Boxing Day Judgement: Snooping noose and riot relief for Modi

December 26- the boxing day seems to have put BJP’s prime ministerial candidate into a boxing ring like situation, where he gets one punch in his face while the other one got deflected at the Ahmedabad metropolitan court. The Centre decided to set up an inquiry commission to probe the snooping scandal involving a certain ‘Saheb’, who is yet to be identified but widely believed to be the Gujarat CM. The Centre’s move is clearly set to damage Modi’s credentials drawing furuious reactions from the BJP, which has vowed to challenge the Union Cabinet’s decision saying that it violates the federal scheme of India provided in the Constitution.

So, while Modi seems to be heading to the Congress’s trap in snooping case, he has got a big reprieve in one of the 2002 Gujarat riots cases. The metropolitan court has given a clean chit to Modi in the Gulbarg Society massacre case accepting the Supreme Court appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT). Notwithstanding this clean chit, Modi has a long way to go before he could have a similar clean chit from the minority community especially the muslims. The perception is not bound by a court verdict and the perception is very strong in 2002 riot cases that Modi did not follow, what Atal Bihari Vajpayee called, ‘Rajdharma’. This perception can be compared with 1984 riots and Congress’s (Rajiv Gandhi’s, to be precise) image. Taint can’t be wiped out, but can’t be let to inflict further damage.

However, Modi supporters have got a good point to defend the BJP’s PM candidate in TV debates. But, even the ardent supporter of Modi would not deny that whatever Modi did by commission or omission during 2002 riots was right. It is impossible to fathom that a few groups of ruffians tailor-made for communal violence can kill so many people including a parliamentarian with a strong willed government present in a state. People running the government must have had a role to play directly or indirectly. If Congress governments are held responsible for 1984 and 1986 riots, how could Modi’s government be an exception in the case of 2002 riots.

Many close to Modi give him the benefit of doubt for being too new in the chair when the riots took place in Gujarat arguing that he was yet not at the helm of affairs of administration there. They also believe that when riots broke out, Modi developed cold feet as he was caught unprepared to deal with the situation. However, it is beyond the realm of logic as to why Modi did not issue a clear cut instruction to the police and civil administration that steps should be taken to esnure that no communal violence took place in Gujarat. Also, why did not Modi ask organizations like Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad, which are very close to BJP, to ensure that communal fabric is not disturbed and the muslims are not harmed in the aftermath of Godhra massacre. In any case micro-management of administration was not the responsibility of the Chief Minister.

Further, why did not Modi show any urgency in ensuring justice to the victims and bringing perpetrators to justice? Why did not Modi took immediate steps to allay fears among the muslims and affected hindus? Such questions are serious and pose a big challenge to Modi’s popularity and his claim for the top job in the country. 

Sachin Tendulkar and his time

So many things are being written these days about Sachin Tendunlkar, who has just played his last domestic first class match and is about to hang his boots. But, whatever is being written about him seems to be less when compared to the adulation Sachin has got all through his career and a kind of revolution that he ushered in not just around cricket in India but other sports as well.

Sachin arrived on the international scene at a time when India, the Elephant, was still sleeping and when India’s gold was about to be mortgaged to run the finances of the nation, Mandal was yet to give voice to long suppressed sections of society and divide the same along a new fault-line, flagrant display of communalism was yet to become the order of the day, Vishwanath Pratap Singh was the prime minister, Rajiv Gandhi was still struggling to wash off the Bofors taint, Amitabh Bachchan had gone back to where he came from and was being challenged by rising Anil Kapoor, Khalistan terrorism was about to give way to Kashmiri terrorism; in nutshell, India was still an innocent nation and Sachin emerged the first teen sensation on the Indian scene (albeit after Rishi Kapoor) and soon engulfed the imagination of every aspiring Indian from a humble background.

Sachin made his test debut in a match which was also the first for Waqar Younis, who finally got him at 15, clean bowled. The test series was pretty ordinary for records except for the fact that Sachin was just 16 and looked even younger. What propelled Sachin into everyone’s imagination was his heroic effort in a match, which was officially called off but played for the spectators. India required 43 runs off the last two overs to be bowled by one of the greatest leg spinners of all time, now forgotten, Abdul Qadir and arguably the best left arm fast bowler Wasim Akram.

In Qadir’s over Sachin showed what he was going to do to the pride of the bowlers in the next two-and-a-half decades. Just a while before Qadir’s over Sachin had hit two consecutive sixes off Mustaq Ahmad - another great leg spinner and almost a replica of Qadir - and faced one ball from Qadir for a single. Qadir reportedly challenged Sachin by asking him to hit him out of the park, to which the boy replied by acknowledging the leg spinner’s greatness.

But, there was bloodbath on the cricket field the next over. The first three balls of Qadir went for sixes and the over ended with Sachin plundering 27 runs off it. The boy had turned into a formidable man. This over signalled that India can dominate Pakistan. This also meant that India’s pride was restored despite the fact that India lost that match. There could be a match on with Pakistan. This one over changed the way Indian cricket was looked upon.

For years, Sachin came at number 5 or 6 and scored a quick-fire 30s, 40s and occasionally 50s to give India a hope and restore pride. Then in 1994, came the big moment at Auckland against New Zealand, when Sachin opened the innings and tore apart the Kiwi’s attack. Rest is history.

What Sachin did essentially brought the young achievers from all walks of life into the focus of a young nation. Suddenly, there was Vishwanathan Anand in recognition; there was a Leander Paes, a Limba Ram, a Kambli, a Shah Rukh Khan and opening up of India to new economic, social and somewhat politicking ideas. Also, there were defeats, surrender down under, riots, new form of terrorism and no-hold-barred facets of society. 

The Age of Innocence was lost. 

But, the innocent boy travelled like a stream well aware of its path and destination. Surely, Sachin has reached his ocean and formed the biggest delta on the end plain of sports and sportsmanship. More powerful streams may still come down to oceans but such a huge delta may never be surpassed.

In India: Rs 75 a day for monkeys, Rs 27 for humans

Monkeys rated above humans; Rs. 75 a day to feed a monkey in Delhi, Rs. 27 for basic living for humans in villages

According to the records of the Delhi Government's forest department, Rs. 75 per head per day is spent to feed monkeys in the Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary located in South Delhi. It would be interesting to recall that the Planning Commission of India and the Finance Ministry of India prescribed in July, 2013 that if a person is spending Rs. 27.20 in rural areas, he could not be considered poor. He does not belong to the Below Poverty Level category of people in India. For cities, the expenditure cap was fixed at Rs. 33.

