There has been immense debate raging over nuclear power plants in the world over the last few years with fears over their safety having intensified after the Fukushima-Da Ichi plant disaster in March of 2011 and large sections of activists, general population and nuclear sceptics protesting to close down existing plants and to shelve plans to construct more of them.
The usual arguments against nuclear power plants are-
1) Safety- The reactor that spewed radio activity in Japan was constructed in the 60s and most of us were not even born yet. The latest model reactors have modern safety features and in India, these are in comparatively seismically safe zones and have adequate safety features to prevent a Fukushima type failure of back-up coolant pumping mechanism (a)
2)Spend fuel- Usually, spend fuel requires to be stored in isolated areas and the practice has been to store them underground in specially constructed bunkers or caves. India has adopted a closed nuclear fuel cycle which creates 50times more energy (b) (c) than all other systems and reuses large amounts of the spend fuel.
3)Lack of precautionary drills and awareness among people in the surrounding area and threat to environment- this is the only reasonable argument that I have heard from among the heap of protests that is holding back nuclear energy in India.
It is not a matter of doubt that we face sever power crisis in our country and our growth (whether this growth benefits only the rich and powerful who then pacify the middle class and the intention of signing contracts with pernicious clauses is altogether another issue) is directly dependent on availability of power. Every sphere of human activity is now dependent on power and its shortage severely restricts our individual capabilities. Nuclear energy is considered the best option to meet this requirement but uninformed protestors and a lot of 'environmentalists' or 'green citizens' recommend renewable energy sources like wind, solar, tidal energy and biomass(will we be asked to switch to firewood soon since it is also biomass?). I would like to point out a few misconceptions with respect to these renewable energy sources.
Wind Energy- this is highly location specific and require large patches of land and in a country that has a population density of over 400 people a square kilometer, a model pioneered by scarcely populated Scandinavian countries is little more than a misfit. Even then, let us assume we find enough land, there is an issue called capacity factor (d). I regularly see articles that talk about the installed capacity of wind energy in India but how much of their capacity can be utilised? Capacity factor for wind mills is just 20-40% and that is when all conditions are favourable. From my personal experience of having done a project on renewable energy and spend considerable time studying actual systems, what we get is less than 10% in most areas (e). What this means is that if a wind farm has a capacity of 100MW, it can at best produce 10MW.
Solar- It is as obvious as daylight that sun does not shine for 24 hours a day and the best capacity factor for solar photovoltaic (SPV) cells is at 19% (f) . In short, both solar and wind mills cannot be relied for consistent power outputs (anyone who has studied renewable energy basics should know this) and we cannot wait for the wind to blow or sunny days to complete our tasks. There is also the misconception that placing huge solar panel arrays in the Thar desert will easily solve all our issues. Only those with no clear understanding of the workings of SPV technology will say so- dust, high temperature fluctuations and corrosion will reduce efficiency over time and destroy the SPV array before costs can be recovered (again from my personal experience, just normal dust from the landscape will cause huge fall in power output).
(There is a scope to question the capacity factor of nuclear plants and
other sources of energy. The capacity factor for nuclear energy is
infact 90% (g) and for thermal plants it is more than 60% (h) which is far better than that of renewable energy)
Tidal Energy- highly location specific and installed capacity is just around 500MW all around the world. This can be developed to meet power requirements of coastal areas.
In placing our nation's development in such a technology, we need to exercise extreme caution and this means we have to ensure adequate fuel supply for these plants, we need to ensure the safety of the people in the vicinity, take them into confidence and make them part of this endeavour since their livelihoods might be at risk from the normal operation of the plant (water being used up and hot water being released back) and are also at immediate risk from any accidents. The survival and livelihoods of the people must never face any threats and there should be detailed procedures, mock drills, awareness programs to prepare for worst case scenarios and minor accidents along with adequate steps to protect the environment.
Nuclear energy is one of the paths we must traverse to attain carbon
free energy production and this is the only source of stable,
uninterrupted, large scale power we have before us right now and the so
called alternatives do not meet our needs- neither in terms of actual
production or reliability. There are technical issues with all sources
of power, but when a luminary like Dr.A.P.J.Abdul Kalam whose
credentials need no mention here supports nuclear power, we must not
simply dismiss it lightly.
The future for solar and wind energy will mostly lie in localised production with houses having their own mini power plants with SPV cells or wind mills or both to meet part of their domestic demand thereby reducing the load on centralised production. Centralised power produced through nuclear plants and other existing plants shall become the source of power for heavy usage including industry, large and commercial buildings and railway transport. The politics and business of power plants have always been an issue in
India with previous experiences with Enron having turned sour and
developed powers trying to use 3rd world nations as the hunting ground
for new markets. It should be the safety of the people and their welfare that must guide such a project and the solution to meeting our energy demand through clean, reliable fuels lie in ensuring these are implemented by keeping at heart the interests of the people and not be scuttled the misplaced fears of the a few or in the selfish interests of monopolies while depriving the downtrodden in this nation.
Friday, April 20, 2012
Monday, April 9, 2012
Nehru's Socialism and New India
Every economics, modern history book and article I read on India has a reference to Nehruvian socialism and its evils and the 'Hindu rate of growth'. I do not agree that Nehruvian socialism and protectionism was bad and has only harmed India and I do not really understand the truth behind the phrase because for 18 centuries India was the leading economy of the world and it was largely made of Hindus (Period of Guptas was called the Golden age of India). I am not trying to glorify a religion or spew forth propaganda but merely pointing at how short our memory is and how misnomers are the norm. One could say that Mughal period was one of Indian renaissance, I would hardly call it that because all the structures mughals built were palaces and graves for themselves like absolute rulers still do and they encouraged arts and crafts for their own pleasure(a) and mughal empire was city-centric with very little connection to the people with the king being a distant reality as his connection with most of the people was merely collecting revenues.
I would like to point out the benefits of socialism that was established by Nehru by looking at the reasons for India's recent growth-
1) Large number of educated individuals- this was the result of the strong base for education that was set-up which resulted in increase in literacy and also created a large number of professionals
2) Indian enterprises- Although protectionism did fuel corruption, inefficiency and easy going attitude it did allow the nation to create some wealth in public sector and also a few in the private sector. Although the ones in private sector had a tough struggle, Infosys, Patni, TCS etc were founded in the pre- reform India.
