are heading over two dozen Ameri-
can companies, including Google
chief Sundar Pichai and Microsoft's
Satya Nadella.
Thirdly, and more importantly,
the U.S. wants to prop up India as a
counter-balance to China. The busi-
ness and defence ties with the U.S.
have increased tremendously in the
past decade. It includes commerce,
diplomacy, defence and related
areas. India has joined Quad, G 20,
and many other international group-
ings.
The visit also had some embar-
rassing moments. The Indian diaspo-
ra is not monolithic but a diverse
community. The supporting and
opposing camps assembled in Wash-
ington to cheer Modi or protest
against him. On 20 June, 75 U.S. Sena-
tors and Members of Congress wrote
a letter to President Biden to address
issues including "shrinking of political
space, the rise of religious intolerance,
and more" in India.
Taking them in his stride, Modi
said he was "concluding a very spe-
cial USA visit, where I got to partici-
pate in numerous programmes and
interactions to add momentum to the
India-USA friendship." Both sides
acclaim the visit as significant.
NO-292473
2 Turkey, another 17 Freezing Scots
creature with man requiring kettle?
small feet (8) (8)
3 Tree, more mature 18 Maintain quiet
one (5) modesty’s awfully
5 Quickly declare that perverse (8)
dance is cancelled 20 Taps yellow light in
(4,3) meeting room
6 High court has (7)
dinner cooked 21 Angel fish enthrals
(9) cockney woman
7 Cocaine is one, (6)
for example (6) 22 Stand by – a repeated
8 Hotplate’s no good? phrase is coming up –
That’s a mystery musical tip
(6) (6)
9 VIP pantomime dame 23 Cup for a small mouth?
may have one (6) (6)
15 Black pudding is 25 Organisation poured
usually this hybrid beer regularly
(4-5) (5)
07
NOW AND AGAIN
Spooked by the bell
SHOVANLAL CHAKRABORTY
You might have read many ghost sto-
ries, but you may not believe them. I
learned all about witches and spirits from
my elder cousin sister when I was eight
years old. We used to spend our summer
holidays in Santipur, at my grandmother's
house by the majestic Ganges. The square-
shaped house had huts outside the main
building where weavers would weave saris.
There was a cow shed where five cows
would provide milk. The cottier woman,
Jaya, used to milk them each morning. But
the most attractive of all was the tamarind
tree, which had a tale attached to it. The
story goes that once my grandmother's
grandfather, Manmohon decided to fell the
tree. The morning the woodcutter came
with his team there was a telegram from
London, where Manmohan’s elder son was
a doctor, which read, "Stop felling tree, let-
ter follows".
The letter which followed was extraor-
dinary. Manmohan's son had a dream
where a lady requested him not to fell the
tree, as she was living in it. News spread like
wildfire and police was called to control
people who came from far and near to have
a look at the tree. No one dared cross the
tree after sunset from then.
When we were in Santipur my cousin
would share her knowledge of ghosts: they
wear white sarees and anklets with metal-
lic bells to herald their arrival; they have
twisted feet with toes pointing back, and
so on. I was enchanted to know that the
tamarind tree was home to many such
ghosts. My cousin exploited my ignorance
by spicing up the spooky stories with
descriptions of various genres of ghosts, like
Brahma Doityo, Shak Chunni, Skhanda Kata
and a spirit with a burning torch. We played
on the ground which was nearly half a kilo-
metre from the tamarind tree. Day after day,
my sister was weaving new stories of spirits.
I handled the ghost stories well during the
day, but twilight gave me the jitters.
I used to grab my cousin’s hand while
walking past the tamarind tree. One
evening, it was dark when we were return-
ing from the playground. Just as we neared
the tamarind tree, there was a cold breeze,
and an owl started hooting. I clutched her
hand. I could hear a faint jingle of bells.
We started walking faster. The jingle got
closer. My sister left my hand and said,
“Run.” Before I realised anything, she was
gone! I started crying and started to run.
The jingle, more of a tinkle, was close
behind. My cousin was panting and wait-
ing for me at the door. We both looked back
to see a feminine figure emerge, with a crea-
ture behind her. As they came closer, we
saw her saree was not monochromatic. Her
feet were not twisted, and there were no
anklets either. The creature behind her was
a cow. It was the bell in the cow’s neck that
spooked us. Jaya was coming back home.
My sister and I burst into laughter, patting
the cow's back.
