Round The States

New Delhi, 20 January 2011

Union Cabinet Reshuffle

EYE ON KERALA, UP POLLS

By Insaf

Two poll-bound States are preening over the induction and elevation of their MPs in the reshuffle of the Union Cabinet earlier this week. Kerala which goes to the polls later this year has got a boost with the Congress’ Cabinet Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi getting additional charge of the heavyweight Civil Aviation Ministry. Alongside another Keralite K.C. Venugopal has been inducted as the new Minister of State for Power. Also, given a leg up is Professor K.V. Thomas who has got Independent charge as Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution. Notwithstanding that this would now make the Congress directly responsible for the rising food prices. Further, E. Ahmed, who belongs to the second biggest constituent in the Congress-UDF alliance in the State, returns to his earlier charge of being Minister of State in the External Affairs Ministry.

Significantly, Uttar Pradesh is the other State which has come out triumphs in the Manmohan Singh-led UPA-II. Clearly with the intent of reviving the party’s fortunes in the State and with an eye to take on Mayawati in the polls next year. The Congress has elevated two Ministers of State to Cabinet rank: namely, Salman Khurshid and Sriprakash Jaiswal. While Khurshid’s shifts from Independent charge of Corporate and Minority Affairs to Water Resources and Minority Affairs, Jaiswal has been elevated as full-fledged Cabinet Minister for Coal. By not filling up ministerial vacancies in the share of its key allies DMK and TMC from Tamil Nadu and West Bengal respectively, the Congress has made its intent of playing hard ball and not succumbing to either blackmail or tantrums. Even as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has dangled the carrot of another reshuffle following Parliament’s Budget Session.

*                                               *                                               *                                       *

Himachal’s Problematic Vacancy

Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown. A maxim that has come to haunt the Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal as he juggles prospective candidates without causing any heartburn for the lone berth in his Cabinet. The vacancy had risen following the resignation of his Forest Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda after being elevated as the BJP national general secretary. The jostling among MLAs has started. With Nadda being a Brahmin, the community avers his replacement should be a Brahmin given that it has the largest population in the State. Dhumal’s woes have multiplied as the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker and a Rajya Sabha MP have thrown in their hat in the Ministerial ring. Additionally, the MLAs in the fray do not have the requisite experience. One component not on the Chief Minister’s side is time as the Vidhan Sabha session is due to begin.

*                                               *                                               *                                       *

Sabarimala Tragedy

Tragedy struck at the famous Sabarimala Ayappa temple in Kerala on Friday last killing over 102 pilgrims and injuring over 70 due to a stampede. Over three lakh devotees had collected for the annual Makaravilakku ritual. At a height of 1260m above sea level in the Western Ghats, the South Kerala shrine, one of the oldest in the country draws over 4 crore pilgrims each year--more than the State’s 3 crore population. Shockingly, there were only three policemen, two doctors and 30 forest officials to take care of three lakh pilgrims present there. Worse, there was no communication system, ambulance, rescue teams or proper roads to carry the injured to the hospitals. More so, as the pilgrim rush has been increasing year after year due to the ruling deity’s unique rituals practiced at the temple. Importantly, one of the factors for rising popularity is that unlike many other shrines in the State, Sabarimala is open to all religions. Interestingly, the pilgrims first offer prayers at a mosque on the foothills of the temple before trekking up the mountain. A unique national integration!

*                                               *                                               *                                       *

Darjeeling Shuts Down Again

The scenic hills of Darjeeling yet again resounded to the battle cry for a separate State of Gorkhaland on Tuesday last. The week-long shutdown had been called by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha. Not only did it paralyse normal life in the three hill sub-divisions of Darjeeling district, but it forced traffic off the roads leaving the people with no option but to remain indoors. Worse, winter chill and heavy fog added to the hill town’s gloominess. Making it incumbent on the State Government to shift Central forces from the Maoist-hit West Midnapore. In fact, Darjeeling has witnessed periodic disturbances since the 1980s over the Gorkhaland demand. The first to raise the ante was the now defunct Ghising-led Gorkha National Liberation Front. However, the GJM not only overtook the GNLF quickly but also its cause for statehood. Who will have the last word?