We are also a secular democracy which has reasonable stability when compared with almost all other nations that were freed from colonial rule and a perfunctory glance across the border would suffice to convince even the biggest cynics of India that we have been lucky and that is due to-
1) Secular Democracy- We are not a struggling democracy (atleast we established democracy and now are attempting to root out old malaises) or an autocratic nation. In spite of issues, we do have an elected government
2) Judiciary- Our judiciary has been the protector of our rights even when government has been trying its utmost to curtail them and has delivered landmark verdicts on tax laws to property disputes
We are not a banana republic or an autocracy or anti-secular nation simply because we chose to protect and cement the ideals on which our country was founded and close the nation so that these foundations will not be washed away by the tides created by cold war and other conflicts that was raging the world over, before they can solidify. If we had left our nation open for foreign investments immediately, we would have seen a continuation of economic exploitation and slavery that was the hallmark of colonial rule.
There has to be questions asked of modern rate of growth too as we find that 47% of households do not have toilets and 30% of the population that numbers 36crore people are defined as poor under a ridiculous poverty line. We have an enormous middle class that are patronised by the current spurt of growth who have a stake in maintaining the status quo(a number greater than the population of US), we have a large number of poor who are used for human labour- statements like labourers are not available in construction industry and their wages have gone up due to MGNREGA clearly show this exploitive attitude since MGNREGA doesn't even provide minimum wages in most places- and a small section of rich and powerful who decide what happens in this country.
Whether or not situation has improved is a pertinent question and so this must be answered before derogatory use of 'Nehruvian' socialism and 'Hindu rate of growth' since such remarks forget the fact that our current growth is making the rich richer and has made a middle class that buffer the rich from the poor and is making the poor poorer. This growth is benefiting some section of society and hence cannot be considered to be in the interest of the nation and rather than focussing on numbers alone, we must find a balance between greater aspirations of the rich and middle class and the survival needs of the poor. We might have something fruitful to learn from old ridiculed policies, not their entire implementations but some of its intentions and ideals.
Nehruvian socialism should have been seen as the means to get to a stable position, a time during which India consolidated its position on a strong foundation, strengthened our nation's unity and shored up our defences but it became the absolute end and saw it as our duty and purpose to establish a socialist paternal state driving even the thought of what should have been the real goals out of the picture.
(a) - Public Administration in India, S.R.Maheshwari, Ch.2, The Mughal Administration
I would like to point out the benefits of socialism that was established by Nehru by looking at the reasons for India's recent growth-
1) Large number of educated individuals- this was the result of the strong base for education that was set-up which resulted in increase in literacy and also created a large number of professionals
2) Indian enterprises- Although protectionism did fuel corruption, inefficiency and easy going attitude it did allow the nation to create some wealth in public sector and also a few in the private sector. Although the ones in private sector had a tough struggle, Infosys, Patni, TCS etc were founded in the pre- reform India.
We are also a secular democracy which has reasonable stability when compared with almost all other nations that were freed from colonial rule and a perfunctory glance across the border would suffice to convince even the biggest cynics of India that we have been lucky and that is due to-
1) Secular Democracy- We are not a struggling democracy (atleast we established democracy and now are attempting to root out old malaises) or an autocratic nation. In spite of issues, we do have an elected government
2) Judiciary- Our judiciary has been the protector of our rights even when government has been trying its utmost to curtail them and has delivered landmark verdicts on tax laws to property disputes
We are not a banana republic or an autocracy or anti-secular nation simply because we chose to protect and cement the ideals on which our country was founded and close the nation so that these foundations will not be washed away by the tides created by cold war and other conflicts that was raging the world over, before they can solidify. If we had left our nation open for foreign investments immediately, we would have seen a continuation of economic exploitation and slavery that was the hallmark of colonial rule.
There has to be questions asked of modern rate of growth too as we find that 47% of households do not have toilets and 30% of the population that numbers 36crore people are defined as poor under a ridiculous poverty line. We have an enormous middle class that are patronised by the current spurt of growth who have a stake in maintaining the status quo(a number greater than the population of US), we have a large number of poor who are used for human labour- statements like labourers are not available in construction industry and their wages have gone up due to MGNREGA clearly show this exploitive attitude since MGNREGA doesn't even provide minimum wages in most places- and a small section of rich and powerful who decide what happens in this country.
Whether or not situation has improved is a pertinent question and so this must be answered before derogatory use of 'Nehruvian' socialism and 'Hindu rate of growth' since such remarks forget the fact that our current growth is making the rich richer and has made a middle class that buffer the rich from the poor and is making the poor poorer. This growth is benefiting some section of society and hence cannot be considered to be in the interest of the nation and rather than focussing on numbers alone, we must find a balance between greater aspirations of the rich and middle class and the survival needs of the poor. We might have something fruitful to learn from old ridiculed policies, not their entire implementations but some of its intentions and ideals.
Nehruvian socialism should have been seen as the means to get to a stable position, a time during which India consolidated its position on a strong foundation, strengthened our nation's unity and shored up our defences but it became the absolute end and saw it as our duty and purpose to establish a socialist paternal state driving even the thought of what should have been the real goals out of the picture.
(a) - Public Administration in India, S.R.Maheshwari, Ch.2, The Mughal Administration
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Thoughts on Implementation of PDS and Food Security
The Tendulkar committee report says that 37% of the Indian
population is below the poverty line, a figure accepted by the Planning
Commission of India and going by this figure, the number of poor in
India easily exceeds the poor in the poorest of African countries which
is around 410million. Therefore, it is absolutely essential
that the government must step in to ensure the basic necessities of life
to all its citizens. But recently, we have been dithering on providing
the most essential of survival needs, namely food to our people. For 64 years, we have
tried various ways to ensure we have enough food production to meet the
needs of our population and we succeeded in that and now we even export
food grains. We currently have buffer stock far exceeding our
requirement, but unfortunately grain is rotting due to lack of storage
facilities and lying in warehouses far beyond their period of safe
consumption. The Hon'ble Supreme court observed that rather than letting grains rot, it would be better to distribute it for free to the needy(1) (2).
Our current debate on food security revolves around two aspects, the much criticised Public Distribution System (PDS) and the proposed National Food Security Bill. PDS is implemented by various state governments with financial assistance from the central government and various states vary in its implementation. Kerala provides, atleast on paper, food grains to its entire population regardless of their economic status and although the need for subsidised grains even to the rich or even the middle class is debatable, this ensures that no one among the needy is left out of this absolutely essential safety net. In states with targetted PDS, it is plagued by leakages and duplication of ration cards that are essential to prove ones entitlement to subsidised grain. This means that grains can be diverted and sold to open markets with the help of forged ration cards and the really needy are left out either because they don't have the ration card or the grains have been already diverted.
