Immediately after the Parliament legislated for bifurcation of the state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories and also toned down such provisions of Article 370 and Article 35A that were inhibiting the freedom of many segments of the citizenry, the government of India imposed certain restrictions on the movement and communication within the state. New Delhi has done so since certain anti-national forces operating in the state at the behest of foreign powers attempt to create a sense of insecurity among the people, build up passions and disrupt peace in the state. It was thus deemed necessary to preempt these evil designs of the enemy by imposing restrictions.
Though these restrictions have been removed in
a phased manner they have hit the economy of the state quite badly. While the
entire state has borne the brunt of this economic setback, it is the youth who
have been affected the most. Already reeling under chronic unemployment, they
have been idle and without hope during this time.
Now that the situation is becoming normal, there is a perceptible movement towards economic uplift of the state, especially for the youth. Admissions under the Prime Minister’s Special Scholarship Scheme (PMSSS) were to be completed by August 15th. In view of the prevailing conditions, the administration approached the Supreme Court to extend the deadline by one month to September 15th. The Supreme Court passed the required order and as a result, 4,418 students took admission under the scheme this year as compared to 2,543 in 2018. “J&K scholarship scheme of Govt got major success this year with a 74% increase in J&K students taking admissions in reputed institutions outside J&K. Thanks to streamlining of processes by AICTE,” said R Subrahmanyam, Secretary, Ministry of Human Resource Development in a tweet.
The
first Army recruitment rally, post the political changes, was held in September2019,
for youth belonging to the Chenab Valley and Pir Panjal region. A record 29,000
youth participated in the rally and all available vacancies were filled in no
time. Another recruitment drive conducted over four days in mid-October at the
Srinagar-based Jammu
and Kashmir Light Infantry (JAKLI) centre witnessed participation of thousands
of candidates from Anantnag, Kulgam and Pulwama of Kashmir. The vacancies were
for Infantry Battalions of the Territorial Army (Home and Hearth) which operate
within the state itself and have given invaluable service in containing the
foreign sponsored terrorism. Such massive turnout reflects the desire of
youth of J&K to join mainstream and serve the nation. The Jammu
& Kashmir Police Department, in October 2019, invited on-line applications
for the recruitment of both male and female candidates for 2,700 Constable Posts.
In mid-2018 a survey conducted by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy
(CMIE) in collaboration with the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) found that Jammu
and Kashmir had the highest unemployment rate of 12.13%. As per another Economic
Survey Report of J&K, the unemployment rate in the state was pegged at 24.6%.
However, in the age-group of 18 to 29 years it was said to be 13.2%. The number
of the unemployed youth registered with various District Employment and
Counselling Centres of the J&K state was 85,944 youths (around 42,219 from
Kashmir and 45,821 from Jammu) as of March 2018.
Earlier
state governments, with support of the centre, set up various schemes for
boosting employment. The J&K Entrepreneurship Development
Institute (EDI), whose building in Kashmir has been attacked by terrorists on a
number of occasions, is funded by the state employment department to assist
youth in setting up business ventures. The institution runs a Seed Capital Fund
Scheme which facilitates setting up of entrepreneur projects by providing non-refundable
seed money to take them forward. Another initiative, the Youth Start-up of Loan
Scheme gives soft loans at six percent simple interest for setting enterprises.
Self Help Groups (SHG) are also being promoted to assist engineers with the
grant of contracts in the work / development departments. Career counseling officers have been
appointed for providing counseling/guidance to the educated unemployed
youth. Job awareness fairs are conducted regularly across the state.
Since
the last three decades, the Indian Army, under its flagship welfare programme–
Operation Sadbhavna, is making efforts to bring the state into the mainstream
of the country’s growth trajectory. Army Goodwill Schools were instrumental is
meeting the pressing educational requirements at a time when government
education infrastructure collapsed under the terrorist threat. In an effort to
involve the youth in gainful and constructive activity, the army has
established a number of Youth Employment Guidance Nodes (YEGN) that provide
information regarding employment opportunities. Vocational training centres
have also been set up to train to the local population in a trade of their
choice. In these centres, the teachers employed hail from amongst the local
population, making them more acceptable to the people in addition to creating
more employment. The ‘Kashmir Super 30’ project launched in 2014 by the Army
and modelled after the well-known ‘Super 30’ programme of Bihar has elicited
excellent results year after year.
All
measures to enhance employment that have been in place since the beginning of
this millennium have, sadly, proved to be insufficient in dealing with the
economic downslide in the state. There is an urgent need to bring in new
initiatives and put in more effort to bridge the employment gap. Tourism, IT, handicraft,
apple trade and other economic activities need to be given a boost. Employment
of youth outside the state in various corporate organisations and other institutions
will need special attention. If the youth of Kashmir find a means to live a
life of dignity the problems being faced there will be resolved to a great
extent. A lot has been done but much more is required.
The merciless killing of six innocent labourers by terrorists in
the Kulgam District of Kashmir on October 29th is yet another
example of the ruthless policy being followed by these criminal elements at the
behest of their evil handlers in Pakistan. The poor men were dragged out of their
residence and killed in the most inhumane manner. Such an abhorrent act is
totally unacceptable by any religious or civilisation tenets of humanity.
These killings are in tune with an old policy followed by the terrorist masters across the border such that they engineer violence and resort to selective killing in Kashmir Valley, whenever there’s some event of significance in the valley. In this instant, there were two important events scheduled back to back. The first was a visit to Kashmir by a group of 23 European lawmakers to assess the situation on ground and the second was the reorganised governing dispensation of two Union Territories being made effective on the midnight of October 31st. The situation was most apt for a terrible terrorist strike which is exactly what was attempted.
If the terrorists had more facility and power they would have
struck at a much larger scale, as they did in village Chittisingpura at Kashmir
in March 2000, killing 35 innocent Sikhs just because President of the United
States, Bill Clinton, was visiting India. The very unfortunate but truncated
nature of the present strike points towards the limited capability of the
terrorists, which is something to be satisfied about, from the security point
of view.