100 YEARS AGO
THE UNIVERSITY
FUND
To The Editor Of The Statesman
SIR, - My attention has been drawn to a
letter published in the Statesman, with
regard to the collection of subscriptions for
a permanent University fund. I am
informed that shortly after our invitation for
subscription was issued His Excellency the
Governor as Chancellor had an interview
with a large number of the members of the
Senate including some of the members of
the Provisional Committee and desired that
agitation should not be carried on in the
public press and platform as he hoped to
arrange matters amicably and meet the
deficits of the University. Further collection
was thereupon stopped and the idea of
holding a public meeting was for the time
being abandoned. The money paid in is in
deposit with the Bengal National Bank in
the name of Mr. B. Chakrabarti, the trea-
surer. It has not been returned as the com-
mittee has been waiting to see what the
Government is going to do with regard to
the University finance.
N.C. SEN.
Calcutta.
A SERVICE
GRIEVANCE
To The Editor Of The Statesman
SIR, - A little while ago Mr. Montagu
in the Times mentioned a great hardship
of the Services in India. I refer to the delay
in dealing with memorials. Mr. Montagu
thought much of the trouble would be
obviated, if representatives of the Services
concerned could put their plaints before
the Viceroy personally. About the hardship
I can offer a present instance. In 1922 with
other officers I submitted a memorial rep-
resenting certain grave alterations in the
conditions under which I was recruited.
Thinking an interview with His Excellency
the Viceroy was necessary, the Service fur-
ther accredited two members. These
addressed a letter to His Excellency
humbly requesting an interview. The letter
was submitted at the end of January last.
To date no reply has been received. And
rightly or not the officers consider the let-
ter to the Viceroy has not reached His
Excellency. The only remedy that remains
in India is to ventilate the grievance in the
Press.
MARCUS.
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 SUNDAY 25 JUNE 2023 | DELHI
Staggering distortions of Adi Kavya in Adi Purush
Vanam Jwala
Narasimha Rao
P world famous great epic Ramayana. Strangely, in
EOPLE like to see a
movie either for en-
tertainment or for a
subtle message or for music
and songs or for a comedy
or a tragedy and appreciate if
they like. But, if a movie pro-
jected as mythology centric
and shown with typical dis-
gusting combination of folk
and social features, and turns
out to be a rude shock to
viewers, how can it be better
described or reviewed than
using a word ‘distortion’?
The instantaneous reac-
tion of viewers of this movie,
by and large was: ”Oh! Char-
acters of Raghava (Sri Rama),
Sheshu (Lakshmana), Janaki
(Sita), Bajrang (Hanuman),
Ravana, Vibhishana, Kumb-
hakarna, Mandodari, Shoo-
rphanaka etc. could also be
shaped and presented this
way, without doing proper
homework.” The stunning
name of this fabricated story
film is ‘Adi Purush’ ostensibly
based on the all-time world
famous great epic Ramayana.
Strangely, in the introduc-
tion, it was mentioned that,
Valmiki Ramayana was the
source and inspiration for
the theme of the film, but in
effect, it is seldom observed
in the film anywhere.
Ways criminals could
use AI to trap more
Daniel Prince
W ARNINGS about arti-
ficial intelligence (AI)
are ubiquitous right now. They
have included fearful messag-
es about AI's potential to cause
the extinction of humans, in-
voking images of the Termi-
nator movies. The UK Prime
Minister Rishi Sunak has even
set up a summit to discuss AI
safety. However, we have been
using AI tools for a long time
– from the algorithms used to
recommend relevant products
on shopping websites, to cars
with technology that recog-
nises traffic signs and provides
lane positioning.
AI is a tool to increase effi-
ciency, process and sort large
volumes of data, and offload
decision making. Neverthe-
less, these tools are open to
everyone, including crimi-
nals. And we're already see-
ing the early stage adoption
of AI by criminals.
Deepfake technology has
been used to generate re-
venge pornography, for ex-
ample. Technology enhances
the efficiency of criminal
activity. It allows lawbreakers
to target a greater number
of people and helps them be
more plausible. Observing
how criminals have adapted
to, and adopted, technologi-
cal advances in the past, can
provide some clues as to how
they might use AI.
A better phishing
hook available
AI tools like ChatGPT and
Google's Bard provide writing
support, allowing inexperi-
enced writers to craft effective
marketing messages, for ex-
ample. However, this technol-
ogy could also help criminals
sound more believable when
contacting potential victims.