In an irony to the state of humans in India, Delhi’s forest department has spent a nothing less than Rs. 6 crore in feeding 16,400 monkeys at the Delhi Sanctuary in the last six years. The Forest Department’s reports state that it spends approximately Rs. 14 lakh every month on food for the monkeys in the sanctuary since 2007-08 following a Delhi High Court directive to feed the animal.

 The cost to feed monkeys has been rising every year given the fact that food inflation has been flying north in India, in general, and Delhi, in particular. The expenditure incurred on feeding the monkeys in 2007-08 was Rs. 13.01 lakh. It went up to Rs. 1.19 crore in 2008-09. In 2009-10, the expenses declined to Rs. 13.01 lakh before going up to Rs. 1.27 crore in 2010-11, Rs. 1.39 crore in 2011-12 and the Rs. 1.50 crore in 2012-13.

In the backdrop of this incremental cost in keeping monkeys healthy in a protected environment, it would be interesting to compare the cost prescribed by the Manmohan Singh government to meet the basic requirements including food valued in rupees as calculated by the Planning Commission. The cost of living for humans prescribed by the United Progressive Alliance government of India is less than half of what is being incurred per head on the upkeep of monkeys in the Capital.

In October, 2011, the Planning Commission filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court saying that the BPL cap was pegged at an expenditure of Rs. 32 and Rs. 26 by an individual in the urban and rural areas respectively taking into account the rate of inflation prevailing in 2010-11. This was revised in March, 2012 by the Planning Commission, which stated that anyone with a daily consumption expenditure of Rs. 28.35 and Rs. 22.42 in urban and rural areas respectively does not belong to the BPL category. 

The March, 2012 estimates of the Planning Commission were revised again in July, 2013 as the electoral politics started hotting up in India and the Manmohan Singh government was facing flak from every corner for persisting high inflation and stagnant economic growth. The Planning Commission, which works in tandem with the government of the day at Centre stated that people whose consumption of goods exceeds Rs. 33 a day in cities and Rs. 27.20 a day in villages are not poor. Incidentally, in the same report, the Planning Commission said that India has reduced the number of poor by more than 15 percentage points since 2004, when the UPA seized power from Atal Behari Vajpayee-led National Democratic Alliance government.

These figures of the Delhi Forest Department have been arrived at on the basis of the actual expenditure incurred in buying fruits and vegetables at the wholesale price in Delhi. In contrast, the planning commission and the finance ministry calculated the daily requirements at the market price. So, according to the understanding as well as the policies and schemes of the government in India roughly three humans can live a day respectfully catering to their food, housing, clothing, travel and medical requirements in Indian villages on a day’s food expenditure of a monkey living in the Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary in the national capital. No wonder, India is the capital of malnourished, hungry, diseased and sanitation-deprived people in the world.

The curious case of coalgate whistleblower PC Parakh

Politics is the business of expediency, and running a government is a game of chess, where queen is protected till the very end. And this is ensured by sacrificing pawns, who fortify the palace. The UPA government and its approach to dealing with scams prove this basic philosophy of governance that I heard while growing up in the politically conscious Bihar. The case of former Union coal secretary PC Parakh in the coal scam is not only curious but perhaps a sad commentary as well.

PC Parakh had generally been hailed as an honest bureaucrat till his retirement in 2005 and considered an early whistleblower of the coal scam much before the Comptroller and Auditor General of India made the scam public in March 2012. Parakh was the man, who resisted the obsolete policy of first-come-first-served for allocation of coal blocks and favoured a policy of transparent system of auction of coal blocks/mines.

Now, it is in public domain that in July 2004, PC Parakh had warned Prime Minister Manmohan Singh about a possible scam if the old policy of coal block allocation was followed. Parakh registered his opposition to the existing method of coal block allocation in writing, categorically saying that the award of captive coal blocks could result in windfall profits for the beneficiary corporate houses. If still not less than 142 coal blocks were allocated under Manmohan Singh’s nose, where is the question of culpability of Parakh? Clearly, he was overruled by the Prime Minister or his office.

Incidentally, PC Parakh had also strongly objected to and lodged a protest with the Prime Minister against political interference in the coal ministry and the intrusive role played by the then-minister of state for coal Dasari Narayana Rao. There is no doubt that Parakh tried his best in the capacity of  coal secretary to prevent what turned out to be a coal scam. But his political masters ignored him.

It should also be recalled that PC Pararkh’s successor in the coal ministry as secretary, HC Gupta had taken cue from Parakh and continued opposition to the existing policy of coal block allocation. It is again in the public domain that on April 7, 2006, HC Gupta strongly opposed, at a meeting held in PMO, the manner in which coal blocks were being allocated. He said that there was no legal basis for allocation of coal blocks by a screening committee as was being done then. It is no surprise that Gupta is also facing investigation for his alleged involvement in the coal scam.

This takes us to the moot point that all the pawns and commanders are being sacrificed in the hope to save the king. Now, one the valiant commanders has threatened to reveal the fortified secrets of the kingdom in an unambiguous signal to the king and the kingmaker that he is not okay with the idea of becoming the sacrificial lamb for the safety of the throne. That, the commander will not go without offering a fight.

Congress: A political outfit or political business of a family?

After Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s “well-orchestrated” dramatics over the ordinance on the convicted politicians, the politics has taken a curious turn over the issue. Rahul Gandhi may have wanted to distance himself from the Congress party and the UPA government by publicly denouncing an orchestra of the Congress core-group and the union cabinet thinking that the credibility of the party and the government is eroding, but in the process he has also inflicted some damage on his own credibility as a political leader. His Rambo-act on Friday at the Press Club of India in New Delhi reflects the politician within Rahul Gandhi and not a leader.

It would be foolish to think that Rahul did not know anything about the Congress and the government’s move to annul the Supreme Court order dated July 10th. The Supreme Court had  held that convicted MPs and MLAs would be ineligible to contest election if sentenced to more than two years’ jail term in a criminal case.

But, if Rahul really did not know about it, he proved himself an indifferent and pathetic parliamentarian as a bill to this effect had been introduced in the Rajya Sabha during the monsoon session after due clearance.

Or, if he knew yet let the party and government do what they wanted to do, he proved himself a politician not sincere in fighting criminalization of politics. And, on all counts, the theatrical appearance and castigation of the deeds of the government was an act of a politician, who was trying to do some damage control. In the process, however, he has exposed himself, his party and the government.

Let’s consider another if. Suppose, Rahul Gandhi was genuinely concerned and anguished at the attempt by his party and the government at shielding some of the convicted or to be convicted criminals among politicians, and he only reacted late gauging the public sentiment, which gave him courage to speak out in public against his party and government.

What does this convey?

