DEATH  OF AN  UNKNOWN   INDIAN


The Indian psyche only talks of the rich and famous. But luckily for those who are fortunate, there are some very good and great people who leave an impact on those who come in contact with them. One such man was Dr SRD Guha who passed away peacefully at the ripe old age of 89. He was one of a kind that is sadly becoming rare and rarer in our country. He does not figure in the google if that is a qualification these days.

After an education in Bangalore in the Indian Institute and a doctorate in Chemistry, he worked for almost all his life in the Forest Research Institute in Dehra Doon. He was the Chief research Officer for many years and specializing in the paper industry. He guided several students for their doctorate degree.

But his virtues lie beyond his professional life. He had an uninhibited love for people. Probably born from his undying love for his life partner, popularly known as Vishu. Together they shared their life for 61 golden years. His children were greatly influenced by him in his love and altruism for one and all, esp the under privileged.

But I am writing this piece about the man himself, Dr Guha ( that is the way I always addressed him) though he was so close to me. He was true to the concept of the Bhagavad Gita of someone who did his duty without expecting any reward. His concept of love was the love of all people, rich or poor, relative or not, servant or otherwise.  He never had a harsh  word for anyone and had no enemies. In fact they had perhaps a largest circle of friends,from Dehra Doon, Dandeli, Bangalore or wherever they lived. And they kept in touch with one and every friend as a result of their undying friendship and love. They kept a open house and any friend or neighbour could drop in and be welcomed. He had several sisters and they all enjoyed his love always all through out heir lives. He kept in regular touch with all his nieces and nephews always.

His life was not based on wants but only his needs. His needs being limited, he spent his time and money in teaching underprivileged children and helping others. He helped many good cause. All this with no  fuss or ado and silently. He abhorred rituals and "religious' duties but was firmly rooted in his beliefs that made him a complete man. He obviously was enjoying the fruits of his own good  actions in his past life in this as well and must have had faith in Karma and reincarnation. He was contented, spread happiness and his knowledge freely to all.  True to his nature he had left behind a written note on what should be done on his death and what shouldnt he done clearly in no uncertain manner.

We need more such men and women in our world today. And a death of even one such man leaves a great big void.

Modi- makeover!

The huge hype by the BJP -with the full  backing of the RSS- about Narendra Modi is because he is the only leader who might catch the imagination of a large section of the voters! But despite  the wide support  of the media for Mr Modi, there are yet  voices being raised about his suitability as PM. But more importantly the main question is will the BJP manage to get adequate support from other parties. I am attempting to give some suggestions that Modi and his followers should take serious note of to get stronger support.

Firstly, Modi's rather 'arrogant"  manner shows that he is far too full of himself. Any leader who wishes to win the support and admiration of the voters, should show some respect and deference to the people. He should appear as one who wishes to serve them and and not rule them. He has been consumed by his ambition to be the PM but this has to be tempered with restraint and humility. Mere dressing up to impress will not cancel the negative effect of his arrogance.

Secondly, he should totally desist from indulging in personal criticism or sink to very low levels bordering on abuse of the opposition.  No politician including himself are perfect examples and this type of  oratory does not win votes. In 2004, the target of personal attack was Sonia Gandhi and in 2009 it was personal abuse of ManMohan Singh. These tactics did not get any success. Shri Vajpayeeji never, never indulged in such tactics and this earned the people's respect. Modi should further totally refrain from giving wrong figures/examples about the opposition in his rhetoric which can be countered with facts.

Thirdly, he should definitely attack/expose the policies of the present Govt. But neither he nor his party has ever spelt out their policies clearly on vital issues. The economy, foreign relations esp with our neighbours, and internal security issues need  serious attention. The BJP cannot furrow their own path at the expense of showing unity on matters that affect national security.

Fourthly, he should avoid any reference to communal issues of divide as this will polarise the opposition.
He should clearly outline  solutions. There should be more positivity in his speeches so that the voter can understand what he will do if in power. For example, corruption is being raised as  a big issue for the opposition. But unfortunately, this is associated with all political parties including the BJP. What measures will the BJP take to root out corruption iswaht the people want to know. The impression is created that the Lokpal Bill is a magic wand to remove all corruption, and the Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha but opposed by the BJP and others  in the Rajya Sabha.. Modi no doubt may be honest himself, but there is corruption in Gujarat where there is no Lok Ayukth for the past 10 years! They requires systemic changes and one would like to know how Mr Modi has tackled this in Gujarat. His new Bill makes him the judge of what is wrong i n his own Govt!

Fifthly, Modi and the BJP should have a clear policy and attitude to coalition partners. Their projection of Modi as  their next PM has already lost one ally. They will need allies and this will become necessary especially  in those States where they have very weak support. A picture of a common basis or agenda needs to be developed in his speeches. Let us remember we are a democracy and unlike a dictatorial policy or steam rolling the coalition partners, we need to meet the aspirations of possibly such regional aspirations.The Telangana issue is a case in point on which they have given support but are silent on the matter.

No one can deny that Mr Modi's success in Gujarat has been possible with unstinted support of his fellow party members, as well as an efficient bureaucracy. His State also enjoys certain advantages of resources both natural and from an active business community. The country on the whole does not share the same advantages and will requires a totally different perspective in planning. He must remember that he cannot run a one band show at the Centre and will need qualified and efficient colleagues in the Cabinet and an equally efficient and supportive bureaucracy. He will need to be careful with the biggest source of corruption form some big corporate Houses.

Let us wish Modi all the best but the road to his vistory is not going to be easy or smooth.

The Battle of 2014

Despite some polls held showing an advantage to the opposition, it is pertinent to discuss what  are the attributes one should look for in any party that wishes to lead the country. There is disillusionment with both the national parties. We have also seen the problems in the kind of coalitions that have been tried and the problems of such 'marriages'. It is also agreed that the country now has a large percentage of  young, middle class voters who aspire for growth, who are perhaps disappointed with the present lot of politicians and the manner in which parties function.

