Open Forum

New Delhi, 1 November 2023

Cry For Caste Census

WILL GOVTS USHER CHANGE?

By Dhurjati Mukherjee 

The demand for caste census is picking up steam in theseAssembly electionsby almost all Opposition parties. The need for equitable opportunities for the OBCs, including the extremely backward castes (EBCs) is increasingly becoming part of campaign strategy. As against this, the BJP has chosen to skirt the issue saying it will divide the country. Will the voter get any wiser?  

Early this month, the Congress Working Committee promised a government led by it will conduct a nationwide caste census as part of the normal decadal census which was due in 2021, would find the number of OBCs, remove cap of 50% reservation for OBCs, SCs and STs through an Act of Parliament, and finally, offer 33 per cent quota to women lawmakers, including a separate quota for OBC women, at the earliest.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi did put it simply: “it would set a new paradigm of development in the country as it will establish the actual status of the OBCs, Dalits, the Adivasis and the poor…Today, two Indias are being created — one for the Adanis and the other for everyone. The caste census will clearly show the kind of people and the number of people in India. This is not a matter of caste or religion, it is a matter of poverty.” 

The neglect of OBCs by the ruling dispensation has been well manifest, though a section of analysts is not in favour of this caste-based approach. Such a census would obviously expose those who are at the bottom of the ladder and the need to bring them into the mainstream of life and activity. This hasn’t been done over the years and development opportunities have been cornered by the rich and middle-income sections. 

It cannot be allowed to continue for long. High growth is, no doubt, necessary but its benefits must reach the bottom tiers of society. The media focusses only on accelerated growth but not about equitable sharing of benefits of development. Why should there be such a wide gap in incomes of urban and rural class or between the upper castes and EBCs? These are, no doubt, daunting questions which have yet to be analysed and strategies in this regard adopted. 

It is a fact that most chief ministers who have been repeatedly returned by the electorate in the last two decades or so have delivered high growth or at least significantly higher than their predecessors. But the question arises how much of this growth percolates to EBCs or the EWS? While tall claims are made by the Centre about mega welfare schemes, a precise answer of how many have benefited is elusive and country’s poor continue to languish in poverty and squalor.

The impoverishment of masses is reflected in recently released 2023 Global Hunger Index (GHI) where India ranked 111th out of 125 countries, slipping four places since last year. With a score of 28.7 the GHI, India has a level of hunger that is serious. In 2022, India ranked 107. 

There are thus welfare schemes galore being announced for the poor and the EWS. For example, the Congress is reaching out to the electorate promising gas cylinders for Rs 500 each to beneficiaries of the Ujjwala scheme in Rajasthan, in Madhya Pradesh it promises Rs 1500 per month for women, in Telangana the promise is of Rs 2500 every month. The BJP instead prefers to highlight the strides the country has taken under Modi’s leadership, including infrastructure development, while calling itself the biggest proponent of OBCs. Not to forget the sharp focus on the Ram temple. 

The BJP also speaks of GDP growth of the economy. However, though it may give an overall picture of the economy, it doesn’t reflect the economic conditions of the poor or the state of development of villages, speciallyin backward districts. Not even in the Economic Survey that is presented in Parliament, is there a reflection of the state of improvement of the backward districts or of the lower castes, the STs and the Dalits. 

There is a tendency to paint a somewhat false picture of the progress of the country based on incomes of the super-rich, the rich and the upper sections of the middle class. Politicians and planners are very well versed with this, both at the Centre and in States. That is why questions have been raised what portions of government, even private, jobs are occupied by the EBCs or the EWS or what is the percentage of enrolment of these categories in post-graduate institutions. 

Added to the widespread economic deprivation, there is also manifest of social deprivationled by it, resulting in centralisation of power at Central and State levels leaving the gram panchayats virtually having no say in matters of development of the village. Everything is dictated from the top and the vision of panchayati raj, involving the people at the grassroot level,turns out largely to be a misnomer. 