As the benefits do not reach the intended target population which has lead several states to try out direct cash transfers and coupons that can be used in any PDS outlet. But these too are facing several issues as several shops provide less than the entitled quantity of grains and do not accept coupons*. Direct cash transfer is also not preferred since these can be misused by other members in the family. Even direct bank transfers (they need to open a bank account first) is not preferred by the poor because these places do not have access to banks. The only solution we have right now is the current system of subsidies through PDS which has to be modified to ensure fair distribution of items especially to the most vulnerable in the society. The proposed food security bill intends to make the same mistake of targeting those eligible for food security and this can only lead to misuse of food grains and the intended beneficiaries being left in the lurch. Many of the poor are migrant labourers with their families in the villages in another part of the country and so providing ration cards for the entire family will leave the migrants out if targeting is made the norm.
What we need is universal coverage which will ensure that none of the more than 450million poor in India are denied access to this essential necessity. We have the working model in Kerala which has drawn positive response from all households in the state and we need to extend it to the whole country. This will involve the government increasing its grain procurement monumentally and we also need to build from scratch the infrastructure to transport and store large quantities of grain and ensure they are not wasted and do not go bad. We need cold storages and transport facilities and this is not just for our food grains but also for our vegetables and fruits-a third of produce is wasted due to absence of such facilities(3)- which can be achieved by partnering with railways and inviting private investors that include retailers and large farmers or their co-operatives. Implementation of supply-chain mechanism is absolutely essential to ensure our population has access to food grains as well as vegetables and fruits and this will also provide enhanced income to our farmers who toil in the sun to feed our nation. Innovations like real time tracking of movement of goods as the ones implemented by courier services will be cheap cheap and effective. Technology like Radio Frequency Identification (the access cards of almost all employees in IT companies use this) are cheap and can be easily implemented, anti-theft devices are installed in even the smallest items of clothing in most major retail outlets, barcodes have been in use for a long time and this shows it is possible to implement technology on a large scale in a cost effective manner.
Such massive changes will involve naturally a few conflicts and these have to be solved before we can roll out such an ambitious programme. As the government increases its procurement, it will lead to shortage of grains available for the open market. It is the open market that the rest of our population depends on and this is because grains available in PDS shops are of not of unquestionable quality. Even in Kerala with universal coverage of PDS, those who can afford it, buy their grains from the open market because of issues with quality and timely availability. Hence, it must be ensured that grains are of good quality, are available for sale all the time and open market prices do not spiral out of control and if it does, government must release its own stock from warehouses to bring down prices. It is also possible to try direct transfer of cash to bank accounts, not just for subsidy in food grains but also in fuel, education and healthcare but then they could still be misused even if access to banking is improved. There is also the question of money as the government might not be able to procure the entire amount necessary for the population, but the fact that food grains are rotting in government warehouses is appalling and so the attempt is to distribute already procured grain to the needy.
The issue of subsidy is still a raging debate- whether the government should have direct involvement or should it just provide direct benefits to the needy. On paper, the UIDAI project will identify every citizen and whether they require welfare assistance and then government will provide direct cash to these individuals for food grains, education, healthcare and whatever necessity including disaster relief. They can then use the services of whichever provider they deem suitable and this will remove the need for leaky dysfunctional government organisations like teacher less schools, PDS shops that never open and doctorless hospitals.
Such an implementation is still a long way away as we still have not figured out the way to implement the UID project and its nuances. The government should not quit from providing these essential services completely but should stay on as a benchmark, a low-cost option and there is also the issue of accessibility in many places as private enterprises and individuals may not be interested in working in far flung areas.
The goal of a hunger free nation is within our reach, is well within our resources and it is our moral responsibility to bring such a future to reality and erase the ignominy of a new economic power that sends satellites to space but still has the highest population of poor in the world
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article617813.ece - 1
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article605557.ece - 2
http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/india-wastes-59-mt-fruits-vegetables-every-year/119841/on -3
http://www.frontlineonnet.com/
Our current debate on food security revolves around two aspects, the much criticised Public Distribution System (PDS) and the proposed National Food Security Bill. PDS is implemented by various state governments with financial assistance from the central government and various states vary in its implementation. Kerala provides, atleast on paper, food grains to its entire population regardless of their economic status and although the need for subsidised grains even to the rich or even the middle class is debatable, this ensures that no one among the needy is left out of this absolutely essential safety net. In states with targetted PDS, it is plagued by leakages and duplication of ration cards that are essential to prove ones entitlement to subsidised grain. This means that grains can be diverted and sold to open markets with the help of forged ration cards and the really needy are left out either because they don't have the ration card or the grains have been already diverted.
As the benefits do not reach the intended target population which has lead several states to try out direct cash transfers and coupons that can be used in any PDS outlet. But these too are facing several issues as several shops provide less than the entitled quantity of grains and do not accept coupons*. Direct cash transfer is also not preferred since these can be misused by other members in the family. Even direct bank transfers (they need to open a bank account first) is not preferred by the poor because these places do not have access to banks. The only solution we have right now is the current system of subsidies through PDS which has to be modified to ensure fair distribution of items especially to the most vulnerable in the society. The proposed food security bill intends to make the same mistake of targeting those eligible for food security and this can only lead to misuse of food grains and the intended beneficiaries being left in the lurch. Many of the poor are migrant labourers with their families in the villages in another part of the country and so providing ration cards for the entire family will leave the migrants out if targeting is made the norm.
What we need is universal coverage which will ensure that none of the more than 450million poor in India are denied access to this essential necessity. We have the working model in Kerala which has drawn positive response from all households in the state and we need to extend it to the whole country. This will involve the government increasing its grain procurement monumentally and we also need to build from scratch the infrastructure to transport and store large quantities of grain and ensure they are not wasted and do not go bad. We need cold storages and transport facilities and this is not just for our food grains but also for our vegetables and fruits-a third of produce is wasted due to absence of such facilities(3)- which can be achieved by partnering with railways and inviting private investors that include retailers and large farmers or their co-operatives. Implementation of supply-chain mechanism is absolutely essential to ensure our population has access to food grains as well as vegetables and fruits and this will also provide enhanced income to our farmers who toil in the sun to feed our nation. Innovations like real time tracking of movement of goods as the ones implemented by courier services will be cheap cheap and effective. Technology like Radio Frequency Identification (the access cards of almost all employees in IT companies use this) are cheap and can be easily implemented, anti-theft devices are installed in even the smallest items of clothing in most major retail outlets, barcodes have been in use for a long time and this shows it is possible to implement technology on a large scale in a cost effective manner.
Such massive changes will involve naturally a few conflicts and these have to be solved before we can roll out such an ambitious programme. As the government increases its procurement, it will lead to shortage of grains available for the open market. It is the open market that the rest of our population depends on and this is because grains available in PDS shops are of not of unquestionable quality. Even in Kerala with universal coverage of PDS, those who can afford it, buy their grains from the open market because of issues with quality and timely availability. Hence, it must be ensured that grains are of good quality, are available for sale all the time and open market prices do not spiral out of control and if it does, government must release its own stock from warehouses to bring down prices. It is also possible to try direct transfer of cash to bank accounts, not just for subsidy in food grains but also in fuel, education and healthcare but then they could still be misused even if access to banking is improved. There is also the question of money as the government might not be able to procure the entire amount necessary for the population, but the fact that food grains are rotting in government warehouses is appalling and so the attempt is to distribute already procured grain to the needy.