Rahul’s stand is a public negation of the policies of the Congress president and his all-powerful mother Sonia Gandhi, who approved of the Ordinance on the convicted politicians to nullify the apex court order. If Rahul prevails, which seems to be the only option available before the government now, it would mark an end to Sonia regime in the party. But, this comes with a rider that the Friday’s storming the Sonia bastion of Congress by Rahul must not have come without her underlying approval and thus, an end to her regime with her approval.

So, Sonia appears to have approved of quite a few things in past one week: an ordinance to perpetuate criminalization of politics, putting credibility of the party and the government at risk, Rahul’s elevation to the super-politician level and an end to her own supremacy! Contrastingly incredible!

Friday also deliered some message to the Prime Minister, who is travelling abroad apparently on an important job. He is left with two options, either to withdraw the ordinance on convicted politicians and confirm what he said concluding his last foreign trip that he was ready to serve under Rahul. That he is actually serving under Rahul, who would be seen like the Super PM. Second option is to go down fighting after having faced so much political humiliation and seen audacious insubordination in full public view.

Moreover, Manmohan Singh's is not a standalone case. Some other senior leaders of the Congress party and ministers in the UPA government have complained of humiliation. But the question is, will these leaders make an attempt to salvage the prestige of the grand old party? Most unlikely. Will they come out and make Rahul fall in the line? Will the collective wisdom of the Congress leaders convince people that the Congress is political organization not political business of a family?

A mess called General VK Singh

Did General VK Singh try to do a Pakistan in India? This question is raking up in the minds of scores of people and has left them concerned with heavy cloud of uncertainty keeping the secret of secrets of India military establishment. They say, ambition has no limits and knows no barriers. India has seen several manifestations and ramifications of such an ambition going ‘rogue’ in its neighbourhood with all the bordering nations having been a victim or beneficiary of that. Was India about to be one such example just a year ago? This is scary question for the lovers of democracy and indifferent people like me.

Let’s first understand the issue. The present controversy erupted after The Indian Express carried out a report saying that the Technical Services Division (TSD) created by the then Army Chief General VK Singh was involved in covert anti-political operations citing a secret inquiry report submitted by a Board of Officers of the army led by Lt Gen Vinod Bhatia, DG, Military Operations.

The basis of this inference was the contents of the Bhatia report, which was submitted to the then Defence Secretary and present CAG of India, Shashi Kant Sharma in March earlier this year. The report has since been supposed discussed at the highest level in the Defence Ministry and the Prime Minister’s Office. NSA Shiv Shankar Menon is also reported to have chaired at least one meeting to discuss the Bhatia report, about which the Army establishment says that the matter is close from their side. No one knows what this stand means at this point of time.

Before moving further, it would be prudent to have a look at the crucial findings of the Bhatia inquiry board. According to the inquiry report, Rs 1.19 crore was given by the TSD at the behest of General VK Singh to Agriculture Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Ghulam Hassan Mir to engineer a change of Government in Jammu and Kashmir. This means toppling a democratically elected government in an Indian state. According to law, this is comparable to sedition, and if it indeed was the case, this was committed by the serving Army Chief of India.

Next, the Bhatia report says that Rs 2.38 crore was given on orders from Army Headquarters to Hakikat Singh of an NGO named ‘Jammu and Kashmir Humanitarian Service Organisation’ (JKHSO) which Bhatia report says has links with another NGO, ‘Yes Kashmir’ that filed a PIL against the then Army Commander and present Army Chief General Bikram Singh in the fake encounter case in Jangalat Mandi when he was a Brigadier. However, the PIL was later dismissed by the court. But, the PIL, when it had been filed last year, was widely believed to be an attempt, as the Indian Express reports, to scuttle Bikram Singh’s appointment and change the line of succession in the top brass.

This came at a time when General VK Singh was fighting his own battle of date of birth with the Government of India and took the matter to the court as well. His moves were then seen as an attempt to secure one more year at the helm of the affairs of the army and much to his chagrin, the court rejected his case forcing him to demit the office of the Army Chief a year earlier than he wished to. Consider his fight for securing one more year of power in the light of recent revelations suggesting he had acquired political ambition.

The Bhatia report also says that Rs 8 crore was spent on purchase of state of the art interception equipment from a Singapore-based company in November 2010 ostensibly meant to be deployed in the J&K 15 Corps. In March 2012, following orders of the then DG, MI, Lt Gen D S Thakur, the equipment was physically destroyed after reports of snooping of the govt. establishments in the North and South Blocks.

Again spare a thought for General VK Singh’s attempt to extend his regime by one more year. If the emerging picture is not scary enough, consider one incident reported last year revealing that at least two units of army from Agra and Meerut moved towards Delhi and reached to the outskirts of the national capital in 14-15^th January last year without notifying its movement to the government establishment. The move was so alarming that the National Security Advisor, who was abroad had to fly back curtailing his visit and the Prime Minister was informed about the development in the wee hours or the early morning of the fateful winter.

Let’s refer to the Bhatia report for the last to know that the officials of the TSD, who reported directly to the then Army Chief, undertook frequent foreign travels to places like London and Dubai using their personal and not official passports. The report also says that TSD officials doctored documents of other Army officers to travel abroad. Since the motive behind creation of the TSD was to carry out interception and secret operations, the details of the same were not to be found documented as clearly as others. And, all this was done at the direction of General VK Singh!

Now, for the third time recall General VK Singh’s attempt to get an extension in the office by one full year. If all the reports signaling some kind of political interest, if not ambition, of the General have some amount of truth, the picture was definitely scary for a complacent democracy like India’s. But, the same democracy allows one to look at the other side of the coin.

The report was submitted in March, some six months ago. Reading the highlights of a report of and on such an alarming situation by the then Defence Secretary and even by the Defence Minister and the PMO could not have taken much of time. So, why this report is being talked about even by the government for an action? Was the government waiting for the press to get its hand on the report before it acted? The answer should be negative.

So, is the principal opposition party, the BJP is right in saying that this is a political vendetta against Gen VK Singh because he shared dais with its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi at Rewari in Rajasthan? 

The persons alleged to have been benefitted by the TSD at the behest of General VK Singh have denied having been benefitted. They may be or may not be telling the truth because in either case the expected answer would be the same. One of the beneficiaries is a present minister in the Jammu & Kashmir government. He cannot practically expect himself to become the Chief Minister of the state given the strength of his own party, whose name is not even known by all Kashmiri people. He got the portfolio on the Congress’s quota. Thinking all the ministers in all the governments are corrupt and honesty is only an exception, Ghulam Hasan Mir was said to have been given Rs 1.19 to topple the Omar Abdullah govt. The amount offered for the purpose seems unconvincing.