1.The first requisite is that any national party to lead effectively will need a  unified or single, strong command. External centres of control or a division between the party leadership and the executive function has and will fail.They should have clear declared policy on economic issues, foreign matters etc
2. Clear objectives and vision statements on all issues is very important. The principal issues facing the country are its economy and external relations esp with our neighbours, inclusive growth and internal security.
3. Any growth plan must be inclusive and help every sector of the country- rural and urban. The rural plan must include improved infrastructure such as power, water, as well as the social sectors of health and education. Urban planning , higher education and skills training will be needed for the urban middle class.
4. Anger and punishment alone against corruption is not enough. Systemic changes in procedures which do not encourage or allow corrupt practices is vital.
5, Our judicial system has to be revamped to give honest, fair and quick redressal of cases.
6.Candidates with criminal records should not be allowed by law to contest till their innocence is proved.
7. Elected members who swear by the Constitution should also specifically declare that they will not obstruct by unruly methods the functioning of the Parliament or Legislature or face suspension or even disqualification on repetition of such acts. On days that the house is so obstructed all members should not only lose their allowance for the day but also a fine should be imposed on the members who cause such adjournments.
8.We should have a reserved quota of some experts belonging to no party for assisting on technical matters. Such outstanding persons may also be inducted into Cabinet and allowed to work without any party affiliation.
9. There should be accountability for bureaucrats right form the lowest level to the highest both for working within rules and within timelines. They should be adequately rewarded for good and prompt action as well as face dismissal for non performance. The review of their work must be out of the hands of politicians.

It is not just honesty bit commitment to serve the country should be the primary condition that the electorate should look for. Party hoppers at the time of election should not be given tickets. No dynastic succession should be accepted unless there is proven ability and work.

Let the huge population of freshly eligible  voters both urban and rural not be swayed by mere party affiliation but on the merit  of each candidate. Let the best man win!

What we need is a single national party to govern with a declared policy and to avoid the influence of regional parties in a coalition. We need capable leaders at the national level and not good regional leaders with a poor record on all issues.2014 elections will be critical for the country and we need a party with strong credentials and not just based on "personal attacks" and no clear policy.

Sen vs Bhagwati

At the outset I must confess that I am a layman and not an economist. I may not be right but my commonsense compels me to write what I feel, about these two world renown and celebrated economists.

Economics is a science that has many shades. Both can be right ( though Amartya Sen is left!). There can be as many views as there are experts. It is like the six blind men of Hindustan who were asked to describe an elephant!
Mr Jagdish Bhagwati is a respected economist and Mr Manmohan Singh perhaps followed his model of growth hoping that due to trickle effect the benefits would flow down to the poor.  This model of growth has always been followed in Gujarat , even before Modi took charge. This has been also been stated by Mr Advani. The State is rich in resources and also in entrepreneurial skills and traders who almost instinctively have the enterprise to grow in their respective businesses. Dhiru Ambani saw this, Adani followed, Sekhseria (Ambuja) and others all have thrived in this State's growth. Mr Bhagwati has presumed that being Jains, whose religion does practice charity, that automatically the poor would gain. Unfortunately, statistics do not show this improvement  in the condition of the poor. On most social sectors, Gujarat lags way behind other States.As one wag stated, in Modi's Gujarat, he has worked not for the 5 cr  Gujaratis but for the Gujaratis who have more than 5cr! It is now known that some of these big guns have used their wealth to build huge 23 story residences, and schools for the elite, &  hospitals for the rich which are operated as profit centres.
Mr Bhagwati's hypothesis  that with high growth, the State will have the funds to help the growth of the poor has not worked in practice.
But does it work that way? Dr Ram Guha, the historian, has made a comment that high growth has given high expectations for the under privileged . The rural masses wants have increased for appliances, food habits, mobiles etc etc which are based on what they see on the TVs by ads as well as sitcoms. Mr Amartya Sen perhaps feels that the growth should be inclusive and should flow upwards with basic schemes for education, health, electricity, roads etc parri passu. This is not just a "left" concept but one that needs to be understood when we have 65% percent of our population in our villages. At the same time, to finance these schemes the only resort is to get long term foreign investment in various sectors. Does appear dangerous but this is the policy advocated by Mr Modi as well but opposed by the BJP. It was the NDA manifesto that included the need for FDI even upto 100% in retail but now they oppose even their own policies. They do not realise that this negativism can pose a big problem if at all they come to power.. They have Modi's model of growth as advocated by Bhagwati but that doesnt meet the expectations of the poor. The present Govt however on the recommendations of the NAC with grass ground level workers like Aruna Roy, Mander, Dreze etc have suggested certain actions like RTI, RTE, Food Security Bill, direct transfer of benefits etc to hasten the benefits to the less fortunate. It is strange that while opposing most of the Govt welfare schmes in the Parliament, Mr rRnath Singh while in the US has said that they will continue with these schemes if they come to power. Ws this to assure the US that FDI will be needed from them? Is there some hypocrisy here?
One of the corollaries of high growth, wants grow and inflation is bound to follow. Today, the money in the rural markets has increased and demand has increased. At the time ofthe last election, Dr Pranoy Roy and Mr Shekar Gupta  who traveled along the length and breadth of the country found that the rural incomes had risen! Those companies who meet such a demand are making huge profits.Demand has increased but supply constraints due to poor infrastructure is bound to create inflation. Besides,  the heavy dependence on imports of goods whose prices are on the increase also contribute to inflation.
Everyone knows the cure but the fear that the private enterprise will take advantage of such a situation and not improve the lot of the poor, creates suspicion and fear to give  free access to opportunities. In such a situation the bureaucracy plays its negative role.

The way seems to be in between that of Mr Bhagwati or Mr Sen. Who is right - I leave it to you!