Think about all those spam
phishing emails and texts that
are badly written and eas-
ily detected. Being plausible
is key to being able to elicit
information from a victim.
Phishing is a numbers game:
an estimated 3.4 billion spam
emails are sent every day. My
own calculations show that
if criminals were able to im-
prove their messages so that
as little as 0.000005% of them
now convinced someone to
reveal information, it would
result in 6.2 million more
phishing victims each year.
Automated talks
with victims
One of the early uses for AI
tools was to automate inter-
actions between customers
and services over text, chat
messages and the phone. This
enabled a faster response to
The stunning name of this fabricated story film
is ‘Adi Purush’ ostensibly based on the all-time
the introduction, it was mentioned that, Valmiki
Ramayana was the source and inspiration for
the theme of the film, but in effect, it is seldom
observed in the film anywhere
The Great Sage Valmiki
blessed humanity with his
Epic and a Great Literature
Sri Ramayana that speaks
about the story of Sri Rama
known to be an exceptional
‘Role Model’ (Maryada Pu-
rushottam). Unfortunately,
the film makers seems to
have totally forgotten that,
Indians considered Rama-
yana as an Ideal and Best ex-
ample and practiced the im-
mense culture and traditions,
which are totally distorted
in the movie beyond any-
one’s imagination!!! Valmiki
Ramayana that emanates
a unique poetical sound
(Dhvani Kavyam) speaks
of sixteen characteristics or
qualities of Sri Rama con-
textualizing various phases
of his life. The film makers,
strangely gone totally oppo-
site and portrayed him with
his unlike characteristics.
When one reads Valmiki
Ramayana the characters and
importantly of Sri Rama will
customers and optimised
business efficiency. Your first
contact with an organisation
is likely to be with an AI sys-
tem, before you get to speak
to a human. Criminals can
use the same tools to create
automated interactions with
large numbers of potential
victims, at a scale not possi-
ble if it were just carried out
by humans. They can imper-
sonate legitimate services like
banks over the phone and on
email, in an attempt to elicit
information that would allow
them to steal your money.
Deepfakes
AI is really good at generat-
ing mathematical models
that can be “trained” on
large amounts of real-world
data, making those models
better at a given task. Deep-
fake technology in video and
audio is an example of this.
A deepfake act called Meta-
physic, recently demonstrat-
ed the technology's potential
when they unveiled a video
of Simon Cowell singing op-
era on the television show
America's Got Talent. This
technology is beyond the
reach of most criminals, but
the ability to use AI to mimic
the way a person would re-
spond to texts, write emails,
leave voice notes or make
phone calls is freely available
using AI. So is the data to
train it, which can be gath-
ered from videos on social
media, for example. Social
media has always been a rich
seam for criminals mining
information on potential tar-
gets. There is now the poten-
tial for AI to be used to create
a deepfake version of you.
This deepfake can be
exploited to interact with
friends and family, convinc-
ing them to hand criminals
information on you. Gaining
a better insight into your life
makes it easier to guess pass-
words or pins.
Brute forcing
Another technique used by
criminals called “brute forc-
ing” could also benefit from
AI. This is where many com-
binations of characters and
symbols are tried in turn
THE
be of eye-catching. But when
one sees this film, the feeling
one will have is, Oh! could
this be the real and correct
way to portray Sri Rama (Ra-
ghava)!!! Adi Purush movie,
had shown scenes of Raghava,
in an awkward and often
dreadful manner, graphically
supported, exhibiting his
skills of unnecessary leaps,
jumps and heaps and dives!!!
In one scene, it was shown
awkwardly, Raghava sitting
indifferently alone and sud-
denly turning aggressive with
non-existing and elusive crea-
tures in a rare display of folk
style heroism.!!! What is this?
Logic and rationale to start
the film with parts of Aranya
Kanda, negligible bit of Kish-
kindha Kanda and abruptly
closing with Yuddha Kanda
bit is also debatable. Sheshu
(Lakshmana) positioning a
grill-like structure around
Janaki (Sita) with a warning
not to cross the border, when
she is alone, was shown in a
to see if they match your
passwords. That's why long,
complex passwords are safer;
they are harder to guess by
this method. Brute forcing
is resource intensive, but it's
easier if you know something
about the person. For exam-
ple, this allows lists of poten-
tial passwords to be ordered
according to priority – in-
creasing the efficiency of the
process. For instance, they
could start off with combina-
tions that relate to the names
of family members or pets.
