Heaven is literally falling to greed. It is just not Joshimath but even Tehri Garhwal, Karnaprayag, and Mussorie that are also sinking and so may be many other parts at the crest of the Uttarakhand Himalayas. The Rs 12,000-crore Char Dham (CD) all-weather road projects spurring real estate are gobbling up all.
Latest reports say that still the earth movers are digging around Joshimath and other areas even as over 4,000 persons have been evacuated and most houses are crumbling. Tragedies do not stop the road to hell. In 2013, the Uttarakhand Government sought Rs 21,000 crore for ruthless reconstruction after the Himalayan deluge. It seems to be the catalyst for the present disaster.
The Tehri district is the latest to report cracks and land subsidence. An IIT Roorkee team is studying Karnaprayag. Chamba in the Tehri, around a CD tunnellng remains the worst hit with houses crumbling. seepage at Tehri dam is common, reports SP Rai of the National Institute of Hydrology. Now a road from Mana to Lipulekh through sensitive hills with the rare virgin forest is the latest to be in danger. In June 2013, after the Kedarnath tragedy this scribe mentioned “in all there are 244 hydel projects (HEP) of various sizes planned to be constructed in the state. Some of these are already on the streams. Others are coming up. Pancheswar dam being planned in Tanakpur is likely to be bigger than Tehri and the biggest in India. Does that mean more disasters are awaiting the region?” Unfortunately, it is so. Nobody listened to the cries of former minister Uma Bharati to not dislodge the image of the presiding deity, Dhari Devi before the June 18, 2013 cloudburst. The CAG reviewed 42 hydel projects in 2009.
It noted that over 200 more projects were coming up – almost every five to seven km. The yearning for making Uttarakhand the “Urja Pradesh” has led to reckless development. Ravi Chopra, former head of the High-Power Committee for CD roads, says that a bypass around Joshimath was opposed by the townspeople. The 10-meter-wide road all around the state weakens the hills with digging, blasting, and removal of green cover and aquifers. In 2010, HNB Garhwal University study said a tunnel boring machine punctured an aquifer on December 24, 2009, releasing millions of litres of water daily from NTPC’s Tapovan-Vishnugad 520 MW hydel project.
The researchers warned of the mishap’s potential for “initiating ground subsidence”. It was forgotten till December 2022 when the looming nightmare became a reality around Joshimath. This punctured aquifer gushing out water is the cause for Joshimath sinking, confirms Garhwal Commissioner Sushil Kumar. In February 2021, around 200 people went missing as Dhauliganga and Rishibhanga rivers flooded Tapovan head race tunnel. Warnings of 1930 Swiss scientists, 1976 Commissioner MC Mishra on haphazard constructions and the Supreme Court-appointed committee of 2013 for seismically sensitive Main Central Zone advice against hydel projects were ignored.
Incidents of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOF), a UNDP and European Commission study mentioned, are happening regularly. Notable incidents occurred in 1997, 2000 and 2005 in the Sutlej basin and in 1970 and 1978 in Alaknanda and Bhagirathi basins. In 2000 and 2005, it hit the Pong Dam, in Himachal, severely damaging roads, habitations and scores of bridges. The Himalayas all around is crumbling. Dams and roads benefit the industry-real estate mafia damning the sensitive geology and livelihood. If unchecked it may have disastrous consequences and even desertify the cradle of the civilisation in the Ganga valley. The country must rise to stop it.
Courtesy-The Pioneer, Shivaji Sarkar: The author is a senior journalist.
The richest one percent in India now own more than 40 percent of the country's total wealth, while the bottom half of the population together share just 3 percent of the wealth, a new study released by Oxfam on Monday.
Releasing the India supplement of its annual inequality report on the first day of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting here, rights group Oxfam International said that taxing India's ten-richest at 5 percent can fetch entire money to bring children back to school.
"A one-off tax on unrealized gains from 2017–2021 on just one billionaire, Gautam Adani, could have raised Rs 1.79 lakh crore, enough to employ more than five million Indian primary school teachers for a year," it added.
The report titled 'Survival of the Richest' further said that if India's billionaires are taxed once at 2 percent on their entire wealth, it would support the requirement of Rs 40,423 crore for the nutrition of malnourished in the country for the next three years.
"A one-time tax of 5 percent on the 10 richest billionaires in the country (Rs 1.37 lakh crore) is more than 1.5 times the funds estimated by the Health and Family Welfare Ministry (Rs 86,200 crore) and the Ministry of Ayush (Rs 3,050 crore) for the year 2022-23," it added.
"Taxing the top 100 Indian billionaires at 2.5 percent, or taxing the top 10 Indian billionaires at 5 percent would nearly cover the entire amount required to bring the children back into school," it added.
Oxfam said the report is a mix of qualitative and quantitative information to explore the impact of inequality in India. Since the pandemic began in Nov 2022, billionaires in India have seen their wealth surge by 121 percent or Rs 3,608 crore per day in real terms, Oxfam said.
On the other hand, approximately 64 percent of the total Rs 14.83 lakh crore in Goods and Services Tax (GST) came from the bottom 50 percent of the population in 2021-22, with only 3 percent of GST coming from the top 10 percent.
