Mighty Weapon - Garhwal Post completes 8 years as a daily.

Pen is a mighty weapon. That ten pens are ten times mightier was demonstrated earlier this year when an “Open invitation to the CM” extended by editor Satish Sharma (GP dated 18/02/2014) for undertaking a trip by road from Doon to Delhi to witness the pathetic condition of the national highway himself got a massive impromptu reaction from readers increasing its effect manifold, forcing the state government to take rapid necessary action. Repairs were immediately carried out and the road, except for a 20 km stretch, was in quite a decent condition by May.

Reader’s responses or letters to the editor, thus, are not merely individual expressions of opinion or a dialogue on an issue; but also a potent tool to fight the numerous ills that afflict us as a society and force our lethargic officialdom out of its slumber. A little increase in their frequency will greatly benefit readers and the “complete people’s newspaper” alike.

The balanced, mature and positive journalism practiced by Garhwal Post through its news, forum and editorial columns in the aftermath of Kedarnath deluge last year was yet another feather in its cap. Congratulations Satish and team. Keep up the good work.

(Published in Garhwal Post on 2nd July 2014)

How long does it take for HNB Garhwal University to declare results?

Just how much time does a university need to declare end of semester examination results? Three to four weeks after the last paper is what University of Delhi takes, with most reputed ones not taking much longer. For HNB Garhwal University (HNBGU), however, even four months are not adequate for the purpose.

A few weeks ago, several students pursuing undergraduate professional courses from Dehra Dun based private institutes affiliated to HNBGU, who had qualified entrance tests for admission to postgraduate courses in universities outside Uttarakhand and had to register for counselling thereof, had to make a couple of trips to university’s office in Srinagar to obtain their fifth semester mark sheets as results of their examinations held in January had not been declared till the end of May!

The students got their mark sheets, of course, but after making the unnecessary extra effort, besides suffering needless anxiety and losing valuable time and money in the process. They were lucky that their results had been uploaded on the university computer and hence were not asked to shell out an extra thousand rupees as fees for “provisional” mark sheet.  What would have happened if their answer booklets had not been evaluated is anybody’s guess.

Some running around from “pillar to post” had to be done and red tape faced within the university’s office in Srinagar for the purpose. That none of the dealing persons asked that their “palms be greased” was the saving grace.

These students are now left wondering whether HNBGU will be able to declare the results of their sixth semester examinations held in the middle of June and issue the final mark sheets before the cut-off dates prescribed by the universities they are joining.

HNBGU has been notorious for delays and irregularities right from the time it came into existence in 1973 and the situation seems to be much the same even though it was upgraded to a central university in 2009, barring the financial gains that its employees have made on account of change of their pay scales from state to central government.

The situation is worse for students of affiliated self-financing private institutes offering professional courses like B.B.A., B.C.A., B. Sc. (IT), M.B.A., M.C.A., M. Sc. (IT), etc. Semester end examinations that are supposed to be conducted in December and May are invariably delayed by at least a month.

The university then takes its own sweet time and students usually receive their mark sheets and admit cards together just before the commencement of the next semester exams. Moreover, for some reason best known to HNBGU authorities, results of these professional courses are not uploaded and made available on the university website, even as the ones for other courses are.

The position is even more appalling in the case of B.Ed.  Three years ago, HNBGU declared a “zero year” for this programme to bring it back on track as sessions were running more than a year behind schedule. In spite of this, and the fact that entrance tests for the course are usually conducted on time, the session begins not before October and examinations are held in August or September the following year, while the results are declared still later. The scenario for other professional courses run by the university is pretty much the same.

It is interesting to note that Government of India had recognised that there was no uniformity in the academic schedule followed by the various varsities and colleges which often acted as a hurdle for students taking a transfer from one university to another often leading to missed opportunities and appointed an expert committee in 2006 to look into the feasibility of establishing a uniform academic calendar.

The report of this committee was accepted and the Union HRD Ministry had in June 2007 asked all UGC recognised universities - whether central, state or a deemed; as well as their affiliated colleges - to follow a uniform academic calendar with immediate effect.

As per this directive classes for first year students must commence in the first week of August, while for all others by the third week of July in every university or college. Examinations are to be held on time and results for all courses to be declared by not later than the last week of June.

Why is HNBGU not following such clear government directives? Who in the university is responsible for implementation of these directives? Who is to be blamed  if its students lose out on better prospects for higher studies in universities outside the state and on job opportunities on account of such delays on the part of the university for no fault of theirs? It is time HNBGU stopped playing with the careers of its students.