The issue of subsidy is still a raging debate- whether the government should have direct involvement or should it just provide direct benefits to the needy. On paper, the UIDAI project will identify every citizen and whether they require welfare assistance and then government will provide direct cash to these individuals for food grains, education, healthcare and whatever necessity including disaster relief. They can then use the services of whichever provider they deem suitable and this will remove the need for leaky dysfunctional government organisations like teacher less schools, PDS shops that never open and doctorless hospitals.
Such an implementation is still a long way away as we still have not figured out the way to implement the UID project and its nuances. The government should not quit from providing these essential services completely but should stay on as a benchmark, a low-cost option and there is also the issue of accessibility in many places as private enterprises and individuals may not be interested in working in far flung areas.
The goal of a hunger free nation is within our reach, is well within our resources and it is our moral responsibility to bring such a future to reality and erase the ignominy of a new economic power that sends satellites to space but still has the highest population of poor in the world
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article617813.ece - 1
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article605557.ece - 2
http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/india-wastes-59-mt-fruits-vegetables-every-year/119841/on -3
http://www.frontlineonnet.com/
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Solutions
As I hadn't suggested any solutions in the previous post, but merely
problems which all are aware of and quite obvious, I did think about how
these issues can be tackled. They may or may not work, but no one can
say for sure what will happen.
The government must act as protector and trustee of the resources (spectrum or minerals) and dispense them keeping the public good in mind, not how much money will come to the government itself or Swiss bank accounts of individuals.
The government must get out of most economic activities like aviation and hotel running and be involved only in essential and basic ones like defense, power and water supply, atomic energy, public transport, space etc. This is because these are absolutely essential to the country and only the government can invest massive amount of money and also engage in sectors that may not generate huge profits but are absolute necessities for the people and serve strategic purposes too.
In certain sectors like communication, transport, education etc it can have a presence to make sure that private enterprises do not engage in unfair practices like price-fixing or predatory pricing and provide a benchmark.
The government must appoint independent regulators in all sectors ranging from education to environment protection, consisting of experts in the field to make sure no one engages in unfair practices and the interests of the people are protected. It is here that civil society and activists have a role to play, it is here that informed citizens have a part to play and that is why we all have a role to play in a democracy as we need to keep ourselves informed of the state of affairs in our nation and not just the state of 'affairs' among celebrities. We need to raise our voice and that does not always have to mean getting on the road and shouting slogans but just voting properly and expressing opinion.
Our local self governing bodies must make sure that government funds are utilised properly, conduct surprise inspections on their implementation whether it be road or canal construction or teaching at schools or public health centres and check whether they are not functioning, those affected by them must find out how their grievances can be redressed and that is why awareness, literacy and discussions are important- only informed citizens can make sure they get what is due to them as rights, entitlements and facilities. This coupled with legislation like the citizen's charter and strong grievance redressal mechanisms and the lokpal or lokayukta that is in the offing can create a better country for future generations.
The best cure for bad democracy is a democracy where people are well informed, politically active and demand what is due to them which will make their representatives answerable to them directly. We have even now people who ask why read the newspaper or why should I keep myself aware of what is happening in this country, they have no right to blame a government, they only come out to express their emotions and wear a gandhi cap when it is fashionable to do so. We need to first rise up from our own slumber and then make demands from our government for fair, equitable development and a clean environment in all senses for us to live in.
The government must act as protector and trustee of the resources (spectrum or minerals) and dispense them keeping the public good in mind, not how much money will come to the government itself or Swiss bank accounts of individuals.
The government must get out of most economic activities like aviation and hotel running and be involved only in essential and basic ones like defense, power and water supply, atomic energy, public transport, space etc. This is because these are absolutely essential to the country and only the government can invest massive amount of money and also engage in sectors that may not generate huge profits but are absolute necessities for the people and serve strategic purposes too.
In certain sectors like communication, transport, education etc it can have a presence to make sure that private enterprises do not engage in unfair practices like price-fixing or predatory pricing and provide a benchmark.
The government must appoint independent regulators in all sectors ranging from education to environment protection, consisting of experts in the field to make sure no one engages in unfair practices and the interests of the people are protected. It is here that civil society and activists have a role to play, it is here that informed citizens have a part to play and that is why we all have a role to play in a democracy as we need to keep ourselves informed of the state of affairs in our nation and not just the state of 'affairs' among celebrities. We need to raise our voice and that does not always have to mean getting on the road and shouting slogans but just voting properly and expressing opinion.
Our local self governing bodies must make sure that government funds are utilised properly, conduct surprise inspections on their implementation whether it be road or canal construction or teaching at schools or public health centres and check whether they are not functioning, those affected by them must find out how their grievances can be redressed and that is why awareness, literacy and discussions are important- only informed citizens can make sure they get what is due to them as rights, entitlements and facilities. This coupled with legislation like the citizen's charter and strong grievance redressal mechanisms and the lokpal or lokayukta that is in the offing can create a better country for future generations.
The best cure for bad democracy is a democracy where people are well informed, politically active and demand what is due to them which will make their representatives answerable to them directly. We have even now people who ask why read the newspaper or why should I keep myself aware of what is happening in this country, they have no right to blame a government, they only come out to express their emotions and wear a gandhi cap when it is fashionable to do so. We need to first rise up from our own slumber and then make demands from our government for fair, equitable development and a clean environment in all senses for us to live in.
CAPITALIST Matters
The purpose of capitalism is to make profit and generate dividends to shareholders and keep this going for as long as possible. Capitalism
is not concerned about generating employment or preserving the
environment because these only reduce profit or in other words, being
concerned about the environment or generating employment does not make
more money. It is the same with worrying about rehabilitating and
compensating those displaced by a factory or a mine since it
is too cumbersome and expensive. What is done when faced with such a
situation- Cut corners? Make deals with those in power? Turn a blind eye
to environment and good of the people? All of it is happening in our
country.
These are issues with unbridled capitalism and capital will flow out once it has exhausted all resources in a particular region or resources become too expensive, whether it be labour or minerals and once it leaves, only then does the true cost of their operations come into full view. This is why we need some regulation and control over the functioning of capitalism. Communism and socialism as a pure concept may be past its glory days and capitalism is also getting there with the current string of crises showing no signs of abating.