A certain Hakikat Singh, who runs an NGO and who is said to have got a PIL filed against the present Army Chief through another NGO has denied having done so. He had to, in any case. But, if he is telling untruth, this proves just one thing that General VK Singh might have wanted to change the line of succession due to some personal animosity. If that was the case, the same argument could be held for the General Bikram Singh, who instituted the secret inquiry board under Lt General Bhatia and about whose report even the army officials are reported to have raised some questions. It is being said that all the statements made before the Bhatia inquiry board could be retracted before a court martial or during a CBI investigation and therefore do not hold much water. Doesn’t it also suggest that General Bikram Singh engineered something against General VK Singh for the same reason alluded earlier?

This proposition becomes even more interesting given the fact that the then Defence Secretary Shashi Kant Sharma, during whose tenure the inquiry board was instituted and submitted its report, and General VK Singh had crossed swords over the Tatra Truck deal. They have, it has been talked about, had enough bad blood between them. Appointment of Sharma as the CAG of India was also questioned on the same matter with argument that how could a person who presided over the deal can possibly audit it in all fairness. General VK Singh was also supposed to have anguished the defence ministry when he raised the matter of being attempted to be bribed by a retired army officer with the Defence Minister himself.

So, if the other side of the coin is true then the Bhatia report and all the talks of action against General VK Singh could well be a well written script at a very high level. And, the argument that General VK Singh is being persecuted for three prime reasons, that he shared dais with Narendra Modi, that raised the issue of his date of birth with the govt and that he worked to weed out corruption in defence deals by bringing transparency in the arms deals during his stint as the Army Chief.

As of the now, there is mud on the ground and dense cloud in the sky while the truth may be lying somewhere in the power corridors of the country. People are getting restless to know the answers because it concerns their sense of well being. There must be investigation, full and fair. But, who will do it, the CBI, does everyone trust it? Who will get the investigation done, the government, the army or finally, the judiciary?

Narendra Modi: Advani, BJP, RSS, ideology or power play?

There are too many of readable, non-readable, absurd, brilliant and stupid write ups on Narendra Modi being formally anointed the prime ministerial candidate of the BJP, understandably well supported and approved by its remaining two alliance partners. I am only putting an extra piece on the garbage vomited by the intellectuals, though I am not one of them.

The BJP has done what anyways seemed inevitable for the survival of the party, keeping whatever stature it has intact. Narendra Modi has long outgrown the veterans and equally eager so-called national leaders within the BJP. People don't connect with LK Advani anymore. Sachin Tendulkar may still have some fan following but Advani has lost most, if not all, of them to his own protege from his home state. But, much like the great from the game of cricket, the political stalwart of the BJP fails to realize, recognize and admit that he is much much past his prime. At 86, Advani can not afford to harbour a dream to lead an India, whose average age may be some 50 years less.

Is Advani so naive to understand this simple thing? Is ambition of the man be so overwhelming that he can risk wiping out all the good that he may have done in his long career and life? Logic fails to answer the question. May be, 'ambitious' people think, feel and do differently. But, let's suppose for a moment, that Advani realizes this. Then, why is he doing what he has been doing? Why is this posturing, if it is bound to be doomed? Is there really any ideological battle going on? Is the old man trying to correct the wrongs that he committed in his prime for his prime ambition? Is the old man trying to save India's pluralistic identity, which he once attempted to destroy? Or, as many have put it, is he simply misjudging everything? The answers to these question will paint a clear picture. But, there are no easy answers.

Let's try to find a couple of those difficult answers on our own. There has been a non-separable relationship between the RSS and the BJP. They are two, but they are one. However, the two patriarchs of the BJP, AB Vajpayee and LK Advani tried to restrict the influence of the RSS in the business of governance when the two were at the helm of affairs for not less than six years. Vajpayee-Advani duo challenged the authority of the RSS in governance. 

When the BJP-led NDA came to power, the RSS thought to have a free sway but the two formidable leaders of the BJP kept them at an arm's distance on more than one occasion. This was incredible those days considering the historical relation of two organizations. Advani once proclaimed that governance does not fall in the realm of ideology, it is carried out on the basis of ground realities (you may read, coalition politics). The point is the father organization, the RSS was kept at a distance from the corridors of power while its children were managers of power.

After Vajpayee's health took him practically out of question, Advani has been waging a lone battle against the attempted coup by the RSS in the BJP. But, the emergence of Modi as a development man, who connects well with the aspirations of the youth despite the taint of communal riots gave the RSS a window to stage a forceful comeback in the courtyard of BJP.

But, this could not have been possible without the active support and calculated moves by Modi, who also saw a window of opportunity for himself with Vajpayee out of question, Advani being on the wrong side of 80s, and none of the next generation leaders at the national level having popular support. So, Modi quickly mended his ways to patch up with the RSS lest Shivraj Singh Chauhan made claim to the national politics. Brand Modi picked up at right time. And, the RSS got a foothold in the door that was threatening to close on its face- of course, not immediately.

If this is true, as I sense it to be, the BJP along with Advani has lost its war against the RSS. The independence of the BJP may have been compromised with in the elevation of Modi.

The RSS could serve well as a pressure group to any government, but it if the BJP, which senses groundswell in its favour across the Hindi heartland, gives the RSS a handle, it is not good for pluralistic model of governance in India. The result may be more damaging as it may give fodder to the hungry jehadis. Modi, obviously, has a tough task at hand even if we presume that he will take the BJP back to power in the two most coveted blocks in the country.

Delhi gangrape case: Nirbhaya, December 16 and after

The verdict of the fast track court is welcome as the four accused have been expectedly held guilty for raping the para-medical student on December 16, last year. Fifth accused died in Tihar jail while the juvenile accused was pronounced guilty and given a three-year sentence in rehabilitation/remand home.

While the verdict must be hailed for it came out in only a week to nine months’ time, it must not blind people’s vision to the spate of crime in Delhi in the past eight or nine months since the 23-year old girl was brutalized on the city road in a public vehicle and left to die. Her friend survived the incident.

Delhi continues to be an unsafe city for women. It has witnessed 239.26% rise in rape cases and 495% increase in molestation cases. This shows that there has been no improvement in this city being unsafe for women even eight months after the Nirbhaya incident.

In 2012, 433 rape cases were recorded in Delhi whereas till 15 August this year, 1,036 cases had already been registered in Delhi. Similarly, cases of molestation have witnessed a rise of 495.01%. Last year, 381 cases of molestation were registered which shot up to 2,267 in the past eight months.