UGC and HRD Ministry, on their part, need to continuously monitor the functioning of all the universities across the country to ensure that their guidelines are strictly adhered to as also take strict action against the erring ones. They also need to issue clear instructions to universities to be flexible regarding the cut-off dates in genuine cases so that students are not deprived of their legitimate rights for mistakes committed by the varsity they were unfortunately enrolled with. The task is monumental, but not impossible.

HNBGU final semester candidates, in the meanwhile, are looking skyward for timely declaration of their results.

(Published in Garhwal Post on 27th June 2014)

Govt we deserve

An innocuous post in Hindi that recently appeared on a humor page of a social site, originator unfortunately not known, defines democracy “as a system of governance wherein the lamb chooses its own butcher”.

With our elected representatives increasingly demanding their share of the proverbial “pound of flesh” for almost anything from raising issues in parliament to doing or getting any work done, this definition aptly describes our democracy at present.

The general elections are over at long last and with just a couple of days to go for us to know who our new “chosen ones” are, it is time for exit polls, predictions and discussions; even as all major parties are confident of emerging victorious. Anyhow, we will get the government we deserve.

My estimate for BJP is at least 230 seats, including all the five in Uttarakhand. A definite strong pro BJP wave was evident in Doon on 7^th May and it would not be a surprise should Mala Rajya Laxmi Shah, its candidate from Tehri, poll the highest percentage of votes in the state. The party’s performance will, in fact, be impressive in the Hindi belt.

UP will be the state to watch as it opts for a national party over regional ones after a long time. BJP will bag more than 50 seats, followed by BSP in second position; while SP and Congress will compete for the third place there. Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh too will surprise the party positively; even as it would make further inroads in states where it has token presence.

Post the results and depending upon the extent of rout faced by the Congress, the focus in Uttarakhand will shift to the fate of its state government led by Harish Rawat.

Aam Aadmi Party, which arrived with a bang barely six months ago, will not go beyond the single digit mark, with a strong possibility of drawing a blank. It is also set to make an unceremonious exit and go the way of Uttarakhand Kranti Dal thereafter.

These elections will be remembered for the way our netas tried to fool us by preferring to ignore major problems the country needs to address urgently. They also attempted to cover their own role in corruption and maladministration, focussing on imaginary issues instead. Amid bankruptcy of ideas and the desire to grab power at any cost, the slugfest was reduced to ugly personal attacks and mudslinging, the behaviour of our leaders hitting an all-time low in the process.

Another important takeaway is the fact that despite promising more participation of women in politics - Rahul Gandhi going to the extent of advocating giving half the seats to them, major parties failed to field sufficient number of women candidates. Not only did their number not go up from previous elections, some states had no women contestants. On the other hand, persons with dubious background were liberally fielded by all parties.

Our new parliamentarians will do us a big favour by NOT taking out any victory processions that they normally do on being declared elected, thereby disrupting traffic and causing inconvenience to public. A modest thank you through the press will do. They should instead work sincerely within and outside the parliament for the betterment of their states and constituencies, and not merely raise their hands in support of their parties.

Rather than doing the vanishing trick and appearing five years hence, they must ensure that they spend adequate time in their areas and be easily accessible to people at all times on telephone. They ought to also keep their constituents well informed of their activities in New Delhi through the local media on a regular basis.

Hopefully, our new government will work overtime and serve us honestly rather than playing the butcher.

(Published in Garhwal Post on 14th May 2014)

New World Record !!!

Aam Aadmi Party will find a place in the book of records for
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max no of candidates losing their deposits in one lok sabha election !!!

Making the Difficult Choice

Campaigning in the on-going general elections has been hi-tech even as the kind of language our politicians use makes new lows with each passing day. Big rallies, road shows, interviews, chat shows, advertisements, social media, para gliders and many more are being used to entice the voter. High flying, larger than life netas are playing to the gallery, spewing venom against their adversaries like actors do against the enemy in a patriotic Bollywood war movie, leaving the common man wondering whether our real enemy is across our country’s borders or amongst our own netas.

Amid the blitzkrieg, actual state and constituency specific issues that ought to have been discussed are forgotten. Congress, which had won all the five parliamentary seats in Uttarakhand in 2009 and is also the party in power in the state, would like us to believe that by laying 3000 foundation stones in 32 days (i.e. 93 per day) Chief Minister Harish Rawat has not only ensured that the development of our state is just round the corner, but has also presented a model of development for the rest of the country to emulate!