Oxfam said the total number of billionaires in India increased from 102 in 2020 to 166 in 2022. The combined wealth of India's 100 richest has touched USD 660 billion (Rs 54.12 lakh crore) -– an amount that could fund the entire Union Budget for more than 18 months, it added.
Oxfam India CEO Amitabh Behar said, "The country's marginalised – Dalits, Adivasis, Muslims, Women and informal sector workers are continuing to suffer in a system which ensures the survival of the richest.
"The poor are paying disproportionately higher taxes, spending more on essential items and services when compared to the rich. The time has come to tax the rich and ensure they pay their fair share."
Behar urged the Union finance minister to implement progressive tax measures such as wealth tax and inheritance tax, which he said have been historically proven to be effective in tackling inequality.
By all accounts, BJP MP Varun Gandhi is on his way out of the party. In that event, he could either 're-align with his 'parental party' or would find a ‘third-alternative', write Deepak K Upreti and Dipak Kumar Jha
The buzz is growing louder that Varun Gandhi is counting his days in the BJP. Except for Subramanian Swamy, no other BJP leader has chastised his own party the way Varun has done over the last two years. But worse. He sounds so much like his cousin Rahul Gandhi. The same outrage against the politics of communalism and caste, the same criticism of the role of media, and the same concerns for the farmers and unemployed youth. The same outpouring of emotion over the future of the nation.
Incidentally, he is also heard saying in one of the viral videos that he has nothing against Congress or Nehru ji. An ‘unconventional politician’ and three-time BJP member of parliament, Varun Gandhi is now looking beyond the ‘self-limiting barriers’ of the saffron party. By all accounts, Varun is on his way out. In that event, he could either ‘re-align with his ‘parental party’ or would find a ‘third-alternative’.
When contacted by The Pioneer on his public stand on various issues going contrary to the central dispensation, the dissident MP said “I believe, I joined public life out of a sense of duty, I believe am doing all that could benefit average Indian and change the routine political discourse around us....”.
The countdown for the 42-year-old, the son of former central minister Maneka Gandi and the late Sanjay Gandhi, has begun. The BJP has completely marginalized him after pitting him and his mother against the Gandhi family of the Congress.
But as the Modi- led BJP captured Uttar Pradesh, the BJP cold-shouldered the MP from Pilibhit who at one time was seen as a possible Chief Ministerial candidate for the electorally biggest states in the country.
Appointed party secretary under Nitin Gadkari and then the youngest General secretary under the presidentship of Rajnath Singh, at the age of 33, Varun looked to fly high when the regime of Amit Shah suddenly clipped his wings and dropped him as General Secretary.
Varun did not seem to fit in the strict command and control of Modi-Shah BJP which is way different from the Vajpayee-Advani structure carrying imprints of ‘liberal shades’. The last straw for Varun has been his mother's exit from the Modi cabinet of 2019 and the dropping of both from the BJP’s National Executive.
The BJP MP has since then been making no-holds-barred strikes at the Modi-regime policies but avoided any personal attacks on the BJP leaders. The ruling party has also remained reconciled to the “uneasy peace” with an unwritten understanding that seems to be guiding both sides.
Since 2019, the BJP MP has taken a complete contrarian view on all the economic and political policies, including on the alleged religious polarization across the country. Restless and ambitious, Varun says “ Look at my track record and tell me, if I am not speaking for people in any of my writings or actions”.
And something none can hold against him is the fact that he is the only MP who is not drawing his salary and donating it to “farmers on the verge of suicide on account of their debt” while a majority of other MPs seek higher salaries, more perks, and privileges.
In Uttar Pradesh, the Pilibhit MP from 2015 to 2017 worked out a plan towards an “individual solution” for the debt-ridden farmers, particularly those on the verge of suicide. In his book ‘Rural Manifesto’, Varun pointed out economic markers driving farmers to suicide in UP.
The crowd-funding efforts, he says, made 8000 to 10000 farmers debt free in 20 districts of UP. He is the only MP from National Democratic Alliance who supported ‘Jan Lokpal bill and sat at ‘Ram Lila Maidan’ to back it in 2011. He also backed the ‘Kisan Andolan’, condemned police attacks on farmers, and supported the victims of Lakhimpur Kheri violence in UP.
The MP also points to the fact he has espoused the cause of Independent judiciary vis-vis ‘committed judiciary’ to allow free speech and ethos. He went on to criticize the Modi dispensation for leaving two crore government jobs vacant when the unemployment, post-Covid, was at its peak. Thereafter, he also presented a private Member bill ‘Bharosa : Bhartiya Rojgar Sanhita’ for a mandatory and time-bound filling of government jobs in the country.
Even before 2019, he had taken a non-party stance but the party re-nominated him and his mother Maneka Gandhi and even allowed them to swap constituencies.
The BJP bosses have ignored his potshots, but it is unlikely that this time Varun will escape the guillotine of the BJP parliamentary board when it comes to picking up candidates for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah are not known to forgive and forget. Varun cannot retrace his steps. He has to move forward, on a path that may unite the Gandhi family and see him emerging as the poster boy of the Congress in Uttar Pradesh in the 2024 polls. Who knows, he may even explore other options if winnability was his sole concern. But one thing is clear: Varun’s days in the BJP are numbered.