People's Party

Mr Kejriwal has very ambitiously named his political party as AAM ADMI PARTY. I feel this is a big misnomer. Mr AK has right from the early  beginnings with Anna Hazare as his "leader:" has mainly promoted himself using the Gandhian as his footstool. The campaign started as one against corruption and therefore  got instant widespread support. His main support came from the middle class educated class from urban areas while he used Anna Hazare to cover the rural population. His campaign claimed a support of 2 million people who has sent sms-s of support. Certainly these couldnt have  been from the rural class who are a very large majority of our population who alone are considered  as the "AAM ADMI".

Secondly, it is not going to be easy to form local centres of his party all over the country of the aam admi without the financial means to support such an organisation.

Thirdly, his initial announcements makes the main plank of his party on a negative approach of attacking selected politicians of large political parties on corruption. His endeavors will be to punish them for their 'misdeeds'. No party can succeed on such a limited and negative stand. What the people will want to know is what the party do will ensure that corruption is eradicated.. What will be there strategies and actions  for systemic changes to prevent corrupt practices.. For this the party must have sufficient numbers in the Parliament to bring about such changes.

Fourthly, the party must have clear policy initiatives on several urgent measures such as electoral reforms, role of panchayat bodies and elections to such bodies. Besides, India being part of the world economy, the party must have clear economic polices and not just opposition to anything done by the Govt. The problem we now face is of a main opposition party with no policy on economic, foreign and such related policies except to oppose the Govt .

The party should try and put up candidates with clear credentials on such important policy matters relating to financial planning, defence and technical m issues relating to industrial growth, and infrastructural growth.

For the party to play such a important and effective role, we need someone with national interests and not mere personal goals. Mr Kejriwal was a senior Income Tax official and he could have  tried to put into practice his principles of honesty in the I.T dept by making systemic changes to make every Income Tax Officer honest and free from corrupt practices. Instead he sought to get out to achieve his own personal goals. How can such a person with a strong ego, manage an All India party? Merely making  allegations without adequate proof  to take the matter to a Court but on persons chosen by him as the ultimate judges without any  Constitutional backing by law, is only attracting the media who like such sensational news! But has this had any effect? NO.

The next elections are not around the corner and it is imperative that the convenor and the think tank of the party do some serious thinking and planning including raising funds to get the support of  the right thinking people from all sections of the population. The task ahead is arduous but has to be done to succeed in their endeavours. I wish them luck and hope I can join such a party!

The role of newsmakers!

Today  the newsmakers both on TV and print media have created  despondency and cynicism about our country..They believe that 'bad' news makes good news. One is made to believe that there is nothing- not even a iota of good or anything right in  the country. It is true that they assume it is their duty and freedom of expression that they must dish out what the listeners and readers want to see.,bout  hear and read. Perhaps they are making a serious error of judgment.

 The main news is something sensational like some scandal or "scoop" about some big politician and what a whistleblower  says or  on some sting operation. Quite often these news  require further investigation or to balance, the other side of the story.  The main aim is to be "first with the news" especially on the TV news channels with sometime incomplete information or half truths. The inner pages on local news are usually devoted to local failures of the local bodies or stories of rape and murders and suicides! If it is proved that the story was a wrong or only half true, the damage has been done and no editors seldo0m accept their mistake but will reply " We stand by our story".

The editorials are seldom balanced studied reports on any issue that is in the main news. One sided reports on many key issues is dished out as news. For example, corruption is no doubt a big problem. Big fishes are targeted as that creates better news than how one should tackle the day to day corrupt practices that face the common man. There is no attempt at trying to suggest how systemic changes and clear guideline can help the common man to get his permissions without a bribe. Sometimes, even honest people who have no time will resort to pay a  bribe to get their job done. Law breaking on the roads is perfected as an art  and bribing to escape punishment and to save time is seen as a a easy way out.

At the heart of the problem of corruption and law breaking for the average man as well as the big politician is self interest and  selfishness. The need to break the rules of the road to get ahead of others is a simple example.of how one breaks the law as he doesnt get caught!  Does this sound too simplistic? Yes. But it is true. Otherwise why should a politician or bureaucrat  feel using his power and position to make money or gain for himself  as being more important than be a responsible servant of the people whom he is supposed to serve. This seems to be the general attitude but there are certainly exceptions to this rule. But who writes or hears about these honest instances. It doesnt come to be defined as news to be written about.

We need a complete change in the dissemination of news. We first need truthful and correct news and a balanced views both for and against. Just creating or publishing hysterical, sensational news or pictures does not help one to know what was the right thing to be done.  Mr Kejriwal has unfortnately converted his movement no longer as a  fight against corruption but only against corrupt people of selected persons to get maximum coverage of the media. In most cases he is the complainant, judge and jury all put together. He definitely has shown a bias in making charges only against select people.. Instead,as a politician with a difference, he should demonstrate how he can be  independent and strategise on measures to be taken to stop corruption.. This will involve some detailed studies on our present procedures and a complete systemic change where the law and guidelines  are clear to enable one to get a just treatment of one's application. Corruption is not just with the high and mighty but even  small officers. clerks peons or policemen take bribes on a daily basis.This is far more prevalent and serious where a small person has to pay a cut of 10% to get his pension.  It is so deeply entrenched in our systems that with discretionary powers or by taking a bribe  sanctions can be obtained against the rules and laws. But this doesnt make news. There could be small minority %age of officers who are honest and do not take bribes but we never hear about them.

The biggest source of black money is within India. To avoid high local taxes, people prefer not to take a bill for payments made. Or donations are made in cash to spurious or even established religious centres without any receipt. And curiously big noise made by such institutions gets maximum attention from the media. I dare any newspaper to expose such activities.

To solve such ills is not easy or quickly remedial but unless any political party makes a beginning, nothing can be achieved, We do have parties who claim to be honest and talk of the interests of the "poor" but such regional parties do not have any clear or studied strategy but are trying cheap tactics which will get exposed if the very same poor do not see and improvement in their lot. But the purpose of this blog is to highlight the role of the media to serve the cause of justice in their dissemination of news correctly and truthfully.