In Kashmir, five murderous attacks of this nature in the last two
weeks or so have led to the killing of twelve innocent outsiders. Apart from
the unfortunate six victims of the October 29th terrorist attack,
four truck drivers, a trader from Punjab, and a migrant labourer from Rajasthan
have been killed in similar attacks earlier during the month of October. Apart
from these successful attacks there would be innumerable unsuccessful ones
foiled by the very vigilant security forces.
These killings are being guided by a well conceived and deep
rooted policy to offset the legitimate actions taken by the government of India
to set right certain wrongs that have been perpetrated in Jammu and Kashmir
since the country’s independence. Since theses wrongs favoured the intention of
evil forces to wrest Jammu and Kashmir from Indian control, the setting it right
came as a rude shock to them and left them unbalanced, leading to this immoral
reaction.
These elements have launched a series of initiatives to wrest the
initiative from India. Pakistan attempted a huge diplomatic misinformation
campaign to denounce India but it fell flat since all countries (except a few)
termed the change in constitutional status of the state as an internal matter
of the Indian nation. The evil forces then attempted to ignite an internal
revolt with the use of its propaganda tools, but failed miserably yet again,
with no incident of violence in the entire state, including the most sensitive Kashmir
Valley.
This killing of innocents is the most desperate measure on the part of these forces to show that Kashmir Valley is on the boil. A second more sinister intention is to create an environment of fear so as to dissuade businessmen from investing in the region. Investment is unlikely to come by in a tenuous environment of security. A muted investment climate is likely to bring about anxiety and dissatisfaction among the people who are eagerly waiting for an improved economic situation as an offshoot of the changed political dispensation. For the enemy, killing of poor labourers is a good way to ensure that investment does not flow in due to security concerns.
The evil designs and machinations are, by no means, lowering the
resolve of the government to go ahead with the plan. On October 31st,
the announced changeover to two Union Territories has been implemented and the
Lieutenant Governors in both Union Territories have been sworn in. The group
from the European Union also reiterated that the change in constitutional
status was an internal matter of India while also expressing fear about a rise
in terrorist violence. On both counts Pakistan stands chastised.
Kashmiris realise that they are being exploited by wicked foreign
elements whose only intention is to colonise them and exploit the rich natural
resources of the land. They have, most valiantly, fought the scourge of
terrorism for many decades and have emerged victorious. They understand that the
mindless death of even one innocent citizen of the country, whether he is from
the state or any other part of the country is unacceptable. The terrorist challenge
today is a pale shadow of what it was about two and a half decades back and can
be easily eradicated if the will holds strong. The terrorists cannot survive
without local support which is being provided by a miniscule segment of the
society mostly for economic gains. The people can identify such anti-national
and anti-people segment and neutralise it through social pressure as well as
security action. Once support is not forthcoming terrorism will naturally peter
out.
It is important to look at the larger picture of the 21st
century where economic uplift takes priority over all else. If Kashmir does not
open out to India and onwards to the world, it will be left out of the
development loop and will regress by many centuries. The effort of the nation,
through its elected government, is to ensure that nothing of this sort happens.
All energy is channelled towards bringing the region at par with the rest of
the country. The idea, in fact, is to see that the region surges ahead on the
basis of abundant economic possibilities that are available there. The people
should leverage this commitment of the nation to their advantage by rejecting
the divisive voices, eradicating the violent terrorist forces and concentrating
on the course of development.
What must be the tangible economic policies and what necessary actions are needed to fulfill government’s ambitious target?
CSS Rao is a Senior Development Economist and an Eminent Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, London (MRICS). He has authored several monographs based on extensive involvement in various economies, macro-finance and international banking. Rao speaks to Mahua Venkatesh on the present state of Indian economy, prescriptions for growth and economic reforms that could position India as a global leader. Excerpts:
Mahua Venkatesh: What do you think are the reasons for this economic slowdown even after the slew of reform measures undertaken during the last three months?
CSS Rao: The growth rate ought to reflect commensurate benefits, improving levels of shared economic prosperity and greater financial inclusion. Now, if these are not being experienced, any rate of growth put forth is purely of academic value.
Some of the principal fundamental contributory
factors for decline in GDP growth rate in India during recent years despite
reforms include the following:
Demonetization in 2016 crippled the entire economy, which has not yet recovered. It could take at least another three years to regain normalcy, provided major further corrective measures are initiated now.
The banking sector is in deep distress, saddled with a $200 billion equivalent of accumulated bad loans, which has severely dented the balance sheets of most banks. As a result, banks are unable to lend. Consequently, the flow of credit to industry, agro sector, services etc. is far below desired levels. This has led to a major drop in manufacturing and services.
There has been a
steady withdrawal of FDI, reflecting reduced desire by foreign institutional
investors’ (FII) and transnational corporates to invest in India.
Reforms have been
inadequate, discordant and belated and the authoritarian style of
administration has served to dampen and dis-incentivise entrepreneurial drive
and private sector investment.
Unless all these are corrected, GDP growth cannot improve.
CSS Rao, Senior Development Economist
MV: Do you think a cut in personal income tax rate will spur consumption and thereby boost economic growth?
CSS Rao: Income tax rate cut is a tool of fiscal policy used by central governments worldwide to encourage economic growth. However, the impact and benefit of such rate cut is generally experienced after a dwell of nine to twelve months, because the entire process of growth in consumption — spurred by the increased spending capacity in the hands of citizens requires to be matched with corresponding increase in manufacturing and supply — takes that much time.
Further, significant growth in the
national economy can be achieved only with a whole basket of well-planned corrective
and supportive measures, not just by deploying one or two tools of monetary /
fiscal policy.
MV: How do you think rural demand can be pushed?
The future of India lies in its rural
sector due of its size and relatively untapped status up to the present
time. Rural demand can be stimulated by taking the following important
measures:
Increasing long term government investment to support growth of the agro-sector.
Encouraging larger participation by millennials in this sector via technology-driven yield enhancement programmes. Developing more and more value added agro-based industries closer to farms that can offer processed and ready to use packaged products across the nation along with a thrust on exports. This move has the additional merit of seriously discouraging people from migrating to urban areas in search of employment, thus preventing baneful migratory flux to cities.
The retained earnings of such rural populace will serve to enhance their spending (and saving) power, which will in turn spur demand in rural and semi-urban regions of India for real estate, various consumer goods and services etc. which in turn will lead towards an improvement in the standard of living of the rural masses.