The upper crust of politicians and bureaucrats feel that panchayat members are not educated enough to plan or develop their village. How this process can be changed, and true decentralisation ushered in is a big challenge. Only when women and lower caste members become educated and assertive, things may change. But this process shall take a long time. The poor are deprived of benefits such as money for building a room or a toilet or even the designated amount for a day’s work. There are reports that around 40-50% of the funds released are siphoned off by influential political leaders at the village level. 

The ground situation at grass-root level is totally dichotomous with the grandeur and pomp that was demonstrated during the recent G-20 summit in New Delhi. India is totally different. Modernisation of airports, building palatial auditoriums, allowing corporate entities to build five-star styled nursing homes and the likes are not the picture of development that we see in metros. To understand the real picture, politicians need to concentrate more on remote villages and see reality. 

There has been a tendency of some State governments to increase the number of districts, which obviously is not the solution. Posting bureaucrats in these districts who are expected to promptly carry out orders from the central or state authorities does not solve the problem. The real answer needs to be found at the grassroot and ensuring that adequate benefits reach the impoverished through better governance and a decentralised socio-economic order, as visualised by Mahatma Gandhi and emphasised by many others.   

There is need to think of an alternative strategy of cooperation where development from below becomes the motto and the underlying principle. The strategy of top-down approach must be discarded, and the people must be the centre of planning and development. Once the noise and dust settles down of the elections, it would be worth a watch to see what progress the caste census will make. ---INFA 

(Copyright, India News & Feature Alliance)

Political Diary

New Delhi, 31 October 2023

Tadka Of Populist Revadi

GOVT MONEY IS NETA’S MONEY YAAR!

By Poonam I Kaushish 

It is a perfect electoral cake rolled out by various Parties to the strains of ‘Vote For Me,’ iced with luscious lip-smacking freebies galore for one and all in the run-up to five State Assembly elections. From aam aadmi-debt-ridden-kisan-top tax payer on the assumption that populist hand-outs yield better electoral rewards than reasoned policies and sustainable programmes. No matter, sound economic sense has been surrendered to political gamesmanship as Government money is neta’s money!. 

Witness how our netagan are raining populist schemes and loan waivers merrily converting political sops into vote percentages wherein social and economic upliftment is weighed on vote-bank political scales. 

 In Rajasthan Congress’s Gehlot Government announced further subsidy on cooking gas cylinders offered by the Centre at Rs 500 each, free food packets containing pulses, sugar, salt and oil to over crore people through ration shops alongside mehengai rahat’ relief camps at which people can register for 10 welfare schemes at once, free electricity up to 200 units for every household and up to 2,000 units for farmers. 

Besides, Chiranjeevi Health Scheme providing Rs 25 lakh per family cover and free healthcare services at all Government facilities, free smart phones with free internet to women for three years, one-time payment of Rs 5,000 for gig workers along-with extending social security to them.  

Not to be left behind Prime Minister Modi underscored every poor family would get a pucca house and a tap connection if BJP is elected, laid foundation stones of Rs 10,000 crore projects  including AIIMS campus, new airport terminal in Jodhpur, Rs 4,500-crore Mehsana-Bathinda-Gurdaspur gas pipeline and an LPG plan and Rs 3,000 crore road projects. Sic. 

Congress has been ahead of the game in Madhya Pradesh by promising farm loan waiver, free electricity for agricultural uses, subsidies for farm inputs,  reinstatement of Old Pension Scheme,

free education from Classes 1 to 12, Rs 500  allowance to Classes 1 to 8 students, Rs 1,000 monthly to those in Classes 9-10 and Rs 1,500 to those in Classes 11-12 under the ‘Padho-Padhao’ scheme. 

Incumbent BJP Sarkar is seen playing catch-up to its bête noir by subsidising LPG after Congress promised it for Rs 500, post Congress announcing free electricity up to 100 units and further 50% discount on next 100 units, the State Government postponed electricity surcharges  payment, even Ladli Behna scheme increase payment to Rs 1,500 followed its rival’s announcement, subsidised gas cylinders for Rs 450 to women and 35% reservation for women in some Government jobs. 