There is no mention of the work done by its MPs in parliament, for the state and for their constituencies during their tenures in the 15^th Lok Sabha. Though huge amounts of money were spent when Vijay Bahuguna was Chief Minister in advertising Rs. 7000 crore package obtained by the state following the Kedarnath devastation last year, much is not known about the progress of rehabilitation works underway, except for the construction of the yatra road.

There are no policies for creation of adequate opportunities for local folks in the hills to stop their migration in search of livelihood, or putting in place adequate medical, educational, infrastructural and other facilities there. Canvassing is centred on “get CM free with MP”, “your one vote elects two” and subsidised LPG cylinders, instead.

Candidates fielded by Congress have among their ranks two sitting MPs and one minister in the state cabinet who have track records for voters to analyse and take a call on.

Renuka Rawat (Haridwar) and Saket Bahuguna (Tehri) are its other candidates. Congress’s official website describes Rawat as “an active social and political worker who wishes to remove disparity among different sections of society” and Bahuguna as “a young congress leader who has been instrumental in helping students in their woes against the administration and believes in bringing education to the youth of Uttarakhand to ensure a better future for them”.

That they have the right dynastic credentials, being wife of CM Harish Rawat and son of former CM Vijay Bahuguna respectively, is conveniently not cited. It is also not clear whether the selected candidates have actually done some work in the state in their areas of interest or have mere “wishes and beliefs” intended to be acted upon only if they are elected.

Off the record, seniors in Congress admit that the selection of Rawat and Bahuguna ahead of old loyalists has not gone down well with long time party members and is likely to adversely affect the prospects of the party.

Among the candidates fielded by the Aam Aadmi Party, Kanchan Chaudhary Bhattacharya (Haridwar) and Anoop Nautiyal (Tehri) have impressive profiles and have excelled in their professions. But given the immaturity that Kejriwal and other top guns of their party have been displaying, and the fact that the anti-corruption plank has been abandoned for the sake of votes, their performance will be the outcome of their personal strength alone. Will they pull off a surprise win? Extremely unlikely, though they can potentially upset the result if they manage to get a significant number of votes.

For BJP, it is payback time for the 2009 setback. With three former Chief Ministers amongst its contenders, an upbeat and united cadre, and the fact that the state government has practically no achievements to showcase, BJP is in the driver’s seat and is set to have an impressive outing.

Former Chief Minister, four-time MP and BJP candidate from Pauri Garhwal Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri undisputedly stands tallest among all contestants in fray. An epitome of integrity, authenticity, capability, simplicity and hard work, few can match his accomplishments on the battleground or in the public arena. 

As Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Road Transport and Highways, Khanduri planned and executed India's most ambitious ever road infrastructure project - the Golden Quadrilateral (GQ) Highway Network connecting the four metros – for the NDA government. A record 23,814 km of national highways were added to the existing NH network during his tenure, which remains till date the largest construction of national highways during any five-year period since independence.

His two tenures as Chief Minister may not have been spectacular, but were scandal free. Under him, Uttarakhand became the first state in the country to enact and pass the Lokayukta Bill. He has discharged numerous other duties for his party in and outside the parliament without any controversy.

Khanduri is a rare politician in present-day India, a perfect role model for all to emulate. We ought to be proud of him.

(Published in Garhwal Post on 2nd May 2014)

Choice is Ours

Come elections and for our netas it is time for desertions, new alliances, name calling, allegations, counter-allegations, back-stabbing, party hopping and making lofty promises they have no intention to honour. 

It is also the time to give a go by to the real issues that the country needs to sort out and whip up frenzies to mislead the common man.

Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav’s “boys will be boys, can’t hang rapists” comment at an election rally in Moradabad a couple of days ago is proof of the sick mind-set many of our politicians have and the abysmal depths they can stoop down to when it comes to garnering votes.

Not only did he make the highly objectionable remark and express his displeasure and disagreement with the death sentence awarded by court to three of the accused found guilty in the Mumbai’s infamous Shakti mill case, but also promised to amend the country’s anti rape laws to make them more lenient, if his party was voted to power in the on-going general elections.

Yadav’s statement has expectedly drawn widespread condemnation. He was clearly attempting to lure criminals into his party fold, already drawing flak for incompetent governance and poor law and order situation during its current two year rule in Uttar Pradesh. People must give his party the treatment it deserves when they go to their polling booth.