State and central governments must concurrently focus on development of rural infrastructure such as roads, bridges, dams, renewable energy projects, waste recycling projects, low cost but good quality housing and related facilities, etc. Interestingly, all of these initiatives have the inherent potential to dynamically generate large volume of sustainable employment in skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled categories.
Increase education and training facilities by implementing modern skill development centres in every district — with adjunct facilities for practical training, manufacturing and marketing of end products and services as well as residence of faculty and trainees — covering trades which have local relevance and are technology driven, employment oriented courses. Supporting self-employment and start up ventures would form an integral part.
Significantly boost support to the livestock industry including both upstream and downstream industries, which have the ready potential to spur gainful employment, income generation and potential towards sizeable contribution to GDP.
Construction of a series of old age homes and day care centres in every district, which has tremendous potential to generate life-cycle sustainable employment in various trades. Importantly, this also helps to address another vital issue of great national importance viz., care of our elder citizens, especially in low and middle income strata, considering the vast ageing population of our country.
Providing attractive tax benefits to large corporates and MNC’s coming forward to “adopt” notified districts in each state, and proactively participating in its socio-economic development is something the government must consider.
Enhancing scale and a range of fiscal incentives in respect of investments made towards rural development following a geographically graded approach to promote backward and far flung areas is also important.
MV: Why isn’t private investment picking up?
CSS Rao: Reasons attributed to above problems answers this question. In addition, it may be stated that the present disincentives to private sector investment and pursuit of spirited entrepreneurship have been significantly caused by the authoritarian style of national administration, with constant fear of punishment or retribution daunting the private sector, whether it is large scale or MSME in manufacturing and services. Tax reforms with a modern outlook is most important. All laws must be stringent yet citizen friendly and compliance must be greatly simplified.
MV: Job creation has been dismal. What should be done to create jobs?
CSS Rao: This is certainly one of the biggest areas which requires priority attention by the government. Sadly, the present unemployment rate in India stands at 6.1%, which is a 45-year low. This simply cannot continue.
About 12.8 million new entrants come into
the employment market each year in our country. Most of them remain
un (der) employed.
For employment to rise, manufacturing
and agro sector needs to grow rapidly. Core sectors such as steel,
cement, energy, infrastructure needs to grow at a minimum of 8-10%
annually. This is simply not happening for reasons cited above.
Moreover, superior skills have to be
imparted to millions of youth aspiring for jobs. Textbook knowledge does
not provide working skills any more than reading a book on cookery can impart
culinary skills.
Enhance skill development. The outdated ITI’s (Industrial Training Institute) are an apology for training. Modern skill development centres must be created in every district of every state with utmost urgency, with due planning and care to encourage local talent and promote superior working skills combined. Of course, with the backing of proper theoretical knowledge to understand the why and the wherefore of every practical task in any trade.
Promote rural industries especially in agro-sector, as stated above.
Introduce modern
concepts in large scale collective farming including mechanised and automated
processing of large volume farm yields, by optimizing land holding and land
utilisation.
Extensively promote
the age old co-operative sector. This works well. Encourage multi-cropping and other techniques
to boost yield per hectare.
MV: Do you think merging banks at this point makes sense? Or will it create more complications?
CSS Rao: The merging of banks started when the subsidiaries of SBI were reverse merged with the mother bank SBI, followed by the unification of certain PSU (public sector undertaking) banks in recent years. For over a decade, I have been advocating PSU bank mergers in national interest and in their own.
In my earlier recommendations, I have
spoken of just six PSU banks pan India, and a reasonable number of large,
medium and small private sector banks and co-operative banks to meet the needs
of a growing economy. The value of such a move is to rationalise operations,
enhance efficiency, reduce costs significantly without reducing employment
(except VRS-voluntary retirement scheme), with each of the six banks
concentrating on the development of large geo-territory assigned to them, such
as north, west, east, south, central and north east India and/or grouped by
respective states and union territories.
This is the
future of banking.
Such a progressive move will not create complications. The resistance that may come from employees arises from a fear of job loss. This should be safeguarded by the government through re-skilling wherever feasible so that those desirous of pursuing new career options can do so. If not, the popular route of VRS is always open to them.
Reserve Bank of India. (Representational picture)
MV: Do you think the banking sector needs more aggressive reform measures?
CSS Rao: Rs 958 billion bank frauds reported in just six months past is proof enough that the present system is dangerously deficient. The need of the hour is recapitalisation of banks, introduction of appropriate new regulations to seriously deter NPAs (non-performing assets) and bank frauds which are so rampant till date, improvement in absorption of modern banking practices and digital technologies — all leading to improved health of the balance sheets of banks must become a reality very soon.
NBFCs and banks in the co-operative
sector have been a source of great embarrassment in recent years, their dismal
performance caused largely by wilful mismanagement and fraud are matters of
grave concern. This requires urgent redressal concurrently with RBI assuming a
more stringent governance role to oversee the conduct of all banks and
financial institutions in India.
CSS Rao: Frankly No, because with the consolidation of PSU Banks as recommended above, ownership and control of PSU banks must always remain with the government of India, for reasons of monetary control as well as administrative expediency. This is non-negotiable. However, the quality of professional management at senior and middle levels of these banks must be significantly improved, in order to ensure a great future for this primordial sector of our economy.
MV: Was it a good idea to seek reserves from RBI? Despite the RBI transferring Rs 1.76 lakh crore to the government, there has been no sign of economic revival. Why?
CSS Rao: It is well known that central banks are always operationally independent of the central government. It is not prudent for the central government to have sought the stated amount from RBI. Apart from financial impropriety, it overtly signals the underlying weakness of the national economy.
This money rightfully belongs to RBI and
must remain so.
If the government of India launches
some really large projects of national importance which also represent good
business models with attractive yields to investors, then, the government can
place a persuasive communication before RBI (and to other prominent
institutions) to consider investing in bonds issued by the entities promoting
such new projects. In such case, it becomes an attractive investment
opportunity to RBI, which it is expected to consider. This is a more laudable
approach to national development than the central government ‘compulsively
appropriating’ large monetary resources belonging to RBI ostensibly to
meet fiscal deficits arising inter alia from funding
welfare programmes which usually seek to
deliver self-serving political mileage, which, in my considered view, is
against national interest and therefore incorrect.