Not to forget foundation of Rs 11,895-crore Delhi Vadodara Expressway, Rs 4,000 crore to bring drinking water to six districts, Rs 4,800-crore road development and Rs 1,750-crore Vijaipur-Auraiya-Phulpur gas pipeline. 

And the ring-a-ring-a-roses of populist tadka continues in Chhattisgarh, Telengana and Mizoram. Despite Supreme Court issuing notice to Centre, MP, Rajasthan Governments and Election Commission (EC) over distribution of cash and other “freebies” during elections earlier this month. This, after petitions seeking ban on poll freebies were referred to a three-judge Bench last year, for reconsidering a 2013 judgment that said promises in manifestos could not be termed “corrupt practices.” 

Remember Modi too called for halt to free “revadi” culture followed by Supreme Court mooting a committee of Government, Niti Aayog, Finance Commission, RBI and Opposition to brainstorm “dispassionately and make recommendations last year. Succinctly, underscoring the reality, “no Party will allow taking out these freebies. We are heading towards disaster.”

Raising a moot point:  Where do netas get monies to fund these doles? Obviously, by taxing the people. Should our hard-earned tax money be used to boost a Parties electoral votebanks?  Shouldn’t leaders or their Parties pay for it from their pockets or funds? Should loans be waived? Is freebie different from subsidy? Are they good and bad hand-outs? Who decides? 

Asserts a senior Congress leader, “Why blame us? In February 2018 Prime Minister gave Rs 25,000 to working women, covering 50% of a two-wheeler cost and PM Kisan Yojna of Rs 6,000 a year to every farmer”. Besides, “when the rich really rip off the banking system, with huge NPAs and write-offs alongside a rent-seeking bureaucratic culture, can we say the poor are too pampered with these freebies? Call it the ‘endowment effect.”

It can be argued Parties are obliged to be seen as populist in the no-holds-barred free-for-all electoral race, as it would be stupid to wish away political lollipops to entice voters. True, assurances of cheap rice, wheat or free electricity can be justified. Aren’t such concessions imperative in a country where 70% people live below poverty line, hungry stomachs feed on enticing neon lights of fast food, rummage in garbage bins for rat-infested left-overs’ and 600 million earn less than Rs 30 a day. Is it not our leaders’ duty to take care of citizens? 

Certainly, but at the same time one should never mistake political rhetoric for reality. Politicians of all hues cry hoarse for “a better deal for the poor.” Those who ask for water have been given watershed management programmes. Those who want naukri have been handed NREGA. Debt-laden farmers have got loan waivers. More trees, not coveted mangoes! 

However, given the level of dishonesty, populism and irresponsibility which increasingly governs our political system, the measures announced are invitation to disaster. Bluntly, political promises in the economic sphere should not cross prudence limits, where it starts hurting the economy. None sees the danger of economic derailment as the biggest losers are the poor in whose name freebies are justified.  As it stands the economic situation is worsening with prices rising and high inflation notwithstanding Reserve Bank saying economic parameters are OK. 

By providing free candies to voters, citizens have become dependent on netas resulting in no empowerment. Consequently, people are unable to critically evaluate leaders. Also, given the economic logic there are no free lunches, a populist scheme is invariably paid for either by higher taxes or increased inflation. Precisely, what new State Governments would have to do. 

What next? One, make it obligatory for Parties to inform EC where they will get monies to implement free giveaway once elected. Will they raise taxes or reduce allocation for programmes? Two, Parties should offer permanent solutions instead of seemingly advantageous, but temporary stop-gap measures. Three, EC should penalize Parties who use quick exploitative mechanism to win votes. 

Clearly, leaders must draw a distinction between welfarism and populism. Welfarism takes needs of different sections of society as part of a large development framework. Populism is purely guided by vote-banks, granting concessions which have no economic rationale or are part of larger Governmental economic planning. It provides immediate succour at the future’s expense. It is no remedy for education and health neglect, faulty industrialization and under-investment in rural areas. 