CRISIS IN KARNATAKA

Since coming to power, the whole record of the party has been a continuous battle within their own party. After the elections, to strengthen your position in numbers, they resorted to "Operation Lotus", mainly to win over independents and members of other parties and Mr Janardhan Reddy was responsible fror this operation. Media reports speak of crores of money being exchanged as well offers to Ministerial posts to win them over. After a few months, some dissidents within the party and curiously led by Janardhan Reddy and a few others sought a change in leadership and Mr Shettar was projected as a Chief Minster and the dismissal of some Ministers in the cabinet. A patch up job, prevented a collapse of the Govt. The allegations of corruption against several Ministers and then even against Mr Yeddyurappa then tarnished the image of the Govt. A few legislators including some independents who had joined the party in the recent past, revolted against Mr Yeddyurappa. Mr Yedyurappa's continuance became doubtful after the Lok Ayukth's report on illegal mining besides cases of denotification to give plots to some of his coteries and family. He was to be replaced but Mr Yeddyurappa arrogated to himself the position that he was the sole leader of the BJP in ther State and dictated on his successor and other posts both in the Govt and in the party. For some unknown reason, Mr Gadkari decided to concede his demands. Mr Sadananda Gowda rather than Mr Shettar was preferred by My Yeddyurappa as the next CM and the party acceded to his request. Mr yedyurappa thought that he would be able to get out his court allegations soon and return as the CM. But he faiuled as the SC ordered an investigation against him. But he didnt rest quiet and his cronies in the Govt did not cooperate with the CM and Mr Yeddyurappa continued his strategy of seeking a change in the leadership of the Govt. and projected Mr Shettar whom he had rejected earlier as the next CM. Mr Yeddyurappa and his followers for several months carried on their opposition to Mr Gowda and sought a change again.

The main point in this narration is to highlight the meglomaniacal qualities of Mr Yeddyurppa who would not allow anyone else to run the GOvt except someone who would act at his bidding. With strong support from Mr Gadkari, he continued to play his game of unsettling the Govt to get a CM who would be pliable and suit his personal agenda. If Mr Shettar who has a reputation of being a clean politician succeeds in being effective, then it wont be long before he seeks a change of leadership to get his own nominee as CM who would act according to his bidding..He has single handedly destroyed the crediblity of the BJP Govt and the fight of the party against corruption. He has managed to inject caste politics in Karnataka by assuming that the electorate are blind and foolish to  vote the party  back to power at the next elections. With his party also playing the caste card, the only way is to vote for a clean and efficient Govt and reject every MLA who has be charged with corruption and not be behind a Govt that is internally unstable and corrupt..

Bankruptcy in Leadership

The frank truth expressed by Mr Advani and Jaswant Singh should be taken positively as a constructive criticism of  the BJP party. leadership. With the RSS taking the role of playing a positive role in the party, they foisted Mr Nitin Gadkari as the party President. With the possible tussle for leadership among the younger lot and the advancing age of Mr Advani, the RSS decided to take charge. But in doing so, they possibly confused the ability to manage based on his business acumen  as against leading the party. He has proved to make several poor judgments of people and the State parties have assumed very strong positions which he has not been able to control with a heavy hand.and some BJP ruled States have not brought any credit to the party. In fact, the ground realities in these States does not auger well for the next elections in 2014. By foisting Gadkari for a second term matters have become worse. It is unfair to attribute Mr Advani's criticisms as coming from one who has taken it as personal affront. He has readily assumed a role of being a mentor rather than a candidate for PMship. Mr Jaswant Singh who is normally more reticent  was expelled and taken back for his speaking the truth.bluntly.

Let us analyse what ails the party. Maybe Mr Advani has accepted the roles of Ms Sushma Swaraj and Mr Jaitley as good orators who made their presence felt in both the Houses. Winning a point in a debate is not enough as an opposition leader. But  to participate in a discussion/debate and make their points relevant to bring about an effective change in any Bill has been totally absent. Some seeming contradictions in the positions of their parties on major issues has made it apparent that more often than not, they have no positive inputs and only lead the other members of the party to obstruct  and not allow the Houses to function. In an attempt to win some regional parties to the NDA at the next elections, they have taken stands to appease some of them and abandon their own stated policies on several issues that affect national interest. They have resorted to take on some personal attacks more seriously instead of trying to rectify the mistakes, if any. The party is therefore seen as one which has no clear policy on economic matters or defence or foreign matters which are key issues to evolve a national consensus. Their obstructive policy has caused a loss of confidence by the world at large on whether our country can face the serious situation in the world economy. The difficulties faced by the present Govt due to the pressures of a coalition, can equally affect them if they come back to power with the help of these regional parties some of whom have no clear policy other than building their own personal cult.

To give a few examples, the introduction of GST was very much a NDA proposal . Maybe there are differences of perception on some issues, but they need to be settled by consensus in national interest and not opposed for the sake of doing so. The Bill to allow petroleum prices to be based on market forces and not on Govt administered prices was the NDA's Bill. But they oppose every increase related to increase in world crude prices. The States governed by their own party  have the highest local taxes with mismanagement of their own finances. The NDA also had stated policies on FDI on retail, insurance etc but instead of arriving at a consensual Bill, to please one State Govt leader, they have given up their stated policy.

The warnings that Shri Advani and Mr Jaswant Singhis have made should be taken seriously and the party has to been seen as one that doesnt only score brownie points in debate by mere opposition to any thing that the Govt proposes and avoid discussion and debate but evolve a bipartisan solution in matters that affect the nation's economic destiny. If they fail to do this, they will be stuck with a very bad economic disastrous position and they will be unable if they come into power and solve these problems with some logical solutions. At the present, the party's position is weakened in Karnataka, maybe even in Gujarat and they have lost Uttarakand and Chattisgarh may follow. They cannot run a NDA Govt  purposefully with the support of the AIDMK in T.N and TMC in West Bengal alone.

The party should develop a strong think tank on such matters and take credit by having their opinions taken by the Govt in any Bill and establish their credibility to govern on their own at the next elections. They should aim to have a strong position in numbers and get a common policy statement for the Govt to be accepted by every party of the coalition. The party has two years to build its position to that of strength. Can they do it?