As BJP’s prospects brighten up and Congress appears set to make an inglorious exit after UPA’s second tenure known more for financial scams than for governance; India’s perpetual woes like corruption, unemployment, unsustainable population, high fiscal deficit, development, lack of infrastructure, poor law and order situation, poverty, illegal Bangladeshi immigrants etc., which everybody talks about all the time but nobody has any answers to; have suddenly been abandoned by all non NDA parties, threat to “secularism” being the new one point agenda and Narendra Modi the singular target.

At election rallies, BSP’s Mayawati has been telling people that there will be widespread riots across the country if Modi comes to power. Rahul Gandhi (Congress) has been accusing Modi of attempting to promote communalism while Nitish Kumar (JDU), Laloo Prasad (RJD), Mamta Banerji (TMC), Farooq Abdullah (NC), Ajit Singh (RLD) and leaders of other UPA parties are calling him anti-Muslim.

Nitish and Mamta were also seen sharing dais with persons wanted by police for criminal offences at their election rallies. Congress candidate from Saharanpur in UP Imran Masood threatened to cut Modi to pieces during his campaign. Even Arvind Kejriwal (AAP), it seems, has abandoned his anti-corruption and clean politics stance and is reportedly in the process of striking a deal with don Mukhtar Ansari to get Muslim votes for himself in Varanasi.

Despite the fact that Supreme Court has given him the clean chit, Modi’s political opponents are telling people that he alone is responsible for the 2002 Gujarat communal riots. This, in fact, appears to be the only point that the so called “secular” parties seem to drive home as they keep repeating it over and over again at their election rallies and meetings in their bid to exhort Muslims to cast their vote en-bloc against the BJP.

No mention, though,  is made of the worst communal riots in our history in 1947 on either side of partition, 1984 anti-Sikh, 1969 Ahmedabad, 1983 Assam, 1964 Rourkela & Jamshedpur, 1980 Moradabad, 1989 Bhagalpur, 1993 Mumbai and countless other riots under Congress rule; Muzaffarnagar 2013 and at least two dozen more elsewhere in UP during the last two years of Samajwadi Party rule; or the brutal killing and rape of Kashmiri Pandits and their subsequent “ethnic cleansing” from their homeland forced by Islamic fundamentalists in 1989 under National Front rule. Incidentally, 1984 riots were also disgracefully justified with “big tree falls” remark by the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

No reference is also made of the fact that post 2012, no communal disturbances have occurred in Gujarat or how the state has developed under Modi’s rule. Moreover, BJP ruled states are relatively more peaceful and better administered than those governed by other parties.

Also omitted is the fact that the six year NDA rule from 1998 to 2004 under Atal Bihari Vajpayee was a rare period of internal peace, economic growth and consolidation, unprecedented infrastructural planning and execution – be it National Highways, Delhi Metro or new airports; during which the country also successfully conducted peaceful nuclear test and won the proxy war in Kargil forced upon us by Pakistan.

It is up to us thus, the common citizens of this country, to ponder before we cast our votes.

We have to understand that the self-appointed guardians of “secularism” show their concern only for Muslims to ensure that they remain their captive vote bank to be cashed at the polling booth, other minorities totally ignored as they cannot be used thus.

We also have to understand that most political parties have no inner party democracy and are run like family owned shops. Brothers, sisters, wives, daughters, sons and relatives are fielded as candidates; kith and kin mint money by way of contracts, bribes and kickbacks if they get to participate in the government; while the cheated voter awaits fulfilment of promises made to him in vain. We have allowed our netas to fool us for far too long.

We must likewise remember that the Constitution of India, which guarantees justice, liberty and equality to all of us irrespective of our caste, creed, sex or religion, is to be strictly adhered to by the person who takes oath as the country’s Prime Minister. He does not act alone but collectively as per the decisions of the Cabinet. Additionally, he is answerable to the Legislature and Judiciary, besides being under constant media scrutiny.

Amid such situation, who do we give our mandate to? To those playing the caste and communal cards, to those in league with criminals, those promising freebies and more quotas, the corrupt, deceivers, self-seekers, medieval, or the ones with a proven track record and who can be trusted for deliverance?

The choice is ours.

(Published in Garhwal Post on 15/04/2014)

Over 200 seats for BJP means support for Modi: Vinod Mehta

A congregation of social activists, school children, scribes and eminent citizens of Doon had a rare stimulating intellectual interaction on Sunday with celebrated editor Vinod Mehta as he delivered a candid talk on his understanding of the current political scene in the country.