The figures are telling and there is an urgent need to fix responsibility for the spate of crime against women in Delhi. The police had claimed to be enforcing a slew of measures to make the city safer for women. But, it is quite apparent that all the measures announced by the Delhi Police were taken only in files not on ground.

The measures announced by police including new women helpline numbers, creation of women help desk in police stations, establishment of all women police stations and liaison with rape crisis intervention centres have actually created confusion because there has been no coordination amongst the various cells put in place for the purpose.

There are four helpline numbers operational in the city. It is expected that a woman in trouble would choose from one among the four numbers, 100, 1096, 1091 and 181 when she is in trouble. But, if a woman is in the situation as that of the para-medical student, would she be able to make a call? If someone dials a wrong number she is asked to dial to the other number, herself.

While there is an urgent need to fix responsibility for this state of affairs, the Delhi Police lacks adequate number of personnel especially women police personnel. Women officials in Delhi Police are overworked. They have their own issues that hamper providing safety to women in the city.

Contrary to the government’s reply to Parliament on the working conditions for women police personnel in Delhi police, the women officials have no separate room to stay at night in case they work till late or are in the night-shift; they don’t get dropped home even at odd hours; women officials also complain that they do not get enough leave.

If the police personnel work under such condition, they cannot be expected to come to the rescue of a victim of any crime. Moreover, in Delhi itself, a policewoman complained of molestation and was, in turn, told to forget the incident and move over. This is nothing but a crude reminder of the gender disparity and insensitivity within the police establishment and society at large. This mindset is to be fought against alongside taking some real slew of measures ensuring speedy delivery of justice, which intrinsically calls for police and judicial reforms. Some may argue that if the latter happens, the former will definitely follow. But, till that happens, the social and media outrage against cases of crime against women must continue.

Can a person compel you to hate him?

There is a Sanjay Jha, speaking for Congress on almost all the TV news channel for a couple of months or so. His arguments, to my mind, can at the best be called logically illogical. To use olden days' term, his arguments fall under the category of 'Kutark'. But, he has been so influential that I have started keeping off myself from Times Now's Newshour debates. Boss, there should be a limit to 'patient hearing of stupidity'. But, Mr Arnab Goswami has made him a hot cake for TV channels.
 
Sanjay Jha's latest argument in defence of his party and coterie colleague (and hitherto sensible) Shakeel Ahmad's comment on the birth of Indian Mujaheedin and BJP brand of communalism was so absurd that I have started thinking whether the grand old party has really become intellectually bankrupt! One of the arguments put forth by Jha in Sakee Ahmad's defence on NDTV was that if Ishrat and three people were on a mission to kill Mr Narendra Modi, it was because of latter's role in 2002 Gujarat riots. I was aghast. The reason is this:
 
If Modi was to be (justifiably) killed because he persecuted muslims in Gujarat, then think of the assassinations of Rajiv Gandhi, Indira Gandhi and Mahatma Gandhi. Commense sense based on Sanjay Jha's logic would tell us that Rajiv Gandhi was killed because he persecuted Tamils, Indira Gandhi was killed because she persecuted sikhs and above all Mahatma Gandhi was killed because he persecuted hindus! Friends, can I still listen to Jhaology?

Food Security Ordinance: Good politics, bad economics

The ambitious food for all scheme as envisaged under the Food Security Bill is well on the course of becoming a reality by force of a law. The President has promulgated the ordinance to the same effect. Now, it has to be passed by both the houses of Parliament during the monsoon session, scheduled to commence of July 26. Else, the ordinance will lapse. Politically, it is the best shot fired by corruption stung United Progressive Alliance government aiming the next general election. But, financially, the tax payers shall have to cough up between 1.25-1.90 lakh crores of rupees annually to meet the cost.

The Constitution says that the President can promulgate an ordinance if circumstances require taking immediate action on a certain issue. Except politics, nothing can explain the urgency for promulgamation of food ordinance. Now, that it is more than obvious that ordinance is constitutional in letter but essentially political in spirit, let's examine the circumstances which forced government (or, constitutionally speaking satisfied the President) take by-pass route. 

The food security bill has been making enough noises since 2011 when the National Advisory Council approved the proposed law. The politics over the bill has been intense popularizing the contents of the bill thereby helping the UPA's objective of dissemination of information that the bill is aimed at the largest constituency of voters-- the poor. All the UPA constituents are in favour of the bill becoming law with minor differences of opinion vis-a-vis modality and strategy. The BJP led NDA has spoken in different voices but importantly venting out their opposition to the bill. The Left and the fringe or life support players for the UPA are not in favour of the bill in its present form. 

The revised version, the Food Security Bill, 2013 was introduced in Parliament on March 22 earlier this year during the budget session. Nothing meaningful happened amid chaos and pandemonium over various issues of corruption and resultant mud slinging. This seems to be a regular dose of politics in India. Such circumstances do not create problem of immediacy in Indian politics. So, what were those circumstances that 'satisfied the President' to invoke Article 123 of the Constitution? 123 of politics? Perhaps yes.

The lok sabha election is just a stone's throw away and the Congress-led government has become a synonym of corruption in public and popular perception, to say the least. And, perception decides the fate of electoral politics. Over four years of policy paralysis at the centre, duly reflected in most of the states, has demolished India's growth theory, which has, anyways, been jobless growth adjusted to population growth.

Scams after scams, scandals involving union ministers and ruling dispensation's flip-flops at dealing with corruption and opposition to corruption have given the BJP-led opposition a realistic chance to staging a come-back. To cash in on the favourable wave, the RSS-BJP combine has brought a leader, who suits them the most, to the forefront. Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi is controversial and perceived as Hindu hardliner, although he does not talk about Hindutva, the Ram Temple and Uniform Civil Code ever. His image is that of a development oriented man and politician. He is also capable of tiding over the infighting in party. And, above all, the Congress fears that he could be divisive when it comes to electioneering and voting denting its chances further. Now, it is expedient for the Congress to counter all the counter-UPA perception and moves. The food for all law is one weapon that can repair the dents in Congress's body politic.

Save some breath for economics of food for all scheme. There is a genuine concern among informed masses and experts alike that food security scheme will push fiscal deficit further. According to some agencies, this scheme can widen the gap by 0.5% this financial year itself. However, the government does not believe. (Obviously, it can not in the election year.) The finance ministry has earmarked 77, 740 crores of rupees for food subsidy with an additional allocation of 10, 000 crores of rupees towards incremental cost due to food bill. Thus, by managing over 87, 000 crores of rupees for food scheme, the finance ministry hopes to keep the fiscal deficit within the targetted range of 4.8% of the gross domestic product.