It is only obvious that we are seeing the re-emergence of Keynesian economics, where private enterprise is allowed to function with the government intervening in certain sectors and also during periods of crisis. But I would go a bit more than that, government should play the role of the regulator and also participate in certain sectors such as public transport, power, water, education etc because in a country with vast underdevelopment only the government can provide certain goods and services. Whenever there are profits to be made and that too in the immediate future, there and only there will capitalism fill the demand. The current trend has been high economic growth with little growth in employment* as investments are high in capital intensive sectors and not labour intensive sectors which makes for good economic growth numbers but bad for people and if we do not give people opportunities to develop and add to the skills of our working population, once capital finds greener cheaper pastures, we will be left in the lurch.
We need investment and economic growth for the good of our people, we need jobs and education for our people and a healthy and prosperous environment to be preserved for future generations and not just GDP growth that will only fill the coffers of a few rich industrialists and politicians in their payroll.
Nandan Nilekani's book 'Imagining India' is quite naive in assuming that capitalism is the panacea to all our economic problems and the left parties in India are merely being boisterous as they are tied down to old ideas and the 'red corridor' is merely an outcome to over-activism and dismisses the work of Medha Patkar and Aruna Roy. He fails to understand that their work is to ensure equitable development and social justice and they have gained a place because the ruling parties have been hand in glove with corporates in exploiting natural resources with scant regard to the environmental and social consequences. Development has to be atleast Pareto neutral in the worst case and even then it is futile and it has to be a Pareto improvement(1) and what we have are Pareto inefficient outcomes and that is what fuels the naxal movement in this country.
If we have unbridled capitalism, we will only have development and growth in statistics and tables while even a billion Indians can be left in the lurch without any access to a decent standard of living or hope for the future.
*http://articles.
1- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
These are issues with unbridled capitalism and capital will flow out once it has exhausted all resources in a particular region or resources become too expensive, whether it be labour or minerals and once it leaves, only then does the true cost of their operations come into full view. This is why we need some regulation and control over the functioning of capitalism. Communism and socialism as a pure concept may be past its glory days and capitalism is also getting there with the current string of crises showing no signs of abating.
It is only obvious that we are seeing the re-emergence of Keynesian economics, where private enterprise is allowed to function with the government intervening in certain sectors and also during periods of crisis. But I would go a bit more than that, government should play the role of the regulator and also participate in certain sectors such as public transport, power, water, education etc because in a country with vast underdevelopment only the government can provide certain goods and services. Whenever there are profits to be made and that too in the immediate future, there and only there will capitalism fill the demand. The current trend has been high economic growth with little growth in employment* as investments are high in capital intensive sectors and not labour intensive sectors which makes for good economic growth numbers but bad for people and if we do not give people opportunities to develop and add to the skills of our working population, once capital finds greener cheaper pastures, we will be left in the lurch.
We need investment and economic growth for the good of our people, we need jobs and education for our people and a healthy and prosperous environment to be preserved for future generations and not just GDP growth that will only fill the coffers of a few rich industrialists and politicians in their payroll.
Nandan Nilekani's book 'Imagining India' is quite naive in assuming that capitalism is the panacea to all our economic problems and the left parties in India are merely being boisterous as they are tied down to old ideas and the 'red corridor' is merely an outcome to over-activism and dismisses the work of Medha Patkar and Aruna Roy. He fails to understand that their work is to ensure equitable development and social justice and they have gained a place because the ruling parties have been hand in glove with corporates in exploiting natural resources with scant regard to the environmental and social consequences. Development has to be atleast Pareto neutral in the worst case and even then it is futile and it has to be a Pareto improvement(1) and what we have are Pareto inefficient outcomes and that is what fuels the naxal movement in this country.
If we have unbridled capitalism, we will only have development and growth in statistics and tables while even a billion Indians can be left in the lurch without any access to a decent standard of living or hope for the future.
*http://articles.
1- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Resilient Inspiration
Let me make something very clear, I do not like Winston Churchill and what he did to India and Indians- exporting food grains from India during the famine and holding on to India believing it was their right to plunder makes him a mere looter. But there is one thing that I must admit, he was bad news for India but he was exactly what Great Britain needed. I like a particular quote of his "Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never--in nothing, great or small, large or petty--never give in, except
to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy."
(for the entire speech - http://school-for-champions.com/speeches/churchill_never_give_in.htm)
If this is not inspiration, I do not know what is. He showed this works as an island was able to somehow survive the onslaught of a mad despot who simply walked his way across Europe, stood victorious infront of the Eiffel tower and also had his army reach the Kremlin. Churchill lead his nation at a time of crisis and brought out the power that words have in his war broadcasts and in speeches like these that kept up the spirits of the people and his policies during the time saved Britain and perhaps the world too. He also gave the "Sinews of Peace" (http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Sinews_of_Peace) speech which popularised the term "Iron Curtain" for that part of Europe under Soviet influence (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Curtain).
From personal experience too, I do admit I have very little of and from that itself I have found that never giving up is the best way to handle defeat. The novel 'Alchemist' was suggested to me by many, perhaps to inspire me to find my true calling but it taught me more about perseverance and resilience more than anything else. I hope I can keep trying until success is met for every journey that I embark upon
NEVER GIVE UP!
(for the entire speech - http://school-for-champions.com/speeches/churchill_never_give_in.htm)
If this is not inspiration, I do not know what is. He showed this works as an island was able to somehow survive the onslaught of a mad despot who simply walked his way across Europe, stood victorious infront of the Eiffel tower and also had his army reach the Kremlin. Churchill lead his nation at a time of crisis and brought out the power that words have in his war broadcasts and in speeches like these that kept up the spirits of the people and his policies during the time saved Britain and perhaps the world too. He also gave the "Sinews of Peace" (http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Sinews_of_Peace) speech which popularised the term "Iron Curtain" for that part of Europe under Soviet influence (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Curtain).
From personal experience too, I do admit I have very little of and from that itself I have found that never giving up is the best way to handle defeat. The novel 'Alchemist' was suggested to me by many, perhaps to inspire me to find my true calling but it taught me more about perseverance and resilience more than anything else. I hope I can keep trying until success is met for every journey that I embark upon
NEVER GIVE UP!
Sunday, December 4, 2011
To Infinity, Shall this Agreement Last
Recently, I have seen people express outrage and bemusement at the ridiculous agreement that was signed by the King of Travancore handing over control of 'Mullaperiyar' dam and thus the waters of the river to TamilNadu for a period of 999 years (http://www.jeywin.com/blog/mullaperiyar-dam-controversy/) . It is a time period that is beyond our comprehension since just in the last 10years the world has seen multiple recessions, the emergence of internet, revolutions and counter-revolutions and growth at a scale never seen before and also faced challenging obstacles.