The aam aadmi is no fool. Each populist slogan only accentuates his growing awareness. The real significance of any electoral battle is that unless the problem of poverty is substantially resolved, fake promise will continue to entice voters whereby it could endanger our democracy. Time to draw a ‘lakshman rekha’ on vote-bank politics as democracy cannot allow exercise of public funds as private spending. What says you? ---- INFA 

(Copyright, India News & Feature Alliance)

Economic Highlights

New Delhi, 30 October 2023

Warped Pollution Data

PEOPLE PAY A HEFTY PRICE

By Shivaji Sarkar 

Pollution or the supposed climate change plagues the Indian poor the most. Every bit of manufacturing, production, industrial, services, transportation and other activities are linked to these, and taxes levied, increasing the price and cost of living phenomenally. Worse, non-disclosure of crucial data by pollution agencies in Delhi raises more eyebrows. 

In the light of above it’s being asked whether governments are levying unnecessary costs on the economy. Pollution itself becomes the biggest business and the poor are the worst sufferers with about Rs 13.65 lakh crore in petrol cess and additional excise duty for curbing consumption in three years, since 2020-21. Earlier, in five years Rs 13 lakh crore was collected. 

Wonder why three major pollution checking agencies IIT-Kanpur; System of Air-Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) and Decision Support System stop releasing figures. They reason it’s because of the conflict between the bureaucracy and the Delhi government. On the contrary, it appears they themselves are unsure of the figures. Worldwide pollution has become the tool to raise costs, warns the World Bank. 

Governments, such as in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh take a simple way out -- by further tormenting the people and seizing their cars saying “its end life of the vehicle” without considering the social costs.In 2019, the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) set a target of reducing ultra-fine particulate matter levels in non-attainment cities by 20-30 per cent by 2022. This target was moved forward by the Union government in September 2022, to a 40 per cent reduction of pollution levels by 2026.However, even in 2022, pollution levels in non-attainment cities remained much higher than the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) annual average safe limits. 

Poor shopkeepers are blamed for plastic pollution and farmers for air pollution as they seasonally burn stubbles – easiest targets.  Instead, it is one large corporate, MNC soft drink manufacturer, which emerges the biggest plastic polluter and industry, automobile included. As per official statistics, cars and tractors emit 8 percent of the total greenhouse gas. The industry air pollution is 51 percent, according to Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), and costs about Rs 7 lakh crore “as it affects labour productivity and customer footfall”. This appears an overestimation. 

While India has refused to accept western pollution norms till 2070, it must be liberal with the poor people’s cars and tractors. Each new car or tractor making pollutes more or each scrapping apart from making a poor poorer as his mobility hit, is said to pollute more. 

As against this, big international business everywhere is the biggest polluter. The top 12 Indian companies, including one public sector, are listed as the worst polluters. According to the 2022 Brand Audit by Break Free From Plastic, the most common plastic products found in India were food packaging, household products and other packaging materials and the major part of it is ascribed to a US-based company.

In northern India, sugar mills and many other industries are the worst air and water polluters. They have brazenly been dumping effluents across the rivers violating CPCB norms. So- called stricter norms have increased rent seeking, higher parking charges (no one knows how it checks pollution), have made car use more blatant as exorbitant parking charges and high fares make a metro ride costlier. 

The Centre For Policy Research observed in 2019 that environmental regulatory mechanisms face major problems with compliance and implementation. India Spend analysed reports and data from 2014 to 2017 to show how governments at both the State and Central levels diluted environmental regulations, in a scenario wherein they were already lax. Nobody explains if these have connections to donations. A report by Association For Democratic Reforms (ADR) shows JSW Steel as the highest donor to electoral trusts in 2020 with Rs.39.1 crore and Tata Group’s Progressive Electoral Trust gave 75 per cent of the ruling group’s total income from bonds in 2018-19, as notified by the Election Commission.  

State Pollution Control Boards have exempted 146 out of 206 polluting industries from routine inspection. Instead, they can opt for “self-monitoring” and third-party certifications. The Centre’s BRAPs (Business reform Action Plans) which have been implemented since 2014 effectively incentivize States to lessen the environmental protections regarding industries.  