*                                               *                                               *                                       *

Mayawati’s Return Gifts

It was raining gifts galore in UP Saturday last. The cause célèbre was Chief Minister Mayawati’s 55^th birthday. Unlike past years where the Dalit leader would show off her jewellery and clothes, this time round she not only dressed down but instead handed over gift vouchers worth Rs.4000 crores to the people. Emphasising her commitment to empower the dalits and destitutes cutting across the caste barrier she announced a slew of welfare projects. The package includes launch of UP Janhit Guarantee Kanoon and Mukhyamantri Mahamaya Sachal Aspatal Yojna, public dedication of a new look Hazratganj/Lalbagh, and a promise of 53 other projects for Lucknow alone. That she has gone in for an image make over was made plain when Mayawati dismissed her party’s Cabinet Water Resources Minister A K Dohre accused of misconduct. What next? 

*                                               *                                               *                                       *

Madhya Pradesh’s Loot

In the swirling eddy of corruption which has traumatized the nation comes the scandalous news of bureaucrats in Bimaru Madhya Pradesh sleeping on beds of cash! In a massive crack down on erring officials the income tax department was horrified to find an IAS couple with unaccounted wealth of over Rs.360 crores. This included 25 flats, life insurance premium of Rs.3.5 crores and speculative trading for 274 crores. This is not all. At the house of a PWD Executive Engineer, drawing a salary of Rs. 20,000 per month, 7.8 kgs of gold mostly in bars and Rs.1.6 crores cash was found. Equally shocking were raids on the residence of a former Health Director whereby notes were falling out of washing machines, wardrobes, quilts, pillows, bed-sheets and masala dabbas. Who says babudom is not lucrative? ---INFA

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)

Political Diary

New Delhi, 22 January 2011

PM Reshuffles Team

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

By Poonam I Kaushish

It was billed as an exercise to give a much-needed make-over to a battered UPA II Government. Pummeled by a united Opposition onslaught over corruption charges, ministerial bickering and tussle between the Manmohan Singh-led Administration and Sonia Gandhi’s Congress. At the end, the first reshuffle of the Council of Ministers, 18 months after it returned to power in May 2009, turned out to be much ado about nothing. Of putting old stale wine in more decayed bottles!

It saw the induction of three new faces, elevation of five Ministers, three to Cabinet rank, and easing the burden of Ministers holding more than two portfolios. Sadly, if the Prime Minister’s aim was to bridge his team’s widening credibility deficit, infuse meritocratic fresh talent with out-of-the box thinking and send a message of efficiency it failed miserably.

No Ministers were dropped for non-performance, graft or crony capitalism but merely ‘kicked upstairs’ or shunted elsewhere. More. The exercise ended up as a retrogressive division of Ministries along regional, casteist, quota-type politics. Revealing more than it concealed: a severe talent-deficit within the Congress whereby Manmohan Singh was hamstrung in reshuffling his pack.

Two, the Party’s focus is to close ranks and resist the Opposition onslaught in the ensuing Budget session of Parliament. Three, already grappling with Andhra MPs’ threatening to pull out thus endangering the Government, wisdom did not dictate a prudent to rock the ministerial boat and open another front of disgruntled Ministers by sacking them.

However, if sacking of Ministers was avoided to preempt the possibility of internal strife in the Party, the half-hearted reshuffle may not achieve the purpose. The opposition to Manmohan Singh and his Government within the Congress is more potent than even the Opposition parties. Remember the Digvijay Singh-Chidambaram, Kamal Nath-Jairam Ramesh, Prithviraj Chauhan- Jairam Ramesh  tu-tu-mein-mein. What to speak of Sonia-Singh and Sonia-Rahul disagreement over who should be in or out of Singh’s team. 

In the process, it has left a trail of sulking Ministers. Even a promotion to the Cabinet rank failed to cheer up Salman Khurshid. Expecting to take over the law portfolio from Veerappa Moily he got Water Resources. Virbhadra Singh made his anger known for being shifted from steel to micro, small and medium industries. “I was a Minster of State for Industries in Indira Gandhi Government’s in 1980,” he said. Beni Prasad Verma too joined the dissatisfied chorus. “I held a full-fledged Cabinet rank 14 years ago, today am only a MoS for steel with independent charge.” Ditto the case with Shrikant Jena who in 2009 was promised that justice would be done to him.

Murli Deora’s demotion from Petroleum to Corporate Affairs is due to his being a family friend of Reliance Chairman Mukesh Ambani, which has a huge presence in the oil sector. Khurshid too enjoyed close ties with Anil Ambani whereby his associate was reportedly appointed to a senior position in his group after he was made Corporate Affairs Minister.

Besides, one fails to understand logic of shifting those who were set to get the axe. Like M S Gill who loses sports, turns number cruncher with statistics and programme implementation, Moily continues as Law minister, and S M Krishna retains Foreign Affairs.