Algorithms trained on
your data could be used to
help build these prioritised
lists more accurately and tar-
get many people at once – so
fewer resources are needed.
Specific AI tools could be de-
veloped that harvest your on-
line data, then analyse it all to
build a profile of you. If, for ex-
ample, you frequently posted
on social media about Taylor
Swift, manually going through
your posts for password clues
would be hard work.
Automated tools do this
quickly and efficiently. All of
this information would go into
making the profile, making it
easier to guess passwords and
pins. Healthy scepticism We
should not be frightened of
AI, as it could bring real ben-
efits to society. But as with any
new technology, society needs
to adapt to and understand
it. Although we take smart
phones for granted now, so-
ciety had to adjust to having
them in our lives. They have
largely been beneficial, but
uncertainties remain, such as
a good amount of screen time
for children.
As individuals, we should
be proactive in our attempts
to understand AI, not com-
placent. We should develop
our own approaches to it,
maintaining a healthy sense
of scepticism. We will need
to consider how we verify the
validity of what we are read-
ing, hearing or seeing. These
simple acts will help society
reap the benefits of AI while
ensuring we can protect our-
selves from potential harms.
(Writer is Professor
of Cyber Security at
Lancaster University)
ridiculous manner. Without
signifying any context, Janaki
was shown asking Raghava
to fetch the Golden Deer that
was loitering there in a flock.
Immediately, emulating the
style of Hero chasing Villain
in a social film, Raghava chas-
es the deer and pulls his arrow
to kill it. Whispering ‘Sheshu’
‘Sheshu’ it dies and becomes a
demon. There was no mention
of Ravana friend Maricha that
was in that form!!!
There was no reference
to ‘Laxmana Rekha’ or the
Grill as in the film, drawn by
Laxmana before leaving Sita
or Janaki and go to help Sri
Rama in Valmiki Ramayana.
Ravana, according to Valmi-
ki, enters the Ashram right
royally and threatens Sita
and kidnaps her by touching
and pulling her. In the film
Adi Purush, it was shown
that, Ravana appearing as a
Bikshuka first making Janaki
to cross the line and later in a
modern hair style and typical
INDIA’S POPULATION QUESTION
Sunita Narain
I NDIA is expected to over-
take China to become
the world’s most populous
country sometime in July, it
is said. We don’t have a firm
month, because our census—
the count of population—is
more than a decade old.
So, we can only estimate
the expected overshoot date—
sometime in mid-2023, we
will match China’s 1.45 billion
people and then surpass it.
The question I get asked often
is, what does this mean for the
environment?
There is no doubt that
more people will need more
resources to survive. But it
cannot be argued that popula-
tion growth is an indicator of
the resultant environmental
degradation. It is not as linear.
The simple counter argu-
ment is that countries like
the US with 336 million peo-
ple or Australia with 26 mil-
lion people have much great-
er environmental footprints
than that of India.
Earth Overshoot Day—
a group that calculates the
bioresources used by coun-
tries—estimates that if every-
one lived like an American, we
would need five Earths; as an
Australian, we would need 4.5
Earths and as an Indian, we
would need 0.8 of an Earth.
These countries with
smaller populations have
emitted huge amounts of car-
bon dioxide into the atmos-
phere, adding to our com-
mon jeopardy. So, population
per se is not the determinant
How our genes make us prone to allergies
New York
R ESEARCHERS
identified how genetic
have
differences that alter a specific
protein can affect the human
body's response to allergies.
A team from the University
of Pennsylvania, in an ani-
mal model, found that small
changes in the protein called
ETS1 can lead to an increased
likelihood for allergic reac-
tions that cause inflammation.
The findings were published
in the journal ‘Immunity.’
By using modern genomics
and imaging techniques, a col-
laborative team of researchers
co-led by Penn’s Golnaz Vahe-
di, PhD, an associate professor
of Genetics, and Jorge Henao-
Mejia, MD, PhD, an associate
professor of Pathology and
Laboratory Medicine, found
that the ETS1 protein plays
a role in controlling a type
of immune cell called CD4+
dress, and like a magician, tie
her with ropes in an uncon-
scious stage and putting her
in an awkward space vehicle
of an unusual bird, and steer-
ing by himself.