President of India

The Indian Constitution has provided for the election of a President of the Country. In the past we have had several eminent and respected persons holding this post with distinction and giving our Country great respect. Without taking names, the selection of candidates for the high post of President has over the years been reduced to a political appointment thanks to Mrs Gandhi's idea of having a pliable person with favourable political leanings. This has become a unfortunate trend and India is no longer respected for its President. The present incumbent is perhaps the best proof of having some one solely because she is a woman but with no other attribute other  than being favoured due to her political leanings.

Rightly, the debate on who should be our next President has become a serious topic for discussion. The move to evolve a consensus candidate is also very noteworthy.  It would be ideal if one can have an apolitical person of eminence without attaching meaningless attributes. The country should also establish a tradition of rising above considerations of North, South, East or West or the caste etc. Nor should we base our selection on success in business or scientific achievements. But the person should enjoy the respect not just in the country  but who can contribute to world thinking by his or her views representing the culture of our country. Ideally the person should also have some legal background or experience or some recognition abroad.

Someone who is apolitical with a respected lineage and who has had experience in foreign postings and also been associated as an adviser to a past President like Sri Gopal Krishna Gandhi comes to my mind. His role as  a Governor of a State where he maintained good relations with all political parties was also commendable.
However, we could anyone else with such similar attributes rather than a political animal!

Media and Freedom of speech

The Supreme Court is hearing  this important question on reporting by the media, and this  has invited many diverse reactions. While one extreme position is that the media should be free to write what they want, there is a strong feeling that some kind of self regulation or self censorship should be exercised by those responsible for the media in particular. The problem seems more applicable to the electronic media who are constantly  claiming to be the "first with the news" and are on for 24 hours!. What is important is not being first but being correct and right. Sensationalizing news on the basis of having got some inside information is not always what one wants to hear. The listener wants to hear the truth.and not a version or a partial truth. We have had a news channel claiming to have a copies of  reports which are yet confidential and in some cases the information has been only partly true. And these anchors do not believe in admitting if they were wrong except giving a weak apology when taken to the Court!

The other issue is the reporting of cases as they are being argued or presented in Courts as well as remarks made by Judges while hearing such arguments. Quite often it is premature to report matters that are yet to be heard in full and till the Court passes its  orders. We have some political parties with a direct line to these channels and within minutes of the news the spokesman is ready to give his reaction. The recent sensational news by one paper though sketchy and full of holes has had the editor justify their action by saying as is the usual song- "we stand by our correspondent ". Such news may give  temporary attention but if the news item is proved to be unsupported by solid evidence, then that channel or newspaper will lose their creditability.

The other important issue  is publication of news which can affect the security of the country like in defence matters or an interpretation on foreign affairs that can affect our diplomatic relations. Henry Denker in his book "Judge Spencer Dissents" makes this point about news channels who behave as though they can determine the foreign policy of the country. Most debates on such matters turn out to be of no consequence as the participants are chosen who have diametrically opposite views and the debate becomes  a shouting match and it is impossible to get a balanced view on any issue. On defence matters, one has to be careful not to create a panic situation but rather evolve a positive solution to the issue under discussion.

The question therefore is how can our media exercise some restraint and avoid sensationalizing any news. External censorship or control can be avoided if the media themselves frame guidelines. The Editors Guild had sent a team of five eminent journalists to Gujarat after the 2002 riots and had made several positive suggestions in their report. However, no one has taken serious note of these suggestions though the Guild now has a Chairman from the electronic media and there is also a body to monitor broadcast contents. Perhaps this question has been raised in the Supreme Court. to try and evolve guidelines which will be respected though not enforceable.

There is a very thin line between exercising one's freedom of speech but in the process affecting the freedom which is the right of others for their privacy or honour!

Whither India>

It has become a common for making any issue into a political drama. I am a layman and no expert on nuclear power nor an economist to understand fully the pros and cons of FDI in retail. But common people are being made to go on hunger strikes to protest against the nuclear power station in Kudankulam. Concerns on safety are appreciated but are this protesters being used by interested parties just to get more attention without being able to know what the safety measures taken are and what how their concerns should be met and solved. Who can they accept to address their concerns and are they in a position to understand the technicalities involved. While I do not blame those leading the movement, but I wish they did not resort to street protests by crowds who do not understand the technical issues involved other than a general opposition to nuclear power when we have power plants already operating safely. Besides, technology is always improving and better safety measure are in place.

As regards the question on FDI in retail. Here again the issues raised by those opposing are not based on any study. They have every right to ask for clarifications and even modifications to protect any intere3sts affected. The main opposition party the BJP seem ot have no logical or economic reasons supported by marketing studies to prove why they have changed their stand on this issue. Small traders have not lost out with the supermarkets already in operation. Better infrastructure, storage and prevention of wastage of food, better prices for farmers with no middlemen who today make a large profit at the expense of the farmer and the consumer will help the economy. Inflation can be controlled. FDI will bring in foreign investment and steady the dollar/rupee exchange rate. We certainly must take certain strong steps to prevent these Foreign investors from making unseemly profit or policies affecting our farmers/small producers and our consumers. THis can always be evolved with experience. In any case those States that do not want such outlets are free to ban them in their own State.

What I have expressed are a layman's view no doubt. But what confuses and hurts me is the blind opposition without giving ant tangible reasons and working against b national interests. The BJP are hoping to topple this Govt but I wonder how any will vote a NDA with the support of many regional parties which is the reason why no Govt can work with their dependence on such parties. What we need in case of any re election is a single party Govt where they do not depend on regional parties who do not have a national perspective. The manner in which the country's interests are being sacrificed for political gains is most unfortunate.

Power of the media

It is now a recognised fact that our media except for a few who yet preserve their principle of not sensationalising news and have reports properly investigated. most major newspapers use their freedom of expression to make news rather than analyse and give news with a proper perspective. The electronic media who are committed to give news round the clock, are forced to give news with a slant given by junior correspondents and in some instances , news given is a misreported or too premature conclusions are drawn. The incentive in these cases is to be' first with the news' whether correct or incorrect.