Also, the reshuffle throws up more questions than answers. The imprint of Sonia and fierce internal Congress politics was on display in the reshuffle. Kerala's Vayalar Ravi is a good man. But is he good enough for civil aviation? How will CP Joshi manage road, transport and highways on being shunted out of rural development where his "intemperate" work style messed up things?

Murli Deora's transfer from petroleum to corporate affairs has also raised eyebrows. In his new role, he'd be less of a patron and more of a facilitator. Leaving most wondering whether they were being punished or rewarded? Vilasrao Deshmukh's slate isn't speck-less clean and he is not-known-for his efficiency. Under his rule Maharahstra's coffers touched rock bottom.

Further, that the forthcoming State elections in UP and Kerala were weighing heavy on Manmohan-Sonia-Rahul’s mind is evident from the fact that the decision to elevate both Sriprakash Jaiswal and Khurshid to Cabinet rank was done to offset criticism that there was no Cabinet Minister from the politically crucial State. Beni Prasad Verma’s inclusion is aimed at wooing Kurmis, who account for 6% of UP’s population. Along-with Jaiswal he would reach out to the broader non-Yadav OBC segment.

In the season of election, Kerala, the other poll-bound State also got a leg-up with the induction of KC Venugopal and E Ahmed as MoS.  Both were accommodated to send a message that a Christian and a Nair are acknowledged by New Delhi. No matter that States going to the polls will not base their vote according to whether 'their person' has been made a Cabinet minister or not.

As for key ally, Sharad Pawar’s NCP, despite Praful Patel’s elevation to Cabinet Minister of Heavy Industries he has lost the powerful Civil Aviation portfolio, the Party seems to have been cut down to size by the Congress. While Pawar has retained agriculture, he has lost the crucial Civil Supplies Ministry. Plus, his foe Vilasrao Deshmukh is now in his trajectory with rural development and will be used to checkmate Pawar in Maharashtra’s rural constituencies where rural distress caused by agrarian crisis is a major issue.

True, Manmohan Singh has promised a complete overhaul of his ministerial colleagues post Parliament’s Budget session. While holding a warning to poor performing Ministers, he has dangled a carrot to those hoping to find a berth specially the Congress baba log. Given that he intends lowering the minimum age of his brood in keeping with the practice the world over.

The tragedy of the entire exercise is that the Government continues to show its lack of purpose to improve its credibility. Not enough political measures have been either undertaken or hold out promise to tackle corruption and incompetence within the Government. Rendering the reshuffle aimless.

Clearly, the Grand Dame doesn't seem to have any fresh ideas for a holistic approach to solve the scores of problems in Government, Parliament and in the Supreme Court.  Revealing that Manmohan Singh-Sonia are not on a confident footing to face the Budget session and coming Assembly elections in several key States.

It remains to be seen whether politically and governance-wise this ministerial re-jig will be able to perform perceptively different than the earlier one. Raising a moot point: Is Sonia beginning to lose her grip over the political situation?

True, a purposeful Cabinet reshuffle may not have changed things overnight but it could have kick-started the change that the aam aadmi is waiting for. It could have been a contributing factor in the grand strategy to tackle immediate issues including skyrocketing prices, burgeoning inflation, corruption, Telangana unrest and the issue of delivery of the Government's ambitious programmes like the NREGS.

In sum, notwithstanding the fact that the Government is far from unstable and elections are a good three years away, the harsh truth is that the Government is not only rudderless but worse even clueless that it is rudderless. The Congress triumvirate of Manmohan-Sonia-Rahul has lost an opportunity of cleaning its stables. They could have afforded to show a more combative mood. Economist Manmohan Singh needs to remember that a ministerial formation is also about the brand showing the product. What does he have to offer?  ---- INFA

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)

Open Forum

New Delhi, 6 January 2011

Child Labour

TIME TO CRY HALT

By Mithun Dey

India is a blatant example of a nation stalked by the evil of child labour. Wherein children instead of going to schools and learning how to read and write are working as menial labourers. A large number of youngsters can be seen earning their livelihood at railway platforms, in trains, tea stalls, grocery stores, cycle shops, motor garages, workshops and on street corners. Scandalously, this is the fate of over 15 per cent children between 10-14 years of age.

Sadly, child labour is extensively spread-out in rural areas compared to urban places. Most of the children earn their bread by working in the agricultural sector, house-holds and craftwork. According to a recent survey, children under the age of 14 work as domestic help or in family ventures. There are more boys employed under-14 than girls as work in these sectors requires a lot of hard work.