Interestingly, there are other figures suggesting that the UPA government is either mistaken or has become an Ostrich. According to government's own estimate the food security scheme would cost the national exchequer around 1.25 lakh crore rupees annually. Other estimates put this cost between 1.75-1.90 lakh crore rupees. This entails a darker financial future of the nation. It simply means that the earning population will have to pay this much of money in the form of additional taxes as the government is already in huge deficit. Now, see this in a double window screen, wherein the second window shows that the food for all scheme will be routed through the Public Distribution System, which is, at its best, just 45% efficient. This means, the earning population will have to cover up for this 65% leakage as well. This can not be good economics.

But, we are in the election year, when populist politics prevails over all kinds of prudence. So, the food security ordinance becomes an exigency especially when information is oozing out that the election commission may notify the lok sabha polls on September 22. The UPA government does not have much time left to correct the distorting perception among the voters. It could not have waited for the Monsoon session, which would otherwise not see any debate and passage of the food bill. Obviously, the Constitution has remedial provisions for such circumstances. 

Now, the Congress can proudly tell the nation (read voters) that it has implemented the education for all scheme, job for all scheme, information for all scheme, housing for all scheme and the most importantly food for all scheme. So, the people are secure on all the fronts. Let the opposition indulge in communal, developmental, dalit and other divisive politics, the UPA can go ahead with its poll preparation. If it damages economic health of the nation, only the next government will have to answer.

Rupee On Slide: Shouldn't India Worry?

Rupee is on a slide, whose base is out of sight at this moment. The Indian currency is floating in a dangerous zone around 60 against a US dollar for quite some time sending all kinds of negative vibes in the economy of India. Though, it has made Indian exports cheaper but it has not served particularly well. Most of all, it has shaken the lives of people despite credit rating agency signalling improving financial health of India.

The immediate reason for the slide of rupee is the apparent revival of the US’s economy. The dollar has gained immense strength in recent weeks. It has touched a three year high at 84.30 on the Dollar Index. It has forced many investors to even prefer dollar to gold.

And, since the Euro-zone has again plunged in the crisis after showing signs of revival, dollar has been the rallying point. The international market is under the psyche of capital preservation and the US dollar is a safe option as it is gaining strength on the account of US’s economic revival. Just a few months ago when both the US and the European Union were reeling under recession, rupee seemed stable but the flip-flop of Euro-zone and strong signals of recovery in the US market has tilted the balance in favour of US dollar and against Indian rupee.

Domestically, the economic decision making has suffered at the hands of political indecision at large. High inflation, huge trade deficit, worsening growth indicators in industry and agriculture and worrying balance of payment at current price have pushed the country into a very uncomfortable zone. Schemes like the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme have weakened the national economy. The proposed food for all scheme aggravates the fear only.

Generally, a weakening currency helps the country to increase its exports leaps and bounds, but India faces the problem of massive outflow of forex reserve on the account of import of oil, gold, fertilizers and coal for power. Gold is the second to crude oil only in draining nation’s forex reserve. Meanwhile, import of nitrogen, phosphate and potash fertilizers have has increased by over 30% in past couple of years. Import of coal for power has doubled during the same period. The only relief for India is the declining prices of crude oil in the international markets, which have helped prevent further depreciation of rupee.

India’s balance of trade is tilted against it, with its major trading partner the European Union’s economy is in tatters. Brazil, Russia and South Africa are no better. And, with China, India’s trade deficit is too huge for to think of turning the table for years to come. There is an urgent need for India to deepen its structural reforms to bridge widening gap between import and export else the economy would be heading towards peril. The combination of increase in imports, reduction in exports, rising current account deficit and uncomfortable level of fiscal deficit has impacted the health of rupee badly despite government’s claim and assurances.

It is high time that the government and the RBI take some long term as well as short term concrete measures to discourage import of gold and possibly oil. At the same time, combined efforts must be made to encourage export. This would create an environment of sluggish demand for dollar against rupee for international trade. A stronger rupee would definitely help increasingly import dependent consumer market in India and millions of households.

Manmohan Sounds Poll Bugle, Will People Listen?

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh presented his government's report card on Wednesday on completion of four years of staying in power. Adding his previous regime, the UPA government is in power for nine years. One thing is clear that no prime minister can be honest enough to do genuine critical analysis of his own government. Those were different days when former prime minister Jawahar Lal Nehru came down heavily on his own ministers following allegations of nepotism and corruption. Now, it's all about cover-up business and making bold (at times foolishly bold) claims of one's own achievements. Manmohan Singh seemed one such exposed politician on Wednesday.

The Prime Minister chose to focus on four areas, that were key to him in patting his back. His "four key achievements: one, the improved performance of the economy; two, making the growth process more inclusive; three, delivery of better governance and better delivery of welfare and development programmes; and, four, improved relations with a changing and challenging  world" are now public. Singh insisted that his government has "taken our country forward on all these four fronts in the nine years".

At the face of it, the claims look erroneous. The claim of fast GDP growth does not hold water in the face of all reports of increasing disparity among the populace. The constantly high inflation especially of food articles in past more than four years betrays bad financial and monetary management of the country. The last year's GDP growth rate of less than five percent was attributed to a global phenomenon. The Prime Minister cited China's slowdown as collateral proof and also recalled a lower average growth rate during NDA regime. But, the economist-turned-politician failed to notice that India did not grow at the rate at which China grew and also not on the similar fundamentals of economy. Secondly, many economists believed that the first two years of UPA's nine-year rule benefitted from the policies of NDA regime. Moreover, can the government justify one failure with another apparent failure?

Manmohan Singh could have done well speaking the truth behind stagnating economy. He should have explained why his government is suffering from policy paralysis, why several infrastructural projects have been stalled, why investment projects are not taking off, why corruption has become a rule in his government and most importantly, why governance has been receding for four-five years.
 

The government's claim of making growth more inclusive is debatable. Many communities in India are sulking under the present regime. Tribals in the east and the north-east feel deeply alienated. It finds expression in the spreading network of naxal insurgency. The naxalism has successfully found foot soldiers in Assam for the first time since it started in late 1960s in West Bengal. The only state where naxal violence has been curbed is Andhra Pradesh but the state is embroiled in nothing less than what could be termed as a 'mini civil-war' with Telangana simmering to have its separate identity and Royalseema hoping to gain some lateral benefits. There is none to deny that Telangana has been mismanaged by the Manmohan Singh government.