The World Bank says the brunt of rapid, unregulated industrialisation in the name of development is borne by the public in various ways. Local,  Adivasi communities are forcibly displaced and/or live in substandard conditions due to pollution of the local environment and livelihood sources. 

India has 10 of the world’s top 20 most polluted cities, and Indians are exposed to one of the highest rates of air toxicity in the world, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

India’s former Chief Economic Advisor Kaushik Basu is of firm opinion that many of the problems are because of policies focusing on big business. What is unsaid is that it boosts the profits and dumps more costs on the poor through various so-called user charges -- be it tolls, high parking charges, cess or petrol prices – all to keep pollution in check. 

This has abated compounded inflation to a high level or in other words it dumps the heavy costs on the poor. The rising cost of living due to 15-month high inflation of 7.44 percent in July, 6.83 percent in August and in September 5.02 percent has most Indians concerned about their personal finances. Inflation remains the biggest concern of Reserve Bank of India despite small moderation. Prices of commodities keep increasing, resulting in the fall of the buying power of Rupee. It hovers above Rs 83 to a dollar. Remember, cost of living keeps increasing if the rupee weakens. 

Often solar and other natural energy sources are said to be non-pollutant. According to a 2016 report by the International Renewable Energy Agency, India is to become one of the top leading photovoltaic waste producers at 3.25 lakh tonnes by 2030. Battery and wind panel wastes are also becoming menaces. 

On September 8, the United Nations once again issued a report saying governments are good at making ambitious collective commitments but fail to take the right action at home to turn these collective pledges into a reality. It says that though Europe is engaged since 1979, Greece and Spain remain the worst polluter.

Pollution increases and so do efforts to put more costs on the people to counter it. No effective action is ever taken despite it being a large revenue generator. Let the world accept its failure and remove the costs imposed for better days ahead for the poor. ---INFA 

(Copyright, India News & Feature Alliance)

Round The World

New Delhi, 27 October 2023

Israel-Hamas War

REVISITING GANDHI & MANDELA

By Dr. D.K. Giri

(Secretary General, Assn for Democratic Socialism) 

One of the best balanced statements on Israel-Hamas war I heard was made by Prince Turki Al-Faisal at the Baker Institute of Public Policy, Huston. He is a Saudi Arabia former Intelligence Chief and its Ambassador to the United Kingdom and USA. He started his speech with judicious words that should lead to a strategy for the solution of the conflict. He said, “All militarily occupied people have right to resist their occupation, even militarily. But I do not support the military option for Palestine. I prefer the other option, civil insurrection and disobedience. It brought down the British empire in India and the Soviet empire in Eastern Europe.” He qualified his suggestion by explaining that Israel had overwhelmingly military superiority. The world saw it in the past and can see it now as Israel dominates and controls Gaza and now pounds it to the pulp. 

Unarguably, we should have added the fall of South African apartheid under the leadership of Nelson Mandela. Without any shred of doubt, Palestinian problem cannot be resolved by military action by either side. Even the present Palestine Ambassador to the United Kingdom stated that non-violence and negotiations are the only way to resolve the conflict and establish the two-state arrangement. But the terrorists on either side would not let it happen. Let me hasten to elaborate when I say terror emanates from either side. 

In the past, Israelis have resorted to terrorism. Historians recall that the origin of Israel state lay in the violent actions by the Zionist groups like the Irgun and Stern gang such as the assassination of the UN envoy Count Folke Bernadotte and the bombing of the King David Hotel in Jerusalem, as well as the killing and terrorising of Palestinian villagers. Count Folke was a Swedish nobleman and diplomat. He was selected as the UN first mediator in 1947 for Israel-Palestine issue and assassinated in the line of duty on 17 September 1948. His aide who was sitting beside him, French officer Colonel Andre Scrot was also killed. The King David Hotel was bombed on 22 July 1946 in opposition to Britain’s continued rule of Palestine. 