MV: Finally, do you believe the much publicised target of India reaching a GDP of $5 trillion by 2024-25 is practically attainable? What are your recommendations if India needs to achieve this target?
CSS Rao: The size of India’s GDP stands at $2.7 trillion for fiscal 2018-19. The confirmed annual rate of GDP growth is currently about 5%. At this rate, India’s GDP would be in the range of– $2.83 trillion for fiscal 2019-20; $2.97 trillion for fiscal 2020-21; $3.12 trillion for fiscal 2021-22; $3.28 trillion for fiscal 2022-23; $3.44 trillion for fiscal 2023-24; $3.61 trillion for fiscal 2024-25. If the desired target of $5 trillion is to be met by 2024-25, the annual rate of GDP growth must be at least 10%. [This presumes calculations at today’s exchange rate, which is incorrect.] So, this unrealistic target is in the realm of wishful thinking, especially considering the state of the world economy which is threatened by impending economic depression, ongoing trade wars, political uncertainties in major geographies, paucity of mega scale monetary resources including large scale FDI required for India’s exponential growth, demographic make-up, and so on.
A
GDP of $4 trillion by 2024-25 would be a realistic target to attempt, provided
all conditions are favourable and a complete range of effective reforms are
indeed implemented.
“Five women from Jammu and
Kashmir pass out from OTS and become 0fficers of Indian Army.” It’s this kind
of news heading that one wishes to see from the Union Territory of Jammu and
Kashmir in times to come. Why only the Army, one would like to see women playing
a dominant role in fields like medicine, law, corporate, administration, media
etc.
The foregoing is very much in
the realm of possibility considering the massive boost to education given across
Jammu and Kashmir over the last few years. At a cursory count the state now has
new IIMs, AIIMS, IIMCs and a host of others institutions, over and above its
existing education infrastructure. Modern Indian women are known to leverage
such facilities to the maximum and there is no reason that the young ladies of
Jammu and Kashmir will not do so.
The women of the state have
every reason to feel empowered and confident now that the shackles constraining
them have been removed. The major constraint was that women, under the state Constitution
of Jammu and Kashmir and due to provisions of Article 370 and Article 35A, were
being denied full-fledged rights to land and property in the state. Such women
who were state subjects but married a person who was not a state subject had to
forfeit legal and ancestral rights to their own property in the state. The
legislation passed by the parliament on 5th August, sets aside this
proviso and gives all those women, who have married non-state subjects, full
right over their land and property.
Notwithstanding the foregoing,
there’s a lot of ground to be covered so far as full empowerment of women in
the state is concerned. According to statistics, women fare poorly in workforce
percentage parameters in comparison to other states of the country. In urban areas the share of female population in
workforce stands at a miniscule 14.4%; in rural areas it is slightly better at
26.3%. In comparison, neighbouring Himachal Pradesh boasts of a women work
force in urban areas of 44.82%. Lack of employment opportunities along with low
levels of education are the biggest culprits in keeping women socially deprived
and facing inequality.
There is
some serious work underway to empower women in the Union Territory. The outgoing
Governor, Satya Pal Malik paid a lot of attention to this aspect. He
reconstituted the Governing Body
of Jammu and Kashmir Women Empowerment Society (JKWES) for implementing various
schemes and programmes related to women in the state.
Women who belong to deprived and poor segments
of society can now apply for loans from the Rashtriya Mahila Kosh (RMK) which will be provided at minimum interest to
assist in setting up small businesses. Support to Trainees and Employment Programme
(STEP) will provide training to rural women in agriculture and allied sectors, like
dairy, handloom, etc. The Swayam Sidha Women Empowerment Programme (SWEP), an
integrated scheme for women’s empowerment is designed for formation of women
into Self Help Groups (SHGs). Benefit and empowerment for women is also bound
to flow from the flagship central schemes like Beti Bachao Beti Padhao;
Sakhi, the Nirbhaya fund generated One Stop Centre Scheme for security of women;
Swader Greh, for rehabilitation of women and other women centric
initiatives being run as part of digital India, Skill India etc.
Such forward looking schemes are likely to usher a positive change in
comparison to the cosmetic treatment given to the matter by the previous state governments.
The Mehbooba Mufti-led government abolished stamp duty on the sale of
property registered in the name of females, in what it termed as an incentive
to encourage families to register their properties in the name of their female
family members. A noble thought indeed, but, the former chief minister failed
to factor in the fact that no family would register property in the name of
women in view of the draconian provisions of Article 370 and Article 35A that
limited their rights to property as explained above.
There
is a need to take this noble thought process of women empowerment ahead with
motivation coming from all segments of society, be it the family, civil
society, role models, seniors and intellectuals among others. Workshops and
seminars should be organised at various levels, awareness campaigns on job and
business opportunities should be held, especially in villages. Research on the
subject should be commissioned in universities to identify best practices in
taking forward the noble venture. A conscious attempt has to be made to bring
the women of the region at par with rest of the country.
Exploitation
of women in the work place is a universal malady; special attention needs to be
paid to this aspect so that women as well as their families feel safe while
going out to work. It also has to be ensured that working women are not
exploited in terms of wages. In short, everything possible should be done to
build confidence levels of women and encourage them to forge ahead.
Women,
along with their children, have remained the most vulnerable victims of the
environment of foreign sponsored terrorism and militancy in the region. They
have witnessed the degeneration of their otherwise enlightened society leading
to a perceptible increase in domestic violence, humiliation and harassment. The
Indian Army has very well understood the trauma being faced by the women due to
debilitating shadow of terrorism. In response it has given, for more than three
decades now, special attention to their needs though the medium of its welfare
initiative –Operation Sadbhavna. The government would be well advised to study
the model for women empowerment followed by the Indian Army by its Operation
Sadbhavna and carry it forward.
A
sustained effort to ensure empowerment of women in Jammu and Kashmir with
required momentum, can, within a short period of time make women
important stakeholders in every segment of society. Such a situation will go a
long way in ensuring much needed stability in the region.