Hosted by Garhwal Post at St. Joseph’s Academy, the tête-à-tête was informal, simple and to the point - no ifs and buts.

Though an ardent supporter of Congress, Mehta feels that the winds of political change have been blowing in the country for many months now and the people of India made up their minds long ago to vote Congress party out of power in the 2014 general elections. People are angry with the incumbent government and the extent of the people’s wrath will be reflected in the final tally of seats.

As he has been saying for the past few months now, Mehta feels that BJP’s Narendra Modi is set to assume office as the country’s Prime Minister next month. If the BJP gets less than 200 seats, it will mean that the vote is for the party while anything over that would mean that people have voted for Modi. He, however, has doubts on Modi’s ability to carry with him all the religious minorities of the country. Mehta also disclosed that he has two ongoing cases in courts against Modi.

BJP, he said, was flush with funds as was evident in its aggressive advertisement blitz. Congress, on the other hand, seemed to be heading for its worst ever performance, with a strong possibility of failing to reach even the three figure mark. There also seemed to be voices within the Congress to give a larger role to Priyanka as Rahul appeared to be not only a reluctant leader but also not fit for the grind of Indian politics.

Mehta was also critical of the hate campaign speech by Congress candidate from Saharanpur in UP Imran Masood wherein he said that he would cut Narendra Modi to pieces if he attempted to turn UP into Gujarat. He also blamed the media, particularly television, for showing the objectionable clip repeatedly thereby making the situation graver.

The interactive session that followed was lively too.

Renu D. Singh, eminent lawyer and social worker, asked whether women-specific issues and participation of women in politics will get a boost should Narendra Modi become the Prime Minister, Mehta said though he did not foresee anything dramatic happening, yet things could change for the better if a dynamic person like Sushma Swaraj heads the ministry for Women and Child Development.

Several school children wanted to know what he thought of Arvind Kejriwal and his ill-fated government in Delhi, to which he said Kejriwal was a good protester but did not have a clue to governance and hence could not run his government. Mehta answered several other queries from the audience amid cheering and applause.

All in all it was an absorbing and fruitful session.

Eminent citizen Dr. S. Farooq welcomed Vinod Mehta with a bouquet of flowers.

Satish Sharma was the master of ceremonies.

(Published in Garhwal Post on 07/04/2014)

Time for a Women's Party?

We are strange people. We worship goddesses like Laxmi, Durga, Kali and numerous others with great fervour in homes and temples across the country. Some people can also be seen touching the feet of contemporary powerful women like Sonia Gandhi, J. Jailalitha, Mamta Banerjee, Mayawati, etc. But in real life, many of us subject our women to all possible kinds of atrocities and deny them even their most basic rights.

In line with our hypocrisy vis-à-vis women who constitute half of our populace, the MPs we sent to New Delhi five years ago ensured that the Women’s Reservation Bill proposing to reserve 33% of seats for women at all levels of legislature lapsed with the dissolution of the 15^th Lok Sabha. Similar bills had been introduced thrice earlier in 1990s and had met the same fate.

In spite of the fact that we had the world’s second woman prime minister way back in 1966, the number of women in parliament and state assemblies has been abysmally low. The percentage of women MPs has varied from less than four in the 6^th Lok Sabha to eleven in the 15^th. Closer home, only 5 women (7%) got elected to the Uttarakhand Assembly in 2007 as well as 2012, while the state has sent one woman MP apiece to Rajya and  Lok Sabha so far.

To ensure the right of women to participate in politics, the Women’s Reservation Bill, drafted in 1996, was introduced by the UPA government in May 2008 in Rajya Sabha during its first tenure. It was duly passed by Rajya Sabha on 10^th March 2010. Our representatives kept the bill pending in Lok Sabha for four years on some pretext or the other, even as numerous others were passed with little or no discussion.

Those opposed to the bill were supporters of the government like Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Bahujan Samaj Party and Trinamool Congress; whereas Janata Dal United and Shiv Sena were from the NDA camp. BSP’s Mayawati claimed that the bill was an example of anti-dalit mentality of the Congress and other political parties, while SP’s Mulayam Singh Yadav was not in its favour as he feared his own political career could come to a premature end if his constituency got reserved for women! Yadav also made certain unsavoury statements in reference to the bill.