It was also shown in the
film, that Lakshmana who
went to help his brother meets
him half a way through and
both return to the Ashram,
exactly at a time when Ra-
vana was little away in the sky
abducting Janaki. They were
shown staying silent without
attempting to counter Ravana
which is incorrect! They both
reach much much later after
Ravana left. It was Kabandha
who suggested Sri Rama to
make friendship with Sugriva
but not Sabari. Accordingly,
Sri Rama and Lakshmana
proceeded and, on the way
met Sabari, who gave them
the best of the fruits collected,
of environmental problems;
it is their consumption pat-
tern that leads to environ-
mental degradation.
We know that the envi-
ronmental damage caused
by wealthier countries is
extensive—they overexploit
land, water, forests and other
resources, but externalise the
source. Their consumption of
fossil fuels is driving global
warming. But their local air
appears “clean” because they
have the money to invest in
improved technology. These
wealthier countries have wil-
derness areas, and so, you
may argue that their natural
habitat is protected.
But no. Because their use
of the natural habitat is ex-
tensive, it results in the over-
use of forests and degrada-
tion of land in other places.
The poor, on the other hand,
have intensive use of their lo-
cal environment.
In their villages they depend
on forests that are already
lopped, land that is grazed and
waterbodies that are polluted.
But even with this visible de-
struction, their combined
impact on the environment is
less than that of the smaller
but richer populations.
That said, it is also a fact
that the Indian population
has a smaller footprint be-
cause it is poor. It is poverty
that makes us frugal.
So, it can be argued that
as we get richer, we may also
wish for the global middle-
class lifestyle (the American
way), which has now become
the benchmark of economic
BREAKTHROUGH DISCOVERY
While there has been progress in understanding genetic
traits that follow predictable patterns, like those passed
down from parents, it's been more challenging to
understand conditions that involve many different genes
and are common in populations. These complex conditions
cannot be explained by simply "turning off" one gene
T helper cells, which are im-
portant in allergic reactions
and help orchestrate the im-
mune response by activating
and coordinating other im-
mune cells. DNA interactions
within the genomic segment
encompassing the ETS1 gene
control how much of the
Mirror
Rama promises to kill Vali
and fulfills his vow by way of
releasing an arrow from his
bow from behind a tree but not
face to face as wrongly shown
in the film. The rationale be-
hind this was a pioneer discus-
sion on ‘Dharma’ between Vali
and Sri Rama. When Sugriva
was sending his monkey bri-
gade to all four sides in search
of Janaki which did not form
part of the film, Hanuma was
deputed to south. Sri Rama
confident of his caliber gives
but did not feed Rama with his ‘Finger Ring’ to show it
tasted fruits. to Sita indicating that he is
First meeting between Ha- Rama’s representative, but not
numa, Sri Rama and Laksh- the ‘single pearl’ as shown in
mana was incorrectly shown. the film. Sita in return gives
The film shows Bajrang sit- her precious ‘Chudamani’ but
ting at one place, exposing not ‘Bangle’ to Hanuma as
his six-pack body, and asking shown in the film.
Raghava and Sheshu illogical On leaving Sita, as a show
and senseless questions which of strength, Hanuma trium-
is not in Valmiki Ramayana. phantly fought against Ra-
Actual story is, on seeing vana’s supporters before sur-
Rama and Lakshmana in the rendering voluntarily, in a bid
vicinity of Rushyamook, Su- to reach Ravana. Hanuma and
griva afraid of them as per- Ravana meeting where Hanu-
sons sent by Vali to kill him, ma exhibits his communica-
deployed Hanuma to elicit in- tion skills was not shown in
formation. Hanuma in a ‘Bik- the film for obvious reasons.
shuka’ attire went to them and Instead Bajrang was shown in
revealed all about Sugriva and an awkward way using filthy
Vali and reasons for Sugriva language on burning his tail.
being in exile driven away by Construction of Bridge on the
Vali. Later he took them to Ocean with stones was also
Sugriva to befriend. Thus, the shown faultily. Hanuman did
bond of friendship between bring Sanjeevani Mountain
Rama and Sugriva developed. but the context was different.
Illustration: Yogendra Anand / CSE
Population per se is not the determinant of
environmental problems; it is their consumption
pattern that leads to environmental degradation.
How do we make sure that as our population
grows, we do not end up being in the
self-destructive mode as the rest of the world?
wealth and modernity. absolute growth in numbers
And even if we do not means more pollution.
reach the obscene levels of So, we must focus on three
consumption as the other points: How do we keep a
middle class, our sheer num- check on the population
bers will add up to leave the growth? And how do we use
same environmental impact. this population dividend?