Rahul Gandhi recently ducked a question on the prospect of Varun joining the Congress and said only party president M Mallikarjun Kharge was competent to talk on the subject. But few will believe that Kharge will have any say in a matter which involved such sensitive family issues.
It is believed that Priyanka could become the catalyst for Varun’s departure from the BJP and entry into Congress. And if this happens, it would also unify the Nehru-Gandhi family after almost 40 years when the Sonia Gandhi-Maneka Gandhi tiff split the Congress’ first family.
“Varun has a significant following in Pilibhit-Sultanpur-Lakhimpur Khiri and its surrounding areas. If he joins the Congress, this could be a big boost to Congress which is struggling to regain its foothold in UP beyond the family boroughs of Amethi and Raebareli,” said Pushpendra, former Professor and Dean at Tata Institute of Social Science (TISS).
Pusphendra further explained how a new political environment will be created in case Varun joins the Congress. “In politics, the word ‘mahaul’ has a lot of significance. As the political climate seems to change over Congress’ Yatra, Varun’s joining may both affect and impact. People from other parties in the State like SP and BSP (which seems to fade away now) may follow the suit and joins the winds of change,” the political analyst said.
Earlier it was speculated that Sonia and Rahul were not keen to allow another Gandhi to join the family enterprise, especially one with much more ambition and drive than Rahul. But after the stupendous success of the Bharat jodo yatra, Rahul seems to be in complete control of things in Congress. He has no reason to feel wary of anyone with or outside the party.
Significantly, on the 76th birth anniversary of Sanjay Gandhi, the Congress gave much more space to their former dynamic leader which was never done in three decades.
Varun seems determined to create a situation that leads to his exit from the BJP. This reflects in his speeches. Look at the following:” The politics of our country should be to unite the country, not the politics of creating a civil war. We should not do politics that suppress people, rather we should do politics that uplift people…..TV and newspapers are only doing Hindu-Muslim, Hindu-Muslim, and caste politics. Divide brothers and kill brothers. We will not let these politics happen,” Varun said recently.
His statement is compared with Rahul’s speech in Delhi during the Bharat Jodo Yatra. Interestingly, almost ‘caged’ in the BJP, Varun has flourished with his pen.
Dwelling on rural distress, Varun has written 1000 pages of’ Rural Manifesto - Realizing India’s future through her villages’ , which is “taught in economic courses” of some of the universities. Next month, he is bringing out his other 1100 pages volume on ‘Urbanization- the Indian Metropolis’. ‘The otherness of the self’ and ‘ Stillness’ are his two early books on poetry by Varun.
In the run-up to 2024, the Gandhi scion is, understandably, all set to end his existential dilemma and the BJP too may reciprocate in equal measure.
(Syndicated column: The Writer/s are special correspondent of The Pioneer)
It has not just changed the lives of people to a great extent but has changed their way of thinking and learning
In July 2015, the government launched the ‘Digital India’ initiative to improve the online infrastructure and increase internet accessibility among its citizens; thereby empowering the country to become more digitally advanced in almost all sectors and since then there has been no turning back. As we continue to advance in the 21st century, the rise of digital technology has become increasingly evident. We live in a world where modern technology has not only made our lives easier, faster, better but has also cleared the way for multi-functional devices such as smartphones and smartwatches.
Digital technology has affected almost every aspect of our lives. For instance, in the workplace, multiple hardware and software have increased efficiency and productivity, thereby allowing businesses to operate globally. In personal lives, the internet has opened a world of information and connectivity, making it easier to stay connected with friends and family.
With the advancements in the field of Science and Technology, electronic gadgets and devices play a vital role. Gadgets such as smartphones, laptops, e-readers, motion sensors, vacuum cleaners, sensor sprinklers, video doorbells, wireless lighting control systems, etc., have made our lives pleasurable and comfortable. Digital technology has modified almost every aspect of modern life so it is now rare to find an electronic device that does not consolidate digital technology in some way.
Most digital tools are more popular among children and likely among elders too. There is no denying the fact that these technologies enhance the learning process of learners by providing them with easy access to information, deepening their understanding of difficult concepts and helping them explore new opportunities with the click of a button. As technology continues to grow, learner starts developing knowledge of various technological skills at an early stage that they will need in the future. It will also make them good multitaskers and good decision makers.
However, if not put to good use, the same digital technology can also give rise to various physical and psychological issues such as excessive exposure to social media may cause eyestrain and the learner might face difficulty, focusing on important tasks. At times, it may even lead to serious health conditions such as anxiety or depression.
Today none of us can even imagine a world without the internet, smartphones, tablets, electronic games and other handheld devices. Social media, online gaming, and other forms of digital communication have become a part and parcel of our life. The digital world has made it easy to stay connected with friends, family, and relatives and work remotely. We can express our views, make videos, share opinions, and exchange ideas and strategies through social applications, websites and software, even if we are in two different corners of the world.
The use of digital technology has even helped in flourishing digital businesses. In a recent report, McKinsey highlighted that the ‘Digital India’ initiative is expected to boost the country’s digital economy to $1trillion by 2025. Digital technology enables the storage of large amounts of information such as videos, music, reports, etc in relatively small spaces or devices such as mobile phones or drives. Not only this, but with continuous advancement over time, the information stored, or the videos can also be edited.