It’s a very
old joke that would probably have remained forgotten had it not been for
Islamabad enacting it out so often. For those who haven’t heard it, the joke
goes like this: A student who was weak in English language got a ‘sure-shot’
tip from his friends that the subject of the essay in the upcoming exams would
be about witnessing a hockey match. So, he looked up numerous English
guidebooks and after finding a sample essay on this topic, got down in real
earnest to memorise the same. But on the day of the exams he was aghast when he
saw the question paper because instead of being asked to write about a hockey
match for which he had so assiduously prepared, the topic of the essay was ‘a
train journey’!
While his
friends who had tipped him off about the essay topic looked on in pure horror, he
appeared to ponder for a moment as though he was collecting his thoughts and
then commenced writing furiously without stopping as if there would be no
tomorrow. After the exam was over, his friends asked him as to how come he was
able to write so confidently and so much on a topic he hadn’t prepared for. He
replied that though initially shocked, he had no problem as he had started off
his essay by mentioning that he had got onto a train, but after covering a
little distance it came to an abrupt halt as the engine had developed some
fault. Then he wrote that on looking out from the window of the stationary
train, he saw that a hockey match was being played and thereafter faithfully
regurgitated all that he had learnt by rote. To ensure that he did not miss out
mention of the subject matter in his conclusion (which was a must those days),
he added that just as the hockey match finished, the engine fault was rectified
and he thereafter proceeded on his train journey!
Many
amongst the younger generation would find this joke woefully lacking in
‘wit-content’. But when one sees how desperately Islamabad tries to juxtapose anti-India
rhetoric in each and every situation and occasion (often with disastrous
results), one is automatically reminded of this hockey match joke!
Wasn’t it
extremely naïve of Pakistan’s Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood to behave just like the protagonist
in the above cited joke by trying to expect that he would actually
succeed in his attempt to internationalise the Babri Mosque issue during the
general policy debate of the UNESCO
General Conference? Doesn’t his side-splitting attempt to try and peddle anti-India tirade by alleging that Indian
Supreme Court’s decision on the Ayodhya issue was not in line with UNESCO’s
values of religious freedom bears an uncanny resemblance with the hockey match
and train journey joke? But, why single out the poor Education Minister when many
others at the helm of affairs in Pakistan too are making a laughing stock of
themselves!
Two and a half months ago, during the 4th South
Asian Speakers’ Summit on ‘Achieving the Sustainable Goals’ held in Maldives,
Pakistani delegate Qasim Suri surprised everyone by raising the Kashmir issue. However,
instead of being debated (as an over-optimistic Islamabad had probably
thought), not only was his out-of-context statement summarily rejected, but
according to reliable sources, the Pakistani delegation was also told to
confine itself to the agenda and Maldivian Speaker Nasheed assured India that
all references to Kashmir would be expunged from the records! The net result
was that while Islamabad gained nothing, Indian delegates got the opportunity
of using this forum to remind the world of Pakistan Army’s horrific brutalities
against the innocent people of erstwhile East Pakistan in 1971 and human rights
excesses in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK)!
Remember how just like the student in the joke who tried to connect
a train journey with a hockey match, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood
Qureshi too thought that he could get away by linking resolutions passed by
UNSC on Kashmir with provisions of the Indian constitution while submitting an
official complaint to its President Joanna Wronecka. However, the initial confidence
that he was oozing suddenly seemed to vanish when UNSC President answered media
queries on the same with a terse “No comments,” reply. Qureshi’s
cockiness was perceptibly missing just before the UNSC ‘closed door’ meeting
when he told the media that “Giving vent to emotions is easy and raising
objections is much easier. However, it is difficult to understand the issue and
move forward. They are not waiting for you with garlands in their hands.”
Then we have Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan who seems to be working overtime trying to live up to his ‘Prime Minister of U-turns’ moniker. Hekept saying that while Islamabad has always been keen on dialogue with India, it was New Delhi that had upped the ante by escalating tension along the Line of Control (LoC). But what Khan hasn’t been able to explain is that if Islamabad is really so committed to dialogue, then why did his government unilaterally downgrade diplomatic relations with New Delhi? Furthermore, if he genuinely wants unconditional talks to “resolve all outstanding issues, including that of Kashmir,” then why has he declared that “unless they (Government of India) lift curfew in Kashmir and rescind the revocation of Article 370, there is no chance of negotiations”?
Postscript In a surprising reversal of roles, while Prime
Minister Imran Khan is speaking on matters military like the increasing probability
of a nuclear war, by declaring that “Reality of Kashmir was neither changed by
an illegal piece of paper in 1947, nor will any other do it now or in
future,” Pakistan’s Army Chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa appears to have
adorned the Prime Minister’s hat. But then, this isn’t something unusual in
Pakistan.
The politicians are making a fool of themselves by trying to
use anti-India sentiments and the Kashmir issue as the ‘master key’ (like the
hockey match in the joke), under the erroneous belief that it will give
Islamabad a chance to spew anti-India venom anytime and anywhere. However, the
cake goes to the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) for confusing one and
all by stating that “Pakistan never recognised the sham of Indian efforts to
legalise its occupation of J&K through Article 370 or Article 35-A decades
ago, efforts which have now been revoked by India itself.” One is tempted to
ask Gen. Bajwa that if your country never ‘recognised’ Articles 370 and 35A of
the Indian constitution, then why all this ruckus over its abrogation?
Gold, copper, black pearl, precious stones, chromite and natural gas are abundantly available in Balochistan. The total mineral and oil wealth of Balochistan has been estimated at around US $1 trillion. In addition, it has a long and strategically important coastline that connects to the Strait of Hormuz—an important shipping route in the Persian Gulf. It’s this mineral wealth, natural resources and strategic location that makes Balochistan the cash cow for Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
In 2015, Pakistan and its ally China launched the CPEC (China-Pakistan Economic Corridor) that has mega infrastructure projects worth $46 billion. The CPEC infrastructure projects also include the ambitious plan to connect China’s Xinjiang Autonomous Region with Balochistan’s Gwadar port. A mega-infrastructure project of such magnitude was expected to create jobs and spur development, but Balochistan continues to be robbed off its minerals and CPEC has only hastened the plunder of Balochistan’s natural resources. The project cost in CPEC has increased to $60 billion today and yet instead of development trickling down, the rapes and murders have only increased across Balochistan.