We already see that with There is no doubt that every
waste generation—as we get human being is a wonder-
richer, the quantum of waste ful creature and an asset. So,
increases; its composition the third point is, how do we
changes; and garbage takes make sure that as our popula-
over our streets. tion grows, we do not end up
We also see this with air being in the self-destructive
pollution in our cities—the mode as the rest of the world?
richer we get, the more we The answer to the first is
drive in individual vehicles; relatively clear: India is al-
and even as we clean up each ready seeing a decline in its
vehicle with better emission total fertility rate, which has
controls and fuel quality, the dropped below the replace-
Golnaz Vahedi, PhD, and
Jorge Henao-Mejia, MD, PhD
can mess up the dimmer
switch, causing problems
with controlling the ETS1
protein. This can lead to im-
balances in our immune cells
and cause allergic inflamma-
ETS1 protein is made. "We tion," she added.
discovered that these inter- While there has been
actions work like a dimmer progress in understanding
switch," said Golnaz Vahedi, genetic traits that follow pre-
Associate Professor of Ge- dictable patterns, like those
netics, at the varsity's Perel- passed down from parents,
man School of Medicine. it's been more challenging to
"When there are changes understand conditions that
in the DNA in this area, it involve many different genes
7
It was brought when Ravana
threw the weapon ‘Shakti’ on
Lakshmana resulting in his
unconsciousness for a brief
while. It was not because
of his deathlike state in the
hands of Indrajit. In another
typical and faulty manner, it
is shown in the film, making
some medicine on the arrival
of Sanjivani!!!
According to Valmiki
Ramayana, during the last
moments of Ravana, Rama
used ‘Brahmastra’ and killed
Ravana from the chariot sent
by Indra with Matahli in the
driving seat and advising to
use the weapon. The way it
was shown in the film that
both Sri Rama and Ravana
exposing their bodies with
Chests overflowing out and
muscles on display and fight-
ing standing on the ground
like boxers or wrestlers is
again another awkward scene.
After Ravana’s death, the film
was abruptly ended with
Rama and Sita joining.
Valmiki Ramayana is the
one and only standard text
that talks about the exact sto-
ry of Sri Rama and Sita Devi
(Raghava and Janaki) and rest
are all Texts with self-styled
insertions. It was the first and
foremost literary exposition,
The Adi Kavya. Strangely, this
Movie is named as ‘Adi Pu-
rush’!!! Any relevance???
ment level (2.1).
The latest National Fam-
ily Health Survey reveals
that Bihar, Jharkhand, Ma-
nipur, Meghalaya and Uttar
Pradesh are the only outliers,
with fertility levels above two
children per woman (also the
country average).
It is well known that fertili-
ty declines only when girls are
educated, women are empow-
ered and they have health and
economic security. Fertility is
not about population control
but about women’s right over
reproductive decisions. It is
an indicator of progress. We
are seeing this happen. We
need to stay on track.
Then, of course, is the issue
of the population dividend—
this is also where education
kicks in. We need to do much
more to get this right.
And finally, the environ-
ment question. Ensuring this
will be much more difficult
because the aspirational idea
of global middle class is not
so easy to deconstruct and
take apart.
The lifestyle of the global
consuming class is about mar-
ket forces and the economics
that drives wealth creation.
But this is really where the
rubber meets the road—we
want a planet that is livable. It
is time we discussed this seri-
ously and urgently.
(Writer is Director General
of CSE and editor of Down To
Earth, an environmentalist who
pushes for changes in policies,
practices and mindsets; Cour-
tesy: Down To Earth)
and are common in popula-
tions. These complex condi-
tions cannot be explained by
simply "turning off " one gene.
Instead, they may be
caused by small changes in
the DNA that affect how
genes work together. How-
ever, researchers still do not
know much about how these
changes in DNA relate to
how our genes are organised
or how they affect how genes
are expressed in most com-
plex diseases.
"This work demonstrates
how small differences in our
DNA can disturb the bal-
ance between our immune
cells, resulting in significant
observable characteristics in
patients. This phenomenon
may occur in other common
diseases such as autoimmune
disorders," said Jorge Henao-
Mejia, Associate Professor of
Pathology and Laboratory
Medicine at the Perelman.
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