It is worthwhile to note that this bill had widespread backing of various women’s organizations across the country; and the ruling Congress, the opposition BJP and many other parties in the parliament. AIADMK chief J. Jayalalitha, DMK’s M. Karunanidhi and BJD’s Naveen Patnaik welcomed the bill and appealed that it be adopted without delay time and again.  It also had full support of CPM, CPI, NCP, Telugu Desam Party, Akali Dal and AGP.

Notwithstanding a joint appeal to Lok Sabha MPs to pass the bill in its last session by women leaders Sushma Swaraj (BJP), Sheila Dixit (Congress) and Brinda Karat (CPI-M) from a shared platform in December 2013 and in spite of the fact that parties supporting it had more than the required strength to carry it through, it was not passed;  even as the government worked overtime to successfully push the bill for bifurcation of the state of Andhra Pradesh through both the houses of parliament in record three days.

Interestingly, had this bill been passed and had the government lost its majority in the house as a consequence following withdrawal of support by some of its allies, it would not have mattered at all at this stage. Sonia Gandhi’s “regret” at the bill not being passed by Lok Sabha for lack of consensus thus appears hollow.  

Whether our leaders genuinely want the presence of more women in legislature, or their intent is merely to exploit the issue for garnering votes, will be known to us over the next few weeks. The onus now is on political parties currently in business to ensure that women comprise a respectable percentage of the candidates they field in the forthcoming general elections on their tickets.

Should they fail to do so, it would perhaps be time for the women of this country and their well-wishers to dump them altogether and form a new party dominated by women.

(Published in Garhwal Post on 11/03/2014)

Notional Highway 58

Dear Satish Sharma ji,

This has reference to your “Open invitation to the CM” (GP dated 18/02/2014).

Let me first bring to your notice that you took an inordinately long time in congratulating Shri Harish Rawat ji, our new Chief Minister. You could easily have done so on 1^st February itself at parade ground where hordes of people from across the length and breadth of our state had assembled for this specific purpose.

You were, perhaps, unaware.  Maybe caught in a traffic jam. Or did you have some sort of an understanding with the BJP that you greeted the CM on the day the opposition party tabled the no confidence motion against his government in Vidhan Sabha? Please come clean on the matter.

State of the road from Doon to Delhi? Well it is UK-UP-UK-UP-Delhi if you take the Mohand route and UK-UP-Delhi if you want to go via Haridwar. Even a X standard child knows that. You urgently need to upgrade your knowledge of local geography.

That you feel the road is in an appalling condition is quite surprising. It is possible that you are ignorant of the fact that each of the thousands of potholes have been carefully designed, carved and put in place purposefully by none other but the Rain God himself. The sole objective being to bring people approaching Doon face to face with the almighty every few metres so that even the most stubborn atheist enters Uttarakhand as a spiritual person! Our state, after all, is Dev Bhoomi.

The road in question ensures that the first lap of adventure tourism begins at Uttarakhand Martyrs memorial at Rampur Tiraha itself; Mussoorie and Rishikesh being the stopovers for the second. NHAI should, in fact, seriously consider setting up a few “Fool Plazas” to make users of this notional (or is it national?) highway to pay tax for the thrills that they are presently getting for free. Moreover, this road has also been providing more and more self-employment opportunities to local folks who have set up puncture repair and motor workshops en route; as well as supporting our auto ancillary industry amid the current economic downturn.

This being the situation, your demand for repairs is unreasonable on two counts. One, it would amount to interference in divine work which you yourself oppose when, for example, trees are cut for road widening; and two, you seem to have no knowledge of how the government works. Unlike your newspaper that you bring out a new edition of everyday, government work is serious and thus takes time.

Orders are issued at the top, transmitted down the entire political and then the bureaucratic hierarchy to the concerned babu in the secretariat, before the first alphabet on the first page of the file is written. The file then goes up and comes down similarly with notings, sightings and initials several times before it is complete and ready to be acted upon, assuming that clearance from the high command in New Delhi has been obtained somewhere in between.

Concern for road repair will duly be announced just before the enforcement of the model code of conduct for parliamentary elections, while the file will be completed and contracts awarded a month or two before the 2017 assembly polls, thereby gaining brownie points twice instead of just once if your suggestion is considered.

And now the real reason for writing this letter to you. You have either forgotten to or deliberately not mentioned the type of vehicle you are going to use on your intended ride to Muzaffarnagar with the CM.  Is it a bicycle, scooter, motorbike, auto-rickshaw, vikram, car, jeep, SUV, tractor, bus, truck, jugaad or one that I may be ignorant of? Is it bullet proof?