Children labouring in these areas are mostly from cities like Kolkata, New Delhi, Ludhiana, Mumbai, Bhopal, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bangalore et al. They are pushed by their families to earn money and send it back home. As their families’ existence is dependent on these earnings. This makes it imperative for the children to take on arduous work in factories.  

Undoubtedly, child labour is one of the central problems plaguing India. Primarily due to burgeoning poverty and exploding population whereby children are forced to enroll as labourers to survive. Even, children growing-up in remote parts of rural India are forced to perform menial task thanks to the lack of educational facilities. Worse, uneducated parents do not comprehend the meaning of educating their children. 

Thus, child labour is treated as ‘cheap labour.’ In fact, factory owners make hefty profits by exploiting children and making them work in their plants and factories. Also, working children are mostly orphans and are illegal migrants. Victims of uprisings, wars, poverty and homelessness in the country of origin, not a few are made to take to prostitution and pornography. Even by their parents for money. More atrocious, was news of poverty-stricken parents selling their two children for Rs 20,000 each to contractors in Malda, West Bengal a few months ago.

Importantly, India urgently needs a population policy. The Government needs to take solid measures to curtail our burgeoning population problem. This would help the poor to perk up their lives in substantial ways. According to the Child Labour Act of 1986 employing children is illegal and immoral. It sets the minimum age of employment at 14 years respectively. Our law enforcing agencies must ensure that this is strictly adhered.

Besides, there are some sectors like cultivation and family work which are not included in child labour. There are also many loop holes while setting laws and rules for child labor which allows exploitation. For example in Nepal, the minimum age for a person to go for work is 14 years, but plantation and working in brick kilns is exempt. 

Further, children working in diverse shops are paid not more than Rs. 500 to 800 a month. Worse, they are made to work for more than twelve hours a day and have to be regular. Not matter the season, hot summer, heavy rains and freezing cold. According to another recent survey a number of children working in sweet shops hate working and would like to go to school. They also pine for spending more time with their parents, other family members and friends.

Agonizingly, it is often seen that shop owners not only overwork children working therein but also abuse and maltreat the. Sometimes, they are traumatized both physically and mentally.

Furthermore, there are innumerable rackets trading in children in many cities. Not a few of these inter-State rackets go a step further and promote child beggary and child prostitution. In fact, police raids which have rescued minor girls from these vice dens are only a tip of the iceberg of the on-going vicious trade.  

In the final analysis, the time has come to immediately put an end to this cruel practice of child labour. We need to realize, that children are the future of a nation. For India to move ahead our young ones need to be educated not work. We need to put the smile back on the children’s’ faces and make them happy for ever! ------ INFA

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)

Events & Issues

New Delhi, 11 January 2011  

Premier Wen’s India Visit

FRIENDLY BUT UNEVENTFUL

By U.C. Agarwal, (Former CVC)

The Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao’s visit to India last month though pleasing and friendly was by and large uneventful. It did not lighten, let alone remove the prevailing unpleasantness on account of the boundary disputes on the North-Eastern and North-Western border of India between the two countries.

On the North-Eastern border, China has been aggressively asserting its claim over Arunachal Pradesh. It has gone to the extent of objecting to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, top leaders and the Dalai Lama visiting the border State. On the North-Western border, Beijing is treating J&K as a disputed territory, not as a part of India.

Accordingly residents of Arunachal and J&K are given “stapled visa” for visiting China. Wherein, instead of stamping a visitor’s passport, the visa is issued on a separate paper. Needless to say this amounts to not recognizing India’s sovereignty over these States. This is not all. To please its all-weather ally Pakistan, the J&K portion of India’s border is not treated as the Indo-China border by Beijing.

Another matter of concern relates to the proposed construction of the 510 MW hydro-power project by China on the upstream of the inter-State Brahmaputra River, where it flows into India. Reportedly, a few other smaller water utilization projects are also being planned by Beijing therein.

Importantly, as India is a down-stream riparian country, New Delhi should have been duly consulted before China took up the mega and other power projects to ensure that these do not adversely affect Indian interests. Sharing of information and prior consultation before taking up projects on inter-State rivers is the normal international practice.

Since the Indo-China boundary disputes could adversely impact relations, Wen’s visit was expected to sort these out on a priority basis.  The added advantage was Wen’s better knowledge and understanding of India. Justified by the speech he made at the Indian Council of World Affairs.