“China is plundering the Baloch national wealth in Saindak Gold and Copper Project with both hands. CPEC has its benefits in Panjab (province of Pakistan) while Balochistan has been made the ground for its garbage, climate change and obviously the Baloch genocide,” Dr Allah Nazar Baoch pro-independence leader of Balochistan told News Intervention. Dr Allah Nazar heads the Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) that has been fighting for Balochistan’s independence for several years. He explained that the CPEC is just a shrewd plan to loot the national wealth of Balochistan.
“Yes, CPEC is a huge plan to change the demography of the Baloch nation and to bring the Panjabis (of Pakistan) to exploit the Baloch resources along with China. Baloch nation is resisting it and will make it an unsuccessful project. The Baloch independent struggle continues and is heading towards its destination. We will get our freedom at any cost,” Dr Allah Nazar said emphatically.
“… our enemy (Pakistan) has gathered all of its resources and invited its allied forces by cheaply bargaining our national resources to crush our national struggle. In this situation continuing the struggle is itself a sign of conscious and a living nation. Today, the world has already acknowledged the fact that Pakistan in league with China has been engaged in carrying out unparalleled atrocities in Balochistan. In this hardest period, not only did the Baloch maintain their existence, but have also overpowered all the imperialistic campaigns of the enemy. The military was forced to get out of their barracks and be deployed across Balochistan. This indicates the defeat of our enemy and is a sign of clear victory for us,” Dr Allah Nazar explained further.
Ancient map that shows Balochistan as an independent nation.
Baloch are fierce nationalists who have now taken upon themselves to free their nation from the illegal occupation of Pakistan. They see the CPEC as a sell-out of Balochistan to China in a backdoor and devious policy devised by the Pakistan Army. Baloch youth have upped the ante to free their nation and are willing to endure harsh terrain, hunger, thirst and extreme weather. “…the support of the Baloch nation, the sacrifice by our youth and their invincible determination for the desired destination provides us a level of energy that no power of the world can defeat,” said Dr Allah Nazar Baloch.
He reiterated that Balochistan’s national struggle goes on with the support and power of their people. “Today, I want to make one thing clear that Pakistan created bloodshed to crush this movement, dishonoured our women, thousands of Baloch were put into torture cells, millions of families are displaced, thousands of Baloch are in exile. The entire Balochistan nation is paying a heavy price. Whosoever betrays the sacrifice of Baloch nation and bargains the Baloch people’s blood for personal gains then the Baloch nation, history and Baloch national struggle will certainly fix their accountability,” Dr Allah Nazar Baloch said, his determination firm and resolve rock solid.
The toxic hell of Delhi is an
example of inertia and lack of future thinking by the people responsible for
the governance of this region. The city has always been polluted, more so in
the autumn and winter season when this landlocked region transforms into a poisonous
gas chamber. Despite the rising AQI (Air Quality Index) in Delhi every
subsequent year to hazardous levels, no concrete intervention has taken place.
We have wailed and clamoured and the government put in some half-hearted
measures in response that remain ineffective. A pall of gloom has settled
permanently over the city with a perpetual grey sky and deadly smoky air. It
clears partially but settles back again. An alarming situation but the system
to control it seems lackadaisical.
In 1998, through the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA), some impressive first-generation actions were taken against pollution in Delhi, like converting the total state transport fleet of Delhi to run on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), along with converting autos and taxis. It was a significant step and a big intervention; however, its impact was lost by the year 2010. An increase in population in the NCR and a massive jump in the number of vehicles to almost 10.9 million in 2018 led to a spurt in emissions.
Despite increased awareness
among the people and rulings by the apex court, there seemed to be inertia
regarding the deteriorating air quality and any initiative to combat it
effectively was lost in passivity. Yes, some monitoring and measuring systems were
enhanced but that’s about it.
We have come to a situation
where we need to think of directly intervening in the process of clean air
creation like China is doing.
In the 1990s, Beijing and
Delhi were on the same page with both cities challenged by pollution. Today,
Delhi’s pollution levels are touching hazardous levels but Beijing has managed
to cut pollution through considerable air management. Beijing’s pollution story
is a lesson for any nation, their war-like approach to fight pollution since
the 1990s is a model for us to emulate.
If we can spend our national wherewithal for non-productive ventures like tall ornate towers, statues and buildings then we certainly can invest for clean air in the capital city, because millions of people are at health risk. We seem to compete with China in every other way, why not be humble and start following and adopting its exemplary work to curb pollution for the greater good.
What is the Beijing model?
China has taken a leap of faith towards fighting the pollution challenge head-on. Its air purification project is not a passive one; it is active and decisive, and based on 20 years of trial and errors to curb pollution. The government in Beijing set an Action Plan that included specific targets such as restricting the total number of vehicles in Beijing to six million by the end of 2017, reducing coal consumption by 80% by 2020 and meeting annual average PM 2.5 concentration of micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m3) by 2017. In 2016, Beijing’s environmental watchdog imposed fines totalling $21.8 million. Beijing has also undertaken a massive greening programme; over a period of five years, about 4,022 hectares of urban green space was created. The surrounding provinces such as Tianjin, Hebei, Shandong, Shanxi and Inner Mongolia coordinated and implemented a joint action plan to reduce pollution in Beijing. The seriousness with which the Action Plan was executed really paid off for the whole region.
They also promoted new innovations in green technology by going to alternative energy sources and reducing their dependence on coal and fossil fuels. They constantly tried new ideas such as the experimental smog tower of over 100-metre (328 feet) in northern China, said to be the biggest smog tower in the world, which has made a remarkable difference in an area of 10 square kilometres. Lead researcher Cao Junji says the tower is capable of producing more than 10 million cubic metres of clean air per day, adding that on severely polluted days smog is reduced to “moderate levels”.
Smog Tower in China. This smog tower can produce more than 10 million cubic metres of clean air per day.
China
has introduced anti-pollution measures across 28 cities. It has also increased
its investment in clean energy from $7.5 billion in 2005 to more than $101 billion
a decade later. This is in addition to investing $44 billion in overseas clean
energy projects, according to the Institute
for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis.