There has been a report by the Press Guild based on investigations by senior journalists after the 2002 riots in Gujarat who suggested that the media should exercise some self regulation or self censorship to ensure that the news reports do not appear without proper verification which could incite people to wrong conclusions and actions. Unfortunately one of the members of that team which submitted that report has gone on record that in the absence of such self censorship, there may a need for an external body to censor such instances and ensure that those channels or papers do not violate proper norms for news dissemination. THE HINDU is one of the papers which have its own ombudsman and who avoid any sensational news unless supported by adequate and credible investigation. With the Press Guild now presided over by younger news editors, the role of the Guild lacks credibility. Any attempt by the Govt to bring some order into the system is objected by the younger editors as restriction on their right of free expression. This freedom should be used with responsibility to protect others right to the same freedom.

To give a recent instance of the media's role and the power that it wields is the Anna movement on the fight against corruption. It should not be surprising that this cause would get universal support. They picked a non controversial and honest and sincere man as its leader and gave him the mantle of being another Gandhiji (which he himself declined to accept) . But the main force of the movement was provided by young, enthusiastic representatives of the Team who resorted to a confrontational approach on insisting on a draft prepared by them to be accepted in toto with no scope for discussion. This naturally invited a equally negative approach by the Govt team. Right through this stage, the media gave a fairly unconditional support and did not try to project a balanced view by giving both sides of the issue and the rule of the Constitution and the supremacy of the Parliament. With abuses and threats such as hunger fast, the movement became not a fight against corruption but against the Govt. Corruption is so rampant that it had to be fought without any distinction of political parties or persons. at the Centre or the States. And all along the media gave only the version of the Team and most electronic channels gave more than normal coverage and interviews with Team Anna members and did not give a balanced views on the matter. The movement largely drew its strength from the power of the media.

With the issue of the Lokpal Bill now rightly in the Parliament, credit must be given to Anna and his team for and raising this issue accepting the right of the Parliament to discuss all aspects of the Lokpal Bill in the Standing Committee before it is presented as a Bill to the Parliament in the winter session.

While the purpose of the movement was right and necessary and the matter was in the Parliament, some young over enthusiastic members of the Team launched an agitation without waiting for the Parliament's winter session. They resorted to taking a biased anti Govt or anti Congress stand and made the movement a political one. This raised objections from within their own ranks and many found themselves in disagreement with the new slant to the movement. The media finding this news worthy, found many other aspects about some of the members and their ethical conduct which would be contrary to their personal fight against corruption. These exposures did not come from any other source than their own colleagues or from sources which could not be attributed to the Govt. Yet the cry from Anna Hazare that there was a 'gang four' who were trying to split their group was really a gang from within and not from outside. When one gets into public eye as did some of the members of the team, they should have realised that the media will not avoid going into other personal details if that made news. So these members became the victims of the the "power of the media". This is not a new phenomena. Politicians, actors, sportsmen and other celebrities who get media attention are always subject to get the attention of the media even on adverse matters and this is the double edged sword that fame and popularity attracts.

It is high time, the Team who are self appointed and call themselves as representing 'civil society' do a rethink on their constitution and have creditworthy persons of high integrity and honest in thought and word and maybe a few other mature social activists and jurists, ex election commissioners, senior retired bureaucrats of proven ability etc. They should take up the other urgent issue especially relating to electoral reforms which should be the starting point to get the right people in the Parliament. These suggestions should not be taken to the streets but submitted to all the political parties and to organise a meeting to arrive at a consensual agreement. We should be able to get capable people to be elected to deal with complex matters such as finance, commerce, environment issues etc. Similarly, for other serious issues requiring reforms should also be taken up on a non partisan basis and based on an in depth study . In short, the movement should have wider representation of civil society including persons of varied expertise and should be a strong, apolitical body to provide the right inputs to the Govt irrespective of which party is in power. A confrontational stand is counter productive and undemocratic as adequate respect must be given to contrary views and efforts to convince or seek a consensus will result in an effective solution. In all this, it is the power of the media which can play a major role in providing the right news for all.

A Gentleman's Game

It was called a 'gentleman's' game. Those were the days when there used to be matches played between Gentlemen and Players. It was mainly Test cricket between England and Australia for several decades though there has been the Larwood series and the tradition of 'The Ashes' Tests when the matches between the two countries were fought for retaining the 'urn'. After a long time, where the British had their imprint, other countries joined in the Test circuit. India and later Pakistan, West Indies and later South Africa. And then followed by Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh. The common factor in all these countries was the influence of the British rule!

Test cricket although extended over four later to five days was seen to be too slow and waste of time. But in those good old days we did not need rules to promote the 'spirit of the game'. Gate money and player's fees were not major issues at all. It was good honest cricket. The old greats of Bradman and others in his era, W.G.Grace in England followed by the Hammonds, Comptons etc were household names. In India we had the great C.K.Nayudu, Vijay Merchant, Vijay Hazare, Subash Gupte etc and Pakistan had their greats too. Unfortunately the era during the apartheid regime in South Africa had its greats like the Pollocks and others but who were not part of the circuit.

But the game took a bad turn( for the purists) as the years progressed. To increase spectator interest the one day matches were started in 1975 principally in England. Becoming world champions was the objective. While the quicker game improved several aspects of the game, competition brought in questionable tactics which have eroded the gentlemanly spirit of the game. Then we had professionals in game and one could earn money in cricket. ODIs created such a great interest in the game the world over that spectators came in large numbers in bigger stadii and lots of money came in. This was followed by the T20 matches while in England there are 40 over matches. Technique, finesse and grace gave way to agricultural and wild stroke-- making - any way to make runs. The T20 bug has resulted in tournaments in many countries of sponsored teams like the BIG Bash in Australia, and the IPL in India.