Not only did Wen quote from the Upanishads and Rabindranath Tagore’s famous book “Geetanjali,” .he made plain his great liking for Tagore. He referred to Mahatma Gandhi as “a great man, a man of love and integrity, who has always lived in my heart”. Along-with expressing his admiration for India for having been an “ardent advocate of restoring China’s lawful seat at the UN.” 

This pertains to the 1949 period when the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) under Mao-Tse-Tung’s Communist movement in the Chinese Civil War liberated mainland China after defeating  Chiang Kai-Shek who withdrew to Chinese island Taiwan but still claimed to  be the head of the Chinese State.  India at that time supported Mao and strongly pleaded that China was entitled to the UN membership and it’s Security Council.

However, despite his friendly tones, Wen’s visit proved to be largely uneventful as decisions on important Indian concern were indefinitely postponed. Whereby, more discussions between officials of both countries were suggested to gain time. The Chinese Premier dubbed the boundary dispute as a “historical legacy,” which required patience and a long period to resolve. No time-frame was laid for finalizing the dispute.

Reportedly, Wen did not agree even, as an interim measure, to recognize the Indo-China boundary as de facto valid and Arunachal Pradesh and J&K to be Indian territories. The “stapled visa” issue too was unresolved and left to officials to discuss later. The Joint Communiqué on the boundary dispute states: “The two sides reiterated their firm commitment to resolving outstanding differences including the boundary question at an early date through peaceful negotiations….. Pending the resolution of the boundary question, the two sides shall work together to maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas in line with the previous agreement.”

Significantly, the communiqué is silent on the construction of the hydro-power project on the Brahmaputra River. It only blandly states, “The two sides noted the good cooperation between China and India in the fields of trans- rivers. The Indian side appreciated the flood-season hydrological data and the assistance in emergency management provided by the Chinese side.  The two sides reiterated that they will promote and enhance cooperation in this field.”

With regard to trade and commerce between India and China there was some positive outcome.  For example, both concurred on a higher bilateral trade target of US $ 100 billion by 2015 as against the current trade volume of $ 60 billion.  Furthermore, Wen expressed his seriousness in reducing the Indo-China trade imbalance by giving more access to Indian IT and pharmaceutical firms in the Chinese market.  Both sides also agreed to constitute an India-China CEO’s Forum   to deliberate on business issues.

Moreover, some satisfactory cooperation in the educational sector too was visualized. The communiqué states, “Both sides recognized the importance of educational exchanges, including promoting wider knowledge of each other languages.  In this context, the Chinese side welcomed the decision by the Central Board of Secondary Education to introduce Chinese as a foreign language in the curriculum of schools in India from the next academic session, April 2011….. the two countries agreed to consider the liberalization of an agreement on mutual recognition of degrees and diplomas.”

On two other matters of interest to India namely Pakistan-backed terrorism in India and support for the UN Security Council’s membership, Beijing’s response was halting and lukewarm. On terrorism, the communiqué stated in general terms: “Both sides underlined their unequivocal opposition to terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and stressed that there is no justification for any act of terrorisms anywhere. They committed themselves to countering terrorism through joint efforts that include disrupting the financing of terrorism.” But there is no mention of Pakistan’s role on 26/11 terrorist attack in Mumbai.

With regard to India’s membership of the UN Security Council, the communiqué reads, “China attaches great importance to India’s status in international affairs as a large developing country, understands and supports India’s aspiration to play a greater role in the United Nations, including in the Security Council.” However, it remains non-committal on supporting India’s claim for the Security Council’s membership. All Wen informally stated was that China might not stand in the way of India’s membership quest.

Some other conciliatory and friendly aspects of Premier Wen’s visit were on “India and China, being each other’s neighbour, have a shared interest in the stability, prosperity and security of the wider region.  They agreed to intensify their dialogue on various aspects pertaining to this region and work together on realizing their common goals…..Both sides welcome the opening of the telephone hotlines between the Prime Minister of India and the Premier of China and regular consultations between them.”

In sum, as the joint communiqué underscores both sides recognize the importance of cultivating friendship with each other and maintaining regular contacts through high level visits.  However, the main bone of contention between the two countries relating to boundary disputes remains unresolved indefinitely.

Thus even as Premier Wen’s  visit might  smoothen the way of Indo-China friendship in future but for now it was rather uneventful for failing to resolve the main troubling  issues.   The tone of friendship in the communiqué need to be followed by solid matching action. ----- INFA

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)