The world of digital technology opens its doors to several learning opportunities. Anybody having access to the internet has the opportunity to the world’s knowledge.
Moreover, this technology is beneficial to people with disabilities and can give them regular access. Consumers today are demanding applications that can tell them on their phones how they are doing health-wise. The availability of hundreds of health applications such as HealthTap, WebMD, Apple Health, Pocket Pharmacist, Teladoc, headspace, Medicine and many more have helped patients to monitor their health and disease, thereby simplifying patient management at hospitals.
Digital technology has changed the lives of people to a great extent. It has changed their way of thinking and learning thereby making them more independent and knowledgeable in almost all aspects of life. Recent developments such as Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence have helped the government to a large extent in providing efficiency in the services they render. There is less paperwork as such technologies allow the government to keep its confidential records in a secure ledger.
Digital technology with digital learning when put to good use will open its gate to digital opportunity i.e. it will lead to the opening of new possibilities which will further lead to communication, social networking, collaboration, content management and access to analytics data, along with staff and customer satisfaction.
(Courtesy The Pioneer: The author is a teacher at a reputed school in Delhi)
Yogi Adityanath will have to rein in saffron activists if he wants the film city project to be successful
The Uttar Pradesh Government seems to be serious about its dream to make the state a film-making centre. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday met a number of leading lights of Hindi cinema on Thursday for the purpose. In fact, the state has been trying to attract the film industry for quite some time. Film City came up at Noida decades ago, but it eventually got occupied by television news channels. Undeterred by the failure of Noida’s Film City to become a major film centre, the Chief Minister interacted with several people from the film fraternity, including producer Boney Kapoor, actor Ravi Kishen (who is also Lok Sabha MP from Gorakhpur), Bhojpuri actor Dinesh Lal Nirhua, playback singers Sonu Nigam and Kailash Kher, actor Suniel Shetty, and filmmakers Chandraprakash Dwivedi, Madhur Bhandarkar, and Rajkumar Santoshi. A day earlier, the Chief Minister had met actor Akshay Kumar. After the half-an-hour-long meeting, Kumar said, “Many big production houses, producers, directors and actors are waiting for the UP Film City. The development of world-class film and infotainment city in UP will provide a new option to the cinema world.” If that happens, UP will see a lot of economic development and employment generation. As the largest Hindi-speaking state, UP is quite apt to have a film centre. With the state administration keen on a film city, it can become a reality in the foreseeable future. So far, so good.
However, it takes more than political will and administrative support to develop a film city; it also requires a socio-cultural milieu in which creative arts can flourish; and it is here that the shoe pinches. UP, like most other parts of the Hindi heartland, is dominated by the Bharatiya Janata Party and its front organisations. One of the biggest ailments that the saffron party is afflicted with is a kind of split personality disorder. Party leaders and Government functionaries talk about world-class infrastructure, state-of-the-art facilities, the latest technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning, and so on; they also walk the talk, as evident from the various policies and programmes that the Centre and BJP Governments in states are implementing. Anyone viewing such developments would say that these guys belong to the 21st century. But, unfortunately, many of them also belong to the 17th century; one just has to notice their views on cows and mythology to realise this fact. Many centuries live in the BJP. The 21st century BJP may want UP to emerge as a prominent film centre, but will the medievalists let that happen? That is the moot question. It is a well-known fact that cinema gets the worst treatment from the enemies of free speech; also, most of these enemies are from the Hindutva camp. The folks who scrutinise Ravan’s looks and Deepika Padukone’s dress may not like the ways of filmy people in their state. If Adityanath can control that, the film city project may become successful.
Bharat Jodo Yatra takes a break. It is time they think about the Yatra’s future course and beyond.
After walking for almost 3000 kilometers Rahul Gandhi and his entourage are resting in Delhi before they march again on January 3 towards their final destination in Kashmir. Rahul Gandhi has come a long way both physically as well as metaphorically. It has been a welcome transition from a shy boy eight years ago to a confident-looking gentleman who is daring to take on his opponents and braving all attacks on him. Indeed Bharat Jodo Yatra has been a game changer at least for him if not for his party. It would indeed be much more to revive the party at the hustings and win the elections. Winning hearts does not automatically translate into winning elections. A lot more goes into it like strategy, groundwork, ideology articulation, and of course an articulator. No doubt the party which was lying almost dormant is awake and even its workers look energetic and confident. The same party which took all the jibes without any fuss is now retorting to every criticism of Yatra and Rahul and succeeding in pushing the BJP back. What is more, this yatra has shown that the party’s organizing skills are intact and it can manage to mobilize its workers on the ground across the country. Another comeback has been in terms of coverage and media attention. Though the media is not friendly to him it has certainly taken note of it. It could not ignore him for the sheer consistency and magnitude.
The big question is what is next. Now that the Yatra would resume on January 3, its organizers would have time to review its progress and what it lacks. Though the people’s participation in the rally has been phenomenal, the opposition has remained cautious and skeptical and hasn’t come along. The party has done well to invite Akhilesh Yadav and other parties to walk along things might change. If the congress party wants to make a comeback it would have to think beyond Yatra and devise a strategy to reap the harvest and channelise the goodwill generated by the Yatra. Another drawback the congress party has and which is not going to wither away by yatra is internal bickering which is harming its prospects. Gehlot – Pilot feud is just the tip of the iceberg. There are many more disgruntled leaders in the party who have to be pacified. Last but not least Prime Minister Modi Is still far ahead of Rahul Gandhi in popularity and as a charmer and that would be the toughest challenge for Rahul Gandhi and his party to counter.