With moneys coming in, an organisation -ICC- was formed to regulate and control the game -albeit surreptitiously. This body thought it wise to improve the spirit of the game but it has not really achieved this purpose.. A panel of elite neutral umpires, match referees became necessary to 'inculcate the "spirit of the game". The motivation in the game has become money and winning at any cost. The very soul of the game has been destroyed. To make it worse , we now have leagues like the IPL were a price is put on each player and probably some young cricketers are happier playing for the money than to play the game for one's country.

To conclude, it is a vary sad state of affairs that being a gentleman and playing the game in the right spirit is totally absent and cricketer's game and judgement of their own fitness is sacrificed by the lure of money. As one notable cricket writer put it -Test Cricket is vintage whisky, while T20 and IPL etc are like indigenous illicit liquor.

Alas, do we now have to play for the 'ashes' of the 'gentleman's game'.

Big Brother- the Man and his philosophy!

We respect Anna Hazare as a good man who loves his country, is honest and sincere. He has perhaps a lot for his village- Ralegan Siddi. Hed has enforced various social improvementl measures as seen by him. He has introduced prohibition in his village and he seems to have his own system of meting out punishment to offenders. He has done goodwork on water conservation with Govt funds and assistance. He is as much respected in his village as he is feared.

Such an elder brother provided an ideal person to be selected by some well meaning individuals to take his help to launch their fight against corruption. It is not difficult to get anyone in the country to support such a movement. So these self appointed representatives of 'civil society' formed a team of some legal brains, ex disgruntled Govt officers and others for their fight. Their first objective was to give credibility to their chosen leader. Without questioning the honesty and sincerity of their Elder brother, they sought to take the name of Gandhiji. Here is unfortunately the mistake as their Elder brother was not at all Gandhian in his methods or philosophy. But by a sustained campaign, these self appointed advisers to Anna, created a false notion of Gandhiji's image.

Gandhiji never promoted himself as a leader of the country. His philosophy of non violence and satyagraha however seemed to catch the imagination of the people and their leaders. He successfully used these methods to win our Independence from the British. He protested and started non cooperation movements on salt, British textiles and occasionally resorted to fasts ((not hunger strike to death) for short periods to counter some anti Indian moves and laws of the British Govt. He held regular talks with the British Govt incl visiting England in his traditional dhoti, but never called them names such as cheats or thieves, liars etc etc We are one of the few countries to have won our independence without a traditional notion of war. After 1947, despite his difference of opinions with the late Dr B.R.Ambedkar on some issues, he insisted that he should be the law Minister and the prime mover for writing our Constitution. Gandhiji tried to unite the country against any communal violence and went on hunger fasts for fixed periods whenever were communal riots in the country for self purification in that his principle of communal unity was not being accepted. He never used the fast as a tool for coercion announced months or weeks ahead!

This limited account of Gandhiji's philosophy is enough to counter the false notion that was being created that Annaji and his movement is following Gandhiji's philosophy. To call the movement as a 'war of independence' is a gross misnomer and the methds being followed are totally misconceived. I do not wish to attribute any false motives to him or his advisers. The cause is right. The right to express one's views and prepare a draft Jan Lokpal Bill are not disputed. But the democratic processes in the Constitution and the Parliament cannot be bypassed to approve their draft Bill in toto. Unfortunately, the whole movement became an anti Govt and not against the corruption of all politicians from most political parties. Probably, using Gandhiji's name and probably the support of various other elements who were using the movement to further their own cause and to cover up their own party policies caused enough confusion in the country to stop any meaningful activity in the country. Here it will not be out of place to mention the totally biased reporting of the media in their reports completely ignoring the balanced views being expressed in the print media on the whole issue by many jurists, experts and seasoned elder journalists. The drama that ensued including the Govt's inept handling of the arrest of Annaji added grist to the events. Speeches were made inciting people by calling MPs names and unbecoming comments such as liars. cheats and thieves. The atmosphere was further vitiated by the 'fast until death' as announced by Annaji while his own trusted ex police officer adviser had announced earlier that it would be a fast till his health permitted. Differing voices from Annaji's advisers on several issues revealed that there was no thought no behind the movement. There was fiery speech by a leading member of the team that the people will make the laws and not the Parliament. Bogus or rather defective methods of carrying out "referendums", attacking homes of politicians and such violent measures showed the weakness in movement ofther dichotomy o what is being said publicly and was being done on the ground. Luckily, sanity was restored when the Parliament with a thumping majority gave some issues to be looked into by the Standing Committee and the fast by the Big Brother was called off.

The various statements now being made by the Big Brother of Ralegan Siddi is very worrying. This shows the lack of any coherent philosophy behind the movement.The calmness and right atmosphere to allow the issues to be discussed and an effective Bill be presented to the Parliament is being vitiated by irresponsible statements being made. It is imperative that all parties should refrain from making provocative statements. While the privilege motions in the Parliament may become redundant and withdrawn equally the team should also stop taking defamation cases when apologies have been made and even accepted by Shri Annaji. Anna has also made some unfortunate remarks. Anyone opposing their Bill must be gheraoed and people should agitate against such persons. Why cannot they wait for the Bill till it is presented. Moreover, if he has the right of free expression, so do those who do not agree with any of the clauses in his Bill.

Secondly , he has made some disturbing statements that are against the very fundamentals of democracy. He says that gram panchayats members should be ''selected' and not elected. Are we therefore heading to the creation of a 'village autocrat' becoming a national dictator? With no elections as the base argument, Ralegan Siddi may become the capital of India and his 22 advisers will run the country. The Parliament and Constitution will be jettisoned and their own legal advisers will make the laws and there will be no courts as there will be no Constitution. I hate to visualise the anarchy that this country will face. May be even worse than a banana republic.