The king is not alone in signing ridiculously long agreements, we are all in the very same club. All of us are signing agreements that threaten the future of our children and their children, the very existence of myriad lifeforms that are present on this planet and all its resources. The duration of this agreement is not measurable simply because it will be in effect as long as this planet exists. The basic attitude that we will not be here while the effects of climate change kick in is what prompts us to mortgage the life of future generations for our present comforts. We are taking out loans from nature that can never be repaid by our children, we are condemning this planet and all its beauty and telling our children "sorry, we have used it all up. We can't leave anything for you except polluted rivers, rising sea levels, droughts and floods".
If you think an agreement lasting 999 years is unfair, then what we are doing is a crime most heinous. Think about it, the solutions and what to do are all around us and let not sign the agreement that will push the planet and future generations to come to a life of bondage and slavery to a planet in ruins
The king is not alone in signing ridiculously long agreements, we are all in the very same club. All of us are signing agreements that threaten the future of our children and their children, the very existence of myriad lifeforms that are present on this planet and all its resources. The duration of this agreement is not measurable simply because it will be in effect as long as this planet exists. The basic attitude that we will not be here while the effects of climate change kick in is what prompts us to mortgage the life of future generations for our present comforts. We are taking out loans from nature that can never be repaid by our children, we are condemning this planet and all its beauty and telling our children "sorry, we have used it all up. We can't leave anything for you except polluted rivers, rising sea levels, droughts and floods".
If you think an agreement lasting 999 years is unfair, then what we are doing is a crime most heinous. Think about it, the solutions and what to do are all around us and let not sign the agreement that will push the planet and future generations to come to a life of bondage and slavery to a planet in ruins
Monday, November 21, 2011
Ramblings on Wheels
If you read any book on India, the last minute mad rush finds a place invariably. It is not just students who keep things for the last minute, but everyone in this vast country. Perhaps it is not voluntary, perhaps the mad rush is forced upon them-lack of resources force people to scramble for what little is left-nowhere is it seen more prominently than in the largest railway network of the world. Tickets are sold out minutes after they are open for reservation. All this only provides middle-men and black market ticket agents to prosper hoard tickets which makes it even more scarce and costlier since these resurface few days or few hours before the journey to be bought by the desperate at a huge premium.
I almost feel that the government or whoever is in charge gets a saddistic pleasure watching people frantically try to access the IRCTC site or the conflicts that arise at the ticket counter at 8am each day as it opens for business. I have also seen the mad rush to get normal tickets as people try to not just jump the queue but also obliterate it simply because they cant wait. I saw someone presenting his case to jump the queue from the moment I stood in line and he was fighting even after I got my ticket and I received a mouthful in telugu too!!
Then came the rush to board the train, people hanging on to still unopened doors of the moving train, ladies jumping on board the train as it arrived at the platform. 10mins and the compartment was peaceful with family conversations and earphone conversations. But this was after an immensely chaotic rush to occupy seats and as for me, a healthy 6foot 2inch frame with the fortune of youth had helped me find a place as I watched all this unfold.
Are people good or bad? I can't blame the desperate attempts to jump the queue because they may have got stuck in traffic or perhaps it was just bad scheduling. Can they be called bad or found to be at fault due to what they did, which they might have had to resort to as it was forced on them by circumstance? Should what is right take all of these circumstances and background stories into account or are they to be judged on their actions alone?
What it proves is that when resources are scarce, when the demand for these resources become staggering there is a mad rush that divides people and sparks tensions. I am not sure but it might just be possible that vested interests do not want an equitable distribution of wealth. The recent remarks by real estate developers and also some among the high and mighty that construction costs and food prices are going up since the poor are becoming better betrays their mentality and also the flaws of capitalism. Cheap and exploitable labour is assumed to be their right. The fact that only 50% of NREGA funds are used (out of this another significant portion is siphoned off by false muster names and delayed wage payment) and the centre's attempt to dilute this revolutionary welfare measure by reducing funding show the priorities of our government. Keeping a section poor to be exploited and making resources and facilities inaccessible are perhaps tricks to keep people busy, from what is open to interpretation.
What must be done to make life better for millions is obvious, the money is there since the scams and corruption figures alone are in thousands of crores (if not lakhs, if my MEMORY is correct). Intentionally bankrupting PSUs so that they can make way for private companies or selling them off cheaply for a commision-Air-India will follow this route soon or perhaps after a bailout flushing more taxpayer money down the drain as if looting it wasn't enough.
I hope the government can do atleast something right to reaffirm the public's faith and belief in this nation. It is not just GDP growth numbers that matters, basic goods are going out of reach to a section that is not really benefited by average growth. An inclusive growth is the need of the hour, but we have heard the 'aam admi' slogan too frequently to lose all interest and novelty in it. I would have said that government should do this or do that, but then that would be valid only if they didn't actually know what has to be done, which is not the case. It is merely lack of interest and lack of incentives in doing what is good for the nation that is keeping our country poor
I almost feel that the government or whoever is in charge gets a saddistic pleasure watching people frantically try to access the IRCTC site or the conflicts that arise at the ticket counter at 8am each day as it opens for business. I have also seen the mad rush to get normal tickets as people try to not just jump the queue but also obliterate it simply because they cant wait. I saw someone presenting his case to jump the queue from the moment I stood in line and he was fighting even after I got my ticket and I received a mouthful in telugu too!!
Then came the rush to board the train, people hanging on to still unopened doors of the moving train, ladies jumping on board the train as it arrived at the platform. 10mins and the compartment was peaceful with family conversations and earphone conversations. But this was after an immensely chaotic rush to occupy seats and as for me, a healthy 6foot 2inch frame with the fortune of youth had helped me find a place as I watched all this unfold.
Are people good or bad? I can't blame the desperate attempts to jump the queue because they may have got stuck in traffic or perhaps it was just bad scheduling. Can they be called bad or found to be at fault due to what they did, which they might have had to resort to as it was forced on them by circumstance? Should what is right take all of these circumstances and background stories into account or are they to be judged on their actions alone?
What it proves is that when resources are scarce, when the demand for these resources become staggering there is a mad rush that divides people and sparks tensions. I am not sure but it might just be possible that vested interests do not want an equitable distribution of wealth. The recent remarks by real estate developers and also some among the high and mighty that construction costs and food prices are going up since the poor are becoming better betrays their mentality and also the flaws of capitalism. Cheap and exploitable labour is assumed to be their right. The fact that only 50% of NREGA funds are used (out of this another significant portion is siphoned off by false muster names and delayed wage payment) and the centre's attempt to dilute this revolutionary welfare measure by reducing funding show the priorities of our government. Keeping a section poor to be exploited and making resources and facilities inaccessible are perhaps tricks to keep people busy, from what is open to interpretation.