China’s air management,
particularly in the Beijing-Hebei region, is enhanced by monitoring and
evaluation of pollution sources. It is checked through comprehensive legal
standards and strict environmental law enforcement. The pollution levels are
controlled by direct government actions against non-performing authorities, by
economic policies, public participation and good co-ordination by all
agencies.
India needs to have an action plan in
place that incorporates ‘sharp teeth’ in the legislation against polluting
entities, measures and time-bound plans to make the capital region smog-free,
construction of large smog towers and greening large patches within the city.
Joint coordination between neighbouring states and Delhi is a must to combat
pollution because cities are not sealed boxes and turbulence in the city air is
affected by pollutants emitted by nearby regions. Blame games are passé; we
need strict pollution laws and fines to deter the polluting sources.
The best way forward is to
look for a successful template and execute it without delays. We have to
declare war against pollution the Beijing way.
In the luminous presence of two
stalwarts of Indian cinema – Amitabh Bachchan and Rajinikanth, the golden
jubilee edition of the International Film Festival of India got off to a
mesmeric start at Panaji, Goa. Ending
the long wait of cinephiles across the world, 50th International Film Festival
of India kickstarted in all its glitz and glamour.
At a grand ceremony hosted by the
master of entertainment Karan Johar, the great doyen of Indian cinema Amitabh
Bachchan and the ‘Thalaiva’ of Indian film industry Rajinikanth flagged off the
extravaganza and announced the festival open, in the presence of Union Minister
for Information & Broadcasting Prakash Javadekar and other official
dignitaries. Rajinikanth was conferred the ‘Icon Of Golden Jubilee Award’ for
his outstanding contribution to Indian cinema, a first time award beginning
with the 50th edition. One of French cinema’s defining faces actress Isabelle
Anne Madeleine Huppert was conferred with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
The Union Minister for
Information & Broadcasting, Prakash Javadekar while speaking at the
inaugural ceremony said that single window system introduced by the government
will attract more international filmmakers to shoot their films in India. “
India has lots of scenic and beautiful shooting sites for national and
international films but shooting at these locations requires around 15-20
permissions. Government is now preparing for single window arrangement which
will take care of all the permissions and it will benefit places like Goa,
Leh-Ladakh and Andaman & Nicobar,” he said.
Javadekar pointed out that films,
IT and music are India’s soft power and we have to take it forward. “Every film
and character leaves a long lasting imprint on our mind and it has the power to
change our thoughts and mood” he said. He added that the audience for Indian
films is growing by leaps and bounds and people across the world really like to
watch Indian movies even in China.
“Many good films of the world
will be showcased in this film festival and it will be a tribute to former Goa
Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar,” the Minister said. He mentioned about a film in the festival
which has been made by local artists of Goa based on the lives of visually
impaired people.
Receiving the ‘Icon of Golden
Jubilee Award, Rajinikanth expressed his happiness to receive the prestigious
award from Amitabh Bachchan. He dedicated the award to all the producers,
directors and technicians who worked in his films, his fans and people of Tamil
Nadu.
Amitabh Bachchan expressing his
happiness in being honoured stated, “I have no words to express my gratitude to
IFFI for honouring me and having a retrospective of my films.”
Earlier, walking the Red Carpet
of IFFI 50, Shri Amitabh Bachchan said,
“ Films have always been an integral part of our social life. To have a
festival of this magnitude in Goa
exposes the Goans to what happens in the international world and also
gives them an opportunity to meet and mix with people”.
The Secretary Information and
Broadcasting Ministry, Shri Amit Khare mentioned the noteworthy highlights of
this year’s festival and noted the tremendous change in the last 50 editions
from a participation of 23 countries in 1952, to 76 countries this year.
The Chief Minister Dr. Pramod
Sawant said that the IFFI package this year is an interesting mix of leisure
and entertainment. “ IFFI bridges the gap between India and international film
industry and provides the opportunity to explore the cinema,” he said. “We should not forget the objectives of
cinema as the mirror of our time and the reflection of our society,” he added.
Lights and luminaries of film
industry such as world known Cinematographer and Chairman of IFFI International
Jury John Bailey; Indian film maker, and Chairman of Indian jury Priyadarshan
and other jury members of Indian and International jury, Maria Lemesheva, Head
of Russian delegation, graced the opening ceremony. A host of celebrities
sashayed the red carpet, adding to the pomp and gaiety of the function.
As the festival glitters in its
golden glory, former Goa Chief Minister late Manohar Parikkar, the man who made
IFFI synonymous with Goa, was given a befitting tribute at the opening ceremony
by screening a short film depicting his contribution to IFFI. Legends of Indian
film industry Ramesh Sippy, N. Chandra and Shir P.C. Sreeram were honoured at
the inaugural ceremony.
The inaugural ceremony of the
festival also saw various senior official dignitaries such as Union Minister
for AYUSH, Shripad Naik, Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and
Climate Change Babul Supriyo, Secretary, Ministry of Information &
Broadcasting Amit Khare, Prasar Bharati Chairman A. Suryaprakash, Central Board
of Film Certification Chairman Prasoon Joshi, Additional Secretary, Ministry of
Information & Broadcasting, Atul Kumar Tiwari, Festival Director Chaitanya
Prasad, and Vice Chairman Entertainment Society of Goa, Subhash Phal Desai.
Prakash Javadekar released the
commemorative postage stamp of 50th IFFI at the function. The inaugural
ceremony also witnessed some enthralling audio visual performances which kept
the audience spellbound through the evening. Noted music singer and composer
Shankar Mahadevan and his band won the hearts with a spectacular performance
that put the cinelovers and spectators in a frenzy. When rhymes and rhythms
from different parts of India juxtaposed with the beats of international
sounds, it was a treat for the audience.
The festival opened with the
Italian film ‘Despite the Fog’ directed by Goran Paskaljevic. The cast and crew
of the film also participated in the screening. Around 7000 delegates are
participating in the golden edition of IFFI.
The 50th International Film Festival of India
2019 will witness over 200 acclaimed films from 76 countries, with Russia as
the country of focus. It also includes 26 feature films and 15 non feature
films in Indian panorama section. More than 10,000 people and film lovers are
expected to participate in the golden jubilee edition.The festival ends on
Thursday 28 November, 2019, in Panaji, Goa.