In order not to be pessimistic, I would like to make a few suggestions. Representatives of civil society cannot arbitrarily appoint themselves. on framing laws. We need a better presentation of retired judges of proven on Constitutional matters as well as independent thinkers. Drafts produced with serious thought can be presented to all political parties or all MPs so that the Standing Committee can have a good document to further examine. For the several other issues that has been raised about electoral reforms, let a broad base committee be fomed of ex Chief Election Commissioners. jurists, and other experts to prevent money power, those charged with criminal cases from being elected and a none of the above clause in thr ballot paper. Let political parties include professionals like experts in agriculture, engineers, economists, finance etc to be a part of the Govt or in Parliament. As one nhotable thinker expressed recently, we need a bipartsan approach on national issues like security, foreign affairs, defence etc Political partes should be transparent on theri funding and must have regular elections in their own party. All this can be done without having a confrontational approach and allow the right atmosphere for democracy to prevail and work. We need people participation but in a orderly and well reasoned approach to allow dissenters to present their views, if they have any substance.

It is now the responsibility of Shri Anna Hazare and his team to do some serious thinking and prepare a manifesto on every issue that they wish to raise and submits a considered document for consideration by all concerned. Let us avoid arbitrary ideas without deep thought to confuse one's thinking and have a movement bereft of any philosophy. They should promote a new party with a agenda, policy and fight elections and get heard in the Parliament and change the present system. We need such a national party desperately!

Instinct vs reason

Man is the most evolved being on earth. He has a mind to reason and think. Animals whoich are the next lower evolved, have a very strong instinct. This instinct regulates their lives and is seen by humans as intelligence. Of course, by repetitive action, they can perform as though they are as intelligent as man. But there are pet lovers, who will swear that some the instincts in animals are stronger and more reliable than human behavior.

As a layman, I have just returned to my own home and environs after staying for nearly 20 days in Bombay with my grandson. I cannot complain of the lack of comforts in large home, with A/cs humming right through the day, a high end music system, enough help in the house etc We were expected to look after our 14 year old grandson who was completely pre occupied with school, games at school and doing his homework on his own and we had no role to play. He even chose his own menu. He was so self sufficient that he woke up at 5 am on certain days with his own alarm. We only needed to coordinate the car and driver to look after his needs.

So what am I complaining about? I have no reason to complain about anything. But yet, when I returned yesterday to my own home, my instincts took over. I was happiest sitting in my own
Poyang chair watching TV, sleeping in my own bed and following my own regular routine. Everything about the world seemed to be just fine. What gave this feeling is that ultimately our 'creature' comforts' as they are called are governed by our instincts and not by reason.

I dont think this is a bad thing as usually instinct is never wrong though reason can be sometimes.

Is there a moral to the story? Dont travel out of your home if you neednt. If you have to, try to follow your usual routine as much as possible. But please dont be a slave to your instinctual impulses and try and find other activities to keep you busy - meeting friends, relatives and shopping which you cannot do in your home town. Dont allow your reason and mind to be idle but as possible with reading, listening to music etc.

Be a good dog but learn to be a good human, being too

Mud slinging!

Anna Hazare seems to be peeved that some privilege motions have been admitted against some of his members. If Anna and his friends continue to call them 'labbads' etc to get cheap cheers from the crowds as also other such demeaning abusive words against the MPs ,what do you expect. Let some better sense prevail and both parties should abjure using such language. I am sure with such an atmosphere, good sense will prevail and bitterness will die a natural death.

The dust has settled!

At long last the dust has settled and sanity is almost restored. But unfortunately some are yet trying to incite people. While no one denies the freedom of expression, one has to recognize that so do others. SO LISTEN CAREFULLY and dont get caught in your mindset.

There was no reason why anyone wouldn't support such a generic cause as corruption. But it is quite possible that the thousands who gathered in Ramlila Maidan were not even aware what the real issues were involved. Several team members were wrongly that the methods being followed were Gandhian. Maybe Shri Anna Hazare is simple and sincere and honest man. But that doesnt qualify him to be a follower of Mahatma Gandhi. He has no doubt done good in his village which has been accepted by all. Gandhiji too hdstroct rules in hisashram but never forced them on anyone and those who did not wish to follow them were free to follow him from outside the ashram. Unfortunately, some of the younger members of his team were not born nor aware of Gandhiji's life and work. Enough has been said on this question and there is no need to repeat them.

There is however some important lessons to be learnt. That the Parliament should take note of the people's mood. And equally for civil society groups to realize that they must accept the Constitutional processes and respect the Parliament who are the elected members of the country. Any views to be presented should not be on any threat but with discussions have to be done with mutual respect. Calling names like 'liars', 'cheats'. 'thieves' is neither Gandhian or conducive to any meaningful talks.

However it has opened to a new avenue for taking various stake holders, like the public, law makers, judiciary and experts from social groups and organizations who have studied such problems in detail, into a committee authorized by the Parliament to evolve a consensus and a bill to be debated in the Parliament. This may force Govt and opposition parties to clearly spell out their views rather than resort to walkouts and stoppages of the functioning of the Parliament. This may avoid the situation from being a win-win situation but rather a well reasoned consensus to be debated by the Parliament.

Rightly, various other important issues have been raised viz electoral reforms, Judicial Accountability, education reforms, Grievance machinery for lower level Govt officials etc Special committees with experts from the Election Commission . ex CECs, judges, representatives from political parties, civil society members who are familiar with the present electoral system can be part of this Committee. A similar committee can be constituted for Judicial reforms with constitution experts, ex Chief Justices and others. Ideally, these committees should preferably not be chaired by political appointees but by independent experts from the judiciary.

We need systemic changes in Govt depts at all levels with the use of IT to establish procedures without giving any discretion and with timelines. Refusals can only be on procedural lapses and approvals have to be done within a time frame. Police depts. RTOs, Municipal organizations, registrar officers where there is cause to complain of corruption can be checked. We may need in every such office a vigilance officer who will take complaints of delays or bribe taking. Officials who work within the system and do their tasks on time may have to rewarded rather their asking for a bribe.

I am not a Constitutional expert but certainly we can evolve some system to promote a rational way of dealing with people's aspirations and make the Parliament more responsive to burning issues and engage in meaningful debates and discussions to pass important Bills with greater responsibility by both the Govt and other parties in the Parliament.