As per my information, for security reasons, Chief Minister is permitted to use only a bullet proof car along with his fleet consisting of many other vehicles when travelling by road, primarily for commuting locally in Doon; taking the aerial route for inter-city and long distance journeys. So choose an appropriate automobile prudently.

And while doing so, don’t forget that Shri Satpal Maharaj ji  carried out survey for Doon Saharanpur railway line in 1997 by helicopter!

With best regards,

Rajive Singh.

(Published in Garhwal Post on 21/02/2014 as Upgrade knowledge of Geography!)

Missed the Plot

The constitution of India came into effect on 26 January 1950, giving power to its citizens to rule themselves, i.e., being administered by a government of, by and for the people. More importantly, it endeavored to secure to all its inhabitants justice, liberty and equality; as well as promoting fraternity, individual dignity and unity and integrity of the nation. The world’s largest Democratic Republic was thus born, full of hope and promise.

Sixty four years on, many of the goals we set for ourselves continue to elude us.

Based on the situation prevailing then, our constitution provided reservation on the basis of caste in parliament, legislatures, educational institutions and government jobs for a period of 20 years, hoping that disadvantaged sections would attain parity with others within the stipulated time. Whereas this in itself was controversial as not all upper caste people were rich, educated and well off, and vice versa; what instead happened was the cornering of most such benefits by the affluent of such castes in the initial years and by their progenies thereafter. Few of the actual intended beneficiaries could actually use it to their advantage.

Such quota system not only continues till date, but more and more castes have been included, while many others are clamoring to get in, even as the percentage of reservation itself has gone up significantly, amid shrinking opportunities. Worse, our political parties have been trying to bring private sector under the reservation net too.

            For the quota system to really have a positive effect on the lives of the have-nots, it should be a one-time concession made available to an individual - and not for all his descendants for all times to come - poverty being the only basis. Moreover, its quantum must come down to reasonable levels.

Secularism is one feature that can unite people of different faiths like no other. For us, however, it means selective minority ism, i.e., a particular religious minority is wooed and pampered for political gain, other minorities and the majority being given a go by. Anyone talking about the interest of the majority community is branded a fundamentalist. Following a communal disturbance, a large number of our secularists shed bountiful tears for one group but fail to do the same for sufferers belonging to the other.

In 1989 when militants subjected Kashmiri Pandits to numerous indignities and brutalities such as murder, rape of women, torture, forcible seizure of property, etc., forcing them to flee their homeland, our elected governments in New Delhi and Srinagar watched helplessly and spinelessly, failing to take tough action. Even as the Pandits complete 25 years as refugees in camps in their own country, our secularists have failed to take notice of their plight, their return to and rehabilitation in Kashmir seemingly not even being on anybody’s agenda.

Rather than promoting fraternity, reservation and secularism have become tools in the hands of our politicians to compartmentalize us for exploitation as vote banks.

Law and order has deteriorated across the country as a result of political interference in police work and its increasing use in providing security to VIPs. Politicians have also been patronizing big time criminals increasingly, many of them being lawbreakers themselves.

Ghastly crimes are on the rise; particularly against children, women and senior citizens; with no respite in sight. Meaningful action is taken only if people come out on the streets to protest or political scores are to be settled.

Bribery, larceny and lethargy reign supreme in government offices. Contracts are awarded not on merit but on the amount of kickbacks received. Public funds are frequently embezzled in the corridors of power. Security of the country is compromised for easy money.

Justice remains an illusion for most. Our courts take years for delivering verdicts, resulting in even well-intentioned witnesses frequently turning hostile. Conviction rates are abysmally low as police commonly botch up investigation.While our brave defence personnel have been making supreme sacrifices for us in increasing numbers, our governments have been shying away from taking tough decisions. Pakistan not only controls part of Kashmir and repeatedly violates the LOC, but also sends in terrorists regularly. Chinese forces have been intruding into our territory more and more frequently. Bangladesh has been exporting illegal immigrants to us in ever increasing numbers. We have been repeatedly failing to protect our national interest. What went wrong? Where did we lose the plot? Nobody seems to have any answer.

Amid the great hope of 1950 turning to despair, we celebrate our 65^th Republic Day. A great official - of, by and for the government -  spectacle in New Delhi, exhibiting our military might, heritage, culture, and unity; for Chief Guest Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan, our elected rulers and the world to witness.