Notably, Irgun’s leader Menachem Begin and Stern Gang’s Yitzhak Shamir, both went to become Prime Ministers of Israel. In current times, critics and observers accuse Israel state of resorting to violence and terrorising Palestine, running an ‘open air prison’ in Gaza strip and incarcerating Palestinians. Palestinians have been complaining of cruel oppression in the hands of Israel army, namely, the food, electricity and water, the basic needs for survival are controlled by Israel army. 

As a matter of fact, the trail of violence between Israel and Palestine can be traced to the formation of Israel state in 1947. Sadly, there has been unending chain of violence and counter violence ever since. How does it stop? Where do we draw a line in history of the evolution of violence? Is it 1947, when Israel state was created by the famous Balfour Declaration in 1947, in 1967, post-Arab-Israeli war, or 1973 after the Yom Kippur war or later? 

Israel claims that the two-state solution was offered to Palestine at least five times – Peel Commission suggestion in 1936, UN arrangement in 1947, after the six-day war in 1967, in 2005 when Yasser Arafat rejected it. Bill Clinton mediating for both parties said in exasperation that Arafat stayed for 14 days to negotiate but rejected it altogether with three infamous NOs – No peace with Israel, No recognition of Israel and No negotiation with Israel. What is more and worse, PLO launched violent attacks on Israel after the rejection of the accord; and finally, in 2008, which was rejected by the current PLA Chief Mahmoud Abbas. 

That said, we are here now. The 7 October terrorist attack on Israel marks the turning point in the Israel-Palestine relations and conflict. The assault was carried by Hamas. It is said that Hamas is a jihadist organisation. They do not accept the existence of a Jewish state. They are not concerned about the territory. They want, like ISIS, the Islamic suzerainty in the world, regardless of territorial boundaries. From the available information, Hamas is the second richest terror organisation in the world. They have a turnover of 1 billion dollar.  In an interview, the son of founder of Hamas revealed the inhuman, barbaric behaviour of Hamas causing Palestine to be the worst place to live. Instead of digging wells for providing drinking water, Hamas dig tunnels to smuggle goods for their profit. They torture the Palestinians by hammering nails to their fingers for their suspected collaboration with Palestinian army. 

In retaliation, Israel is bombing Gaza and planning for ground operation etc to flush out Hamas. Israel army will not stop until they eliminate the Hamas’ military capacity to repeat such a terrorist assault as that of 7 October. In terms of the nature of the violence that day, it is being compared to the holocaust. However, Israel army will stop if Hamas surrender unconditionally. Hamas will fight to their death but not recognise Israel state nor will surrender and apologise for 7 October. The current state of confrontation and lack of compromise will stalemate the conflict; or rather will make it worse. 

The world is reacting in various ways. I have discussed their reactions in the preceding column here last week. Right now, world leaders are asking for a humanitarian pause to allow aid and explore options like release of the hostages. The European Union’s top diplomat Josep Borrell has asked for a ceasefire on humanitarian ground. But Israel is in no mood to listen. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an interview that they have made the mistake more than once of listening to the world opinion which was based on ill-information spread by Leftist media about the conflict. Israel wants to liberate Palestine from the clutches of Hamas and eliminate Hamas in the interest of the world peace. 

The desirable and workable strategy as referred to herein the beginning is to shun violence. Hamas, regardless of what has happened in the past as is acknowledged here, will have to own up the crime committed on 7 October, and surrender. Terrorism should have no place in Israel-Palestine conflict. A Gandhian approach of civil disobedience is the way forward. And taking a leaf out of Nelson Mandela’s book, a Truth and Reconciliation Commission should be set up consisting of insiders and other world leaders preferably from India, (land of Gandhi) and South Africa, (land of Mandela). 

Such a Commission should negotiate the terms of settlement for peaceful and harmonious existence of two states. In order for this to happen, terrorist organisations like Hamas and Hezbollah have to be countered internationally. And the second stage should be prevailing upon Israel state to stop coercion of Palestinians in Gaza or West Bank. Until a legitimate and genuine political authority is established in Palestine, an UN-monitored arrangement could be initiated. This practice has happened in countries which were created out of such conflicts. That is the way to go. ---INFA 

(Copyright, India News & Feature Alliance)