Singh's third claim of better governance and ensuring welfare of people can be easily reviewed in the chorus of 2G, Coal, Defence, MNREGS and many other scams. Most of the scams were examined and verified by the Comptroller and Auditor General's office, which came under sharp criticism from the government. Thankfully, the judicial decisions have not gone against the claims of the CAG. Now, the same constitutional body's independence is reportedly being compromised with the UPA's decision to appoint defence secretary Shashi Kant Sharma as the next CAG of India. Sharma will be examining and auditing the deals that he cleared as the defence secretary as part of the UPA government's machinery. Combine this with reports suggesting government's neglect of intelligence gathering resulting in terror attacks climaxed in 2008-killings in Mumbai, and one will get a scary picture of governance and compromising condition of the welfare of people.
 

The welfare schemes of the government, chiefly under the right to education, the right to employment and proposed schemes under right to food and the right to health are all fraught with serious economic danger. The right to eduction has not helped improvement in quality education. The need of the hour is not simply bringing kids to school but to empower them with quality and competitive education. Only then will the teeming millions can take on the dominating world economies. The drop out rates and declining quality of education must be wrest immediately. For this to achieve the prime minister and his ministers should have worked in close coordination with the state governments but the politics prevailed over good 'welfare' sense.

Right to employment through MNREGS has only encouraged corruption and eaten up tax payers' money. Food security and health bills will aggravate the situation only. These two politically ambitious schemes will in all probability fall flat as there is an absolute lack of adequate administrative machinery to deliver the goods. The end result will be fleecing the tax payers, which include even those who may be the targetted beneficiary.

Finally, the Prime Minister feels that India's relation with the comity of nations has improved. This holds true only if one excludes everything except business. The neighbours constantly keep teasing India. China has made at least four serious incursions into Indian territories during UPA's rule, the latest being in Despang area, wherein Chinese forced India to compromise on border security vigil. Pakistan has not shown any intent of assuaging India's concerns. Bangladesh does not shy away from challenging India.

Nepal keeps pricking it and uses China threat to counter its southern neighbour. Sri Lanka has openly contested India's rights in the sea waters. India too has failed to grab the opportunities to cement ties with the island nation in recent past paving way for greater cooperation between Sri Lanka and China. India remained practically a mute spectator while Maldives plunged into a chaos. India has faced many diplomatic embarrassments at the hands of Italy, Argentina, Iran and a host of other nations in past nine years, a period which the Prime Minister chose to reflect upon. The only bright diplomatic spot that is visible on the UPA's face if nuclear deal with the US and subsequent approval by the nuclear suppliers group. But, the deal is still controversial and can be judged only in longer term.

Considering that the UPA-2 has entered into its final year, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's claims may not go down well with people, who can see through the veil of numbers and phrases. The UPA has sounded the poll bugle, it is now time for people to prepare for voting next year.

Two Years of 'Maa, Maati, Maanush' and Mamata

Maverick leader Mamata Banerjee completed two years as the chief minister of West Bengal after ending thirty five years of communist rule. This is not a long enough time to see the results of the change. But, it is not so short a period to not to throw up signs of improvement. Sadly, both the results and signs are missing from the spectre of hope in West Bengal.

Mamata Banerjee made the Trinamool Congress the force that it is chiefly on two counts; one, the obsolete model of governance by the Left Front and second, the rising aspiration of people in the state. Two developmental conflicts at Singur and Nandigram proved to be the point of critical mass for a revolution like change of power in West Bengal. On both the occasions, Mamata Banerjee gave the call, 'Maa, Maati, Maanush'. But, it seems she has forgotten every thing that she promised during her campaign for ascendancy.

In the very first year of her rule, Mamata faced one the most embarrassing and shameful incidents when a couple of hospitals in the state turned into mortuaries. More than a hundred infants died in the incubators in hospitals like BC Roy memorial and others. Mamata Banerjee first chose to ignore the deaths, followed it up by terming the deaths as drama and finally blamed it on the previous left front government. The 'Maa' of the slogan was left totally betrayed.

Mamata rose to the chair of chief minister in West Bengal using the ladders of Singur and Nandigram. Tata Motors' manufacturing unit was to come up at Singur, where land acquisition had been done, rather controversially. Mamata and the leaders of the Bhoomi Ucched Pratirodh Committee believed so the least. At Nandigram, Salim Group of Indonesia was to establish a chemical factory. Both industrial employment oriented projects were sacrificed at the altar of Mamata's politics. When she sworn in as the chief minister, many believed that an amicable and pro-people solution would be found for the two 'problems'. Nothing of that sort has happened till date.

At both Singur and Nandigram, two kinds of farmers were involved. One, who gave their land willingly and two, those who claimed that they did so under coercion or allurement. In any case, they have not got their land back even though the two projects have long been shelved. The matters are caught in legal tangles rendering many farmers on the verge of beggary. Mamata's promises to 'Maati and Maanush' fell flat. Her government did launch a scheme to meet the food requirements of the people of the affected region but the well known inefficiency of the public distribution system has not served any good.

Mamata Banerjee always accused the Left Front government of carrying out political murders and silencing opposition, thus denying the right to freedom of expression. She seems to have mastered the art herself. Political murders have only upped in West Bengal's interior. Her attacks on the intelligentsia have come under sharp criticism and condemnation nationwide. Even Mahashweta Devi has chosen to part ways with the TMC chief.

Corruption is only getting institutionalized in the state. Saradha scam and company's links with Mamata Banerjee and her party leaders are too well known to be mistaken. Amidst such adversity, never has been seen the leader that the people of West Bengal expected Mamata Banerjee to be as the leader of 'Poribortan'. She has always been found wanting.

In the midst of such a gloomy affair, the latest economic data gives some hope, with state's finance minister, Amit Mitra striving hard to modernize the economics of the state. The state has registered over 7.5% GDP growth rate in the last financial year. Still, employment generation has not been enough in two years, the agricultural production is not rising at an inspiring rate, manufacturing is yet to get a push and services have grown at less than 10% rate, which is not sufficient for a state like West Bengal with large and extremely dense population base.

Now that Mamata Banerjee's rule has entered into its third year, the chief minister can not afford to remain indifferent to the extent of being abusive in her approach to dealing with the problems of 'Maa, Maati, Maanush, which projected her to glory.

(I wrote it for merinews: http://www.merinews.com/article/west-bengal-two-years-of-maa-maati-maanush/15885821.shtml)

UPA's fact file: Bharat Smiling?

Politics is much like our lives. We try to look positive and vibrant whenever we decide to fight a gloom and strive to come out of it. The ultimate hope resides in prayers to god. In the case of politics, god is people, the voters, who, all the politicians, like mortal human beings, think can be fooled. The Bharat Smiling campaign of the UPA II, presumably the last of the UPAs makes one think on these lines. Millions of followers of Indian politics would immediately draw a comparison between the India Shining of  NDA regime and this one. However, the present ruling dispensation has vehemently denied that the latter is a caricature of the former.