Amitabh Bachchan airs Bollywood's pain as he talks about censorship and moral policing
The anguish of Bollywood came to the fore in the inaugural address of Kolkata film festival when the veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan chose to speak about the censorship that is taking away creative freedom and jeopardizing freedom of speech. Though it was a veiled attack, he did not mince words in saying that jingoism was ruling the cinema world today which is detrimental to the film industry. He also talked about the need to have an inclusive environment in which all shades of opinion could grow and find a voice. He implored his fraternity to fall back upon the three stalwarts of the cinema, Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen, and Ritwik Ghatak whose films he said showed society as it was and did not bother about the consequences. Shahrukh Khan whose film ‘Pathan’ is in the eye of a storm also talked about the need to have a robust system where a multitude of voices and ideologies thrived. While Amitabh Bachchan emphasized free speech, and censorship in the film industry, superstar Shah Rukh Khan spoke about the “narrowness” driving social media.
Bollywood is going through a tough time. Most films it produces are tanking at the box office. Not because the film standards are down or people’s tastes have changed but because a large section, politically motivated, is trying to choke it to death. While some films which are pro-Hindutva and harp upon the Hindu-Muslim division, historical or contemporary, are allowed and even promoted the other films which go against it are subjected to boycott campaigns. Shahrukh Khan Starrer “Pathan” is being targeted because it has Shahrukh Khan in it and allegedly Deepika Padukone is part of ‘tukde tukde gang’. The righwing would like to dethrone the Khans from the industry. But that doesn’t seem to be working as the popularity of Khans remains intact despite the propaganda against them. The fact remains that when you ban or boycott a film you don’t work only against the filmmaker or the actors but also hundreds of people whose effort goes into the making of the film. When films don’t earn money, it is they who are out of the job and suffer. This is truer when unemployment is at an all-time high and economic growth is slowing down. It is about time we think about the direction we are going in. Do we want to live in a country where only one philosophy, one ideology flourishes and others are censored, or gagged to death?
As a citizen of an independent country, I feel trapped amid the chaos spread by the country’s top 1% especially during the election period. They behave like some authority on humans and try to bet on almost everything that could affect the voting numbers and ultimately win the so-called Democratic election. Candidates are behaving ruthlessly and saying whatever is possibly effective in their lane. From the distribution of candidacy to their vibrant (violent) rampage-like campaigns casteism accelerates shamelessly. Every candidate is organising dialogue meetings with deceptive schemes to persuade people from almost every caste, while simultaneously cramming them in their so-called notorious community halls where selfish decisions are made and separate events and festivities are held in order to capitalise on their centuries-old tendency to appear more civilised than others. Free samosas and tea are served. l have different demands and requirements, and candidates are literally promising them in an old-fashioned way. It feels like diversity within diversity. It is nothing new to know politics divides people, but this is happening again and again in every election. They all have the same approach. From candidacy to policies; caste comes first. Those in the majority nominate their candidate or fight within their caste to establish liaison and lobbying. There is no single discussion about unity or bringing people from all castes and religions together.
Poor citizens think that the person who roams around in a Mahindra Scorpio, a Toyota Innova, or Fortuner will understand their social and economic dilemmas and bring changes. That same person will sit down with millionaire builder friends or business partners and help them to evacuate the encroached or partly legalised lands or housing societies of middle-class people. A video of an MLA shamelessly beating and kicking a woman on the side of a road in self-defence in Ahmedabad went viral, but not a single action was taken. Another one was practicing giving remdesivir by filling a syringe with injection, dropping it, and laughing in front of a nurse and other hospital staff members in Surat, just to get pictures and videos published. There was a barrage of criticism from political circles and social media but nothing happened. Nothing ever happens.
All parties have the same approach to caste-based, ignoble and hollow politics. Roaming around the streets of cities, towns, villages, and remote areas. Despite their difficulties in approaching certain regions, they have not given a single thought to what they have done to this country and its people. During campaigns, wearing a mask or handkerchief to protect one’s face from the stench of overflowing gutters and garbage dumps, or avoiding waters offered by certain people. IT cells from all parties have set up war rooms for target posting and igniting online users for heated debates and a slew of intolerable posts and proclamations.
Inequality exists within party structures as well. Top members, like the financially powerful and top lobbyists, enjoy perks ranging from greeting star campaigners on helipads to having special seats on stage or hiring private photographers to flaunt themselves online. Giant SUVs to go and attend meetings from here to there. Free accommodations at circuit house. The lowest level of the party ‘Karyakarta’ is allocating templets and flyers from door to door under the boiling afternoon sun. I noticed one party member was assigned to feed and take care of the helicopter pilot. They hardly get access to meet top members and even special food served in executive rooms. In the evening, they have to wait for snacks, and their daily wages, ranging from 200 to 500 rupees.