What must be done to make life better for millions is obvious, the money is there since the scams and corruption figures alone are in thousands of crores (if not lakhs, if my MEMORY is correct). Intentionally bankrupting PSUs so that they can make way for private companies or selling them off cheaply for a commision-Air-India will follow this route soon or perhaps after a bailout flushing more taxpayer money down the drain as if looting it wasn't enough.
I hope the government can do atleast something right to reaffirm the public's faith and belief in this nation. It is not just GDP growth numbers that matters, basic goods are going out of reach to a section that is not really benefited by average growth. An inclusive growth is the need of the hour, but we have heard the 'aam admi' slogan too frequently to lose all interest and novelty in it. I would have said that government should do this or do that, but then that would be valid only if they didn't actually know what has to be done, which is not the case. It is merely lack of interest and lack of incentives in doing what is good for the nation that is keeping our country poor
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
As Time Goes By
There was a time, so long ago that I do not even remember how old I was then, I wanted to play around and work with computers. The only thing I remember about that era is that I was still living in Trivandrum which puts me at less than 10years old. It was at the place of my aunt's collegemate that I first saw a computer-her brother was using it. It was small, was cream in colour, with lots of digits and numbers on the screen in black and white- I did not know it was called a monitor, but knew the word screen from TV screen. There was also a board with lots of letters and it was truly strange and it seemed a device that commanded respect and the word 'Computer' itself inspired awe and wonder in me.
In school, I took Computer Classes, went through BASIC, VB and stuff like that and it was a wonderful world. Internet was even more of a wonderland since my forays into them were only at school and my understanding of what it was, made me dumbstruck and overwhelmed. Solitaire, Minesweeper (Yes, it was obviously a windows machine) etc become wonders and fun to play. Playing DOS games (didn't know the term then too) like Prince of Persia, Mario and Racing made me convince I wanted to work this device in my life.
It was at the age of 14 that I got my first computer, it helped me a lot in my quiz preparations and was a tremendous boost through encarta and britannica encyclopedias. Taught me all about MSOffice and a few games like Roadrash,Commando and Deltaforce (the regulars like solitaire still held its charm) and my mother shouting at me to close it and get to sleep during vacation was a regular program too that came with the computer. Years later, when I am working with this device, the only thing I want to do is shut this thing down, go home and read a book and not have to look at this thing at all. The awe and respect that the word 'computer' had is all gone, it is so ubiquitous in my life. I see hundreds of them everyday and I have two on my desk at office and a laptop- an easy to carry, sleek descendant of the small black and white computer that I had first seen years ago.
This change in attitude is also similar to the change that a person working with the computer has undergone. The pioneers, the very first people who worked with it, during the first phase of the IT boom were lucky, they created it, made this work and made it what it is and developed it. Hardcore technology and the lot, I know very little of it, but I and most others working on this are merely using what the users and makers of the first computers have laid down in principles, concepts and creations. We didn't make it, we are merely using it. The growth from powerful computing tool to services to doing everything via the computer, that has meant our lives are on this- and I do not like this. I have never needed spects, but it might happen soon enough. Any compensation for occupational hazards? Can I sue my employers if they don't give me this compensation? I still need this device, to read, study, watch movies and listen to music and obviously to wiki and win more quizzes (hope that happens). Not to forget posting this on my blog. I like the fact that life is easy and we are all connected and communication has become easy, but I just don't want to work with this device in my life, rather, I don't want this device to get me worked up anymore, I just want the good things in life ;)
It was at the age of 14 that I got my first computer, it helped me a lot in my quiz preparations and was a tremendous boost through encarta and britannica encyclopedias. Taught me all about MSOffice and a few games like Roadrash,Commando and Deltaforce (the regulars like solitaire still held its charm) and my mother shouting at me to close it and get to sleep during vacation was a regular program too that came with the computer. Years later, when I am working with this device, the only thing I want to do is shut this thing down, go home and read a book and not have to look at this thing at all. The awe and respect that the word 'computer' had is all gone, it is so ubiquitous in my life. I see hundreds of them everyday and I have two on my desk at office and a laptop- an easy to carry, sleek descendant of the small black and white computer that I had first seen years ago.
This change in attitude is also similar to the change that a person working with the computer has undergone. The pioneers, the very first people who worked with it, during the first phase of the IT boom were lucky, they created it, made this work and made it what it is and developed it. Hardcore technology and the lot, I know very little of it, but I and most others working on this are merely using what the users and makers of the first computers have laid down in principles, concepts and creations. We didn't make it, we are merely using it. The growth from powerful computing tool to services to doing everything via the computer, that has meant our lives are on this- and I do not like this. I have never needed spects, but it might happen soon enough. Any compensation for occupational hazards? Can I sue my employers if they don't give me this compensation? I still need this device, to read, study, watch movies and listen to music and obviously to wiki and win more quizzes (hope that happens). Not to forget posting this on my blog. I like the fact that life is easy and we are all connected and communication has become easy, but I just don't want to work with this device in my life, rather, I don't want this device to get me worked up anymore, I just want the good things in life ;)
Monday, August 15, 2011
Yes to Lokpal, No to such protests
I am not a huge fan of Anna Hazare, but I respect his intentions and the way they have formulated and anti-corruption law and the extent to which they have gone to publicise it and generate awareness among the people and also to make sure they are also transparent as to their doings. But I cannot agree with the methods they have chosen. I am not siding with the government either, it is the most corrupt that we have ever known and then accusing someone of mismanaging 2lakh rupees when it took the government years to even try someone accused of causing a loss of 1.76lakh crores is simply too hilarious.
That there is a need for an anti-corruption is as clear is day-light, Howard Beal's screams of 'I am mad as hell and I cannot take this any more' come into my head, but let us hope we don't end up in his direction. The fact that government is still trying to discredit such an individual and bring about a toothless bill is mocking the 1.2billion that live in this country. It is thumping its chest and saying 'we can get away with what we can because we make the laws and we make it protect ourselves and everyone and everything in this country is just a means for us to exploit'.
We need not just an anti-corruption law but also accountability from the Parliament where more disruptions happen than in a rain soaked test series in the West Indies, where more bunking and strikes happen than in our college days. We need accountability from the Judiciary and civil servants, but Jan Lok Pal should focus only on issues and complaints of corruption and not on accountability. Otherwise it will become too diluted.
It also needs to give clear demarcation on from where its investigative wing will be drawn and conflicts between existing mechanisms of CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General) and Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Departments. It also needs to be clear as to what and how the prosecution and punishments will be. The Jan Lokpal Bill will never root out corruption, it is not a silver bullet, but it it will put a fear in the minds of those, who take us for a ride each time they put pen to paper. It is not perfect either, but the joint drafting committee failed, thanks to the stubbornness of both sides- the civil activists to accept that theirs is not perfect and the governments hesitance to be accountable and to pass a strong law that will definitely put some of them under investigation.