The campaign in-charge and Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari claims that the India Shining campaign was a smug while Bharat Smiling is a humble one. The tag line for Bharat Smiling reads, "Many Miles We Have Come, But Many More We Still Have To Go'. An informed student of Indian politics would wish Tewari knew former prime minister Jawahar Lal Nehru's liking for Robert Frost's composition, "Woods are lovely, dark and deep/ But, I have miles to go/ Before I sleep/ Before I sleep". Anyways, while UPA II claims Bharat to be smiling let's focus on some of the facts emerging from the wailing India.

India has many shades of reality. Politically and journalistically corruption seems to be the only and the biggest problem ailing the country. But if we bend our knees a bit and get a reasonably realistic view of ground situation, we would find more pressing problems like lack of viable employment, lack of quality education at affordable cost, lack of quality food to all and absence of adequate health machinery. Combine this with the exponential growth (in numbers) of aspiring youth and one will see a scary picture hanging across the length and breadth of the country.  

 

Economics and Employment

 

First, let's look at the economic reality of the country and see whether Bharat is really smiling.

Broadly speaking India achieved a growth rate of 4.96 percent in 2012-13 for its 1.23 billion people, who form the largest congregation of the poorest sea of humanity on the planet. Agriculture and allied sectors are contributing the least to the GDP signaling that largest chunk of population is either economically redundant or extremely inefficient. Manufacturing sector has not been giving enough hope for the redundant populace, who are anyways not skilled and trained for industries. Manufacturing sector though contributes over a quarter to the GDP, but finds itself in a whirlpool of government's policy paralysis. Services contribute nearly 60 percent to India's GDP, a sign of paradigm shift in development toeing the line of the developed economies. But, here it means that only a fraction of India has grown so much that it eclipses the rest. (Many believe that India is progressing and Bharat is trailing.)

Now, let's see the UPA's response and also contribution to this economic state. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme was launched between 2006, becoming fully operational in 2010. The MNREGS guarantees one hundred days of work to one person per family in a rural area. The official figures say that nearly twenty lakh rupees have been spent on the scheme till now. This might have brought UPA more votes in last parliamentary elections but it has not served country well. 

The Comptroller and Auditor General finds the scheme flawed in implementation (by states, though) upto 96% meaning that practically all the rupees spent on the scheme flowed into drains. Further, it has failed in creating the number of jobs it was expected to during its operation. Reports suggest that there has been a 26% decline in man-days of work hitting the dalits and the tribals the worst. Their employment status has declined by 47% and 41% respectively over the period of MNREGS operation. (The government's reply to Parliament) The overall rate of unemployment in India was 9.3% in 2012 and is expected to be 9.4% in 2013.
 

Education and Empowerment

 
The worrying employment scenario could be bettered with quality education and skill training. The UPA introduced the Right to Education making education compulsory for children of 6-14 years. But, recent reports from the ministry of human resource development clearly tell that the standard of education has gone down in the past decade and that the recent policies are responsible for this decline. Moreover, school drop out rates are also alarming for a country which fosters the largest mass of illiterate people. The drop out rates for class five is 30%, which increases to 85% in class eight. If the monumental right to education act has achieved merely this at the cost of more than two lakh crores of rupees. The country needs to put its working heads together. Higher eduction is no better. Many ministers including the present HRD minister at the centre have already cast aspersions on the ability of premier technical institutions in producing creative professionals.
 

Food (In)security

 

India is a nation of surplus production and hungry population. Hunger and Malnutrition report (HUNGaMA) released by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh a couple of years ago highlighted the health of this ever growing nation. More 42% children were malnourished in 2011. The situation has not improved much since then. India can boast of a total food-grain production of 260 million tonnes and also of the theoretical availability of food-grain per capita at 444 grams (in 20112), but the ground reality is betrayed by various media reports of deaths caused by hunger every now and then. And, this could happen even in the busy city of Varanasi.

Meanwhile, politics is in full swing over the food security bill, which could well prove to be another MNREGS. The UPA government plans to fill the stomachs of 67 percent of Indian populace with the proposed food security scheme through its defunct public distribution system. The food for all scheme hopes to cover two-third of the entire population and is expected to tax the rest 1.25 lakh crore of rupees every year. This huge amount of tax payers money is at the risk of going down the PDS drains given that the system has inefficiency of 44 percent. One can imagine where the proposed scheme may be heading to. 

Providing wheat @Rs 2/kg, rice @Rs 3/kg and millets @Re 1/kg may sound very good for people only at face value, but it is, actually, bad management of a country which has one-fourth of the hungry people on the globe with number exceeding 230 millions. While the food production in India is breaking all records, the warehouses and store-houses fail to accommodate all the grains. Every year, lakhs of tonnes of foodgrains rot at several places in the country prompting the Supreme Court to direct the government in 2011 to distribute the grains among the poor.

 

Health

 

India has the dubious distinction of being the world leader in maternal and child mortality despite a booming health and hospital industry, and resultant highly acclaimed and appreciated medical tourism. The official records show that nearly half of India is undernourished. According to the World Health Organization's finding India annually records the maximum number of deaths of pre-term babies, malnourished and stunted children, anaemic women, children with birth defects, TB infections and MDR-TB cases, rabies deaths, new leprosy cases and oral cancer.

On the other hand, the country is heading to become the diabetes and dementia capital of the world in near future. The basic cause for all this is attributed to very low public spending on health. This explains why private hospitals have mushroomed all over the country, but quality treatment is still out of the reach of general masses. The government's expenditure on health is 3.9% of the GDP, which is lesser than that in even Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

Right to information

 

Amid the gloomy picture, the UPA government can really boast of having given the right to information to people by passing an act in 2006. It is, however, altogether a different story that the same instrument has proved to be Frankenstein's monster for the UPA. The Act has exposed the not only the UPA government but many state governments as well. The UPA bosses understand the predicament of this Act much better now. This explains why most of the ministries do not provide complete information to the office of the central information commissioner.

According to one estimate, the rate of default at the ministerial level in the UPA government as to replying to RTI queries is over 30%. So, with an apparent intention of slaying its own angel, RTI, the UPA is hoping that the electors in India will look at Bharat smiling and refuse to see through the game.

Last but not the least, consider this. 35.5% India still lives without electricity; the Transparency International ranks India at 94th among 174 nations on corruption perception index; large portions of farmland in the country awaits its share of green revolution; the area of farmers' suicide continues to widen and comity of nations led by China, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh continues to ignore India's interests, notwithstanding, the UPA managers expects (may be like an ostrich) Bharat to be Smiling!