It is Painful to know that after 75 years of independence, they are still talking about water and electricity in their manifesto other than pollution, malnutrition, inequality, social justice, the quality of food and beverages, alleviating poverty, and taking action against companies for blatant profiteering. For instance, I personally witnessed a poor illiterate farmer being continuously exploited by a finance company over a tractor loan, charging interest after interest due to a few missed installments, and charging 950 rupees just to get his own statement on a single piece of paper; in the end, they confiscated the tractor on which his livelihood depends. He went bankrupt, and leased his own farm to another politician, and paid back the loan. As far as equality and the moral principles of democracy are concerned; not even political parties are practicing equality within themselves. i.e., they find it very difficult to even elect their own party leaders, which is an injustice to the party workers Even today, in villages or small towns average boys and girls attend average government schools and leave without being able to read a storybook, calculate sums, or learn the basic use of a computer.
The times have changed a bit in an appreciative way. Empty chairs during shrill speeches of big faces, empty roads during rallies, dubious unresponsiveness, hidden intuition, dissidence over policies, and long-held grudges are clearly visible on the surface. It seems like citizens are holding cards now to decide for themselves, but there should be no space for panglossians I’ve crossed my fingers in the hope to see minor changes in Gujarat state. Obviously, they have to choose the least arbitrator and least corrupt and cocky person to take action on such issues, and there are some new young neophyte faces to bet on. Broadcasters are endlessly feeding the Internationalen news of a single state. Of course, the results will determine the hold of the current prime minister and will reflect on the upcoming 2024 general election.
The last eight years have been momentous in India’s tumultuous history as an independent nation. They have seen India’s image soar high in the world and the nation gains geopolitical importance and respect. The Narendra Modi Government has to be complimented for the visionary steps taken to accelerate the nation’s overall development. But when we see the progress and pace of this process, we feel humbled by the comparison with our neighbouring country China whose economic status was at par with India till 1992 when the per capita GDP of both countries stood at around USD 350. But China’s rapid progress after 1995 saw its economic growth surge to catapult it to the status of the world’s second-largest economy in less than 30 years. Today China’s economy is nearly six times that of India and its per capita GDP is also that much higher at around USD 12500.
If India is to become a USD 5 trillion economy by 2025 and the world’s #2 economy by 2047, it has to do different things. China is certainly not the model for such things. China is a totalitarian state which has reached a high stage of development through a nondemocratic approach, an approach not in line with the natural pattern of human development. But more specifically, it is India’s weaknesses and lacunae in its administrative setup which require to be removed. Unfortunately, this matter has not caught the attention of the extant government so far.
A government functions through its administrative machinery, the bureaucracy and the laws and rules that apply to the working of that bureaucracy. But if the laws and rules are antiquated, obsolete and obstructive to progress, what results can we expect? The Indian bureaucratic apparatus is modelled on the archaic Indian Civil Services Act of 1861 which was enacted by the vainglorious British after crushing India’s war (mutiny) of Independence in 1857. The British Parliament decided that India will be governed by proper Acts and laws made there through a bureaucratic framework that will systematically serve their ends—exploitation and economic plunder of their colony. The vertical hierarchy bureaucratic system designed by the British was the result of the above thought. And it served them excellently till they left the shores of India in 1947.
This system was unfit for sovereign India and should have been discarded when India began its journey as a sovereign state. Both India’s Constitution which was a patchwork out of the Indian Independence Act 1935 and the British time Acts needed to be thrown to the dustbin and replaced by a Constitution and Acts in sync with India’s cultural milieu to serve as an effective and progressive governance apparatus.
It is not difficult for anyone to observe that corruption and inefficiency have plagued Indian bureaucracy all through and even during the last 8 years when the political leadership is far more honest and committed than that before 2014, our bureaucracy is not producing good results and shows practically the same old inept and corrupt behaviour. Despite some creditable steps taken by the government—repeal of many redundant minor laws, the promulgation of IBC, establishment of the GST and digitization of many processes, fast economic growth has eluded us due to antiquated administrative and judicial systems unfit for free India. The present political dispensation in India has taken some unprecedented, bold measures to give a push to the development process but bigger, bolder and broader reforms cry to be carried out. These will produce far-reaching changes in our legislative, executive and judicial systems to give a vibrant, new India in which the pulse of the people will throb in sync with these systems.
It may be mentioned in this connection that nowhere in Western Europe or another developed world do we find the vertical hierarchy bureaucracy. It is either a horizontal spread or hybrid type of bureaucratic structure in evidence in most of the developed countries. The vertical hierarchy model of bureaucracy is a sucker model as it attaches to the higher administrative echelons more power and less accountability.
We must change this bureaucratic system in India sooner than later. This should be preceded by Constitutional reforms to give a new Constitution suitable for a progressive sovereign India, a Constitution which will also be in line with the original draft prepared by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar but mutilated and spoilt by the intrigues of the top political leadership at that time. It must be stated here that India is the originator of political democracy of purest form—in the form it was first blueprinted by Lord Manu in the primeval scripture Manusmriti. This scripture also delineates the proper laws that need to be promulgated in a democratic state for perfect governance. The original draft of our Constitution had taken threads from Manusmriti and some other prominent Indian scriptures but regrettably, the machinations of the British and their Indian stooges undid what good work had been done in the first drafting of our Constitution. No wonder, the final Constitution only facilitated the continuation of the archaic British time Acts even in independent India. It needs to be emphasized here again that all these Acts were made for India as a British colony to be plundered and were entirely unsuitable for India as a sovereign state.