All is not lost, though. For the ordinary citizen of this country is increasingly refusing to play the mute spectator.

(Published in Garhwal Post on 25th January 2014)

How far can AAP go?

The euphoria amongst the residents of Delhi in general and the supporters of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in particular after AAP’s success in the December 2013 Assembly polls is quite like the one witnessed in March 1977 across the country in the wake of the defeat of the Congress at the hands of the Janata Party in the general elections and the installation of the first ever non-Congress Union government. Shiela Dixit herself got humiliated in her own constituency, as had Indira Gandhi in Rae Barielly then. Elsewhere, Congress lost out to the BJP in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chattisgarh, while it retained power in Mizoram.

Post the debacle, a sudden flurry of activity from the Congress has been witnessed. The Lokpal Bill was hurriedly gotten passed by both the houses of parliament in record two days and has already received presidential assent. Maharashtra government, that had rejected the Judicial Commission report on Adarsh scam on 20^th December, is likely to reverse its decision soon. In the wake of the recent Supreme Court judgement upholding I.P.C. section 377 as valid a review petition has been hurriedly filed by the government, though nothing had been done for the last 13 years after Law Commission recommended that it be scrapped. Augusta Westland helicopter deal has been scrapped. Some twenty five years after Rajiv Gandhi famously admitted that barely 10% of the funds meant for the poor actually reached them – 90% being swindled en route, his son Rahul has suddenly realised that people are in a “mood” to fight corruption!

Anti-corruption crusader turned politician Arvind Kejriwal donning the mantle of the first non-Congress non-BJP Chief Minister of Delhi, albeit of a minority government, has to walk the tightrope in his bid to keep his populist poll promises on electricity and water; provide transparent and corruption free governance; as also to keep the Congress party in good humour to ensure its continued support. He has started off well by doing away with unnecessary heavy security in the Secretariat as also beacons on ministers and bureaucrats cars. After all, public servants who are not easily accessible to and have to be shielded from the ordinary citizens they are supposed to serve are not only useless but also a huge drain on scarce public funds.

All right thinking and forward looking citizens of India are fed up of the raging all round corruption that has taken firm roots in our country to an extent that, if not dealt with and uprooted urgently, will soon put a question mark on our very existence as a nation. Tales of how politicians, bureaucrats and power brokers are routinely looting us are uncovered regularly as newer scams get exposed. Police is busy guarding the “servants” of the public while the “masters” must fend for themselves. Kejriwal himself stood up for such issues and much of his electoral success can be attributed to this. As such, his working, particularly in the area of tackling graft, will be under constant public scrutiny.

Our political parties compete with each other in making unreasonable promises while wooing voters, subsidy being the magic word. LPG, kerosene and diesel are sold at less than what they cost in the name of “taming” inflation, rendering blue chip oil companies sick on one hand and preventing private players from competing on the other. Safety and services on Indian Railways, the third largest globally, take a back seat as passenger fares are not hiked for a decade since the incumbent ministers want to add to their political clout. Our leaders, perhaps, want us to become a nation of freeloaders wanting all without paying for anything.

In line with this tradition and as promised, the AAP government has already announced 700 litres of free water per household per day and slashed the electricity tariff by half for three months. More sops may be in the pipeline. How, why and for how long can goods and services can thus be provided is anybody’s guess. Ultimately some other vital plans have to be put on hold or abandoned altogether to support such subsidies. It would have been much better had AAP promised uninterrupted supplies at normal rates.

Congress has a notorious history of opportunistically propping up and ditching other dispensations at its whims. In 1979, it promised outside support to an ambitious Charan Singh who split the Janata Party to form a minority government, only to ditch him on the floor of the Lok Sabha. It meted out similar treatment to Chandra Shekhar in1990, H.D. Deve Gowda in 1997 and I.K. Gujral in 1998, thus forcing three early general elections on the country. Against this backdrop, it would be foolhardy to think that the present AAP government can last very long. As such Kejriwal has to work swiftly and hard to showcase his administrative skills. 

By lending support to AAP, Congress seems to have struck a political masterstroke. It has not only denied an upbeat BJP a 4-0 victory in the Hindi belt, but also ensured that Kejriwal and his team are kept busy in Delhi ahead of the parliamentary polls six months away, thereby minimising the influence of AAP elsewhere in the country. These twin objectives achieved, it is expected that Congress will lose little time in dumping Kejriwal soon after the general elections, irrespective of their outcome.

(Published in Garhwal Post on 3rd January 2014)