The Indira Gandhi Prize for
Peace, Disarmament and Development for 2019 will be conferred on renowned
naturalist and broadcaster Sir David Attenborough.
His name was selected for the
prize by an international jury chaired by former president Pranab Mukherjee,
the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust announced on Tuesday.
“Few individuals have come
to be as identified with the well being of our planet, of all living creatures,
and their relationship with human beings, as Sir David,” the Trust said in
a statement.
The trust also stated that the
prize was awarded to Sir David for a lifetime of doing more to reveal the
wonders of the natural world than perhaps any other individual, and for
tirelessly working to awaken humankind in the need to preserve and protect the
biodiversity of the planet.
Suman Dubey, secretary of the
trust, said Attenborough had tirelessly worked to “awaken humankind to the
need, to preserve and protect the biodiversity on our planet, to live in a
sustainable and harmonious way with all life, and to stop being what he has
called: ‘a plague on earth’.”
Sir David’s work has received
widespread recognition across the world. Apart from his knighthood, he has
received awards from the Royal Geographical Society, UNESCO’s Kalinga Prize,
the Micheal Faraday Prize, the Descartes Prize and Fellowship of the Royal Society,
and several Emmy and BAFTA awards.
Here we talk about the nature of democracy, polyarchy, plutocracy, and the founding and present of the United States.
Scott
Douglas Jacobsen: In the context of the classism and racism found from the
founding of The United States of America, one of the more salient facts in
alignment with these titles for generalized analyses of the nature of American
democracy amounts to the limit of democratic norms in place, where America was
not a ‘democracy’ at the founding inasmuch as a plutocratic polyarchy. White,
aristocratic, land-owning, slave-owning, formally educated, and males-as-men
running the show from the top down.
The road
upwards for wanting to be free was rather easier for those climbing to the holy
ground of more power and privilege found at the Temple Mount at the top of the
societal mountain. How have these threads of racist assumptions and classist
assertions re-asserted themselves generation after generation in American
society in which some aspects of the plutocratic polyarchy have been beaten
back while others remain?
In a manner
of speaking, we can scorn some aspects of the founding – and their ongoing
legacy – while praising numerous American ideals and progressive developments
over time for a wider ethical consideration into a broader moral tribal
consideration. How have secular and humanistic ideas been tendencies in thought
in American history with greater emancipation and better opportunities for all,
at times and over time?
Dr. Herb
Silverman: You refer to America as a plutocratic polyarchy at its founding. Let’s first define our terms.
A “plutocracy” is a government
ruled or controlled by people of great wealth and income, while “polyarchy”
means “rule by many,” and is a government ruled by more than one person (in
your case, people of great wealth). A polyarchy may or may not be a democracy.
A democracy is a government by all the citizenry who choose their leaders by
voting for them in elections.
The founding fathers chose not to have a democracy. Some favoured a democratic popular vote for the president while others argued that Congress should pick the president. Their compromise is known as the Electoral College, a small number of people selected by the masses to vote for president because the founders did not trust the population at large to make the right choice. In modern practice, the Electoral College is a formality. Most electors are loyal members of the party that selected them, and wind up voting for that party. The Electoral College was also part of a compromise to satisfy small states. Each state had at least as many electoral votes as they had representatives in Congress, which means that no state could have less than three votes. In a small state like Wyoming, each elector represents 70,000 votes, while in California each elector represents 179,000 votes.
The
Electoral College was not the only Constitutional limitation on direct
democracy. States were permitted to ban women entirely. Slaves, of course, were
not allowed to vote. However, there was a controversial “three-fifths
compromise,” in which black
slaves would be counted as three-fifths of a person for the purpose of
allocating representatives and electors. This compromise was made to ensure that
Southern states would ratify the Constitution. After the Civil
War (1861-1865), the 14th Amendment to the Constitution in 1868 abolished the
three-fifths rule and granted former male slaves the right to vote, while the
19th Amendment (1920) gave women the right to vote.
While America is
not now as much a plutocratic polyarchy as at its founding, a case can be made that we are more
of a plutocratic polyarchy today
than in years past. The wealthiest one percent of American households now own
40 percent of the country’s wealth. The top 0.1 percent own about 25
percent, which is more than the bottom 90 percent owns. This was not the case
under President Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1908), known as the “trust-buster”
for preventing
or eliminating monopolies and corporate trusts. He applied the Sherman
Antitrust Act of 1890 to break up the largest railroad monopoly,
Northern Securities Company, and regulated the largest oil company, Standard
Oil. He also broke up other monopolies. Roosevelt said, “We had come to the
stage where for our people what was needed was a real democracy; and of all
forms of tyranny, the least attractive and the most vulgar is the tyranny of
mere wealth, the tyranny of a plutocracy.”
Today, most Americans are entitled to vote, but there has been intimidation by those in power against voting by poor people, African-Americans, and immigrants. Many eligible people don’t vote because they think that their vote doesn’t matter. It’s true that most Americans have little influence over the policies our government adopts, especially those at the lower end of the income spectrum who are effectively disenfranchised. Congressional representatives pay little or no attention to their opinions. Moving up the income ladder, influence increases slowly, but it’s only at the very top that it has a real impact (plutocracy). Politicians of both parties receive substantial financial support from corporations, whose leaders demand that politicians reciprocate with favourable policies, including tax breaks that help increase the donors’ wealth.
As far as secular and humanistic ideas, I think secular humanists have always been on the side of the better angels of our nature. Humanists have opposed racism and misogyny in America. On the other hand, some people who say we need to “Make America Great Again” hearken to the days of white privilege when they could discriminate against those of a different race and those who had non-Christian religious beliefs or no religious beliefs. They would also like to use their privilege to take away rights from gays and lesbians. Secular humanists are fighting against a plutocracy of powerful white evangelicals who want to turn America into a Christian nation, instead of the secular nation we are. White evangelicals represent the base supporters of our Republican president. I know some atheists and humanists who consider themselves Republicans, but I have yet to meet one who supports President Donald Trump.
Jacobsen: Thank you for the opportunity and your time, Dr. Silverman.
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