I can state with confidence and certainty that a new Constitution and Acts in line with the above suggestions along with a reformed bureaucracy in line with India’s pristine political ideology will catalyze India’s development, giving it a momentum of economic growth even faster than that of China. It will be in sync with the native culture of Indians and will give this ancient nation its strong pristine identity. It will speedily establish India as the sole economic and geopolitical superpower, its rightful place in the comity of nations—a place it has proudly maintained for millennia in the course of global history.
( Atul Sehgal is the writer based in New Delhi and can be contacted at atul4956@gmail.com)
The introduction of a private member bill on the implementation of a uniform civil code(UCC) across the country witnessed vociferous protest from the opposition members in Rajya Sabha on Friday. Article 44 of our constitution says that “The State shall endeavour to secure for the citizens a uniform civil code throughout the territory of India.” And what is constraining to implement UCC in our country are the personal laws. Personal Law is the law by which an individual is governed in respect of various matters such as principles relating to marriage, divorce, maintenance, adoption, inheritance, guardianship, succession, etc. These personal laws in India are based on religion. And what UCC is trying to guide is that irrespective of their religion everyone should be governed by the same laws with respect to marriage, inheritance, divorce, adoption etc. The bone of contravention here is that it may come in way of Article 25 ‘Freedom of conscience and free profession, practice and propagation of religion’. And also the cultural rights of minorities.
What UCC can do?
The greatest thing UCC can do is that to bring justice to the age-long sufferings of women in every community. Every religion joins hands when it comes to the suppression of women. But what should be noted is that UCC cannot end the patriarchal system of society, it cannot prevent Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) which is still practised in some parts of our country, it cannot prevent domestic violence from happening, and the most important thing is that UCC can never adopt Article 15 of our constitution which says “Prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth” in the minds of our people as it said so.
As some may say that Equality before the law can be achieved but is it truly so? Equality, Liberty, Fraternity and Secular is all there written in our constitution but is it there in the hearts of our people? Will a Hindu parent marry their son to a Muslim girl if they love one another? or vice versa? Is it possible for a lower caste to marry a so-called higher caste in today’s India even after 73 years of adoption of our constitution? So merely a law cannot change the tradition of our society (in some cases), our people themselves should develop these rich values of fraternity and secularity and the State should promote this through value-based Education and through its secular activities.
What can be done?
And this is what our 21st law commission reports “Resolution of this conflict does not mean the abolition of difference. This Commission has therefore dealt with laws that are discriminatory rather than providing a uniform civil code which is neither necessary nor desirable at this stage. Most countries are now moving towards recognition of difference, and the mere existence of difference does not imply discrimination, but is indicative of a robust democracy.”
Rather than going for Uniformity, we can appreciate the diversity of our nation as all community within a religion does not follow the same culture. Even though it looks complex for our judges to interpret law accordingly to those personal laws, no one size fits all approach should also be considered unless and until those are not discriminatory in nature. Removing those unjust practices like recently in triple talaq cases and property for women sounds better and safe than UCC. As the Father of our constitution Dr. B R Ambedkar, while formulating the Constitution had said that a UCC is desirable but for the moment it should remain voluntary, and thus Article 35 of the draft Constitution was added as a part of the Directive Principles of the State Policy in part IV of the Constitution of India as Article 44. It was incorporated in the Constitution as an aspect that would be fulfilled when the nation would be ready to accept it and the social acceptance of the UCC could be made.
Our constitutional makers sought some sort of unity in diversity and that’s the reason they have kept UCC in directive principles of state policy as well as Article 351. But they never mentioned on what grounds a common civil code should be made. Some say that UCC can bring unity among the people but marriage, succession, and adoption are purely personal and how can it bring unity among the community? Before implementing Article 44, there are other DPSPs that are untouched by our leaders like Article 47 -prohibition of the consumption of intoxicating drinks! We have been fighting for the upliftment of women and social justice since 17th century. And still, we cannot overcome the curse of Indian society – caste. Hence it is proved that a hundred laws may not prevent injustice and laws cannot reform the hearts of the people. The part of the government is done, now it shall be the duty of every citizen to promote harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood amongst all the people of India transcending religious, linguistic and regional or sectional diversities; to renounce practices derogatory to the dignity of women.
All Indians are shocked by the death of Cyrus Mistry, an eminent businessman and scion of Shapoorji Pallonji group in a road accident. It seems that Late Mistry’s car was at a speed of 130 kmph and hit a divider while trying to overtake a vehicle from the left side. It is also suspected that the road was narrowing and the divider was also slightly protruding outside contributing to the accident. The rear occupant not wearing a seatbelt including Sh Mistry, died on the spot, while the rest were seriously injured and hospitalised. There is the huge brouhaha over rear passengers not wearing a seatbelt and the resultant death which though justified to an extent seems to miss a much larger issue” Could we have avoided the accident in the first place”.