I do not support the fast unto death Anna Hazare has embarked on right now, nor do I support the governments crackdown. The government should have adopted a stronger lok pal bill, it is a battle between the Government and Anna Hazare now, we the people are merely by standers and we have a lot to lose. Both are playing with the same cards, 1.2billion lives. One has pure intentions but not the right means always, the other has a false legitimacy to fall back on, but never good intentions and actions. We can only wait and watch who will blink first.
I wish the government would enact a strong lokpal bill, it makes political sense too, but the Government's refusal to do so will damage it irreparably and create uncertainty in the country, I do not see a happy ending,infact I do not see any end at all if the government does not back down. If it had merely agreed to a stronger bill, things would not have got this worse. Now its beyond everyone, things have been set in motion and we can only know what will happen once it happens.
The government should have agreed to a strong bill long ago, Anna Hazare should not have taken such an extreme step and should have made a few compromises on the dates, 2month period to fully discuss and formulate a law, that too with a government that is highly corrupt and indecisive, is too short. It should have been a slow struggle with protests and awareness campaigns, but such a flare up could have been avoided.
I do hope for a strong Lok Pal, I do hope corruption is curbed but I also hope that no one can hold the government to ransom like this. However corrupt they may be, they are a democratically elected bunch, crooks though most of them are and perhaps many of them sneaked in through the back doors of the house of state.
If someone says you have to be either with Anna or you have to be with the government, I say neither and both. The only legitimacy the government has is the constitution and democratic process that happened 2years ago and fortunately or unfortunately they are the only ones who can pass this law, but their actions have not been that of a responsible committed government and the recent actions of Anna Hazare haven't been perfect either.
Added on 17th-One could argue that only a just cause will be able to generate such amounts of support from the entire country and only then will any form of protest, hunger strike or satyagraha, be effective. But then we did have issues when Baba Ramdev's strike was forced out inspite of it being obvious that he was upto no good. In a country where people like Nityananda (I don't want to call him swami) can raise mass hysteria, I really do not think this argument will hold always. I am glad it is an Anna Hazare, not a violent madman at the helm, a man who is asking his supporters protest peacefully and court arrest without resisting.
It means we have a responsibility too, for people like Anna Hazare to succeed, we need to support only the right people and the right kind of protests and paths and not be blinded by demagogues who are out to make their own gains. In this case, from the point of view of an activist, Anna Hazare is right, but a bit more of patience should have been shown by both sides and more discussions held to iron out the differences. The government has to walk more than halfway, civil society activists also have to walk a short distance to find a meeting point. I hope that happens soon without causing much damage. I must say that the way in which these protests have turned out is surprising, little or no untoward incidents. Especially after witnessing the riots in London, this is giving me hope.
That there is a need for an anti-corruption is as clear is day-light, Howard Beal's screams of 'I am mad as hell and I cannot take this any more' come into my head, but let us hope we don't end up in his direction. The fact that government is still trying to discredit such an individual and bring about a toothless bill is mocking the 1.2billion that live in this country. It is thumping its chest and saying 'we can get away with what we can because we make the laws and we make it protect ourselves and everyone and everything in this country is just a means for us to exploit'.
We need not just an anti-corruption law but also accountability from the Parliament where more disruptions happen than in a rain soaked test series in the West Indies, where more bunking and strikes happen than in our college days. We need accountability from the Judiciary and civil servants, but Jan Lok Pal should focus only on issues and complaints of corruption and not on accountability. Otherwise it will become too diluted.
It also needs to give clear demarcation on from where its investigative wing will be drawn and conflicts between existing mechanisms of CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General) and Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Departments. It also needs to be clear as to what and how the prosecution and punishments will be. The Jan Lokpal Bill will never root out corruption, it is not a silver bullet, but it it will put a fear in the minds of those, who take us for a ride each time they put pen to paper. It is not perfect either, but the joint drafting committee failed, thanks to the stubbornness of both sides- the civil activists to accept that theirs is not perfect and the governments hesitance to be accountable and to pass a strong law that will definitely put some of them under investigation.
I do not support the fast unto death Anna Hazare has embarked on right now, nor do I support the governments crackdown. The government should have adopted a stronger lok pal bill, it is a battle between the Government and Anna Hazare now, we the people are merely by standers and we have a lot to lose. Both are playing with the same cards, 1.2billion lives. One has pure intentions but not the right means always, the other has a false legitimacy to fall back on, but never good intentions and actions. We can only wait and watch who will blink first.
I wish the government would enact a strong lokpal bill, it makes political sense too, but the Government's refusal to do so will damage it irreparably and create uncertainty in the country, I do not see a happy ending,infact I do not see any end at all if the government does not back down. If it had merely agreed to a stronger bill, things would not have got this worse. Now its beyond everyone, things have been set in motion and we can only know what will happen once it happens.
The government should have agreed to a strong bill long ago, Anna Hazare should not have taken such an extreme step and should have made a few compromises on the dates, 2month period to fully discuss and formulate a law, that too with a government that is highly corrupt and indecisive, is too short. It should have been a slow struggle with protests and awareness campaigns, but such a flare up could have been avoided.
I do hope for a strong Lok Pal, I do hope corruption is curbed but I also hope that no one can hold the government to ransom like this. However corrupt they may be, they are a democratically elected bunch, crooks though most of them are and perhaps many of them sneaked in through the back doors of the house of state.
If someone says you have to be either with Anna or you have to be with the government, I say neither and both. The only legitimacy the government has is the constitution and democratic process that happened 2years ago and fortunately or unfortunately they are the only ones who can pass this law, but their actions have not been that of a responsible committed government and the recent actions of Anna Hazare haven't been perfect either.
Added on 17th-One could argue that only a just cause will be able to generate such amounts of support from the entire country and only then will any form of protest, hunger strike or satyagraha, be effective. But then we did have issues when Baba Ramdev's strike was forced out inspite of it being obvious that he was upto no good. In a country where people like Nityananda (I don't want to call him swami) can raise mass hysteria, I really do not think this argument will hold always. I am glad it is an Anna Hazare, not a violent madman at the helm, a man who is asking his supporters protest peacefully and court arrest without resisting.
It means we have a responsibility too, for people like Anna Hazare to succeed, we need to support only the right people and the right kind of protests and paths and not be blinded by demagogues who are out to make their own gains. In this case, from the point of view of an activist, Anna Hazare is right, but a bit more of patience should have been shown by both sides and more discussions held to iron out the differences. The government has to walk more than halfway, civil society activists also have to walk a short distance to find a meeting point. I hope that happens soon without causing much damage. I must say that the way in which these protests have turned out is surprising, little or no untoward incidents. Especially after witnessing the riots in London, this is giving me hope.
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