As per the world bank report, India tops the world with 11% of global death in road accidents, in spite of a vehicle population of only 2.5%. Road crashes claimed over 1.55 lakh lives across India in 2021. If we include the number of people who are maimed, we will realise that this is a tragedy of gigantic proportion and need action on a war footing. According to UN Study, India loses 3% of its GDP to road accidents every year. Imagine becoming the fastest-growing economy just by eliminating accidents and also saving many precious lives.
Police official after the initial probe said that the deceased were not wearing seat belts, also adding that overspeeding and an “error of judgment” by the driver caused the accident. This approach of only blaming the victims will not help us in making our road safer for all. Many developed countries are able to eliminate accidents by looking at all the possible causes and trying to address each one of them. When I was living in Finland twenty years back, there was an accident at a nearby crossing and a person was injured. Within a few days, the local authorities revamped the whole crossing by introducing signals, signages, speed limit, divider etc. This type of holistic approach has enabled developed countries to achieve minimum possible accidents in spite of much higher vehicle density and allowable speed limits. I am pretty sure that India can also achieve it provided we are really sincere and give road safety the importance it deserves.
Let's try to look at all the angles which might have contributed in various measures to the accident and death / serious injury of the occupants.
Speed- In all developed countries, the speed limit is regulated very seriously by authorities because overspeeding is dangerous for other road users also. There are surprise checks 24 x 7 with the help of speed radars and vehicles found speeding are penalised.
However, we also need to also look at various causes why people are forced to drive at a much higher speed than allowed. In India, it's difficult to plan the journey due to various bottlenecks. There are multiple reasons for the unexpected delays including huge queues at toll gates, potholes, slow vehicles driving in the fast lane, vehicles coming from the opposite side, stray animals, no signals at junctions, dangerous road crossing, narrow roads, changing the number of lanes, haphazard parking etc. This sometimes not only causes delays but traffic jams and then people are forced to drive fast to make up for the lost time.
The government’s initiative for constructing new highways is laudable however Government should ensure that all bottlenecks are also addressed on a war footing for the existing highways. We should realise that It's much better to have a road where you can drive constantly at 60 KM per hour instead of a road where you can drive most parts at 120 kmph and some parts barely at 10 kmph.
Overtaking from the wrong side- In developed countries, road users use lanes depending on their vehicle speed. In many countries, the first lane is exclusively used for overtaking. Unfortunately, In India, the first lane of all the highways is occupied by heavy-duty trucks, containerised trucks moving at very slow speeds. We have an upper-speed limit but vehicles are free to drive at low speeds without any problem. This forces all the car drivers to overtake from the wrong side, which is not only dangerous but can lead to serious accidents. It's time we penalise all the slow-moving vehicles driving in the wrong lane. This will not only make driving comfortable but quite safe for everyone as the need of overtaking would be minimised.
Road Signage & Dividers- We have no best practices for road design, well-proven system and guidelines to ensure that dividers are placed at regular intervals with good visibility. Also, the width of the road and lane is not uniform and causing challenges for vehicles running at high speeds.
In all the developed countries, there is ample visible road signage and people are warned in advance about changes in road conditions. It's time we create and follow the best engineering practices for road construction throughout the country.
Emergency response- Passer-by, in this case, called their friends who luckily owned a private ambulance and could reach them immediately. In a developed country, there is a highly efficient network of emergency response with a trained paramedic to administer first aid, which can make a life-and-death difference in critical situations. In India, people still prefer to call their relatives instead of calling an ambulance. It's time the government takes responsibility for creating the necessary medical infrastructure so any witnesses can call the ambulance helpline and be sure that the injured will get the best possible medical care.
Seat belt- A seat belt is the first line of defence in case of an accident. Even an unbuckled person can seriously injure, other occupants, wearing a seat belt. This is very easy to address and good to know that authorities have already started working on amending necessary legislation. The bigger issue is how to ensure that number of passengers is not more than the vehicle capacity so each one can wear a seat belt. It's a very common sight in India to see kids sitting in the lap of their parents. Their parents don’t realise that these kids will act like a balloon in case of an accident and have no chance of survival. Even a child should mandatorily have a special seat in the car to make seat belts effective because every unbuckled person is not the only risk to themself but also to other occupants. How about buses and trucks plying on the highways? None of them have a seat belt for all the passengers. It is time that government makes it compulsory for every vehicle to have the requisite amount of seat belts so that everyone is buckled.
Lastly, We need to have a reasonable penalty for all offenses. High penalties never lead to compliance. Numerous studies have established that certainty of fine acts more as a deterrent than a huge penalty. It is not possible for a country of India’s size to be monitored by understaffed police. We need to develop an army of people (Retired, Senior citizens, unemployed etc) who wish to make a difference and train them about best road practices. These people can be equipped with technology to record all traffic violations. Technology can easily be used to upload these traffic violations and penalty collection can be also automated. These people can also be easily compensated from the collection of the penalty amount. We also need to develop a scoring system to allow a negative score for each offense and then suspend the license temporarily/ permanently depending on the overall score. This can also act as a huge deterrence and force people to follow safe driving practices.
As the Indian economy is growing, we can expect huge growth in the population of vehicles. It's time we draw the right lessons and work towards Accident prevention and take necessary corrective actions to make roads safer for all of us. Then we can be sure that we are not missing the wood for the trees.
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